Second Flame Of Romance

Chapter 12 - Bao Hai

WT 12 - Bao Hai
 
Mister Wan and Madam Wan were shocked when their daughter returned home, looking pale and worn out. The sight of blood on her clothes freaked them out and they hurried over to inspect for injuries on their daughter. 
 
"The doctor will be reaching soon," One of Prince Heng's guards said to the worried parents.
 
They had also sent a message to Prince Heng about the matter of Miss Wan encountering danger. Miss Wan was in distress and unable to explain what happened properly, and the guards felt helpless, afraid to question her further.
 
They could kill or beat someone up, but do not ever have them coax a crying woman. 
 
The guards could only try to search for any clues from the crime scene, as well as secure the maid servant's body for an autopsy. 
 
“Mother!” Wan Ting ran into her mother’s embrace, her figure trembling pitifully.
 
"My poor daughter." Madam Wan's eyes were red as she gently comforted her distressed daughter. Her brave daughter had not sought protection from her since she was a mere seven years old. For her to do so, she must have undergone a dangerous event that shook her mind badly.
 
Madam Wan wanted to know what happened and have the criminal that harmed her daughter to be taught a lesson, but her daughter needs her now. Her husband was already questioning Prince Heng's guards about the matter. Once again, Prince Heng had helped them and their debt of gratitude increased. 

It seems they would never finish repaying Prince Heng even at the end of their lives.
 
Mister Wan and Madam Wan had only assumed their daughter was fortunate to be able to encounter help from Prince Heng by chance. 
 
But not Wan Ting.
 
Nestled in her mother's embrace, her expression was one of fear, but her mind was working normally. She remembered the guards were clearly looking for her. There must be a reason why Prince Heng placed his guards around her, but she was not bothered to know of it yet.
 
Right now, she needs to find an excuse to go to Chu Jin's room and search for any clues for her traitorous behaviour. Unfortunately, Chu Jin's body was secured by the guards, so she was not given a chance to search through her clothes. 
 
Until Wan Ting spoke of the truth, no one would know Chu Jin worked alongside the unknown man, aiming to kill her.
 
"...Mother, I wish to go to Chu Jin's room," Wan Ting whispered softly.
 
"Why would you want that?" Madam Wan eyed her daughter with concern. She noticed her daughter looked conflicted but her eyes were not as depressed or fearful as she had expected. Madam Wan narrowed her eyes in realization.
 
Wan Ting was faking it. 
 
Wan Ting was also aware her charade was seen through and she quickly gave her mother a pleading look, asking to help her. 
 
Madam Wan guessed something must be going on with Chu Jin that her daughter wanted to go to her room, likely to search for something. Standing up, with her daughter cradled in her embrace, Madam Wan took out her acting skill to play. 
 
"Wan Ting needs quiet and rest." Her tone was firm, not asking, but stating it as a fact and would not welcome any rebuke.
 
The guards hesitated, but Lan Yan, the head of the group, agreed. Their master had told them to treat Miss Wan respectfully, and they do not dare disobey it. 
 
"Would that little child come to us and answer some of our questions?" Lan Yan asked, eying the dirty looking boy that was holding onto Wan Ting's sleeves quietly.
 
If not for Lan Yan's question, Madam Wan and Mister Wan would not have noticed him. Even Wan Ting had momentarily forgotten he was beside her. 
 
"He is… I rescued him from the kidnapper…" Wan Ting 'finally' put aside her fears and spoke of the event. Hiding herself in her mother's chest, she blinked her eyes until they teared up to help her act in the play. "He asked me for help and I tried. But…" 
 
Wan Ting let out a sorrowful sob and hid her face, seemingly unable to continue anymore. The boy refused to release Wan Ting's sleeves to follow the guards, his gaze distrustful as he stared at them. 
 
Guards: Why did they feel as if they are the bad guys?
 
