Chapter 1: Handsome Man, I Want to Flirt With You

At the border of the Nanshang Kingdom, a carriage slowly rolled through the city gates. The sound of the wooden wheels turning reached the girl's ears, and she whipped her head around. She hadn't seen this carriage in the city before; its ink-colored curtains were embroidered with silver-white patterns, and its solid wood, red-lacquered body was carved with totems of a hundred beasts.

The girl's eyes lit up instantly. This carriage was clearly for someone wealthy!

"Mother said that when handsome men make an entrance, they always have a grand display. Maybe I'm about to meet my true destiny today!"

The carriage came to a slow halt outside the highest-end inn in the city. The girl crouched against the wall of a dark alley with a shifty expression, her eyes wide as she struggled to see through the narrow gap.

"Handsome! Handsome!"

At her repeated calls, an arm as white and delicate as jade pushed aside the curtain. Three thousand strands of ink-black hair cascaded from his shoulders like a waterfall, held high by a silver crown. His shimmering peach-blossom eyes were soul-stirring, and his fiery red robes made him look like a phoenix ready to take flight, accentuating his incredibly wicked and charming aura.

A perfect temperament!

A perfect face!

"Top tier!" The girl made a slurping sound as she sucked back the drool escaping the corner of her mouth.

"Master." The dark-skinned coachman knelt respectfully on the ground to welcome the man as he alighted.

With a slight toss of his black hair and the fluttering of his robes, Feng Jinmo leaped from the carriage with a wicked smile, landing gracefully. As he entered the inn, his wanton eyes swept quickly toward the adjacent dark alley, a trace of playful amusement flickering within them.

"Master..." The coachman hesitated, wanting to say something.

Feng Jinmo lightly wagged his finger, making a "shush" gesture near his lips. This extremely simple gesture was somehow imbued with a seductive charm by him.

The girl swallowed hard, her eyes turning completely into heart shapes. "Oh my, a peerless beauty! Handsome and rich—isn't this exactly the kind of 'high, rich, and handsome' man Mother always talks about?"

She cast a shifty glance around. Good, the Cold-Faced God wasn't around; this was the perfect opportunity for her to make her move. *Yoshi!*

The small figure instantly darted into the inn. Swaying her tiny waist, she tiptoed up the wooden stairs. Just as her ear pressed against the door, a low chuckle that made her whole body go soft reached her ears: "Since the guest outside has arrived, why not come in and sit a while?"

"Ah, I've been caught." Shangguan Ling was slightly startled, but she immediately regained her composure and pushed the door open with grace and poise.

Feng Jinmo had long sensed someone peeping in the shadows, but he hadn't expected it to be such a lively and cute little girl. His peach-blossom eyes tilted upward slightly, forming a wicked curve. "What are you following me for?"

He leaned down considerately, and within his slightly parted red robes, a glimpse of skin was revealed.

Shangguan Ling's eyes brightened instantly. "Oh my, I want to hit on you!" This incredibly lewd sentence caused the corner of Feng Jinmo's eye to twitch. Meeting her star-bright, sparkling eyes, the hair on his body stood on end. Had he... just been teased by a little kid?

...

"Mother, I told you from the start that as soon as this little flirt goes out, she will surely ruin the family reputation. You heard that just now, didn't you?" Suddenly, a soft yet extremely cold child's voice drifted from outside the room.

Feng Jinmo hid the amusement in his eyes and raised an eyebrow. As his narrow peach-blossom eyes caught sight of the elegant lady in black standing outside the door, a flash of astonishment crossed them.

Her long black hair was casually tied in a ponytail, swaying against a back as straight as a pine. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, delicate yet possessing a rare sharpness and decisiveness for a woman. Just by standing there, she seemed to add color to the entire room.

"Miss, it is our first meeting. May I ask who you are?"