Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 108768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
“Fengge, have someone grab that man.” Lei glared. “Keep him under the palace for tonight. I want to talk to him later.”
“Yes, sir.” Fengge pointed to two guards. “Get that guy! Now!”
I squeezed past several guards and remained close to Lei. “What are you going to do?”
Lei tilted my way and brushed his lips against my ear.
Cameras flashed.
He whispered, “I’m just going to have a conversation with him.”
“Don’t do anything crazy.”
“Me? Doing something crazy over you?” He grinned. “Never.”
Oh God.
As Fengge and Bolin cleared a path, the crowd seemed to surge forward with renewed vigor.
Reporters—with microphones thrust forward like weapons—maneuvered for any gap they could find, their questions crashing over us like relentless breakers.
“Lei! Look here!”
Lei's arm around my waist was the only thing anchoring me in this chaos. I clung to him, feeling the press of bodies all around us. The guards struggled to maintain a barrier. The reporters remained relentless, each one fighting for their own slice of the story.
And the crowd continued to breathe and move as one entity, pulsing and writhing with each step we took.
“Answer us!”
Many of the guards had to use their bodies as shields, pushing back against the press of people. It was a physical struggle, a slow, grinding advance through a human forest dense with curiosity and excitement.
“Enough!” Bolin took out his gun and pointed at several in front. “Get out of the way!”
Lei scowled. “Bolin, don't shoot any of them. You know the rules.”
“Yes, sir.” Frowning, Bolin lowered his gun but didn't put it back in his holster.
Still, due to that gun, many hurried away while others came up.
Somehow, we slid through.
Shit!
The press of bodies was overwhelming. Heat emanated from the crowd, the warmth of so many people packed so closely together.
Someone shoved a microphone in my face. “What's your name and why are you here?”
Bolin shoved the man away. He fell back into others, yet that didn't stop the questions or more people trying to bring the microphone toward me.
Lei's arm around my waist was the only anchor in the shifting sea of faces, his grip firm and reassuring.
“Mountain Master, what designer are you wearing today?”
The air was thick with the scent of sweat and perfume.
Lei had mentioned the various sections of people. We must have been in the entertainment and lifestyle section now.
“Will the Charity ball still be held this year?”
To my shock, Lei stopped us and turned to the woman who had asked.
Everyone held their breaths, including me.
Some even froze right there.
Lei nodded at her. “The ball is an event that has always been important to my mother. It will be held this year, right on time.”
“T-thank you, Mountain Master.” She looked like she was about to pass out. “And can I get the identity of this woman?”
Several people hushed others.
Many leaned forward.
I turned my view to him.
He wore a confident expression. “While I would like to keep her identity private to allow her. . .peaceful adjustment to the East, there will be a more formal speech coming soon.”
His words struck like a bolt of lightning, eliciting a collective gasp from the stunned crowd.
However, Lei's declaration had only fueled more curiosity.
“But Mountain Master, why the secrecy?”
Then, Lei guided us forward. “We're coming up to the gossip bloggers. Just ignore them.”
“Okay.”
Their questions cascaded over each other in a frenzy, each one louder and more demanding than the last.
“Is she related to the current political situation?”
Amidst the pandemonium, a few bold reporters tried to edge closer, their microphones stretched out like weapons.
“Could her arrival signal a new alliance with the Killer Crows?”
His grip on my waist tightened slightly.
“Is it true that you have been on drugs? Was she the one that got you to start?”
Almost past the middle of the corridor, I could see the elevator getting closer.
The press of bodies became more intense, the air hotter and heavier.
Yet, Lei's presence was a shield, protecting me from the overwhelming attention.
“Is she the reason why the Grand Mountain Master left? Did he not approve of this woman?”
Lei glared at the man and pushed us by him.
I shivered.
Lei whispered in my ear. “We're almost done, Moni.”
I nodded.
The flurry of questions, the flashes of cameras, it all blurred into the background as I focused solely on Lei, on the connection we shared that no amount of public scrutiny could diminish.
“Is she the reason why you closed the East?!”
The guards struggled to maintain order, their faces etched with concentration as they worked to create a deeper path through the turbulent sea of reporters and onlookers.
“Is she why you have been missing?”
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we reached the elevator.
Thank God.
My chest rose and fell.
I had never dealt with any form of social anxiety in my life, but this moment tested that.
How does he live like this?
Now I understood even more why his mother hated being in the palace and preferred Lotus Blossom.