Time Is Slow - Chapter 2
The streets in the city were not particularly wide. Qiao Zhao kept her head down and obediently followed the man, but she remained keenly aware of her surroundings through her peripheral vision.
There were one or two moments when the man seemed to relax his vigilance, yet she forcefully suppressed the temptation to escape.
When she inadvertently caught sight of his slightly raised brow, a chill crept into her heart.
Just as she expected, in a place teeming with people, the man would only watch her more closely. His momentary relaxation was nothing more than a test—to see whether she was truly obedient or just pretending.
The man suddenly stopped and pointed to a tavern by the roadside. “We’ll eat here.”
Qiao Zhao didn’t move.
The man frowned. Was the little girl still not giving up?
“Hurry inside! We still have to continue our journey later.” He urged her while reaching out to grab her.
The young girl raised her hand and pointed to a three-story restaurant not far ahead. Her soft voice was as sweet and mellow as glutinous rice wine, fermenting in one’s heart bit by bit. “You said you’d take me to a fine restaurant, but this place is no good.”
The man’s face darkened.
That was the best restaurant in Baoling, and a meal there wouldn’t come cheap.
While he hesitated, the young girl’s clear eyes welled up with tears. She stubbornly insisted, “You lied to me! You said you’d take me to a top-tier restaurant, but this place is completely unpresentable!”
It was mealtime, and many people were coming and going. As soon as the young girl raised her voice, she drew the attention of many onlookers.
The waiter at the tavern’s entrance had obviously heard her words, and his expression immediately soured. He stepped forward to chase them away.
The man’s face changed slightly.
He recalled the fine fabric the little girl had worn when he abducted her during the Flower Festival in the capital. It was clear that she came from a wealthy family, so it made sense that she would look down on a roadside tavern.
“You promised! I have to eat at that restaurant. Who knows if this tavern is even clean? What if there are flies in the food—”
The tavern waiter had already marched over, fuming. “Go, go, go! If you’re not eating, don’t block the entrance!”
He shot a fierce glare at the man. “What kind of guardian are you?”
Qiao Zhao paid no mind to the waiter’s scolding. She gasped exaggeratedly and said, “Oh my! Look, brother waiter still has grease between his fingers! And the towel around his neck is turning black…”
Her voice was sweet and melodious. Even though she spoke quickly, the customers coming in and out of the tavern heard her words clearly. Two people who had been about to enter hesitated for a moment—then turned to eat elsewhere.
The tavern was small, and the lady boss, upon hearing the commotion, stormed out with a rolling pin in hand.
Since Qiao Zhao was just a child, the lady boss didn’t argue with her. Instead, she charged straight at the man with the rolling pin.
Realizing the danger, the man yanked Qiao Zhao along and bolted.
They ran all the way to the front of the grand restaurant before stopping. The man pointed at Qiao Zhao, too furious to speak.
Qiao Zhao looked innocent. “I’m hungry.”
The man let out a long breath.
Fine, fine. The food at Drunken Immortal House was expensive, but once he sold this girl, he’d make back everything. Now that the deal is nearly done, he should avoid unnecessary trouble.
“Get inside!” He shot her a glare.
Since the two of them were dressed plainly, the waiter didn’t lead them upstairs but instead seated them in the main hall.
“What would you like to eat, guests?”
Before the man could answer, a delicate voice rang out: “Glutinous Rice Stuffed Duck.”
The waiter hesitated and instinctively looked at the man.
“I want a Glutinous Rice Stuffed Duck.” Qiao Zhao also looked at him, her gaze firm.
The man’s scalp tingled. He asked the waiter, “Do you have that dish?”
“We do, but it takes a while to prepare.”
Before Qiao Zhao could speak, the man waved his hand. “Then bring that, along with a couple of small dishes and some wine.”
Before long, the ordered dishes arrived. The man picked up his chopsticks and started eating, while Qiao Zhao sat with her back straight, waiting.
About half an hour later, the table was already a mess of empty plates, and only then did the Glutinous Rice Stuffed Duck finally arrive.
