Zhang San proceeded to count all of his memories about his parents and how he met them in the past.
But for Ye Hao, this wasn't what he wanted to hear.
"That is all I know. I could not provide any truly useful information, Xiao Hao, please do not blame me."
Zhang San said with a flushed face.
Ye Hao replied, "How could I? This information is already very important to me. Besides, I should be thanking Uncle Zhang for taking care of me all these years."
"As long as you are doing well, that is more important than anything."
Zhang San looked at Ye Hao, his clouded eyes filled with relief, like an old father seeing his son achieve success.
He withdrew his gaze. "Alright, there is still work at the shop. I will be going now."
"Xiao… Xiao Hao…"
After taking a few steps, Zhang San suddenly turned around.
"What is it?"
"N… nothing. I am leaving. You… take good care of yourself."
Zhang San shook his head, smiled, then turned and left.
Ye Hao had a feeling that he wanted to say something.
After Zhang San had been gone for a while, Ya Fei cautiously entered the reception hall.
Seeing Ye Hao with his eyes closed in deep thought, she did not dare disturb him and quietly removed her shoes.
Barefoot, she walked lightly behind him and gently placed her jade-like hands on his shoulders.
She softly massaged them for him.
A moment later,
Ye Hao opened his eyes.
"Miss Ya Fei, if I am not in Wu Tan City in the future, please help look after Uncle Zhang."
"Please just call me Ya Fei, my lord. Rest assured, I will do my utmost."
A golden light flickered in Ya Fei's eyes.
She knew that victory was drawing closer.
The closer it got, the less she could afford to rush.
Ya Fei leaned down and moved close to Ye Hao's ear.
In a soft voice, she said,
"My lord, sitting like this cannot be very comfortable. Why not move to the lounge next door? There is a bed there, it would be much more comfortable lying down."
"No need. Do you have any special item here that can alter a person's appearance?"
With something that could change his appearance, many things would become more convenient.
"What a coincidence. Not long ago, I happened to obtain such a miraculous treasure."
As she spoke,
Ya Fei swayed her full and graceful hips, walked to a cabinet nearby, and took out an exquisite wooden box.
She gently placed it in front of Ye Hao.
Opening the box,
Inside was a thin layer of skin-like material, resembling human skin.
It felt cool to the touch, as thin as a cicada's wing, almost as if it were not there at all.
"My lord, this is made from rare Ice Silkworm silk. I originally planned to bring it back to the Miteer Clan for auction. Since you need it, I will present it to you."
"In that case… many thanks."
"My lord, come, let me help you put it on."
Ya Fei proposed with a smile.
Ye Hao nodded.
She picked up the Ice Silkworm face mask and carefully pressed it onto Ye Hao's face.
Her jade-like hands gently smoothed it down, ensuring it adhered perfectly.
The mask was extremely thin. Once worn, it felt as though nothing was there.
After confirming it several times, Ya Fei brought over a crystal mirror.
"My lord, take a look. Does it fit perfectly?"
Ye Hao looked at the completely different face reflected in the mirror.
He nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad."
"With this, even if someone meets you face to face, it would be very difficult to recognize you."
Ya Fei said with a smile.
Only she knew of this appearance.
Did this count as a little secret shared between her and Ye Hao?
Of course it did.
The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. The smile on her face grew increasingly charming.
"Within four months, gather the medicinal ingredients needed to refine the Qi Gathering Powder. I will refine it for you."
Ye Hao stood up, preparing to leave.
Ya Fei hurriedly said, "My lord, I have already ordered wine and dishes to be prepared. Why not eat before you go? There are also some rare delicacies worth trying."
Ye Hao hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Soon,
The maids brought out dish after dish of exquisite cuisine, filling the large round table.
Ya Fei even went to change into a qipao.
The slit of the qipao was cut very high.
It nearly reached the top of her thigh.
With just a slightly larger step while walking,
a glimpse of her fair skin would be revealed.
