He walked through the market to buy gifts while waiting to hear from the Intelligence Guild. Two weeks from now, Cassanova would hold the spring festival, their most beloved holiday, so he wanted to buy everyone something nice. 

At the very least, they could enjoy themselves before the next major event took place… When Caelestis, Calisaya’s arch nemesis, would make his first appearance shortly after the festival, but that’s a problem for another day. The atmosphere was lively, and his pouch was full of coins. He really wanted to make the spring festival a pleasant time after everything that had happened lately. His gaze roamed over the stalls full of various kinds of goods... tassels, silks, and jewelry.

Walking past a smaller stall, he looked over the wooden carved deer displayed on the merchant’s table. William would enjoy one of these. Oh... and this is perfect for Lillian, a specially carved paint brush. Arriving at a decision, Zhen Xue tossed two coins on the counter and bought each. He tucked them away in his clothing before going on his way. There was a book that recently came out he’d been considering for Xu Yang. 

Surprisingly, when his brother wasn’t on the practice grounds, he was in the library thumbing through pages of books. He was making his way to the bookstall when whispers suddenly filled his ears.

“Hey, did you see? Wasn’t that the Crown Prince?” a woman said to her counterpart.

“I thought so too!” the other woman exclaimed. “Ah! He’s looking this way. Quickly... Let’s get out of here.” They huddled together, running in the other direction. Fortunately, no one else caught wind of his presence, but as he walked, he grew more paranoid. He pulled down his hood, checking whether it was secure, just to be certain. 

His momentary distraction caused him to walk right into someone. The person was huge, standing like a towering wall. Unable to recover his balance, Zhen Xue stumbled backwards, his hood naturally flying back with him. 

Panic washed over him. He’ll surely land right in the dirt and everyone will discover him, but as that thought crossed his mind, surprise completely overwhelmed him.

A blond-haired man stepped forward out of nowhere, snatching his waist. He discarded his open book without a second thought, pulling Zhen Xue close like a lover. 

The moment he did so, Zhen Xue’s panic vanished, replaced by the pounding of his heart, as if it were desperately trying to break free. 

Li Wei’s earrings dazzled in the sunlight, turning a rich sapphire shade that matched his eyes. “Darling, there you are,” Li Wei said softly. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” He smiled closer to Zhen Xue’s ear like he knew many secrets and spoke in a low voice, “You will find the right people always hear you.”

If Zhen Xue couldn’t breathe before, he definitely wasn’t now. Before he could spout some nonsense, the shine of steel caught his attention. The person he’d run into was standing with a menacing look on his face before them, holding a dagger at his side. “And where do you think you’re going?” the man demanded, frowning over his broken goods that had fallen on the ground during the collision.

“Ah,” Li Wei said apologetically, as though remembering he was there. “I’m afraid I’ll be taking her back now. You see... This is my wife.”

It was hard for Zhen Xue’s mouth not to fall open at the declaration. What did he just say...?

The surprise also affected the man; he scoffed, turning slightly white as he stared at Zhen Xue, uncertain.

Li Wei returned to Zhen Xue. “Dearest,” he said sweetly. “Have you been seducing another man behind my back?”

At the insinuation of seducing anyone, everything else went over his head. His ears flush with heat, heart pounding, but this time for a reason he wasn’t entirely certain. “Why would I-” Another thought occurred to him that overshadows his previous train of thought. “What do you mean, another man?” he demanded, utterly fuming that anyone would cheat on him. “There was someone else before?”

Li Wei sighed, appearing to lament on the subject. “At least you’re honest. I feared you would leave me before we had the chance to talk.” Li Wei released his waist, taking both his hands with such earnest that Zhen Xue almost couldn’t tell this was an act. “You can always come to me when you're troubled. I don’t want you to shoulder our marriage alone.”

The man before them sighed, having reached the limit of his patience. “If I have to hear another word, I’m going to be sick... Just go already.”

“Big bro...” the scrawny guy from the Intelligence Guild earlier stepped forward from where he was watching the scene in the shadows. “I paid you good money... What are you doing?”

At his words, the man tensed, looking painfully conflicted. “You... You can’t expect me to fight a girl.”

“You can’t be this stupid. They’re lying to you!”

He thought it over for a moment, but shook his head. “Nah, I have a daughter. I won’t take that chance.” He dug out the pouch of gold he received as payment and dropped it on the ground as he left the scene.

The scrawny guy stared at the pouch, shaking from rage. “Ugh, fine! I’ll just do it myself. He doesn’t even have that red head watching out for him anymore. This will be easy.” 

