Legend of Fei

3. Sorry. Sorry, My Wife is Hilarious

Xie Yun could see the exhilaration in A-Fei's face after she sat panting at one of the table and saw the utter grimace on the challenger's face as he sat between them, looking pointedly at his food. The questioning had not started yet. A-Fei had left the man to him to do whatever he pleases. He knew it was her way of appeasing his irritation and he wanted to laugh at that.

"Do with him whatever you like." then she promptly sat at the table and smiled at him, peering over the food and the topic had not been touched ever since then. Xie Yun had decided what he wanted to do. He wanted to question the man. He looked at the man once again as the dinner came to an end.

He looked not all that fierce, rather a man with a child's face now that he was sulking. 

"I have decided what to do with you?"

"Why do you get to do anything. She won the dual." They spoke the last part with some spite. Xie Yun realized something at that tone, there had been no inclination, affection, motivation or affliction in the challenger's tone, this one or the last when they had asked for A'Fei.

"She won and she can do whatever she wants. She is gifting you to me." The man looked between Xie Yun and A'Fei, with wide eyes at first, then looked at the length of Xie Yun, slowly. It is in that bodily inspection that he realized what was the man thinking. It made him laugh so hard that his side hurt when he came about to breathing again.

"Nothing... Like that." he looked over at A'Fei to explain but she was looking at him with such an expression that his words caught in his throat. There were just emotions, no words. He regretted not eating in their room for the privacy would have allowed him to look, to bask in that expression of love for as long as he wanted. It still surprised him that he had managed to hold off such beauty and tie her to himself. Wife.

"Umm... I believe you. But what do you want of me then?" The man interrupted before Xie Yun could marvel at the simple meaning of the word wife. He turned to the man and smiled, good-naturedly. To make himself amiable and get answers easily.

"We haven't introduced ourselves. I am Xie Yun, this is my wife. What is your name?" Since, everyone wanted A'Fei, it wasn't wise to let out her name, yet.

"Xiong Ren."

"Where are you from? I haven't heard of you before and would have surely heard since you seem like a fierce warrior." Xie Yun flashed another smile and this time the man smiled back at the compliment, easing into the company. the smile softened his features and made him look much older.

"I am not from here. I am Mongolian by birth but no roots. Always travelling."

"Ah! Do you like it?"

"Yes. It is a great lifestyle." they seemed to forget all about A'Fei who watched the exchange with her usual neutrality. Only Xie Yun could tell she was actually curious too.

"What did you want her?"

"For the price money."

"What price money?" From his lapels, Xiong Ren produced a pamphlet and Xie Yun saw with utter horror as he unfolded the paper, his own drawing of A'Fei from ages ago. Under it, a simple message.

"One that captures gets 10 Jin of gold." Xie Yun extended his hand silently and takes the paper.

"Where did you get this?"

"It is all over mainland China."

"Who put this up?"

"The fourth mountain god." Xie Yun looked up at A'Fei who looked back with question and confusion. His head reflected her state along with concern that wasn't any part of A'Fei. Focusing on the series of question he continued.