"Young master, did you fall for that lady?" Qu One asked nervously as he looked at his young master. If Madam found out he liked a married woman, she would be furious.
"Qu One, didn't you hear that pretty boy call her Miss Lin?" Hagord looked at the servant with disgust. Why were the people around him always so clueless?
"Young master is right. That lady is just helping at the shop. That pretty boy isn't lucky enough to marry someone as beautiful as Sasha." Qu Two quickly agreed and followed his master's words.
Hagord's mood slightly improved until Qu One said, "How do you know she's beautiful? The young lady from the Wang family wears a veil all the time. She's so ugly with her buck teeth that I wonder how she eats."
Qu Two laughed loudly and thought of that girl with buck teeth. The image gave him chills.
"Exactly. Buck teeth bring bad luck. I heard Mr. Wang is willing to give ten trunks of dowry for her marriage, but no one wants her."
"Both of you shut up. You eat five bowls of rice each and still have no strength. Seems all your energy goes to your mouths." Hagord said with frustration.
What were they even talking about? He finally felt a little interest in a girl, and they had to ruin it.
Buck teeth? Damn it. Now all he could think about was Wang Weiwei's face. Even the smell of braised meat didn't make him hungry.
Qu One and Qu Two turned red, then said, "Young master, that pretty boy earlier was really strong. He knocked both of us out with one palm. Where did he come from? If he's that skilled, why would he open a small diner in a place like Misty Lane?"
Hagord lost his patience and kicked both of them hard.
He was the boss of Misty Lane. Was that place really so bad?
He had forgotten to ask that girl's full name. Her soft voice, her graceful figure, the charm beneath the silk... she must be beautiful.
As he walked, he kept thinking about her. He raised the braised meat to his nose and sniffed again. Smelled great.
After the last customers left, Gordan hung up the "Closed" sign outside the shop like he did yesterday.
"Sasha, would you come with me to Coolwater City?" Gordan couldn't wait any longer and finally asked.
"Why?" Sasha looked at him in surprise. With what they had now, how could they open a shop in the capital?
She heard everything there was expensive. Pork that cost twenty coins in Misty Town would cost two hundred in Coolwater City. That's ten times more. Their little diner was doing well. Why leave now?
Gordan could see that Sasha didn't want to leave. His eyes lost their light and he didn't say another word.
"Sasha, Coolwater City is full of life. It's way more exciting than Misty Town. Please come with us. With your cooking, you'll be a big success there." Yuno kept trying to persuade her.
He was so happy Gordan had finally asked. If they could take Sasha back, the general and Madam would be thrilled. With her talent, they could open a huge restaurant on the busiest street there.
Sasha stayed quiet for a moment and then firmly shook her head.
She had just started her dream. How could she give up so easily? If Gordan really wanted to leave, she would take over the diner herself.
She would go to Coolwater City one day, but not now.
If she went now, she would depend too much on Gordan. She didn't want to start her life in this world that way.
"Yuno, don't talk about going back anymore. There's nothing wrong with staying here. We should make peace with where we are." Gordan felt like a cold wind swept through his heart. He felt more and more alone. The light in his heart was slowly fading away.
He didn't believe Sasha didn't feel anything for him.
Was it because he didn't do enough? Or did she already like someone else?
He turned away and quietly started washing the dishes. The cold seemed to rise from the floor and take over his whole body. He felt empty, and his mind couldn't think about anything.
To avoid making things more awkward, Sasha made an excuse to leave and went out. Yuno wanted to follow her, but she gently refused. As he stood frozen, she disappeared. A bad feeling hit him, and he quickly ran back to the house, but Sasha wasn't there.
"Young master, Sasha said she was going back to the house, but she's not there. I don't know where she went." Yuno returned to the diner, out of breath, and reported in a panic.
"What did you say? How did you lose her?" Gordan dropped the bowl he was cleaning. He didn't even wipe his hands. He rushed out of the diner.
