Heng Xīnyán's facial muscles twitched fiercely upon hearing his name, "Your name is?"
The male in white rubbed the back of his neck, "My name is Jiǎndān Yìzé."
Heng Xīnyán coughed lightly, "Jiǎndān as in easy?" She asked, trying hard not to laugh. Her white face turned a faint red and when the male in white nodded. Heng Xīnyán tried her best to smile at him, swallowing her laughter was hard. Hence, Bàolì Hua flicked her partner aside, to inquire, "How much are you willing to pay us?"
"Ten gold coins," Jiǎndān Yìzé replied confidently. However, his confidence soon popped like a balloon under Bàolì Hua's cold scornful eyes. The male in white flinched at the sight, then digging into his sleeves, he showed Bàolì Hua the bag with gold coins in his hands.
"Ten gold coins are just the jump start," Jiǎndān Yìzé stated weakly and with pained eyes, he held the small bag out to show them the shiny gold coins within. "When you get rid of her, I will give you this. Deal?" Jiǎndān Yìzé inquired and Bàolì Hua snorted upon seeing Heng Xīnyán push her aside to shake hands with the male.
"Deal!" Her voice was soft and coy. Jiǎndān Yìzé smiled shyly with relief flashing in his dark eyes. No one knew how humiliated he was to ask these fair maidens for help... Knowing that they would help him get rid of that tigress that continuously eyed him for his pretty boy looks. His shoulders sagged in relief.
"So... what is this female's name?" Heng Xīnyán inquired.
"Yīnchén Ài," Jiǎndān Yìzé answered then he paused, "Why not let me take you misses to a tea shop for us to discuss."
For Heng Xīnyán and Bàolì Hua, the word 'tea shop' was like a time bomb for them. Hence, Bàolì Hua's cold voice stated, "No... I strongly dislike tea."
Jiǎndān Yìzé's eyes widen in shock before he nodded, "Okay then... I shall trouble you to join me at a poetry hall."
Bàolì Hua's eyes glowed at the word 'poetry'. "That would be much better," she stated and Jiǎndān Yìzé smiled, his tiger teeth showed and any maiden who swooned at the sight of his smile but the two blockheads of females in front of him just nodded before gesturing him to start walking.
Jiǎndān Yìzé bowed, and then he walked around them, guiding them down into the village. As their back turned to face the exit, Heng Xīnyán and Bàolì Hua's heart bled lightly.
"If we get caught it was because of your greed!" Bàolì Hua muttered quietly and Heng Xīnyán turned her head to gap at the female in green. Bàolì Hua's eyes sent her a cold chilling gaze, "Someone needs to take the blame."
Heng Xīnyán: "..."
"Maidens... we are here," Jiǎndān Yìzé stated and the fuse between the females stopped. They looked at the tall yet small in size wooden building.
Looking at the small building, finding it familiar... Heng Xīnyán's lips twitched as she slowly turned around... and her worst fears came true.
Chang's Teashop... the sign seemed to mock Heng Xīnyán who pinched Bàolì Hua next to her. Bàolì Hua looked at the pale female next to her... then her lips fell into a flat line. She saw the teashop, her eyes twitched before she turned her head, whispering. "We should change our Hanfu."
"But I like this colour!" Heng Xīnyán protested.
Bàolì Hua snorted, "Do you like the colour or your life?"
Heng Xīnyán fell silent and the forgotten Jiǎndān Yìzé came up to them. "I just ordered a room, please enter." The females nodded and they followed Jiǎndān Yìzé with their backs stiff as cold sweat rolled down their backs.
Sighing in relief when they entered the small room with the walls having complex Chinese writing with poems. Each poem was touching to read yet the two stiff females did not care about that.
With a single brown wooden table in the centre of the room. Allowing them to sit on the mat first, Jiǎndān Yìzé sat opposite them, fixing his sleeves.
They wondered if they could finish the task Jiǎndān Yìzé gave them by tonight to escape the village. Who knew, that Jiǎndān Yìzé would say, "Yīnchén Ài is the Hu Village's Chief's daughter."
They both looked at him blankly.
"What do you want us to do really, gentleman Jiǎndān?" Heng Xīnyán asked, her dark eyes giving Jiǎndān Yìzé a meaningful look.
Jiǎndān Yìzé sighed, "Because of this face of mine." He pointed at his face and the two females watched him with a dull gaze making him feel embarrassed. "Yīnchén Ài took a liking to it... but I have my sweetheart already and she is pressuring my sweetheart, telling her all kinds of misleading things about me and her!" He continued.
Heng Xīnyán rubbed her chin, "So... it's like that." She nodded. Then Jiǎndān Yìzé asked, "What may I call you two misses?"
Bàolì Hua's eyes automatically flew to Heng Xīnyán's face. Under intense pressure, she managed to squeeze out, "Call me Miss Fēn." Pointing to Bàolì Hua, she stated. "And my sister here is called... Chun." She smiled and Jiǎndān Yìzé nodded.
Standing, he cuffed his hands with a deep bow, "Thank you, Lady Fēn and Chun!"
Heng Xīnyán squeezed out a tight-lipped smile, "Yes..."
Placing ten gold coins on the table, Jiǎndān Yìzé muttered, "I will meet you ladies here, tomorrow at xiàwǔ." He bowed and then walked to the slide door of the room.
Heng Xīnyán stopped him, "You still didn't tell us what you want us to do to Yīnchén Ài," she stated.
Jiǎndān Yìzé held the door, "It is best if you got rid of her." He opened the door and walked out. Heng Xīnyán shuddered, "What a ruthless man..."
Bàolì Hua snorted, "He has a sweetheart, after all."
Heng Xīnyán shrugged, "Maybe we should become assassins."
Bàolì Hua sent her a fleeting glance, "We are noisy when thieving much less going to kill someone."
Heng Xīnyán nodded, agreeing. "Yeah... we need to learn the skill of stealth!" She muttered and Bàolì Hua rolled her eyes, standing from the wooden table, collecting the gold coins from on the table. She stated, "We need to look like Young Ladies tomorrow to get that bag of gold!"
Heng Xīnyán smiled, "Yeah!"
"But how?" Heng Xīnyán asked and Bàolì Hua gave her a rare grin. "We still got time. It's still bright outside so we will observe what the ladies of the village wear and simply copy them!"
Heng Xīnyán nodded, "Okay."
Going to leave the poetry room, Bàolì Hua rolled up a xuan paper filled with another set of poems she adored, placing them in her sleeves under Heng Xīnyán's disapproving eyes.
Bàolì Hua gave her a glare and Heng Xīnyán coughed lightly. They then exited the poem room, leaving the poetry hall with gentle smiles on their faces yet it stiffened as they saw the sign of the building opposite them.
Cheng's Teashop. The words watched them.