He suddenly stopped talking, his mouth cmping shut as his entire body froze in pce.

  The street was already deserted when, all of a sudden, a graceful figure appeared, walking toward them.

  The moment Guo Dalu saw her, his eyes froze in pce.

  For someone to make Guo Dalu stare like that, it had to be a girl—a beautiful girl.

  And not just beautiful, but stunningly so.

  She was dressed in a simple, coarse-fabric outfit, yet no matter what she wore, it would look good on her. Guo Dalu had rarely, if ever, seen a woman with such a perfect figure.

  She carried two rge baskets in her hands. Normally, anyone carrying baskets that big would waddle like a crab when they walked.

  But even with them, her movements were elegant—so captivating that one couldn't help but stare. If she weren′t carrying those baskets, Guo Dalu might have been so mesmerized that his eyes would have popped out of their sockets.

  At first, the girl didn't seem to notice them, but when she caught a glimpse of Guo Dalu′s utterly entranced expression, she couldn′t help but press her lips together and fsh a charming smile.

  Guo Dalu′s heart immediately started pounding like a drum—thump, thump, thump—and even after she had disappeared around the street corner, he remained standing there, utterly dazed.

  A long while passed before he finally let out a deep sigh and said, "This pce truly is full of hidden dragons."

  Yan Qi chuckled, "I′d say it′s not hiding dragons, but phoenixes."

  Guo Dalu nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes! Absolutely right! The old saying goes, ‘Within ten steps, there′s always beauty’—and it couldn′t be more true!" Then, suddenly straightening his posture, he asked, "So, what do you think? How do I look?"

  Yan Qi looked Guo Dalu up and down before replying, “Not bad. You′re tall, have big, bright eyes, and when you smile, you seem quite likable.”

  Guo Dalu asked, “If you were a girl, would you fall for me?”

  Yan Qi pressed his lips together in a smile and said, "Maybe...”

  Guo Dalu suddenly noticed that Yan Qi’s smile was not only charming but also had a certain feminine quality to it. Amused, he ughed and said, “But if you were a girl, I doubt any man in the world could handle you.”

  Yan Qi′s face stiffened. “And I doubt there are many women who could handle you either.”

  Guo Dalu protested, “Why not? Didn′t you just say I look pretty good?”

  Yan Qi replied, “Yes, but you′re also dirty, zy, and unreliable. No woman would ever go for a man like that.”

  Guo Dalu chuckled. “That′s only because you′re not a woman. Women actually love men like me—this is what real masculinity looks like.”

  Yan Qi looked as if he was about to be sick. Grimacing, he said, “Do you really think that girl was interested in you?”

  Guo Dalu decred confidently, “Of course! Why else would she smile at me?”

  Yan Qi held back a ugh and said, “There are many kinds of smiles. A girl might smile when she sees someone looking clueless, and she might also smile when she sees a toad or Zhu Bajie.”

  Guo Dalu was furious, almost shouting, “Are you saying that I—” But before he could finish, he suddenly shut his mouth.

  Because at that moment, the girl had appeared again, coming back around the street corner.

  The baskets she had been carrying earlier were empty, but now they were filled with goods, making them much heavier. She was clearly struggling, and with the muddy ground beneath her feet, she suddenly slipped forward, losing her bance. The baskets flew from her hands.

  Luckily, she had encountered Guo Dalu and Yan Qi.

  Both of them reacted instantly—Yan Qi had always been quick, and Guo Dalu was no slouch either. The moment her feet slipped, they shot forward like arrows.

  Before the baskets hit the ground, Yan Qi had already caught them. Before the girl could fall, Guo Dalu had already reached out and caught her.

  She gasped for breath, taking a moment to collect herself. Then, suddenly realizing that a strange man was still holding onto her, a blush spread across her cheeks.

  Guo Dalu′s heart was pounding as he asked, “Are you alright, miss?”

  The young woman, still blushing, lowered her head and said, "I... I don′t even know how to thank you.”

  Yan Qi had already noticed that the baskets were filled with food—smoked chicken, beef, and several golden-brown pan-fried ftbreads.

  He was tempted to say, “If you want to thank us, just give us chicken and two ftbreads.” But when he saw the way Guo Dalu was gazing at her with such heartfelt sincerity, how could he embarrass his friend like that?

  Besides, before he could say anything, Guo Dalu had already blurted out, “It′s nothing! Really, it′s no trouble at all.”

  The girl suddenly looked up at him, smiled again, and said, “You′re both really kind.”

  She said “both of you,” but her eyes were fixed solely on Guo Dalu.

  At that moment, Guo Dalu felt like his heart was melting, his whole body turning soft.

  Stammering, he said, "Miss... You... you don't... don′t need to be so... polite.”

  The girl took her baskets, turned back to smile at him once more, then lowered her head and walked away.

  If Guo Dalu′s soul had still been in his body before, that smile had surely taken it away.

  Though he stood there as if nailed to the spot, it felt as though his soul had already been packed into her basket and carried off.

  Yan Qi said, “With such a perfect opportunity, why aren′t you chasing after her?”

  Guo Dalu sighed and said, “Do you really take me for a lecher?”

  The young woman had already walked quite a distance when she suddenly stopped, turned around, and smiled, saying, "I bought a lot of groceries. Would you two honor me by coming back for a drink?" Such an invitation, coming from a beautiful woman, sounded to the ears of two cold and hungry men like the sweetest music in the world, ten times more pleasing.

  Anyone who refused such an offer would be a fool.

  Yan Qi was no fool, and Guo Dalu certainly wasn′t either.

  Though he was still saying, "How could we impose?" His feet had already started moving, following her.

  Ah, why is it that heroes always struggle to resist the charms of beauty?

  Why didn′t Guo Dalu even ask where this girl was taking them?

  It seemed that even if she were leading them to be sold, Guo Dalu would have followed.