It was a clear blue day, with not a single cloud in sight.
Whispers and chattering filled the surrounding areas as a brown and worn-out sofa came into view...
...And lying right on that sofa was I.
Multiple cards and snacks sat around me as I carefully inspected each one, making sure they didn't contain anything funny.
"Mr. Han! What happened to you! We've been so worried!"
"Han~ I thought you left us!"
I already hate this.
"No~ I would never leave you, ladies, all alone. Don't you trust me after all our time together?"
And the crowd went wild.
I carefully inspected a bag of potato chips.
They were bootleg, but what worried me was whether or not they were drugged.
All this pampering is making me hungry...how long has it been since I ate junk like this?
"Hey, robber, aren't you going to say something? You have to sell off all the potions by the end of the day, y'know."
"I know that, moron..."
Just a couple of feet from me stood the stupid robber and the potions stand.
"Well, obviously you don't know because I'm the one whose been talking the whole time."
I didn't even have to look; I instinctively knew he was glaring at me.
"Well, what kind of rich aristocrat spends his time selling potions and garnering a cult through his looks? Yeah, that's what I thought."
"...You're going to blow my cover."
"As if any of those girls can hear us. The only thing they open their ears to is your corny words."
"..."
Tch. I fucking hate him.
If it wasn't for Grandma Guanhuai, I wouldn't be here watching over this punk.
I wasn't sure what happened this morning, but Grandma Guanhuai somehow coaxed this guy to work as her second assistant because of my broken leg, and I was appointed to teach him the "ropes around here".
She said he'd be docile, and I wouldn't have to worry about him, but his dirty mouth tells me otherwise.
Looking over the chip bag, everything looked fine, so I opened it and popped one in my mouth.
Crunchy and salty, nice.
"So...Mr. Han, aren't you going to tell us whose next to you?"
"Hm? Oh, go introduce yourself to the ladies, Mr. Handsome~"
I could feel his glare burning through my skin.
"Haowei."
A wave of whispers engulfed the crowd.
Suddenly, a shout rang out in the back.
"How old are you?"
"Twenty."
Another wave of whispering engulfed the crowd.
Twenty? Really?... He looks a lot older...
I guessed that he was in his mid-twenties, but living in the slums could definitely affect someone.
I didn't worry about him too much. He was alright looking, so he'd fit right in with the ladies; of course, he wasn't as good-looking as Hanzhi.
For some reason, I was proud of that...
"Haowei...Mr. Han is a nickname, so you should also have a nickname!"
"Nickname?"
I immediately stopped munching on my chips.
...I'm not letting this opportunity slip by me.
"Wheeler Wei! That's what you ladies can call him!~ Right, Wheeler Wei? He actually totally named himself that, what a loser am I right- ACK!"
All of a sudden, I saw someone's knuckles just centimeters from my face.
"Tch, damn hag."
Hag? Is he talking about Grandma Guanhuai?
He pulled his arm away...
...I should probably shut up now.
***
Soon enough, the potions were selling out without a single word coming out of my mouth.
Guess that robber is finally adapting to the environment.
He must have realized that the sooner the potions were gone, the faster he could end the interactions.
During the exchanges, he was somehow able to get the girls to call him Mr. Wei instead of Wheeler Wei. How annoying.
And so, for the rest of the day, I watched this guy act all nonchalant in front of ladies while I ate get-well-soon snacks.
It was nice.
Not to be the one having to pamper.
Golden light slowly shone through the buildings as the day was coming to an end.
The crowd thinned out until there was no one left except for him and me.
"Hey, Wheeler, move me back inside the house. You're closing up anyway."
"..."
"Hey! I know you heard me!"
"Let me ask you something. Why is someone like you selling potions on the street?"
"You're still on about that? Just stop worrying about it. It's got nothing to do with you! Now hurry up and get me back inside, it's getting breezy!"
"Did you get kicked out?"
"..."
I couldn't say anything.
"You're Hanzhi, aren't you? That spoiled drunkard from the Wen Household."
