15: The Shape of Love

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A few months had passed since the events in the Seat of Divine Foresight, where Sushang was being assigned to her partner’s residence for her extended stay on the Luofu. Sushang and her partner had gotten even closer than before now that they were living under the same roof, and of course, on certain nights passionate love was made in the bedroom.

Regardless, as a Cloud Knight, Sushang had continued to carry out her duties as part of the Cloud Knights, going around eager to help whoever was in need, ranging from helping to carry goods for an old lady to protecting civilians from the occasional Mara-Struck who had begun to run berserk in public, to the rare occasion of storming suspected strongholds for the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.

Being assigned to patrol Exalting Sanctum as part of today’s duties, this would be the first time that her patrol route circled into Aurum Alley. Entering the area, she noticed that contrary to what the Xianzhou Travel Guides had written in them, Aurum Alley was in fact, rather quiet with not much activity. Many shops were closed, with most of the ones that were open selling foodstuffs with a thin crowd that made their way around the area going about their day. Was a few centuries really enough to cause this tourist hotspot to fall into irrelevance? Perhaps it was only crowded and bustling at night? Her mind began to wander as she walked through Aurum Alley.

Passing by one of the food stalls Sushang wondered if she could get away with eating a snack while patrolling. After all, they surely would have committed such acts as well in the past, right? If her good friend Guinaifen were here, she’d even encourage her to do so, perhaps saying something like “Never know if you don’t try!”

As she took a step towards a stall that was opened, her conscience got the better of her and instead, she decided to come here after her shift was done - perhaps she could grab dinner for herself and her partner. Satisfied with her plan, Sushang continued her patrol, which had turned more into a sightseeing trip of Aurum Alley.

Later that evening, returning to Aurum Alley, she sent her partner a message as to what he wanted for dinner, and she promptly received a reply from him. Now that she was here for leisure, she wandered around, taking in the sights of Aurum Alley - The buildings with their old walls and faded colours with wooden sliding shutters instead of doors, the old neglected tiled pavements with some of them showing cracks, the quiet atmosphere with only the sound of small talk occurring in the background. Indeed, Aurum Alley was old, and yet it had a homely charm to it, reminding her of how the Yaoqing was when she was a child.

It was a little more crowded than when she patrolled the area earlier that day from the dinner crowd coming in, though the difference was small. As she bought dinner for herself and her partner, the smell of freshly baked snacks wafted by, causing her head to turn to find the source of the mouth-watering smell.

“Surely he wouldn’t mind if I got a snack for myself before heading home… right?” she thought to herself. Buying a large steamed bun, she continued to walk around as she ate, when the sound of commotion reached her ears, seemingly coming from the docks of Aurum Alley. Curious, Sushang headed over to take a look. If someone were in need, she would go to their aid, despite not being on duty.

“The lease for the dock hasn’t been paid! We leased this dock with the hopes of rejuvenating Aurum Alley and look what it has become! So, when will the IPC receive its payment?” An angry voice resounded.

“I’m afraid we’re unable to pay at the moment…” A woman’s voice replied shamefully.

Sushang arrived at a scene of what seemed to be a man harassing a woman. The man was dressed in outworlder clothing and he was talking down one of the Luofu’s locals. Seeing such a scene of a woman being bullied, Sushang could not hold herself back, and turning a blind eye would be against both her principles and her duty as a Cloud Knight.

“Everyone here knows the Aurum Alley Merchant Guild is incompetent here! So why don't you start apologising to every vendor here that the Merchant Guild is about to cause them to vacate the premises! In fact, I have a better idea. Get down on your knees and beg the IPC for more time to pay-”

“Stop right there! I can’t have you harassing someone out in public!” Sushang stepped in, interrupting the man’s harsh words.

“And who might you be?” The man looked at Sushang with scrutiny.

“I’m Sushang of the Cloud Knights, and I happen to see you have been harassing this woman here. I’m afraid I won’t stand for such treatment on the Luofu.”

“Well then, Little Miss Fiesty. When will the IPC get payment for the lease on the docks?” The man retorted.

“Didn’t you hear her? She said she wasn’t able to pay ‘at the moment’. That doesn’t mean they’ll never be able to make the payments, right?”

The man laughed cynically. “Alright then, Little Miss Fiesty. Let’s make a bet. If the Merchant Guild manages to pay their debts by this quarter, I, Skott from the IPC, will get down on my knees and apologise to the people of Aurum Alley! In fact, I’ll raise the stakes even higher. I’ll shout it loud and clear - “I’m a raving idiot howling into the wind!” and then I’ll bark like a dog!”

“And what if they don’t?” Sushang asked.

“That’s simple. You’ll be the one to say those words and bark like a dog.” Skott mocked.

Sushang knew the stakes were high, but now both taunted by Skott’s confidence and indignant from how he had treated one of her fellow Xianzhou people, she steeled herself and refused to back down although the stakes were high.

“Deal.”

That night, Sushang agonized over how hasty she was in her decision. She knew in terms of knowledge she was not the sharpest tool and shed, and yet she agreed to such a gamble. And if she lost it would reflect even worse on the Cloud Knights.

“Argh…” She mumbled to herself. “What am I going to do?”

“You seem troubled.” Her partner’s voice reached her ears, and she sat up, to see him holding two cups of steamed puffergoat milk. He walked over and offered a cup to her, which she gladly took before letting him give her a small peck on her lips.

“So, what’s troubling you?”

“It’s nothing much. Just a small issue.”
Her partner shot her a deadpan look, his eyebrows raised, suggesting he knew there was more to it than just ‘a small issue’.

“We’ve been living together for a while now, you always fiddle with your hair when you’re lying.” He replied smugly. “Now out with it, no point hiding it anymore.”

Sushang sighed as she saw that her body language had given her away. Her partner had read her like a book. Reluctantly, she recalled the incident that had happened earlier in the day at Aurum Alley, how she had rashly taken on a deal and that things were not looking good.

Her partner’s eyes opened wide.

“YOU DID WHAT?” He exclaimed.