Chapter 10: Tricky kid
The boy suddenly felt as if someone had protected him so he opened his eyes and peeked at the face of his savior from in between his hands that were clasped around his head.
Fu Jie received a kick to his back and his eyes went wide as his mouth opened and he let out a yelp.
This was the power this boy was being kicked with?!
Fu Jie couldn't help but be more amazed at the kid who had managed to maintain his soul from floating away.
Fu Jie tried to stand up, but it seemed that the kick had almost broken his spine. He rubbed his back as he cried out, "Why do you have to kick me so hard?! Fufufu~"
"Who the hell are you?!" The man shouted in anger and confusion as he glared at Fu Jie.
Fu Jie glared back at the man. Since this man had already kicked him, there was no way he was going to stay out of it now.
The crowd was staring at him as if he were a monkey doing a show.
"What right do you have to know who I am?! I could be a tree for all you care! " Fu Jie stood up straight trying his best to ignore the pain that emitted from his back.
"If you are a tree, go be a tree! Why are you interrupting?!"
"..." It wasn't like Fu Jie wanted to interrupt them. He was also pushed here against his will!
"Get out of here! This is between me and that little rodent!"
Fu Jie gritted his teeth. He didn't like it when people cursed at him and if they did, he would surely be agitated enough to pick a fight with them.
"This Laozi wants to stand here! What the hell are you going to do about it?! Do you want to hit me? Go ahead! Try! I'll make sure that you become dumpling filling!"
The man pulled Fu Jie by the collar and it was only at this moment that Fu Jie realized, this man was much taller than him and was a lot more buffed up. If he were to punch Fu Jie with that much power, Fu Jie was sure that he'll be the one who'll end up as dumpling filling!
At this moment, Fu Jie almost wanted to beg the man to forgive him, but before he could plead as he had planned to, another man, who was previously beating the little boy along with this man, stepped up and stopped this buffed up guy from punching Fu Jie.
"He's trying to excite you. Be careful. He probably has a trick up his sleeves."
Fu Jie looked at the man and suddenly felt as if he had an easy way out of this situation.
"Go ahead! Why be afraid? Hit me!" Fu Jie tried to intimidate the man, all the while praying the opposite in his mind.
Please don't hit me! I'll die! I'll really die! My handsome face would be wasted!
The man gritted his teeth and let go, "You better watch your back!"
Fu Jie smirked in satisfaction as he straightened out his crunched-up collar, "It's you who needs to watch your back. Try to keep yourself alive for the next time we meet. I'll make sure you get wrapped in dumpling wrappers and tossed out to the wild dogs."
The man seemed to want to say more, but he was stopped by the other man who glared at Fu Jie and spoke, "Don't try to dig your own grave."
"And you! Little rodent! I'll give you three days! You better give it back to me!" The man shouted at the little kid who was clearly shivering on the ground.
The group of men glared and stomped, but in the end, all they could do was bark without biting. They went away and Fu Jie almost felt as if he was a bit too lucky today.
Fu Jie was about to walk away from the scene, but he was obstructed as he felt something pull his leg. When he looked down, he found that the little boy was clutching tightly onto his robe.
"I saved you, kid. I'm not gonna do anything more," Fu Jie spoke as he looked at the boy with no pity or sympathy visible in his eyes, "However," Fu Jie suddenly felt as if he had a great idea, "If you want to pay me for it, you are free to. I don't charge too high"
His stomach was completely empty and at this moment, it suddenly decided to act up.
The little boy seemed to clearly hear the loud wail that came from Fu Jie's stomach.
Damn it...
Fu Jie was trying to look cool!
The boy chuckled as he stood up and dusted his clothes.
"Why don't I go buy you a meal as a thank you, big brother?" The boy asked as he looked at Fu Jie with glittering eyes.
Fu Jie was a bit embarrassed, but he still nodded his head as he tried his best to save his last bit of dignity left, "A meal sounds nice. It's the least you can do for me who saved your life."
The boy chuckled as he heard this and instantly held his stomach as the pain intensified due to his laughing.
"Why were they beating you?" Fu Jie asked as he walked with the boy to the nearby shop.
The boy shook his head as he spoke, "I have no idea."
"So why were you receiving their beating? It must have been about something, right?"
"I guess they got the wrong guy...?"
Fu Jie's face twitched as he heard this, "Are you stupid?! Why would you let them beat you like that if you weren't even the person they were looking for?"
"Cause I can't kill them," The boy smiled as he spoke, "If I were to say something, they wouldn't believe me and if I attacked them back, I'll be reprimanded by my father. I'm forbidden from causing trouble."
Fu Jie looked at the boy with an indecipherable expression. This boy seemed to think he was dangerous... He was definitely spouting nonsense!
Was it common among teenagers to think that they were the strongest in the world?! Were their heads filled with hay?!
The boy chuckled as he saw this odd reaction, "You don't believe me, do you?"
"I don't believe nonsense."
"Like I thought," The boy smiled, "You are interesting. Where are you from?"
"Hmm?"
"You aren't from here, are you?"
