"It's a surprise you can still grow up well and didn't turn into a cold blooded killer." Yang Xian smiled.

"I can say the same to you."

"I was once like that." Yang Xian pulled Wei Liuying closer and hugged her. In this position, she couldn't see his expression as she was inside his embrace. "The villagers chase all of us, orphan children, from there because of that incident. They're scared because we're violent and even dare to fight back.

No one wants us to be there and being children, it's impossible for us to fight against them. I was fine and only wounded slightly due to the battle without any fatal wounds. We have to run and escape to the wilderness. Each of us chose different path.

I lived near the wall, trusting no one and scavenge for food. Fighting with the thugs there for food, I learn to use my brain to make sure that I can get food without the need to put myself in danger. Many times, I used their greed to take advantage of them and steal what I need.

There are also times when I had to kill my opponents. Lives… are cheap on the border."

There was no emotion within Yang Xian's tone. He just simply wanted to survive back then and as a child who hadn't learned much about morality and many others, he was not restrained by many rules. What he knew was that he had to find food, water, clothing, and warm place to stay if he wished to survive.

He was not any different from a beast.

If he couldn't get what he needed, he would kill others to get it. There were many whom he could targeted as they were weaker than him or he just simply trapped them to get their food.

That was how he managed to survive those brutal cold days.

"But then you changed?" Wei Liuying asked. She could hear his rapid heartbeat with her ear so close to his chest. It was clear that he was trying to calm himself down but his body still could remember those days every clearly.

Yang Xian chuckled. "I met His Highness after a few years living like that. He was the one who taught me by allowing me to attend lessons with him. If I hadn't met him back then, I might be still roaming on the street or had died because of some thugs trapping me."

Trapping Yang Xian?

For some reason, Wei Liuying felt that it was completely implausible for such things to happens. With Yang Xian's intelligence, she wouldn't be surprised if those thugs end up dying in his hands first.

"I see."

"You might be luckier because you can learn many things by yourself," Yang Xian caressed Wei Liuying's hair. It felt soft.

Wei Liuying furrowed her brows and pushed her hand against Yang Xian's chest to push her away a bit. She looked at the annoying strategist in front of her. "I met my uncle, Yang Xian. He's the one who taught me morality and also how to look at things from broader point of view. Do you think that my mother will be so kind as to teach me how to become a better person?"

If not for her uncle, Wei Liuying knew very well she would have made stupid mistake and probably end up dying as a dishonorable concubine daughter in Wei Family Residence or married away even before of age or even dying out of hunger.

Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying deeply, thinking of her words.

Considering how Wei Liuying's mother was…. It was highly improbable.

Yang Xian laughed coldly. Just as he was about to speak again, the door was pushed open and the sound of a tray falling to the ground could be heard.

Clang!

The two of them turned their head around and saw Shi Lu Wen standing there with red face. She was trying to hide her expression, yet her small hand couldn't cover her face properly.

"That…did I disturb something?"

Wei Liuying's mind blanked for a moment. Disturb what? She was only talking to Yang Xian. As for her current position, it was simply because Yang Xian didn't want to release her, so she could only stay here.

On the other hand, Yang Xian could guess what was inside Shi Lu Wen's mind, but he had no intention to correct her. He smirked. "What brings you here, Lu Wen?"

"Ah, I was about to check on your condition again. But if you're busy…."

"We're not busy." Wei Liuying released herself from Yang Xian and stepped down. She conveniently sat down on the chair.

Shi Lu Wen's face was still red as she walked to Yang Xian and took his pulse. She could see that Yang Xian's face was a bit dark, yet he hid it very quickly. As she had thought, she had truly bothered them when they were busy.

"Have you ever told anyone about it before, Yang Xian?" Wei Liuying asked as she watched Shi Lu Wen took the pulse.

Yang Xian shook his head. "Only you and His Highness."

"Thank you."

Their conversation perked Shi Lu Wen's interest. She looked at the two of them and tilted her head. "You're talking about something?"

"Yes, about my past," Yang Xian replied.

This time, Shi Lu Wen retracted her hand and glared at Yang Xian. "You never want to tell us whenever we ask you about it in the past? Don't you know how curious me and my brother was because you're so mysterious?"

Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "It's not your business."

Shi Lu Wen pursed her lips. "I'm just curious! Do you know that my brother even said that you might be a lost prince because of how smart you are? And that Shan Yi said that you're the long lost child of a ….."

Bang!

"Lu Wen, please don't expose that," Shan Yi stopped Shi Lu Wen before she could reveal all of their conversations in the past. He knew that Yang Xian would kill him if he dared to say something like that.

Yang Xian arced his eyebrows. "Why do you think that way?"

"That's because you're too smart! I just kept on thinking that you must be the descendant of someone powerful and talented…."

Listening to Shi Lu Wen's rambling, both Yang Xian and Wei Liuying were speechless. Even though Wei Liuying hadn't known Yang Xian as long as Shi Lu Wen, she could already guess that he had commoner background because he admitted it that way. Why would he even hide his identity if it could help him gain foothold?

"Are you saying only the descendant of powerful people can be an accomplished person?" Yang Xian asked with a disdainful tone. Even if Shi Lu Wen didn't want to believe it, his parents were ordinary people who had never hold important position. They were farmer in a small village and the two had loving relationship. His grandparents from both sides were also normal villagers living there.

And he himself would just be an ordinary person with slightly higher intelligence if nothing happened. He was supposed to be a farmer to continue his parents' work if not for the war. His achievement today was mostly thanks to his hard work and also the chance that Prince Ji Sheng gave him, which allowed him to study.

"Eh?" Shi Lu Wen quickly shook her head. She grinned. "No, of course not. I'll surely not think that way…."

Thwack!