The Confrontation in the Alley

The bustling streets of the city were alive with whispers and footsteps as people carried on with their daily lives. But a certain small and dark alley was filled with silence except for the hushed whispers among the two figures that were standing there, hiding in the shadows.

Chen Xiang Ling let out a sigh as she jerked her hand out of Xin Cheng's tight hold and crossed her arms across her chest. She stared right into the man's beautiful eyes that never seemed to lose their unusual crimson glow.

"Mind your words and don't speak any nonsense. I just healed that kid in front of so many people and earned the reward fair and square. How can you accuse me of swindling that kid?" Xiang Ling was quick to defend herself. She already had a very bad image in the Third Master's eyes, she did not want it to get any worse.

However, things didn't go according to Xiang Ling's wish as Xin Cheng was determined that she was a bad person who just took advantage of a child. He was convinced that her actions were nothing more than a deceptive ploy.

"Really? Did you heal someone who wasn't even sick in the first place?"

Xiang Ling stared at the man in surprise. Not only did his accusing tone take her by surprise but also the fact that he saw through the act of the kid.

"What? Have no more words to defend yourself?" Xin Cheng pressed further, almost as if he was purposely trying to rile her up.

Masking her surprise, Xiang Ling put on a smiling face as she spoke - "What if he wasn't sick? And what if he was? In the end, I did succeed in getting him to stand on his legs. If there's anyone you should be accusing right now, then it's the kid. Go and find him to pester. I'm busy."

She tried to walk past him but the man didn't let her. Instead of allowing her to leave, he once again caged her between his body and the wall. His two hands moved to rest against the wall on either side of her shoulders and he stepped close enough to her that Xiang Ling was able to feel the heat of his body.

Despite the awkward situation, her eyes didn't fail to take the chance and took a closer look at the handsome man. Everything about him screamed perfection, except for his choice of words. As long as he kept his mouth shut, he was very pleasing to her eyes.

She was jerked out of her trance when the man suddenly grabbed her chin between his thumb and forefingers before forcing her to look into his gorgeous eyes. This time when he spoke, his voice carried what felt like a clear warning. "Chen Xiang Ling, you can think about fooling others with your act of amnesia but I'm not like those fools. Your facade can never work on me. No matter what plan you are cooking in this stupid head of yours, you better not create another scene that involves us."

Frustration etched across her face as Xiang Ling realized the futility of reasoning with the man. No matter how hard she tried, her words fell on deaf ears. Xin Cheng's mistrust had taken root, and her new self became an inconceivable notion in his mind. The more she tried, the deeper the chasm grew between them.

The damage to her reputation had been done a long time ago and every person she was meeting now remained steadfast in their skepticism.

Resigned, she once again jerked away his hand and turned to walk away, hoping to escape the man who successfully turned her happy mood sour.

Yet, Xin Cheng trailed behind her like a persistent shadow, unwilling to let her out of his sight. The tension between them escalated with every step, an unresolved conflict simmering beneath the surface.

"Can you stop following me?" Xiang Ling finally could no longer hold back. She turned to face the man with irritation written all over her face. "Since you don't like seeing me and I don't like your presence anywhere near me, let's go our separate ways. Alright?"

She wasn't sure what sort of response she was expecting from him but a smirk was not it. He stepped closer to her and Xiang Ling had to stop herself from taking any step back. Once he was standing right in front of her, he finally spoke - "If you wanted to stay far away from me, you should have never made the deal with us. Don't you think it's way too late to change your mind now?"

His words left Xiang Ling in confusion. What was the deal he just mentioned? And what he meant by 'us'? Her mind was filled with questions. The worst thing that probably happened to her after the punishment was that she got none of the memories of the previous owner of the body which left her clueless about her past.

Before she could have asked anything from the Third Master about the mentioned deal, their attention was pulled toward the huge building standing on the other side of the street.

A couple of guards threw a man outside, causing quite a commotion among the passersby.

Xiang Ling read the sign above the gate of the building and realized that it was a brothel. Her attention then shifted to the man who just got thrown out and for the fourth time within two days, she found herself looking at a very handsome man. He was so good-looking despite his disheveled state that he barely seemed like a mortal.

While she was completely clueless about the identity of this handsome man with grey eyes and ash-black hair, Xin Cheng seemed to recognize him immediately.

Xiang Ling watched in surprise as Xin Cheng ran forward and grabbed the other man before the latter could fall to the ground.

"Brother Dao Ming, are you alright?"