“Easy?” Zhen Xue scoffed at him, wondering how this cannon fodder gained such confidence. “I’m not completely helpless.”

“Indeed, you’re not,” Li Wei said with a mysterious smile. “But how can I let my dear wife do all the work?”

Before he could reply to that, his body went rigid, sensing the sword’s sharp edge slice through the air with incredible speed. The scrawny guy was already on top of them with his dagger out. Time seemed to slow down, as Li Wei dropped his arm to take hold of his waist again, whisking him around to avoid getting hit. 

His long white clothes fluidly moved about, following his movements. The golden trim and sparkles engraved on the material reflect in the sunlight for a moment, capturing Zhen Xue’s attention. 

He watched Li Wei casually open the fan from within his sleeve, smiling as he catches the tip of the blade that lunged at them again. Somehow, the fan maintained the weight of the blade, which Zhen Xue found impressive. “Ah, ah...” Li Wei chided softly, holding the fan effortlessly. “You know how women value their beauty.”

Zhen Xue tried his best not to laugh, but failed miserably. 

The man scowled, taking another step to make his attack against Li Wei stronger, but Zhen Xue didn’t let him. He threw his shoulder back into a punch, hitting the man’s face. 

The man flew backwards from the impact, landing on the ground, square on his butt.

Li Wei stood there assessing the damage done, looking impressed and fanning himself momentarily. Taking this opportunity, Zhen Xue turned to him with a raised eyebrow and a faint smirk. “How could you say I’d cheat on you? We haven’t even gone out yet.”

Li Wei paused from fanning himself, lips twitching with amusement. “Oh?” he asked with feigned innocence. “Are you asking me out?”

The question made Zhen Xue laugh again. Wasn’t it already obvious? He held Li Wei’s gaze, taking a step closer to him until they were eye to eye. The tension between them felt electrifying, and it intoxicated Zhen Xue. “It’s been fifteen-years since I’ve been waiting to say this... Yes, I’m asking you out.”

In response, Li Wei’s breath hitched in his throat. It was such a subtle movement, his Adam’s apple bobbing when he swallowed, but it was so transparent to Zhen Xue how much Li Wei wanted him in that moment. His gaze softened with an unexpected affection that made Zhen Xue’s heart flutter. He was so certain Li Wei would say yes, however, before he could reply, their momentary exchange created an opening for the enemy. 

Zhen Xue’s suddenly surprised, finding out too late as the blade rips through his outer layer of clothes, straight across his chest.

Before he could recover and move away, he noticed Li Wei’s expression shifted to something unreadable and dark.

“Ha!” the scrawny man barked out in laughter. “I knew you weren’t a woman!”

“I see that last brain cell is kicking in,” Zhen Xue said with dry sarcasm. “That’s fantastic.” He didn’t waste time kneeing the man in the groin, ending his lineage. 

The man doubled over, giving Li Wei an opening to land the final blow. 

Li Wei swiftly arrived at his side, knocking the assailant out cold with a quick slap of his fan across his head. It was hard to miss the flicker of disgust on his face as he watched the man slump to the ground, unconscious. “He won’t be needing offspring if he’s that dumb.” 

“I agree.”

Within seconds, he flicked his wrist, closing his fan while his other hand emerged from his pocket with a piece of paper between his fingers. He smiled, moving the paper near his lips. “The information you requested.” 

The sight of the paper made Zhen Xue’s eyes widen, finding himself highly amused by this plot twist. What a sly fox.

Li Wei stepped forward, casually offering him the paper. “And about your offer...” he said in a quieter, more seductive voice. “I think you already know my answer.”

Delighted by his response, Zhen Xue watched him leave with his form slinking away like a cat. 

Unable to resist, Zhen Xue unfolded the note, certain he’d find the answers he was seeking and learn why Calisaya wasn’t following the narrative.

He skimmed over the words, impressed by the amount of detail Li Wei got in such a short time, including her eating habits. Overall, though, there was nothing that seemed strange, but then something struck him as odd. 

He gripped the papers slightly tighter, rereading the note again to absorb what he saw.

This person is under several warrant arrests and a wanted criminal, according to the Global Department of Safety. Please send a letter to your nearest Law Enforcers, if you find her. She’s armed and dangerous.

Wanted for trying to obtain: 

1. The Writer’s Deluxe Legendary Notebook.

2. The Super Special Infinite Food Box!

3. The Golden Coin Multiplier.

4. The Ultimate Cheat Codes: Limited Edition.

And really, the list went on. In fact, there were several pages. Not only was she avoiding the plot, but appeared to be gathering legendary items instead. Calisaya... Just what was she trying to do?