To be honest, sometimes he didn't understand why his family, with such a cold personality, would like someone like Young Master Huaiyue.

Could it be because the other person looks like the one from back then?

Or is it because the adult is cold-hearted that he likes the arrogant and domineering personality of Young Master Huaiyue, and the two complement each other perfectly?

"Give it to me." Song Ting took the bowl and then coaxed Huai Xu, "It will take another hour to get to the mountain. If you don't eat, your body won't be able to handle it."

Chu Huaixu still refused to eat: "It's hot, I have no appetite."

Song Ting scooped up a wonton, blew on it until it was no longer hot, and then fed it to him: "Eat as many as you can. After you finish, have Xiao Wu go buy some chilled watermelon to eat on the way."

"There's chilled watermelon here?" Chu Huaixu finally showed some interest. "Why didn't you say so earlier? Were you just waiting for me to die of heat?"

Taking the opportunity, Song Ting fed the wonton into her mouth: "Then you must have been yelling for it just now."

"..." Chu Huaixu glared at him. "You did this on purpose?"

Song Ting's expression softened, and she smiled slightly: "So eat quickly, and then we'll go buy some more."

“I have my own money, I can go buy it now,” Chu Huaixu said somewhat defiantly.

Song Ting blew on another wonton to cool it down and said, "No, the boss knows me well. If I don't let him sell it, he won't dare to sell it."

Chu Huaixu: "..."

Chu Huaixu was furious. He absolutely hated being suppressed by Song Ting, especially since Song Ting's status, position, and martial arts skills were all superior to his own. He was no match for her and could only retaliate with words:

"As expected, this is how you have ruined the reputation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. First you bullied five- or six-year-old children, and now you're even targeting poor shopkeepers. You are truly shameless."

"Yes," Song Ting readily admitted, "It's shameless."

Xiao Wu squatted to the side, covering his right cheek. The imperial guard next to him casually asked, "Brother Xiao Wu, what's wrong? Does your tooth hurt?"

Xiao Wu said, "Yes, it's so sour it makes your teeth ache."

The words had barely left his mouth when a hidden weapon grazed his brow bone and embedded itself in the tree trunk behind him. Xiao Wu jumped up with a scream in fright—

"Aaaaaah... That was close!"

Turning my head, I realized it was just a leaf, but it was now embedded in the tree trunk, truly going deep into the wood.

"..." Xiao Wu swallowed hard, meeting his master's warning gaze. He swallowed again, "...Master, hehehe, I was wrong, I'll get out of here right now!"

Chu Huaixu laughed heartily beside him, then shook his head and said with a regretful tone, "It's a pity that your aim was a little off, sir. Next time you should aim for the center of your forehead and kill him with one blow."

Xiao Wu: "...?"

No wonder the stories describe her as a "femme fatale"; her heart was truly more ruthless than a venomous snake...

"Young Master Huaiyue, I was wrong, I was really wrong..."

"If you admit your mistakes and correct them, I won't spare your life. I'm bored right now, why don't you dance?" Huai Xu said lightly, "to relieve my boredom."

Xiao Wu was completely bewildered: "Huh?"

"You don't know how?" Chu Huaixu seemed disappointed. "I thought you people who came from the secret guards would know how to do anything to complete a mission."

"What palm dance, sword dance, drum dance...aren't these basic skills?" He became more and more disgusted as he spoke, pushing Song Ting's hand away. "It's boring, I don't want to eat anymore."

Xiao Wu: "..."

He looked at Song Ting, hoping that his master wouldn't go so far as to grant Huaiyue such a request.

The latter remained expressionless, yet coldly commanded him: "Jump."

Xiao Wu: "..."

Amidst Xiao Wu's chaotic gestures, Chu Huaixu finally finished his bowl of wontons, and Song Ting indeed took him to buy watermelons.

Originally, they planned to ask Xiao Wu to go, but Huai Xu said he was getting restless from sitting for too long and wanted to walk around by himself, so the two of them went by themselves.

"Handsome brothers! What brings you here!"

Chen Xiaobao was serving her father her cold tea with a serious expression when she saw Chu Huaixu walking towards her from afar. She completely forgot about the tea and her father and rushed into Chu Huaixu's arms like an arrow.

She kept calling his name while laughing, her two dimples on her face were especially cute, and her pigtails swayed back and forth.

In contrast, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard next to him had a face even darker than the black python robe he was wearing.

Chu Huaixu, however, seemed completely oblivious to his displeasure, pinching Chen Xiaobao's chubby cheeks and saying, "Because we're going to buy a big watermelon."

Chen Xiaobao nestled in his arms, wanting to be held. Chu Huaixu realized this and said, "Sorry, Xiaobao, I can't carry you."

Chen Xiaobao looked somewhat regretful, but tilted his head back to comfort Chu Huaixu: "It's okay, can we hold hands then?"

"Sure," Chu Huaixu said with a smile.

"That's great!"

The two held hands, and Chen Xiaobao, who was very familiar with the area, led Chu Huaixu and said, "Brother, let me take you there. I know whose watermelons are the sweetest."

Song Ting followed silently behind, her face no longer simply described as black; it was a mixture of black and blue, blue and purple.

If Xiao Wu or Qi Zhou were here right now, they would definitely be in a state of trepidation, because if they usually have this expression on their faces, it usually means that someone is about to lose their head.

"Aren't you afraid I'll take you and sell you off if you keep following me like this?" Chu Huaixu teased her on purpose.

Chen Xiaobao shook his head: "I'm not afraid. My brother doesn't look like a bad person at all, and he smells so good."

"Hahahaha..." This little girl is so funny. Chu Huaixu hasn't found it so funny in a long time. He laughed so hard that tears almost came out.

"Little one, let me tell you, never be easily deceived by a person's appearance. The prettier they are, the more likely they are to lie, and the more obedient they look, the more ruthless they are."

Chen Xiaobao was still young and blinked, not quite understanding, but every word he said was like a loud slap across Song Ting's face, leaving him stunned.

These words were less a warning from Huai Xu to Chen Xiaobao and more a veiled jab at Song Ting. Song Ting lowered his head further, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists at his sides.

He started to feel jealous again. Before, he was jealous of Xiao An, and now he was jealous of this little girl who appeared out of nowhere.

It seems that everyone can win Huaixu's favor and make him happy, while he alone is hated and resented.

But this person used to like him the most.

"Brother?" Chen Xiaobao suddenly turned his head, his big, black gem-like eyes looking at Song Ting. "Do you want to hold hands too?"

To be honest, Chen Xiaobao was a little afraid of this young man in black. He looked fierce and seemed to dislike her. His gaze was terrifying.

But Chen Xiaobao also felt that he looked a little sad and pitiful, like the big black dog that Grandma Sun at the steamed bun shop kept.

Dahei was kicked out of Grandma Sun's house for stealing the meat filling that Grandma Sun was going to use to make steamed buns, and she never let it come home again.