My Beloved Enemy

6. No Sympathy

"General, have you ever seen the prince and the princess of Du?" Yu Qiao Bai asked out of blue when they were side by side on a forest road.

"Why do you ask?" Du YuShi asked with squinted eyes. As the question was coming from Yu Qiao Bai, it couldn't harbor any good intention.

"Why do you always answer my question with another question?" Yu Qiao Bai asked, raising his eyebrows, "it was a simple question."

"Yes, I met them, so what?" Du YuShi gave in as he knew the prince had the potential to gripe about it all day.

"Are they... nice?"

Du YuShi turned his head towards Yu Qiao Bai to snap at him, but seeing the genuine curiosity in his pitch black eyes, the words stuck into his throat.

"Hmm?"

"Princess Du Yue Jiao is quite nice and Prince Du YuShi is... depends on the situation," Du YuShi said, sweeping a glance towards Dong Feng who was leading the carriage next to Yu Qiao Bai.

Dong Feng gave him a thumbs up secretly.

Yu Qiao Bai nodded absent-mindedly. "Does the king listen to their words?"

Du YuShi stared at the prince coldly, "what does it have to do with you?"

Yu Qiao Bai heaved a sigh as it was the end of Du YuShi's useful answers. Trying to smile, he said "I just wonder about my future family."

"They won't be your family!" Du YuShi snapped at him and Yu Qiao Bai's eyes widened for a second before forming a squint.

"What do you mean?" he asked, testing the water. Did the general really know?

"Probably they will lock you somewhere in the palace until you die," Du YuShi tried to cover the mistake he made previously.

"Ah..." Yu Qiao Bai gave the breath he was holding in.

He really didn't know...

There was silence and then Yu Qiao Bai said "they won't lock me after the prince sees how good-looking I am."

"THERE IS NO CHANCE FOR THE PRINCE TO LIKE YOU!" Du YuShi cried out and the soldiers laughed silently.

"Why are you so heated up?" Yu Qiao Bai asked with a smirk, "is it because you want to reserve me for yourself? You even carried me to the carriage once, right?"

"GO TO HELL!" Du YuShi spurred his horse forward, leaving the carriage behind. That bastard prince was insane!

"General, what he said wasn't true, right?" Ren Jing asked with horror as he caught up with Du YuShi.

"Of course not!" Du YuShi shouted with anger.

"My apologies, but we had to ask because you are indeed too nice towards him, we are confused."

Too nice towards him? Really? It was the last thing Du YuShi would like them to think. Indeed, it was a mistake to pity Yu Qiao Bai and carry him to the carriage. His unwitty act caused Yu Qiao Bai to think Du YuShi liked him, so he was teasing him freely as if he had the upper hand. As he was nothing but the enemy whose family was responsible for Du YuShi's mother's death, the prince of Du had to remind him that there was no sympathy for him.

If Yu Qiao Bai enjoyed playing around, sure Du YuShi could play his game too. The angry general made a quick plan and shared it with Ren Jing.

As if nothing happened, the convoy continued to move forward, but when a village entered into their sight, Du YuShi sent Ren Jing there and himself got closer to the carriage which Yu Qiao Bai was sitting on and playing a bamboo flute.

"As we got to know each other pretty well, do you like to join our table for dinner tonight?" Du YuShi asked with a fake courtesy.

All was shocked, including Yu Qiao Bai.

"Are you sure, General? I thought you don't like me much."

"Yes, why not? We still have a long way to go, so being friendly doesn't hurt, right?"

Yu Qiao Bai gaped at him. The general was sure to be weird, his mood swings were too unpredictable. Still, as it was a golden opportunity, the prince could only accept.

"Great, I already sent Ren Jing for the arrangement," Du YuShi said cheerfully and spurred his horse again.

"Is he for real?" Yu Qiao Bai asked Dong Feng who shrugged as he was confused as well.

"He is fishy," Chun Hua commented as she stuck her head out from the carriage.

"I have to agree with her," Dong Feng nodded and was rewarded with a smile from Chun Hua.

"It is just a dinner, what can go wrong?"

Well...

When the convoy entered the inn, Du YuShi hooked his arm around Yu Qiao Bai's shoulders and dragged him where Ren Jing was sitting with an ominous smile.

Getting closer to the table, Yu Qiao Bai's smile disappeared.

"For the merry occasion, we reserved the table next to the fire and ordered all dishes to be served steaming hot," Du YuShi announced happily, his eagle eyes on the prince to see his reaction.

Chun Hua was getting ready to attack Du YuShi, but Yu Qiao Bai stopped her with a glance.

"Why standing? Let's sit, we reserved the seat very next to fire for you," Du YuShi attempted to pull the prince, but the latter didn't move.

"Thank you so much, General," Yu Qiao Bai said nonchalantly which contrasted with the hurt expression in his eyes, "unfortunately I have to decline your kind offer, but I assure you that I got your message."

Yu Qiao Bai turned around and left the area with Chun Hua. Behind him, Du YuShi kept staring at his disappearing figure. Initially, he planned to enjoy the plot he set, but seeing the pained expression on Yu Qiao Bai and hearing his words made him feel uneasy.

"General, that was brilliant!" Hua Suo exclaimed and Ren Jing nodded with a smirk. Wu Bo and Fu Jian remained silent, pretending to be busy with eating, but Dong Feng couldn't hold himself back.

"That was incredibly rude and abashing, I can't believe you did something like that, General," Dong Feng said honestly and left the area as well.

Before long the humane soldier was standing in front of Yu Qiao Bai and Chun Hua's room with a huge tray in his hands.

"What do you want?" Chun Hua snapped at him as soon as she opened the door.

"I brought you dinner as well as an apology," Dong Feng said softly, showing the tray with half cold half hot dishes.

"Let him in," Yu Qiao Bai uttered and with a sigh, Chun Hua complied.

Dong Feng placed the tray onto the small table and sat in a kneeling position, "I am so sorry for the treatment you received," he said apologetically.

"It wasn't you who did it, so don't apologize for the others," Yu Qiao Bai said with a friendly tone and sat in front of the table, across Dong Feng. "You didn't eat, right?" he asked and without waiting for an answer, he pressed a pair of chopsticks into Dong Feng's hand.

"No need," Dong Feng uttered but was silenced immediately by Chun Hua who hit his head.

"Just be obedient and eat," she said and he complied with a smile, causing the prince to arch his eyebrows suspiciously.