After giving Zhang Sheng the pill, the both of them walked out when they heard a loud excited cry.
"Sheng Ge Ge!" cried a high pitch female voice. Zhang Sheng groaned at the sound of the voice and Kairi was quickly taken back. That womanizer groaning at the sound of a female voice? That was new. Kairi was about to turn around to see who this woman was but Zhang Sheng quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her right into the crowd.
"Someone's calling for you," Kairi exclaimed. Zhang Sheng whipped around to face her. A grin plastered on his face.
"That girl gets extremely jealous. We wouldn't want her to claw your pretty face out now, would we?" he said with a laugh.
"Claw my face out? I'll cut both her arms off before she could even touch me," Kairi muttered angrily to herself. She wasn't about to get injured for him. The screaming voice behind them quickly drowned out by the large crowd and they managed to escape into a tea store.
"Ah! Just what I was looking for," Zhang Sheng said as he let go of Kairi's hand. Kairi couldn't tell tea leaves apart so she stood off to the side and eyed some of the wine jars. Maybe she'll buy some wine and bring it back to Grandmaster Liu. Her hand reached up to grab one when a loud voice boomed from the entrance.
"Sheng Ge Ge!" cried a high pitched female voice. Everyone in the store jumped at the sound of the voice. Standing at the entrance was an angry young girl. Kairi's eyes narrowed in on the pretty girl. She was dressed in pink clothes with lovely floral designs. Her hair was beautifully styled and adorned with multiple hairpins. If she wasn't glaring so furiously at Zhang Sheng, she would've been even prettier.
"Ah! I was wondering who it was," Zhang Sheng said in a fake surprised tone. His struggle to keep a smile on his face surprised Kairi even more. So there were women out there that even he had a hard time appealing to.
"Sheng Ge Ge! You purposely ran away from me! Who was that girl that you ran away with?!" snapped the angry girl.
"Of course not, Feng Jiu Mei Mei, in fact, I was on my way to visit you when I finished shopping. We didn't get to talk at all yesterday," Zhang Sheng said calmly.
Feng Jiu?
Kairi cocked her head to the side as she tapped her head with her finger. She swore she heard that name somewhere before and now that the girl was no longer angry, she looked familiar. Kairi didn't know anyone who lived in this town and she didn't know why she found the girl so familiar. Was it because of Xiao You?
She didn't get to think long because the look on Feng Jiu's maid's face caught her attention. It was the look of sheer horror and shock like she had seen a ghost. She hastily tugged at Feng Jiu's sleeve and whispered into her ear, "My lady, look!"
"What?" Feng Jiu snapped as she followed her maid's finger. Her eyes landed on Kairi and she jumped back in fright. "H...how?! You're dead! Someone! The ghost of Xiao You is here!"
A lightbulb went off in Kairi's head and she instantly remembered who Feng Jiu was. She was the girl in the last memories of Xiao You. Xiao You had been beaten up badly by Feng Jiu and Madam Feng was the one who had her secretly buried.
Zhang Sheng peered over at Kairi confused.
"What ghost?" Zhang Sheng asked. Feng Jiu looked delirious as she tugged at Zhang Sheng's sleeves.
"Ge Ge! Can't you see Xiao You's ghost? She's standing right there! Look!" cried Feng Jiu. She pointed an accusing finger at Kairi and everyone's eyes traveled over to where she stood. Most of the customers were confused. Kairi was obviously human and breathing. Kairi took a cautious step forward only to stop in her tracks. Feng Jiu shrieked liked a wild animal and hid behind Zhang Sheng. Her maids tried to calm her down but she wouldn't have it. She screamed over and over for someone to get rid of Kairi.
"Feng Jiu Mei Mei, there is no ghost here," Zhang Sheng said calmly as he pulled Feng Jiu's hands off of him.
"But she's right there!" Feng Jiu exclaimed.
"She is not a ghost and are you sure she is your little sister? I thought she died two years ago," said Zhang Sheng. It was then that the pieces fell in places with those words from Zhang Sheng. Kairi realized that the screaming girl in front of her was none other than Xiao You's older sister. She couldn't fathom why the older sister was willing to kill such a young little girl.
