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seven
"Did you regret it? Saving her?" It almost made him laugh, how engrossed in the story she was. Since their last meeting, they had met at what was proving to be a routine spot for coffee. He had to admit to himself it felt a bit nice to talk to her about it all. After all, keeping so many tales to yourself was never fun. It felt as though he was writing out his life story upon the pages of her ears and in them he felt he would never be forgotten.
"Initially yes. I did. But as I looked at her, the more I realized that we had a lot in common." Fei-hua gave a solemn nod and reached for her cup of tea.
"I envied her. Envied that she had the ability to end her own life with such ease, such carelessness. Whereas I was bound. I could not even if I wanted to. And I wanted to."
"What a sad way to live."
"Indeed." The two were quiet for a while before,
"Professor Yi?" He looked up at her.
"That wasn't the end of it obviously. Did you see her again?"
"Yes. I did. A couple weeks after."
***
The sun was high and the square was rippling with activity. Sweat beaded up on his forehead and he smiled at several onlookers, curiously most of them being women. They openly gawked at him and he inwardly sighed. It never failed. No matter what time period. No matter where he was. He always seemed to attract the attention of women. Were he another kind of man he might take advantage of it, enjoy it and abuse it. But he didn't. It had never much interested him. There hadn't been but a few who he found could excite him and then and only then did he indulge.
"Jie,"
"They are visitors from a wealthy town. Draw them to us." Donghai said with a smile.
"How do you propose I do that?" He quipped back, cutting his eyes at him. His friend, the fox, grinned.
"You have ways I'm sure." Sighing outwardly now, he cleared his throat. He was not good at this, had had the hardest time learning, grasping..even forming the syllables. But he opened his mouth with a kind smile.
"Greetings my Ladies. May I entice you with exotic treasures?" It was almost instant, the way the necks grew pink, cheeks growing equally flushed. Eyes once wide now grew lidded with desire. They began to walk towards them and Donghai chuckled to himself at his chagrin.
"My what have you here?"
"Freshwater pearls able to be made into necklaces, bracelets and rings. Pink seashells dipped in melted gold and black and green jade from our homeland." The women gawked down below, more times than not finding his eyes before playing coy.
