Song Mai quickly stepped forward, ripped the clothes off his hand, and curled up into a ball.

"I threw it away."

The man stopped her.

"Why throw it away? Keep it, you might need it."

Song Mai blushed as red as a boiled shrimp and threw the clothes into the trash can without hesitation.

Chu Xing's eyes darkened, and he said nothing more.

The next morning, the two arrived in the ancient city. After putting their luggage back in the hotel, Song Mai went straight to the busiest street in the ancient city.

That day coincided with the opening of the fishing festival in Zicheng, and the ancient city was at its most lively.

Stalls selling all sorts of souvenirs and vendors selling various snacks came out, and Song Mai had a great time browsing. She would look at this and buy that, all of them cheap little things, and she didn't hesitate to buy them.

In no time, he had bought a whole bagful, stuffing his bag to the brim.

She then picked out a tie-dye dress for Lin Ran, which was fresh, elegant, and had a strong ethnic flavor.

After paying, she skipped and hopped forward with her bag on her back.

The man followed behind her, carrying several bags in his hands.

He offered to pay for her several times, but she refused each time.

Song Mai walked all the way to the end of the ancient city, until the bustling streets were no longer in sight, before stopping.

Besides being a tourist attraction, the ancient city is also home to many local residents.

Under a bridge, several middle-aged women dressed in ethnic costumes were washing fruits and vegetables in the stream, chatting idly in their local dialect from time to time, sounding very happy.

It was lunchtime, and many households in the ancient city had already started to smoke from their chimneys. The smoke curled up between the tiled roofs, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Song Mai watched this scene with longing in her eyes.

I wish I could live here forever.

Hearing her thoughts, Chu Xing turned his head to look at her.

Do you like it here?

She nodded earnestly: "I like it very much."

This is the kind of life she longs for. She doesn't have any lofty ambitions; she just wants a stable job and a small family of her own.

I'm busy with work during the workday, and I enjoy life after work. I cook, grow flowers, and have a few friends to go out with occasionally. It would be even better if I could have someone I like by my side. Of course, it's okay if I don't have that.

It's already quite an achievement to be able to complete the previous few tasks.

Have you ever thought about settling down here?

Song Mai's eyes lit up for a moment, then dimmed again.

She hadn't thought about it, because it was something she wouldn't even dare to imagine.

She longed to settle down here, but she couldn't. She didn't have much money in her pocket and couldn't afford a house in Zicheng. If she rented a place while working, she would be a typical wage earner.

She wasn't in the mood to appreciate the beauty of the Forbidden City, and besides, she might not be able to find a job like hers in the Forbidden City.

Therefore, the most important thing to achieve your ideal life is not settling down in Zicheng, but having the means to go wherever you want.

But she clearly didn't.

"Maybe one day I will really settle down here, but not now, I can't do it now."

The man stared at her intently, his gaze exceptionally focused.

What if I said I'd help you make it happen?

Although he and Song Mai had a prenuptial agreement that they would not divide their assets after their divorce, he began to feel more and more sorry for her as they spent more time together.

Since she is truly a good person and takes such good care of the old man, even without this marriage, it is only right to thank her.

Besides, he can no longer treat her the way he used to. His feelings for her grew from the bottom of his heart, and once they sprouted, they grew wildly and uncontrollably.

He thought that after their divorce, he would help her achieve the life she wanted.

She has suffered too much in the past twenty-odd years, and he hopes that she can have a better life in the future.

Song Mai glanced at him with interest: "How do you plan to make it happen? If I'm not mistaken, you're still being supported by me."

She didn't mean to look down on him, but she didn't take his words seriously at all.

Chu Xing opened his mouth, but swallowed the words back.

He almost forgot that in front of Song Mai, he wasn't the all-powerful Master Yun, but a penniless young man.

What he just said was somewhat ill-considered.

After considering it for a moment, he said, "After all, I'm starting my own business. Maybe one day my company will go public, and then giving you a house will be a piece of cake."

Song Mai took it as a joke and patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "Then I'll be counting on you. If I become rich and powerful, don't forget me!"

The woman smiled, her eyes crinkling, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling with life, completely erasing her earlier dejection.

The two stood by the stream for a while longer, and Song Mai suggested that they go get something to eat.

Chu Xing's phone was out of battery, so he asked Song Mai to choose a restaurant to wait for him while he went to get a power bank from his car.

Song Mai randomly chose one of the restaurants that all had signs advertising local specialties of the ancient city.

The restaurant wasn't very big, but it had a classic and elegant feel, giving it a unique charm.

She chose a seat by the window and sat down, flipping through the menu while waiting for Chu Xing to come over.

However, when she returned from the restroom, she accidentally bumped into someone.

The man had dark skin and didn't look like a typical Chinese person. He was originally sitting at the corner of the table, but he stood up just as Song Mai was passing by, and the two bumped into each other.

Following her principle of not causing trouble while out and about, Song Mai quickly apologized, "I'm sorry."

However, after seeing Song Mai, the man looked directly at the middle-aged man sitting in the main seat and said a few words in a language that Song Mai couldn't understand.

The middle-aged man immediately looked at Song Mai, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

The next second, the dark-skinned man grabbed Song Mai's wrist, his eyes flashing with malice.

Song Mai didn't know what they meant, so she quickly asked the restaurant staff and other diners for help.

But the people at this table seemed to be some very important figures.

The restaurant staff and owner looked at the group with horrified expressions, while the other diners were tourists who preferred to mind their own business.

A short man stood up next to the dark-skinned man. He seemed to have been chewing betel nuts for a long time, and his teeth were all rotten. His mouth was so red that it looked like he had just drunk blood, which was quite alarming.

He said in broken Chinese, "Our boss has taken a liking to you. Come with us and stay with our boss tonight!"

Hearing this, Song Mai was speechless.

Is there something wrong with her appearance?

Few locals approached her; it was mostly foreigners who were interested in her. Last time it was that Westerner, and this time it was this group of Southeast Asians.

She glanced at the short man, then forcefully shook off the hand gripping her wrist.

"This is not your country, nor is it ancient times. The practice of forcibly abducting women is not common here."