As they spoke, they arrived at the flower hall. Yan Shiren and the others had all gone out to run errands, leaving Zhao Shu in charge of the vast Jiangnan Prefecture. Su Xiu and the others served tea and stepped aside so as not to disturb the two of them.

"You're a dog if you lie to me." Zhao Shu rarely acted like a child. She had been feeling really depressed these days. How could she let someone she could joke with get away with it?

Huo Baichuan moved closer to her, their faces almost touching, and woofed.

Zhao Shu was speechless.

"I came to see you, but that was a lie. I brought you some seasonings, that's for sure." He looked at Zhao Shu with a half-smile. She's grown up. The little girl who used to be so fierce and world-weary has now blossomed into a graceful young woman.

"Heh." Zhao Shu rolled her eyes at him disdainfully. "Don't say it again if you're not going to."

"Fine, don't beg me then." He felt no pressure whatsoever, sitting there like a lord. "Don't your maids get hot crammed together in one place?"

Zhao Shu looked around the flower hall. It was only fifty square meters. Was it crowded? If she wanted to get rid of them, she should have just said so. Since they wouldn't say so directly, she would pretend she didn't know.

Seeing that she remained unmoved, Huo Baichuan said, "Sigh, things aren't very peaceful in the capital lately, Prince Yong..." He glanced at Zhao Shu, "Never mind, anyway, some people don't want to hear it."

Zhao Shu grinned at him and waved for Xiao Guozi and the others to leave, but then she noticed that Xiao Pang and Duo Zi were nowhere to be seen. She asked suspiciously, "You didn't bring anyone with you?"

"I didn't bring Jiangnan Prefecture with me." His eyes were open and honest, not like he was lying. "I don't know the way, so don't lose me."

Zhao Shu recalled that back in the capital, he had also said that he didn't know the way, and that he had managed to get lost in the Yongwang Mansion, which was such a small place, and ended up in her Qionghua Courtyard.

"Tell me quickly, what brings you to Jiangnan?" Zhao Shu brought up the previous question again.

Huo Baichuan looked at her with a fake smile, "Afraid of being threatened by me, you don't even ask about your father anymore?"

Zhao Shu looked down on him with arrogance, "We agreed that you would protect my father. If anything happened to him, why would you come to Jiangnan to cause trouble for me?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, you're really not someone to mess with. Looks like you don't know what it means to pick a fight. I'll teach you today." He reached out and pulled Zhao Shu into his arms. "This is called picking a fight, got it?"

"You scoundrel!" Zhao Shu slapped him across the face.

He couldn't dodge in time and took a solid slap, but luckily it hit his shoulder. He tightened his grip and hugged her even more tightly. "Believe it or not, I'll call you a pervert for molesting me?"

Zhao Shu: ...A million mythical beasts were galloping through my mind. Shouldn't she be the one shouting "molestation"?