A Major Snack Haul

As the imperial capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City was far more prosperous than a small place like Nuoding City. Its broad streets could accommodate ten carriages traveling abreast, lined on both sides with rows upon rows of shops selling goods from all across the continent. Crowds flowed endlessly, carriages filled the roads, and the cries of vendors, laughter of passersby, and wheels rolling over bluestone pavement intertwined, brimming with the bustle of everyday life.

Huo Wu walked ahead, deliberately keeping a slight distance from Zhang Bufan, trying to create the impression that they were merely ordinary friends out shopping together. But with her exceptional beauty, Blazing Fire Academy's distinctive crimson uniform, and the extraordinarily handsome, unfamiliar young man beside her, it was impossible not to draw attention.

What was more, quite a few well-informed people had already recognized Zhang Bufan as the ruthless man rumored to have instantly killed a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast yesterday! Wherever they passed, the crowd unconsciously parted to make way, their gazes filled with curiosity, awe, and... envy of Huo Wu. Or perhaps sympathy?

The stares made Huo Wu uncomfortable all over, and she unconsciously quickened her pace.

Zhang Bufan, however, seemed completely oblivious. He followed leisurely behind her, looking over the sights on either side of the street with great interest and occasionally offering a comment.

"Tsk, this architectural style feels like a blend of East and West. Interesting."

"Wow! Are those sugar figurines? They're pretty detailed!"

"Hey, they're selling Soul Beast pelts over there. The quality looks rather average..."

His wide-eyed country-bumpkin demeanor stood in enormous contrast to the legendary image of the man who had destroyed the Dragon God with a wave of his hand, leaving the spies from various factions and the bystanders secretly observing him utterly confused.

This... this was really that ruthless man? Why did he look like some yokel who had never seen the world?

Huo Wu could not help slowing down and glancing back at him strangely. This guy was absurdly powerful, domineering, and shameless, so why was he so interested in these ordinary things?

"You've never been to Heaven Dou City's busiest street?" Huo Wu finally asked.

Zhang Bufan shrugged. "I was busy competing and cultivating before. When would I have had time to wander around? Besides, shopping alone is no fun." As he spoke, he gave Huo Wu a meaningful look.

Huo Wu's cheeks warmed. She turned her head away, pretending not to understand.

As they walked, Huo Wu's attention was drawn to a roadside stall selling candied hawthorn skewers. A glossy, translucent sugar coating wrapped around bright red hawthorns, gleaming enticingly beneath the sunlight.

She had loved these when she was little, but after growing up, she had not touched them in a long time in order to maintain her image and focus on cultivation. Seeing them now brought back a sense of nostalgia, and she unconsciously looked twice.

Zhang Bufan took in her reaction, a smile curling at the corner of his lips.

He quickened his pace and walked up to the stall. The vendor was a kind-looking old man. Seeing Zhang Bufan's extraordinary bearing, he warmly called out, "Young master, would you like a candied hawthorn skewer? Sweet and crisp, delicious and cheap!"

But Zhang Bufan did not buy one immediately. Instead, he pointed to the straw rack filled with skewers and asked, "Sir, I'll take every candied hawthorn skewer you have."

The old man froze, thinking he had misheard. "Y-Young master, what did you say? All of them? I've got dozens here!"

"That's right, all of them." Zhang Bufan nodded decisively, then casually took several Gold Soul Coins from his Soul Tool and stuffed them into the old man's hand. "Is this enough?"

Looking at the Gold Soul Coins in his hand, enough to buy the entire stall with plenty left over, the old man's hands trembled as he nodded repeatedly. "Enough! Enough! More than enough! Young master, you're far too generous!" He hurriedly handed the whole straw rack to Zhang Bufan.

Carrying the straw rack laden with dozens of candied hawthorn skewers like a victorious general returning from battle, Zhang Bufan strode proudly back to Huo Wu. He pulled out the reddest, brightest skewer and offered it to her with a radiant smile. "Here, this is for you."

Huo Wu looked at the skewer in front of her, then at the absurdly conspicuous straw rack over Zhang Bufan's shoulder, packed full of candied hawthorn skewers, and then at the stunned, amused looks of the surrounding pedestrians. Her entire body stiffened, and her cheeks instantly flushed scarlet!

"Y-You... why did you buy so many?!" she nearly gritted out. Was this guy an idiot?! Who bought candied hawthorn skewers by clearing out the entire stall?!

Zhang Bufan answered with complete confidence, "I saw that you liked them. Since you like them, I bought more so you can eat them slowly. Eat one, look at one, throw one away!"

Huo Wu: "..."

She felt as though she was about to suffocate. What kind of hopelessly straightforward male mindset was this?!

A burst of stifled laughter rose from the crowd. Some of the young women even looked at Huo Wu with envy. This handsome young master might act a little foolishly, but he really doted on her!

Huo Wu wanted nothing more than to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it. Looking at Zhang Bufan's sincere(?) gaze and the skewer he held out, she did not know whether to accept it or refuse it.

Yet Zhang Bufan seemed not to notice her embarrassment at all. He pushed the skewer a little closer and blinked. "Try it. Is it sweet?"

Looking at his handsome face and the straw rack on his shoulder that utterly ruined his image, Huo Wu finally surrendered to the crystalline temptation before her and the faint... inexplicable sweetness in her heart. She quickly took the skewer, lowered her head, and said quietly, "Th... thank you."

Then she took a small bite.

The sugar shell cracked with a crisp sound, and the sweet-tart flavor of hawthorn spread across her mouth. The familiar taste seemed... even sweeter than she remembered.

Watching her eat the candied hawthorn in tiny bites, her ears red from root to tip, Zhang Bufan's mood soared. Mm, mission accomplished!

He carried the candied hawthorn rack and continued following beside Huo Wu, beginning his "shopping spree."

After that, whenever Huo Wu's gaze lingered on a snack for more than three seconds—

"Boss, I'll take every one of these Roasted Soul Beast Skewers!"

"Boss, I'll take every one of these Crystal Cakes!"

"Boss, I'll take every one of these Milk Crisps!"

"Boss..."

In less than half an hour, Zhang Bufan's seemingly inconspicuous but deceptively spacious Storage Soul Tool had been stuffed full of every kind of snack imaginable, from north to south, from Eastern to Western-style—other-world versions, of course. At the same time, his reputation as a "snack-sweeping machine" and a "wife-doting maniac" rapidly spread through Heaven Dou City because of his extravagant shopping habits...

Huo Wu went from embarrassment and trying to stop him, to numb resignation, and eventually even began pointing out snacks that interested her with a give-up-the-fight attitude...

Anyway... this guy had money and did whatever he wanted! And... somehow... it did not feel too bad?

With several different snacks in her hands and candied hawthorn still in her mouth, she watched Zhang Bufan walk ahead, still searching for his next target. His back, carrying that candied hawthorn rack, stood out so distinctly amid the bustling crowd—so silly, yet somehow... so reassuring.

Sunlight spilled over him, as though it had outlined him in a warm golden glow.

As Huo Wu watched, the corners of her lips gradually lifted into a gentle curve.

Perhaps... being with this guy would not make the days ahead boring after all?