Red Rose [Never Let You Go, Again Book 3]

46: Lying Jade

"YAY! Daddy, we're here!"

Lan Xichen slowed Shuoyue down by a minute to let Meilien land on the deck first.

"I WON! I BEAT THE COOL ZEWU-JUN!"

"Good girl," Lan Xichen chuckled, landing seconds after her.

"Daddy come!"

"No, angel. You go home. I'll go back."

"Ah?" Meilien pouted, holding Xichen's hands and swinging them left and right. Her Susu's words echoed in her mind.

'Little Lien, when you get home, tell him you've got to give him a gift so he'll have to stay. And then, quickly go tell Jiang Daddy. Alright?'

Right, Meilien nodded inwardly. "Daddy, I've got a little something to give you. Kept it here until you come to Lotus Pier. Can I give it before you go?"

"Angel, I need to go–"

Big, round eyes welling up, bottom lip trembling, Meilien stared up at him. "Pwetty pwease?"

Lan Xichen sighed. "Fine, fine. But five minutes."

"YAYYYY!" Meilien abandoned his hands and ran into her home.

Lan Xichen fidgeted and shuffled his feet as he stood on the deck, waiting for her to return. He ignored the Jiangs walking by, desperately trying to avoid all eyes.

Meanwhile...

**********

"DADDY!"

"Meilien?" Jiang Cheng looked up from his scrolls. "When did you come?"

"Daddy come quick, Daddy's here!"

"A-Huan?" Jiang Cheng beamed with joy and ran to the door.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Meilien blocked the door with her arms. "Listen to me first!"

"Tch, Meilien, I want to see him!"

"He's still angry with you so listen to me!"

"Oh... okay," Jiang Cheng nodded and knelt on the ground, grinning as she explained things.

"Daddy, I'm going to keep Daddy chatting for a while and give him a gift. You are going to stay by the window of the Main Hall. It's closest to the deck so you can listen in. Susu told me to tell you all this and something else too... Tsk, what was it?" She scratched her head. "Ah, right! Daddy's a bit hurt, inside and outside, so you need to be patient and listen well to what happens without panicking. No stomping off. Susu's orders."

"Excuse me? He orders me around now?"

"Daddy..."

"Alright, I'll listen to my daughter. And by the way, good job on joining the Chaos Fam," Jiang Cheng grinned. "So far, it's been us Five Top Jiangs, your Nie Shushu and Auntie Xuanji. Congrats!"

"Tee-hee!" Meilien chuckled and ran off to find her gift. 

**********

"Daddy!"

"Little angel? What did you get for Daddy?"

"Ta-da!" Meilien held out a beautiful pink lotus.

"Wow," Lan Xichen gasped, smiling at the delicate pink petals curved upwards to reach for the sun, elegant, curvaceous, graceful and pure. Just like Wanyin, he thought with a guilty gulp. He took the lotus in his hands and stroked the petals tenderly. "Thank you, little angel."