From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

The sound of horses' hooves broke the tranquility of the ancient town in the early morning.

Yan Ruyu and Xu Mo rode their horses to the entrance of the ancient town. They saw a street paved with bluestone slabs winding into the distance, with low wooden houses on both sides. Faded red lanterns hung under the eaves, swaying gently in the breeze.

The air was filled with a faint scent of herbs, mixed with the fragrance of earth, making everything seem ancient and mysterious.

“This ancient town is quite interesting.” Yan Ruyu raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, like a cat that had discovered a new toy.

She dismounted, gently patted the horse's back, and let it find its own fodder.

Xu Mo followed closely behind, a gentle smile on his warm and refined face. "Be careful." He reached out to support Yan Ruyu, as if protecting the most precious treasure in the world.

The two strolled side by side along the streets of the ancient town, their feet crunching on the uneven cobblestones.

Most of the shops on both sides of the street had their doors and windows tightly closed, with only a few open sporadically, displaying some simple and unadorned objects that showed the marks of time.

"It's so quiet here, like a dead city," Yan Ruyu said softly as she looked around.

"Perhaps it's not the time to get excited yet," Xu Mo said softly, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

The two arrived at the mayor's mansion, only to find the gate tightly closed, with two imposing stone lions guarding the entrance.

Yan Ruyu stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a long while, an old man slowly opened the door and looked at them with an impatient expression.

"What is it?" the old man asked coldly, his tone filled with deep wariness.

"We've come to visit the town mayor and would like to learn about the ancient town," Yan Ruyu politely explained her purpose.

The old man looked them up and down, and then turned to close the door.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Yan Ruyu reached out to block the door, a hint of doubt on her face. "We just want to know about the economic situation of the ancient town, we have no ill intentions."

The old man's face was stern, and his tone was firm: "Our town's affairs are none of outsiders' business!"

The surrounding residents also peeked out, watching the scene with curiosity.

There was tension in the air.

Instead of pressing for answers as usual, Yan Ruyu turned her gaze to a young woman beside her...

Instead of forcing herself on him as usual, Yan Ruyu turned to look at a girl with double buns next to her. Her eyes were curved and her smile was as sweet as melting snow in spring: "Hello, young lady."

The girl was taken aback at first, and then everyone around her looked as if they had seen a ghost. How could Miss Yan be so amiable?

Could it be that the sun has risen in the west?

“Hello…” Miss Li answered timidly, her voice barely audible.

"I'd like to ask you about something, if that's alright?" Yan Ruyu maintained her charming smile, much like the big bad wolf in a fairy tale who lures a little white rabbit, except this "wolf" looked exceptionally sincere.

Miss Li hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

Under Yan Ruyu's patient guidance, Miss Li slowly revealed some basic information about the ancient town.

It turns out that the ancient town has always followed the ancient traditions, with men farming and women weaving, living a self-sufficient life, knowing very little about the outside world, and even less willing to have contact with the outside world.

Upon hearing this, Yan Ruyu's eyes lit up, like an eagle that had caught its prey.

The people around were completely bewildered. After all that talk, there was nothing special about it. What was Miss Yan up to?

Xu Mo looked at Yan Ruyu,

“I see…” Yan Ruyu’s lips curled into a meaningful smile. “It seems that the economic backwardness of this ancient town is inextricably linked to its closed-mindedness and conservatism…” She paused, gazing into the distance, and said meaningfully, “It’s time to break this stagnant pool…”

“It’s getting late,” Xu Mo’s gentle voice sounded in Yan Ruyu’s ear. “Let’s find a place to stay.” As he spoke, he naturally took Yan Ruyu’s hand and led her towards the only inn in the ancient town…

At the entrance of the inn, Xu Mo quickly settled the horses, carefully inquired with the innkeeper to confirm that the room was clean and tidy, and then turned around and walked towards Yan Ruyu.

A hint of weariness lingered between his brows, yet his eyes shone with tenderness.

"Yu'er, the room is all ready. Would you like to rest for a while?" Xu Mo's voice was like the warm sun in March, dispelling the slight vexation in Yan Ruyu's heart.

Yan Ruyu looked at the man bustling around in front of her, and her heart softened completely.

Tsk, this little puppy is really good at taking care of people!

She couldn't help but chuckle, raising her hand to ruffle Xu Mo's hair like petting a large dog. "Mmm, my Mo Mo is so great!"

Xu Mo was a little embarrassed by her sudden action, the tips of his ears turned slightly red, but he still obediently let her rub them, with a faint smile on his face, like a large golden retriever whose fur had been stroked.

The two walked into the inn side by side, and the waiter kindly led them to an elegant room on the second floor.

The room wasn't large, but it was clean and tidy. Outside the window was a lush bamboo forest, which rustled in the breeze, making one feel relaxed and happy.

Yan Ruyu stretched comfortably, then slumped onto the soft couch in a "Ge You slouch," exclaiming, "I'm exhausted! The roads in ancient times are so difficult to travel!"

Seeing her like this, Xu Mo felt both amused and distressed, and quickly stepped forward to massage her shoulders and legs.

His strength was just right, and his technique was professional. Before long, Yan Ruyu felt her whole body relax and comfortably closed her eyes.

Just as the two were enjoying a rare moment of peace, a rough voice suddenly came from downstairs, breaking the cozy atmosphere: "What are you two outsiders doing, sneaking around outside my shop like this?"

Yan Ruyu and Xu Mo exchanged a glance, both looking puzzled.

The two walked to the window and saw a burly man standing downstairs. He had an angry expression on his face and his muscles were bulging. He looked like someone who was not to be trifled with.

Yan Ruyu frowned, about to retort, but Xu Mo stepped in front of her first, his tone gentle but with an undeniable firmness: "Brother, we are just passing by and have no intention of disturbing your shop."

"Bullshit! You two are obviously no good people. You must be here to find out the secrets of our workshop!" The man was unmoved and continued to point at them angrily.

The workshop he mentioned must be the one that Ms. Li had mentioned before.

"Brother, please watch your language. We are law-abiding citizens!" Yan Ruyu stepped forward, arms crossed, looking at the other party with displeasure.

She's a modern, independent woman, not someone to be trifled with!

Seeing this, Liu the blacksmith became even more furious and raised his fist to rush forward, but Xu Mo blocked him in front of him, keeping a safe distance.

Faced with the sudden conflict, Yan Ruyu did not back down.

She knew that she would encounter many obstacles if she wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the ancient town, but she would never give up easily.

She was determined to find a breakthrough and unveil the mystery of this ancient town.

"It seems that the secrets of this ancient town are even more interesting than I imagined..." Yan Ruyu looked at the back mountain shrouded in a thin mist in the distance, a meaningful smile appearing on her lips.

"Yu'er, it's very dangerous there." Xu Mo's worried voice rang in her ears, filled with deep concern.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Yan Ruyu's gaze was firm. Then she took Xu Mo's hand and said, "Come on, let's go to the back mountain to take a look."