Phoenix: Rules Of The Harem
Chapter 25: An Attractive Afternoon With Little Young Master Xia

One week after an unexpected encounter inside the library, Huan Ran discovers that he met the Fourth Princess several times afterwards. It was so awkward with the Empire's Fourth Star that it looked at him with its frightening ignorant smile. It was almost afternoon, Huan Ran slowly walked while carrying a high pile of books on medical science with both hands. Quite a lot so that Huan Ran himself looks troubled while staring in the front makes him have to walk slowly and carefully. Again the Little Young Master Xia went away from the supervision of his servant and chose to hide inside the library, luckily there was no Ling Mei there or Huan Ran would probably feel embarrassed.

With a feeling of pleasure Huan Ran walked carrying all those books towards his pavilion, he intended to read them all inside his pavilion. There was only one turn left and he would make it to the passageway that would lead to his pavilion. However, due to his not-so-clear gaze he involuntarily collided with the body of a person in front of him who was also walking hastily.

"WAAA!"

Huan Ran shouted loudly as he fell and all the books he was carrying were scattered on the floor. The Little Young Master Xia closed his eyes tightly as he felt that he was about to fall face down with the position of his face that would hit the floor first.

BRACKET

The loud clashing sound was clearly heard, but in his dark vision, Huan Ran did not feel the slightest pain on his body and face that should have hit the floor.

"Is being on top of my body so comfortable that you don't even open your eyes, Little Young Master Xia?" Ling Mei who was under Huan Ran said in her flat tone made Huan Ran flinch and quickly opened her two eyes.

The look of his face was shocked with rounded eyes when he saw Ling Mei lying underneath him while one hand held Huan Ran's waist down so as not to actually fall on him. Huan Ran was speechless, from this close distance he was fixated on Ling Mei's face that was so charming and beautiful like precious jade. With this, Huan Ran knew if Ling Mei's appearance was truly dangerous, many young masters would probably like and approach her in the future. Then, for some reason, Xia Huan Ran felt unhappy when he thought about it. As Huan Ran's face flushed to the ears, the Little Young Master Xia blinked his eyes a few times and regained his senses, then he quickly rose away from Ling Mei's body which he had previously overlapped.

"Pardon me for my discourtesy, Your Majesty." Huan Ran lowered his head with a face that was still flushed in shame, the young man did not even dare to look at Ling Mei in the slightest.

Ling Mei sighed and pretended to smile with an innocent face like a childish naive princess, her hands movingly patting Huan Ran's head gently a few times. "No problem, it's also my fault for walking in a hurry."

Although Ling Mei pretended to be innocent and often smiled to deceive many people, deep in her heart the Fourth Princess of Shao Empire was treating Huan Ran sincerely. Because to Ling Mei, Huan Ran looked like her sister who felt guilty after doing a little mischief. While Little Young Master Xia was stunned by Ling Mei's treatment, suddenly Huan Ran felt so nervous with a strange feeling overflowing in his chest. This is not true! But, Huan Ran was unable to deny if that strange feeling made him feel happy and foreign at the same time. In the past, her brother, Xia Hui Fang, had told her that the feeling Huan Ran felt right now was a sign that she was in love. Was it possible if she started to like the precious Fourth Princess of Shao Empire?

"As an apology, if Your Majesty doesn't mind, will you have some tea with me? I ... I will serve you well." said Huan Ran with a timid face.

Hearing that Ling Mei raised one eyebrow with a face that looked a little thoughtful, then she said, "No problem, as you wish."

Huan Ran smiled widely, his cheerful face looking pleased with his bright shining eyes. It was at least possible with this that Ling Mei would forgive him and forget the mistakes he made while in the library back then.

"Cabin! I'll help you carry these books." a few had been brought by Ling Mei in her hands with Huan Ran carrying the rest of the remaining books. The two walked hand in hand towards the temporary pavilion that Huan Ran currently lived in.

In the distance, from behind the backs of Ling Mei and Huan Ran who were walking, two people who had been watching them in silence. Shi Yu Han who had seen the sweet interaction of the two looked at his wife who was treating Huan Ran warmly. It was a little painful considering Ling Mei who blatantly told him that the Fourth Star of the Empire was unable to love him. Even now Yu Han and Main Companion Wei Yun Rui were competing for the love of their wives in a healthy silence. Maybe they both don't want to be like this, but this is an absolute harem rule, things were so hard to avoid even for Wei Yun Rui and Shi Yu Han who lived harmoniously within the harem of the fourth princess manor.

"Master? You okay?" Mo Xi who was beside Yu Han asked carefully, he quite understood the feeling of his master who was not doing well.

Yu Han sighed, his gaze still looking soft even though a sad glint was faint in both eyes. Perhaps in the next few years, the harem manor of the fourth princess would be crowded with some talented young men. "I've seen it, let's go, Mo Xi!"

Yu Han turned around, walking away from the place with Mo Xi behind him. His gaze was straight forward with a face that was not as bright as usual, even though his gentle gaze was not lost, the young man had a lot of fear in his heart.

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Inside the Baoshi Pavilion that Huan Ran occupied, it could be seen that Ling Mei and Little Young Master Xia were sitting opposite a small table in their midst. With a nervous heart, Huan Ran held onto the teapot and poured it on Ling Mei's cup slowly. Huan Ran secretly heaved a sigh of relief when he managed to do so without making any mistakes, thus there would be no new problems arising between him and Fourth Princess Shao Ling Mei. The Fourth Princess of Shao Empire sipped her tea slowly, she fell silent for a while as she looked towards Huan Ran making the young man bow with a flushed face in embarrassment.

