Tales Under A Cloud

03| Light and Shadow

"It's supposed to be me," Yuxin said with a low voice, without realizing that Yuyan was listening to her.

"Why do you think you should be the first? Is it because you don't wear a dress and your hair is short?"

Yuxin nodded and her partner sighed in disagreement.

She must thought that her appearance would be an advantage to get out of the competition, but the prince proved her wrong. Yuyan thought and began to pat her friend shoulder.

"I think you're cute even with short hair, the prince must think the same as me" Yuxin's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed.

"What no sense are you talking about, Yuyan?"

"Am just saying what I see"

Yuxin dodged what Yuyan just said and began to touch the ring on her finger. She wondered how her parents were doing without her help.

"When is the second round?"

"May be in three days"

That's too long, I can't stay longer, Yuxin thought and got up from her bed.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"I will ask the prince to eliminate me"

She went downstairs and searched everywhere. The place was so big that she began to feel a little dizzy already.

"Hey, are you one of the participants?" asked a boy who had just come from the garden.

"Yes, I am looking for the prince"

"He's outside, you can look for him in the horse stable. By the way, my name is ChengCheng."

"Yuxin" They shook hands and then each one went to their side.

The castle garden was big as expected, but Yuxin managed to find the stable that ChengCheng mentioned.

As soon as Kun pulled out the horse, Yuxin rushed to pet it, completely forgetting why she was there.

"Liu Yuxin, right?" Kun asked after hearing her whisper things to his horse. Something like his horse hair is very long and she could comb it.

"Yes" she replied as she continued stroking the animal without looking at him. Yuxin was fascinated by the horse. She hadn't seen a real one, only in pictures.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Kun asked and he saw her eyes sparkle.

"Really? But I don't know how to ride."

"Don't worry, I'll do it" Kun explained how to go up, but Yuxin failed in every attempt.

"Let me help you"

"No, I can do it"

Kun laughed as he realized that she just dropped the formality with him and also be the first person to reject his help. After a few tries, Yuxin managed to sit on the horse.

"I did it" she said with a victory smile that didn't last long because Kun sat behind her easily "W-What are you doing?"

"Take a walk with you" his breath hit her ear and made her goosebump. Also her face heated as Kun leaned forward to take the rope. Now she is thinking if this was a good idea.

"You are the first one to say nothing aside from your name, and you are also the first one looking for me" Kun told her and made the horse start walking.

Yuxin remembered why she came here and felt ashamed for being too excited to see the horse.

"I wanted to ask you a favor, prince ... I mean Kun"

"Tell me"

"I want you to let me go home" When she said that, Kun was silent as they passed some trees and bushes.

The prince will keep his word. It's just that he wants to keep Yuxin a little longer here.

"Why?" He whispered hoarsely after a long silence.

"Because my parents can't work alone. I need to help them."

"What do you do?"

"We design clothes to sell outside and I make accessories like this one" Yuxin showed him the ring she was wearing on her little finger.

She was telling him a part of her life, something that she didn't want to do the first time they met, but because Kun didn't eliminate her she had to do it now.

"It's pretty"

"Thanks" The conversation ended there, and Yuxin wanted to insist again "Are you going to get me out?"

"There are still days until the second round".

"You can't eliminate me now?"

"I can't do it, even if I am the prince. Am sorry".

Yuxin lowered her head. She couldn't believe that she had come all this way and didn't get to go home. She hopes that at least her parents can wait a little longer.

Kun was watching her lose the lively girl that wanted to comb his horse hair minutes ago, that he gripped the rope tighter and made Yuxin come out of her own thoughts.

"Do you want to increase the speed?" he asked with the intention to make her feel better.

"No, I'm afraid I will fly away," Kun laughed again upon hearing that.

"That won't happen, I promise"

Yuxin thought about it for a moment. And at the end she just nodded with excitment.

"Hold tight" Kun told her as he brought his arms closer to Yuxin's body and then motioned for the horse to start running. In a matter of seconds, the wind hit their faces, and they were both smiling.

*

"Don't tell me, let me guess it" Yuyan stopped her, and walked towards the window "You tried to run away but you don't know how to ride a horse and the prince helped you but instead of leaving the castle you two took a walk through the garden".

"It's not that, it's just that I haven't seen a horse before ..." Yuxin said ashamed.

Yuyan snorted in amusement and thought that she was being very cute right now.

"And you didn't get him to eliminate you?"

"No"

"Don't feel bad, in the next round we are definetly going home. There is no one else who doesn't want to be here aside from us."

Yuxin almost forgot that fact, and the same hope began to rise again.

"Yeah, you're right".