“Sister.” Gong Xing’er tugged at Gong Xinyue’s sleeve again.

When she turned back with a pitiful little face, the wooden stick that had just held several strings of candied hawthorns was suddenly completely empty.

“Ah?” Gong Xing’er let go of Gong Xinyue in disbelief and rushed toward the old man.

The old man was happily counting his money and hadn’t noticed her.

“They’re gone?” Gong Xing’er’s voice came out as a shout.

She grabbed the wooden stick in the old man’s hand and turned it around several times.

“They’re gone, waaah… they’re really gone.”

Gong Xing’er let go of the stick and looked at the old man, her eyes turning red.

“Why are they gone? Didn’t I ask you to save one string for me? My sister has money, why didn’t you save one for me?”

Gong Xing’er was truly heartbroken, and her voice began to turn hoarse.

Seeing the little girl about to cry, the old man could only gently comfort her: “Little girl, I’m sorry.”

“I’ll come again tomorrow, please come early tomorrow.”

He gave a light cough, held the wooden stick used for skewering the candied hawthorns, turned, and left.

Gong Xing’er watched the old man leave, her pink lips pouting, a single tear sliding down the corner of her eye.

Waaah… they’re gone, really gone.

Suddenly, a candied hawthorn skewer appeared in front of her, held out sideways.

Gong Xing’er’s eyes, which had narrowed in sorrow, suddenly widened.

“A candied hawthorn? So big, it looks so delicious.”

She raised her eyes and saw a very handsome young man with a faint smile at the corners of his mouth.

Gong Xing’er lowered her head to look at the sweet candied hawthorn, and when she looked up again, she found this young man looked even more handsome.

“Is this for me?” she asked tentatively.

“Mm.” The man nodded.

“Thank you.” Gong Xing’er suddenly rose onto her tiptoes, cupped his face with her hands, and forcefully pulled his head down.

She kissed him on the chin, and when she let go, she snatched the candied hawthorn from his hand and walked ahead happily.

“Sister, Jiu’er, Sister Qiao, Brother Jian Yi, let’s go, I’ll show you around.”

Gong Xing’er glanced back, took a bite of the candied hawthorn, turned around, and returned to her earlier little-white-rabbit mode, bouncing and hopping forward.

Long Shiyi, who had been kissed by the girl out of nowhere, turned to look at Feng Jiu’er, frozen stiff on the spot.

He reached up and touched his own chin where he’d been kissed, blinked, and couldn’t say a single word.

Gong Xinyue glanced at the departing girl, quickly withdrew her gaze, and looked at Long Shiyi.

“I’m sorry! My little sister, she…” Gong Xinyue smiled awkwardly.

“My little sister really doesn’t understand manners. She doesn’t know… normally the aunties at home give her food and she does this too… kisses the aunties.”

“I’m really sorry, I’ll teach her a lesson later, sorry!”

Seeing that Long Shiyi refused to look at her, Gong Xinyue could only steel herself, turn around, and catch up with Gong Xing’er.

Feng Jiu’er and Qiao Mu stepped forward at the same time, coming to stand on either side of Long Shiyi.

“Little brother, sorry! Our little sister at home doesn’t understand manners.” Feng Jiu’er coughed heavily, still unable to hold back her laughter.

“It’s fine.” Qiao Mu chuckled softly and patted Long Shiyi’s shoulder.

“Our family will take responsibility for you. If nothing special comes up, little brother, shall we travel together?”

Long Shiyi’s stiff head nodded slightly.

“Mm.”

He turned and walked off.

Just now, he had thought about going over to give this little sister money to buy candy, and he’d also gotten a look of permission from Feng Jiu’er.

He hadn’t expected that after getting the candy, this adorable little sister would kiss him.

Long Shiyi had never even touched a girl’s finger before, and now he’d suddenly been kissed by one.

He couldn’t quite process it, but — wasn’t Qiao Mu’s meaning that they should leave?

Miss Jiu’er still had important matters to attend to. This small sacrifice of his — if it was sacrificed, then it was sacrificed.

That was how Long Shiyi consoled himself, but his heart still felt uncomfortable.

He felt he had especially wronged his future wife, felt he was no longer worthy of his future wife.

Long Shiyi was very sad, but didn’t dare show it.

Gong Xing’er was different — she continued bouncing along ahead, looking utterly carefree.

“Sister, Jiu’er, Sister Qiao Mu, Brother Jian Yi, look, this is the first inn, isn’t it big?”

Gong Xing’er turned back and, with a crunch, took another bite of the candied hawthorn.

When she saw Long Shiyi and Feng Jiu’er walking together, her furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and her narrowed eyes widened considerably.

“You…” She blinked and walked back two steps.

“You’re the one who bought me the candy, aren’t you? Hello! I’m Gong Xing’er.”

With another crunch, Gong Xing’er took another bite of the candied hawthorn.

She looked at Long Shiyi, her brows curving into a smile, and said, “It’s so delicious, thank you.”

“Xing’er, aren’t you worried he might be a bad person?” Qiao Mu finally asked the question out loud.

Gong Xing’er looked at Qiao Mu and shook her head: “He’s not a bad person.”

Qiao Mu was at a loss for words.

“Is this Xing’er’s first time out?” Feng Jiu’er asked.

“Mm.” Gong Xing’er nodded.

She was very pretty, with fair, beautiful skin, and was at the best age — fresh and dewy.

The joy beneath her curved brows and eyes could easily infect others.

Gong Xing’er’s gaze finally landed on Gong Xinyue.

“Sister.” She stopped mid-bite of the candied hawthorn and blinked.

“What’s wrong? Sister, why aren’t you happy?”

Gong Xing’er looked down at the candied hawthorn in her hand, then looked up again.

“Oh, I forgot that Sister also really likes candied hawthorns.”

She quickly lowered her head, bit off the piece she had already bitten into, raised her hand, and held out the skewer to Gong Xinyue.

“Sister, here, eat this. Xing’er remembers this is also Sister’s favorite.”

Gong Xinyue rolled her eyes and said, “If he were a bad person, you might have already been carried off by now.”

Getting Jiu’er to take this girl in — it seemed hopeless.

“Why would I be carried off?” Gong Xing’er reached up and scratched her head.

“They might have taken a liking to your looks and wanted to take you home as a wife,” Qiao Mu explained.

“Then wouldn’t they be the ones who lose out?” Gong Xing’er pouted her lips slightly, meeting Qiao Mu’s gaze.

“Lose out?” Qiao Mu asked.

Did this little thing not know how pretty and delicate she looked?

“Mm, that’s what Auntie said.” Gong Xing’er nodded.

“Sister knows too — Auntie always says, whoever marries me is the one who loses out.”

“Because I eat so much, I’ll eat the family into poverty, so no one will marry me. I have to earn my own living and support myself.”

Qiao Mu’s gaze shifted, looking at Gong Xinyue.

“Is this how your family teaches its daughters?”

Gong Xinyue took a deep breath and waved her hand.

“In our family, only she’s like this.”

Gong Xing’er pouted, confused: “What’s wrong with being like this?”

“One should not harbor the intent to harm others, but must not lack the wariness to guard against harm,” Long Shiyi said, looking at Gong Xing’er with a slight frown.

“Not everyone is a good person like me.”