A woman stood out in the crowd, dressed stylishly in a black-and-white polka-dot dress, wearing little leather shoes. Her appearance was delicate and her personality flamboyant—she looked like the most elegant person here. A male companion followed her; he was not very tall, but stood very straight behind her, though a trace of impatience lingered in his expression.
“Hey, country bumpkin, are you deaf? Didn’t you hear me? Two sets of clothes—you can even afford that?” Zhou Mei, frustrated that Gu Rou didn’t answer, grew even more agitated.
After asking several times with no response, she reached out again, intending to snatch the clothes directly. She was determined to grab them. That woman had a fox-like face, but Gu Rou calmly sidestepped Zhou Mei’s hand and, without hesitation, pushed her hard.
Zhou Mei didn’t expect Gu Rou to make a move and was caught off guard. She stumbled back several steps, her feet unable to stop, and her waist slammed into the counter behind her before she finally stopped.
Everyone nearby was drawn to the commotion—both buyers and sellers turned to watch.
The man behind Zhou Mei hurried over to help, concerned: “Are you okay?”
Zhou Mei pushed him away angrily. “I’ll settle this with you later!” She gasped in pain from her waist hitting the counter and glared at the expressionless Gu Rou.
“You little… you dare push me? I’ll make you pay!”
“I’ve never met anyone bold enough to fight me. You better kneel and apologize now, or…”
Before she could finish, somehow, with a loud “thud,” Zhou Mei’s knees hit the ground. The crowd froze, even Zhou Mei herself was stunned.
Gu Rou nonchalantly withdrew her hand, confused, glancing at Zhou Mei and then around her. Wanting her to kneel and apologize? In her next life, it wouldn’t happen.
“I… I thought you were talking to me, but you were talking to yourself,” Zhou Mei’s male companion finally regained his senses and helplessly helped her up.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Zhou Mei glanced at her feet, frustrated. The floor was solid and even, no dents, nothing—yet she remembered being struck, which caused her to fall to her knees. Something didn’t make sense.
Embarrassed and furious, she immediately turned her anger toward Gu Rou.
“It must be you!” she shouted, stepping forward and raising her hand to slap Gu Rou across the face.
Gu Rou remained still. Everyone thought she had been intimidated, but what they didn’t know was that she had taken two drops of venom from her not-yet-fully-formed Poison Spring and discreetly flicked it onto Zhou Mei’s skin as she moved.
This poison wasn’t lethal yet, but it could numb and irritate the nerves. Its effect was delayed, so it wouldn’t show immediately.
Just as everyone thought Gu Rou was about to be attacked, Zhou Mei’s movements suddenly froze. Her hand was about to strike Gu Rou, but Gu Rou sidestepped gracefully. Zhou Mei’s anger grew even more—she wanted to continue slapping her.
The man behind her rushed to stop her, but it was too late. Gu Rou, completely calm, glanced at Zhou Mei’s furrowed, furious expression, preparing to retaliate.
Suddenly, a stone shot toward them at incredible speed, striking Zhou Mei’s right hand.
“Ah!” Zhou Mei screamed, looking at her hand, which was now red. Her gaze fell on the stone.
“Ah… who… who dares!” she shouted, turning toward the direction it came from.
When she saw Lu Ze, her fierce features instantly softened, replaced by a delicate, aggrieved expression.
“Brother Lu,” she said. Gu Rou felt a wave of nausea at the words.
She noticed that the expressions of the surrounding people had shifted. Looking out, she saw a tall figure with pale skin, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs walking toward them. Backlit, she couldn’t make out the face clearly.
Once Lu Ze stood in front of Gu Rou, his striking, perfect features were revealed. No wonder so many people were staring. Gu Rou found him somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before. He exuded a subtle aura of detachment and coldness—Gu Rou thought it might just be her imagination.
When Lu Ze glanced at her, it was brief; his gaze quickly returned to Zhou Mei, his expression cold and stern.
“Zhou Mei, what are you doing?”
Zhou Mei, fearless in front of others, immediately became intimidated by Lu Ze’s cold gaze.
“Brother Lu, I just wanted to buy a skirt,” she said, pointing at Gu Rou.
“It’s this person who tried to snatch my beautiful skirt! It’s the last one—I picked it out a few days ago, and she had the audacity to fight me for it!”
“Look at her status and aura. Wearing this skirt is a waste!”
Lu Ze then looked at Gu Rou for two seconds before glancing back at the spoiled Zhou Mei. He finally spoke: “Indeed, it’s a waste.”
“Did you hear that?! This dress on you is a waste. Someone like you should stick to coarse cloth!”
Seeing Lu Ze defend her, Zhou Mei’s face immediately lit up with a smile. Gu Rou paused, thinking that in any era, there are always bootlickers. She was about to speak when she heard Lu Ze’s cold voice:
“I said, this skirt on you is indeed a waste,” he said to Zhou Mei.
Zhou Mei, utterly shocked that Lu Ze was speaking to her, stammered, “Brother Lu… you…”
Gu Rou suddenly chuckled—she had thought this man’s cold demeanor meant he was just a sycophant, and had felt a little disappointed. She hadn’t expected him to be an ally.