'She's trying to push me away to stop me from getting closer. It seems my smell affects her a lot; she has a high sensitivity to foul odors like the smell of alcohol!"
Xiao Ping smiled inwardly before replying in a calm voice: "No... this concerns me. How could it not, when my partner is being falsely accused? Accused of something he didn't do? As his partner who will work with him, I should help him. Isn't that right, James?"
Xiao Ping turned his gaze towards the flustered James, who quickly nodded his head in agreement.
Who is this person that James values him so much?
"Alright... then, how do you explain the smell on his shoulders? And where are his glasses?" Madeline directed her suspicions about James towards Xiao Ping.
Did she mention the glasses to corner him? In that case, even if I give her proof, she won't be convinced unless I give her another explanation for the missing glasses! She's clever, but it's unfortunate she encountered me!
"James didn't go to any bar. But as for me, I was in one of the bars drinking and gambling. When I went bankrupt and was stripped of my fine clothes, they gave me these clothes to cover myself. I got angry, went out drunk, and slept in an alley. When I woke up, I left that alley and entered another bar, and won this bottle I left on the table over there!"
Xiao Ping sighed as he stood next to James, then continued: "After winning that bottle, some people grew envious, and I was chased by several mercenaries... they had tattoos on their bodies of a sword with a coiled serpent around it. So I got scared and ran towards the crowded Monarako Street market to find a chance to escape. Luckily, I managed to lose them in the crowd, but I didn't stop, I kept running fast and crashed into James with force, causing the wine bottle cap to open and spill some wine on him and on Sticky. If you don't believe what I said, you can smell Sticky's body. As for the glasses, when I fell on the ground, the crowded mass of vendors and merchants trampled them under their feet without realizing... James and I agreed to go buy clothes for me, and to buy new glasses for him!"
Xiao Ping used every event that happened to him today to construct a flawless story, terrifyingly realistic... His ability to lie surpassed even the devils themselves.
Xiao Ping showed no signs on his face that suggested he was lying, and the story began to seem realistic with events that were both orderly and crazy! He lied about all this for two things: first, to change Madeline's attitude towards him, so she wouldn't consider him a homeless person and despise him internally; and second, to get James out of Madeline's accusations... killing two birds with one stone, as the saying goes when applied! He wouldn't care about what James would say, but he cared about his position: what would he choose? Honesty and exposure in front of Madeline, or continuing the act with him and escaping her accusations?
The ball is in your court, James. Will you kick it, or let someone take it from you?
Xiao Ping thought to himself before saying: "Isn't that what happened, James?" The question was more than just an ordinary question; it was a formal invitation from behind the curtain by the devil himself!
Madeline turned to him and said: "Is what Mr. Xiao Ping said true?!"
If what he said is true, she will change her view of him. She thought he was a homeless person, but she didn't realize he was a person from the working class who went bankrupt from gambling... But even if it's true, she will still hate the nature of gamblers, because it's a game with no benefit. Just two fools placing a bet, and both lose. Even if one wins, he still loses half of what he won... to the house.
Devil!
That single word was the only one capable of describing Xiao Ping in James Beyond's view! If I hadn't met him at the bar today, or if I hadn't seen Pascobor giving him that bottle, I would have fallen for this trick of his... This Ping is truly dangerous and sharp-witted.
James tensed up internally before saying: "Yes! What Ping said is true!" And by saying that... his eyes involuntarily looked towards the devil who was coldly stroking Sticky's fur.
"Oh, I remembered! Madeline, can you prepare breakfast for two? We haven't eaten yet." James pointed to his stomach and patted it.
"What? You haven't had breakfast yet? It's already 11:12, lunchtime is soon. So let's go up to the second floor and prepare lunch together!" Madeline looked at James, completely ignoring Xiao Ping who was standing next to them.
Hehehe, are you trying to lessen your loss by diminishing my importance? Really, women are strange creatures!
Xiao Ping sneered internally.
At that moment, James looked towards Xiao Ping and said: "Ping! What do you think about going up to the second floor and taking a bath to clean yourself of this smell? And I'll go to my room to bring you a suit from my clothes for you to wear until we go buy a new suit for you later. And also get rid of these clothes and don't wear them again!"
James felt pity for Xiao Ping, but he was also cautious of him.
"And one more thing... do you know how to cook?" James asked Xiao Ping, expecting that Xiao Ping didn't know how to cook, but he was surprised to hear what Xiao Ping said.
"Actually... I know how to cook many dishes, like pasta, noodles, porridge with chicken soup... and many, many foods." Xiao Ping replied coolly as he moved towards the stairs leading to the second floor behind the desk... before placing Sticky on the desk and going up the stairs.
At that moment, Xiao Ping turned to James and said to him: "What do you think about me cooking with you?"
"Of course! We'll see if you really know how to cook or not... so I challenge you to a cooking match!" James shouted while pointing at Xiao Ping.
"Alright... no bets, no commissions... just for fun. So, let's meet in the kitchen on the second floor after I take a bath..." Xiao Ping paused a little and said: "Madeline Sama, can you come up here? I don't know where the bathroom is, and I also want you to give me some of Jamesy's clothes!"
"You... you heard that!" James shouted angrily as he ran to the stairs and went up towards Xiao Ping and started chasing him on the second floor like cat and mouse.
Madeline laughed before saying: "Alright, I'm coming..." She went and closed the door, and it turned out it wasn't broken at all as James had expected, but it was just rusty under that paint on the handle... It needs a little oil to be as good as new.
And after locking the door, she turned off the four lanterns to save light, and closed the iron pipes that were emitting warm air. Everything on the first floor became dark, and a chill began to appear.
Sticky shivered a little from the cold, even though he is at a false intermediate level, his weakness is still the cold weather... This is the weakness of his path.
Madeline turned around before heading towards the L-shaped desk, took Sticky from it, and went up the stairs behind the desk to the second floor.
...
End of Chapter ~ To be continued