Fifty Gold?! The Audacity!
Su Mi stiffened beside her. "…That wasn't there a moment ago."
Yao Yao squinted skeptically. No, it definitely had not been.
And now, as if summoned by the boy's words—it was there.
Her pink eyes flickered back to Rong Xi. He sat calmly, golden gaze unreadable, as if nothing was unusual about this at all.
This was magic.
Not the kind she had displayed earlier, that raw, reckless bursts of energy. This was something else.
Still, she lifted her chin, feigning indifference. "Hmph! That's more like it," she huffed. "You should've just pointed us there in the first place instead of wasting time."
Su Mi grabbed her wrist, tugging her lightly. "Let's go, Yao Yao."
The sooner they were out of this strange garden, the better. But as Yao Yao turned toward the exit, she couldn't help herself and stole one last glance at Rong Xi.
He wasn't watching them anymore. His gaze had drifted away, as if he had already lost interest.
That should have made her relieved, but instead, it bothered her.
Even as they stepped into the alleyway—even as the path behind them shifted back to trees once they passed through—even as the city noises returned, breaking the strange spell that had surrounded them—something in her gut told her she that this would not be their last encounter.
The familiar chaos of the city snapped back into place the moment Yao Yao and Su Mi emerged from the alleyway. It was like they had never left.
Vendors shouted their daily prices. The scent of roasted chestnuts filled the air. The sounds of hooves clattering against cobblestone mixed with the chatter of merchants and buyers alike.
Normal.
As if the garden had never existed at all.
Su Mi exhaled heavily. "That was…" She paused, "Strange."
Indeed strange. Yao Yao thought silently. As she turned around to the alleyway, she saw nothing where the alley had been.
Not an entrance.
Not a hidden pathway.
Just the solid wall of a tailor's shop, as if the alley had never been there in the first place.
Su Mi tugged her hand. "Come on. We should hurry back before we get into more trouble."
Yao Yao didn't pursue further. She has questions, a lot of them, but right now she has a bigger problem..avoid getting caught.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside Shang Qing Ye's private chamber was cold.
Shang Qing Ye sat before a mirror, her fingers brushing over the light bruises on her wrist from the impact of the overturned carriage. She wasn't thinking about the crash anymore, she was thinking about the girl.
The one who had stood in the open, yelling 'Mother' as if she had any right to say it.
The one who had disappeared the moment the chaos settled.
Her eyes darkened.
That child.
That thing.
She had gotten rid of her years ago, but never did Shang Qing Ye expect the girl to shamelessly return.
"Find her," she murmured.
The head servant bowed immediately. "Yes, my lady."
....
Back in the City..
Yao Yao knew she was in trouble the moment she saw the wanted posters.
Her face—adorably captured in an ink sketch—was plastered across a wooden board in the city square.
"Wanted: The Unknown Child Who Attacked the Shang Family."
The reward?
50 gold coins.
Yao Yao choked on air.
"FIFTY?! FOR ME?!" Yao Yao snatched the poster off the wall.
She beckoned furiously to Su Mi, jabbing her finger at her own vague, badly sketched image, her pink eyes blazing with outrage.
"LOOK AT THIS CUTE LITTLE FACE! THESE ADORABLE FEATURES! THIS PERFECT SYMMETRY...", Yao Yao paused and inhaled sharply, "...AND THEY THINK I'M ONLY WORTH FIFTY GOLD?!"
Su Mi yanked her into a dark corner before she could accidentally out herself.
"Lower your voice!" Su Mi hissed, peeking around the corner. "This is bad. They're actively looking for you now."
Yao Yao pouted, arms crossed. "They could've at least drawn me cuter."
Su Mi smacked her head lightly.
"Ouch!" Yao Yao exclaimed.
"We need to leave the city quick," Su Mi said firmly. "Before someone recognizes you."
Yao Yao sighed, "Fine, fine. We'll leave—"
Then, from the crowd, a voice rang out.
"Hey! That's the girl from the poster!"
Yao Yao froze and Su Mi turned pale.
As they turned around, they saw a group of city guards pushing through the market crowd coming towards their direction.
"…Oh crap."
Before she could finish her thought—Su Mi grabbed her and ran.
"WHY ARE WE ALWAYS RUNNING?! MY LEGS ARE TOO SHORT, I CAN'T KEEP UP!" Yao Yao wailed.
Su Mi scooped her up without hesitation, seamlessly throwing her into her arms before sprinting full speed ahead like she has done this a million times.
"I swear...." Su Mi gasped between breaths, her arms burning from carrying Yao Yao, "All I wanted... was only to buy a glue potion!"