Unexpected Events

Pei Nan was running left and right, trying to find where Pan Yu Mei had gone. He had only turned sight away from her for a second and she was already gone. Fear struck him hard as he imagined all the different things that could have happened to her. He was about to call for her.

Before he could, in the corner of his eyes, she was there. She was having tea.

The fear in his body died out.

He didn't need to ask if she was pissed or not. Her eyes said it all. If that wasn't enough evidence, she rolled her eyes the moment he sat down besides her. "Why didn't you wait for me? I was so worried about you." He honestly said.

Pan Yu Mei took a sip of her tea before answering sarcastically. "Your highness has so many women clinging on to you, I thought you had forgotten about me."

He arched a brow, half confused, half amused. Was she being what he had thought she was being?

He leaned his body towards her. "Women? Where?" He pretended to look to the right and then the left.

Him playing the fool made her even more frustrated. She slammed her cup onto the table and crossed her arms, not amused. "Your highness! You were clearly flirting with those three women. How can you ask what women? Don't even deny it. You even smiled at them. If that's not flirting, I don't know what is?"

So she was jealous, he smirked.

"What are you smiling about?

Pei Nan sneakily slipped his hand on top of hers. She tried to tug away but he held firm. That little smirk still on his face. "Are you being jealous?"

She gasped in shock. Her? Jealous? Pfft~

Before she could deny, he pulled her hand to his chest. She felt the hardness of his chest. Then her cheeks began to flush. Why did she have to feel hot every time they had any sort of skin to skin contact.

"Let go your highness. There's people here." She embarrassingly looked in every direction. They were showing public display of affection. To the whole world. Was he trying to tell the whole world they were a thing, she thought.

He pressed her hand firmer to his chest and smiled. "Even if a thousand women were to try to catch my attention, know that I only have you in my heart. I did not travel miles and miles away from the palace to chase you just to find another woman."

"Even if that's the case, you're embarrassing me." She whispered.

"Why? Declaring my love for you is not embarrassing at all. I can do much more embarrassing things. Like stand on top of this table and shout my love for you.Should I?" He was about to get up and do it for real when she tugged on his sleeve, telling him not to.

He was going to be the death of her.

Yu Mei then smiled when she figured out how to get him to leave her alone. "I don't want just your words. I need something that will prove your words. I'll give you 10 minutes to bring something that I like. If I'm pleased, I will accept your declaration."

He pouted his lips for the first time in his entire life. "Pan Yu Mei! Why do you want to separate from me so bad?" He childishly complained.

"You don't want to?"

"I didn't say I didn't want to." In a quick second, he leaned in and planted a solid peck on her cheek. "10 minutes. Wait for me." He put up all ten fingers and then quickly rushed out the door.

With both her hands covering her cheeks, she watched him impatiently leave. [Fool!]

***

10 minutes passed and he returned. In one hand was a rabbit lantern but she was nowhere in sight. Did she run off again, he thought. But that wasn't like her. She said she would wait for him. And he believed it.

He headed towards the waiter.

"Where did the lady I was with go?"

The waiter shook his head. Pei Nan almost believed he didn't before he saw the boy's shaky hand. Seeing this, Pei Nan thought it was odd. Not to mention, if the waiter had been here the whole time, how could he not know where she went.

Pei Nan set the lantern down and with his glare, he intimidated the boy. "I'll only ask you one more time, did you see her?" As if his voice was that of the devil's, the boy almost cried from fear. "Two men took her."

"Where did they go?" His face turned into a deathly glare. "I said where did they go?" He grit his teeth.

The boy warned him. "Your lady can't be saved. It was the tiger gang who took her. No one has ever escaped the tiger gang. Sir, if you go, it'll be the same as death."

"Where is there hideout?" Pei Nan did not heed his warning.

"I'm not sure the exact area. I only know that they hide behind the valley."

***

Yu Mei was roughly tossed into a small dark room. There was nothing but hay on the ground. She stared at the two men who had captured her.

She had been sitting in the tea shop waiting for Pei Nan when they came behind her and tossed her on their shoulders.

She knew someone had been following her. She regretted not trusting her gut instincts.

So it turns out it was them. But what did they want? She would have shouted and cussed at them if it wasn't for the cloth tied around her mouth. It didn't help that her hands were bound behind her back too.

Then the tall scrawny one took a step forward. He had a crude and almost repulsive grin on his face. "Little girl, it's your lucky day. You are going to be our boss's wife tonight." The two men then chuckled merrily.

Her eyes widened.

[WHAT?] Terror crept underneath her skin.

The two men didn't say much after that. Only after assuring her that their boss was a "good" man, they left. She could hear the chain on the door click lock from outside.

The only thing lighting up the pitch dark room was the small window.

Pan Yu Mei sat up and leaned her back on the cold wall. Her eyes began to water. [Where are you your highness...]