Do You Have Any Interest?

Zhang Heng did not linger where he was for long. He soon continued onward as if he had not noticed Little Tail behind him.

He strolled along the banks of the Tiber River, neither too fast nor too slow, blending completely into the surrounding crowd. Then he turned right onto Perfume Shop Street.

As its name suggested, the street was lined with perfume shops.

The origins of perfume dated back far earlier than most people imagined. It had already been used in ancient Egypt more than three thousand years before the Common Era, and it later became popular in ancient Greece and Rome as well. At the Victor Arena where Zhang Heng stayed, the advertisements once painted on the walls had explicitly informed spectators that perfume would be sprayed over the lower stands. This was one of the arena's methods of attracting audiences.

Beyond that, the Romans had many creative uses for perfume. Some mixed it into mortar when building houses, so that sunlight would release its fragrance. Others applied perfume to slaves and horses, making wherever they passed feel refreshing and pleasant.

It was precisely because of the Romans' obsession with perfume that perfume shops had always done well.

Perfume Shop Street was packed with people every day, so those tailing Zhang Heng from behind were on high alert, terrified that the target might slip away if they let their guard down for even a moment.

But it turned out they had worried too much. Zhang Heng neither quickened his pace nor tried to hide. He remained in their sight until he passed through Perfume Shop Street and reached a cluster of apartment buildings behind it, where things were much quieter.

Zhang Heng entered an alley strung with clotheslines, where brightly colored garments fluttered in the wind above him.