After the spiritual energy was restored: Goddess girlfriends came knocking.

Tu Shan Ruoshui walked in front, and Jiang Yan followed half a step behind her.

Her fox ears swayed slightly in the wind, and she would curiously peek out from every courtyard she passed.

The Jiang residence was small, probably not even a side hall compared to the royal palace, but she looked around carefully; this was her first time visiting a human home.

"Where is this place?"

"Ancestral hall".

"What is an ancestral hall?"

"The place where ancestral tablets are placed."

"Oh." Tu Shan Ruoshui nodded, took two steps, then turned back. "What's the memorial tablet?"

Jiang Yan thought for a moment: "It's something that the living use to commemorate their loved ones after they die."

Tu Shan Ruoshui seemed to understand but not quite; their demon race didn't have such rules, so she didn't ask any further questions.

As they passed a corridor, two servants carrying tea saw them from afar, immediately lowered their heads, stood close to the wall, and only dared to move after they had passed.

Tu Shan Ruoshui wrinkled her nose: "Why don't your servants look up when they see us?"

"Because of the rules."

"So many rules," she muttered, but her attention was soon drawn to a string of brass wind chimes hanging under the eaves.

The wind chimes tinkled in the wind, and she glanced at Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan reached out and helped her take it off.

Tu Shan Ruoshui took the wind chime and shook it; the copper pieces clinked together, producing a crisp sound.

She grinned, revealing a row of neat white teeth, and then naturally placed the wind chime into Jiang Yan's hand.

"Hold this for me."

"What about those?" she asked, pointing to a row of overturned earthenware jars under the eaves.

"The jar for pickling radishes."

Tu Shan Ruoshui leaned over and took a sniff, then wrinkled her nose.

"It's so sour! Do you humans like sour food?"

"It depends on personal taste."

"Oh." She had already moved on to the next spot.

As she passed by the kitchen, she peeked inside and saw several rows of freshly steamed osmanthus cakes on the stove, still steaming. She reached out and grabbed one.

He took a bite, chewed it, and frowned slightly.

"It's alright, but not sweet enough. The ones in the palace are sweeter."

She stuffed the remaining half into Jiang Yan's hand.

"You eat."

Jiang Yan looked down at the half-eaten osmanthus cake in her hand and paused for a moment.

Her faint teeth marks were still visible on the edge.

She doesn't have the concept of "I can't give other people what I've bitten," or rather, she simply doesn't care.

When she came to her senses, Tu Shan Ruoshui had already moved on to the next location.

When passing by the training ground, Tu Shan Ruoshui finally stopped.

Several wooden stakes stood on the sidelines, their surfaces covered with sword marks, and there were footprints of varying depths on the ground.

In the corner leaned an old wooden sword, its hilt worn smooth and shiny.

Her eyes lit up, and she pointed at the wooden sword, asking, "Whose is this?"

"mine."

Tu Shan Ruoshui turned to look at him, her fox ears perking up: "You know swordsmanship?"

"I've studied a little."

She walked over, picked up the wooden sword, weighed it in her hand, then handed it to him, took two steps back, put her hands behind her back, and tilted her chin up.

"Show me one."

Jiang Yan took the wooden sword and walked to the center of the arena.

He assumed a starting stance, and the basic sword techniques flowed smoothly from his hands.

The sound of the wooden sword cutting through the air was clear and crisp, and there was no hesitation in the transition between each move.

Tu Shan Ruoshui does not understand swords.

She simply thought he looked good holding a sword.

With his back straight and wrist steady, the sword tip landed with such precision that it looked as if it had been measured.

She clapped her hands enthusiastically, her fox ears twitching excitedly. "That was beautiful! Teach me!"

Jiang Yan looked at the curiosity and eagerness in her eyes.

"If the princess wants to learn," he paused, "she can, but she must first master her posture. Once the foundation is solid, she can learn faster later."

Without saying a word, Tu Shan Ruoshui stood next to him and straightened her back, just like she remembered him.

Heels together, toes apart, chin slightly raised.

Three seconds later, she started swaying from side to side and laughed first.

"This is so difficult."

Jiang Yan reached out and gently supported her shoulder, helping her to regain her balance.

"Don't be too tense, loosen it a bit, otherwise you won't be able to stand steadily."

Tu Shan Ruoshui paused for a moment the moment he put his hand on her shoulder.

She wasn't used to being touched by others; in the palace, no one dared to touch her except her parents.

The human's gesture of supporting her shoulder was very natural; it was simply to help her adjust her posture.

She glanced at it sideways, said nothing, and then continued to stand firmly.

"so?"

"Hmm, much better."

At noon, the Jiang family prepared a sumptuous lunch.

There were many dishes, but Tu Shan Ruoshui only took one bite of each dish, eating rather blandly.

Jiang Yan could tell that she was somewhat disappointed, probably because she felt that the food humans ate was similar to what she usually ate.

But she didn't show it.

At least outwardly, they were polite and tried every dish.

He neither frowned nor showed any disgust, but ate very little.

As a princess of a dynasty, she did not possess the condescending attitude that ordinary demons held towards humans.

This surprised Jiang Yan a little.

In the afternoon, she excitedly tugged at Jiang Yan's sleeve and said, "Let's go out and play!"

Jiang Yan doesn't usually go out, but a few days ago Liu Qingyi took him around the capital, so he still remembers the general route.

As the group left the mansion, Liu Qingyi, Jiang Wuchen, and Tu Shan Ruoshui's two attendants followed far behind, keeping a close watch on their surroundings.

Not to mention there must be someone protecting them in the shadows.

After spending the morning with Jiang Yan, Tu Shan Ruoshui had become quite familiar with him.

She tugged at Jiang Yan's sleeve and wandered around, finding everything new and exciting.

