RE: Intertwined Destiny

Jade Hairpin

"Where are you looking at, old man?" Wu Jiangfeng grabbed the owner by the collar and sneered. "Does she look that attractive to you?"

"Woah— Young Master Wu, calm down!" Bai Shuyin felt the need to interject before things turned worse. "Just leave it, shall we?" She tugged at the enraged prince's elbow, trying to pull him of the other man.

"Don't kill me! Save me, save me!"

"Ten bronze?" Wu Jiangfeng hoisted the man up whose knees had weakened in fear.

"Ten bronze, one bronze, how much you want, just take it!" The owner blabbered incoherently, anything would do as long as his life wasn't taken. "Please don't hurt me!"

Wu Jiangfeng let the man go, patting him on the shoulder as if to smoothen the crease created from all the rustle. Without the support of Wu Jiangfeng, the owner slid down the ground as his knees became jelly. "You're lucky it's here or I would have your eyes plucked out for even looking."

"Hiii—!"

"I will be taking this then." The fiery blade disappeared with a whoosh. Wu Jiangfeng waved at the hairpin in hand, while the other ruffled his inner pocket for the pocket money. He flicked a piece of gold at the man, who fumbled about at the thrown object before catching it with both hands.

"It's fun doing business with you, I am going to leave," Wu Jiangfeng announced.

Bai Shuyin watched with mouth gaping. Was this how bargaining should be? By threatening?

"I'm leaving!" Wu Jiangfeng called out from outside, pulling Bai Shuyin out of her stance.

"Co— Coming..." She replied, trailing after Wu Jiangfeng, not before looking back at the poor owner, who was still cowering on the ground. He must have not expected such ruthless behavior from a neat-looking scholar.

Bai Shuyin caught up to Wu Jiangfeng. He was still admiring the hairpin in his hand with a smile on his face. "That was really unnecessary, y'know. We could have just gone to another shop."

"And let him insult you regardless? He humiliates you with ill intention and suggests you to sell your body," Wu Jiangfeng turned to Bai Shuyin when he said this. "How could I let him disrespect you this way?"

Bai Shuyin felt her heart vibrate at this, thumping along with her breath. She herself had even forgotten about the insult being thrown at her. Now that she recalled it, Bai Shuyin felt a vein pop in her forehead.

Just right in the morning she was called a little beggar and now a hooker, how wonderful.

"Fucking swindler," The snowny haired girl cursed under her breath.

"It's a real jade though." Wu Jiangfeng piped in, holding the hairpin up to the moonlight, squinting his eyes to make sure. The jade reflected back at the moon, lighting up luminously under the moon. Even without using his spiritual senses to check, he knew the jade was real— from the coolness and the density.

"That's the real stuff?! Why didn't you tell me beforehand?!" Bai Shuyin gasped. "Now we are the one scamming him off."

"Here, this is a gift for you." Wu Jiangfeng handed the jade hairpin to Bai Shuyin.

Moonlight. Jade. And her. She suddenly felt like she was being proposed to. Wu Jiangfeng's smile shine right through her cerulean eyes. However, what she was feeling was similar to her situation right now. During the Han Dynasty, women tied their hair until they turned fifteen, where she would be given a hairpin, either a gift or an heirloom, to symbolize that the woman would be eligible for marriage.

And she was of that age. Receiving a hairpin meant that she had to give it away some time, something she would never expect to happen.

Bai Shuyin fixedly looked at Wu Jiangfeng. The moonlight enhanced the tenderness of his warm eyes.

"What are you thinking?" The redhead prince offered the jade hairpin to Bai Shuyin once more.

But Bai Shuyin only took a step back. "I— I'm... I can't accept this gift, Young Master Wu."

"Please, I insist."

Bai Shuyin waved her hand and smiled nervously. "No... no, I really can't."

"Your Royal highness, it's getting late." Bai Shuyin jumped when a cold and stern voice came from behind her.

"Oh, you're here." Wu Jiangfeng said.

"I thought you said you sneaked out?" Bai Shuyin asked, confused.

"Did I?" The prince chuckled. Seeing Bai Shuyin deadpanned expression, Wu Jiangfeng laughed. "Xiao Bai wouldn't show me around if I didn't say so."

The guard appeared and walked to the prince's side, carrying multiple scrolls in his arms. The guard wore the same attire as the morning before, however, there was something different from before.

His hair.

Under the military cap he wore, Bai Shuyin noticed white strands of hair that escaped the tightly tied hair.

Before Bai Shuyin could dwell on that, Wu Jiangfeng pushed the jade hairpin into her hands. Smiling lightly, he said, "Think of this as a token of good luck and friendship. If Xiao Bai still doesn't wish for it, Xiao Bai can return it to me tomorrow at Jin Zhonglou."

*Jin Zhonglou = Golden Bell tower*

"I will be waiting." With that, Wu Jiangfeng turned and left, followed by the guard who sent her a look she couldn't comprehend at all.

Bai Shuyin, felt a little bit uneasy, she held the jade hairpin and clenched her grip on it for a long time.

"Doesn't returning it mean that I accept him as my fiance?"

There were voices in the back of her head screaming for her to accept it for it might be the best jumping stone for her, that she shouldn't waste this opportunity, yet her consciousness kept on interfering.

That night, Bai Shuyin didn't sleep a wink at all. Not even the National College Entrance Examination could do that to her, oh wait— she didn't even get to attend the examination because of truck-kun's sudden visit.

She rolled onto her side, hand sliding under the pillow to hold the given jade hairpin, hoping tomorrow didn't arrive so soon.