Chapter 27: Be Mine

“Ah!” The little girl turned her head and caught sight of Zhao Huan, letting out a startled shriek. She stumbled back two steps, her face stricken with fear. “How... how did you find this place?”

“Weren’t you the one who brought me here?” Zhao Huan was quite pleased with the expression on her face. He rubbed his nose with a smile and said, “What’s wrong? We’ve only been apart for a short while, and now you don’t recognize me?”

The little girl regarded Zhao Huan with wary eyes. She had taken special care to observe while escaping, convinced no one was following her—so just how had he managed to catch up?

“What do you want?” she asked, knowing full well she had just played a trick on Zhao Huan. He was certainly here to seek retribution, though at the moment, he didn’t seem to pose any threat.

“Little one, is she your sister?” Zhao Huan ignored the girl and instead crouched down in front of the children, addressing one of the boys.

“Yes. Are you my sister’s man?” the little boy asked in his innocent voice.

Zhao Huan glanced at the girl, then deliberately replied, “Whether she can be my woman depends on her own abilities, doesn’t it?”

Though the girl was dressed as a boy, at the prime of her youth, her beauty was still evident. She was confident in her looks, so when she heard Zhao Huan’s words, she nearly flared up with anger, pointing at him in indignation. “What do you mean by that? You think I’m not good enough?”

“Why? Did they guess right? Do you want to be my woman?” Zhao Huan teased with a mischievous smile.

“You... I... Of course not!” The girl’s cheeks flushed a bright red, making her look even more beautiful, though her boyish attire lent her an odd charm.

Zhao Huan was momentarily entranced, but decided not to press the subject any further, enjoyable as it was to tease her.

He crouched again and asked the boys, “Where are your parents?”

At this, the children’s faces grew somber. One little child, barely two or three years old, burst into tears, wailing, “My daddy died in the war, and I can’t find my mommy. I want my mommy...”

The children, numbering over a dozen and ranging from three to five years old, were overcome. The first child’s sobs were like a fuse, setting off the rest, who began crying one after another.

“See what you’ve done? This is all your fault,” the girl scolded Zhao Huan, her expression fierce and her teeth clenched in anger.

Zhao Huan knew he was in the wrong and didn’t argue. He raised his voice, “All right, that’s enough. No more crying.”

But as a lifelong homebody, he truly had no experience comforting children. These grieving little ones weren’t about to heed his commands, even if he was the most powerful man in the land.

“Hmph!” The girl shot him an exasperated glare, then hurried to soothe the children herself. She was clearly experienced, hugging each child in turn and whispering who-knows-what into their ears. Miraculously, the sobbing quieted.

Seeing the children finally calm, Zhao Huan wiped the sweat from his brow. This was far more challenging than fighting on the battlefield.

“Sister, I’m so hungry. Do we have anything to eat?” The little boy, no longer crying, looked up at the girl with hope in his eyes.

“Wait here for a bit, I’ll go buy you something to eat. I’ll be back soon,” she promised, shooting Zhao Huan a glare—if it weren’t for his earlier interference, she’d have returned with food by now.

“No need, you don’t have to go,” Zhao Huan told her.

“We’ll settle our scores later, but for now, do me this favor and let me get the children something to eat,” she whispered, her voice low and urgent.

Intent on teasing her, Zhao Huan put on a stern face. “No.”

“You!” The girl was incensed, but dared not lose her temper. That Zhao Huan had managed to follow her so quietly proved he was far from ordinary. And with the children present, she didn’t dare resist. She took a deep breath, forced down her anger, and said through clenched teeth, “Let me feed the children first. Afterwards, whatever you want from me, I’ll do it.”

“Anything at all?” Zhao Huan replied, deliberately letting his gaze drop to her chest. Despite the binding cloth, his sharp eyes took in the proud curves revealed by her earlier breaths.

“You... Scoundrel! That’s not what I meant. I will never yield to you, so give up any such ideas.” Realizing her words had been ambiguous, she hastened to clarify. She couldn’t simply give herself to anyone—even if, for some reason, she didn’t entirely dislike the man before her.

“You really are quite self-important. I have no interest in little girls who haven’t even grown up yet,” Zhao Huan said with a cheerful grin.

The girl found herself utterly outmatched whenever she crossed words with him. After several exchanges, she was always left at a disadvantage. She finally decided to ignore him altogether, marching out in a huff, trusting that he wouldn’t harm the children.

“Let’s go. Today, Uncle is treating everyone—we’re going out to eat!” Zhao Huan suddenly announced to the children.

“Hurray for Uncle!”

“Uncle, can I have five buns? I’m really hungry.”

“Uncle, can I have a meat bun? I haven’t had one in so long. I miss the ones my mom made...”

“Of course, you can all have as much as you like. Today, Uncle’s treating—eat whatever your hearts desire!” Zhao Huan told them.

The happiness of children is a simple thing. When Zhao Huan agreed, they immediately brightened, filing out with smiles that filled Zhao Huan with a rare sense of satisfaction.

After taking a few steps outside, the girl turned back to stare at Zhao Huan in surprise, unable to understand his motives. Was he actually feeling charitable? Impossible—he was a notorious troublemaker, always bullying her.

“Sister, come on! Uncle’s treating—we’re going to have something delicious!” The children tugged at her, eager to leave.

“You all wait for me at the door. Your sister and Uncle will be right along,” she said. As she pronounced “Uncle,” she put extra emphasis on the word, unable to hide her annoyance. She and Zhao Huan were close in age, yet he had the children call him Uncle—another subtle way for him to take advantage of her.