The streets were still almost empty in the early afternoon, as the two of them walked between the shop tables, leisurely looking over all that was being sold. AhXin was shuffling in ZhiYi's arms, squishing a soft, plain bun MingYu had bought for him to play with.
MingYu was busy stuffing his face with food, and during the brief walk they had embarked on, the only sounds and words he had uttered were food orders from the small shop and smacking sounds as he ate to his heart's content and then some.
ZhiYi didn't mind walking in the silence. He and Wu TianLan used to take these leisure walks, and he enjoyed them immensely. But he had never seen a man who ate as much as MingYu, currently.
MingYu of the past ate whatever was put on his plate, but never more and was definitely not a glutton. Wu TianLan had been very strict with his figure and never ate more than what could keep his hunger at bay.
This guy was eating for an army. And since his other arm was swinging idly by his side, whatever rest of the food MingYu couldn't carry was given to ZhiYi for safekeeping.
Three sticks of Tanghulu was sticking from ZhiYi's hand, and he was trying his best to keep them out of AhXin's reach. The little sugary fruits would suffocate the baby if one of them disappeared in his mouth. Demon baby or not, it didn't guarantee he would survive it.
"Are you really this hungry?" ZhiYi couldn't help but ask.
Loud chewing noises ensued as MingYu munched on the last piece of bread.
"No, it's just been a while since we haven't been on a run, in a hurry or on the brink of death. I can finally enjoy all the food in the mortal world." MingYu said and snatched one of the Tanghulu skewers from ZhiYi's hand.
"What do you eat in Heaven?"
MingYu halted mid-bite and grimaced, giving ZhiYi an exaggerated shiver.
"Fruits, those damned immortality fruits. Thankfully, we only eat it once a year."
ZhiYi smiled. MingYu was being a tad too dramatic. ZhiYi had heard of the immortality fruits, they were fist-sized peaches, nothing terrible about them.
MingYu huffed as the memories of the fruit flooded in.
"It's terrible! I can't walk for a day after eating it and your stomach grows huge." MingYu flailed his hand, nearly stabbing an eye from a passerby with the Tanghulu skewer. "I bet it feels similar to being pregnant. And we only eat one! One! If we ate more than that, I think we would-"
MingYu's words cut away as a man passed by them in a haste, pushing MingYu almost off-balance if ZhiYi hadn't been fast enough and tossed the Tanghulu to catch him.
All three skewers were now on the ground, trampled over mercilessly by the passing people. MingYu cursed after the man.
"I didn't even get to take a bite!"
But the man wasn't listening. His steps were irregular, and his movements fidgety. The two of them watched as his knees gave in and the man dived over a shop stand, sending the table and the items on it flying across the street.
"What the hell? Are you blind?! Get up! You better pay for this!" The shop owner screeched as he ran over to the man and pushed him on his back, kicking him in the ribs.
A crowd gathered around the scene, blocking the view. ZhiYi nudged MingYu to take hold of AhXin as the two pushed through the bustling crowd.
"Stop kicking him, it was just an accident!" Someone in the crowd said.
"He's not moving!"
"Is he dead?"
"He killed him!"
ZhiYi cleared the way for MingYu to step through with the baby, and soon they could see a lifeless body on the ground. The stand owner had turned pale as he cautiously pushed the body with his feet. No reaction.
"He killed him!" Someone shouted, and the stand owner shook his head, trying to step away from the scene. But he was pushed back by the crowd that encircled him like a wall.
"I- I didn't kill him!"
ZhiYi crouched down next to the body and put his fingers under the man's nose to see if he was still breathing. He turned to lift the man's sleeve to try his pulse when the crowd cleared on one side, official guards pouring into the scene, pushing and shoving the citizens out of their way.
"What's going on here?" The guard said as he raised his holstered sword and pushed at the stand owner in the chest. "Why are you causing a scene here?"
The stand owner was slurring something inaudible in his panicked state when ZhiYi silently stepped back into the crowd and pulled MingYu aside, out of the centre.
"What is it, ZhiYi?" MingYu whispered as they watched one of the guards lift the body up. But before ZhiYi could answer, the lifeless figure suddenly jerked back to life, startling everyone.
"No! Let me go! Let me go!" The man whimpered, kicking his feet weakly as they pulled him away.
"What are you standing there for? Nothing to see here! Go!" The guard barked at the crowd, and the people dispersed, mumbling to themselves.
"Isn't that the son of madam Sha?" A woman said to her friend, as they stayed and watched the guards pull the man towards the official office.
"Yes, why, I think it is! Isn't he in prison for robbery?" Her friend said.
"I guess he escaped."
"Ah, he is always causing trouble. He should be more like that Shi boy!"
"Oh, I think he just got out of prison, no?"
"Yes! He is so polite now too! I guess prison does change a person."
"I think I saw him yesterday. Dressed really well, like a rich man."
"I heard official Lu rewards well-behaving prisoners and gives them some reward money to blend back into society."
"Official Lu is so thoughtful! Maybe I should go to prison just to get the money."
"Don't be silly! You are an old lady, how could you survive prison?"
The two women walked past MingYu and ZhiYi, their voice fading away as they disappeared back into the crowd.
ZhiYi had a frown on his face as he watched after the two women. MingYu was about to ask him what he was thinking when PingZe stepped before them, his usual grin still spread over his lips. MingYu wanted to punch his perfectly aligned teeth out for disappearing and appearing without notice.
"So, you saw them too," PingZe said, pointing his chin towards the disappeared guards.
"Where have you been?" MingYu said, shooting PingZe a glare.
"Following that guy," PingZe shrugged, his grin faltering. "He was sneaking by the stalls yesterday, looking suspicious. I went after him to see what's up."
"What did you find out?" ZhiYi asked as he took hold of MingYu and guided him towards the inn. Their family date was over for today. PingZe was now the third wheel, and they had had enough excitement for now.
"He went home but didn't make his presence known to his family. He only snuck around before he took off," PingZe trailed beside the two, looking around his surroundings aimlessly. "Those guards have been after him since yesterday. They just got to him now, after he fainted from exhaustion."
"What made you follow him?" MingYu asked, still salty that PingZe had ditched him for a prison escapee.
PingZe's smile died out as he thought over it.
"I don't know. Something felt off, so I hurried after him."
ZhiYi nodded. "Just now, he was barely breathing, and his vital signs are weak. He is nearing death."
MingYu didn't like the sound of it. He held AhXin closer to his chest for comfort when he shot ZhiYi with a curious look. "What does it mean? Is he sick? Exhausted to the brink of death? Did the stand owner break his ribs?"
The guy had used a lot of force in his kicks, and MingYu could see they were very painful and could even be deadly.
"Not exactly," PingZe said, a little evil smile returning to his features. "He is almost like a walking corpse, but lacks the hunger for flesh."
"So, he is just a regular, dying man," MingYu said, confused. "Right?"
"Sure, if you think so," PingZe grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. It was an expression MingYu was starting to fear; it entailed nothing good.
"I'm sure you are right," ZhiYi said after seeing the wary look in MingYu's eyes. "Prison is very hard on a person's physical endurance. He has been on a run too, so exhaustion and malnutrition can cost him his life."
MingYu calmed down a little at the words. It was normal for people to die in the mortal world for various reasons. Besides, MingYu had sensed no negative energy emitting from the man.
He was perfectly normal, and MingYu wouldn't have even noticed him if they hadn't bumped into each other. Still, there was that unsettling feeling in his guts that MingYu couldn't quite shake away.