That man gazed at Zhong in bewilderness. And then turned his face towards Yu Yan who was peacefully eating the noodles. From her way of eating that young stranger understood that this lady has been strived with hunger.
He then again shifts his gaze to Zhong and gives him an irritated glance as if he was internally cursing him.
"What?" Zhong asked in a serious tone. He doesn't get why that man from nowhere sat there and was giving him peculiar, hated glances.
"Nothing!" That man bluntly replied and started slurping his noodles.
Zhong was annoyed , he despised it when someone didn't reply to his question. He clenched his fist, his anger seemed to be reaching his limits. Gritting his teeth he asked,"Who are you?"
"Why should I tell you!" That man totally ignored him.
"Hah?" A devilish smile played on Zhong's lips while his eyes darted on that man. By his clothing he appeared to be a wealthy merchant and his face was handsome too with long blonde hair and blue eyes. But why was he getting interested in Yu Yan? Zhong couldn't tolerate it anymore ,he pulled that man by his collar and shouted,"I said leave from here."
Due to the sudden commotion everyone in the inn shuddered in surprise. Yu Yan stopped eating and tries to stop them but she was given a murderous glare by Zhong. Like a scared puppy she backs off and lowered her head.
Others present in the inn dared not to interrupt them. It was a place where these commotions were common and nobody bothers to sneak their nose into these fights.
"My guess was right!" That young man swiftly removed Zhong's hands from his collar and pointed his sharp dragger towards him.
"My name is Hao Fei , I'm the second son of Merchant Zheng zhou Fei." That man replied and paused for a second to observe Zhong's reaction.
His blue eyes curiously studied the expression of Zhong's but got nothing. He sat there with the same neutral cold face. Beside him Yu Yan stared at him in surprise.
Hao smirked after seeing Yu Yan's reaction and continued, "Do you know who Merchant Zheng zhou Fei is?" Hao asked in a mimicking tone. He was definitely looking down on Zhong.
The people in the inn started whispering to each other. Merchant Zheng zhou was a well known wealthiest man in the empire. There was not a single one who didn't know who he was. The influence of Merchant Zheng zhou was upto royal family.
And according to information merchant Zheng zhou's second son who was born from his second wife is the most respected man. Especially popular with young ladies because of his looks that were passed to him from his foreign mother.
"So the blonde man sitting here is Merchant Zheng zhou's second son Hao Fei?" One man asked.
"Yes, yes..now lower your voice and pretend to not hear anything." Other man remarked and all of them got back to what they were doing.
Hao smiled and passed the dumpling from his plate to Yu Yan's bowl. She looks at him and then to her bowl,her fingers clenched on her chopsticks. She must be worried about what her husband will think.
"Have you forgotten princess Yu Yan?" He asked, passing another dumpling into her bowl.
Yu Yan kept quiet and stared awkwardly in her bowl.
Zhong stood up abruptly. "Let's get going.."
Yu Yan nodded and held his hand. Hao Fei saw both of them going upstairs in one of the rooms.
He finished his food and wiped his lips with his silk handkerchief.
"I didn't expect her to be here with some random knight!" Hao mumbled.
Although he had never met Yu Yan in person, he received every information about the royal palace. The condition of the royal family was not good and the emperor was selling princesses to other empire's rulers to gain their army power. In which princess Yu Yan was rumoured to be sold to a foreign emperor , nobody exactly knew the name of the empire. But seeing her here so suddenly !
He called his men who were seated next to his table and gave them some instructions.
____
Slamming the door shut, Zhong pulled Yu Yan close to him and questioned her,"Do you know that guy from earlier?"
Yu Yan kept quiet, she struggled to free herself from his tight grip. Just now she had her dinner and now he was squeezing her tummy, if this continues she might throw up definitely.
"Are you feeling disgusted by my touch? Was he your lover?" He glared at her angrily enough to give poor Yu Yan shiver.
She trembled in fear and quickly moved her head sideways. Annoyed by her silence he held her face in his hand and forced her to look at him. He first didn't want to ask her this question but his ego was hurt when that man stared at her with a gaze full of love.
"Spit out!"
She shuddered everytime he demanded a reply. "T-that man is my father's friend's son...I have met him only once in the palace..." She wanted to say this but seeing the cold face of Zhong made her words stuck in her throat. It never made its way out.
His long fingers dug deep into her jaws and she almost bursted into tears when someone from outside shouted,"Assassin's attack."
Zhong gets alerted , leaving Yu Yan behind and he advises her ,"I think there is an attack...stay here I'll go and check."
Yu nodded , she couldn't utter a word because of pain. Zhong noticed his finger marks on Yu's face. He brushed his hand in his long hair and murmured in frustration,"Why are you so delicate?"
She stood there , overwhelmed with tears in her eyes.
"Dammit, don't stand there with such an expression!"
He pulls her and slightly slams her against the wall , closing the distance between them. His body was emitting a scent immersed in arousal sensation. Yu Yan lifts her face up and her teary amber eyes meet the cold crimson eyes.
She gulped nervously ,her hands squeezing her chest in fear. She immediately breaks her eye contact with him.
Pressing his body close to her he whispered near her right ear,"Are you scared of me?"
She murmured,"N-No my Lord."
"Lord?" He walks away from her. She was indeed scared of him and he wanted to solve this misunderstanding but the noise of sword clashing was getting louder. He unsheathed his sword and stormed out , closing the door behind him.
He didn't want Yu Yan to see him slaughtering , that was the least he could do to make her less scared.