Chapter 34: Song Guards
Upon arriving home, I was welcomed by Bao Bao’s laughter as Yuen chased him all over the compound.
"You two should stop playing and help out! The yard isn’t going to clean itself!" Yiling shouted at them.
The boys only stuck out their tongues and teased her before darting off again. In the next moment, she was chasing them with a wooden stick, her voice echoing around the yard.
I couldn’t help but smile. My kids... such sweet souls.
"You’re back?" Mo Ying’s voice came from the side as he walked toward me.
The boys spotted me at the same time and ran straight into my arms, hugging me tightly.
"Mother’s home!" Bao Bao giggled, his little face pressed against me.
Mo Ying’s eyes softened briefly, but there was still that unreadable calm in his gaze. He stopped a step away, his hands folded behind his back.
I smiled at him. "Yes, I’m back. And... I bring good news."
The kids looked up curiously, Yiling finally giving up her chase and coming closer to listen.
For a moment, I glanced at Mo Ying—his tall frame, his composed face, and that shadow I still couldn’t shake from my mind after seeing the wanted poster.
The resemblance gnawed at me.
But instead of asking, I forced a bright smile. "We now have a strong backer. The Yun family has agreed to protect our business."
The children cheered, and even Yiling clapped her hands in relief.
Only Mo Ying stayed silent, his sharp eyes flickering as though he saw straight through me.
"That’s good. I guess this calls for a celebration... I’ll make dinner tonight!" Mo Ying announced as the kids all cheered.
He was a good cook. For a man to be so good at cooking even in his historical days, I have to say he impressed me.
"I’ll head inside now," I said as I quickly walked away. I still didn’t have the heart to talk to him. I wanted to trust him, but the universe was giving me so many reasons to send him out of my life before he ruined it.
---
"Susu! Show me the flash sales... I want to purchase some items."
[ Affirmative Host... Loading... ]
In front of me, a faint golden screen appeared. Rows of items flashed by, each with their old price crossed out and a bold red price beneath showing the discount.
[ Flash Sale Items – 70% Discount! ]
Premium Rice Sack (50kg): Before – 30 taels | Now – 9 taels
Silk Robe (Ladies’ Wear): Before – 40 taels | Now – 12 taels
Iron Dagger (Sharp & Durable): Before – 25 taels | Now – 7 taels
Children’s Cotton Blankets (Set of 2): Before – 20 taels | Now – 6 taels
Spice Pack (10 varieties): Before – 18 taels | Now – 5 taels
Basic Long Sword: Before – 70 taels | Now – 21 taels
Clay Cooking Pots (Set of 3): Before – 15 taels | Now – 4 taels
Fine Wheat Flour Sack (25kg): Before – 28 taels | Now – 8 taels
My eyes lit up at the list. Everything was so cheap right now!
"Alright, Susu... I’ll take the Premium Rice Sack, the Spice Pack, the Iron Dagger, the Cotton Blankets, and the Clay Cooking Pots."
[ Confirming purchase... Total: 31 taels deducted from Host’s balance. ]
The pouch of money in my hands grew lighter, and in the next second, five glowing items appeared before vanishing into thin air.
[ All items have been stored safely in the Host’s Unlimited Storage. They will remain fresh and untarnished until you choose to retrieve them. ]
I nodded in satisfaction. "Good. That’s more like it. With this, we won’t have to worry about food for a while... and the dagger might come in handy if things turn ugly."
"Come out! Who’s in this household!? step out this instant!"
The loud voices outside startled me. My heart skipped as I hurried out to the yard. Several men stood at the gate, all dressed in dark uniforms with the emblem of the Song family stitched on their sleeves. In one man’s hand was a rolled-up poster.
I frowned. "What’s the meaning of this? Why are you at my home?"
The leader of the group unrolled the poster and held it up. My breath caught. It was the same one I had seen earlier.
"We’re searching for this man," the guard announced loudly. "He’s wanted by the Song family for serious crimes. A reward of 5,000 taels will be given to anyone who provides information."
The poster swayed slightly in his grip as his eyes swept across my yard. "Do you know of any man who looks like this?"
Before I could answer, Yan Mei quickly stepped forward. Her face was calm but her voice firm. "The children shouldn’t hear this." She ushered Yiling, Bao Bao, and Yuen back into the house. I caught Yiling’s wide, curious eyes before the door shut behind them.
I turned back to the guards, forcing myself to stand tall. "Why ask me? My household is simple. We don’t know men like this."
The guard studied me for a long moment before finally rolling the poster back up. "If you see him, report at once. Anyone caught hiding him will be punished with death." His voice was cold, leaving no space for doubt.
"Can I ask a question though?" I said, wanting answers.
"What question?"
"What exactly did this man commit that you all go through all this trouble to find him? If I don’t see his actions as wrong, then how do you expect me to report anything about him to you?" I said with my hands folded.
They stayed silent for some time before finally replying, "I can’t leak any important detail, but whoever this man is, young lady..." He walked closer to me, his huge body hovering over me.
"...he is someone you won’t want to involve yourself with unless you and the rest of your family want to die a miserable death!" he said, then turned around. "If you find anything at all, head down to the Song residence." With that, he left with his men immediately.
His words still left a heavy scar in my mind. Was that man really that dangerous? If he was and happened to be Mo Ying, then we were in danger.
From the corner of the doorway, Mo Ying was there, half-hidden in the shadows, his face unreadable. Fuhan stood beside him, his brows knit tightly.
"Brother Ying..." Fuhan whispered low enough so only he could hear. "Do you think Lin Xu would recognize you... and betray you?"
Mo Ying didn’t answer right away. His eyes stared at Lin Xu. Something in him feared that she would actually betray him, while something kept telling him she wouldn’t.