Chapter 66 - Under the Moon

"HuuaaAaa...chiuuuhh" Cold feeling making her body chills so much, TanTan can't help herself for not sneezing immediately. Minutes ago, she just comes out of the water.

Hearing the sneeze, the silver masked man takes off his wet coat and squeezes it first to make it dry as he can. After that, he put it on TanTan,

"Here, better than nothing..."

His kindly act gives warmth in TanTan's heart,

"...Thank you..."

Not too long, some black-clothed men come from nowhere and bow greeting the Silver-masked man as their highest commander. After getting a sign to arise, one of the black-suited men, an old man who seems as their leader notices the presence of TanTan and then he approaches the Silver Masked man, asking,

"Master...this girl..? Are you planning to take her along?" There is a worried tone in his words as he clearly disagrees with his own a.s.sumption.

The Silver Masked man glances to TanTan, he didn't plan to take her either. But when he saw the begging look of TanTan just now, he couldn't help not to bring her. 'Why?' He shakes and replies to the old man,

"Don't worry 'bout her... for now, lead others back and wait for my return...just keep aware..."

Although the old man seems hesitated, he keeps following the order. He greets politely and then disappears with other black-suited men, leaving the Silver-Masked man and TanTan alone.

During the time, TanTan examines the Silver Masked Man. She feels weird for trusting this man easily. She barely knows anything about this man yet she didn't hesitate to ask him to take her away. 'Well, he did help me many times, he must be not a bad guy...'

When the Silver-masked man looks at her, TanTan turns her face away, feeling embarra.s.sed to be caught for examining him. To remove the awkward between them, she says,

"Where...are they going?"

The Silver Masked man walks slowly closer to her,

"You don't need to know." And suddenly he rises up his tone, as a parent scolds his child, "You are so reckless tonight, HuaMuTan! What are you thinking to come to that kind of place?!!"

Feeling unfair to be scolded by someone who is not her parents or brothers, TanTan replies,

"It's not your business... I have the right to go anywhere... besides I risked to come so I can find you!!!"

The Silver Masked Man now stands quite closer to TanTan. It gives a weird vibe to TanTan, she felt ashamed for no reason.

"So...you have found me now...what's next?" his tone is softened but still have a little bit sharp tone.

TanTan still feel awkward, somehow she feels troubled to answer,

"I...i...found you...for..."

And in reflex, she moves backward as the silver masked man keeps moving forward, and as the result, TanTan loses her balance and almost fell down if the silver masked man didn't immediately grab her waist and hugged her.

For a moment, there is almost no distance between their faces, thanks for the dime light of moon, TanTan clearly can see the silver masked man's eyes deeply, she notices that the color of eyes is unusual, they are dark purplish. The color is almost undetectable if we don't see it closer.

But then the wind blows to TanTan's body, causing the second sneezing which exactly spurting on the silver masked man,

"Hua...Hua...Chiuuuu!"

As a reflex, the Silver masked man releases TanTan from his embrace. It becomes an awkward moment,

"I am....am sorry, I didn't do it purposely..." In panic and embarra.s.sing, TanTan tries to look for any clean cloth that can be used to wipe.

While The Silver Masked Man wipes his face from any unclean liquid which wetting his face. He turns back from TanTan to wipe his mask and also to fix his mask. But he did it very quick before TanTan can see the face behind the mask.

"I am really sorry...let me wipe it..." TanTan finally tears little part of her cloth and then trying to use it to wipe his face but in reflex, the Silver Masked Man holds her hand strongly, not letting TanTan touch his face. It causes TanTan feels pain,

"Auch..."

Surprising that he has unconsciously hurting TanTan. And feeling regret, he releases TanTan's hand.

"I am fine...." The Silver Masked Man sighs "I shouldn't take you here, maybe I am the same reckless as you tonight...you should return now...let me escort you back" The Silver Masked Man turns and gesturing TanTan to follow him.

"Wait..!" It's hard for her to finally meet this man, how can he just send her back so quickly? It's really not fair.

"I won't back until I get answers from you!!" shout TanTan.

The Silver Masked Man stops his walk, he turns and looks to TanTan,

"What answers you are looking for, HuaMuTan?"

"About everything...the killers, the enemy you mentioned before, about you... why do you help me? Who are you?" As TanTan doesn't want to lose any chance, she tries to ask all in her mind as she can. But then TanTan realizes the thing she wants to know most maybe about this man. In this world where she feels alone, she wants someone she knows and she can trust to help her solve all mystery.

Like reading her mind, the Silver Masked man chuckles and smiles,

"Relax, HuaMuTan...I can't give you all the answers now but one thing for sure, I am not your enemy. Oppositely I am on your side. But revealing my ident.i.ty will also dangerous for your life. You just need to trust me for now..."

TanTan glances to the eyes, his eyes are looking at her straight. TanTan feels there is no lie in that gaze.

"Well...you did save me twice, so I can trust you for now...but at least you must give me any clues, I can't live in the dark, not knowing who my enemies and how they will take my life, it suffocates me..."

The Silver Masked Man is silent, he seems considering what TanTan said,

"Your enemies are too powerful, HuaMuTan. One thing you can do right now is stay safely in Li Mansion. Prince Li can protect you for now."

"Prince Li? Are you sure he is not one of my enemies???" in cynical tone, TanTan asks.

Her a.s.sumption makes the silver masked man laughs, "No, he is not your enemy...well, at least not for now... he can be a good friend, trust me...he is just a silly good man who sometimes too stubborn about justice."

In suspicious glance, TanTan asks again,

"You seems know him so well?"

"You can say that..." The Silver masked man smirks, giving more mystery in TanTan's head but a thought of meeting anger Prince Li and being arrested giving her body a gooseb.u.mp,

"Anyway, I can't go back there...can't I just follow you back?" TanTan comes closer to the Silver Masked Man and holds his hand, as she begs.

The Silver masked man smiles softly, he touches TanTan's hand,

"Not now, HuaMuTan...Li Mansion is the safe place for you, believe me...and don't worry, I'll be always watching you as well...and if everything has done..." He stops his words suddenly. It seems not the right time to mention it, and then he seems notices something coming,

"Ah, what a right time... I think someone has come to pick you up...its time for me to go, see you again HuaMuTan..." And in a blink, he has using his martial skill to disappear in the woods before TanTan can say anything else,...

"Hey, wait...."As TanTan realizes the silver masked man is really has gone, she shouts

"It's not fairrrr!!! Why he didn't tell me anything useful???, any clue wouldn't harm you right!!!! What a stingy masked man!!! Now what should I do to find my enemiesss????!!!" TanTan keeps shouting as she is throwing her stress in the air.

"Huaaa...Chiuuu..."

TanTan suddenly feels dizzy and lost her power, she kneels down and then sits on the sand.

"I am so tired..." She feels so dizzy and wants to close her eyes.

Not too long, some shadows comes approaching her. She recognizes them as Prince Li and his men. The last thing she remembers is the expression on Prince Li who looks panic and shouting her name...HuaMuTan's name. Not in scolding way, but as he looks so concern about her condition,

"HUAMUTAN,..."

And the next thing she feels, is laying down on a warmth embrace of someone's chest.