Places I want to go
In the past few days, Qian Jin's storage bag has become increasingly full, and the smile in her eyes and brows cannot be hidden.
That day, as the sun was setting, the two had just finished tallying their recent gains on a scenic mountaintop. Looking at her smug, money-grubbing expression, Ao Ming suddenly spoke:
"Qian Jin, you've saved up a little money now. Maybe... you could try something you've never tried before? You don't always have to think about saving money."
Upon hearing this, Qian Jin immediately clutched the bulging storage bag at her waist warily, sizing Ao Ming up and down: "What do you want? I'm warning you, you can't trick me into spending money! My spirit stones are all for legitimate purposes!"
Ao Ming was amused by her reaction and hurriedly explained, "I mean, is there anywhere you want to go? I'll pay... Just think, if you don't care about the cost, what place would you most like to go? Or what would you like to do? I... I'll take you out to play." As he finished speaking, his voice lowered and his gaze drifted into the distance, as if he had just mentioned it casually.
Qian Jin was stunned, tilting her head as she seriously considered it. Not considering money? This was a completely new proposition for her.
She counted on her fingers: "I really never thought of that... Hmm, I heard that the roofs of the imperial city are all covered with glazed tiles, and they glow at night? And..."
Her eyes lit up suddenly, and she grabbed Ao Ming's arm: "I know! I want to see the Imperial Treasury! That legendary place that's supposedly overflowing with gold, silver, and rare treasures, the richest place in the world! What does it look like? Is it really piled high with gold and pearls scattered like grains of rice on the ground? Ao Ming! Take me to see it! Just for a glimpse!"
Ao Ming: "..." He had imagined countless answers: famous mountains and rivers, immortal realms, even bustling lantern festivals and markets... but he never expected this! Go, go visit the Imperial Treasury?! What's wrong with this woman's brain?!
His expression shifted from anticipation to astonishment, then to a sense of "I should have known," before finally settling into a long sigh, tinged with indulgence: "...Okay."
That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high... no, the moonlight was bright and clear. Two figures, like ghosts, silently sneaked into the heavily guarded imperial city.
For a dragon of Ao Ming's cultivation level, evading the eyes and ears of mortal guards was not difficult. He pulled Qian Jin along, and with a few leaps, he accurately located the treasury deep within the imperial city, surrounded by layers of formations and high walls.
Qian Jin looked at the huge door, her little hands turning cold with excitement.
Ao Ming condensed a wisp of azure water elemental power at his fingertips, which, like the most exquisite key, silently seeped into and temporarily calmed the protective restrictions on the door. The heavy mechanism emitted a very slight "click," and the door opened a crack.
The two slipped inside.
The moment they entered, the door quietly closed behind them.
Inside, there was no dazzling golden light to blind people.
Within the vast space, rows of towering black iron shelves stood neatly arranged, upon which countless boxes and brocade cases were arranged in categories. Inside the open boxes were neatly stacked gold and silver ingots, their dark luster flowing under the soft light of the luminous pearls; the boxes contained various pearls, agates, jade, corals…
Everything was orderly, solemn, and even carried a sense of imposing authority.
Qian Jin stood there dumbfounded, her mouth agape, her eyes wide open, as if she were in an extremely luxurious yet cold and orderly dream.
She didn't gasp or rush forward; she simply walked slowly between the rows of shelves, her gaze greedily sweeping over the objects that represented endless wealth, and extending her fingers to lightly brush the cool metal surfaces.
"So...this is the Imperial Treasury..." she murmured to herself, her voice filled with amazement and an almost devout longing. "I...I must get a small one someday! Just a small one!" She suddenly turned to Ao Ming, her eyes shining brightly. "I'll use a storage magic item to partition off a small space, and fill it with spirit stones and treasures! Not many, but there must be some! When I'm tired or annoyed, I can go in, sit for a while, and touch them...and all my worries will disappear!"