Feng Jiu finally stopped screaming as Zhang Sheng's words sank in. She peeked out from his back and eyed Kairi up and down. The similarity was too uncanny and she screamed some more until she passed out completely. Zhang Sheng rolled his eyes and turned to Feng Jiu's two maids.
"Take her home. Let Madam Feng know that I'll stop by as soon as I'm done with my business," he ordered. The maids nodded and quickly carried Feng Jiu out of the store.
"The Second Miss of Lan Manor is renowned for her beauty, who would've thought she was a lunatic?" one of the shoppers said.
No one understood why Feng Jiu had reacted so harshly except for Kairi. She had seen Xiao You's last moments. Even when Xiao You was dying from poison, Feng Jiu still managed to inflict injury on her body. Kairi frowned at Feng Jiu's disappearing back and shook her head.
"Are you alright?" Zhang Sheng asked as he took up her side. Kairi nodded and asked, "Who was that?"
"Feng Jiu, the second miss of Lan Manor. Are you sure you didn't know who that was?" Zhang Sheng asked suspiciously. Kairi had long adjusted to her life as Xiao You and lied easily.
"I was found unconscious and badly injured up in the mountains a couple years ago during the rainy season. I don't remember anything other than my name," Kairi told him.
"A couple of years ago? That's around the same time when the first miss of the Lan Manor passed away," Zhang Sheng murmured. Kairi wondered if he was piecing together his own clues and coming the same conclusion as she was. She wasn't surprised. It really was too much of a coincidence for her to look exactly like the late first miss of Lan Manor.
"What did you say? You saw Xiao You? Are you sure it was her?" Madam Feng asked. The maids nodded in reply.
"It really was her. I caught her sneering at Missy right before Missy passed out," the maid replied.
"So that wretch is really still alive!" Madam Feng hissed. When her men sent back information, she was almost sure that the girl living in Green Willow Village was Xiao You but the men she sent didn't get a good look at the girl since she never came out of Liu Sect but for her to come out into the open and deliver herself instead, Madam Feng really believed that Heaven was on her side.
"A-Su, give this portrait to some hired hands and have them kill Xiao You. I'll compensate them handsomely," Madam Feng ordered. She handed over a rolled up picture to her personal servant and he sped out of the room.
Kairi wondered why Zhang Sheng didn't ask her about who she was but she didn't bother to ask either. Once the shopping was over and done with, both Kairi and Zhang Sheng headed for the north town gate. She waited for Zhang Sheng to pull out his sword but he didn't. When they made it completely out of town, Kairi realized they were going to walk home.
"Are we not riding your sword?" Kairi asked.
"After eating all that spicy food, I can't seem to exert my energy like before so we'll be walking until I stabilize my energy," he replied with an 'as a matter of fact' that it irked Kairi. She felt that no matter she wasn't going to like the man. So it was her fault that they were traveling by foot. Now she has to spend even more time with him. Luck really wasn't on her side today.
They continued in silence and after a while, Kairi grew bored and initiated a conversation.
"You're quite wealthy. You managed to buy almost everything in that town just for women," Kairi said.
"Woman. I bought all these for a specific woman," he corrected her.
"She must be quite special if you bought so many things for her," Kairi said as she recalled all the items Zhang Sheng had bought.
"Aw. Is my adorable little shizhi jealous? Should I have bought you something too?" he joked. Kairi glared in his direction and wished she hadn't talked. She was really bored and didn't know what to talk about except that. She quickly steered the conversation in a different direction.
"So why did you leave Liu Sect? I heard that you were quite the promising student," Kairi said. Zhang Sheng suddenly went quiet.
"There were issues that I couldn't ignore within the family so I had to leave the sect," he replied.
"It must've been pretty bad if you've only returned after all these years," she stated. Zhang Sheng chuckled softly. Kairi wanted to kick herself suddenly. She found his chuckle quite seductive despite his irritating personality.
"Do you feel bad for me?" he asked.
