Holding a lantern, guiding souls across, Lady Hou comes from the underworld.

The lakeside is not far from Lingjiazhuang.

Xia Ximo followed behind Ling Ling's ghost.

She had no idea when Ren Fengjue had arrived.

But judging from his expression, he seemed to intend to return with me.

Moreover, it was done on foot.

Xia Ximo remained largely silent; she remembered the way back.

Ren Fengjue naturally followed in her footsteps.

The two walked silently side by side along the path by the lake, which made Wuyou, who was forced to stay in the Soul-Crossing Lamp, feel suffocated.

"You two have such a long way to walk, can't you say something to keep us entertained?"

It dared not complain loudly, but only muttered softly.

Xia Ximo still ignored it.

As she looked ahead at the road, she saw the two shadows walking side by side, and a strange feeling welled up inside her.

Perhaps it's because we're used to walking alone that we're not used to having a pair of shadows.

But upon closer reflection, there is no conflict or aversion.

On the contrary, under this clear night sky, there was a sense of contentment.

Realizing this, Xia Ximo paused slightly and glanced at the person beside him.

Ren Fengjue also keenly caught her gaze.

The two exchanged a glance, but then quickly looked away.

Xia Ximo frowned slightly, feeling as if a sticky emotion was instantly swirling inside her.

Something's not right.

Finally, Ren Fengjue spoke.

"I remember... there was a night market ahead of us when we came, why don't we go and take a walk there?"

He made the suggestion without expecting her to agree.

I just felt that at this moment, we had to break the silence.

Heaven knows, when he went to the capital to meet the emperor, the usually composed young Marquis Ren actually panicked in front of a girl.

However, he heard a soft response from the person beside him.

"Um."

She agreed.

Ren Fengjue seemed to find it somewhat unbelievable.

After a slight pause, he remembered to continue, "Right there..."

"I saw it."

Xia Ximo gazed at the bustling street not far away, and his face twitched slightly.

How did I... agree?

She clearly doesn't like crowds.

Ren Fengjue coughed lightly and continued, "I just took a quick look... and there are quite a few trinkets that aren't available in the capital."

"Um."

The voices drew closer, bustling and noisy.

However, when I heard those sounds again, they didn't seem noisy anymore.

Because my heart is even more restless, I need something to cover it up.

The market was indeed bustling, with not only vendors but also many itinerant street performers.

The peddler carried his load on a shoulder pole, shaking the drum at his waist, his shouts rising and falling, one after another, but they couldn't drown out the sounds of children playing and adults scolding him.

A girl with a sweet voice approached, carrying a basket and smiling broadly, followed by two young children.

"Young lady, would you like to buy a comb-shaped incense fan? They're all homemade; no one in the entire Kaiming County has the best craftsmanship."

"Young man, why don't you buy one for your wife?"

"Big brother, please buy one for this lady."

With many pedestrians around and their path blocked, the two had no choice but to stop temporarily.

Ren Fengjue was stared at by three pairs of clear eyes. Without thinking, he took out a silver ingot from his pocket.

His quick action left the salesgirl looking rather embarrassed.

"My lord, I don't have enough money on me. Where can I get change for your silver ingot?"

"No need to look anymore."

He glanced at the goods in the basket and picked out a comb.

Upon seeing this, the girl immediately took another one and handed it to him.

"My lord, good things come in pairs, and a perfect couple is formed. I wish you and your wife a harmonious and happy life together, and that you grow old together in love."

Just as Ren Fengjue was about to explain, the girl, as if afraid he would change his mind, grabbed the two children behind her and ran away in a flash.

Looking at the two bamboo combs in his hands, he could only glance at Xia Ximo beside him.

The latter glanced at him but didn't say a word and continued walking forward.

Ren Fengjue had no choice but to hurry up and catch up with her. He was afraid she would be displeased and wanted to explain, but after thinking about it again, he gave up the idea.

Instead, a slight smile appeared at the corners of her lips.

Xia Ximo seemed to have eyes in the side as well, quickly glancing at him. "What are you laughing at now?"

Ren Fengjue stopped smiling and looked at her. "I wasn't laughing at anything."

Instead, he handed her the comb he was holding and asked, "Miss Xia, aren't you going to choose one?"

"It's not needed."

Her tone remained cold, but a hint of unease flashed across her face.

But Ren Fengjue noticed this slight anomaly.

The further I walked, the denser the crowd became. When I tried to turn around, I found that the area behind me was also crowded with passersby.

The two were standing shoulder to shoulder, when suddenly they heard someone behind them shout, "Make way!"

It turned out to be a folk opera troupe, pushing a cart full of costumes and hurrying this way. The leader bowed and greeted passersby as he walked.

"Excuse me, everyone, there's a gentleman celebrating his birthday ahead who's waiting to watch the show. I'll have to trouble you to make way."

The road was already narrow, so the crowd could only disperse to both sides.

Ren Fengjue was tall and slender, and fearing that Xia Ximo would be squeezed, he quickly reached out his arm and pulled her to his side.

The two of them instantly closed the distance between them even further.

Xia Ximo raised his head slightly and realized that his forehead was only up to the tip of his nose.

So that's how tall it is.

He had a familiar scent, faint, like incense but not quite, I felt like I'd smelled it somewhere before.

She unconsciously moved closer, only then remembering that this was the same fragrance that wafted from the hall of the Ren residence in the capital.

At that moment, she was somewhat dazed, and the figures of Tian Qing, Ren Cong, and several other servants flashed through her mind.

I thought that after leaving, I would never think of it again.

But when I actually think about it, it always comes so suddenly.

Ren Fengjue happened to be looking down at her and noticed her approaching. His heart fluttered slightly, but his body stiffened.

His hand, hanging behind her waist, seemed to want to get closer, but he was restrained by the phrase "stop at propriety" that suddenly popped into his mind.

Sweat was slowly creeping up my palms.

The opera troupe and others finally crossed the street and left, and the crowded people gradually dispersed.

Xia Ximo snapped out of her daze, distanced herself from him, and remained calm.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and said, "Give me one of those."

Ren Fengjue was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. He hesitated for a moment, then took out the two combs from his bosom and handed them to her.

He found it somewhat strange.

Seeing her lower her eyes and carefully select, her two rows of long, delicate eyelashes, like small fans, blinked gently twice, and after a moment, she directly took the one on the right.

There was no explanation.

There was no thank you.

Then, expressionlessly, he placed the comb into the purse containing the lotus lantern. The loose silver, silk, sachets, and other items inside mingled together, making a soft rustling sound.

My wallet instantly bulged.

However, I don't feel so empty inside.