“Here, eat up, you little ancestor.” The man lowered his voice and gritted his teeth.
Qiao Zhao took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and asked the waiter for a cup of warm water. She dampened the cloth and carefully cleaned her hands.
The man couldn’t help but grumble, “What’s with the fuss? Weren’t you fine eating rough meals on the road?”
Qiao Zhao raised her eyes and smiled sweetly. “When conditions allow, of course I should make myself comfortable.”
The man was momentarily dazzled by her sudden, radiant smile. He secretly clicked his tongue—she was still just a child, yet her smile almost made him lose focus.
He watched her eat unhurriedly and found himself growing increasingly pleased.
This little girl’s refined habits… Once she grows up, people will fall for this charm.
With such potential, he’d surely fetch a good price for her.
Thinking of this, his impatience lessened.
Qiao Zhao knew exactly what he was thinking. She was deliberately stalling for time. Since he believed she was valuable and didn’t want any last-minute trouble, he would have more patience with her.
She took small, slow bites, occasionally scanning the hall. Now and then, her gaze lingered briefly on the staircase leading to the second floor—just for a fleeting moment, like a dragonfly skimming water.
She had no idea how much time had passed when, just as the man grew restless, the sound of footsteps came from the staircase.
Soon, three people descended the wooden stairs.
Like magnets, they instantly drew all eyes in the hall.
For a moment, the entire room fell silent—even the man who had been watching Qiao Zhao like a hawk forgot to blink as he stared at one of the men in purple.
That man was tall and slender, his skin smooth as jade, and his features were exquisitely sculpted like fine porcelain. A faint smile lingered at the corners of his eyes and lips, shimmering like moonlight. His elegance wasn’t artificially refined—it was naturally captivating.
“Shi Xi, I think I can’t go out with you anymore,” the man in blue beside him muttered.
“Exactly,” added the man in green. “Wherever you go, people of all ages—men and women alike—only have eyes for you. You make us look like complete nobodies.”
The man in purple curved his eyes into a smile. “I thought you two were already used to it.”
The other two rolled their eyes in unison.
As they joked, they reached the main hall and casually walked toward the entrance. The entire hall was still watching them.
The corners of Qiao Zhao’s lips curled up.
The people she had been waiting for were finally here.
She had spotted them entering the restaurant earlier, and she knew this was her chance.
She happened to know the man in purple; his name was Chi Can, the only son of Princess Changrong. His courtesy name was Shi Xi. His character wasn’t too bad.
Even though she now had a different appearance, given Chi Can’s elegance and demeanor, at least she didn’t have to worry about being taken advantage of.
Well… perhaps Chi Can worries about that kind of thing more often.
As this thought flashed through her mind, she saw the three men approaching the door. Without hesitation, she dropped her chopsticks and darted toward them.
Her sudden movement caught everyone off guard. efore people could recover from the shock of Chi Can’s outstanding elegance, they saw a young lady chase after him. They all thought in unison: “Of course, a young lady is chasing after him, it’s not surprising at all.”
The man nodded in agreement, then suddenly froze.
Wait a minute… The one chasing after him was—
His expression changed drastically. He shot to his feet to chase after Qiao Zhao, but before he could reach the entrance, a waiter blocked his way.
“Sir, you haven’t paid yet! Trying to dine and dash at Drunken Immortal House? Do you even know who owns this place?”
While the man was held back, Qiao Zhao easily caught up.
“Wait—”
The three men turned.
Seeing a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl running toward them, the two men beside Chi Can exchanged knowing looks.
Chi Can raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Little sister, what’s the matter?”
Ahem. He knew he was charming, but if a girl this young confessed her love, he would have to decline.
Qiao Zhao wasted no time.
She had planned meticulously for this moment—to seize the few seconds while the trafficker was distracted and say what needed to be said.
She took a step forward, grabbed Chi Can’s sleeve, and pleaded, “Uncle, save me!”
The three men instantly turned to stone.