Little Pink Starfish

Master, Help!

The second-in-command stared at the girl in front of him, whose entire face was hidden under a veil. Late at night, alone on the street, running into a girl like this—was this good luck or a setup?

The girl noticed him staring and grew frightened. She clutched the cloth bundle on her back tighter, took a few steps back, and stammered, “P-pretend you didn’t see me, alright?”

The second-in-command thought this girl might not be all there. She was standing right in front of him—how was he supposed to act like he didn’t see her? “Half the sky’s glowing red from the bank fire. You think they’re still exchanging silver?” he said. “Miss—er, sister, what are you doing here alone so late?”

The chubby girl lowered her head, silent.

The second-in-command scratched his head. Should he say something else? Be a good guy and walk her home? But wait, hadn’t he just coughed up blood earlier? He was injured. And he was supposed to do charity work now? He turned around to leave. Better to survive first, talk later.

But just as he turned, the girl suddenly looked up, eyes wide.

Her sudden reaction made him freeze in his tracks. He couldn’t go forward, couldn’t go back. “You here in Fengjing to visit relatives?” he asked. She looked like a peasant girl—maybe she hadn’t found her kin?

The girl was about to speak when a squad of guards burst out of Huixin Bank—torches blazing, blades drawn—charging straight for the second-in-command.

Heavens! He was being hunted! Without thinking, he grabbed the fat girl’s hand and took off toward the Gu estate like a madman.

The girl froze when she saw the guards coming—torches and blades, shouting—it all numbed her brain. She had no idea what was going on. Still, she ran after him, never once thinking to ask: Wait, why am I running too?

The guards chasing them had suffered physically and mentally tonight. Thirty or so attackers had beaten up hundreds of them. Their silver stolen, their building burned, even their young miss kidnapped—they were a disgrace! Now they ran not just for vengeance but for dignity.

After running one whole street, the chubby girl collapsed on the ground, unable to continue.

The second-in-command glanced back at the pursuing guards, then—without a word—hoisted her up and ran. Never once did it occur to him that if he left her, she’d probably be fine.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaoxiao stood at the Gu estate gate with Gu Xinglang, watching Gu Xingnuo drink another bowl of medicinal soup inside the carriage.

Xiao Zhuang snuck up to Yu Xiaoxiao and whispered, “Princess, can I go home to check on my little bear cubs?”

Gu Xingnuo had just handed his empty bowl to a servant and called, “We’re leaving.”

Xiao Zhuang pouted.

“I’ll send your furballs to you tomorrow,” Yu Xiaoxiao said, patting his shoulder. “And really, that girl’s not bad. Maybe you should think about it.”

Xiao Zhuang perked up at first—but immediately pouted harder. What girl? That bank heiress? He was just a guard, she was the daughter of a wealthy banker. How could he possibly be worthy? He looked at Gu Xinglang as if to say, You’ve got nothing to say about this?

Gu Xinglang turned his head and muttered, “Just go.” As long as his wife didn’t torment him, he didn’t care about anything else.

Damn it!

Xiao Zhuang stomped down the steps in frustration. Sure, the prince consort was a general and a Gu family son, but you couldn’t count on him at all!

The carriage rolled forward again. Qian Mingzhu groaned softly—about to wake up—so Gu Xingnuo casually chopped her on the neck, knocking her out cold again.

Xiao Zhuang rode alongside the carriage on the left, muttering to himself, though not loud enough for the elder Gu brother to hear.

Inside, Gu Xingnuo leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. By now, the people tailing us should know the Gu family’s involved. Best case: Qian Taiduo knows who to blame but lacks evidence. Without a clear enemy, the banker would scour the entire continent for revenge. But if he knew it was the Gu family…

Gu Xingnuo opened his eyes and looked at the unconscious Qian Mingzhu. Logically, Qian Taiduo wouldn’t do anything foolish. But if he chose not to swallow this insult, then this daughter might prove very useful.

Back at the gate, Gu Xinglang turned to Yu Xiaoxiao. “Let’s go home.”

“I’m going to the end of the street first,” she replied. “You go ahead.”

“Why?”

“There’s a tail following us,” she said as she took off.

Gu Xinglang wanted to say: Ignore them. Even if they follow us to the front door, they can’t do anything to the Gu family. But his wife was already gone. He didn’t even get a word in.

The head guard, who had tailed them all this way, was now sprinting full-speed toward Huixin Bank. The Gu family?! he thought. Even a noble family like that is robbing banks now? What’s happening to this city?!

Yu Xiaoxiao dropped in front of him like a shadow from the sky. Hands behind her back, she asked, “Where are you going?”

“AAAHHHH!” the guard screamed.

“Tail-following game?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him clean off the ground. “So… what exactly did you see?”

“N-nothing!” he stammered.

“Really?”

“Yes!”

“I don’t like silencing witnesses,” she said calmly. “But why should I trust you?”

Trembling, the guard swore, “If I breathe a word of tonight’s events, may I die horribly!”

Given the track record of people like Zhao Qiuming, Yu Xiaoxiao wasn’t big on trusting human promises. “I don’t believe you,” she said, shaking her head.

The guard looked like he was about to cry. “So what now, heroine?”

Just as Yu Xiaoxiao was weighing whether she needed to eliminate him, the second-in-command came barreling down the street with his fat girl in tow. He spotted the small figure holding a full-grown man off the ground and screamed, “Help! M-Master, save me!!”