LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS 17 I'm Here

Xing had been to this pond many times. Whenever she missed Chenglie too much, she would come here for a swim. Someone in the forest had told her this pond has many medicinal properties and sometimes even celestial maidens visit here and it was owned by a G.o.d. She didn't care about all that but this pond always had the same temperature in summer or winter which means it was no ordinary pond. And she had learned to hold her breath for long underwater as she felt calm here. Whenever she came here she'll remember the promise her Prince had made, which always lighten her mood.

Today too, she walked here unconsciously as her mind was troubled . The one she waited for came back, but her mother had left her and went to a place she can't follow unless she is dead. She dipped in the water. Her thoughts overwhelmed her, now her mother is gone, the only one who had constantly stayed and took care of her and loved her unconditionally is gone. She can never hear her voice again, can never see her smile. All her hugs, kisses... Who will scold her when she's home late? Who will feed her food no matter how late she arrived home? She felt a pain in her chest that made her grunt. She lookedv around to see a dim light. Right, she's under water and the water feels warmer than usual like it was comforting her.

Maybe be this is good, she thought. May be the pain will go away if I stay here in the warm, comforting water for a while.

Chenglie who was watching her noticed she was not surfacing for a long time. Is she trying to ...., his thoughts went wild and he stopped himself from over thinking and he jumped in the pond immediately. He found her deep in the water, grabbed her and pulled her to the sh.o.r.e. Xing who was suddenly grabbed and yanked out of the water felt cold suddenly exposed to the outside.

Seeing Xing naked and s.h.i.+vering, Chenglie immediately covered her with her white inner robe and held her close to him. She stuck to him like a leech.

Wow! He is much more comfortable and warmer than the water!

Chenglie couldn't bear any longer seeing her suffer. He said, " Xing! my sweet little moon! Why did you try to find solace at the bottom of the pond when I'm here? I'm right here. Can't you see me waiting for you?", his voice trembled and Xing could feel how painful he was feeling in his heart. Xing's eyes welled up and all her feelings she had pushed inside her heart burst out. She clasped his wet clothes and sobbed, pus.h.i.+ng her face inside his firm chest.

"Chenglie! My Mother….", she sobbed , he put his hand at the back of her head and said, "I know"

" She… She's…..dead"

" I know"

"What will I do….? "

" I'm here, aren't I? It's fine! It's fine if you cry. Don't hold back. I'm here", he gently patted her back. She sobbed and wailed for a long time before calming down while he was holding her close to his heart.

"You know you used to do this a lot when I used to have nightmares before, asking me to listen to your heart beat", Chenglie said with a smile on his lips after she had calmed down completely.

"Yes, my mother used to say that. It seems to be working! ", Xing said

" Mmm, it works every single time.", Chenglie said kissing her head. He noticed her eyes which were lifeless before had regained it's usual sparkle.

"You scared me for a bit there when you didn't surface for a while.. ", Chenglie said. He would not go through the pain he felt that time again. The same thing happened the first time they met in this pond too.

Xing nuzzled her head in his chest and wondered what he meant, No way! " You thought I might kill myself? Why would I? ", she asked looking in his eyes.

So I was wrong? Good then!

"My moon..", he cupped her cheeks in his hands.

"Mmm"

" I won't ask you to share your happiness with me all the time but will you share all your pain and sorrow with me? The last thing I want to see in this world is you keeping your sorrow to yourself. It is more painful to watch you hurting alone while I am unable to do anything. Please , Let me share it", he said earnestly, looking deep in her eyes with a slight tremble in his voice.

Xing heard his words with his steady heart beat and joy filled her heart. She put her hands over his hands and looked at him with smile in her eyes, " My Prince, you are my happiness. Of course I will share everything with you! She felt lucky to have met him.

Chenglie looked at the girl in his arms. Her face was red because of crying, yet her eyes now regained the s.h.i.+ne it used to have. Then his eyes drifted to the little beauty mark above her upper lip. Her lips were red and plump. The mark looked like a small bee hovering over a flower to get honey. " Am I your happiness?" he said bending. Before she could reply, his lips sealed her lips and he gently deepened his kiss. He then gently bit her lower lip before releasing her.

