บท 41: Leng Jin Yu Told Me

While the god of war, Qiang Yan, had gotten a precise and complete account of everything pertaining Shun Tao's mission and had already decided to get to the bottom of this, Shun Tao himself was still trying to get everything out of a depressed Hong Bao.

Shun Tao stared at her, his hands nervously clenching and unclenching in his sleeves. If she had found out something — just a little bit even — he might know the culprit today. He might be able to go to the heavenly emperor and confess his mistakes, while simultaneously presenting him with the name of the culprit and appropriate countermeasures to get Zhong Jing Yi's fate on track again and let crown prince Jing He pass his trial in the mortal world.

Unfortunately, Hong Bao knew nothing of his problems and she felt far from happy. She had wanted to spend time with him, but not like this. As a result, she kept mum.

Shun Tao grew more anxious with each moment. "Hong Bao, what exactly did you find out?"

"Not much." She fell silent again after that. He hasn't even offered me a cup of tea. He just wants to know about the mission and then he'd love for me to go as fast as possible.

But why? I didn't do anything! I can't have left such a bad impression on him, can I? Is it really, that he doesn't like women? Or no, is it rather, that he hates women? Does he despise me because of that?

Thinking of how she'd never be able to get together with her true love, her lips started quivering and her hands trembled in her sleeves. Shun Tao still didn't notice. He was clenching Jing He's scroll of fate, imagining the next gap, that might grow. His lack of reaction distressed Hong Bao even more.

Without any other heads-up, her shoulders started shaking, she clasped her hands over her face and started crying.

Her heart wrenching sobs managed to pull Shun Tao out of his thoughts. He looked at her, stupefied. "That … Hong Bao, what happened?"

Instead of an answer, Hong Bao stood up, turned around and ran out of his study, still crying. Shun Tao's gaze followed her. What exactly … had just happened?

"Ah … Hong … Hong Bao?" He waited, but there was no response. She really seemed to have run away.

Shun Tao rubbed his brow, stood up and followed her outside. He didn't know, what he had done wrong, but he at least knew, that he couldn't just let her go like that. He found her in the courtyard of the scribe's palace. She squatted near the wall, seemingly neither wanting to stay nor wanting to go.

Shun Tao sighed. He didn't have the time to care about this. But what was to be done? He also couldn't ignore her. Even if it hadn't been for her help: Shun Tao believed, that seeing a woman running away in tears after you were talking to her, was more than enough reason to care. He had to at least talk about it.

He squatted down next to her, likewise facing the wall. He didn't speak for a while, just listening to her sobbing. They didn't really know each other, so he didn't have a good grasp on how to approach the problem. The direct way should be the best in this case?

Shun Tao bent a little forward and tried to let his voice sound a little gentler. "What's wrong, Hong Bao?"

Unfortunately, the girl only cried harder.

He sighed. "Is it because I said something wrong? You can tell me."

Hong Bao's sobs seemed to grow quieter, but she still didn't talk. Shun Tao hesitated, then stood up and knelt before her. He pulled her into a hug and stroked her back. "I'm sorry. Whatever it is, I did wrong, I'm sorry. You shouldn't be crying."

Hong Bao's sobs stopped short. What is happening here? Shun Tao … Shun Tao is hugging me? She felt like extending her arms and hugging him back, like nestling against his chest and lamenting how she had loved him for so long, without being noticed. But while her heart told her to do so, her thoughts explained, that that wasn't the right choice. Shun Tao didn't behave like this, because he liked her. He did it, because he was a gentleman and felt like he had to take responsibility after she started crying in front of him.

Feeling touched, that he did so, but also feeling disgusted at herself, for forcing him to do so, Hong Bao pushed Shun Tao backwards. The fate's scribe, who wouldn't have expected such an reaction even in his wildest imaginations, fell to the ground. He grit back a groan and rubbed over the hurting place. Yes, even a god would feel pain, when he was pushed out of the blue and fell down.

Meanwhile, Hong Bao had averted her face, again clutching her hands over it. "You don't have to force yourself! It's enough to know, that you care enough to try to console me! But I don't want to force you to spend any more time with me!"

Shun Tao lifted his brows. "What?"

"It's alright. You can ask someone else!" Hong Bao started sobbing again, leaving Shun Tao completely mystified.

"That … what should I ask someone else?"

"To help you!", Hong Bao sobbed. "It's alright, that you don't work with me anymore."

"Why …" Shun Tao held his forehead. He had fallen onto his buttocks. Why did his head hurt all of a sudden? "Why shouldn't I want your help anymore?"

"Isn't it, because you despise women? You probably only asked me, because I was the only person around!" She cried even harder than before, while Shun Tao's headache got worse.

"Who said, that I despised women?"

Hong Bao dropped her hands and stared at him with red eyes. "Leng Jin Yu told me!"

Shun Tao didn't know what to say. How come a person I've never before seen told someone whose help I need, that I hate women? Something seems wrong here? "Why … would I hate women?"

"Because you're into men!"

Shun Tao really didn't know what to say anymore.