Chapter 42 - Experiencing It Himself (2/2)

”I'm really sorry.” He could only repeat himself.

”It's alright.” Though Hong Bao said that, she didn't look like she meant it.

Shun Tao sighed again. ”Look, I can't tell you much, only that I'm working on something really important at the moment and the assignment I gave you has to do with that. That's why I might have seemed a little … distant. There is just much weighing on my mind.”

”If you want to speak about it —”

”No need, no need.” Shun Tao felt cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. No! Under no circumstances!

”Oh.” Hong Bao drooped her head. So it's not, that he doesn't like women. He just doesn't like me, she thought. Who knows, how she finally arrived at this conjecture?

This time, Shun Tao was finally paying attention. This headache was growing into a major one. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to tell her anything, but if he didn't, she might talk about it again with that Leng Jin Yu or somebody else. What if someone found out through that?

Take Leng Jin Yu as an example: Hong Bao had already said, that he wanted to get into the god of war's palace. If he succeeded and those two somehow talked about him sometime, then wouldn't he be in the danger of being exposed? No, he couldn't let that happen!

Shun Tao grit his teeth and glanced around sneakily. Nobody could be seen. The scribes gossiping had already fled, when Hong Bao finally got up. Nobody wanted to be seen peeking at their superior being intimate with a woman.

Satisfied, Shun Tao grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. ”Let's go back inside. I'll tell you.”

Hong Bao looked up, her eyes instantly glittering as if a fire had been ignited inside. He wants to tell me! He trusts me! He might just fall in love with me! As if walking on clouds, she followed him back into his study.

Shun Tao let go of her and poured them a cup of tea. With another sigh, he sat down and pulled Jing He's scroll of fate out of his sleeve.

”What I'm about to tell you … you can't talk about it with anybody else. Not that Leng Jin Yu, not any of the other servants, nobody. Do you understand?”

Hong Bao nodded, but Shun Tao wasn't satisfied. This wasn't enough. He had to make sure, she wouldn't blab.

”Hong Bao, you have to take this seriously. My life might very well depend on this.”