The two continued wandering around the square for a while.
But Lin Qianqian was noticeably less enthusiastic than before. Though she still stopped to look at a few stalls, she no longer bent down to touch the little trinkets as intently as she had with the porcelain dolls.
Then, as they passed a jewelry stall, she stopped again.
Her gaze was involuntarily drawn to the glittering jewelry on display.
The stall sold rings, necklaces, bracelets, and hair ties.
But what caught Lin Qianqian's eye was a pair of pale blue crescent earrings. They hung from the stall, swaying gently, and looked beautiful.
"Would you like some earrings, young lady? This pair is made from heavenly water jadeite. The quality is excellent, and they'd definitely suit you," the stall owner immediately pitched enthusiastically.
Yet Lin Qianqian withdrew her gaze and turned to leave. "No, thank you."
This time, she barely hesitated, not even giving the woman a chance to persuade her to stay.
Zhou Fan glanced at the earrings, then at Lin Qianqian. In the end, he said nothing and followed her.
They wandered a little longer, but the atmosphere no longer felt as easy as it had at first. Something felt a little off.
"Didn't you say you still needed to buy roast duck for Zhao Qiu? Let's head back once you've bought it," Lin Qianqian said.
"Oh, sure."
They went to the center of the Imperial Capital, bought the roast duck Zhao Qiu had requested, and headed back.
"Oh, right, I forgot to buy something. Do you want to head back first, or come with me?" Zhou Fan suddenly asked.
"Go by yourself. I'll head back first," Lin Qianqian said.
"All right."
Then the two parted ways.
Lin Qianqian returned to the hotel alone.
She had been in a