The two stopped in front of a vaudeville stall, where a snake demon was swallowing fire. When flames spewed from its mouth, she and the people around her gasped in surprise.

A cat demon was doing somersaults on stilts. When she was doing her third somersault, the stilts wobbled, and she nervously grabbed Jiang Yan's arm.

Jiang Yan did not urge her to leave.

When she came to her senses after reading it, she found that Jiang Yan had gone to buy a bowl of herbal tea sometime earlier and was handing it to her.

"Are you thirsty?"

Tu Shan Ruoshui took the bowl, drank a large gulp, then handed it back and continued walking.

He didn't say thank you, but as he walked away, his steps were a little closer to Jiang Yan than before.

When they got tired, Tu Shan Ruoshui pulled him to a pavilion by the roadside to rest.

He rubbed his legs and then touched his stomach.

I'm hungry.

Jiang Yan glanced at her.

"I just saw a roast chicken stall at the end of the street, with salt and pepper flavor and crispy skin. If you don't mind a roadside stall, Princess."

"I don't mind!" Her ears perked up at the mention of roast chicken.

Jiang Yan got up and walked towards the end of the street.

When I got back, the oil paper package was still hot to the touch, and I could smell the burnt aroma even through the paper.

Tu Shan Ruoshui couldn't wait to open the package, tear off a chicken leg, and take a bite.

Perhaps she was hungry, for her cheeks were bulging from eating, her eyes were squinted into slits, and her fox ears twitched contentedly.

"tasty!"

She took another big bite, then suddenly poked a piece with a skewer and held it to Jiang Yan's lips.

"You eat too!"

Jiang Yan glanced at her, then lowered her head and bit into the piece of chicken.

Tu Shan Ruoshui only realized what she had done the moment he bit her—she had stuffed the half-eaten roast chicken directly into his mouth.

She paused for a moment, then somewhat embarrassedly took the skewer back.

"I wasn't lying to you, was I?"

He lowered his head nonchalantly and continued to gnaw on the chicken leg in his hand.

Jiang Yan chewed on the piece of chicken without saying a word.

Suddenly, he realized that this little princess was indeed very similar to the woman who had chased after him on Earth asking, "Have you eaten? Have you slept?" on some level.

They were all very straightforward and didn't have that condescending attitude.

She seems to be more innocent now.

Tu Shan Ruoshui finished eating the whole chicken leg and sighed contentedly.

She pushed the oil paper package toward Jiang Yan.

"There's still half left, I can't eat anymore."

Jiang Yan picked up the oil paper package and watched her retreating figure as she walked out of the pavilion.

"What are you still standing there for?" Tu Shan Ruoshui turned to look at him. "Let's go."

The two continued walking down the bustling street, with Tu Shan Ruoshui chattering incessantly.

A smile played on her lips and in her eyes, and her fox ears twitched on her head.

Just as he was saying, "There seems to be a place selling roasted chestnuts up ahead," he suddenly froze in place.

A stall selling glass lamps on the street.

The stall owner was a thin, elderly human woman.

The lamp is shaped like a little fox looking up at the moon. It is completely transparent and reflects seven colors of light in the sunlight. Every hair on the fox's tail is carved in a delicate and distinct way.

"So beautiful!" She let go of Jiang Yan's hand and jogged over.

Just as her fingertips touched the base of the lamp, the old woman was tidying up her goods.

Looking up, she saw a demon lady standing in front of her, her hand already outstretched. Startled, she trembled and pulled her hand back—and the glass lamp slid off the shelf.

A crisp sound.

The little fox's head rolled to the side of the road and got covered in a layer of dust.

The sound of the entire street seemed to be cut off for a moment.

The passing demons cast intrigued glances, while several human merchants nearby quickly lowered their heads, pretending not to have seen anything.

The old woman stared at the shards on the ground, and the color drained from her face in an instant.

Her lips began to tremble, and she knelt down.

Her forehead slammed heavily against the bluestone slab, again and again, her voice hoarse and urgent: "Miss, please forgive me! It was my slip of the hand, it was my fault! Please, Miss, have mercy, please have mercy—"

Tu Shan Ruoshui's smile froze.

She looked at the old woman kneeling on the ground kowtowing repeatedly, then at the broken lamp on the ground, and took a half step back.

"You...you get up first. I took it. It's not your fault." Her voice was a little flustered.

The old woman simply kowtowed even harder.

Blood seeped from his forehead, and he kept repeating the same few words: "Miss, have mercy, Miss, have mercy..."

Tu Shan Ruoshui turned to look at Jiang Yan.

Those clear fox eyes were filled with confusion and helplessness.

Jiang Yan stepped forward, took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, and placed it next to the stall.

Inside are enough spirit stones to buy ten lamps.

He crouched down and looked directly into the old woman's terrified eyes.

"Grandma, we broke the lamp. This is compensation for you. This young lady doesn't blame you." His voice was very calm. "Please get up."

The old woman shuddered and slowly raised her head.

A well-dressed human boy squatted down in front of her, looked at her at eye level, and said, "Please get up."

She shakily got up, but her calloused hands still dared not touch the bag of spirit stones.

Jiang Yan stuffed the cloth bag into her hand.

"Take it."

Then he turned around and gently tugged at Tu Shan Ruoshui's sleeve. "Let's go."

The two walked a dozen steps away when a low, trembling voice came from behind them, "Thank you, Miss... Thank you, Young Master."

Tu Shan Ruoshui kept her head down and didn't say anything.

She gripped the hem of her clothes with her other hand until her knuckles turned white, glancing back every now and then at the old woman, and then at the money pouch Jiang Yan had given her as compensation.

She walked quite a distance before whispering, "I just wanted to see that lamp."