As we near the inner city gates, we are joined by more people, undoubtedly on their way to the inner city as well. All of them, however, look very different from what we had encountered previously. These people look to be from well-to-do families. Most of them are either on horseback or in carriages.

Further down the road, we are joined by more people who give us strange looks. Zhan seems to have noticed it too. For, he pulls us to the side of the road with Weredra in tow and whispers, "YiJun, why are there no peasants or regular village folk on this road?"

I try to recall my childhood (a time when I was not an orphan and used to accompany my father around the inner city disguised as common folk). Were things like this then as well? I was sure they weren't. 

"Gege, I was wondering about the same thing," I reply, not knowing that I would get the answer all too soon.

"Hey, you!" Someone calls, making the three of us turn. I look at a soldier approaching us on horseback and point at myself, "Me?"

"Yes, you. All three of you." He answers and dismounts. "Introduce yourselves and state your purpose of visit."

"Excuse me?" I raise my brow, and he shakes his head, "Don't try to tell me that you don't know the rules!" He exclaims, and looks over his shoulder, and yells, "I think I am going to need backup."

As soon as I hear the words backup, I realize what is about to happen, and my hand automatically lands my sword. Yes, my actual sword. But before I can do more, Zhan's firm hand lands on my shoulder. I look at him, and he signals me to calm down.

"Sir, " He addresses the rude soldier in a gentle, soothing voice, and the man in question looks a little taken aback. "Ummm, yes." He looks at Zhan and stands a little straighter.

Zhan smiles at the soldier and takes a few steps towards him gingerly, "Sir, we are extremely sorry if we have caused you trouble. Truth be told, we are indeed not from this land. And my brother's sense of direction is... Well, how do I put it... Hmmm, he is a little directionally challenged. Moreover, our Meimei was throwing a fit, so you see, that's how we ended up here." Zhan explains, leaning in.

If I hadn't known better, I would have thought that he was trying to flirt with the rude ass. Yes, I am referring to the soldier as an ass. 

Zhan gestures the soldier to come closer, and the other does.

WTF is happening!? 

Once they are as close as two men can be without actually touching each other, Zhan whispers in a soft, seductive voice, "Kind Sir, you look like you come from a family of great repute, so could you please excuse us this once? I promise that you won't regret it." Zhan finishes and steps away, but not before stroking the ass's forearm suggestively.

I blink a few times and pinch my butt just to confirm that I wasn't hallucinating before side-eyeing Weredra. Hoping that the magical creature can read my mind, I think as loudly as possible, "DID YOU FUCKING DO SOMETHING TO ZHAN GE!?"

A flash of anger crosses her innocent cherub-like face, and a moment later, my head feels like it has been forcefully rammed into a wall.

"Ouch!" I wince in a macho way and rub my forehead.

"Didi, what's wrong?" Zhan asks, still standing a little too close to the soldier, and I sway on the spot.

It has the desired result as Zhan immediately comes to my side and wraps his arms around my waist.

Yaaaasssss!

"Gege, " I moan and lean into him, "I think I am coming down with something." I croak.

"Oh dear! " Zhan ge exclaims and pulls me closer. He looks at the soldier who is not alone anymore and pleads, "Won't you consider letting us go just this once. Please... " He mouths the last syllable seductively, and my heart goes out to the poor soldier who looked like he was having difficulty keeping his emotions and sword in check.

Zhan's prey sighs and folds, "Fine, I will make an exception just this once." 

"But Sir," The man's subordinate starts, but looking at the awkward state of things, he promptly shuts up.

"Excuse me, kind Sir," Weredra chirps sweetly, pulling the defeated soldier's pants, "Can't you suggest somewhere we can take my junior Gege? Please, Sir, moreover, on good days, my brothers have a lot of stamina. I am sure you will find some use of them." The little devil suggests.

Now, don't get me wrong, I appreciate what Weredra was trying to do, and under normal circumstances, it would have been a brilliant strategy, but at this point, I really wanted to smack the back of our little Meimei's head! 

 Why? Simple. After how Zhan had just acted: absolutely shamelessly, I had noticed how the once rude but now soft soldier had reacted. When he had agreed to let us go, he had had a sad look of longing in his eyes. No doubt, for my man. So if he were to agree to Weredra now, I feared that Zhan's virtue might come under threat.

His virtue was mine... I mean, my responsibility. I need to protect him, you know, since I feel responsible for his safety.

Anywho, while I am internally panicking, the soldier contemplates the situation and nods, "I think you make a good point, little one." He says, not only giving Zhan a once over, but me too, "I am sure I can use them. I mean, I can find a use for them. After all, by not arresting you now, I am doing you all a favor; nothing is free. I expect to be paid for my benevolence." He finishes with an unholy glint in his eyes, and Zhan's body stiffens. I feel his warm breath on the nape of my neck; his arms around me tighten and pull me closer protectively.

I hear him gulp before he replies, "That sounds fair, but I am sure I will be enough for whatever you have in mind. No need to involve my siblings. He is not well, and she is too young."

What the hell is he saying? Why the hell is he saying such things? What does he mean by 'he will be enough'!?

I use my least used muscle, my brain, and try to find the answers to the questions that had just entered my mind. And soon, two things become clear: first, that Zhan's virtue was not the only thing under threat, and second, that he was trying to protect me by disregarding his own safety.

Why, Zhan? Why are you such a beautiful, amazing, dumb, self-sacrificing, hella hot man!?

After internally panicking for a few seconds, when I try to take stock of the situation, I find that I, along with Zhan ge and Weredra, am being escorted towards our destination, The inner city, surrounded by at least five able-bodied soldiers. Of course, with the gift of strength that Weredra had blessed me with, I could have taken them on with ease, but that would expose me, both to the soldiers and Zhan, and that's not what I wanted.

I curse my luck or rather lack of it and look at Weredra with, what-are-we-going-to-do-now look in my eyes, expecting her to show me a way out. After all, we had become close over the past few days, right?

Wrong.

Weredra looks at me with eyes full of mischief and smirks. I don't need to read her mind to know what she is thinking. Her eyes speak volumes. All she needs now is a good editor, and she would be ready to publish her first novel, titled: A guide to royally screw up, YiJun's already fucked up life. (Volume 1)

{Word count: 1339}