"I..." The chubby Young Master Hao took two steps back, hastily retreating as he said, "It’s really difficult to argue with a woman," and then turned around and bolted.
Yang Ruxin watched with astonishment, musing how his speed could almost rival that of Liu Xiang, wondering how he managed it with all that fat on his body.
The crowd around them had been eagerly watching the commotion, but when they saw the chubby figure charging towards them, they quickly made way.
Just then, a horse-drawn carriage happened to pass by. The unsuspecting coachman, faced with someone suddenly dashing out, had to abruptly pull the reins. The horses neighed loudly, rearing up quite high on their front hooves.
Fortunately, the coachman managed to stop the carriage in time; otherwise, the fat man would have been in danger.
However, unconcerned with the risk he had just evaded, the chubby man sprinted away without a trace, followed closely by his few minions who also took to their heels.
"What’s the matter?" A man poked his head out from the carriage, clearly annoyed by the sudden stop that almost flattened his nose.
"Master, someone suddenly rushed out..."
Yang Ruxin had initially only glanced out of curiosity, but upon clearly seeing the man’s face, she couldn’t help but frown and unconsciously took a couple of steps forward, wanting a better look.
Perhaps it was the intensity of Yang Ruxin’s stare that caused the man to turn his head and look her way while listening to the coachman’s explanation. However, his gaze quickly shifted away from hers the moment they met, and he closed the door of the carriage and instructed the coachman to drive on immediately.
Yang Ruxin, initially thinking the man merely looked somewhat familiar, now found him suspicious. She was inclined to chase after the carriage to discover the truth, but remembering Shopkeeper Han and the day’s tasks at hand, she restrained herself.
With the troublemakers gone, the crowd of onlookers dispersed as well.
Yang Ruxin turned back to thank the shopkeeper of the Taibai Building.
"Miss, it’s good that you’re unharmed," the shopkeeper congratulated Yang Ruxin with a thumbs up, "I didn’t expect you to handle it so well. You know, that Young Master Hao is the only male heir of the Hao Family. He’s extremely pampered. Even the local magistrate has to give him some leeway here, and I was really worried for you just now."
Yang Ruxin smiled, thinking about the Hao Family. Once she returned, she would ask Gu Qingheng if he knew anything about them. After all, she had now made an enemy of the Hao Family, and she didn’t want to be caught off guard by them.
"But, miss, if you’re from out of town, you should probably leave quickly. I’m worried Young Master Hao won’t let this go so easily..." the shopkeeper said, still very concerned.
"I’m not afraid of him causing trouble, but I do plan to eat here shortly. Are you, the shopkeeper, afraid?"
"Haha..." The shopkeeper laughed, "Our Taibai Building has been open for over a decade and there haven’t been many who dare to cause trouble here... In business, we welcome customers from all over with open arms..."
"That’s good to know..." Yang Ruxin gave a respectful bow, "My name is Yang Ruxin."
"I have the humble name of Zhu, Zhu Hengtai." The shopkeeper seemed to appreciate Yang Ruxin’s character, "But our establishment has its owner, and I’m just an errand runner..."
Yang Ruxin nodded.
"Xinxin, what happened?" Just then, Han Baichuan, who had parked the carriage, came back and asked, "Did something happen?"
"It’s nothing," Yang Ruxin shook her head, "Let’s go eat."
"Please, come inside." Zhu, the shopkeeper, quickly ushered them in and even decided to treat them to a free dish of Beggar’s Chicken.
Han Baichuan was puzzled. The Taibai Building was known to be a prestigious inn, and he hadn’t expected that in just a short time, the shopkeeper would show such cordial hospitality towards this young lady. It seemed he had underestimated her; no wonder that soothsayer had told him at the beginning of the year that he would encounter a person of noble character this year—it must have been her.