The young girl walked straight in, and at her side was a young man who followed close by. He was fair-lipped and bright-toothed, standing tall and elegant like a jade tree in the wind. A folding fan rested in his hand, giving him the air of a dashing rake—and he turned out to be none other than Qiu Yu of the Heavenly Radiance Palace!
The moment his eyes met Yang Kai's, Qiu Yu blinked in surprise, then broke into a smile. "It's you?"
Yang Kai slapped a hand over his face and turned sideways. "It's not me. You've got the wrong person!"
Qiu Yu looked completely taken aback, unsure what Yang Kai was playing at.
The young girl sized up Yang Kai with curiosity, then asked Qiu Yu, "Brother Yu, do you know this person?"
Qiu Yu chuckled lightly. "I suppose you could say that. We're not close."
"Oh." The girl nodded, looking completely nonchalant. She patted Yang Kai on the shoulder and said, "Hey, you. Brother Yu is talking to you. How dare you ignore him?"
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulder to knock her hand away and shot her an annoyed sidelong look. "Men and women should keep their distance—didn't your elders ever teach you that? What do you think you're doing, slapping a stranger's shoulder in the middle of the street?"
The girl's cheeks flushed red, and she gritted her teeth. "How dare you lecture me?"
Qiu Yu smiled. "Sister Bing, there's no need to lower yourself to his level. This fellow always seems to be skulking about like this—at the city gate earlier as well, he used the Thousand Leaves Sect's banner to sneak into the city. Heaven knows what he's after."
"He's with the Thousand Leaves Sect people?" Luo Bing's pretty face darkened at this, as if she had no fondness whatsoever for the Thousand Leaves Sect.
"Indeed!" Qiu Yu gave a slight nod.
Luo Bing immediately declared, "Then it must be some sort of nefarious scheme! You—tell me right now. What exactly did you sneak into the city to do? Is there some kind of conspiracy going on?"
She actually began interrogating Yang Kai right to his face.
Yang Kai stared at her speechlessly, thinking to himself that this little girl must have been dreadfully spoiled and knew next to nothing about the world.
A thought struck him, and Yang Kai let out a wicked chuckle.
Luo Bing said with distaste, "Even your laugh is disgusting… Are you going to tell me or not? What did you come into the city to do?"
Yang Kai leered without restraint. "What else would I come for? I heard Tianhe City is crawling with beauties. Naturally, I'm here to steal a little jade and snatch a little fragrance… especially some fresh-faced little morsels with tender, dewy skin. They're just my cup of tea!"
As he spoke, he took a deep, exaggerated sniff, putting on a look of intoxicated bliss. Then he went on, "One whiff and the scent is simply heavenly. One lick and—mmm, delicious. Tsk tsk tsk…"
Luo Bing was thoroughly startled. Her pretty face went white and she stumbled back several steps, rendered utterly speechless—as though she had been genuinely frightened.
Qiu Yu's brow furrowed. He flashed forward to shield Luo Bing and let out a cold snort. "Watch your mouth, friend. Food you can eat carelessly, but words you cannot speak carelessly. There are words that, once spoken, can get a man killed."
Yang Kai chuckled and shrugged. "You're the ones insisting I snuck into the city with some scheme. I was just playing along."
Luo Bing had by now recovered her wits. She sprang out from behind Qiu Yu and snapped, "How dare you try to scare me? Do you even know who I am?"
Yang Kai glanced at her with disdain. "I don't know and I don't care. Leave me alone—you're annoying."
"He… told me to leave him alone?" Luo Bing's lovely eyes went wide, her delicate chest heaving with fury. She had been born the daughter of Tianhe City's lord—high in status, blessed with a life of luxury. Her looks were top-notch as well, and ever since she had come of age, no shortage of suitors had flocked to her side. Even Qiu Yu of the Heavenly Radiance Palace accompanied her every time he visited Tianhe City, never leaving her side for a moment, like a guardian of a flower. And her father, Luo Jin, gave her whatever she wanted—no wish too great to fulfill.
She had spent her entire life surrounded by people who doted on her and held her in the palm of their hands. Truly, no man had ever looked at her with such disdain before.
In that moment, she felt a surge of委屈 she had never known. She stamped her foot. "You… you… I'll make you pay for this!"
Yang Kai's expression sank.
He was not afraid of Tianhe City, but if he actually got into some conflict with Luo Bing, it could bring trouble down on the Thousand Leaves Sect and the others—and that was the last thing he wanted.
Luo Bing was already shouting and storming over, closing the distance in two quick strides until she stood before Yang Kai, craning her long, pale neck upward as she glared at him fiercely.
Yang Kai was on his guard, but then she whirled around and pointed at the goods on the counter, shouting at the shopkeeper, "These things—he bought them, right?"
The shopkeeper nodded reflexively. "Yes, that's correct!"
"Good!" Luo Bing gritted her teeth. "I'll take all of them. Not a single piece is to be sold to him!"
Yang Kai's face went dark with a streak of black lines.
Qiu Yu was also stunned on the side, thinking: So this is how you plan to make him pay? Isn't this a bit too… far-fetched?
The shopkeeper looked immediately troubled. "Miss Luo, these goods were selected by this customer. I've already tallied up the price."
Luo Bing said, "He hasn't paid yet, has he?"
The shopkeeper hesitated. "Well… not yet."
"Then it's settled. I'm taking everything." Luo Bing snorted hot air from her nostrils and looked at Yang Kai with a triumphant expression, the very picture of "Dare to try and outdo me?"