Cheng Shuang didn't take her paranoia to heart.

She certainly didn't think the town in front of her was a normal ancient city. Whether it was the 'glass dome' or the pitch-black, chaotic world outside, everything indicated that this was not the world as ordinary people would see it.

She simply kept a calm mindset to avoid arousing suspicion.

Upon entering the city, the area next to the city gate was a large open space, like a square, with military flags planted on both sides. Cheng Shuang didn't know whether these flags were for decoration or had another purpose. After glancing at them, she focused her attention on the densely packed, interconnected buildings of low houses and towers in front of her.

To be honest, the little girl was somewhat shocked by these cramped houses; she had never seen a place where space was saved to such an extent.

The nearest low house had a small arched bridge built on its upturned roof, just wide enough for one or two people to pass through. At the other end of the bridge was the second floor of the building. Along the second-floor corridor, a spiral staircase suspended externally led to the third floor, and a ladder connected to the fourth floor. A parallel walkway extended from a window on the sloping side of the third floor, leading to another three-story building opposite. On the other side of the third-floor building, several more steps led down to another low house… It was all like this, a haphazard, overlapping architectural style, and the clothes drying outside the windows added a touch of life to this patchwork feel.

The tallest building in her field of vision is only four stories high, with a viewing pavilion on the rooftop overlooking lush grass.

The ancient buildings were predominantly vermilion red, and the wooden carvings were intricate and complex, with many of the painted and carved patterns being exquisite and eye-catching, which also contributed to the unique charm of this city.

It is beautiful and full of life.

So when the frail boy named Tian Sanlang offered to take Cheng Shuang home, Cheng Shuang smiled and firmly refused.

But the brat Cheng Wudong was too lazy to walk more and insisted on parting ways, making a huge fuss.

Cheng Shuang saw that his eyes were fixed on her palm, and she knew that he wanted to get the candy as soon as possible.

Although the young girl was hoping to gather more information, she wasn't a local, and pointing in any direction that wasn't a residential area would arouse suspicion.

She first handed the candy to Cheng Wuchun, waved her hand to thank Tian Sanlang for his kindness, smiled at the three of them, recalled the route on the ticket, and without hesitation, went into a small alley indicated by the red line.

Above her head were bridges and stone pillars, haphazardly interspersed. The occasional double paper windows on the walls on both sides were tightly closed due to the dim light in the narrow alley. Cheng Shuang crouched down and hid in the shadows, looking outside. She saw three children standing still, talking about something, and glancing intermittently toward the alley entrance where she was hiding.

Before long, they walked over.

Cheng Shuang hesitated, biting her lip. The alley was dark and she couldn't tell if it was a dead end. She looked around and finally picked up an overturned, tattered bamboo basket and crawled inside.

Although the bamboo basket was full of holes, it was enough to hide a person in this dimly lit place.

The three children quickly came in, and one of them, Tasaburo, asked in surprise, "Where is everyone? Why did they walk so fast?"

"She's afraid my brother will marry her, hehehe!" The little child laughed in a very lewd way.

"Don't talk nonsense! Who has the mind to get married in this world? Let's go, let's go. If the egg really hatches into a chick, it won't fetch a high price. Let's see if you regret it then." Cheng Wuchun urged impatiently.

"That's strange, isn't this road only leading to Wanxiang Restaurant?"

"She might just be craving something! Brother Tian, ​​let's go! I need to check if there's anything new at the market." Cheng Wudong grabbed Tian Sanlang's arm and pulled him away forcefully.

"What are you thinking about? The monthly Star and Moon Festival is almost here!" Cheng Wuchun scolded his younger brother. "Didn't we agree to save money for Brother Tian's medical treatment?"

"It's alright! My illness hasn't reached that point yet." Tian Saburo smiled, his frail little face filled with regret. "It's such a pity. I was just wondering if she still had any candy. If she did, I could have exchanged some with her." As he spoke, he followed the pull of Cheng Wudong and walked outside.

Chengwu Chun scratched his head, clearly agreeing with Tian Sanlang's words. He glanced back reluctantly before quickly leaving.

Cheng Shuang resisted the urge to get up, but a few seconds later, the three children returned. They silently gazed into the depths of the alley. Several times she thought they would find her, but after a while, the three silently left again.

The little girl wasn't afraid of them; she just didn't want to cause any trouble before the situation became clear. She breathed a slight sigh of relief, made sure they were far away, lifted the bamboo basket, and dusted off the dirt.

Is it because Tasaburo is in poor health that he looks younger and weaker than Shirogo Haru? Is that also why his hands are cold?

Furthermore, what exactly is the monthly Star and Moon Festival? How can it possibly cure illnesses?

Could it be some kind of religious ritual?

Cheng Shuang hesitated for a moment, considering whether to chase after them and continue to probe indirectly. However, the thought of their return made her feel uneasy, so she decided to meet up with the others and make further plans.

A small red dot was not far from her, and the place was very likely the Wanxiang Restaurant they were talking about.

Without hesitation, the little girl plunged into the depths of the alley, constantly observing the buildings on either side as she ran.

Because the backpack's design was too conspicuous, she hadn't brought anything with her, and her skirt had no pockets. Remembering the three children's unusual craving for candy, along the way, the little girl tore off a rectangular coarse cloth that was drying in the shade outside a window, and without stopping, folded it into a crude, misshapen bundle. She unwrapped the candy and scattered it inside, softly murmuring, "Water pouch, loose silver."

With a single outstretched hand, she stuffed the silver coins that had fallen precisely into her palm into her bag, while she filled the empty water pouch with a bottle of mineral water and stuffed it in as well.

Until the road ahead opened up, a limestone-paved road appeared horizontally in front of us, and on the other side of the road was a magnificent building. Unlike the small buildings we had seen on the street before, this building looked exactly like the bathhouse where the spirits rested and bathed in Spirited Away. The horizontal plaque read "Wanxiang Restaurant".

Fortunately, she didn't continue following the three children. She clearly remembered that Tian Sanlang had said that this alley only led to the restaurant, and now it seemed that he had lied to her.

Is the road that runs north-south in front of us just for show?

The little girl became increasingly wary.

She hid herself in the alley, took out her ticket, made sure the red line pointed directly into the restaurant, then straightened her clothes, slung her small bag over her shoulder, and stepped towards the restaurant entrance.

At the entrance of the restaurant stood a young man dressed as a waiter, with a white towel draped over his shoulder. His face, which had initially lit up with a smile upon noticing a customer, softened when he saw Cheng Shuang approaching. He frowned slightly and began to sized Cheng Shuang up and down.

The little girl felt a little uneasy, but she kept her steps steady and walked straight ahead without stopping.

The waiter's gaze shifted from her face to her dress, lingered for a moment, and then he smiled ingratiatingly again, "Sir, are you here for a meal or a stay?"

"Let's get something to eat," Cheng Shuang replied, her eyes looking towards the lobby of the restaurant. It shouldn't be lunchtime yet, as there weren't many people in the lobby, and naturally, Du Jun and the others were nowhere to be seen.