Madam, would you like one?

As the heat of July fades, the sun hangs lazily in the sky.

Early in the morning.

Cao Yuan, Jing Ni, and Li Wu left the "Golden Key" locksmith shop one after the other.

Li Wu was ordered by Jing Ni to find people to investigate Cao Yuan. Before leaving, she even drew a "beauty portrait" of Cao Yuan.

Taking advantage of a rare moment of free time, Cao Yuan took Xiao Mengjiang on a tour of the bustling city of Linzi to relax and unwind.

Jing Ni, dressed in blue and yellow, followed behind Cao Yuan, slightly out of his sight; the meaning was self-evident.

Meng Jiang was secretly puzzled, but she didn't dare to ask any more questions. She was a little afraid of this cold woman.

Cao Yuan didn't care and strolled aimlessly down the streets of Linzi, holding Meng Jiang's little hand.

Let Jing Ni follow me if she wants; consider her an extra bodyguard, and it'll also help increase her favorability.

I've always heard netizens say that Jingni has an extremely high "motherly" capacity; if you can get her pregnant, you can have her and have another expert wife...

Lost in his thoughts, Cao Yuan chuckled and shook his head, fearing that he would be killed by Jing Ni before he could even get started.

Such wonderful things can only be dreamed of if you prop your pillow up at night.

……

In the fabric shop selling silk and satin, Cao Yuan personally helped Xiao Mengjiang choose beautiful clothes.

It must be said that the world of Qin's Time is somewhat fantastical.

Aside from those mechanical Gundams that can fly, burrow underground, and swim in the sea, there are also stockings and high heels...

Of course, Cao Yuan wasn't so lewd as to choose these things for the still-young Meng Jiang.

Xiao Mengjiang, dressed in a light blue-green silk robe, walked down the street with Cao Yuan. The loose sleeves fluttered in the wind, and the patterned cuffs wrapped around her arms, blooming in the breeze, giving her an ethereal and fairy-like air.

Cao Yuan turned his head to look at Xiao Mengjiang, who was beaming with happiness, and couldn't help but recall those glamorous ancient costume beauties on short videos in his previous life. Compared to them, Xiao Mengjiang was truly a beautiful woman with a face that symbolized peace and prosperity.

Of course, those flashy and cheap girls aren't without their merits; for example, they're undeniably sexy.

"Aman, is there something on my face...?"

Xiao Mengjiang, who had been keeping an eye on Cao Yuan, felt both shy and happy when she saw Cao Yuan looking at her from the side.

"Yes~"

"what……"

Little Meng Jiang hurriedly stretched out her tender white hands and touched her pretty face, but she couldn't find anything.

Seeing Cao Yuan's mischievous smile, she realized she'd been tricked and immediately gave him a dozen or so light punches.

Jingni watched Cao Yuan and Xiao Mengjiang silently from behind, her eyes revealing a hint of envy as she watched them laugh, play, and flirt.

Unfortunately, she was an assassin, a top-tier member of the Luo Wang organization, and the happiness of ordinary people was destined to be out of her reach.

Jing Ni suppressed the slight smile on her face and returned to her cold demeanor.

Horse-drawn carriages rumbled by, peddlers carried their wares and called out, and shops lined the streets...

Cao Yuan led Xiao Mengjiang on a "arrogant" stroll through the streets, looking around and examining everything closely.

He still remembers the first time he took a girl out shopping before he was dressed up; it was when he was eighteen and would often stand up straight.

Of course, that girl is nowhere near as good as Xiao Mengjiang, whether it's her face with makeup and beauty filters or her kind and considerate heart.

"Madam, would you like one?"

Cao Yuan bought a candied hawthorn from a peddler, one in his left hand and one in his right.

Jingni looked at Cao Yuan, her beautiful eyes calm and undisturbed, and no one knew what she was thinking.

Cao Yuan met Jing Ni's gaze with a smile, his eyes open and honest.

It's just that it's been a bit long.

Cao Yuan's hand holding the candied hawthorn skewer became a little stiff.

Looking at the still silent Jing Ni, he thought to himself, "Jing Ni seems so unyielding; it's not easy to gain her favor."

