The market stretched further than Zhao Dazhu had expected, the clamor of merchants growing louder as they pushed past the first few rows of stalls.
Li Fengyuan walked ahead at his usual leisurely pace, hands clasped behind his back, unbothered by the throngs of people around them.
He checked one stall after another, seemingly just giving a glance.
Zhao Dazhu still didn't understand why Li Fengyuan came here.
Zhao Dazhu hurried to keep up, his eyes scanning the colorful chaos of the city's market.
"Li Fengyuan…" Zhao began, struggling to match his long strides, "why are we going so deep into the market? What are you looking for?"
Li Fengyuan didn't answer and kept on walking ahead.
Zhao Dazhu pressed his forehead, not knowing what Li Fengyuan was planning.
Still, he followed and soon they reached a stall where a crowd was gathered.
The merchant was holding a sword that shimmered with light, chanting its virtues like a performer in a theater.
"Behold! The Radiant Serpent Sword! Forged by none other than Master Guo Tian! Tempered in dragonfire and inscribed with Qi-binding runes, its edge can cut through steel as if it were paper! Only one exists, and it could be yours today for just 50,000 Gold!"
The shopkeeper cried, his voice rising over the ambient noise.
A small crowd had gathered, eyes wide and voices full of awe.
Many whispered prayers, hoping they could afford even a glimpse of the legendary artifact.
Zhao Dazhu's gaze locked onto the artifact, and his jaw practically dropped.
"Li Fengyuan… look at the price!" he whispered, his tone a mixture of awe and despair.
Li Fengyuan glanced at him casually.
"Hmm. Expensive?"
Zhao could barely nod, his mind racing.
The price was astronomical—even for a Noble like him, whose family was well-off but not excessively wealthy.
His pocket money could easily cover the cost of a month of meals and he could spend it here and there casually.
But even if he saved for ten years, that wouldn't be nearly enough to buy the Radiant Serpent Sword that was being sold for 50,000 Gold.
"Unless… I stumble upon some abandoned ruin or hidden cache, there's no way I could ever buy something like that," Zhao Dazhu muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
Li Fengyuan said nothing, only walking past the crowd as if the artifact didn't exist. Zhao Dazhu quickly followed, his eyes still on the sword.
As they turned a corner, Zhao Dazhu paused.
Up ahead, amidst a cluster of food stalls and trinket shops, he spotted two familiar figures moving gracefully through the crowd.
Shen Yuyan, calm and composed as ever, walked beside Xiao Mie, who carried herself with quiet poise.
Zhao Dazhu's eyes narrowed instantly. He knew Li Fengyuan well enough to guess what was going on.
"Of course," he muttered under his breath, voice tight with suspicion. "This is his plan. He wants to chase after Shen Yuyan… that's why he came here."
For a second, he thought that Li Fengyuan really had some other plan or intention for coming to such a busy market, but in the end, it was still for Shen Yuyan.
His mind raced, debating whether he should call out or let the young master continue his game.
***
Shen Yuyan and Xiao Mie moved gracefully through the lively crowd, their steps unhurried despite the chaos of the market.
Wherever they walked, several heads turned to glance at them. It was inevitable since they were two of the top beauties of Liangzhuo City.
They stopped at a modest stall draped in silk cloth, where the merchant displayed rows of glimmering bracelets—jade, silver, and even a few lined with faint spiritual inscriptions.
"This one," Shen Yuyan murmured, lifting a pale green jade bracelet to examine against the light.
The surface gleamed softly, elegant and refined. She slid it onto her wrist, turning it slightly.
"How does it look?"
She asked, holding her hand out.
Xiao Mie tilted her head, studying it thoughtfully.
"Hmm… it's nice, but the color blends too much with your skin. It doesn't stand out."
Shen Yuyan looked down, then chuckled lightly.
"You're right. It feels a bit plain."
She set it back on the tray and reached for another—a silver bracelet with a faint blue stone inlaid at the center. Sliding it on, she raised her wrist again.
"This one? Better?"
Xiao Mie's lips curved into a smile.
"Much better! The blue catches the eye, especially when the light hits it. It looks elegant on you."
Shen Yuyan smiled softly, pleased.
"You think so?"
"Mmm. But… try this one too."
Xiao Mie picked up a delicate band woven with fine silver thread, tiny charms dangling from it.
She slipped it onto Shen Yuyan's wrist herself, letting the charms chime softly as they moved.
Shen Yuyan laughed, shaking her head.
"You're making me try everything."
"Well, that's the fun part," Xiao Mie teased. "Besides, you look good in all of them—it's just choosing which one looks best."
The two of them leaned closer over the display, comparing bracelets and exchanging little comments, their voices blending with the cheerful noise of the marketplace.
The moment of gentle peace was broken when a figure appeared from the crowd—Li Fengyuan, walking with his usual lazy elegance.
Both girls stiffened instantly. Shen Yuyan's eyes narrowed, her frown sharp and immediate.
"Did he follow me?"
She muttered. It wasn't the first time.
"Tsk! And here I thought he might have changed a bit. Looks like he's still head over heels for you and doesn't understand restraint."
For a moment, they had almost allowed themselves to believe that Li Fengyuan had changed.
But seeing him here, of all places, chasing into the market where Shen Yuyan happened to be, shattered that fragile thought.
"Li Fengyuan, enough. Can you stop stalking me?"
Zhao Dazhu winced beside him, but Li Fengyuan only tilted his head as though he were genuinely confused.
He was just looking for something and hadn't even noticed that Shen Yuyan and Xiao Mie were almost ahead of him.
"Stalking?"
He chuckled, the sound light and careless, as if the very accusation amused him.
"Shen Yuyan, you misunderstand me. I only just noticed you here. What a coincidence!"
His smile lingered, playful and almost sincere.
There was no way that two of them believed that it was just a coincidence.
Li Fengyuan himself didn't bother trying to convince anyone further.
He knew very well that he brought this onto himself and whether he tell the truth or not, they aren't going to believe him.
Instead, his gaze shifted briefly to Xiao Mie.
"So… bracelets, hm? Did you find one you like?"
Xiao Mie, after a hesitant pause, shook her head.
"Mmm… I'm helping Shen Yuyan choose."
She replied, looking at the shamelessness of Li Fengyuan, changing the topic like it was nothing.
Well, they couldn't press further either, since they had no evidence—and it might really be a coincidence, though very unlikely.
"Is that so? Let me help you!"