"No. I feel bad for your family. To have such a womanizer in the family," Kairi exclaimed.
"Then should I be more like your master? Da Shi Xiong is really quite the gentleman," Zhang Sheng commented. Kairi's thoughts floated to her master. Wei Xing really was a gentleman. He was kind and strong. He was everything that a woman looked for in a man. Unfortunately, he only had eyes for Mei Er but she had long accepted that reality.
"You really like your master, don't you?" His words were more of a statement than a question. Kairi's eyes looked in alarm. Was it that obvious?
"If you dare tell Master, I'll cut your tongue out!" she threatened.
"Your secret is my secret. Should I tell you my secret to make it even?" When Kairi didn't object, he grinned and said, "I'm deathly afraid of clingy women."
"You? Afraid of women? A womanizer like you is actually afraid of women?" Kairi asked.
"Hm... let me rephrase that. I'm incapable of loving someone," Zhang Sheng said. His playful demeanor was suddenly lost. Kairi could tell that he was serious. Zhang Sheng stared straight ahead as he continued talking.
"My older brother is extremely sick at the moment and he gave me a heavy burden. In order to trick my enemies, I must play my part. Until then, I cannot afford to love. It will only be a hindrance," Zhang Sheng admitted.
"That's unfortunate," Kairi said when he finished his explanation. She caught his eyes and she earnestly gave him her opinion.
"If the burden is that heavy, isn't it only right to have someone help you carry that burden? Who else could help you carry that burden other than someone you love?"
"I never thought about it that way but is there really a person out there who is willing to share my heavy burden?" he asked back.
"There is. You're just not looking," Kairi said. Zhang Sheng laughed softly and ruffled her hair.
"To think I'm getting advice from a little girl. You are quite wise for your age," he laughed.
"Hey! My hair is a mess!" she cried and slapped his hand away. She pulled out the ribbon to undo her hair and it was quickly snatched away by Zhang Sheng.
"So, why do you like your master so much even though you know he is in love with someone else?" he asked staring at the ribbon. Kairi groaned. He really does know about her one sided crush. She ignored his question and reached out for her ribbon but Zhang Sheng held it up high in the air. Even if she jumped to grab it, she wasn't fast enough.
"Answer my question and I'll give you back your ribbon. I'm very curious. Is it because he's such a gentleman?" Zhang Sheng asked. Kairi sent him a death glare and thought about her answer.
"I'm not sure. Maybe because he's kind? Or maybe it's because he saved me when I was on the verge of death? I don't know how but by the time I realized it, my admiration for him turned into something else. Then again, you can't really explain why you like someone. You ask me why but honestly, I don't know. I just do," Kairi said.
Zhang Sheng stared at the ribbon that Kairi treasured so much that she was willing to answer an uncomfortable question just to get it back. She really did love his da shixiong.
"Da Shi Xiong really is very likable despite the scar on his face," Zhang Sheng sighed heavily. He gave in and handed the ribbon back to her.
"Here. I'm a little peeved. You instantly use the ribbon your master bought you but you don't even bother to wear the hairpin I bought you," Zhang Sheng muttered. He watched Kairi quickly put her hair back into a ponytail with the ribbon and then it struck her. She eyed him suspiciously.
"How do you know that my master bought this ribbon for me...? Gasp! Were you spying on me?" Kairi accused.
"I was sure you had something to say to me so I returned but you were staring so lovingly at your master, you just didn't notice me standing behind you," Zhang Sheng defended.
"Right..." Kairi said sounding unconvinced and then pulled out the hairpin from her pouch. She handed it to Zhang Sheng. "Here. I've been waiting to return this to you. You paid for it so it's yours."
Zhang Sheng stared at the hairpin and then took it from her. With one fluid motion, he stuck it in her hair.
"I've already given it to you. Once given, I will never take it back," Zhang Sheng stated.
"I don't want it!" Kairi cried as she raised her hand up only to stop when she heard the sound of twigs snapping under a foot.
Kairi's senses were on high alert as was Zhang Sheng's. The both of them whipped out their swords and at that exact moment, a large group of men dressed in black surrounded them.