"...How did you-"
"Your skill. Only the Wen's House has something like that. You're also the same age as their son."
"...You're not planning to tell anyone, are you?"
"Maybe if you give me some of your goods, I won't."
"Are you being serious right now?"
"...What the hell do you think? No shit."
This-this bastard! As if I'd let you take anything!
"Grandma Guanhuai took everything. There's nothing left."
"You're lying."
"What?"
"Your briefcase was still in the house, right next to the sofa, too. Why would it be placed so close to you other than the fact you still have stuff in there?"
What the hell am I supposed to say now? Should I keep lying?
"Don't even try to lie to me again. You know that something as simple as me checking the briefcase would easily disprove you."
"..."
"Don't worry, I'll only be taking a few things. It's really a small price to pay for keeping such an important secret."
"...You..."
He started pushing the sofa back into the house, yet it felt like I was the one who lost.
***
All my items were laid out on the coffee table.
"Did you have to pick the most expensive ones?!"
"You're an aristocrat, you have money, don't you? Your family hasn't publicly shunned you yet, so you have to have some benefits still coming in."
"Ugh, then let me ask you something. Why haven't you killed me yet? Are you being threatened by Grandma Guanhuai?"
I remembered him yelling about his siblings this morning.
His obedience most definitely had to be connected to that.
"...Hello? Aren't you going to say something?..."
I trailed off.
His face visibly darkened the second I had asked the question.
I didn't have to think twice about my next steps.
"Um, never mind. Just...just put everything back into the briefcase."
The house was completely silent.
...Ugh, can't Grandma Guanhuai come back soon? I can't stand another second with this guy all alone!
"Where does that hag go when we sell potions?"
I was startled by the sudden conversation.
"Huh? I-I don't know? Gather ingredients?"
"...Hm."
"...You should stop calling her that. If she hears you..."
Honestly, though, it would be fun to see Grandma Guanhuai's reaction to being called that.
Silence filled the room once again, with the only sounds being his footsteps as he paced around the room.
"...Uh, Wei."
"..."
"Wei."
"What?"
"...You know about that skewer store that closed down just a couple of days ago? Would you know anything about the owner of that store?"
"...? No, I don't."
I guess it was worth a try...
There were so many things I needed to get done.
So many things I still need to work on.
Sometimes...things just feel so...overwhelming.
I swear, the second this leg heals, I'm immediately going to work on everything!
"What the hell are you smiling at?"
A stupid person's voice brought me back into reality.
"It's not like I was smiling at you, you moron."
"Hey, Loser, when's that hag coming back? It's already eight."
Eight? Already?... He's right... Grandma Guanhuai should be back by now.
Just as I thought that, the front door burst open, revealing Grandma Guanhuai.
She held her black bag like normal, but in her other hand, she held multiple rolled-up pieces of paper.
"Grandma Guanhuai! Why are you so late today?"
"Hada go te that registration place to fill in yer skill application. Don't want ya going te jail for something like that."
She put the papers down on the coffee table.
"Here's yer verification of ya skill. Figured I'd just do it for ya cause of that leg."
I opened the roll and looked through everything.
Paragraphs upon paragraphs of words filled the pages, and at the very end of everything was a stamp of the government seal with my name next to it.
"They didn't say anything about my family or background?"
"Nah, those government workers are too tired to be worrying about stuff like that."
"...Right."
Suddenly, Wei swiftly walked up to Grandma Guanhuai and handed her the phone, showing off the profits for the day.
"I sold everything, so keep that promise, got it?"
"Hm...not bad, kiddo, not bad at all."
...Promise?
I wanted to ask what they were talking about, but ultimately decided to keep my mouth shut after the reaction that loser gave me when I asked about his siblings.
"Alright! It's time to wind down, kiddos! This Granny's done been through a long day!"
I looked over at Wei just to see an extremely confused face.
I almost burst out laughing before stopping myself.
Grandma Guanhuai must have noticed his reaction, as she quickly explained to him what she meant...
"Ya ain't sleeping in my house smelling like shit, let me tell ya that much."
...which had only made him more confused.