Chapter 1 - So Near Yet So Far Away

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"Your Highness, the wolf seems to be very against your hold," Chong Lin warned in worry as he looked at the snarling face of the white wolf who was struggling in Ji Heng's hold. "Your Highness, be careful."

Dong Hua made no moves to ease the wolf. Even if he did, he had a feeling it would not cave even to him.

Ji Heng found the wolf near Jing Xuan court, where Feng Jiu was. But instead of asking if the wolf belonged to her, Ji Heng was fascinated by the wolf and took it to Tai Chen Palace, but so far, the wolf only snarled and bared its teeth at her. Forget playing with her, Dong Hua doesn't even think the wolf wants her to be in its presence.

In normal cases, Dong Hua wouldn't even waste his time out here, but since he knows that the wolf is affiliated with her, she will surely come.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, Si Ming did arrive, with another not of Tai Chen Palace behind him, but Dong Hua frowned. It wasn't her.

"Dijun," Si Ming greeted, bowing. "Cheng Jiao, the Queen of Qing Qiu's right hand man, is here to see you."

The wolf changed its demeanors upon seeing Cheng Jiao. From snarling, it yipped happily and leapt out of Ji Heng's clutches and tottered over to the man's side.

"Greetings to Dijun," the one named Cheng Jiao greeted, bowing. He was a young man. Well-built and an unwavering aura, but there was something in his features that puzzled Dong Hua. Still, Dong Hua barely acknowledged him. "This morning, my Lady had let her little wolf out of Jing Xuan court to play because it was bored. However, even when lunch had come, the little wolf had not come back from. It seems that the little wolf was naughty and went somewhere."

"A common wolf, how sure are you that this is your lady's?" asked Dong Hua.

The smile on Cheng Jiao's face froze. "Pardon?"

"To verify, it must be your lady that should go here and check," he then leisurely continued reading the Buddhist scroll in his hands.

"Dijun must be joking. I am always by my Lady's side. Of course I would know which is her little wolf," he respectfully answered. Lian Song was a little impressed with the young man's cheek.

Dong Hua didn't even look at him. "Can you prove it?"

Cheng Jiao chuckled awkwardly. "Dijun, from my experience, the little wolf was not fond of people it just met. As I can see," he looked at the wolf who was circling around him with fondness.

"It's a common wolf, why would it not be?"

Lian Song couldn't bear to look at his friend anymore. Only Dong Hua really could be so thick skinned at times like these. He might as well just say out loud that he just wanted Feng Jiu to come to Tai Chen Palace.

Cheng Jiao struggled to keep the respectful smile on his face, until he finally said. "Then I will get my Lady here to verify. Cheng Jiao will excuse himself."

But the wolf did not want him to go. It clawed and tugged on his robes when he did not pick him up and even went as far as to bite his leg. "Be a good boy," Cheng Jiao told the wolf. "I will get the Lady to get you," the wolf whimpered, its ears drooping pitifully as he allowed Cheng Jiao to leave.

When Cheng Jiao was gone, it bared its teeth once more and went on to sulk to a corner. Ji Heng did not give up and still attempted to forge a connection between her and the little wolf.

"Dong Hua, can't you be more inconspicuous?" Lian Song clicked his tongue as he opened his fan.

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