Xing opened her eyes and looked at him. His face was slightly blus.h.i.+ng too. She then jumped slightly and wrapped her hands around his neck and her legs around his waist. His arms wrapped around her waist. She said coquettishly, "My prince, now let's kiss properly". She kissed gently on his upper lips and then lower lips, then licked his lips with her tongue and then invaded his mouth with her tongue. With the sudden invasion of her tongue, he felt a need to pull her closer and he held her with one hand at the back of her head and other hand in her waist. He then entwined his tongue with hers as he got a hold of it and slightly sucked it,while placing her in a low tree branch. By the time they pulled away from each other, both were panting and he felt his knees became weak.

He placed his lips near her ear and whispered, "Girl! Where did you learn to kiss like that?"

"Oh that? The ladies from Heavenly Flowers Palace taught me. I was the best kisser they say and I even have fans", she said proudly.

This girl! She does say whatever she wants!

He kissed her neck and gradually went lower. " I left you for ten years and you were running around kissing women", he continued to kiss her shoulders. He then a saw the scar on her chest, the proof of the wound he made on her. He felt a squeeze in his heart. He kissed on the scar. "It scarred" he said with a low voice. "Yes, it's beautiful" she said rubbing his ears.

"Really?", he said kissing her lips. "Yes, anything you give me is beautiful", she said and kissed his cheek. He looked at her and sighed, "Do you know what you're doing to me now?" he placed his forehead on her shoulders. Her sweet smell entered his nose and his brain imagined various things.

"What?", she asked clueless. He sighed, Cruel woman! Leading me on without even realising it! But I cannot take advantage of you now!

He rubbed her chest lightly, "You really are flat. No wonder people believe you're a man even though you are a seventeen year old girl", and chuckled softly.

But I don't mind!

She hit his head with her fists and said, "Where are you touching?", with a red face which made him want to tease her more. But she pushed him away and closed her robe properly.

"What did you say? Me running around with women? Aren't you the guy who had a bedmate even though you were just twelve?", Xing asked suddenly remembering what he said previously.

"What bedmate?", Chenglie asked genuinely confused.

"That girl who was with you.. Don't lie to me. I am sure she was your bedmate", she said seriously.

"What? That day I met you?"

"Yes"

" Oh, her? She was a n.o.body! Besides, you were the one who saved me that day and you are all I remember from that day, so why talk about others? "

" I didn't save you, you saved yourself. Now don't change the subject, who was she? "

"Is my little moon jealous of a dead person?" He nudged her nose with his nose.

" Stop it", she pushed him, " Who was she?"

Without means of escape, he replied, " In the Imperial palace, each Prince will be gifted a girl at their twelfth birthday to play with. She was my gift".

" So she really was your bedmate! Play with huh? What a nice word, 'play'! So did you 'play' with her, my Prince ?", she asked smiling.

Chenglie understood her smile is not exactly a happy one and immediately waved his hands refusing, " No, no, I never even talked to her. She even smelled weird, like powder and overpowering fragrances. I wanted to leave her back in the palace but she followed. She served as a maid for my mother throughout the journey. I don't even know her name or remember her face", he hugged her, " There is no one else than you. You are the only one I will kiss and play with. Why won't you trust me? ", he pouted.

Xing calmed down smiling with his honest answer and rubbed his back, "Since I've kissed girls, you can kiss men too". She said playfully.

He pulled her away grabbing her shoulders, " Eh! Why would I kiss men?". He clearly didn't look pleased.

" May be I want to watch", she teased.

"You pervert! ", he hissed flicking her forehead "Let's change our clothes".

"Wait, another thing", she pulled him, " Were you the one who spread those rumours about me and women"

"You have good imagination", he patted her head and walked back. "Change your clothes! Don't catch a cold"

Smart girl! Can't hide anything from her! Why is she so smart? But trust me my girl, all the things I did, I did for your protection, even though it hurt me! I had no other choice!