After eating the food, Longwei ordered tea separately. As the waiter brought the tea, he started chatting with Longwei while pouring the tea.
"What is happening in the Zhongping State these days?" the waiter asked as his eyes glanced around the several armed troops at his inn. It wasn't every day one got to see the Imperial Guards outside the Capital.
Yu Han was surprised to see how none of the tea escaped the cups even when the waiter wasn't looking.
"It's an edict. Nothing to concern yourself with," Longwei was as straightforward as ever.
The waiter pressed his lips together, "Well then, enjoy yourselves."
As the waiter sheepishly left, Longwei pointed toward the teacup before Yu Han.
"It's a custom to have tea after food," Longwei explained, "Here in Zaohua, we most commonly drink Jujube Ginger Tea to celebrate the abundance of the Jujube plant. You should have a taste. It's nutty and sweet."
Yu Han narrowed his eyes before turning to his cup. It was a beautiful porcelain cup with dark orange tea. Pine nuts and dried ginger pieces floated on top of the tea. Yu Han held the warm tea cup and took a sip. The tea was truly nutty and sweet, as Longwei claimed, almost as if it had been boiled down for hours on end. His small descriptions made him look even more like a mother.
"Mr. Liu, I heard this before," Yu Han said as he set his cup down, "Why is our country called Zaohua? Just because of the Jujube plant?"
"His Majesty introduced the Jujube plant to this land. It's not just our country that we call Zaohua, but this entire planet. We are one, and the other side doesn't exist. Keep that in mind."
Yu Han was taken aback. He didn't mean to imply anything political, but Longwei was quick to show his disapproval of any possible political conversation. After finishing the tea, all the soldiers left the inn in neat queues. Longwei waited for everyone to leave first before escorting Yu Han outside.
The quiet driver followed them sheepishly. As they walked toward the car, Yu Han kept looking back at the driver.
"He doesn't talk?" Yu Han whispered.
"He's a robot."
…
"Robots can't talk?" Yu Han asked.
"This particular one can't," Longwei stopped midway to stare at Yu Han, "You are not sharp. Strange."
Yu Han nervously chuckled, "Was I supposed to know this?"
"In theory, yes," Longwei uttered, "But whatever. I'll just tell you. He's His Majesty's driver, so he is programmed to store no data other than knowing how to drive. He can't hear, talk, or store information."
"He can't do all that, but he can eat?"
Longwei frowned, "Why shouldn't he eat?"
"I thought he was a robot…"
"He is. That's why I ordered food from the robot menu."
"You made me eat robot food?"
"You won't die if you eat robot food."
Yu Han was taken aback. He couldn't pinpoint if Longwei was joking around or not. It sounded like a joke, but his expression was so stoic.
"So…" Yu Han pressed his lips together, "Is he a robot or not?"
Longwei chuckled for the first time, shaking his head in amusement as he continued walking. He opened the car door for Yu Han and gestured to him to get inside. Although Yu Han's questions weren't answered, he felt closer to Longwei, considering how he was willing to joke around with a kid.
Once again, Yu Han was left on his own inside the car. However, he didn't feel alone this time. He had mysteries to crack regarding the driver. As he occupied himself inside the car, the weather outside turned gray, catching his attention. He peeked out the window in surprise upon seeing how the sky suddenly turned gray.
Ever since he woke up, he had only seen piles and piles of snow wherever he went. On the road, in the city, around the village, everywhere was full of snow. It was no wonder people celebrated the existence of a plant and named the entire planet after that plant.
Suddenly, a loud bang emerged, and lightning crashed into the ground beside the car. The car abruptly stopped, its wheels skidding against the slippery road. Yu Han's head hit against the screen that separated the backseat from the driver's seat. He looked up at the driver while confusedly rubbing his forehead. The driver had hit his head against the steering wheel, blood flowing out profusely from his forehead. At this point, it didn't matter that the driver was a human and Longwei was joking earlier. Yu Han's eyes widened in fear before he turned to the car's handle, only to find a strange figure standing right outside the car, eerily staring into his eyes.
He froze. It was a woman with a veil, the darkest eyes he had ever stared into. He couldn't look away. He tried to move, but the woman's eyes had him frozen in place. Suddenly, the woman's hand moved to the car handle outside. She effortlessly broke the car door apart, throwing it to the side.
Turning back to Yu Han, her hands slowly reached for him. Her long nail guards slowly traced the outline of his face. Although unable to move, Yu Han could feel her grinning underneath her veil.
As she was busy examining her prey, Longwei rushed behind her, swinging his sword at her. She dodged by slipping aside. As soon as her eyes left Yu Han's eyes, he felt like he could move again.
Longwei swung his sword at her again, making her back off from the car. He stretched his hand toward Yu Han while keeping his eyes locked on the opponent before him. Yu Han dared not think twice and grabbed Longwei's arm for support. Longwei pulled him out of the car while staying cautious of the woman before them.
As Yu Han walked out of the car, he looked around himself in despair. The trucks filled with troops were all turned over. All the soldiers brought with them were scattered here and there, covered in fatal wounds. Longwei himself had a few wounds here and there—his opponent was only a veiled woman with no weapon on her person.
Yu Han gasped for air as he panicked just looking at the situation around him. Within seconds, the driver died, the troops died, and the vehicles were rendered useless. Longwei alone now faced the opponent who mercilessly ended everyone.
The woman before them burst into laughter upon seeing Yu Han's shocked expression, "Do you like my show that much?" she asked condescendingly.
Longwei glanced at Yu Han from the corner of his eyes. The kid was shocked and scared. It was valid. Just within one day, he had gone through two assassination attempts. Anyone would be scared. But now was not the time to fear. Longwei reached for Yu Han's hand and pressed it tightly.
"On the count of three," the scarred ironclad man whispered, "You will run west."
"1."
Yu Han shook his head. He knew he was useless, but it felt heartless to leave Longwei alone. His legs were shaking just thinking about running away alone.
"2," Longwei gripped his sword tightly and let go of Yu Han's hand, "3!"
Unwilling, Yu Han listened to Longwei, running back—to the west.