"My lord, try this. It is a specialty of the Miteer Auction House, called abalone. Some merchants salvage it from the sea. The taste is extremely fresh."
"And this one… it is called oyster. There are rumors that it is particularly suitable for you men. As for its specific use, hehe, Ya Fei does not know either."
"And this is…"
…
Ya Fei deliberately sat beside Ye Hao.
Officially, it was to conveniently pour him wine and serve him food.
In truth,
she simply wanted to be a little closer to him.
Then,
while serving him food and pouring wine, she would take advantage of seemingly casual movements to create opportunities for physical contact.
Fortunately, in his previous life, Ye Hao had not only been an accountant managing finances.
He calmly ate one bite after another.
The abalone was plump and juicy.
The heat was controlled perfectly.
The oysters were crisp on the outside and tender inside.
The large buns were rich yet not greasy.
After eating and drinking to his fill,
Ye Hao rose, saying he still had important matters to attend to, and left.
At the entrance of the auction house,
Ya Fei watched his departing figure.
She lightly bit her red lips and gently stomped her foot.
"The duck that was already at my lips still managed to fly away. It seems I need to study those illustrated books more thoroughly."
…
After leaving the Miteer Auction House, Ye Hao encountered several groups of people on the streets holding his portrait and asking around.
Fortunately, he was wearing the disguise mask, and no one recognized him.
He made some indirect inquiries.
It turned out that Ge Ye from the Yunlan Sect had sent them to look for him.
It had already been a month.
And Nalan Yanran still had not left.
If she put that kind of perseverance into cultivation, how wonderful that would be.
Ye Hao planned to find an opportunity to have Ya Fei spread some false information to send her away first.
As he was thinking,
he saw, in front of his blacksmith shop, a young girl in a light purple dress standing gracefully.
Her long hair, reaching her hips, was tied into a high ponytail.
A breeze passed by, causing the ponytail to sway slightly.
Her dress fluttered in the wind.
It gave her a unique charm.
She stared at the blacksmith shop without blinking, lost in thought.
Xiao Yan stood not far away, staring at Xun Er the whole time.
He looked as if he wanted to approach but did not dare.
It was quite comical.
Ye Hao decided to test the effect of the mask and walked up to the front of the shop.
"Miss, what would you like to buy?"
Ye Hao asked with a smile.
"Hao Ge…"
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Xun Er turned around in delight.
But she saw an unfamiliar face.
Her smile instantly disappeared.
"I am sorry. Your voice sounds very similar to my… former lover, so I mistook you for him."
At that, a look of loss, pain, and regret appeared on Xun Er's face.
"Then your lover must be very blessed."
"Blessed?"
Xun Er showed a helpless expression.
"It seems he does not remember me at all."
Perhaps because the voice of the man before her was so similar to the Ye Hao in her memory, she did not feel any disgust. Instead, she spoke a few more words.
Ye Hao thought for a moment and said,
"It may not be that he does not remember. Perhaps there are other reasons why he cannot acknowledge you for now. It is also possible that he has lost his memory."
"That is right, how did I not think of that?"
The dimness in Xun Er's eyes instantly reignited with hope.
"Thank you for your comfort."
"It is nothing."
Ye Hao waved his hand.
He then pointed at Xiao Yan standing not far away and asked, "By the way, your friend seems to have been waiting for you for a long time."
Xun Er glanced over and shook her head. "We cannot really be considered friends. We merely know each other."
Not considered friends?
This piece of information was quite important to Ye Hao.
In other words, Xun Er's relationship with Xiao Yan was not like it had been in the original story.
Combining that with the undisguised disgust on her face whenever she looked at Xiao Yan,
Ye Hao deduced that Xiao Yan, with a soul in his twenties or thirties, had attempted to take advantage of his five or six-year-old body to carry out lewd intentions under the pretext of testing Dou Qi, but had failed.
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Bonus chapters every 200 Power Stone!