Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume #1)

50 Experiencing It Himself

Shun Tao sighed and rubbed hisforehead again. "Hong Bao ..."

"It's alright! I can acceptit!"

"Hong Bao, listen to me."Shun Tao gripped her wrists and forced her hands down that seemed tobe on their way to cover her face again. "I don't know whatLeng Jin Yu talked with you about but I can assure you that he iswrong. I don't despise women and I am not into men either."

Hong Bao blinked. Could it be true?!Could her one true love really like women? This ... this seemed to beher lucky day!

Hong Bao didn't think, she justthrew herself onto Shun Tao, pushing him to the ground and nestlingher face against his chest. "So you don't!" She gave agoofy smile, not caring or rather noticing at all how strange thesituation had become.

Shun Tao lay on the ground, unableto grasp what had just happened. He didn't dare to hug her back inthis situation but he also didn't dare to push her off. So he couldonly lay there, hands half raised, facing to the side and hoping thathis helper's brain would catch up soon.

Unfortunately for him, this tookquite some time and when it finally happened one of the scribes inthe palace had already spotted them from the other side of thecourtyard. Unsure if the person he saw in such an incriminatingposture could really be the Fate's Scribe himself he pulled overanother scribe. The two's discussion drew the attention of someothers so when Hong Bao finally came back to her senses and jerkedup, most of the scribes had already seen the two of them in whatseemed like an ambiguous situation from afar and the rumor about theFate's Scribe and some servant girl spread like a wildfire.

To put it nicely, Shun Tao wasfinally offered the chance to experience what had happened to ZhongJing Yi shortly after his birth. Of course, Shun Tao didn't careabout that at the moment. He only wanted to dispel Hong Bao'sdoubts and then get back to discussing the issue at hand: The culprithe was trying to find.

Hong Bao grinned at Shun Tao, tryingto cover up her embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Shun Taosat up and straightened his clothes. "Though, I do wonder how hegot that idea." Shun Tao wanted to shake his head and end thesubject right then and there but unfortunately, Hong Bao had heardhim muttering and even though she was happy that the person she loveddidn't despise women, she still felt a little peeved that he hadignored her before.

"Isn't it because you'realways so distant? You're only ever talking about work, you neverask about anything personal. And even then you don't even look atme." She pursed her lips and looked at him with reproach.

Shun Tao wanted to groan. What wasthis situation? He had just wanted someone to help him find out aboutthe one behind the changes in Jing He's fate as a mortal! He hadn'tbeen trying to make friends! Ah, well, she was probably too young tounderstand that and it wouldn't help to point it out either.

Shun Tao sighed. "Hong Bao, I'mreally sorry. I've been preoccupied with my work lately so Iprobably wasn't very polite."

Hong Bao pursed her lips a littlemore. "This isn't about being polite."

Shun Tao felt his headache grow.This girl ... she couldn't be expecting something, right? He wantedto ask but reconsidered. She had run away crying because she thoughthe was into men. What would happen if he continued down this path? Hedidn't want to find out. Unfortunately, he didn't know what elseto say. He couldn't tell her the truth, right?

"I'm really sorry." Hecould only repeat himself.

"It's alright." ThoughHong Bao said that she didn't look like she meant it.

Shun Tao sighed again. "Look, Ican't tell you much. But I'm working on something very importantand the assignment I gave you has to do with that. That's why Imight have seemed a little ... distant. There is weighing on my minda lot."

"If you want to speak about it—"

"No need, no need." ShunTao felt cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. No! Under nocircumstances!

"Oh." Hong Bao drooped herhead. So it wasn't that he didn't like women. He just didn'tlike her.

This time Shun Tao was finallypaying attention and noticed that something was off. Ah, this wasgrowing into a major headache. He didn't know what to do. He didn'twant to tell her anything but if he didn't, she might talk about itagain with that Leng Jin Yu. What if somebody else found out thatway?

After all, hadn't Hong Bao saidthat he wanted to get into the God of War's palace? If he succeededand somehow happened to talk to Qiang Yan about this assignment hehad helped with, then the God of War might catch onto something! No,he couldn't let that happen!

Shun Tao gritted his teeth andglanced around sneakily. Nobody could be seen. The scribes gossipinghad already fled when Hong Bao finally got up. Nobody wanted to beseen peeking at their superior being intimate with a woman.

Satisfied, Shun Tao grabbed herwrist and pulled her to her feet. "Let's go back inside. I'lltell you."

Hong Bao looked up, her eyesglittering as if a fire had been ignited inside. He wanted to tellher! He trusted her! He might just fall in love with her! As ifwalking on clouds she followed him back into his study.

Shun Tao let go of her and pouredthem a cup of tea each. With another sigh, he sat down and pulledJing He's scroll of fate out of his sleeve.

"What I'm about to tell youhas to remain a secret. You can't talk about it with anybody else.Not that Leng Jin Yu, not any of the other servants, nobody. Do youunderstand?"

Hong Bao nodded but Shun Tao wasn'tsatisfied. This wasn't enough. He had to make sure she wouldn'tblab.

"Hong Bao, you have to takethis seriously. My life might very well depend on this."