Hong Bao hid not far from the teahouse at a stall selling noodles. After an hour of not ordering the boss got angry and towered in front of her, arms akimbo. "Young Miss, you can't just sit here, hogging the table to yourself and not ordering something! Now do you want to eat something or not? If not, then get out of here for heaven's sake!"
Hong Bao shrunk up. "Then … I'll take a bowl of noodles?"
"Hmph." The boss went back to get her order and dropped the bowl onto the table with a bang. She threw Hong Bao an unfriendly look and swaggered back to her counter. Hmph, customers these days … Sitting there and eying the teahouse on the other side of the street. I'd like to know what's so good about that teahouse! Hopefully, they'll close down soon.
Hong Bao took her chopsticks and started eating the noodles one at a time, chewing each of them carefully as if she might choke otherwise. The owner's brows twitched. She was of half a mind to go over and chastise the brat, but some of her other customers were looking and seemed to enjoy themselves.
Let's wait and see how long you're going to continue like that. You can't take forever with one bowl of noodles, can you?
Unfortunately, the boss had underestimated Hong Bao's talent in slow-eating. She continued eating until all her noodles had grown cold and the sky above turned dark. Most of the other customers in the stall had already left and even in the teahouse on the other side of the road Mister and Madam Zhong were wrapping up for the day.
One of the few customers still in the stall stood up and carried his own bowl of noodles over to Hong Bao. "May I?" He motioned to the bench on the other side of the table.
Hong Bao, who still had five noodles left in her bowl, looked up and nodded. The man smiled. He was quite good-looking and Hong Bao couldn't help but stare for a moment. If it hadn't been for Shun Tao … No, if she hadn't become a deity, she might have fallen in love with such a man.
"Little lady, I've watched you eat one bowl of noodles for over three hours now. Could it be you ran out of the house and forgot to take your purse with you?"
Hong Bao's eyes went wide and she started patting her body. Oh, no! He was right! She really didn't bring her purse! How would she pay for her bowl of noodles now?!
The boss saw the exchange between the two of them and hurried over. "What, no money? I should have known you were trying to dine and dash! Don't think you'll get away with this! I'll —"
A hand with one silver liang entered her sight. "Might this be enough to pay for both of our bowls?", asked the man opposite Hong Bao.
The boss shut up at once. "Of course … But why would you pay for her?"
The man only continued to smile. The boss took the money and threw another glance at Hong Bao. Being young and having a nice face sure does wonders. She was probably waiting for some idiot to help her out. Well, it wasn't her loss. She had her money and didn't have to care for anything else. That guy would see what he got from his meddling.
The woman went back to her counter while the man turned to Hong Bao.
Hong Bao stared right back. What a nice guy! "Thank you!"
The man smiled. "No need to thank me. Things like that can happen. Isn't it natural to help each other out?"
"Yes!" Hong Bao's eyes shone. This man thought the same way as her! She leaned forward and clasped his hand. "Thank you so much! You know, I really didn't think about it. So much happened in the last few days." Her face sank and she looked over at the teahouse. The last guests had just left. That reincarnated crown prince would probably leave soon, too. Could she really accomplish her goal?
The man opposite her looked at the hand Hong Bao still clasped. He felt a little torn. Being this close to a young woman, even touching her naked skin … It probably wasn't good. That was one of those instances where he should take responsibility. But she had been the one reaching out.
He really had only wanted to help her with paying, since she seemed like a nice lady that really just forgot. That type of airhead … He actually liked it. But he couldn't take a wife. What if something happened to him? His job was dangerous. He didn't want to make such a young girl a widow. Though, she seemed to have taken a liking to him. Maybe he should just see where it led them?
He looked up and froze. That young lady who he thought had fallen in love with him … She was, in fact, still examining the teahouse on the other side of the road. Her expression was grave. It was painfully obvious that she was somewhere else with her thoughts. She probably hadn't even noticed that she was holding his hand.
The man repressed a sigh and cleared his throat. "Little lady, is something the matter with this teahouse?"
Hong Bao faced him once again, her eyes wide. "Yes! How did you know?"
The man was as stunned by her reaction as Qiang Wei had been. "That … You've been staring at it for a while. I just guessed there might be something strange with it."
"Oh!" Hong Bao was impressed. He wasn't just good-looking, he was even intelligent! He might be nearly as smart as her Shun Tao!
"So, what is it with the teahouse? Maybe I could help."
Hong Bao pressed her lips together and considered. The man in front of her was such a nice person. If he helped her, it might indeed be easier. She finally made up her mind and leaned forward, lowering her voice. "You don't know, but I'm on a secret mission right now!"
The man's brows lifted. Why did that sentence sound so strange coming from a woman who didn't seem to be even twenty years old yet and had a cute face with round cheeks and big eyes? This was just … wrong.
Hong Bao waited for a reaction but only got an empty look. He probably doesn't understand? She had a look around to make sure nobody was listening in, then she flitted to the seat next to him, leaning close enough for him to count her lashes.
"It's about Shun Tao."
"Shun Tao? Who is …" The man repeated while simultaneously trying to hold his breath. What was it with this woman? Was she flirting with him?
"Naturally, he's the man I love!"
The man felt like crying. How come the woman he thought had taken a fancy to him was talking about her darling now?
"It's not that easy to explain, but he might be killed tomorrow because of the man working over there in the teahouse. Thankfully, the goddess of love found me today and told me what I can do to help him. It's just that I didn't have any opportunity until now." Her shoulders drooped once again and she looked depressed. But thinking that she had at least gotten the weapon and found the crown prince by now, her spirits lifted again and she smiled at the man in front of her. "Ah, but I'm sure I'll manage to do it until tomorrow. Look, I even got the weapon I need!"
Hong Bao finally let go of his hand. The man wanted to heave a sigh of relief, but then he saw what she was doing now and entered a coughing fit instead. Why did it seem like she was trying to get undressed?!
Yes, Hong Bao was fumbling around for the weapon once again. And since she had secured the dagger below her chest, she had to get her lapel out of the way somehow and take the weapon out of there. The easiest way was, naturally, to open her dress like she had done it in front of the god of war's study.
The man clasped one hand over his eyes and gripped her hands with the other. "Little lady, what are you doing?"
"I'm taking out the weapon!" Her voice sounded so innocent that he had to ask himself if he had some sort of hallucination right now. Goddess of love, weapon, the man in the teahouse … All of that seemed quite suspicious. "Rather than that … What did that goddess say you should do to the man in the teahouse?" If some strange woman had tried to lead this girl astray, he'd definitely get involved in this!
"Well, at first she said it would be best to kill him. But then she told me it would be enough to injure him as long as I use this weapon." Hong Bao managed to take her hands back and finally took out the weapon. "Look, it's this one." She showed him the weapon and the man forgot his worry about her chastity instantly.
"This … Where did you get this?" He wanted to take the weapon but shied away in the end.
"From the palace of the god of war", Hong Bao confessed, looking a bit embarrassed. "I only borrowed it, I swear!"
"And you … want to kill someone with that?"
"No! I just have to injure him. That is why I took the weapon in the first place."
"Little lady." The man's expression had become grave. "I believe you do need my help with this. This weapon isn't a normal one, it's demonic."
"Hah? How do you know?"
"I'm a demon hunter. Of course, I'd recognize one of their weapons."
"Whoa!" Hong Bao was really impressed this time. But not by his knowledge or profession, but by her incredible luck.
The heavens must really be on her side! How come she just went to eat a bowl of noodles and managed to find a demon hunter? With somebody like that helping her, injuring the crown prince would certainly be an easy task!