The anger which developed inside her moments ago melted away when Sheng Li planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Sheng Li leaned back and gripped a few of the hair strands in his fingers. Tucking them behind Ying Lili's ear, Sheng Li said, "Father loved mother a lot. It would have broken his heart if he found out that the son of his beloved was treated like this."
Ying Lili realized that Sheng Li was thoughtful since his childhood days. He did not want to make his father worry about him. It was tough for both father and son while the Empress was enjoying the show.
Sheng Li lifted his pointer finger and bent it slightly. Moving it down on Ying Lili's nose, he said, "Anger does not suit you." He then placed his palm on Ying Lili's face and caressed it.
The plum blossom flowers from the neighboring trees were falling as the breeze blew there. "I want a garden like this where I can sit on a swing with you," Ying Lili expressed her wish as she rested her head on Sheng Li's shoulder.
Sheng Li gave a light push to the swing, and the two moved forward. "I want to revive the place that belongs to your mother. Can you permit me to do that?" Ying Lili asked Sheng Li who placed his foot on the ground, stopping the swing from moving.
Ying Lili lifted her head and peered at him. "That place can become heaven again. Don't let your mother's place get ruined just because she is not physically present among us," Ying Lili humbly pronounced.
"Okay. You can do that," Sheng Li permitted Ying Lili.
"Really?"
"Hmm."
Ying Lili jumped in happiness and wrapped her hands around Sheng Li. "Thank you. You will like that place after I revive it and then we can spend our time there," she whispered. A tiny smile formed on Sheng Li's lips seeing those gestures of Ying Lili. After a while, Ying Lili pulled away from him and stood up from the swing.
"Do you want to see something?" Ying Lili asked Sheng Li.
"What?" Sheng Li amusingly raised his brow when Ying Lili stood in front of him, a few meters away.
"A dance. This I learned from Governor Tzu's daughter," Ying Lili pronounced. "You are the first one whom I am showing this dance to," Ying Lili asserted. Sheng Li nodded and told her to start.
Ying Lili lowered her eyes gracefully and started moving her hands and fingers rhythmically. She extended her arms out and spun around. Her perfect body movements along with the graceful steps were alluring Sheng Li towards her. The way she moved her hands in front of her eyes with dazzling facial expressions raced his heart.
Sheng Li was mesmerized by her beauty. He was so lost in her dance that he did not realize when the dance ended. "How was it?" Ying Lili asked with gleaming eyes who was panting a little.
"Nice," Sheng Li replied and clapped for her. Ying Lili smiled and asked him if he wanted to learn from her.
Sheng Li's eyes widened as he put his hands down. "No," Sheng Li immediately refused when Ying Lili came towards him, grasped his both hands, and pulled him up.
"The Crown Prince should have the knowledge of everything," Ying Lili asserted and told him to imitate her. Sheng Li was hesitant to do that when Ying Lili's sharp glare fell at him.
"Move like this," Ying Lili stated as she moved her hand and fingers in a rhythm.
"If anyone will see me dancing like this, he/she will laugh," Sheng Li opined.
"No one is here," Ying Lili stated. "Follow my steps, okay?" Ying Lili started moving at her place as she showed some simple steps to Sheng Li. Sheng Li told her that he would try to do that but his movements were restricted.
Ying Lili placed her hands on her high waist skirt and spun around and brought her hands up at a certain distance away from her face. Sheng Li rubbed his forehead, thinking what Ying Lili was teaching him, but he could not even refuse her so he followed her when Ying Lili ended up giving a laugh.
Sheng Li immediately stood straight and wondered what he did. Placing the palm over her lips, Ying Lili apologized for laughing out of a sudden. "But the way you moved your hands was hilarious," Ying Lili giggled again and closed her eyes.
Sheng Li knitted his brows and pulled her towards him by snaking his arm around her waist. Ying Lili was bewildered by this act of Sheng Li.
They both stared into each other's eyes. "This is the first time a woman made me dance and then laugh at me," Sheng Li huskily said.
"The steps you were doing seemed hilarious to me," Ying Lili puckered her lips as she was going to laugh again.
"I am the Crown Prince, not a dancer," Sheng Li remarked.
"You can never be a dancer. The way you danced was enough to make someone laugh," Ying Lili blurted out and bit a little of her tongue in between her teeth.
Sheng Li snickered. "I do not intend to make others laugh. I danced because you told me to. I would be mad if others would laugh seeing me dancing or worse I could kill them. But if you laugh then…" he paused as he got lost in those dove eyes of Ying Lili.
"What will you do if I laugh at your dance?" Ying Lili queried him.
"I will kiss you because you look like a dazzling star at that moment," Sheng Li replied.
A taint of red formed on Ying Lili's cheeks and it spread till her ears. She lowered her eyes when Sheng Li lifted her chin. "Shall we head back to our chamber? I have something important to discuss with you," Sheng Li stated, and let go of Ying Lili.