Transmigrating into the world of Jade Dynasty, I was targeted by the female lead in a reverse romanc

She didn't say anything, but slowed her pace slightly and moved closer to him.

The four of them strolled slowly through the bustling night market, following the flow of people. As they passed a jewelry stall, Jiang Xiaochuan paused for a moment.

He glanced at the stall and saw several jade hairpins on display. They were simple in design, but the jade itself was warm and lustrous.

He remembered the jade bracelet he had given to Lu Xueqi before; it seemed to have been bought on this street, but he couldn't recall if it was from this particular stall.

He walked over, looked down, and picked out a white jade hairpin. The hairpin was entirely white, with only a small, half-open magnolia carved at the top, very elegant. He picked it up, looked at it under the light, and thought it suited Lu Xueqi quite well.

"Boss, how much is this?"

"Young man, you have a good eye! This is top-quality Hetian jade, and the carving is exquisite! If you really want it, give me five taels of silver!" The stall owner, a lean middle-aged man, said with a fawning smile.

With the fifty taels of "huge sum" given to him by Su Ru in his pocket, Jiang Xiaochuan was very confident and didn't haggle; he simply took out the money and bought it.

He took the hairpin, turned around and walked back to Lu Xueqi's side, handing it to her: "Here, this is for you."

Lu Xueqi was slightly taken aback, looking at the white jade hairpin in his hand, and then looked up at him.

Under the light, his eyes shone brightly, carrying a hint of anticipation, and a subtle... nervousness?

"Why did you give me this?" she asked softly, without taking it.

"Well...it looks good on you, and I think it suits you well."

Jiang Xiaochuan touched his nose. "Didn't you like the bracelet I gave you last time? You can also use this hairpin to style your hair."

He paused, then, as if remembering something, asked somewhat uncertainly, "This... is it the gift we agreed on for Empress Wu at the Seven Peaks Gathering?"

He remembered that night at Rainbow Bridge, when she told him to prepare a "thoughtful" gift that couldn't be a sword tassel, flowers, or candy.

Lu Xueqi glanced at him, then at the simple white jade hairpin, shook her head, and said softly, "It doesn't count."

"Huh?" Jiang Xiaochuan was taken aback, then looked a little embarrassed. "Oh... well, then let's not count it. Just consider it... a regular gift."

He thought to himself, "That's true. A hairpin bought from a roadside stall for five taels of silver can hardly be considered 'carefully made'."

He was just thinking about whether he should take it back and give it to her when he found a better one, when he saw Lu Xueqi reach out and take the hairpin. Her fingertips gently brushed against the magnolia flower on the hairpin's head.

"Help me," she said, looking up at him.

"Huh? Help with what?" Jiang Xiaochuan didn't react for a moment.

Lu Xueqi didn't speak, but simply handed the hairpin back to him. Then, she turned slightly to the side, brushing her loosely tied long hair behind her head to one shoulder, revealing her fair and graceful nape and the smooth contours of her profile. The meaning was clear.

Jiang Xiaochuan held the hairpin, his hand a little stiff.

This...this isn't appropriate, is it? On the street, in full view of everyone...

Zeng Shushu, who was watching from the side, stared wide-eyed. Covering her mouth with her fan, she leaned close to Qi Hao's ear and whispered, "Senior Brother Qi, did you see that? Senior Sister Lu had Old Jiang put a hairpin on her! This...this..."

Qi Hao coughed lightly, looked away, and pretended to admire the lanterns on the street. One should not look at or listen to what is improper.

Jiang Xiaochuan saw that Lu Xueqi was standing there sideways, motionless, as if she would keep waiting as long as he didn't do anything. More people around them were starting to look over curiously.

His scalp tingled, and he had no choice but to steel himself, take a half-step forward, and raise his hand. His fingers trembled slightly as he carefully inserted the hairpin into her thick, black hair, gently securing the few stray strands. The movement was clumsy, but at least he had managed to put the hairpin in.

He finished setting the hairpin in place, took a half-step back, and looked at it. The white magnolia blossoms bloomed quietly in her dark hair, making her profile appear even more exquisitely beautiful. The lamplight shifted, casting a soft halo around the hairpin in her hair.

"Okay, all done," he whispered, his ears feeling a little hot.

Lu Xueqi raised her hand and gently touched the hairpin in her hair, her fingertips touching the cool jade.

She turned around, looked at Jiang Xiaochuan, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, and softly hummed in agreement. The curve of her lips seemed to deepen slightly.

"Tsk tsk tsk," Zeng Shushu waved his fan, strolled over, and looked at Jiang Xiaochuan with a mocking expression. "Old Jiang, do you know what it means when a man gives a woman a hairpin on the street and even puts it on her hair himself?"

