SWOOSH
The Shadowless Thief saved me twice from danger.
THUD
Right now, I don’t know if she’s called the Shadowless Thief or if she will be called that in the future. But still, not once, but twice!
DING
Even if the title of being a legendary thief is bestowed, it doesn’t mean she’s a heartless thief too.
NO WAY!
There’s no way she’d pretend to forget after saving me twice from danger!
POOF
Of course, the second time I got help from the Soocheon Postal Service’s manipulation team, but they would have caught me hiding when they were reconfirming the cargo anyway.
WHOOSH
I just added some dramatic twists to an event that was bound to happen.
SWOOSH
I quickly arranged an embarrassing situation for many people, so I can consider this level of connection a modest reward.
CHILL
Now, all I have to do is wait.
GIGGLE
I’m not a prince on a white horse, but at least I’m a barbarian on a donkey, so the Shadowless Thief will surely come to express her gratitude.
ECHO
“Oh, Shadowless Thief. You’ve saved me twice!”
FIX
“If you’re a man, you can’t just ignore a woman in danger.”
Sigh
“Oh… that’s so cool.”
WHAM
Truly perfect.
THOUGHT
Throw out some vague, impressive line and vanish coolly to leave a good impression. And if she offers to show me her treasure vault, I shouldn’t refuse.
STEP
“Master.”
FREEZE
Ah, she’s here! My image training was flawless. Let’s just say a few words and then return to the cabin.
SWISH
I feigned a cool expression, like a boy detective who had fallen for a female phantom after being obsessed with her, and turned my head.
STARTLE
“Whoa!”
EEK!
As I spun around, the Shadowless Thief was so close that our noses were almost touching.
TOO CLOSE!
That’s too close! Instinctively, I leaned back to create some distance.
PANIC!
“Ah!”
WHOOSH!
Oh, the timing couldn’t be worse. The boat is swaying in the rapids! Leaning back caused my center of gravity to wobble, and then the boat jolted up, making my feet leave the wooden floor.
WHAAP!
A moment of weightlessness. Just as I was about to land on my butt, the boat hit the water again with a splash and bounced up.
BONG!
“Is this a Viking ride or a disco bobber?”
AHHH!
“Catch me!”
THUD!
After rolling on the floor a few times, the Shadowless Thief quickly grabbed my wrist.
“Are you okay?”
NOPE!
I’m not okay! I was about to be flung into the river!
“I’m fine. Can you let go of my hand?”
SHOCKED!
This lady is shamelessly holding onto the hand of a man with many admirers.
“Ah! I-I’m sorry! It’s my habit to approach quietly.”
Huh?
Does she have a habit of sneaking up behind guards to knock them out? I thought about saying something but held back.
DROPPED!
The Shadowless Thief quickly pulled away her hand, startled like a schoolgirl who accidentally brushed against a boy’s belongings.
FAMILIAR!
An all-too-familiar yet not-so-welcome reaction.
THOUGHT:
‘This wasn’t part of the plan.’
DARN IT!
I wanted to look heroic but ended up looking foolish. What should I do? I didn’t anticipate such unexpected drama on the water.
COUGH!
“The moon over the Yangtze River seems especially beautiful…”
AWKWARD!
Let’s just pretend this didn’t happen. I decided to act like a cultured scholar gazing at the sky as if I were starting a conversation.
“You might want to dust off your clothes first.”
PLEASE ACCEPT!
Come on, accept that!
FACEPALM!
This is embarrassing. If only there were a save button in real life. Why isn’t there a save feature in reality?
“Well then, I shall dust them off.”
BRUSH BRUSH!
I bravely tried to calm my blushing face against the strong river breeze while shaking off my clothes.
“Here’s a duster. Use this to wipe yourself.”
SHOULDER DROP!
How did she find this so quickly? That’s impressive.
I took the duster from her, a little flustered, and dusted myself off.
