Clind's Whisper
Zhang Heng had not expected Commodus to summon him so quickly. Logically speaking, even if Fabino's evaluation report had been submitted, it would take at least two days to reach Commodus.
So Zhang Heng gave himself a break during the interval and took Little Female Slave strolling through Rome. They first went to Perfume Street. Little Female Slave was a little curious as she watched Zhang Heng uncap bottle after bottle from the shelves, sniff them, and put them back.
"Why? Don't you like any of them?" Little Female Slave asked, blinking.
"Oh, it's not that. I just wanted to smell them." As Zhang Heng spoke, he casually picked out a bottle and paid for it. Then he tossed it to Little Female Slave. "It's for you."
"Really?" Little Female Slave happily caught the perfume. While Zhang Heng was not paying attention, she opened it and dabbed a little onto her hair.
Afterward, they left the perfume shop and wandered around the Campus Martius before heading to the Portico of Octavia. This area was far from the city center, with no markets or apartment buildings. In their place were vast stretches of green grass, temples, and statues, making it ideal for outings and leisure.
The broad porticoes encircled the lush Midgard. At its center stood the temples of Jupiter, king of the gods, and Juno, queen of the gods. The frescoes and stucco portraits along the porticoes told ancient myths and legends, while in the distance stood a bronze statue of Alexander the Great. Visitors and worshippers passed beneath the porticoes or paused before the statues, filling the place with tranquility and solemnity.
Little Female Slave found a patch of grass and sat down, taking out the lunch she had carefully prepared. She and Zhang Heng ate as