18 THIEF! THIEF! THIEF!

Once Mei-ling was out of the palace, she took in a very deep breath.

She has almost been caught!

Almost!

She hurried down the road past the servants and loud mass of people.

She looked around and tried to find her way to the main market.

She saw a trader selling sweets.

"Hello. Please where is the market?" She asked.

"The market is about twenty minutes walk away from here." He informed her.

Twenty minutes?!

She needed to leave and return back to the palace before she was missed and there was no way she could trek all the way.

She didn't even know the way.

She frowned and looked around the people going on about.

Then she saw some carts with horses attached.

Each cart had a horse attached to it, and seemed ready to be leaving.

"Where are they going to?" She asked the trader again.

"They go to the market." He replied with an annoyed face. "You're interrupting my market don't ask me any questions again."

Mei-ling stuck out her tongue at the old man shamelessly and rolled her eyes.

What if she hid inside the cart behind the goods? They would not notice her then.

She hurriedly went in between the carts and looked through the least bit uncomfortable.

She eventually opted for the chicken cart and she hopped in.

The chickens clucked and she shushed them.

Couldn't have her cover blowing.

Then soon she head the cart move.

She was forced to sit in the cart with the chickens who kept on hovering g around and disturbing her.

After the bumpy ride, the cart came to a stop.

She heard more noises and she peeked from under the covering.

She saw that she had reached the market and she quickly jumped out.

As soon as she did, a man shouted.

"Hey! Thief!"

She took to her heels and ran the fastest she had ever done in her life.

As she ran she pushed past people.

"Hey!"

She didn't stop.

She made sharp turns bumping into people and hearing people insult her.

But she did not bother about them.

She only needed to make her escape.

She made a sharp corner and she could hear the men fast approaching.

She pushed a table on the floor and ran off.

One of the men fell right into it and fainted.

The other three followed her.

She looked back to see them.

They were big and hefty, she knew that they could strangle her throat if they caught her.

She kept on running and then she bumped right into a big body.

She frowned.

What was this big masculine body?!

She tried to push him out of her way but her caught her in his arms and held her to him.

He was so tall she could not even see his face.

"Thief! Stop that thief!" She heard the men shout in the distance.

Why was this man holding her like this?

Did he think that this was a Chinese romance movie where everything went slow?

They were going to kill her.

"Hey leave me alone." She squeezed her face.

When she looked up at him, she saw that it was none other than the handsome imperial solder she had saved in the forest.