"Why are you silent, your highness?" Hu Jingguo asked the Crown Prince who did not respond to him regarding the challenge. "Are you scared that this commoner will defeat you?" Hu Jingguo questioned.
Sheng Li snickered and replied, "No. It is not about the challenge. During all this time, I realized that my relationship with her could not be defined easily. If I accept this challenge, I will be incapable of understanding her, which I do not want. I want to know about her myself and I want Lili to tell me everything about her," Sheng Li pronounced.
Hu Jingguo had not thought that the Crown Prince would refuse to accept the challenge, but he was right. It was not about knowing everything about Ying Lili from someone else, but about knowing her with each passing day.
Hu Jingguo used to think that the Crown Prince was not the Believer of Love but today he proved wrong. The Crown Prince was different and was not the person that everyone used to think. 'The Sixth Prince was right. The Crown Prince cares for Ying Lili, but he is not accepting her. That's why he sent me to this mission because he wants the Crown Prince to show his feelings to Ying Lili.'
"Tell Wanxi that I am not jealous of you, but I am angry that someone knows Lili better than me," Sheng Li asserted as he looked into the eyes of Hu Jingguo who nodded and lowered his eyes.
"Teach me Hand Knife Game from today onwards. I will see you in the evening," stated Sheng Li and stood up from his seat. Seeing that, Hu Jingguo too stood up and bowed his head. Sheng Li left the chamber and went straight to the garden. Both of his hands were behind his back.
The Crown Prince asked a servant about the garden who showed him the way. As they reached the entrance, Sheng Li told the servant not to let anyone enter. The servant bowed his head while the Crown Prince walked inside. This was his second time setting foot in the garden. The last time he went to the garden was with his mother.
Sheng Li found that the garden was indeed large with a variety of flowers. He kept walking through the pavilion. "Where is she? I thought she would be here," Sheng Li murmured when his eyes fell on Ying Lili, sitting under the Plum Blossom Tree beside the lake. He hastened his steps and reached near her.
Sheng Li quietly sat behind Ying Lili who was looking at the lake. "What are you looking at?" Sheng Li voiced. Ying Lili came out of her thoughts upon hearing the voice of Sheng Li and immediately turned her head.
"You?!"
"Did you expect someone else to come here?" Sheng Li questioned.
Ying Lili shook her head in refusal and turned her head to the front. Sheng Li found that Ying Lili was sad so he moved closer to her and circled his arm around her belly thus, pulling her closer. Ying Lili's back hit Sheng Li's front. "Would you like to tell me what happened?" Sheng Li whispered in Ying Lili's ear.
"You do not like to be in the garden then, why are you here?" Ying Lili asked and tilted her head slightly.
Sheng Li found Ying Lili was indeed upset with him. "I need to come to find my wildcat," Sheng Li replied and moved his other free hand up and down over Ying Lili's arm thus, caressing it.
"Who's your wildcat?" Ying Lili questioned and slapped at Sheng Li's hand which rested on her belly. "Go away from here. This place is not for you," Ying Lili asserted and huffed.
Sheng Li tightened his grip around Ying Lili's belly and pulled her further closer to him. He leaned closer to her such that his left cheek touched Ying Lili's right cheek. Ying Lili clutched her skirt as this was the first time their skin touched. Her heart fluttered as she tilted her head slightly to take a glance at him.
Sheng Li too had turned his face towards her. His nose was touching her cheek as he rubbed it against her cheek. Ying Lili closed her eyes as she felt some knots forming in her stomach. "Indeed this place is not for me but this place has something which belongs to me," Sheng Li's breath hit against Ying Lili's cheek.
His hand was no longer on the belly instead it had moved up and was now on her left cheek as he turned her towards him. "Open your eyes," Sheng Li said and moved his eyes all over Ying Lili's face while his hand kept caressing her cheek.
"Why do you not come to the garden? Why do you not like flowers?" Ying Lili asked him those questions.
"I told you already," answered Sheng Li.
"I want to know the reason. Flowers have a special hidden meaning and they soothe us that's why people love them. If you do not like them then there must be a reason. So, I want to know the reason," Ying Lili stated.
Sheng Li nodded. "What does China Rose symbolize?" Sheng Li asked Ying Lili. "Eternal Longevity," Ying Lili immediately replied.
"I gifted my mother that flower, but she died early. So, why do you think that I should like them? This is all in your imagination. Flowers give temporary happiness as they gave me," Sheng Li replied.
"You are pessimistic about many beautiful things. Isn't the late mother alive in our hearts and memories? That's longevity in the genuine sense." Ying Lili placed her hand on Sheng Li's cheek and caressed it. "Do not relate everything to your past. If you think too much then how will you enjoy life? Hmm?" Ying Lili questioned him.
"Then beautify my world," Sheng Li suddenly said.
"Pardon me."
"I am a pessimistic person for beautiful things according to you. But I do not think so. Beautify my world to the extent that I start seeing them as beautiful," Sheng Li pronounced. Ying Lili hummed and put her hand down.
"I will," Ying Lili assured Sheng Li.
"I would love to fall in love with the beautiful things around me," Sheng Li proclaimed as he bored his gaze into Ying Lili's eyes who slightly widened them. She then leaned closer to Sheng Li and kissed his lips. She lowered her eyes and then rested her head on Sheng Li's shoulder who smiled.