Looking at her earnest, dream-filled expression, Ao Ming was momentarily at a loss for how to react.
After leaving the vault, the two leaped onto the glazed tile roof of the tallest palace in the vicinity.
The night of the imperial city unfolds beneath my feet, with the lights of thousands of homes scattered like stars, and the faint sound of the water clock echoing in the distance.
A night breeze swept by, bringing a touch of coolness.
Qian Jin was still engrossed in her grand plan for her "private treasury," gesturing excitedly. Ao Ming sat beside her, looking at her profile outlined by the moonlight, listening to her chattering plans, and felt a surge of tenderness in his heart.
He quietly, little by little, moved his hand toward Qian Jin's hand, which was resting on the roof tile. His heart was pounding, and his fingertips were even slightly cold with nervousness. Just as his little finger was about to touch hers!
"Who are you, fellow Daoist, venturing into the forbidden area of the imperial city at night?"
Several powerful auras suddenly appeared, accompanied by deep, authoritative questioning. From the darkness, several guardian beasts of varying shapes, shrouded in spiritual light, materialized, their gazes sharp as lightning, locking onto the two figures on the rooftop. They had clearly sensed the subtle fluctuations in the vault's protective barrier and were following the trail.
"Not good! Run!" Ao Ming's expression changed, and he instantly stood up. His first reaction was to pull Qian Jin away, fearing that her cultivation level was not high enough to run slowly. He was even prepared to pick her up by the waist and use water escape techniques.
Just as he stretched out his hand, there was a "whoosh" sound next to him!
Qian Jin had already darted out like a startled rabbit, his movements incredibly agile. In just a few leaps, he was already more than ten feet away, his speed so fast that it even stirred up a small breeze!
Ao Ming: "..." He was stunned for a moment, then quickly gathered his spiritual power and flew to catch up. Upon seeing this, the divine beasts immediately roared and chased after them.
A sudden rooftop chase ensued in the imperial city.
Ao Ming exerted all his strength and finally caught up with Qian Jin in a dark alley far from the capital. He leaned against the wall, slightly out of breath, and looked at Qian Jin, who was calm and composed, and whose hair was not even messed up. His feelings were complicated and hard to describe.
"I...I didn't expect..." Ao Ming gasped for breath, sincerely admiring, "Your escape...is quite professional."
Qian Jin proudly raised his chin and dusted off the corner of his clothes: "That's right!"
Having survived the ordeal, the two exchanged a smile, and the atmosphere relaxed.
After a few jokes, Qian Jin suddenly tugged at Ao Ming's sleeve, her eyes sparkling with a new wave of curiosity: "Ao Ming, there's a place I've never been to before, and I've heard it's really interesting!"
"Hmm? Where?" Ao Ming asked in a good mood.
"I want to go to Qinglou to take a look!"
Ao Ming stumbled and nearly fell: "You...where did you say?! Do you even know what kind of place that is?!"
Qian Jin answered innocently and matter-of-factly, "I know! Isn't it just a place where a bunch of really pretty girls with sweet voices who can sing and dance get together? I've heard the snacks there are really delicious! I've always wanted to go and check it out!"
Ao Ming: "..." He tried to explain, "It's not...it's mainly...sigh!" Looking into Qian Jin's clear and inquisitive eyes, he realized that he couldn't explain it to her or refuse her!
Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "...Fine! I'll take you! But you have to change into men's clothing!"
A moment later, two elegant young men arrived at the entrance of "Ruanxiang Pavilion," one of the most prestigious brothels in the capital. One was aloof and noble, the other charming and handsome, immediately attracting the attention of the women at the entrance.
Especially Ao Ming, whose innate noble bearing and unparalleled handsome appearance made him seem like a pearl in the night. The moment he entered, before he could even react, he was surrounded by a group of fragrant, brightly dressed girls, giggling and laughing. One offered him a wine glass, another flirted, their soft words and warm hospitality leaving him flustered and frozen in place…
At first, Qian Jin looked around curiously, finding Ao Ming's embarrassed appearance amusing. Suddenly, he realized that more and more girls were surrounding him, almost overwhelming him.
