In the streets of Zhou Yü, there seems to be many food stalls ! Rich aroma of both savoury and sweet delicacies fill the air. Yi Rong can't help but drool ! His stomach grumbles loudly, he feels extremely embarrassed ! But the loud chattering of the people in the streets cancel it out. However, it seems that Chi Meng notices Yi Rong's eyes, sparkling brightly, and drooling like a waterfall. He looks up at the sun, seems like it's noon already.
"Shall we stop for lunch." Chi Meng says, while reaching into his sleeves, taking out some yuan. Yi Rong mood lifts up instantly, but when he looked at Chi Meng's hand, holding the yuan, he remembered something...
They continued to walk, "Is there anything in particular that you want to eat." Chi Meng asks Yi Rong, while looking around. "Uhh, not really." Yi Rong says, while he's captivated by all the stalls. Chi Meng sighs, it clearly looks like he wants everything.
Soon, they pass by a decent looking Jiu Dian (酒店, Back in olden China, 酒店 is a place where you can have meals and book to stay for the night, it's like the combination of a hotel and restaurant.) They found their own seats and called for a few dishes.
While waiting for them to arrive, "Here." Yi Rong says, while passing over a small pouch, it seems to be the one Chi Meng had borrowed him yesterday. "Oh, thanks." Chi Meng replies, as he takes the pouch and fills it up with some yuan.
"Take this." Chi Meng says, while passing back the same pouch. Yi Rong looked puzzled, 'Didn't I just give it back to you...' he thought. "There's enough money inside to supply you for a few days. Incase something happens between us, you'll have enough to survive." Chi Meng says.
Yi Rong reaches out his arm, to take the pouch, just at the same time the server comes over. However, the server seems to not notice Yi Rong's arm, he unknowingly serves them hot soup ! The server accidentally bumped into Yi Rong's arm while placing the soup down, before Yi Rong could react, the hot soup had been spilled onto his arm.
He immediately retracts it, Chi Meng jumps up, "Are you okay ?" he asks, with a worried look. The server with a guilty face, "I'm so sorry sir, are you okay, I'm so sorry, I didn't see your hand !" he cries, with bowing non-stop, apologising repeatedly.
"It's okay..."Yi Rong reassures the waiter, while clenching tight onto his wrist, his face says other wise. Yi Rong keeps on reassuring the waiter that he's okay, and to serve the other customers as the place is becoming more and more packed.
"Are you fine." Chi Meng asks, he gently takes Yi Rong's arm. "Ahh, I'm okay... Thanks to my bandages, it's nothing !" He says, but as Chi Meng looks deeper into Yi Rong's face, he doesn't really look in "pain", he looks like he's nervous and worried instead...
Chi Meng tries to unfold the bandages wrapped around Yi Rong's arm, but the second he touched it, Yi Rong immediately jumps back. Chi Meng surprised at his reaction, "Sorry, did it hurt ?" He asks, "N-no, uhm... It's okay, I'm fine really..." Yi Rong says once again, his face seem to turn pale, his lips too ! And for some reason, his eyes glowed a bit of red...
"Your eyes, what's wrong with it?" Chi Meng worriedly asks, looking around, it's still day time, there wouldn't be any lanterns around shining bright at this time. Even if there was, the sunlight would definitely overpower it ! Yi Rong pauses for a second, his face screams "Fuck, I've been caught"
"Oh, whatttt ? Does it really, ahah... I should go check it out !" Yi Rong says, rushing over to the bathroom while trying to cover his eyes in a way that he can still see where to walk. Chi Meng raises his eyebrow, 'What on earth is going on.' He thinks, but the waiter once again interrupts him, and serves the rest of their dishes.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry, did I scared away your friend ?" the waiter with worried look, as he clenches the serving tray tightly, he looked like he was about to break down and cry for hours. "Oh, no don't worry, something went in his eye, he went to the bathroom to go check it out." Chi Meng says, reassuring the waiter once again.
Soon, Yi Rong came back, "Yo, sorry for keeping you waiting. Shall we begin eating" he exclaims happily, seems that his mood is back, Chi Meng quiet as usually, just starts eating. From the outside he looks as calm as usual, but deep inside, he's thinking constantly about Yi Rong, 'Why did his eyes turn bright red just now... and his teeth, had... sharp looking fangs... am I going crazy ? Was it even real, or have I gone mad...' He thinks non stop, while staring deeply into Yi Rong.
Without a doubt, Yi Rong immediately notices him staring at him, looks like he wants to kill him and take his soul away, "Uhm, are you okay ?" Yi Rong breaks the tension, Chi Meng quickly snaps back to reality, "Oh, uhh nothing." Awkwardness feels their atmosphere once again, they continue to finish up their meal in silence, before continuing their journey.
As they left the Jiu Dian, they thanked the owner and headed off. But just as they did, Chi Meng glanced over at Yi Rong and noticed the same mysterious figure that had bump into them earlier standing right behind Yi Rong ! He immediately withdraws his sword, aiming right at Yi Rong.
Yi Rong about to piss his pants shouts, "WHAT THE HECK ! HAVE YOU GONE MAD, ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME ? I THOUGHT WE WERE JUST ON GOOD TERMS." He cries while clinging onto his neck, trying to block any blow that were to come of Chi Meng, genuine tears of fear roll down to his pink rosy cheeks. His screams catching the attention of everyone surrounding them, even those outside near the Jiu Dian !
But it seems to be that the mysterious figure wasn't there anymore, Chi Meng sweated, 'What is wrong with me today... am I hallucinating now ?'
"S-sorry, I uhh, saw a weird figure behind you... I thought it was going to attack you." He apologises shamelessly, while retracting his sword back into it's shaft. Yi Rong petrified at what had happened continues to cry, Chi Meng felt extremely terrible, he didn't know what to do.
He decided to bring Yi Rong out, and bought him a sugar figurine (糖人 ,Tángrén — a Chinese sweet also known as sugar people that can be found selling at roadsides of Chinese streets, commonly shaped as animals such as rabbits, horses and more.) "Sorry about earlier... I think something's wrong with me today..." Chi Meng says guiltily, but Yi Rong seems to be silent, 'is he really mad at me ?' Chi Meng thinks as he glances over at Yi Rong seems to be happily enjoying the sugar figurine, licking it with admiring it. He looks exactly like a little kid.
Chi Meng looking at Yi Rong, can't help but think about back when he was younger, it reminded him of whenever he was upset, or when he accomplished anything, whether big or small, his guoshi would always buy him a sugar figurine to cheer him up or as a reward. He led up his a small smile, in this exact moment, Yi Rong looked like little Chi Meng giggling and admiring the sugar candy, and Chi Meng as his guoshi, as if trying to make little Chi Meng feel better...
Just as everything seemed fine again, the same mysterious figure shows up, but this time on a roof top ! Chi Meng blinked thrice ! He wasn't imagining this time, someone even shouts "Thief, get back here at once !" Chi Meng and Yi Rong rushed over, the owner seems to be the same old man that Yi Rong saw yesterday, his daughter was the one shouting out loud, Yi Rong and the lady exchanged looks for a second.
"Please, help my father !" She pleads, while wiping away her tears, as more filled her eyes. Chi Meng immediately rushes over to the direction that the mysterious figure had fled off to, he was eager to find out, who is the man under that mask ! Yi Rong helped the old man cripple back up to his feet, before set sailing off too to help Chi Meng...