Wan Ting 'kindly' pressed down her sorrow and added, "He is afraid. Please let him stay by my side until…"
 
Madam Wan considerately said, "Poor boy, of course he will cling onto Wan Ting. She is his saviour from that evil man. In this place that he isn't familiar with, it makes sense he will refuse to part with her. Please let them rest. You can question them after they calm down, perhaps tomorrow will do?"
 
Lan Yan finally agreed, despite it being against the proper way of handling things. But this incident looked like a normal kidnapping case and Miss Wan happened to rescue a victim, with the maidservant accidentally got into the middle of the fight and died. 
 
A noble lady that had not suffered much hardship will certainly be traumatized by her maidservant's death from her own blade. 
 
Madam Wan helped her daughter to go back to her room, leaving her husband behind to entertain the guards. Instead of Wan Ting's room, they headed straight to Chu Jin's room. As Chu Jin was Wan Ting's personal maid and valued by Madam Wan, she was given her own room. 
 
"Mother, can I go in alone?" Wan Ting stopped her mother in front of the room.
 
Madam Wan nodded. "I will help you keep an eye. Quickly do what you need to do and leave quickly, or the lies will be ripped apart."
 
"Thank you, mother!" Wan Ting was grateful that her mother chose to trust her. 
 
With her personal maid wanting her dead, she started to doubt people around her, as well as her own judgment. She was the one that picked Chu Jin, thinking she was lucky to pick a good seedling. But what she picked was a white-eyed wolf instead of a loyal wolf!
 
The boy continues holding onto her sleeve, unwilling to let go, but since he was also involved with the incident, Wan Ting allowed him to follow her into the room. Sensibly, he immediately released her sleeve, letting her do her stuff.
 
The first place Wan Ting searched was Chu Jin's tidy bed. Other than a few pieces of jewelry, there was nothing suspicious. She proceeds to search around the place, but it was tidy, like any other normal maid.
 
"Today I manage to escape because the guards are not around." Wan Ting turned to look at the boy that spoke, who had taken a seat, treating it as if he was in his own home. "It was unusual. But after meeting you, I immediately knew something was not right. It could be fate that helped me, but your maid dispels that thought."
 
Feeling a cold chill over her heart, Wan Ting rubbed her arms. "Who are you?" This kid does not give an impression of a normal kid. He said he could sense the kidnapper, something a normal child could not do. 

And he had also concealed his presence earlier, where she and her parents had actually forgotten about him.
 
"They likely aim for your Flame Spirit." The boy pointed at the flame tattoo on the middle of her forehead. 
 
Wan Ting touched the flame tattoo protectively. Drawing flowers between eyebrows has been a trend lately for the noble ladies in the capital. Her flame tattoo does not stand out among them, which was unlike how it had been in her village. 
 
"You also said that I can help you. Is it because of my Flame Spirit?" Wan Ting asked guardedly. She remembered that he had looked at her as if she was his only hope, which was normal in his situation when he was clearly the weaker party. 

But now, he calmly told her such things, and even knew of her Flame Spirit. 
 
The boy stared at her for a long time, assessing her, before speaking like a person that had made his decision.
 
"My given name is Bao Hai. Your Flame Spirit can help me recover my strength. That is why my kidnapper is interested in you. As for your servant… she likely wants to take your Flame Spirit for herself after killing you."
 
Wan Ting was full of confusion. Help recover his strength? She supposed that her pills which were forged using Flame Spirit were more potent than ordinary fire. But knowing that Chu Jin wanted her to die just to steal the Flame Spirit made her angry and unwilling. 
 
"The floor beside the bed looks uneven."
 
At Bao Hai's words, Wan Ting looked over and examined the floor carefully. Poking around, she discovered that it could be pulled out like a lid. 

Underneath it was a small space with only a book in it. The pages were yellow, telling her how old it was, but it was treated carefully that it was able to preserve till this long.
 
With a brief read through, Wan Ting figured out that this book was about Flame Spirit.