Since it’s free, might as well — thinking this way, Xue Qilin pushed Gong Tianyang towards the stall.
Listening to the owner enthusiastically promote a certain expensive pastry, Gong Tianyang showed great interest, and then finally chuckled, pointed to the sanshoku dango, and said, “We want a box of these.”
Upon noticing that his efforts were in vain, the stall owner showed a bitter expression and muttered angrily, “where did this little weasel come from”. He took out a paper box, unfolded it, and put a few skewers of sanshoku dango inside, and then handed Gong Tianyang the box.
“Hey, take it, kid.”
“Thank you, Mister!”
Gong Tianyang took the goods, and then reached into his sleeve and fumbled inside, probably looking for his pouch. After a while, he suddenly froze.
Wait, don’t tell me… Just as Xue Qilin began to wonder if Gong Tianyang brought any money —
“Big Sister Xue, run! There are assassins!”
Stunned by Gong Tianyang’s shout, the stall owner momentarily failed to react.
There are assassins? Who is the target? Is it Gong Tianyang? Xue Qilin’s thoughts whirled. She didn’t look for the assassins. Instead, she immediately hugged Gong Tianyang, and then jumped up violently and landed lightly on the nearby roof.
Upon landing, before she could observe her surroundings, Gong Tianyang pointed in a certain direction and shouted, “Big Sister Xue, run over there!”
This time Xue Qilin didn’t follow his instructions, but just stayed blankly in place. According to her perception, there are no suspicious breaths rushing her way.
“Wait a moment!”
The stall owner finally snapped out of it. He quickly ran to the building on top of whose roof the two are standing, looked up, and shouted, “You haven’t paid yet!”
Gong Tianyang revealed a helpless expression of “oops, it was found out!”, clasped his forehead, and issued a sound of wonder.
Did he really not bring any money? Looking blankly at Gong Tianyang, Xue Qilin asked hesitantly, “Gong Tianyang, you wouldn’t have –”
Before Xue Qilin could finish her question, Gong Tianyang stuck out his tongue and hit his head.
“I forgot to bring money.”
“What…?”
Xue Qilin has a dull expression on her face.
“– what! You didn’t bring money?”
A few seconds later, she exclaimed as if she woke up from a dream with a start.
When the stall owner heard Xue Qilin’s words, he realized that the two have no money.
“What, you two have no money!? Are you kidding me! Return my stuff to me at once, or I’ll report you to the authorities!”
The stall owner jumped up as if a cat whose tail had been stepped on, pointed angrily at the two people standing on the roof, and shouted loudly.
No matter the age, this eastern nation has never a shortage of people who like to join in the fun.
Upon hearing the stall owner’s words, several passersby stopped. First one, then two… more and more people stopped to watch. It didn’t take long for them to form a circle with Xue Qilin, Gong Tianyang, and the stall owner as the center. They whispered to each other and cast Xue Qilin and Gong Tianyang condemning glances.
Black drooping lines appeared on Xue Qilin’s head, and she gave two hollow laughs.
“Gong Tianyang, you’ve got some nerve! You actually dare to buy things to eat without money?”
“I forgot that my silver taels are with Uncle Li – oh, he’s one of the guards?”
With that, Gong Tianyang spread his arms shamelessly.
The dignified noble son of the Gong Clan is acting like a rogue, this left Xue Qilin at a loss of what to say.
“Since you don’t have any money, then give me my stuff back!”
With the box in his arms, Gong Tianyang pouted and said, “No, I want to eat.”
“You…”
Xue Qilin was speechless.
“You brats, instead of something useful, have you been learning how to be robbers? Let me tell you, if you don’t return me my things, I’ll report you to the authorities!”
Listening to the stall owner’s scolding, Xue Qilin feels like crushing Gong Tianyang.
What a loss of face! Why do I have to endure this? She didn’t expect that the majestic great Heaven Realm master her would one day be compared to a robber and be called a “brat”.
More and more eyes fell on them.
Xue Qilin knows that if this matter is not resolved as soon as possible, it will be bad. Putting aside the impact to their reputation once their status is exposed, if they really provoke the authorities, they won’t be able to avoid trouble.
“Gong Tianyang, return the box to this person at once!”
Xue Qilin demanded sternly.
However, no matter whether Xue Qilin was nice or aggressive, Gong Tianyang, who knows what goes through his head, refused obstinately and threatened that he will jump down if he isn’t allowed to eat. Next, not only did he shut his mouth, but also struggled.
Xue Qilin is at a loss of what to do. She can’t reach out with her hands. After all, her hands are occupied. Furthermore, if she isn’t careful enough and uses to much force, who knows if she won’t break Gong Tianyang’s small arms.
As Xue Qilin was in a bind —
“Big Sister Xue, there are people who want to make an attempt on my life.
He was already exposed, but he is still talking nonsense? Xue Qilin almost lost her footing and fell off the roof.
“Enough with your lies. You — really?”
Suddenly, Xue Qilin found that Gong Tianyang’s yeas are filled with an indisputable shade. He doesn’t look like he’s lying. She changed her words at once to verify if it’s true.
Without hesitation, Gong Tianyang nodded solemnly.
“They’re in the crowd.”
Are they people from the Shadow Gate? With this guess in her heart, Xue Qilin narrowed her eyes and intended to look for the assassins in the crowd.
“Don’t look!”
Gong Tianyang suddenly grabbed Xue Qilin’s hair and pulled down, causing her to lower her head.
Xue Qilin shouted in pain and glared at Gong Tianyang.
“What are you doing!”
Gong Tianyang got close to Xue Qilin’s ear and whispered a few words. When she heard that, the lass’s expression brightened and the corners of her mouth rose.
With that, Gong Tianyang looked at Xue Qilin triumphantly, as if asking, “I’m smart, right?!”
“Hey, what a little weasel!”
Xue Qilin cast Gong Tianyang a playful gaze. She appears to have understand the reason why Gong Tianyang visited her in person today.
“I am smart, okay?!”
Gong Tianyang protested, dissatisfied. Xue Qilin, however, ignored it and uttered a couple of words.
“Hold on tight!”
Then —
“You kids, come back here!”
Listening to the shouts coming from behind, Xue Qilin quickly “escaped” the scene.
＊
Seeing Xue Qilin with Gong Tianyang in her arms disappear in an instant, the stall owner flushed with anger and threatened to report them to the authorities.
The crowd standing in circle echoed the sentiment and rebuked Xue Qilin and Gong Tianyang for their bad behavior.
However, there are several strange people in the crowd filled with the sentiment of justice.
They silently looked in the direction where Xue Qilin and Gong Tianyang disappeared, a profound look in their eyes. After a while, they left the crowd at the same time, walked towards a certain alley, and finally gathered together. They are clearly from the same organization.
