璧玉之輪 | Fortuitous Jade

Chapter 9 - I am not a Prey

Chapter Notes:

Recap: "Your outfit.." the cedar-haired man was surprised at the sudden change of attire.

"Now, we are bound by a contract.. Which brings to mind, that I haven't known your name" the informant slid the paper for Xiao Tian to sign.

"My name? You can call me HeiLi."

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Ever since the pair agreed on their contract, Bai Feng has been hunting for information on Xiao Tian's targets in exchange for his protection. Now that the two are business partners, the onyx-haired assassin visits more regularly, much to Bai Feng's servants' dismay.

The manor's attendants were still wary of the masked man since they never saw how the guest entered and left the estate. But the cedar-haired man somehow managed to assure his servants enough that Xiao Tian wouldn't harm him. Though it's quite ironic since the stoic man himself is the one who is the most alert around the assassin.

The same can be said for Xiao Tian, it is deeply ingrained in him that he must not trust anyone. Funny enough, despite the lack of trust between the two, they support each other surprisingly well.

The assassin was impressed by how detailed the informant's reports were, from target profiling to terrain analysis. Xiao Tian never fancied the information-gathering part of an assassination, so this arrangement works very well for him.

"Quite impressive~ but aren't you playing in dangerous waters here Xiao Bai?" inquired Xiao Tian as he waved the piece of paper in front of him.

The short-haired man realized that these few days, the golden-eyed beauty would avoid his advances more than usual. The assassin wondered if he had done something wrong, but he decided to take things slow.

Trust is after all something that is difficult to cultivate and easily broken.

"Why? Are you worried about my safety?" Bai Feng thought it was his turn to catch Xiao Tian off guard. But when the masked assassin said yes, the informant was the one who got flustered.

"Doing these kinds of jobs~ Won't you have a lot of enemies?" asked the onyx-haired assassin as he continued to watch Bai Feng's minuscule change in expression.

"I should be wary about people regardless.. You never know when someone might turn their backs on you" Bai Feng muttered as he recalled how quickly Xiao Tian's aura turned dark when he saw the cedar-haired man touch his dagger.

Bai Feng's response made Xiao Tian wonder whether the informant's constant attempt to shield himself from everyone was due to his upbringing, or was it something else. As much as the long-haired beauty tried to hide it, Xiao Tian was sure that having to keep his guard up around everyone could be very exhausting.

"You're very interesting Xiao Bai~" sing-songed Xiao Tian as he leaned closer to the stern-looking man. Hearing those words Bai Feng curtly responded,

"I would rather not be an object of interest, especially of yours"

The straightforward remark caused Xiao Tian to immediately whine,

"How cold!!"

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Over the next few days, Xiao Tian was more and more blatant with his advances towards Bai Feng. But the cedar-haired man was rarely fazed, occasionally shooting a displeased look as his cheeks turned rosy.