394 Whoâs That?
Nice morning air. Bai Ying and Chen Ming sat in the backyard of the bungalow feeling the fresh air while enjoying a snack along with the hot tea the maid brought from inside the house. That morning Su Lang joined in standing behind Bai Ying, the young man couldnât help but smile as he finally got to enjoy the fresh air with the Viceroy and his Prince.
Bai Ying took a very deep breath.
âHemmh, brother, the air in this city is quite warm, this is what it feels like to live near a volcano. Oh yeah, Brother, shall we continue our search for the vermilion bird? What did Ge Lu say about his finding with Guard Bei in the Spider forest?â Bai Ying asked.
Chen Ming lowered his hand, after enjoying his hot tea a bit and put it back on the table.
âItâs normal, thereâs nothing suspicious, I think the firebird might have fled into the forest, or returned to the mountain, after being so badly injured it must have taken him quite a while to recover as before, at least, decades. â
Bai Ying widened her eyes.
âWow, brother, do we have to wait that long? Decades, hem, it must be very tiring waiting for it huh, what should we do during that time?â the boy thought so seriously.
Chen Ming pinched Bai Yingâs cheek who was still thinking and lifted his head.
âAww Brother itâs hurtâ
.....
âWho would want to wait that long? Only some stupid people who donât have much work to do, who really have so much time to spend on, donât you? Just let that stupid bird come and go as he pleases, itâs none of our business anymore, from the beginning brother already disagreed about your wish to hunt the vermilion bird and that fat turtleâ
Bai Ying looked at his brother with shrivelled eyes, Chen Mingâs face at that time must have been very scary, his brother had always been like that. From the beginning of the journey, he kept complaining as if he really doesnât like all the things they encountered. But because his brother loved him so much that he was forced to join on their mission with him.
Bai Ying hugged Chen Mingâs arm, which made Chen Ming somewhat surprised.
âBrother, please forgive Yingâer, Iâm sorry, Brother Ming Ming, you have never been this angry before, it must have been because you were so worried about Yingâer. Iâm sorry, my dear Brother Ming Ming, for making this handsome brotherâs face always frownâ
Chen Ming stuttered, his brother was never being this sweet to him, he wasnât Bai Ying he knew, it was really scary to see him so cute and adorable at that time, he could melt to his brotherâs face who he always adores. Chen Ming tried to get the boyâs hand off him.
âIch this kid, what the hellâ
...
Not long after, the group of maids came back to deliver breakfast which they would enjoy there. Bai Ying turned his head towards the mansion, it seemed that the Crown Prince and othersâ conversation wasnât finished yet, so he couldnât join them for a meal at that time.
Bai Ying turned his head when he found a young maid placing food in front of him. She was the girl from yesterday, the girl with half her face covered in black burn marks as if scales appeared on her skin. Her appearance was indeed quite gruesome, the maid did not dare to lift her face in embarrassment and slowly walked back after placing the food on the table.
Bai Ying was just about to extend his hand because the girl almost fell from retreating without looking back. Luckily the butler, the middle-aged woman held her back.
Chen Ming approached Bai Ying when all the maids had excused themselves to retreat.
âBrother what are you thinking? Why are you kept looking at that girl like that? Donât look at her for too long, you going to lose your appetite because of it.â
Bai Ying pursed his lips at his brotherâs sharp speech.
âIch brother, donât talk like that, itâs a pity if she hears you, she must be very sad Brotherâ
Chen Ming crammed a large prawn into Bai Yingâs bowl, it seemed he knew what the boy was thinking.
âDonât try anything that will be in vain Ying, big brother knows whatâs on your mind right nowâ
Bai Ying turned his head and narrowed his eyes at Chen Ming while stuffing his chopsticks into his mouth.
âReally? Brother knows what Yingâer is going to do?â he asked.
