"Boss, how much for one room?"
The bald middle aged owner squinted his eyes in the dim light to have a look at the girl in front.
"4 wen." He held up four stubby fingers, smudged with grease.
Jiao Mei frowned. For a shabby small inn, that's too high a price. She turned away, planning to look for a different inn.
"Aye, wait wait young lady. How about 3 wen huh?"
While her steps slowed down, she still felt as if this man was trying to con her. And so after a brief moment she again continued walking towards the exit.
"Alright, alright, 1 wen."
Finally. Jiao Mei turned around and was about to nod, when she felt her hand being pulled by someone. And before she could even blink she found herself outside the inn, on the other side of the street.
She looked at the man clasping her wrist. He looked like some spy. Except his sharp eyes every other part of his body was covered.
"Foolish woman." He cursed under his breath.
Jiao Mei struggled to get her wrists out of his grasp.
"Who is foolish? Your and your seven ancestors are foolish. Let me go! Let me go, or I will shout and gather people."
Tang Lei took in a sharp breath. He didn't know what was going inside his head when he went to save this girl from being conned by that clearly lecherous old man.
Right, it must be because she was the maid of the woman his master cared so deeply about. If anything were to happen to her, her miss will surely feel awful and in turn his master would be upset and also take out his frustration over him by giving him more responsibilities.
While he was explaining to himself in his mind, Jiao Mei was thinking of ways to get away from him. This man must be some sort of an expert. His hands were as strong as iron. Her numerous efforts seemed to have not hurt him even the tiniest bit. Could he be an assassin?
As the thought crossed her mind, her face turned pale, all the blood drained from her face.
When Tang Lei looked at her again, he realized his behaviour had clearly scared the girl quite a lot.
"Don't be scared. I am not a bad man."
He was bad at comforting people. As he said those words, even he found it unable to believe his own words. Who would speak like that except a pervert trying to lure a young girl to his den?
"That's exactly what a bad man will say." Jiao Mei retorted almost immediately.
"Look, if something happens to you, won't your miss get worried? That inn isn't a good place. And the boss also had malicious intentions."
"Why would I believe your words?" The moment his grip on her loosened, Jiao Mei pulled away her hands, pointing her finger at him immediately.
Tang Lei, frustrated, rubbed his temple through the cloth mask covering his face.
"Come with me." He said, as he dragged her back, near the backside of the inn.
The worn down wall had a small hole, just enough to peek through it. Unless one knew the exact location, it would be hard to spot it even if they looked closely.
He guided Jiao Mei to look through the hole.
Jiao Mei looked inside, trying hard to not feel like a creep.
Through the hole one could only have a view of a single room. It was dimly lit. She could vaguely see a feminine silhouette changing behind a screen.
The door that seemed closed behind her opened miraculously and she could see the same boss from earlier entering like a pervert, almost drooling. Just when he was about to tear away her clothes without paying any mind to her screaming, Jiao Mei was pulled away from the hole.
"Seen enough?"
"But but..that lady…aren't you gonna save her?"
Tang Lei sighed, looking at the flushed Jiao Mei in front of him.
"We can't save everyone. Let's leave."
Jiao Mei was about to speak more when he carried her in his arms in a single sweep, using his life force to jump in the air, making it appear as if he was flying, before landing on the roof of a seemingly old building.
—----------------------------
"Reporting to Your Highness the Third Prince, His Highness the First Prince wishes to have a conversation with Your Highness."
Tang Yuanxiao merely nodded lazily. He had expected this. In fact he was wondering why Tang Ziran was yet to come see him.
"Greetings, Third Brother. How has your health been?'
"Fairly well. Looks like first brother got scared by rats."
"Hahaha, you are quite humorous third brother. Indeed. Some rats are way too big, so much so that even the cats are scared off by them."
Li Ran standing behind the window pretending to be a guard confusingly scratched his head.
'Rats and cats? Looks like the second prince is worried for nothing.'