While they walked back,Zhao Shenbao passed by a butchery to buy some pork for Hu Lan. Zhao Ruoxuan was in a daze most of the time his mind wandering to the beautiful pallid face of the girl he had met earlier and how his fur coat draped gently over her slim shoulders. She was indeed magnificent. He and Zhao Shenbao barely talked on their way back and the silence perfectly suited the moment with each of them drifting off to their own thoughts.
*****
When they arrived back at the emporium, Zhao Shenbao headed straight to the kitchen to prepare the pork. He gathered the necessary ingredients and prepared them and in an hour the meal was ready. Zhao Shenbao rarely stepped in the kitchen not because he wasn't a good cook but because he rarely had time for it. He was wonderful cook and a piece of evidence from his good results was left behind in form of an aroma masking the air in the kitchen. He served the pork in a small bowl,picked a pair of chopsticks and left.
*****
Zhao Shenbao took a deep breath before finally stepping inside Hu Lan's hostage room. He found the somnolent Hu Lan somewhere at the centre of the room. On his neck,there was a metallic chain cuff wrapped around it to limit its mobility. Zhao Shenbao walked stealthily towards him and crouched down to Hu Lan's level and began stroking his head gently. Awakened by the action,Hu Lan shot his eyes open and almost pounced on him but Zhao Shenbao was quick enough to react and he jerked away.
"Calm down. I don't have any bad intentions towards you. I'm here to make a deal with you so let's make a deal,"Zhao Shenbao paused to study Hu Lan's reaction.
The fox raised his gaze towards him mentally asking 'What deal?'
"Here's the thing- If you stop misbehaving I won't shear off your fur. I will help you regain your human form,"Zhao Shenbao proposed.
'I might as well agree to his deal when I regain my human form I will deal with him,'Hu Lan thought.He howled softly and let his ears relax and his gaze softened . Zhao Shenbao being able to understand fox language,he was relieved Hu Lan had accepted the deal. The deal occurred smoothly ;not as he had expected. He walked back again and sat on the floor a few inches away from Hu Lan stroking his fur to confirm Hu Lan had really let his guard down.
"I brought you your favourite - braised pork,"Zhao Shenbao started feeding him and cooed inwardly when he saw Hu Lan enjoying the food.
"I actually cooked it by myself. What do you think?"Zhao Shenbao continued talking even when he was sure the little creature wouldn't be able to answer him back.
'I gotta say you have a talent for cooking 'Hu Lan thought.
"You know everyone around me thinks I'm very mature but to be honest I still think my mental age is somewhere below ten years,"Zhao Shenbao joked ,"I'm rude to strangers like a spoilt grumpy kid and worst of all nobody touches my favourite snacks. Do you want to know my favourite snacks?"
'What's with this weird conversation? Are all humans like this?'Hu Lan wondered.
"Young Master,"Zhao Ruoxuan called out ,his voice penetrating from outside the door. He was clearly worried Hu Lan would attack Zhao Shenbao again given that Zhao Shenbao had stayed in the room for long .
"I'm fine don't worry about me,"Zhao Shenbao responded.
"Did that grumpy fox attack you today?"
"Well , apparently he's not grumpy anymore,"Zhao Shenbao confirmed.
"Glad to know that,"Zhao Ruoxuan said and turned on his heel to leave ,the sounding of his receding footsteps barely audible.
Zhao Shenbao continued feeding Hu Lan silently before continuing the conversation,"What if I told you the meat I fed you is a fox's meat?"He joked.
Hu Lan nearly spit the piece of meat he had been chewing. He looked up at him with an unreadable gaze.
"Don't worry that's pork. You have been eating pork for a while of course you've mastered its taste."
'Shameless!'Hu Lan cursed but he got excited somehow. It was one of the few times he got flustered. Usually he was a composed person and the only person he joked with was his best friend Hu Jian.
Even before knowing it,Hu Lan had finished a whole bowl of braised pork. Zhao Shenbao got back on his feet ready to leave.
"Oh by the way I want to make another deal,"Zhao Shenbao said with a slight smile ,"Tonight you'll sleep comfortably in my room and in exchange I can use your sleep inducing effect,"he added with a playful smile.
'Humans are so greedy. Always exploiting others.'
Zhao Shenbao turned on his heel and walked out of the room leaving Hu Lan digesting their strange conversation.
While thinking about the warmth Zhao Shenbao brought to his life,Hu Lan thought of his best friend for the first since they parted. He had missed him and was wondering how he was fairing. He was worried most about his brother. He was pretty sure he had tired his ass out trying to find him. He wished he could give him a signal that he was in the human realm.
*****
Zhao Shenbao was finally happy that he had made peace with Hu Lan but something else changed his mood completely or rather someone.. Behind the counter his workers were assembled there without their masks eating different kinds of foods. There were bowls containing different kinds of foods on the counter from which the workers picked sufficient amounts of food adding them to their bowls. His expression darkened when his eyes landed on Xiao Wu who was seated on a mahogany stool his back leaning against the wall.
"Boss Zhao, how are you?"Xiao Wu greeted with a smug expression. Seeing Zhao Shenbao wasn't willing to respond,he added,"You can help yourself with the food. I brought your favourite dishes."
"Do you think we're are a bunch of beggars who can't feed themselves?"Zhao Shenbao asked contemptuously.
Xiao Wu was the town mayor's second son. He intended to form ties with influential people like Zhao Shenbao hoping to get their support and get appointed as mayor. His only political rival was his father who he rarely got along with. Xiao Wu knew it was almost impossible to win against his father but still he was optimistic about it. He was an honest person and when he approached Zhao Shenbao for the first time he had clearly stated out his intentions and he had proven to be harmless but still Zhao Shenbao disliked him for no reason. Xiao Wu was a charming guy and had slowly began to melt people's hearts over time but Zhao Shenbao's heart was among those few that couldn't be melted or was yet to be melted.
"Boss Zhao do not misunderstand me. I do not mean it that way. Actually today I'm here to purchase a coat,"Xiao Wu explained.
"Doesn't your brother own a silk shop that sells coats as well? You can order one from him. Furthermore we don't have any more coats left today,"Zhao Shenbao replied.
"How about tomorrow?"
"We won't have them either. They are all booked by other customers."
"And the day after tomo..."
"Not either,"Zhao Shenbao cut him off grumpily. He had proven he indeed had a mental age of a kid but Hu Lan wasn't there to witness that. His workers watched him in disbelief as he slowly unraveled his childish behavior in front of them.
"I told you not to associate yourself with him. I will deduct half of your salary,"he threatened glaring at his workers and walked away once again shocking them with his behaviour.