After Prince Xuexing issued his orders, Zhao Ling, Ah Yin, and Bo Saixi were quickly targeted.
This was easy to understand—both Bo Saixi and AhYin were exceptionally beautiful, with distinctive hair colors: sea-blue and sky-blue respectively. Combined with Zhao Ling, they matched Prince Xuexing's description of the three targets perfectly. So their presence was soon reported back to the prince.
Prince Xuexing was overjoyed by the news, but he also understood that someone like Zhao Ling, a Titled Douluo, wouldn't be easy to approach.
Thus, he instructed his men to simply observe the trio from afar and avoid alarming them. He wanted to learn what they were up to as they wandered around the city.
His subordinates followed orders, trailing the three from a distance. But with Zhao Ling and Bo Saixi both being Titled Douluo, they noticed the tailing instantly.
The three of them exchanged glances and began whispering among themselves.
Bo Saixi: "Someone's following us. What should we do? Want to teach them a lesson?"
Ah Yin: "That seems too violent. They're just following us without doing anything hostile."
Zhao Ling: "Yeah, I don't sense any malice. They must have some purpose. Let's just wait—they'll slip up eventually. No need to rush. Let's enjoy our day."
With Zhao Ling's calm response, Ah Yin and Bo Saixi nodded in agreement and resumed their casual stroll.
By noon, they had checked out six properties for sale. Although these homes were located in bustling parts of Heaven Dou City, they were very expensive and quite small, costing thousands or even tens of thousands of gold soul coins.
While Zhao Ling could afford the prices, the tiny spaces were disappointing. With land sizes barely over a hundred square meters and most Douluo Continent buildings being only two or three stories tall, it felt cramped. Even in the original novel, Tang Yuehua's Moon Pavilion stood five stories tall and was considered one of the tallest buildings in Heaven Dou City.
To live comfortably in Douluo, the house needed a larger footprint.
Besides, Zhao Ling had greater ambitions—he dreamed of building a warm home for all the beautiful women of Douluo. A small house just wouldn't do. How would he hide his beauties in golden chambers otherwise?
So in the afternoon, the trio continued their determined search for the ideal property. As they browsed, they unexpectedly ran into someone they hadn't seen in a while: Liu Erlong.
She was at a flower shop buying peonies when Ah Yin saw her and lit up with joy. She ran over and hugged her.
"Erlong, it's been so long! I've been looking all over for you!"
Liu Erlong was startled by the sudden hug, but when she turned and saw Ah Yin's familiar face, she smiled warmly.
"Ah Yin! You're here in Heaven Dou City? Then…"
Just as she was about to ask about Zhao Ling, she spotted him approaching with Bo Saixi.
Her eyes were immediately drawn to Bo Saixi—a stunning woman whose beauty rivaled, or perhaps even surpassed, that of Bibi Dong and Ah Yin.
In an instant, Liu Erlong realized: this must be the fourth woman to have seen the "Zhao Ling's Diary Replica." Among the four of them, she now suspected she was the least attractive.
Even though she hated to admit it—after all, she was also a beauty—when compared to the others, she had to concede.
Frustrated, Liu Erlong shot Zhao Ling a glare. No wonder this playboy kept saying he wanted to build a warm home for all the beautiful women of Douluo—turns out even the "least attractive" one had to look like her!
She suddenly had the urge to beat him up—but unfortunately, she couldn't.
Zhao Ling, puzzled by her glare, wondered what he had done to upset her. Had she been waiting for him too long?
He figured that might be the case. After all, they'd known each other for a while, but he'd never made their relationship official. Plus, he had spent half a month traveling to Spirit City with Ah Yin and others, which could understandably make someone unhappy.
Thinking this, Zhao Ling stepped forward and gently patted Liu Erlong on the head.
"Erlong, I've come to Heaven Dou City as promised."
Liu Erlong snorted and rolled her eyes again. "You're here for me? Or to stir up trouble? You know the answer."
"Of course I'm here for you. Why else would I come? Oh right, Erlong—Ah Yin and I are planning to settle down in Heaven Dou City. We're looking to buy a well-decorated house with a large area. Since you're a local, do you have any good recommendations?"
Zhao Ling wore a gentle smile and asked sincerely.
"Oh? You're really planning to settle here? That's great news."
Liu Erlong's eyes sparkled, and she stared directly into Zhao Ling's. She suddenly felt something stir—he seemed so warm and familiar in that moment.
She couldn't help herself. Before she realized it, she had thrown herself into Zhao Ling's arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him.
Bo Saixi lightly smacked her forehead. "There goes another woman falling head over heels for Zhao Ling. Shameful."
But even as she judged, she couldn't deny her own feelings. The more time she spent with Zhao Ling, the more she wanted to stay by his side.
She knew she had originally sought him out to learn Tang Chen's whereabouts.
But now, she wasn't in a rush anymore. In fact, she wasn't even sure if she'd leave Zhao Ling after finding out.
At this point, Bo Saixi didn't want to leave. She felt safe and comfortable around Zhao Ling—more so than anywhere else.