Su Mi tensed beside her. "That wasn't there a moment ago."
Yao Yao squinted skeptically. No, it had not been there. But now, as if summoned by the boy's words, it appeared. Her pink eyes darted back to Rong Xi. He remained calm, his golden gaze unreadable, as if this was entirely normal.
This was magic—not the kind she had shown before, those wild, impulsive bursts of energy; this was entirely different. Still, she lifted her chin, feigning indifference. "Hmph! That's more like it," she huffed. "You should've just pointed us there from the start 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.
As Yao Yao headed for the exit, she couldn't help but steal one last glance at Rong Xi. He wasn't watching them anymore, his gaze drifting away as if he had lost interest. That should have made her relieved, but instead, it bothered her.
She sensed a strange emptiness within him, an isolation that made him seem alone in the world. A faint sense of loneliness clung to him, hidden beneath his childlike exterior.
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 that this would not be their last encounter.
Indeed, strange, Yao Yao thought silently. When she turned around to the alleyway, she saw nothing where the alley had been. Not an entrance nor 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 had many questions. But right now, she faces a bigger problem: avoiding getting caught.
At the same time, the mood in Shang Qing Ye's private chamber felt icy. She sat in front of a mirror, her fingers gliding over the faint bruises on her wrist caused by the overturned carriage.
Her mind wasn't on the crash but on the girl. The one who had called out 'Mother' as if she deserved to, only to vanish when the chaos subsided.
Her eyes darkened.
That child.
That thing.
She had gotten rid of her years ago, but never expected the girl to 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, charmingly 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 grabbed the poster from the board. She beckoned furiously to Su Mi, jabbing her finger at her vague, poorly 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 cried.
"We need to leave the city quickly," 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. They turned around and saw a group of city guards pushing through the market crowd, coming in their direction.
"…Oh crap."
Before she had a chance to respond, Su Mi grabbed her and ran.
"WHY ARE WE ALWAYS RUNNING?! MY LEGS ARE TOO SHORT, I CAN'T KEEP UP!" Yao Yao exclaimed, out of breath.
Su Mi scooped her up without hesitation, effortlessly throwing her into her arms before sprinting ahead at full speed as if she had 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!"