"You ... I see you brought a lot of books about medicine, do you like it?" in a confused tone Ling Mei asked Huan Ran.

When the thing he liked was called, Huan Ran looked up and nodded with an enthusiastic face. The Little Young Master Xia looked delighted with his bright sparkling eyes. "That's right! Ever since I was a kid, my mom and dad taught me a lot about medicine, it made me love it when I concocted a lot of ingredients to make medicine and take care of people who were sick."

As he looked at it, Ling Mei's gaze softened. He cleared his throat with a slightly awkward and timid face in front of Huan Ran made the young man regard Ling Mei like an adorable cute bunny. "This manor has a garden in the back that plants some medicinal plants, if you are bored you can take some and concoct them as you wish."

Ling Mei raised next to her eyebrows, not understanding with the intent of Huan Ran. It was just that before he actually asked, the young man advanced his body towards Ling Mei with one hand outstretched onto the charming face of the Empire's Fourth Star. Seeing that, Ling Mei's body sculpted, feeling surprised by the sudden action of the Little Young Master Xia. Huan Ran pointed his hand at Ling Mei's hair, carefully Huan Ran picked up a small piece of object that had accidentally gotten stuck in Ling Mei's hair. But, it seemed that Huan Ran was unaware of the distance between his two faces close enough that Ling Mei could clearly see each side of Huan Ran's face.

"ah! I got it! Your Majesty, it looks like this thing accidentally got stuck in your hair when we both fell during it—"

Instantly Huan Ran fell silent, his eyes rounded in surprise when he realized the distance between his face and the Fourth Princess who was too close. One hand unconsciously remained in the same position that was beside Ling Mei's face while carrying a small piece of object. Huan Ran's gaze was fixed on Ling Mei's blue eyes which were also fixed on her, completely looking beautiful and sparkling like a clear ocean. Huan Ran could not help but be mesmerized upon seeing it, this was not true! Huan Ran lowered his eyes before then he distanced his body with an awkward face. So did Fourth Princess Ling Mei who cleared her throat, trying to forget the strange events that had just happened.

"I-I'm sorry for my stupidity, Your Majesty! That's .. I'm used to interacting with my sister like this, so...."

"Did you miss him?"

"Yes?" Huan Ran looked at Ling Mei with a perplexed look.

Ling Mei lowered her gaze, gazing at the teacup that was in front of her. "Your brother, do you miss him?"

Huan Ran nodded with an innocent face. "of course. Although sometimes we fight, but Hui Fang Jiejie is the only brother I have. He always loved me and treated me well."

"that's good. All my sisters don't like me because I'm the legitimate daughter of the Grand Empress, people say I'm a useless mentally disabled princess, they hated me and gossiped that I was inappropriate even just to bear the title of imperial princess."

Ling Mei gave a small smile, from outside Ling Mei showed a clear sad face. However, from within her heart Ling Mei felt cold. Hatred among the members of the imperial family was a common thing, though, but he had to pretend a little to deceive the innocent Huan Ran because the Young Master of the Xia family was not supposed to know his true character. After this their relationship will not be close more than the limit, should the relationship of sister brother or someone who knows each other briefly is enough for them. Ling Mei might be able to offer herself as an elder sister to Huan Ran like Hui Fang because Huan Ran was so similar to her brother, but to get closer than that seemed like it would be difficult.

Hearing that, Huan Ran's brows furrowed unhappily. "Your Majesty, that's not true! You are a good princess, you are very worthy of the title of imperial princess in front of your name! You don't even deserve to be hated, Your Majesty."

'No, Little Young Master Xia. I am a person who deserves to be hated, I can even kill people with a single slash if it is necessary.' Looking towards Huan Ran, Ling Mei smiled with faint glittering eyes. Some people always said that he was a good person, but Ling Mei was not that kind of person.

"Thank you for that. In return for comforting me, if you will, you can think of me as your older sister."

Huan Ran smiled widely, his cheerful look made her look even more charming. "Shin. Your Majesty, you must not retract your words after this!"

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"Your Majesty! Your Highness the Main Companion Wei!" Shu Lian hurriedly met Yun Rui, her face not looking as good as usual.

"What happened that you were so agitated, Shu Lian?" Yun Rui smiled slightly as she shook her head, feeling not so surprised by the mannerisms of her loyal servants. "More than that, do you know where the Fourth Princess is? I intend to see him if he's not at work."

"That's what I want to tell you, Your Majesty! I obtained the information from the Yin Pavilion's servant if Her Majesty the Fourth Princess was in the pavilion occupied by Little Young Master Xia."

Yun Rui sighed, the brush she held before she placed beside the book that was in front of her. This was the financial budget report of the residence that she had to finish carefully, without staring at Shu Lian, the Fourth Princess' Official Companion took out an ink stick and grinded it on an inkstone. His expression looked so smooth without any visible streaks of annoyance.

"As I've guessed before, sooner or later it might happen."

Shu Lian stared worriedly at her master, the influence of the harem was truly terrifying even if it was an ordinary noble residence harem. "Main Companion Wei, is it alright to leave it like that? It might not be good for you."

"I know, but it's also not something I can easily prevent. I've loved her for a long time and all I want is for the Fourth Princess to love me again like she used to. Although the Fourth Princess will have some other concubines, it won't be a problem as long as she doesn't leave me, since the Fourth Princess has already promised for that."