“Thank you! By the way, what brings you out on a moonlit night?”
READY?
After desperately maintaining my expression, I asked in a serious tone.
“I’ve come to express my gratitude. Thank you for saving me not once, but twice.”
BOW!
The Shadowless Thief bowed her head politely to me.
“Gratitude? Nonsense! When you raise a beast, you take responsibility. I simply helped in distress.”
NOTHING TO IT!
I waved my hand dismissively as if to say it wasn’t a big deal.
Hey, do you think what I said was enough? If I turn around now, I’ll be seen as the self-centered guy, not the gallant one. Say thank you again!
“You saved me twice! How could I not be grateful? Thank you very much!”
BOW AGAIN!
The Shadowless Thief didn’t turn out to be heartless; she bowed to me once more.
“I could not ignore a woman in distress.”
SHY FACE!
I turned my face slightly, pretending to be shy, and gazed at the Yangtze River.
FEELING WATCHED!
I could feel her gaze on me.
After enduring an accident and sneaking onto this boat, the only one who reached out to help was me! I must look like a righteous hero who doesn’t even think he needs a thank you.
IMPULSIVE THOUGHT:
It’s an impromptu scenario, but isn’t it quite cool? Keep it in mind. If she truly is the heroine, she’ll remember.
“What is your name, Master?”
BAM!
She’s asking so quickly!
“Before that, shouldn’t you introduce yourself?”
TRUTH!
If you want to know someone’s name, you should introduce yourself first.
“Uh… I… Um! My name is… Du Eung-hyang!”
SHOCKED!
The Shadowless Thief hesitated with a flustered face and then said an unexpected name. Why is my novel’s heroine’s name coming up here?
“Instead of lying, you should just tell the truth.”
KNOWING LOOK!
I shot a disappointed look at her.
I know your character settings. I know your aliases, your given name, everything. You should be more careful with your lies!
“I’m sorry. With my circumstances as a runaway courtesan… But if you tell me your name, I’ll pay you back.”
HARD TRUTH!
Is it that dangerous for the name or title to get out and be caught? It can’t be helped; not many pink-haired beauties out there.
“I’m Kang Yoon-ho.”
ANNOUNCEMENT!
I turned my body to tell her my name.
“Kang… Yoon-ho? Do you happen to live in Yichang?”
CONFUSED!
That’s a strange reaction. Her eyebrows frown peculiarly.
“How did you know?”
“Are you the owner of the Yichang Tea Bookstore?”
KNEW IT!
“YOU! YOUUUU!”
POINT!
Her eyes bulged, and she pointed at me.
“YOU?”
CRAZY CUE!
Why the sudden accusatory finger? I was about to ask why her attitude changed so suddenly when her reason flew out of her mouth.
“Are you the worst bookstore owner in history?!”
SHOCK
What the heck is that?
—————
“The worst bookstore owner? What’s that supposed to mean?”
CRINGE
“I know all about it. The wicked merchant Kang Yoon-ho of Yichang!”
ANGRY FACE!
She glared at me defiantly.
I should exude words like integrity, truth, justice, and righteousness, but being deemed the worst bookstore owner and a wicked merchant? It feels like I’m being labeled a scam artist or something.
“Wicked bookstore owner? I’m a merchant who has always conducted honest trade. I can’t just let that slip! What do you mean I’m the worst bookstore owner? Let’s hear your reasons.”
LIST!
“You sold a huge amount of The Rise of the Tang Family but couldn’t transparently disclose how much you gave to Ho Pil!”
OH SNAP!
“That’s correct.”
GUILTY NOD!
I took all the profits.
“You accepted two copies from Ho Pil but only printed the second after the first sold well, right?”
AGREE!
That too is correct.
PLANNING!
It’s only logical for a businessman.
“You kept whining to Ho Pil about unfavorable situations and even made him write posts saying ‘This is Ho Pil…’ which is now famous!”
THAT’S RIGHT!
That sounds correct.
