Chapter 38: Do not ever ask me

Sheng Li chuckled and took Ying Lili aside. "W-what do you mean? I have never done things like this. I am not a thief. I will tell him that he will be given money tomorrow," Sheng Li whispered.

"He is not going to believe you. Even I have no jewelry with me else I would have paid him through that. Running is the best choice if you want to hide the identity," Ying Lili suggested and glanced at the cashier.

The cashier who was the owner of the restaurant was getting suspicious of them. Although he was cutting the bills of the other customers, he was also keeping his gaze at Sheng Li and Ying Lili. He looked at his left where two well build men were seated and gestured them something.

"Minli, you are forgetting who I am. I will be considered a thief if I will run away from here," Sheng Li whispered.

"Hushu, the man is suspicious of us," Ying Lili replied in a low voice as she saw the owner of the restaurant gesturing something to two men. Without any further delay, she grabbed Sheng Li's hand and dragged him along with her to run out of the restaurant.

"They are thieves. Catch them!!" the owner announced loudly as he came out of the restaurant. Ying Lili was running as fast as she could, telling the people to get aside of her way, holding Sheng Li's hand who was running behind her.

The two men started chasing Sheng Li & Ying Lili and they were joined by three more. Sheng Li looked behind and saw the chasers were closer to them. The crown prince took the lead, grabbed Ying Lili's hand tightly, and pulled her behind him. The people were getting aside seeing them.

Ying Lili looked back and saw those five men were still chasing them. They both turned to an alley which was famous for the purchase of clothes. Sheng Li turned to the backyard of a silk cloth house along with Ying Lili. Numerous colored silk clothes were hanging on the bamboo sticks as to dry them after washing.

Sheng Li forfended them with his hand and moved forward when he saw the end wall there with a small space which could be used to hide for some time. He turned to look at removed the conical veil hat from Ying Lili's head and threw it away. Both were panting heavily when Sheng Li took her to the small narrow space. Pushing Ying Lili inside, he too got inside and covered Ying Lili's mouth with his right palm. From his left hand, he took out the dagger.

The crown prince had noticed earlier those men had seen them going there so, he just wanted not to come into their sight. Ying Lili was pressed against Sheng Li and was feeling nervous. Sheng Li slightly tilted his head to look if the men were there when his eyes fell one of them. Immediately, Sheng Li pulled back and lowered his eyes which met Ying Lili's gaze.

Their intense eye lock was broken when they heard, "They are not here. Let's look at the other way." Sheng Li slightly shifted his head left to look at them and then again pulled back. The men had gone away from there. Sheng Li had lowered his palm from Ying Lili's mouth and was taking a breath of relief when Ying Lili told him to get aside.

Sheng Li looked at her and spoke, "Stay like this for a few more minutes. Thanks to you, I am proved as a thief as well." Ying Lili found that the crown prince was angry at her so, she did not say anything to him. The two stayed there for ten minutes and then came out.

Sheng Li glared at Ying Lili and put back at the dagger. "Don't look me like that. It was your mistake not carrying money. At least, I helped you from running away from there else we would have to wash utensils there," Ying Lili proclaimed.

"Are you blaming this on me?" Sheng Li with a snicker asked.

Ying Lili averted her gaze from him thus, did not reply to him. "I will teach you a good lesson once we will be in the Palace," Sheng Li threatened her and started walking. Ying Lili looked for her hat and asked Sheng Li. "I have thrown it to the other side. Don't wear that as it would grab unwanted attention and follow me. We have to leave as soon as possible," asserted Sheng Li and walked ahead. Ying Lili followed him up.

Once they were out of the cloth market, they turned to the route of the mountain hill from where they had come to the market. As they were walking, Sheng Li saw Ying Lili had stopped to watch the local street drama. She turned to Sheng Li with gleaming eyes. "Let's watch this street drama before going back," Ying Lili requested.

Sheng Li nodded and the two walked there. "What are they doing?" Sheng Li muttered when he heard the announcer. "Ladies and gentlemen, today we are going to show you how the crown prince falls for the crown princess." Sheng Li knitted his brows. "How can you say that?" Sheng Li angrily said but thanks to the loud sound of drums no one heard him.

"It is annoying. Let's go," Sheng Li stated and turned to go when Ying Lili grabbed Sheng Li's wrist. "It is just a drama. People enjoy such a thing. We shall watch it," Ying Lili softly said with a tiny smile on her lips.

After the drama ended, everyone clapped for them. "Let's go," Sheng Li told Ying Lili who gave a nod and the two left the market. They reached the hut after spending two hours in the market. Ying Lili saw Sheng Li was annoyed at her. "Hushu, thanks to you I feel rejuvenated today, and forgive me for troubling you there. You can ask anything from me and I will fulfill that wish of yours," Ying Lili told Sheng Li who turned to look at her.

"Do not ever ask me to go to the market," Sheng Li in a fit of anger said when General Xiao came to them. "Your highness, Prince Wanxi has returned for the Palace. As for Hu Jingguo, he is shifted to somewhere safe," General Xiao reported to the crown prince who nodded. "Let's go back to the Palace," Sheng Li in a commanding tone said. Xiao observed the anger on the crown prince's face but he refrains from asking the reason for that.