âWhat else? You intend to heal the burn on that girlâs face right?â
Bai Ying widened his eyes, seeing Chen Ming who was so calm speaking as if he knew what he was thinking.
âHow do you know Brother? Has Yingâer told you about it? No, I wasnât, the, how do you know, itâs greatâ
Chen Ming was furious to smack Bai Yingâs head who was so stupid.
âIch this childâ until his hand nudged a spoon which finally fell from the edge of the table.
âOuchâ
Su Lang immediately lowered his body to pick it up, the spoon was already dirty mixed with the soil below.
âYour Majesty, I will go to the kitchen and ask for another one,â said Su Lang excitedly rushing towards the big house.
âThis brother, his hands are so clumsyâ protested Bai Ying who was about to take the soup that his brother dropped the spoon earlier.
âWho is this because of? Such a stupid personâ
Bai Ying finally sighed in annoyance, he was forced to wait, how can he wait to enjoy the food right in front of his eyes without being able to do anything, thatâs so cruel!.
Itâs been a while since Su Lang still doesnât show up from the kitchen where he left, is he getting lost?
Chen Ming looked behind him, he was also curious about what the amateur bodyguard did by taking a spoon which took a long time. Chen Ming was about to get up from his seat when he saw Su Lang appear. The young bodyguard approached with narrowed eyes as if he was confused.
Bai Ying looked at his hands, which were empty without carrying anything.
âEm, brother Su, whereâs the spoon?â Bai Ying asked.
Su Lang who arrived in front of Bai Ying looked at Bai Ying confusedly, he frowned, and looked at his palms, he remembered that he went to the kitchen carrying a spoon with him, but why did he come back empty-handed?
âY-yah, whereâs the spoon, huh?â
Chen Ming and Bai Ying looked at each other, what happened to the young bodyguard, why did he look confused?
Bai Ying pulled Su Langâs hand. When he touched his hand, Bai Yingâs eyes suddenly lit up followed by the loud screaming sound of a bird that was so loud in his ears.
âAh!â Bai Ying immediately let go of Su Langâs hand.
Chen Ming stood up and check on his brother who was whimpering in pain while covering his ears.
âBrother, what happened?â
Su Lang stood stunned in place. He looked back at where he had just come from with a confused mind. Without thinking the young guard rushed back to where he was.
âWho is that?â
Chen Ming tried to calm Bai Ying who had just experienced something strange like what he felt yesterday, but Bai Ying didnât stay still, he immediately got up from his seat and followed Su Lang.
âBrother Su!â he exclaimed.
Chen Ming followed him fast.
âBrother wait up!â
Su Lang arrived at the kitchen door. His eyes went wide to find his spoon, which was left on the stove while no one was there. Su Lang was confused, what did just he do? By putting the soup spoon there and leaving it like that?
Bai Ying and Chen Ming approached.
Looking at the surroundings where none of the maids was there, it was quite strange, usually, there are one or two maids there, Chen Ming thought.
Bai Ying grabbed the spoon that was on the stove, maybe his inner eye could see what was really going on.
To be sure, it was not natural as it was impossible for the very agile and focused Su Lang to lose control of himself and forget about this very easy task.
There was no trace of anything on the spoon. Bai Ying didnât feel anything.
Chen Ming and Su Lang entered the kitchen and looked around, up to the floor and even the cutting table.
Chen Mingâs eyes slightly widened to find something sparkling on the ground in front of the furnace. Something dark red gleamed.
âBrother, thisâ Chen Ming grabbed it, not something that should be in the kitchen, it resembles thick bird scales, dark red and stiff, the size is not bigger than his pinky. He approached Bai Ying and pointed it out.
For a moment, Bai Ying hesitated, if he touched it, something great would surely appear to him. The young man swallowed hard, he looked at his brother for a moment, then at Su Lang who couldnât recall his lost memory, the young man just scratched his head in confusion and irritation.
How could he be so dazed? What a stupid Su Lang.
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