However, he was still very patient.

He has always had a high level of patience and tolerance when it comes to beautiful women.

Who can blame them when Jingni is not only tall and voluptuous, but also has a beautiful face?

If I had to point out a shortcoming, it would probably be that I haven't had a child, so my figure isn't as mature and voluptuous as it is now. But the youthful vitality of that graceful young lady is wonderful, like the tender yellow willow shoots in early spring, delicate and tender, a unique charm of a girl of this age.

As for that mature charm, that can be cultivated gradually in the future.

but!

Even so, he cannot be completely without principles, otherwise he would be no different from a sycophant!

"It seems the lady doesn't like my candied hawthorns..."

Cao Yuan, with a regretful expression and a rather pity in his tone, prepared to take back his candied hawthorn.

Meng Jiang was licking a candied hawthorn next to Cao Yuan, her delicate little tongue quickly turning a bright red with hawthorn berries.

She watched as the cold woman remained motionless, her mouth full of candied hawthorn, and mumbled, "Big sister, Aman's candied hawthorn is so delicious, sour and sweet..."

"……Give me."

Just as Cao Yuan was pondering what to use to increase Jing Ni's favorability, Jing Ni spoke up and asked Cao Yuan for his candied hawthorn.

Cao Yuan was taken aback.

Jingni stretched out her small hand and said again, "Give it to me."

Cao Yuan looked at Jing Ni's small hands. Perhaps because she had cultivated internal energy, they didn't have any calluses from using a sword; they were still fair and tender.

"Give."

Cao Yuan placed the candied hawthorn in Jing Ni's hand.

He inadvertently touched Jing Ni's soft hand and subconsciously tickled her palm.

He swore!

He really did it on a whim!

It's purely a bodily instinct!

Jing Ni paused slightly, her expression unchanged, and took a bite of the candied hawthorn. However, her slightly flushed cheeks betrayed her, and her heart was not as calm as it appeared.

Is this what love feels like...? Jingni chewed on the hawthorn flesh, savoring its sweet and sour taste, and thought to herself.

This feeling truly relaxed and joyful, something she had never experienced before, only heard about from storytellers...

Seeing that his efforts were effective, Cao Yuan decisively began to press his advantage.

They went all out.

He took out the thirteen gold coins he had saved up over the past two months and went on a shopping spree on the most bustling street in Linzi.

Of course, they all used the pretext of buying things for Xiao Mengjiang, but also for Jingni and Liwu, and bought a lot of jewelry and cosmetics as well.

Faced with Cao Yuan's attentiveness, Jing Ni did not refuse at all, nor did she feel embarrassed. As an assassin whose life had been nothing but killing and had no goals since she could remember, she could not possibly have such emotions.

So Jingni naturally accepted it all and continued to experience and savor the feeling of being cared for and loved.

Cao Yuan thought to himself, "It's only because I know Jing Ni's past. If it were any other girl, even though I offered her so much emotional support and all sorts of good things, I would still get a cold shoulder in return. I would have slapped her and left long ago."

"Let's go to Zuiyunlou, the best restaurant in Linzi."

Jingni hummed in agreement.

Overjoyed, Xiao Mengjiang skipped and hopped into the restaurant.

Just as Cao Yuan and Jing Ni stepped into the restaurant, a chaotic noise suddenly broke out.

"Where did this ill-mannered servant girl come from!"

Inside the Drunken Cloud Pavilion, a young man dressed in fine clothes, with a jade thumb ring on his thumb, was toying with a simple jade teacup in his hand, looking at Meng Jiang lying on the ground with displeasure.

Cao Yuan immediately strode forward, looked at the flustered Meng Jiang, squatted down, took her small hand, and whispered comfortingly, "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Were you bullied?"

Meng Jiang lowered her head. "It's nothing, Aman. I accidentally bumped into someone..."

"Is she a lowly maidservant in your household?"

A casual, disdainful voice rang out.

Cao Yuan looked over.

He was slightly taken aback when he saw the arrogant young man.

He recognized who the person was.

It was none other than the rebellious younger brother of the First Emperor—

Chang'an Jun Chengjiao.