The carriage stopped outside the side gate of Duhuanlou. Hu Tingzhi was afraid that going through the main gate would make too much noise and displease Dongli Xiaoxiao, so he did not let the servants make a fuss.

When Dongli Xiaoxiao was helped out by her maid, she was wearing a veiled hat, and her body exuded a faint fragrance. Her movements were extremely gentle.

Danqiu stood beside the carriage, holding his knife, trying to keep his gaze somewhat detached and deliberately avoiding Dongli Xiaoxiao.

Dongli smiled and, through several layers of thin gauze, recognized Shan Qiu from the figure standing not far away. She walked to the carriage, bent down, and said, "Captain Shan, how have you been?"

Dan Qiu's lips twitched unnaturally, and he groaned, "Hmm."

He turned his head away, not daring to look directly at the beauty before him, even through the veil.

As Dongli smiled and spoke, the fragrance grew stronger, only to be quickly dispersed by the wind.

The servant had already set up a stool, but Dongli smiled and waved his hand, "I'm traveling with Constable Shan, and the yamen isn't far away, so there's no need for a big fuss."

"But the shopkeeper instructed that your face must not be exposed to the wind, and your feet must not touch the ground..." the servant said with difficulty.

Dongli's smiling voice suddenly turned cold, "If he blames you, I'll take the blame for you, what are you afraid of?"

She only wanted to walk with Shan Qiu, even if it was just for a short distance.

If she had known she would end up like this, she should have lingered a little longer when he carried her back from the yamen that day. This was Dongli Xiaoxiao's unspoken selfishness.

Before Shanqiu could say anything more, Dongli Xiaoxiao had already lifted her foot and walked forward, with the servants and maids behind her quickly following after her, even chasing after the precious carriage.

Although the servants who were supposed to be attending to the travelers were not up to par, the people who were clearing the way did a very good job. They scattered silver coins, and passersby ran to both sides to pick them up.

Besides, Dongli Xiaoxiao was wearing a veil, so no one knew her face.

Outside the yamen, Shan Qiu came in first to report: "Sir, Miss Dongli is already waiting outside the yamen."

The man who had slandered Sun Miao'er suddenly changed his expression, becoming sly and shifty-eyed.

"Young master, what's wrong? Did you not expect Miss Dongli to come? Or did you not expect your act to be almost over?"

Sun Miao'er coldly sized him up, guessing that he was probably panicking and trying to figure out how to explain himself.

Soon, the people outside the yamen were cleared to both sides, and Dongli Xiaoxiao slowly walked into the gate of the county yamen under the gaze of the crowd.

"This humble woman, Dongli Xiaoxiao, greets Lord Zhang."

The voice was melodious and sweet, like the song of a nightingale; the gait was graceful and charming, with a hint of flirtatiousness.

The solemn and dignified county government office was softened by the beauty.

Zhang Shengmin hadn't expected the top courtesan of Duhuan Tower to be such a beauty, and was momentarily stunned. He only managed to regain his composure when Dongli Xiaoxiao's voice brought him back to his senses, and said, "Ahem, please don't stand on ceremony, miss."

Do you recognize this man in the audience?

Dongli smiled and shook his head.

Zhang Shengmin then asked, "Where is Manager Sun?"

Dongli Xiaoxiao slightly lifted a corner of her veil and peeked out before pulling it down again. "Your Excellency, Miss Sun is Xiaoxiao's close friend. How could I not know her?"

"This..." Zhang Shengmin nodded in sudden realization, "Then a few days ago, did you give Miss Sun a piece of calligraphy written in your own hand?"

"That is indeed true."

What characters were written?

"My name."

The man below the hall grew increasingly pale, until he almost collapsed to the ground. "Impossible! How could this be? Miss Dongli said she rarely showed her face, how could she know her..."

"How dare you!" Zhang Shengmin slammed his gavel and roared, "You slander and defame others, plotting something sinister! Guards, drag him away and give him thirty strokes of the cane! As a warning to others!"

"yes!"

Before the man could explain, he was dragged outside the hall and struck with a board. He let out a painful scream, which made the onlookers outside feel uneasy. Some even cursed that he deserved it.

"So Manager Sun really knows Miss Xiaoxiao! That person was blind to her greatness!" After the court session ended, the onlookers' attitude changed drastically, and they became exceptionally enthusiastic towards Sun Miao'er.

"For this small token of my appreciation, could Miss Sun please ask Miss Xiaoxiao for a sachet?"

People are already busy stuffing money into Sun Miao'er's hands.

Sun Miao'er refused, saying, "Young master, it's not that I'm unwilling to help you, but Duhuanlou has its own rules. Even if Xiaoxiao and I are good friends, I can't break their rules."

It would have been better if they hadn't gone through the trial. Now that it's over, everyone knows about Sun Miao'er's friendship with Dongli Xiaoxiao. Dongli Xiaoxiao has become a living advertisement for Pingting Fabric Shop, and overnight, demand exceeds supply. Some customers even scramble to buy anything from Pingting Fabric Shop, even if they can't get a custom-made item.

Taking advantage of the situation, Sun Miao'er brought out all her previous stock, which was also snapped up.

"Shopkeeper, how exactly do you know Dongli Xiaoxiao? She's a big shot in Pingnan City!" Liu'er secretly ran over to Sun Miao'er during the break after closing time to ask her.

Sun Miao'er has been making so much money these past few days that her hands are sore from collecting it. Luckily, Lu Huan came and could help with the accounts, otherwise she would have really worn her hands out by herself.

"Your shopkeeper is charming, what else could it be?" Sun Miao'er's eyebrows lit up with joy as she watched the silver flow in.

Once I've saved up some money, I can do something else, like opening a small restaurant.

“And…” came a man’s voice from outside.

Liu'er didn't even look at him before preparing to leave, saying, "We're closed. Come early tomorrow."

Sun Miao'er looked up and saw who it was. "Officer Shan, what brings you here? It's chilly outside, come in and let's talk."

Liu'er's expression immediately changed, and she went up to greet him, "So you're an official, I'm so sorry for the intrusion!"

Liu'er scratched her head sheepishly, "Sir, why didn't you wear some official robes? How could I possibly recognize you? I'm so sorry for the offense!"

Dan Qiu completely ignored Liu'er and asked Sun Miao'er, "Miss Sun, do you still have that kind of cloth?"

"Which one?" Sun Miao'er was completely confused.

Danqiu's face flushed in the darkness, and he whispered, "The kind with embroidery."

Sun Miao'er was about to reply that the shop had plenty of embroidered items, but she immediately realized which one he wanted. "That...that one is long gone, but if Constable Shan needs it, we can have it."

"Never mind if you don't have any. I was just asking. Miss Sun, there's no need to save any for me."

He had little work at the yamen today and finished early. On his way home, he heard people talking about Pingting Cloth Shop, and inexplicably, he ran over there.

After the court session ended that day, he escorted Dongli Xiaoxiao back to Duhuanlou. Along the way, Dongli Xiaoxiao talked to him about many things, such as the nice weather and which restaurant had good food, and he agreed with them.

He was a bit cold-faced, but he wasn't stupid. How could he not feel the warmth from that girl who was so aloof and cold like the moon?