AGREE AGAIN!
Public opinion is super important.
“And you offer cheap beverages while charging an outrageous price for votes while not properly explaining how impactful they are!”
YUP!
That’s also true.
“See! You are indeed the worst bookstore owner!”
POINT!
The Shadowless Thief pointed at me like she had just unmasked an incredible criminal.
“I’m… I’m… the worst bookstore owner…?”
CRY!
“Me getting help from Kang Yoon-ho…! My courtesan friends will ridicule me forever!”
GRASP!
The Shadowless Thief clutched her head in despair.
“No, Du Eung-hyang!”
HEEL!
I understand that the Rise of the Tang Family spread even to nearby cities like Yichang. It’s true, as a businessman, I have no counterargument.
THOUGHT!
Still, she seems unfamiliar with my reputation as Ho Pil’s confidant and a loyal man.
I’m the one who deals with various accidents on behalf of Ho Pil and goes back and forth to the Tang Family. I must clear up this misunderstanding.
NO TIME!
But she didn’t give me the chance.
“Just you wait! I won’t forget this gratitude and this humiliation!”
STARE!
The Shadowless Thief shot me a tearing glare before vanishing without giving me a chance to respond.
WHAT?
What does she mean she won’t forget both the gratitude and the humiliation?
—————
Even if the misunderstandings are all over the place, the boat continues toward its destination.
“Yichang!”
GASP!
“I can see Yichang!”
“Prepare to dock the boat!”
RUSH!
“Du Eung-hyang.”
VIRTUAL ECHO!
I called out to the Shadowless Thief, who was glaring at me oddly from the corner of the cabin.
HMPH!
What’s with the attitude? She turned her head sharply away.
“Is there a place to stay?”
THINKING MISUNDERSTANDING!
“I’m thinking of trying the Oumun branch in Yichang.”
SAFE SPACE!
Did she see my worried expression? She answered calmly.
SIOUX!
She’s a little troublesome, but if we part ways now, I have a feeling my likability will stay at zero.
“Take this.”
THROW!
I pulled out my secret weapon and tossed it to her.
“What’s this?”
RECEIVE!
She caught the small pouch.
“You mentioned losing your money pouch. I put some travel expenses in it, so take it.”
GRAPES!
With careful budgeting, it should be enough to cover a month’s stay at an inn.
“……”
She looked up at me, surprised by the jingling sound of the money in the pouch.
“Even if it’s a bond that will vanish when we disembark, I hope you fulfill your task without harm.”
WHISPER!
Don’t go robbing the best bookstore in history, okay?
“…Why are you being so kind to me?”
BLUSH!
Because there’s a chance you could be the true heroine.
“I said my name is Du Eung-hyang. After hearing that, how could I stay still?”
PUZZLED!
“What does that mean?”
“Looks like we arrived in Yichang. Didn’t you say you needed to contact the Oumun?”
I returned my gaze to the window, looking outside.
SHIMMER!
Outside the cabin window was an inviting scene, the familiar city I hadn’t seen in months. The boat was docking in Yichang.
FAREWELL!
This is where my kindness stops. I opened the cabin door, signaling I had no intention of further conversation.
“Go on now.”
“Hmph! Take care!”
GALLOP!
She must have understood my intent, standing with the confidence of a lady in escort as she swiftly exited the cabin.
Our bond ends here.
SHRUG!
What business do I have to move together with the Shadowless Thief?
THOUGHT!
Even though it’s a pity she didn’t give me a chance to clear up the misunderstanding, now that we are in Yichang, she will have opportunities to correct any erroneous rumors.
UHH!
“There’s no way we keep running into each other, is there?”
ONLY ONCE?
A bookstore owner and a thief should only meet once. Just thinking about it makes me want to avoid it.
HOPING FOR GOOD LUCK!
I hope my thoughts don’t come true as I stepped onto the long-awaited ground of my beloved city, Yichang.
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