"Ah!"
Yuno slapped his thigh hard and quickly ran after her.
It was his fault for zoning out at the wrong moment. Sasha was so beautiful. What if she ran into some creep?
Sasha was walking down the street without any direction. Her eyes stared blankly at the red sun in the sky. The burning sunlight hit her skin, and she felt like she was in a desert, her mouth dry and her throat parched. She wanted to stop at a teahouse to rest, but then a deep humming sound filled her ears, and her legs stopped working.
A sharp neigh echoed through the sky just before she fainted. The last thing she saw was a fancy black carriage in front of her. Wind chimes hung from it, and they rang softly in the wind, like a mountain stream, clear and beautiful.
"Master, a girl just fainted in front of the carriage." Yiro scratched his head and spoke toward the carriage. This was the eighth girl this month who had passed out in front of Xian's carriage.
There was no response from inside. Not until Yiro called out to the girl several times with no answer did the person inside realize she wasn't pretending.
"Yiro, bring her in. Then find a medical clinic." Xian's voice was calm.
Yiro looked around. The streets were mostly empty because of the heat. Only two people sitting in a nearby teahouse were watching and whispering. He didn't wait any longer and got off his horse to carry the girl into the carriage.
The girl was wearing a light yellow dress, with jasmine flowers embroidered on it. Under the bright sun, the flowers seemed alive, moving slightly as she did.
She was tall, almost as tall as him, and very light. It was easy to pick her up.
Xian's eyes were dark as he stared at the unexpected guest now in his carriage. His brows lifted slightly.
"Master, she's wearing a veil in this heat. Maybe she got heatstroke and couldn't see clearly, so she fainted and fell in front of our carriage?" Yiro looked at the sweat on Sasha's forehead and the way her chest rose and fell steadily.
Xian had spent years in the army and was used to seeing soldiers faint from heat during training. Yiro knew what heatstroke looked like.
It was strange. Most girls wouldn't walk outside in the summer heat. But she didn't seem afraid of the sun at all.
"Yiro, take off her veil and loosen her collar a little." Xian spoke softly.
What? No way.
"Master, I already have a fiancée. We're getting married on the tenth next month. I'm twenty-eight and it wasn't easy finding someone to marry. Please have mercy!" Yiro was so nervous his face turned pale. What if this girl woke up and found her clothes messed up and accused him? Would his fiancée still marry him?
"To the clinic." Xian shot him a cold look.
Yiro shook with fear and quickly got back on his horse.
It was very quiet.
Xian lifted the curtain a little to let some fresh air inside. He poured a cup of cold tea, gently supported Sasha's shoulder, and removed her veil.
The orange sunlight shined on her pale skin, making her look like a painting.
Her features were delicate and beautiful, like a lotus flower blooming quietly.
Her eyebrows and eyes were soft like a poem. Her lips curved slightly, forming a perfect shape. A faint sweet scent came from under her nose.
Xian stared at her, and without thinking, he reached out with a finger and pressed gently on her lips. They were soft, like crushed ice in winter, melting to the touch.
For a moment, the air felt still. The golden light seemed to shine into his heart, planting the seed of love.
"Yiro, go to the villa." Xian called out.
He gently lifted Sasha's neck with one hand and held the tea cup with the other, helping her drink a few sips. Then he took a small porcelain bottle from his robe, opened it, and waved it under her nose.
The girl frowned slightly. Her eyelashes trembled, like a fairy deep in thought, and it made his heart move.
"Master, we're not going to the doctor?" Yiro slowed down and looked back at the carriage.
"She's fine now." Xian's voice was flat.
Yiro blinked and turned the horse toward the villa. He was confused. If she was fine, why was the master taking her back?
Could it be… Suddenly, Yiro's eyes lit up with excitement. But a moment later, he went back to normal.
No way. Absolutely impossible.
Unless a goddess came down from the heavens, no one could melt Xian's cold, hard heart.