Ten o'clock in the morning.
The wholesale fruit market was bustling with noise.
Narrow streets on both sides were lined with blue-green awnings.
Various baskets and crates piled up like mountains, with a faint sweet fragrance drifting in the air.
In the distance, a girl in a white hoodie leaned against a three-wheeled vehicle, hesitating as she looked at the fruits around her.
"Hey, young lady, buying stock?"
A burly man carrying two boxes of fruits actively approached her.
She raised her eyes: "What's affordable?"
The burly man finally noticed her features—a perfect oval face, a high yet delicate droplet-shaped nose, and, especially, those translucent light-brown almond-shaped eyes under her arched brows, excessively beautiful.
He was momentarily stunned. Realizing it was impolite to stare, he quickly shifted his gaze away.
He pointed to the spot on his left: "Oranges, maybe. They're cheap and sell well."
Yu Zhi thought for a moment and nodded slightly: "Alright, give me ten crates."
"Sure."
The burly man smiled brightly and, after placing the fruits on his shoulder aside, started moving oranges for her.
He opened the crates one by one and carefully poured the oranges into her cargo box.
Soon, it was filled with a bright golden-yellow pile.
After paying, Yu Zhi quickly pedaled her three-wheeled vehicle out of the market.
Following the address provided by Ruan Yuan, she navigated all the way to Emperor's Scenic Heaven in the city center.
This villa district housed only six estates, with most of Imperial City's elite families residing here.
Yu Zhi couldn't gain access, so she had to park her three-wheeled vehicle by the villa's main gate.
She chose a highly visible spot. Just as she prepared to sit down, the watch on her wrist vibrated briefly.
Yu Zhi narrowed her eyes at the watch face and took out her earphone to wear it.
Within two seconds, Ruan Yuan's voice sounded in her ear: "Are you there?"
"Yeah, selling oranges."
There was a brief pause from the other end before she teased, "I thought you'd pick cleaning windows this time."
Every time before Yu Zhi undertook a mission, she would scout the area beforehand—either delivering packages, fixing plumbing, or setting up small stalls to sell pancakes or flowers, and so on.
Yu Zhi pulled out a green-packaged candy from her pocket, unwrapping it as she replied, "Got tired of cleaning."
"Mm, selling oranges works too." Ruan Yuan chuckled, "I've sent you the details about the owner of the broken dish."
"Not broken."
"Alright, alright, plum blossom wash."
Yu Zhi: "..."
It was clearly "Ru Kiln Sky Blue Glaze Plum Blossom Wash."
After the call ended, Yu Zhi opened the messages she'd received and studied them earnestly.
A gentle breeze lifted a few strands of hair near her temples.
She curled up on a plastic stool, hugging her phone. From afar, her figure inexplicably looked a little desolate.
A black BMW car had unknowingly stopped across the street.
An elderly man dressed in a purple Tang suit stared unblinkingly at the girl beside the red three-wheeled vehicle through the car window.
After a while.
The driver, sitting in the driver's seat, couldn't help but turn his head and softly asked, "Sir, do you want some oranges?"
Xu Zhen ignored him, opened the car door, and, leaning on his cane, slowly walked over.
Seeing this, the driver quickly pulled out the car key and followed behind him.
A long cardboard sign hung on the red three-wheeled vehicle. A few large words were written on it:
'Five for ten yuan, sweet and fragrant.'
The handwriting was neat and powerful, even carrying a sharp edge.
Xu Zhen looked at the sign, his eyes revealing a trace of appreciation.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Yu Zhi turned off her phone, glanced at the approaching figure, and asked, "Would you like to buy some oranges?"