She frowned slightly, feeling inexplicably unhappy.
Just as Ao Ming was wondering how to escape, the "refined young master" suddenly pushed through the crowd, grabbed his arm, and practically clung to him. Then, raising his chin, he swept his fierce, possessive gaze over the surrounding girls and announced crisply:
"Get out of the way! This is my man!"
In an instant, all was silent.
All the girls were stunned by the domineering manner of this "young master," and then burst into even more enthusiastic laughter, but they also wisely dispersed.
Ao Ming froze completely.
The warm touch on his arm and Qian Jin's words "my person" exploded in his mind like a thunderbolt, causing his heart to stop beating. Then he started pounding his drums frantically, his ears turning bright red.
Has she...finally realized something? Is she jealous? Has she admitted it?
He looked down at Qian Jin, who was sitting right next to him, with disbelief, immense surprise, and anticipation.
But after chasing away those women, Qian Jin breathed a satisfied sigh of relief, then looked up at him with a bright, innocent, and purely playful smile, and said loudly and matter-of-factly:
"Ao Ming! You agreed that you'd be paying today, right? Hurry up and order your food! The most expensive one!"
Ao Ming: "..." A heart that had just soared to the ninth heaven fell solidly back to the ground with a "splat".
He took a deep breath, expressionless, and squeezed out two words through gritted teeth: "…………I, buy."
...
Ao Ming was initially worried that some lecherous men might have designs on Qian Jin, but he found that his worries were completely unnecessary.
Qian Jin entered the private room and initially pulled a few seemingly skillful women to play cards with her. After losing a few coins, she complained that she had "bad luck" and decisively stopped. Then she focused all her attention on the song and dance performance in front of her and the endless stream of exquisite food. She watched intently and ate with great concentration, completely immersed in her own world.
Ao Ming sat next to her, completely oblivious to the singing and dancing; his gaze was almost constantly fixed on Qian Jin's face.
Watching her eyes widen during a captivating Hu Xuan dance, watching her squint with satisfaction as she tasted a delicious snack, her cheeks puffing out like a little squirrel storing food, watching her completely oblivious to the ambiguous and alluring atmosphere around her... I felt that the person in front of me was more beautiful than any performance, and my heart softened completely.
At this moment, Qian Jin, who was staring at the dancer's flowing sleeves and still looking ahead, casually said, "Hey, Ao Ming, I didn't realize that your face is quite popular with young ladies."
Ao Ming's heart skipped a beat, and his fingers tightened slightly around the wine glass. He was afraid he was overthinking things, yet he couldn't help feeling a secret joy because of those words. He gave a soft "hmm" in response, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.
He picked up a chilled lychee, carefully peeled off its red shell to reveal the translucent flesh inside, and naturally offered it to Qian Jin's lips. Qian Jin was so engrossed in watching that she opened her mouth to take it without even looking, her tongue inadvertently brushing against his fingertip.
Ao Ming's fingertips trembled, and a tiny electric current instantly surged through his entire body.
Qian Jin, however, remained oblivious, her eyes still fixed on the stage, and mumbled a praise: "Mmm! Sweet! More!"
So Ao Ming stood by contentedly, acting as the helper who peeled and pitted the shells.
Qian Jin's eyes would glance at any plate of pastries or fruit, and he would immediately hand them to her or feed them directly to her mouth. Qian Jin was never polite, eating with a clear conscience, occasionally even giving orders: "That lotus seed paste pastry looks good!" "Hey, bring me some of that plate of grapes."
One was fed naturally, and the other ate with great enthusiasm.
Qian Jin thought to himself: No wonder everyone likes to come to Qinglou! It really is a great place!
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