"I can walk, y'know," Dee said to Manchu as he carried her up the stairs.

"Yes. But it makes him jealous," was the smiling reply. "And it embarrasses you."

She gave a huff of disgust. "Why should I care if he's jealous?"

"Because you got all starry eyed when you looked at him. Cheng said you two were kissing when he found you in his car."

"Cheng's a liar. We weren't kissing. And he hasn't kissed me at all," she said softly as Manchu set her down on her bed.

Taking her face in his hand, he turned her to look at him. "C'mon. Tell me what you're not saying."

"Remember the carnival?"

"Oh, Xiaohu! Don't start in with that barker again! There is a man who is here now! You might even be able to get along with him if you don't start..."

She slapped a hand over his mouth. "Ping, that man is my carnival barker. All those years ago? That was him. And now he's here and I dunno the first thing to do!" She held out a hand. "Look! He makes me tremble!"

Pushing her bangs off her forehead, Manchu just smiled at her. "Now you know how I feel when I'm around Chu. Listen just take it easy, ok? First you must find out if he likes you or not. We know you like him. I think he knows that you like him."

{You, get out of here and find something useful to do with yourself,} Li Mei said coming into the room. {You can talk to Xiaohu as soon as I bandage her up. Now go!}

Making a flashy bow, Manchu smiled at Li Mei. {I'll bring you ladies up some tea in a half hour.}

Li Mei waved Manchu out and shut the door. Grumbling under her breath, she helped Dee ease her pants off and over the gash in her leg. As she cleaned the wound, Dee told her what had happened. The cut looked far worse than it actually was in part to the bruise the tonfa had caused. Wrapping Dee's leg tightly, Li Mei voiced her disgust at the fact that the Riddler had not offered to treat the wound when it was fresh.

{He didn't know, Li. Last night he was dealing with wounds of his own. Batman was beating him up pretty badly before I stepped in and distracted him.}

{I thought you said this man saved you, not the other way around,} replied Li Mei, giving the bandage and unnecessary tug, making Dee wince.

{He did, in a way. If it hadn't had been for him robbing the ball, I think Feng would have come after me again. There was too much of a risk with the Batman being drawn to the ball for her to follow me down into it. And he got me out of there and back here, didn't he?}

{Why are you protecting him? He should have at least asked if you were ok!}

Dee sighed and put her head back against the pillow. {I'm sure he would have, Li, if he hadn't of had other things on his mind at that very moment. Besides, it really didn't hurt too much.}

{Still. That's no way to treat a lady! He seemed very interested in you, however. I suppose he can't be all that bad if he has enough taste to like you.}

Sitting up, Dee grabbed the woman's arm. {Did he say anything about me, Li? Did he?}

{He was too busy eating! You'd think he hadn't seen food in his whole life!} she said.

Dee frowned. But she knew that Li Mei had probably been interrupting him with questions or stories. {He's my carnival barker.}

Li Mei's hands stopped putting away the herbs she had brought up. {That man is who you've been so moon-eyed all these years? The one you hold other men up to?} She threw her hands up in the air. {We should have known! Maybe now you can get to know him better and find out if he's really worth anything, hm?}

{Maybe. All I know is that he's smart. He could very well be a jerk just like the rest of them.}

{Ai, all men are jerks. You just need to teach them that if they get to be too much of a jerk, they will regret it, understand? If anything, at least he is attractive.}

The two laughed together and Li Mei asked Dee if what she had heard about the two of them kissing were true.

~ ~ ~

"I am told that you offered Xiaohu, Dee, a place working for you," Jiaoshu said, after introducing himself.

"Someone with fighting skills like hers are hard to come by," the Riddler replied.

Jiaoshu grunted. "Skills, indeed. I have seen the 'skills' you have hired in the past. Sloppy fighters who are more show than anything else. You dress them in skimpy costumes and send them to do your fighting for you. This is not who Xiaohu is."

"No, you misunderstand. I saw her fight last night. And well, this morning when I went to wake her, she attacked me. I've never met anyone who had the actual skills that she has. I take it you're the one who trained her. If you are, you did a marvelous job." The Riddler was trying to be as smooth as he could. This Jiaoshu that sat across from him obviously knew when he was being flattered. However, the thought of the girl wearing one of those revealing costumes did bring a smile to his lips.

"I see you think only of the female body that possesses those fighting skills. Tell me why I should allow you to take her into your employ? Give me one praise about her that has nothing to do with her skills or her body."

"She busted me six years ago when I was working as a carnival barker. I was running a game table where the player had to put a puzzle together in a certain amount of time. When I asked if her and her friend wanted to play, she said no because the game was rigged."

"And was it?" Jiaoshu asked, knowing very well from Dee's story of that day that it was.

"Yes. The pieces were marked and I could see the markings through the glasses I wore. She knew without trying them on. The girl is very perceptive and I liked that about her. She has a brain, which I must admit the other girls I've hired in the past have not."

"The decision to let her work for you is not mine. It will be discussed further. You may return to the kitchen now," Jiaoshu said, standing and opening the door.

Taking the hint, the Riddler stepped out of the room and was greeted by the man that had carried Dee upstairs.
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