I hate you

Chapter 28

Xing Li was the well known adopted daughter of Prime Minister Xing Yang, but no one knew she was also a spy planted in the Xing family by emperor Jian Li Rong, for monitoring the powerful family.

Before that she'd been a mere orphan in the streets suffering all kinds horrors. If it wasn't for the emperor saving her she'd probably have had a dark ending filled with despair.

For his kindness she was eternally grateful. He was her savior and her salvation, there was nothing she couldn't do for him.

For him she could even risk loosing her new family by spying on them. Being grateful was not the only reason she was willing to go so far. She secretly loved him.

Xing Li had been sure that he loved her too because he always showed her his gentler side, treating her well when he was so indifferent to others.

She had dreamed of becoming his consort and then his empress. Of living all of their days loving each other.

Then he came out of nowhere and snatched her place in the emperor's heart.

At that moment her heart shattered into pieces and it felt like her world had collapsed and she was back to her childhood. Feeling the same kind of desperation, despair and ugly fury she thought had disappeared without a trace.

Seeing her beloved in bed with another made her feel even worse. She suddenly wished she had tortured his sister Liu Mei before the emperor decided to let her go home. Was Liu Wenhe the reason for the strange decision of letting her go? She hated him, why out of all the men in the world did he have to set his sights on the emperor?

Was all she'd done to gain the emperor's affection a waste? And all Liu Wenhe had to do was appear infront of the emperor to steal all that away? No she couldn't accept that.

Taking a deep breath she looked up with shining doe eyes.

"My apologies your highness but it's already our tea time." She said her voice soft and impossibly charming.

Just as she'd expected his cold eyes softened immediately.

"Li'er be careful to knock next time. Now go, I'll come later."

Without waiting for her to go he went into the bathroom to change.

Slowly she stood up and glanced at the beautiful man on the bed staring right back at her with thoughtful eyes.

"Don't get too comfortable. You are just someone the emperor considers a toy, a play thing and nothing more."

With a flick of her sleeves she left.

That's right the emperor still cared for her. The emperor had been always bored and was trying something new that intrigued him. Liu Wenhe was nothing but a passing interest.
He would soon disappear and the emperor would be hers again.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"...a play thing."

Liu Wenhe stared after her, his eyes blank.

He'd called Li'er meaning she was concubine Xing Li and Jian Li Rong seemed to be very found of her going by how his eyes softened and didn't punish her when she'd trespassed into his chamber without invitation. He even hurried to dress and go to her room for tea. She was special to him.

Something in his chest clenched. He laughed.
A toy? The one thing that he hated most was being toyed with and being used.
But he was also using the emperor to somehow get a better life for his current body's family. Using and being used, they were even in this case.

He let his head drop to the side and his thoughts went Tlingit the flute in his room.  Was it that flute. Which brought him here? 
Of course there was no way to find out.