Jiang Xiaochuan was bewildered: "What does it mean?" Isn't it just giving a gift?

Zeng Shushu was about to explain when he suddenly felt a chill on his neck. He turned his head stiffly and saw Lu Xueqi looking at him quietly, one hand already resting lightly on the hilt of the sword at her waist.

Although the sword was in its sheath and her face was expressionless, the meaning in her eyes was crystal clear.

Zeng Shushu's Adam's apple bobbed, and he immediately put on a serious expression, chuckling dryly, "N-nothing! I just said it offhand! It means...it means our friendship will last forever! Yes, our friendship will last forever! Haha, haha..." He chuckled dryly, quietly retreating behind Qi Hao, wishing he could shrink into a ball.

Lu Xueqi then looked away and turned to Jiang Xiaochuan, saying calmly, "It's nothing. There's no need to listen to his nonsense." However, a faint blush crept up behind her ears, barely visible in the lamplight.

Jiang Xiaochuan said "Oh," and although he felt that Zeng Shushu and Lu Xueqi were a bit strange, he didn't think much of it.

He touched the remaining silver in his pocket, thinking that he still needed to buy some things. The Ancient Cave of Ten Thousand Bats was a damp and eerie place, and the Abyss of the Dead was even more dangerous. He needed to prepare more clothes, dry food, and medicine, just in case.

As for where to put it after buying it... his mind stirred slightly.

Hong Li's lazy voice rang out at the right moment: "Kid, you finally remembered your sister Hong Li? What, you want to store things? I've already prepared it for you. There's a little space in your chest connected to the Bloodthirsty Bead, which I casually opened up a bit. It's about... well, a thousand cubic feet, enough for you. With a thought, you can put things in and take them out. Very convenient. Remember, you owe me one more time."

Jiang Xiaochuan was overjoyed. One thousand cubic meters! This is practically a mobile warehouse! Great! He immediately felt confident and began to plan what to buy.

The four continued walking. As they passed a stall selling candied hawthorns, the bright red, glistening berries gleamed temptingly under the lights. Lu Xueqi paused.

She stepped forward, took out a few copper coins, and bought two strings of skewers. Then she walked back and handed one of the strings to Jiang Xiaochuan.

Jiang Xiaochuan was thinking about the purchasing list when he paused for a moment, then took the item and said, "Thank you."

The sweet aroma of candied hawthorn wafted into his nose. He took a lick; the outer sugar coating was crisp and sweet, while the hawthorn inside was slightly sour, perfectly balancing the sweetness. It was delicious. His eyes crinkled into a smile.

Lu Xueqi held another skewer but didn't eat it; she just held it in her hand.

After Jiang Xiaochuan finished the first skewer in a few bites and licked the sugar residue from the corner of his mouth with lingering satisfaction, she naturally handed him the second skewer.

"Hmm?" Jiang Xiaochuan looked at her, then at the candied hawthorn. "Aren't you going to eat some?"

"Here you go," Lu Xueqi said softly.

Jiang Xiaochuan's heart skipped a beat, and he took the second string of pearls.

He took a bite, and it was still very sweet.

Jiang Xiaochuan thanked him and continued eating. But in his heart, he felt that this candied hawthorn seemed sweeter than any he had eaten before.

Next, Jiang Xiaochuan began his "purchasing".

At the clothing store, he picked out several sets of durable dark-colored coarse cloth clothes and shoes and socks; at the pharmacy, he bought some common wound medicine, detoxifying powder, and energizing pills; he also went to the dry goods store and bought several large bags of dried meat, flatbread, and fried rice, which were wrapped tightly in oil paper.

Passing by a blacksmith's shop, he even went in and bought two sharp short knives and several bundles of sturdy rope.

Each time he bought something, he would conceal it with his sleeve, and with a thought, the item would disappear from his hand and be stored in the storage space in his heart.

Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu assumed he had simply stuffed the items into his personal bag. The bag didn't look very big, but it seemed to be able to hold everything. Although they were a little suspicious, they just assumed it was a storage artifact secretly made by the Qingyun Sect and didn't think much of it.

Lu Xueqi stayed quietly by his side, watching him carefully select items, bargain, and pack them with great focus.

After he finished buying something, she would sometimes say softly, "This one is good," or "It's good to have more."

Occasionally, she would leave for a while, then return shortly afterward with a small cloth bag in her hand.

Jiang Xiaochuan asked her what she had bought, and she simply replied, "Some odds and ends," before falling silent. Jiang Xiaochuan didn't press her further.