"How many more days must we continue with this play?" Exhausted, lying on the bed in the inn they had rented, Chen Zoe asked.
"Who knows? I wonder, how are we going to face others after this investigation?" Thinking about returning to the sect, Xi Shen got goosebumps, especially the thought of facing Rui was difficult for him.
"Don't remind me of such things. I hope the investigation could end as quickly as possible."
"Me too… Letting you do these jobs makes me feel bad."
"Is that why you ordered me around three more times after I came back with food?"
"A-Ah, isn't it what Master Zeon said? All I did was follow his commands…"
"Daddy's two-faced baby lamb…" Hearing it, Chen Zoe mockingly said to himself in a lower voice.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing…"
Before it ended up in a fight, Chen Zoe stopped. The following evening, they went for round two to get attention. But the journey again led him to the young boy.
From which point it started wasn't known, but the boy was following him from a distance. His wary eyes were fixed on Chen Zoe. However, not only Zoe but Xi Shen also sensed his presence.
Tactically leading him to an isolated area, Xi Shen caught him red-handed. "Who are you? Why are you following us? What are your true intentions?"
Being afraid of sudden confrontation, the rose that the boy carried in his hands fell to the ground. His whole body was trembling, and tears fell from his eyes, but he didn't speak at all.
Picking the rose from the ground, Chen Zoe curiously asked in a gentle tone. "Is it for me?"
The boy nodded.
"Zoya, how do you know this beggar… boy?" Calling out the name they had already chosen for their character, Xi Shen tried to figure out the situation.
"Young miss, didn't I mention to you about the commotion that happened at the steamed bun store? He is that child. I think he came to show his gratitude." In a humble tone, Zoe replied.
"Haa, really… Then why did he act so suspiciously?" Xi Shen wasn't completely convinced, but their attention shifted to the grumbling sound of the boy's stomach.
Chen Zoe took out a piece of bread and a small tin of preserved fruits that he had in his bag and offered it to the boy. However, before accepting it, he hesitated for a moment and then ran away while taking it with him.
"Don't believe such beggars so easily… Who knows what they're up to?" Seeing the kind-hearted act of Chen Zoe, Xi Shen frustratingly spoke.
Two more days went by just like that. Their act continued without being captured by anyone, but they began to feel eyes on them from many people.
"Let's execute our plans today." After receiving a signal from Chen Zeon through a messenger pigeon, they prepared to do the final act.
Creating a fight, Xi Shen threw Chen Zoe out of the inn at night. Acting like a pathetic young girl, he wandered around the place alone to lure those who were keeping an eye on him.
His instincts proved correct. As he strolled through the shadowy alleyways, he began to hear footsteps following him, and they slowly got closer and closer. Suddenly, he felt a cloth placed over his mouth, and a wave of dizziness overcame him.
When Chen Zoe awoke, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. But he realized it was an underground prison, and he could hear the crying and begging voices of girls from each prison in the hallway.
Not only from other prisons, but he also heard a weeping voice from inside the prison room he was in. Looking around the dark room, he saw a small girl sitting in the corner. Her face wasn't clear because of the darkness, but her green gem-like pupils caught his attention and made Chen Zoe a bit anxious.
In the novel, there was only one character with green gem-like eyes, the protagonist. However, logically thinking in the current situation, there was no way Long Yuzhen could be here. Shaking off unwanted thoughts from his mind, he approached the little girl.
Seeing her being nervous around him, Chen Zoe created small blue flames from magic and let them float around the room like fireflies. It attracted her attention, and her gaze settled on Chen Zoe.
Suddenly, she came and hugged Chen Zoe out of nowhere. "Z-Zoya…" She even called out his fake name.
That surprised Chen Zoe. He couldn't understand how this child knew his name, but he stayed put until she calmed down and then separated her from his body to take a good look at her. However, he didn't remember such a beautiful face, and she looked like a young girl in luxurious clothes.
"How do you know my name? Did we meet each other before?" Curiously, he asked.
"Zoya…" Instead of answering his question, she called his fake name again.
"Huh!!! What's your name?"
"Zoya…"
"Do you know who brought you here?"
"Zoya…"
She answered all questions, but the answers were all the same for some reason. Chen Zoe couldn't understand what to do with this child, who appeared to be around Chen Ling's age or much younger.
Suddenly, a few men's voices appeared from the hallway. He quickly extinguished all the blue flames and silently stayed there with the girl.
'Why haven't they appeared yet? Did they lose track of me?' Thinking about why Xi Shen, his uncle, or other team members hadn't appeared yet, he began to feel anxious.