Commander Wang has returned from the Northern Border. He already feels a spark between the prince and himself.
"Wang Yibo, does it feel good?? Tell me!!" Xiao zhan was a man on mission. But Wang Yibo didn't answer, so the prince kept going. "Are yo...
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Few days later, a letter came from the spies. It stated that those attackers had crossed the border and asked for the permission to follow them into the Li Kingdom.
"The Li kingdom?" The King was surprised that those men had anything to do with another kingdom. But if they crossed the border, then surely the head conspirator was someone from the Li kingdom.
"So those men were from the Li kingdom?"
"It looks like it. But father, if they were really from the Li kingdom, then we would have had some record of them crossing our border. Which we don't." Xiao zhan knew that the border patrols were strict about it. They had names of every single person crossing the border.
"The Prince is right, your majesty. I think they belong to our own kingdom. Someone from the Li kingdom hired them because it would be easier like that. And now that they think we haven't caught them, they allowed them to cross border easily. No common citizen of our country is ever allowed in their kingdom without a proper reason." Yibo knew how difficult it was to cross borders. He had tried it himself once.
"It seems reasonable to assume so." The King agreed with them. "I will send some of our elite soldiers to help them. I am sure we will reach their master soon."
The next morning, some of the most capable soldiers were preparing for the mission in their quarters when the king came to visit them.
"Is everything ready?"
"Yes, your majesty. We will depart soon." One of the soldiers responded.
"I hope you remember your instructions. Cross the border, find the man, kill him and leave. No mistakes should be made." They couldn't afford to miss this chance.
Wang Yibo had already packed a small bag just like other soldiers and wore commoner's clothes.
When the king saw him, "Yibo, are you going too??" He asked.
"Yes, your majesty. I would like to be a part of this mission."
"But a-zhan has chosen them personally and I am sure he doesn't want you to go." The King knew that Xiao zhan had given specific orders for no one else to go.
"I am aware that the prince hasn't chosen me. But I still want to go, your majesty." He wanted to know who exactly tried to hurt the prince. He wanted to look into his eyes and kill him.
"Well..... If you insist." The King had no reason to refuse Yibo.
At the same instant, Xiao zhan arrived. "Is everyone ready to begin?" He asked.
Yibo took his chance to inform the prince that he was also going with them. "Prince Xiao, I would—"
"You may leave, everyone. And Commander Wang, you are not going with them." He ordered sternly.
Yibo couldn't believe that Xiao zhan said that. He wanted to ask him the reason for his disapproval, but the Prince was already on his way back to his chamber.
Yibo followed him all the way there."Zhan ge! Wait!" He called.
"Yibo, I already told you, you are not going to cross the border." It sounded like Xiao zhan wasn't up for any argument.
"But what's the problem with that? I have done it before, you know. I am not inexperienced." He was angry now. He just wanted to help them. Why were they even fighting about this?!
"I didn't say you were inexperienced!!You are just not allowed to go!!Why don't you get me?!" Now he was yelling and it made Yibo even more angry. Shouting in the corridors, they made quite a spectacle.
They had reached Xiao Zhan's living quarters by now. The Prince entered the huge room and tried to close the door, but Wang Yibo wouldn't let him.
In his fury, he pushed the door open by force and entered inside, closing it behind himself.
Xiao zhan was taken by surprise, "Wang Yibo!! What are you doing??!" He shouted. No one had ever entered his Chambers without his permission.
But the Commander was closing in on him. "I won't leave without a proper reason." He kept taking wide steps towards the prince and demanded for an explanation. "Tell me."
"There's nothing to tell." Xiao Zhan's back had touched the wall. There was nowhere to escape. He put a palm on Wang Yibo's chest to push him back, but in vain. He was weaker than him.
"You are lying. I know there's something. Tell me!!!" He yelled.
"Because I don't want you to get hurt!!!" Xiao zhan snapped.
He realised in just a second what he had done. What he had said.
They were looking at each other in full concentration now. Thoughts processing on their own.
In a moment, Wang Yibo's eyes widened dramatically, mimicking his own. He couldn't believe his ears. As if being hit by an arrow, he instantly stepped back and averted his eyes from the Prince as if he was repulsed.
Xiao zhan didn't know what to do now. His legs gave up and he slid down to the ground.
Wang Yibo had walked to the door. "I will be back." He said, and left.
The realization hit hard. Xiao zhan now knew what his feelings were. He knew what he desired.
He wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his head down.
