On the back of his carriage, Pei Xiu heard heavy breathing. He demanded the transportation to stop so he could check out what kind of bastard would be wanting a free ride from him.
''Ha!'' He swiftly pulled aside the sheet of material covering whatever space there was on the carriage but his eyes grew wide in shock. ''Pei Yi!?"'
It seemed as though that heavy breathing belonged to Pei Yi due to lacking air underneath the cumbersome sheet of leather.
He sighed in exasperation as he saw Pei Yi rub her eyes and yawning, clearly, she had been sleeping the whole time and not even aware that she was suffocating.
''I'm disappointed, Yi ah.''
Pei Yi pouted and folded her arms. ''There's nothing to do at home so I've decided to explore the upcoming village.''
Pei Xiu made an even deeper sigh of exasperation but felt the need to let her explore just this once.
''Li Kui, Li Si.'' He called to his two right-hand men who were cladded in onyx blue Pei household guard's outfit. Quite pretty actually, in Pei Yi's opinion, except she isn't quite in the place to admire right now.
He then points to the village where his sister wanted to visit and orders his guards to escort her safely along with letting her have her fun. After that, Pei Xiu resumed his mission in confidence while his Sister and guards strolled to the rural village.
-
''Woooahhh!'' Pei Yi became amazed at the bustling street that was in front of her.
This street was akin to that of an amusement park since everyone was so busy and at their own business but minus all the enjoyable rides.
Not knowing why, Pei Yi felt a slight feeling of déjà vu as she roamed the area. She viewed all the stores and they weren't that familiar… but, has she been here before? She was so intrigued in answering this question that she completely forgot about her brother's bodyguards who have been behind her as she roamed.
Pei Yi's head shot around until she saw a lonely inn on top of a hill which was more familiar than all the stores she eyed. To explore her thoughts, she made her way there nonchalantly, moreover, she hadn't eaten much that morning and was now feeling rather peckish.
As her location was now where she wanted, she entered her destination and her bodyguards waited outside since they couldn't enter anyways. But, when Pei Yi entered, she felt extremely uncomfortable as all the table's eyes scanned her with confusion. The inn was quiet for a bit until they returned to their own business, and so, Pei Yi could breathe again. She sat down, not giving a heaven's official's blessing about the welcoming glares she received. Pei Yi then seized the menu like there was no one watching and was about to call for the waitress until a young lad made himself known by taking a seat at her table.
''How did you even enter this place?'' Spoke the young lad.
'What a nice greeting,'' Pei Yi scoffed in thought.
The waitress exited the kitchen after giving a customer's order to the chefs then saw Pei Yi and smiled.
''Pei Yi!'' Mei Yang stood in front of her in delightment, ''nice to see you again.''
Pei Yi returned this benevolent greeting then went into thought; so that was it, that's why this place was so familiar! It's because she literally has been here before on the night she and Jun Sheng fought against those turbulent creatures; Child's deceit. Pei Yi felt so relaxed now that her questions have been answered.
''Did someone say ''Pei Yi''?'' Jun Sheng graced everyone downstairs like she had just been woken up by this news.
''Look who came for a visit, Shijie!'' Mei Yang's eyes beamed and returned to her duties.
Jun Sheng made her way to Pei Yi's table and asked the young lad who he was in the most casual way, suddenly, a voice came behind her.
'I'm sorry to disturb you, ladies. Shou Qing, let's go.'' The taller lad placed his hand on the other young lad's.
He showed the one sitting the box of rice cakes he held in his hand and he thus was easily driven away. After paying, the pair left.
''Thank you for visiting!'' Jun Sheng voiced her gratitude before they exited.
From where they sat, they could still hear the first person's voice of happiness and the taller one's voice of pampering:
"Oooh, they have these today!"
"Don't eat so quickly...no one's fighting over them with you. You're going to choke. Here, I bought some of the new fizzy happy water that they had next door."
There were some muffled sounds when Shou Qing responded with gratitude as they sauntered further from the inn.
From where Pei Yi and Jun Sheng couldn't see, the taller guy ran his thumb over the lips of the person named Shou Qing. His eyes softened when he looked at Shou Qing's innocent face. He did what his heart told him to do and leaned down.
Shou Qing's eyes widened as he felt Lu Leng's tongue lick the corner of his mouth, sliding on the line between his lips. Before he could react, Lu Leng pulled away and made a lip smacking gesture, with an unmissable smirking glint in his eyes. Next, his fingers intertwined with Shou Qing's, pulling him forward to continue walking.
"Better not waste the rice cake." He paused and turned to look at Shou Qing, "I queued an hour for those."
At that sentence, the embarrassment, shyness and fury boiling up in Shou Qing flattened out. Instead gratitude and that cheesy-sweet kind of feeling filled his entire heart.
——————————
Since they left, Jun Sheng felt like it was an appropriate time to ask who that young lad was, not that she was jealous or anything, she was just curious.
''He came and just sat with me then asked me how someone like me could enter this place. I thought he was a lecher but...the other guy.'' Pei Yi pouted to Jun Sheng without even realising how she reveals her true emotions so easily when she's with her.
The girl opposite her squinted her eyes, ''I don't think he meant omens by asking.. I'm pretty sure he just meant 'how did you enter this place?''. He's familiar with every customer that enters except you because he and his partner, which is the lad who revealed the rice cakes earlier, come here everyday, and so, he asked what he did only because you were unfamiliar, nothing pensive that your pretty, little head has to worry about.''
''Hmph.''
''Oh, and, all my visiting guests have a VIP pass - basically a membership- that is recognized by the shield and thus they're allowed to enter, but you were able to enter because some of your blood spilled on the shield; recognizing you, it surrendered.''
"Why is there a shield in the first place...well, there's a certain specialness of my inn…"
Pei Yi nodded. She had come to the realisation that this was no ordinary place, with a cultivator as powerful as Mei Yang working as a waitress, it was suffice to say that this was an extraordinary place already.
''Anyways,'' Jun Sheng rose from her seat, ''what are you ordering?''