!!!
How the hell was this boy able to guess?!
Fu Jie immediately changed his thoughts on the boy. This boy was clearly not an average teenager. He was a bit creepy!
"I just recently got here."
The boy nodded his head as he spoke, "So you don't want to tell me your origins? Understandable."
This boy seemed to be reading Fu Jie's mind and it made him feel uneasy.
Fu Jie coughed twice as a response and didn't dare say anything in fear of the boy finding out more about him. He was a fugitive and if this boy were to find out, who would guarantee that he won't directly hand him over to the guards?
"Do you like it here?"
Fu Jie looked at the boy for a minute and turned his head away as he nodded, "It's okay."
The boy snickered as he heard this, "So you hate it here?"
Fu Jie could feel himself slowly regretting his decision to agree to the free meal offer. This boy was too intelligent and tricky!
"Can I ask you one more question?"
Fu Jie, "Are you not going to ask if I tell you not to?"
"I'll ask anyhow," The boy shook his head, "Why are you running from the guards?"
!!!
Fu Jie stopped walking as he looked at the boy in shock. On one hand, he wondered what had given him off and on the other hand, he wondered if this was the moment he was supposed to run?
"You don't need to run," The boy beamed, "I'm just asking."
Fu Jie couldn't help but feel as if he had dug a pit for himself by saving this boy. He really should have walked away!
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"How did you know?" Fu Jie asked hesitantly.
"When we passed by a guard, you ducked your head and your muscles were tense while your eyes followed the guard till he went away." The boy answered, "It was quite easy to guess."
Fu Jie had done all this unconsciously so he wasn't aware of what he looked like. This boy had his eyes on the road all this while, but he still managed to observe all this?
"Since you were talking about dumplings so much, let me treat you to some delicious dumplings," The boy entered a shop that was located on the side of the street.
Fu Jie felt as this boy was a bit creepy and would bring him trouble, however, his stomach was affecting his mind and he couldn't refuse the delicious fragrance of fresh dumplings coming from inside.
He was so hungry that even his curses previously were somehow being affected by food!
It was like something from inside was calling him. He got tempted and let the perfect chance to run away slip through his fingertips.
He walked inside the small shop that was a bit crowded, however, the boy pulled out a pouch filled with gold and the waiter smiled brightly as he led them to the second floor where there were a lot of free rooms.
"Are you rich, kid?"
The boy laughed as he heard this question, "You are direct, I like it. Just like you don't want to talk about your origins, I don't enjoy talking about mine either."
"So that's a yes."
"Why are you asking? Do you want to borrow some money?"
"I won't be paying back. Would you still lend me?"
"..." The boy looked at Fu Jie with an expression that Fu Jie could not understand and in the next second, the boy broke out laughing, "If you want money, I can give it to you. You don't have to give it back since you have already saved me. Take it as me showing gratitude."
Fu Jie smiled brightly as he patted the boy's head, "You're such a cute kid! How come they were beating you?"
The boy smiled even more brightly as he spoke in a rather unfriendly tone, "Keep patting my head and I'll give you nothing."
Fu Jie immediately stopped as he walked ahead and took a seat on the chair that had been prepared for them.
The boy sat across him and said something to the waiter.
The boy didn't seem to be joking around when he said that he was going to pay Fu Jie.
Before the food came, the boy took out another pouch and handed it over to Fu Jie as he spoke, "Here you go. You should be able to live off on this for a few weeks."
Fu Jie wasn't the type of person who'd say no to money gifted by someone so he immediately picked up the pouch and looked inside. It was filled with gold and he was sure that it would last a lot more than a 'few weeks'.
"Boy, you're so generous," Fu Jie beamed as he closed the pouch and tucked it deep in his pocket.
"Since I have already thanked you, why don't you give me your name big brother?"
Fu Jie gulped back the name that was ready to roll off of his tongue. He instantly realized that he was being tricked and he almost fell for the trick!
If he were to give his name to the boy, he was surely going to be recognized. Although this boy already knew that Fu Jie was running from the guards, he didn't know who Fu Jie was, maybe that was the reason why he wasn't so worried about Fu Jie being a fugitive, but if he found out that Fu Jie was the man whom the guards were looking for? He would certainly not be as unfazed.
Fu Jie, "My name is Xia."
"You are lying, big brother."
Damn it...
<gdiv></gdiv>
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
cherlyswan
cherlyswan Cherry: Rich sister became Xia? Lmao
Cherry: Only a fool would believe your nonsense.
Fu Jie:...
Cherry: Let's grab some popcorn and wait for you to go back to jail, rich sis.
Fu Jie: Don't curse me, you little piece of squashed cherry!
Cherry:...
Cherry: You better get on your knees and beg for power stones if you don't want me to chop your head off!
Fu Jie: *sneers* This Laozi would never listen to a degener-
Cherry: *Sharpening a knife*
Fu Jie: cough! cough! *Get's done on the his knees* Would anyone please donate me some power stones?
Cherry: Good boy.
Fu Jie: Fufufu~ This cherry is so abusive!
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone