Chapter 17: Peril in the Alley
“Alright.” The shopkeeper hastily fetched a pair of scissors and handed them to Xiao Ru.
Xiao Ru took the scissors, aimed them at the bamboo leaf embroidered on the white garment, and after a brief moment of contemplation, began to cut.
“Hey, Young Master Xiao, if you cut it like that, won’t you ruin the entire garment?” Shen Lan, feeling a pang of sympathy, hurriedly spoke up to stop him.
“Brother Shen, it’s just a piece of clothing. It’s fortunate enough to have earned your favor,” Xiao Ru replied, the scissors never ceasing their movement. In the blink of an eye, he had snipped the bamboo leaf embroidery from the chest of the white garment.
“Here.” Xiao Ru handed the piece of fabric to the shopkeeper. “Please wrap it up for Brother Shen.”
“Got it.” The shopkeeper accepted the piece of embroidered fabric with both hands and turned to pack it.
Taking advantage of the moment, Xiao Ru was about to say a few more words to Shen Lan when suddenly someone entered the shop.
The newcomer strode swiftly up to Xiao Ru, slightly bowing before saying, “Young Master, Miss, the dishes at the First-Class Pavilion are all served. Everything has been arranged.”
“Brother! Let’s go now.” Xiao Qiang, having already ordered the clothes she wanted and grown weary of the tailor’s shop, was eager to leave upon hearing that everything was ready at the First-Class Pavilion.
She shook Xiao Ru’s arm, her voice sweet and coaxing, “Brother, today I came here just for the First-Class Pavilion. Let’s go, please.”
Xiao Ru hesitated for a moment but ultimately gave in. Unable to refuse Xiao Qiang, he turned to Shen Lan apologetically, “Brother Shen, Qiang has been longing to visit the First-Class Pavilion for a long time. I won’t be able to accompany you today. I’ll go with her first.”
After a pause, he instructed the shopkeeper, “The clothes ordered today, please deliver them as usual. Brother Shen, all expenses are on my tab.”
The shopkeeper, overjoyed, quickly responded, “Understood, understood. You’re busy, you’re busy.”
After nodding at Shen Lan, Xiao Ru linked arms with Xiao Qiang, waved, and left the shop. “See you later, Brother Shen.”
“See you, see you,” Shen Lan replied hurriedly.
After enduring the presence of the siblings for some time, Shen Lan finally breathed a sigh of relief once they had left.
Thinking of Xiao Yi, he paid no attention to anything else, dismissing everyone in the tailor’s shop and heading toward the door to leave.
The shopkeeper tried to stop him, anxious, “Sir, you haven’t said which fabrics you want! You haven’t even decided on the style!”
“I’ll come back later!” Shen Lan said anxiously, leaving the tailor’s shop behind.
But once he lifted the curtain and stepped outside, he found himself unsure of where to go.
The East Market street was bustling with crowds, and after such a long time, how could he possibly find any trace of Xiao Yi?
Being new here, he did not yet know the East Market well and could only search through the sea of people.
He checked tea houses, taverns, bookshops along the way, but there was still no sign of Xiao Yi.
Where could she have gone? Could something have happened?
Thinking back on the last time he saw her face, Shen Lan felt uneasy.
His worry grew, and he paid no mind to the fact that he was still in the busiest part of the East Market belonging to the White Fox clan.
In an instant, Shen Lan transformed back into his black wolf form.
He leapt between buildings, running and sniffing all around.
After a circuit, he finally stopped in front of the tailor’s shop.
Xiao Yi hadn’t left? She was still here?
Shen Lan sniffed carefully once more, picking up a faint trace of her scent only around the tailor’s shop. Yet when he looked around, there was no sign of her.
Strange!
Shen Lan shifted back to human form and considered narrowing his search area when he noticed an alley he hadn’t seen before. As a wolf, he hadn’t noticed it, but as a human, it became visible.
He slowly entered the alley, and sure enough, deep within it, he found Xiao Yi curled up in a tight ball.