The Sorceress: Blossoming Power

I Love You Ming 'er

Xinyi enjoyed playing along with the fish in the brook while her necklace swung around in the air. She trusted no one would venture this forest in the middle of the night.

---- o ---

The squad of brothers took cover behind a few nearby trees but Lei Ming, as if he was in a trance, kept walking toward the girl who was playing in the water with the fish.

His brothers thought she enchanted Lei Ming. One of them grabbed him while whispering, "Ming," however, Lei Ming did not even give his brother a reaction because of his enchanted state.

One of them gulped and slapped his brother. Only then did Lei Ming looked back at him with a bewildered expression.

---- o ----

"Xinyi, Xinyi, someone is approaching," warned a nightingale on a tree.

"Dammit, where?" Xinyi asked.

"Toward your left," said the nightingale.

She turned her head and saw a man. His face was partly clear to her because the moonlight reflected on him. Xinyi gasped, but she abruptly ran for her clothes while her hands covered her breasts. She pulled the cloth first and wrapped it around her body.

Her sudden movements woke Lei Ming from his stupor and saw her running away with her clothes in hand. When he saw the girl's backside, he yelled, "Wait!" But, she ignored his command and sprinted toward the other side of the brook — her goal, to get away from those men.

Xinyi did not turn around but yelled, "Stop! Don't come any closer."

Lei Ming shouted, "Please, stop!" while chasing her through the forest. While he thought the girl was crafty and ran in the woods well, she was no match for a trained professional. Soon he passed her and said, "Stop."

When Xinyi heard that man's voice, she felt anger, but could not tell why. However, this time, she obeyed his command and halted right away. Her hair left small gaps, which allowed Lei Ming to see a part of her face. But, it also allowed her to plot an escape.

Lei Ming thought she would genuinely stop and listen to him. "Please, don't run, Miss. I will not hurt you," he said as he stepped closer. He slowly removed his coat to hand it to her, but it gave her the wrong idea.

"Stop!" Xinyi shouted and raised a palm against him. "Don't come any closer," Xinyi said as she moved back two steps.

"Don't be afraid. I want to give this to you, My Lady. Cover yourself with this," he said as he placed down his coat on a bush and openly waved an arm at the two men to keep them from coming out from their hiding place as not to alarm her further while his face focused on her.

Xinyi saw that gesture and understood. 'That way is no. But this man's voice sounds familiar, like that scumbag husband of mine. Is he Lei Ming? If it's him, then he is not old and could be checking out on me in Anjing... Ah!' A sudden reality startled her in fright. ''Oh no, I hope he hasn't gone there yet. He must not know it's me. This is not good. He also saw me playing with the fish.'

Lei Ming looked toward the jittery girl and said, "Sorry for interrupting your bath. I don't mean to eavesdrop on you. It just happens I was here looking for something. I promise I won't hurt you. I will turn around and give you time to change and please, don't forget to use my coat to warm yourself," he said and turned his back on her.