"Just tell your Alliance Master that it was Crown Prince Evan Xiao's people who took a few jars!" Raina Zane said.
Bobby figured that by now, Grace must have already disappeared, so he nodded and said, "Alright then!"
Raina Zane brushed past him and continued chasing forward.
After stepping out of the path, she found herself at a three-way fork. Each path was bustling with Spirit Alliance members coming and going—how was she supposed to find that woman now?
She frowned, turned back, and called out to Bobby, who was about to leave: "Hey, wait a minute!"
Bobby stopped in his tracks. "Miss, is there something else?"
"Did you just see a young woman about this tall, wearing a Spirit Alliance uniform, running down this path?"
"I did," Bobby replied.
"Which way did she go?"
"No idea," Bobby said. "Didn't notice."
Raina Zane frowned, disappointed, and turned back.
Bobby gazed longingly at her retreating figure, then remembered his own situation and lowered his eyes in gloom, ready to leave.
Just then, he noticed an earring on the ground.
It was the one that woman had just dropped!
He picked it up, wanting to track her down, but Raina Zane had already vanished.
......
That night, with Leon Zane's help, Grace carried a pot of tea into Evan Xiao's quarters at Blaze Summit.
"Crown Prince Evan Xiao, please have some tea." Grace bent low as she entered, forcing her voice to sound meek.
"So you think I wouldn't recognize you now?" Evan Xiao didn't even lift his eyelids.
Grace lifted her head and gave him a cheeky grin. "Crown Prince, what brings you to Blaze Summit? Surely... you're here to see me, right?"
Evan Xiao: "Get out."
Grace chuckled, "Just joking, just joking! I'm here to serve you tea!" She darted her eyes mischievously. "I brewed this myself—oh!"
She pretended to trip over the leg of a nearby stool and fell straight into his arms.
Tea spilled all over him, and she landed squarely in his embrace.
Grace nervously looked up at him.
He didn't move an inch. His eyes met hers, cold and emotionless, icy and unyielding.
"Sorry, I must've kicked something and lost my balance..." Grace said.
"You can get up now," Evan Xiao said.
Grace used to love snuggling in his arms.
But now, it was obviously inappropriate.
She took a deep, almost greedy breath, then stood up and said, "Your clothes are wet, let me—"
Before she could finish, his clothes were already dry.
Well, the tricks that work on mortals clearly don't work on him...
"Zhu Qingluan," Evan Xiao called her by her full name, "I'll say it one last time—get out! Otherwise, I won't hesitate to throw you out myself."
Grace bit her lip, suddenly pulled Ray out and tossed him into Evan Xiao's arms, then turned and left.
"What are you doing?" Evan Xiao asked.
"Is this child mine alone? I've been busy these days, so you can look after him for a night!" With that, she walked out.
Ray was left looking up at Evan Xiao, calling out softly, "Divine Father."
Evan Xiao frowned at him. After all, this was his own son, so he asked, "What do you usually do at this time?"
"Sleep."
"Go to sleep," Evan Xiao said, pointing at the bed.
"I want Divine Father to sleep with me."
Evan Xiao took a deep breath, then lay down beside Ray on the bed.
But Ray just stared at him with those clear, bright eyes—eyes exactly like Grace's.
"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" Evan Xiao asked.
"Divine Father, tell me a story! Mommy tells me a story every night before bed," Ray said.