They couldn't get an answer from Xiao Ji, nor from Granny Hua or Jing Xiuming.

Shang Changge planned to go to the palace later to ask the beauty's younger brother, mainly about what Xiao Ji and Granny Hua had traded.

The secret passages in the palace weren't that important, because in the near future, the cold palace and the dilapidated temple would connect to them.

They will be converted into a palace for the emperor to rest and a temple for the land god, respectively. Both sides will be heavily guarded, so there shouldn't be any major problems.

However,

Not long after Shang Changge left the Ghost Market, Xiao Ji came looking for her.

Shiyixuan

Shang Changge's antique shop, after renovation, is doing very well and has good income. At this moment, it is in a private room on the fifth floor.

Shang Changge sat elegantly in her chair, looking at the uninvited General Xiao and asking with a playful smile, "General Xiao sent someone to spy on me?"

Xiao Ji came over, picked Shang Changge up and held her in his arms, took Shang Changge's seat, and drank the tea that Shang Changge had half-finished.

After finishing the drink, he captured the beautiful woman's red lips and kissed her sweet scent before answering:

"No, it's just that we have some informants in the ghost market."

Xiao Ji felt perfectly at ease with his actions, and Shang Changge also felt perfectly at ease lying in Xiao Ji's broad arms.

Her hand touched the man's cold, handsome face; a lazy, amused smile played at the corners of his eyes and brows on his noble, aloof expression.

"Xiao Ji, you're getting more and more outrageous."

Xiao Ji took the woman's hand and kissed her fingertips, his expression mirroring Shang Changge's with a smile: "Does the princess not like it?"

Shang Changge: ...

Very well, I've got her figured out again. She loves General Xiao's flamboyant and frivolous style.

Shang Changge said whatever came to mind, expressing her feelings directly. After finishing her sentence, she asked, "Aren't you busy? Or are you done with your work?"

General Xiao has been very busy lately, and the two have seen each other much less often.

Xiao Ji is straightforward and speaks his mind; he's good at expressing love and jealousy.

His thin lips captured Shang Changge's luscious, full lips, biting and nibbling them lightly, until Shang Changge's lips were numb and slightly swollen before he let go.

"I heard that the princess went to the ghost market to see Jing Xiuming, and I'm incredibly jealous."

I dropped everything and rushed over; nothing is more important than the princess.

Shang Changge licked her lips, emphasizing her honesty: "I just wanted to ask him something, nothing more."

Her bright red nail polish lightly grazed the man's prominent, sensual Adam's apple, regaining the upper hand:

"Since you wouldn't tell me, I'll go find someone else..."

Xiao Ji's Adam's apple bobbed, and his mellow voice was extremely gentle and sincere: "What do you want to know? I will tell you everything I know."

Shang Changge was somewhat skeptical of General Xiao's nonsense, but decided to give it a try and asked anyway:

"I want to know about your deal with Granny Flower."

Xiao Ji answered decisively, as if he had been prepared: "She wants the Blood Jade, and I spent some time and effort on it."

Shang Changge: "Blood Jade?"

Shang Changge didn't quite understand, and couldn't find any words similar to "blood jade" in the original owner's memories.

Xiao Ji explained, "It's considered a good medicine for treating illnesses and strengthening the body, but it's quite rare."

Shang Changge believed him somewhat: "Besides the blood jade, do you have any other requests? Do you want one piece or several? Is everything settled?"

Xiao Ji: "She only wants the Blood Jade, it seems she wants to use it to save someone. She wants five pieces, but I only gave her three, and I'm still looking for the other two."

Shang Changge nodded, subconsciously expressing her gratitude clearly: "Changze and I will search together. Thank you for your hard work, General Xiao."

Xiao Ji punished Shang Changge by pinching his cheek to express his dissatisfaction, and corrected him by emphasizing, "Between you and me, there is no need for thanks."

Shang Changge swallowed back the words she was about to say, because she recalled her self-reflection on her way to the Ghost Market earlier that day.

then,

Shang Changge swallowed the unnecessary words; sincerity begets sincerity, and General Xiao was no stranger.

Why should she be so harsh on General Xiao? Why should she keep such a clear distinction between them?

"Mwah!"

A soft, resounding kiss landed on Xiao Ji's lips. Their eyes met, and Shang Changge's beautiful eyes shimmered with a knowing look, as if asking a question she already knew the answer to:

"What if I express my gratitude in this way?"