Yet despite his irritation, he held the lilac robe against his body for a second then began to undress. He couldn’t just keep wearing the white sheets. Especially since he wanted to leave the house.
Although he didn’t like the colour, he admitted that Sheng Fei chose well. The fabric was soft, lighter than he had expected, and lined with delicate silver thread and pretty leaf patterns. Simple but elegant. It slipped over his frame easily, wrapping around him like a sigh. He fastened the sash tightly, tying it twice.
He gazed around and found his sword in the corner of the room, leaning against the wall. He crossed the room and lifted it carefully, wearing it diagonally across the chest.
He spotted something else in the bag. A hat—wide-brimmed, veiled in fine lilac gauze to obscure the face. It matched the lilac robes perfectly and although he didn’t want to admit, he felt that Sheng Fei was really thoughtful. If the Emperor’s men were truly looking for them, it would be better to wear the hat. Also, he was aware of his own unique looks. Anyone would be able to identify him right away.
He gathered his long, snow-white hair, fingers working swiftly to tie it into a neat, high knot at the back of his head. The soft fall of his hair vanished beneath the veil as he donned the hat. He slid his feet into the flat silk shoes and without hesitation, turned, and made his way out of the building. He didn’t know where he was going but he didn’t care.
So long as it was far far away from Sheng Fei.
He needed to clear his head.
Hua Ren walked around for a long while before getting to the bustling little market. He had noticed that the town was quiet. The houses leaned close together and even the shops. It was the kind of remote speck on the map no one would think to search, and though it irritated him to admit it, Sheng Fei had chosen well. Even he, as a general would never think to search such a place. He never even knew it existed and as a general of the Celestial Kingdom, he felt a bit ashamed. He was supposed to know even such places.
He continued to walk, mulling over everything that had happened for the past several days and he came to the realisation that his current predicament was caused by the Emperor. It was the Emperor who drugged him and triggered his heat, making him seduce Sheng Fei. If he hadn’t been drugged, he wouldn’t be going crazy over the possibility of being pregnant.
He felt betrayed and disappointed. Although he found out that the Emperor supported some despicable acts, a part of him still had hope, that the Emperor wasn’t a part of it or that he could change him but now, he knew that it was impossible.
But then, could he really blame the Emperor for everything? He had seen for himself that the Emperor was possessed by something evil which twisted his thoughts, making him do horrid things. He didn’t know what or who it was but he could tell that the thing had history with the royal family.
Which led to another revelation.
Sheng Fei was the true heir to the throne.
His hands clenched at his sides. An important information Sheng Fei never deemed necessary to tell him. So much for ‘taking responsibility’.
He huffed, kicking a stone in front of him. His head was starting to ache and suddenly, his stomach growled violently.
He froze in place, blinking, then glanced down at his belly as if it had betrayed him. He was a general for crying out loud. He had gone weeks without eating during war so he was sure he could endure.
Then, as if the world was trying to prove him wrong, the scent of roasting meats, fried dumplings, sweet rice buns and warm broth surrounded him, rising in mouth-watering plumes from every corner of the market. People bustled by carrying skewers and bowls, vendors shouting their prices with cheerful aggression.
Hua Ren’s empty stomach twisted and snarled louder, and a few people nearby even turned their heads at the audible noise. His face flushed faintly under the veil and he folded his arms tightly over his middle as if that would silence the hunger.
It was natural for him to be extremely hungry. He hadn’t eaten for days and he had expended too much energy, being tossed and turned in bed by that stupid golden eyed rebel.
With an irritated sigh, he turned toward the food stalls. His gaze settled on a steaming basket of fresh buns, plump and golden with sweet red bean filling peeking through the cracks.
His mouth watered against his will and he moved toward the stall. Instinctively, his hand went to his waist to pull out his money pouch—but there was nothing there. He groaned inwardly, realising that he never left home with his pouch.
Grudgingly, he turned away, drifting toward another stall where they were frying crispy golden dough. People were lining up, laughing, shouting orders, pulling coins from their sleeves and he could only linger awkwardly near the edge, watching a child bite into one of the long, oily snacks.
His stomach growled again. Even louder than before and he looked away, embarrassed. He thought of all the food he saw in the bags Sheng Fei brought but he quickly shook his head. He won’t go back and be fed by an Alpha like a dainty little wife.
Suddenly, a small hand tugged at his sleeve. He looked down to find a shy boy holding out a rolled paper with two hot buns inside.
Hua Ren frowned, suddenly irritated by the appearance of the child after trying to forget that he could be carrying one at the moment. “Why are you giving this to me?” he asked sharply.
The boy’s eyes widened in fear, but before he could stammer out a reply, Hua Ren caught it—the faint trace of sage and musk coming from the paper. His glands throbbed at the scent of his mate and he groaned slightly, feeling weak.
His frown deepened. “Send it back!”