The previous chapter was updated just a few hours ago, if you came straight to this one, check that before reading this!

The inn was not much different from how they were in Joseon, except for the fact that this place was way crowded with merchants from all corners of the world, filling the ground floor tables. Drinks and food were being served by more than a dozen waitresses, who had to stop by the tables often because flirting with their customers and satisfying them had to be their priority. Chanyeol’s grip on Seora’s hand tightened with every passing second, as he followed the waitress called Song Qian towards an empty table at a less occupied corner. Many drunken eyes followed the girl behind the tall male clad in Joseon attire, making Seora stay even closer to Chanyeol. Finally they took seats at the empty table, and the waitress leaned her hands on the table inquiringly. “Dinner?”

“Yes, rice soup for two.” Chanyeol answered in Chinese. And the young woman walked away, leaving the couple on their own. “Do you see him?” Seora asked, not daring to turn her head around. “Is he anywhere to be seen?”

“Not yet.” Chanyeol muttered under his breath, scanning the entire interior while leaning on the wall behind his leisurely. “Oh, you haven’t seen him before...have you?” she asked again, to get a silent nod from him. “Have seen sketches based on details by spies. A tough looking old man with long white hair right?” he asked, knowing that Seora had seen him a few hours ago.

“Yes.” Seora nodded. “What do we do next? If he’s not here?”

“Brother! Have a drink with us!”

A middle aged man dressed in Mongolian attire, reached out towards Chanyeol from his table, holding a wooden tumbler filled and spilling with wine. Chanyeol returned his grin with an equally cheery smile, and took the tumbler at once. “Cheers to you as well brother!” He raised the tumbler towards the man, and chugged it down in one go. The foreigner was more than delighted, and started pouring another shot for Chanyeol. Seora watched him in horror, and turned to her husband.

“Chanyeol you can’t drink right now!” she hissed at him. But Chanyeol nodded with a reassuring smile, and accepted the second shot of wine as well. This time the whole table of Mongolian men participated in the toast, and Chanyeol returned the emptied tumbler and turned to Seora. “Let me handle this. I know what they’re getting at.” He mumbled, leaning on the table towards her.

Qian, the waitress was being stopped by the owner of the inn, who was watching everything in silence from the cashier counter. “Get that one Song, the person upstairs seems to be bored with the usual girls. This one will do better than all of them.”

Qian leaned on the counter, and raised an eyebrow at the aged man. “What about the man then? he looks sharp.”

The owner chuckled, brushing off her question. “Why are you acting like this is the first time you’ve done this? He’ll be drunk soon. He can’t keep up with those topers. You just take care of the girl. He’ll be out soon.”

Shrugging nonchalantly, Qian walked into the kitchen. Soon she returned with two bowls of soup on a tray, and served it to the couple. She watched Chanyeol endlessly chugging down the drinks the foreign merchants were sharing with him, and eyed the nervous looking girl while crossing her arms across her chest. “Hey mister!” she called out in the end, and earned Chanyeol’s attention. “Want a room? This girl here looks tired.”

Chanyeol shifted his gaze towards the uncomfortable looking girl, and looked back at the waitress. “Where’s the room?”

Qian raised a hand and pointed towards a staircase nearby. “First room in the passage. The only empty room. Mind of I take her in?”

“Let us eat first.” Chanyeol took the wooden spoon, and shoved it into his wife’s hand, ignoring Qian’s words. The waitress drew a breath, and nodded. “Sure, enjoy your meal. I’ll be back then.”

“Chanyeol...you’re not drunk are you?” Seora whispered, watching how he started having the soup without a single word. He looked up at her, and shook his head with a smile. “You know that I don’t get drunk that easily, don’t you?”

“But still...”

“We have to get upstairs to check whether he’s in a room or not.” He lowered his voice, eyeing the staff and the owner who had been eyeing them for a long while. “You go first Seora, and I’ll follow you soon after.”

She nodded in silence, and started having her meal a well.

Once the dinner was finished, Chanyeol pretended to be merrily returning to his drinking buddies, while Qian escorted Seora upstairs. Seora stopped at the first room as she had mentioned before, but the waitress gave her a slight shove further into the passage.

“I was mistaken earlier.” She explained, walking towards the fourth door and stopping there. “This is your room Miss, wait for your partner in here.”

She opened the door, and Seora stepped in, and before the girl knew, the door was banged close behind her.

Seora saw a large four poster bed in the middle of the semi dark room, which was covered with a translucent white fabrics hanging down covering all four sides. And she made her way towards it, still the anxiousness and uneasiness not leaving her mind as Chanyeol was not around.

And the bed creaked, making her stop dead on her track.

The four poster parted in her direction, and a figure stood up from the bed, his face emerging through the long strands of white hair and making the girl perplexed in horror and shock.

The old man, whom Seora had now recognized as her biggest villain Shao Xuan, also was struck with surprise at first. But soon the surprise on his face got replaced by an amused smirk, and he let out a hearty chuckle.

“Look whom we have here... I worked so hard to get you and now you’re here after I finally gave up?”

He asked, in broken Korean with a strong Chinese accent.

“What brings you here you lady?”

Seora stumbled back, and turned to rush back to the door. She tried to turn the lock but to her terror, it was locked from the outside.

“Oh please...stop acting like a scared chick now...” he started walking towards the girl who was now shaking with fear by the locked door, having nowhere to escape. “It actually