A Thousand Lotus

Two black obsidian eyes doused with a roguish glint looked back at her, "Not so dignified and vicious as that night, are we?"

Jiao Yu's eyes widens at the person in front of her, "You!"

The man in front of her looked eager to hear what Jiao Yu was going to say but instead, Jiao Yu only fumingly stared back at him. At this moment, Jiao Yu wished that she could tackle the man down to make him pay for what he has done that night and on the other side Yu Jie Xing had to keep himself fom chuckling as one could tell what Jiao Yu was thinking and finds it amusing to see Jiao Yu's adorable face fuming with embarrassment and anger.

Jiao Yu's eyes looked with a tinge of disgust. One did not know why she had that knid of reaction but she could not keep her eyes from contorting into something like that. And if people were to see how she looked at him, the world might protest and might gouge out her eye. Who in the world would not get drawn into that obsidian eyes? Who in the heavens have ever looked at that impeccable face with disgust? (Well..we've got a winner.. her name is Jiao Yu. I guess?)

Jiao Yu find it quite difficult handling the man in front of her and even more so, when one did not know the name of the person that night.That night, Jiao Yu had been thinking about their encounter and was slightly thankful that, even after knowing her identity and getting caught by him in action, he did not seem to have any plan to bust her out of her actions that night.

Seeing that Jiao Yu was still not speaking, Yu Jie Xing took the initiative to speak, "This is the third time we have met but I wonder when will you return the favor of me helping you find a path to get away from trouble?"

Jiao Yu's brow furrowed slightly but those tiny movement made her looked like an innocent child, "Haven't I already said my thanks?"

"You have?"

"Yes.. Haven't I said thank you earlier?" Jiao Yu plainly told him.

Yu Jie Xing looked at Jiao Yu and could not help but feel surprised at every words and actions the female in front of him did. He had met her only a third time but in every time they encountered, he could not help but be surprised at every turn.

And instead of getting the same reactions from the young ladies oggling him and find him valuable than their lives, the female in front seemed to treat him as if he was a bug that she needed to get away everytime she looked at him with those adorable big eyes.

Yu Jie Xing could not understand what was behind her mind that made her look at him with digust. And made him slightly uncomfortable and thought that he might have dirt on his face.

A heavy and deep chuckle came from Yu Jie Xing, "One did not know that not only are you impatient but also very thrifty."

"Being thrifty is not a sin" Jiao Yu retorted.

"Indeed, it is not. However, returning back a favor after one had helped you greatly that night is what we call manners." The smile on Yu Jie Xing turned a little bit cold and made Jiao Yu shrink back slightly.

And instead of getting intimidated by that cold smile playing on his mouth, Jiao Yu said, "One must have forgotten but interfering with other people's business is what we call being meddlesome. Or perhaps no one had told you that."

"You are such a stubborn young lady but you are right.. no one had told me that because apparently, every person who had rebuked my words have already been burried to the ground."

The arrogance in his words were disturbing and startling, Jiao Yu felt the danger in his voice but did not back down, "I guess those people were smart enough to seek death and depart from this cruel world."

"The world had been cruel since the very start and the people living it made it even more so. There is no need to dwell much on that, as it is what it is and no one can change that." Yu Jie Xing said as he took two steps forward closer towards her.

"So when are you going to return the favor you owe me?"

Though Jiao Yu was not small in terms of height but with the man in front of her, she looked smaller, reaching only his shoulder. And with him being so close made Jiao Yu breathe in the smell of sandalwood coming from him.

One did not know how long had they been standing in that corridor and the air around them were mild warm and cold. Jiao Yu did not say a reply and was lost in her thoughts. She had been staying on the other side of the straw screen and might have already made Jing Chu and Bai Chen worry and look for her.

Jiao Yu didn't thought that her small trip outside gave reasons for the heavens to tweak a little bit of her fate however, no one has the accurate and perfect prediction on what the future holds.

Thinking that she had stayed on the other side of the screen, Jiao Yu decided to say, "My entourage must have been looking for me. In regards with the payment of the favor one had owe you, I'll make sure to send it to you if you kindly tell me where to send it."

Yu Jie Xing did not reply and only looked at her with a raise brow, seemingly amused to know that Jiao Yu was actually planning to pay him with money for his help. Since it's like that then, why not play along with it?

"Are you sure a young lady like you can pay me?" Yu Jie Xing asked.

"How much is it?"

Yu Jie Xing thought of something for a moment and then said, "ten thousand of gold taels."

Ten thousand gold taels???! In silvers, that's equivalent to a hundred thousand of silvers right? How can Jiao Yu get that much money? Is this man really in his right mind? Jiao Yu thought. She could pay him with the chest Liu Sheng Xiao had given her but Jiao Yu could not let herself touch any of it now or spend it and also in one go for such an unreasonable price for his help. Is he not just messing with her? Maybe she could pay him back if she sends money to him monthly. Jiao Yu thought again.

Gulping down the flame in her heart, Jiao Yu calmly said, "Gentleman, I think the price is unreasonable and like you said, how can a young lady have such wealth to spend wastefully."

"If it is alright with you, I'll pay you every month."

Of course Yu Jie Xing expected her to say that. Clasping his hands behind him, Yu Jie Xing playfully said, "Really smart.. hmm.. let's see."

"Why not instead of paying me monthly, let's have you pay me five taels of silvers weekly? and also in every week we can meet up by the Qing bridge."

Five taels? What is this man really thinking? Jiao Yu thought as she tried to pry his head open in her mind to see what he was planning. However, the condition was very appealing on Jiao Yu's situation as she did not have to pay him thousand of silvers monthly but only a measly five taels weekly. However, the place seemed a bit too open to meet up. The Qing bridge was indeed open and everyone in Jing capital could pass by it and even walk through it but for now, it was the least of her problems.

"Alright, I'll meet you again next week on the same day today. I'll leave now." Jiao Yu once bowed slightly towards him and turned to leave but before she could go through the screen, she heard him hushedly saying.

"Ah, I forgot to ask her how was she related to the villagers in the Xiangli village?"