Jiang Sui noticed that something seemed off about Lu Yunze today.
According to her little notebook, today was clearly Friday. Lu Yunze had a full schedule this afternoon, and normally, after his lunch break, he would have already left for school.
But right now-
“Jiang Sui, go fill up the water bottle for me.”
“All right, Young Master.”
Taking the small water bottle from his hands, Jiang Sui took a couple of steps then turned back, scrutinizing his figure as he crouched busily in front of the flower bed.
Half an hour had passed since classes started, yet Lu Yunze was still at the flower garden, carefully tending to his beloved seedlings.
Could it be that he forgot he had classes today? Impossible. Unless his brain was damaged, Lu Yunze’s personality meant he would never forget something like that.
Holding the filled water bottle, Jiang Sui returned to the flower bed and handed it to him, her gaze falling on his face.
The temperature had dropped a bit over the past couple of days, but under the blazing sun, Lu Yunze was drenched in sweat. Crystal-clear beads trickled down his cheeks, dripping onto the soil beneath his feet.
After more than ten minutes, Lu Yunze shakily stood up, his cheeks tingling numb from staying still for so long.
“Phew, finally done.”
He took off his sunhat and removed his muddy gloves and apron.
“Young Master, do you have something important to go out for today?”
“Huh? How did you know I was going out?” Lu Yunze was momentarily stunned.
“You changed into your going-out clothes early and aren’t going to class. Your little plans are way too easy to guess,” Jiang Sui said with a faint smile, clearly proud of her victory.
“You really can’t keep anything from me, huh?”
Lu Yunze gave a wry smile and scratched his head.
“Yeah, I do have something important to handle today. I’m ditching the afternoon classes. They’re nothing important anyway.”
They were all easy classes, plus one was English. Just thinking about that old English teacher’s face made it hard to get motivated.
Before Jiang Sui could say anything, Lu Yunze interrupted: “This time, you can’t sneak away and come along. This is my private business.”
Anything involving the Police… better not drag the little maid into it.
Lu Yunze originally wanted to slip away without anyone noticing, but Jiang Sui saw through him, so he had to be upfront to keep her away from danger.
But just words probably wouldn’t make her obedient.
He had already planned it out: once Jiang Sui started pestering him, he’d assign her some tasks with overtime pay. This little money-lover wouldn’t miss the chance to earn.
“Alright then.”
“I know you’re looking out for me, but you can’t always cling to me… What?”
Lu Yunze stopped mid-sentence.
“I said alright. When Young Master gives the order, I naturally have to obey.”
Lu Yunze stroked his chin, as if confirming whether the girl before him really was Jiang Sui.
“You really won’t come along?”
“No.”
“No sneaking along either.”
“Young Master, what do you take me for?” Jiang Sui raised an eyebrow, a hint of displeasure in her tone. “Sometimes I want to be alone too. It’s exhausting always taking care of you.”
Did she just say something honest?
Since Jiang Sui was willing to obey, Lu Yunze didn’t argue further. After a short rest, he set off.
As for Jiang Sui, she remained in her room when Lu Yunze left, quietly changing into her going-out clothes.
After putting on a thin outer robe with a hood, Jiang Sui looked at herself in the mirror, confirming that this outfit wouldn’t make her stand out on the road.
“Ready?” Black Cat stretched and yawned on the bed.
“Let’s go, Senior.”
If she wasn’t going to follow Lu Yunze’s trail, then Lu Yunze could just play on his own today. Jiang Sui had important business to attend to as well.
Quietly slipping out of the Manor, Jiang Sui got into a taxi she had booked in advance. The vehicle cut through the high-rise buildings, leaving behind the bustling city district.
The surroundings shifted from concrete and steel to the fresh, primal scent of mountain forests. Once outside the city, Jiang Sui rolled down the car window, feeling the wind turn crisp and clean.
After parking at the destination, the driver kindly said farewell: “Miss, you’re out to have some fun, right? Remember to keep a good mood.”
“You too, Uncle. Work goes well.”
After the driver left, Jiang Sui’s smile faded completely. She took out a thick gray-white robe with purple stripes from her backpack, put it on, pulled up the hood, and stepped into this small town.
There were no towering skyscrapers here; every building was aged, and the streets were much narrower than in the city. Two cars side by side could easily block the road.
Although the conditions were far inferior to the city, the number of residents was surprisingly high. Pedestrians chatted and laughed, their faces radiating a simple kindness city dwellers lacked.
“Senior, you have a good eye for locations,” Jiang Sui said as she walked, addressing the black cat on her shoulder.
“It’s not my choice. The person we’re meeting always does business here,” Black Cat’s voice was only audible to Jiang Sui. “If I could, I’d rather complete the trade in the city instead of coming all the way out to this remote countryside.”
The two crossed the street and headed to a teahouse at the prearranged meeting spot.
Upon entering, Jiang Sui immediately smelled a strong earthy tea aroma. The teahouse wasn’t large; the tables and chairs were all wooden, and the walls and ceiling had clearly been freshly coated with gray paint just days ago.
Climbing the stairs to the second floor, Jiang Sui instantly spotted the man sitting in the corner.
Pulling down her hood, she quietly hid Black Cat inside her robe before sitting down opposite him.
“You came?” The man, exhaling smoke, spoke coldly.
“I came.” Jiang Sui opened her mouth, but the voice that came out wasn’t hers, it was Black Cat’s.
“You shouldn’t have come.”
“But I still came.”
“Since you’re here, don’t leave.”
After saying the last sentence, the man finally broke into a relieved smile.
“The timing is perfect. I thought you’d take a while to show up.”
He then began studying this mysterious customer before him.
Because of the loose robe, he couldn’t confirm the figure, but the rosy lips visible under the hood belonged to a young woman. Yet the voice was surprisingly mature.
“Where’s the thing I asked for?” Jiang Sui pretended to speak again through Black Cat.
“Here it is.”
The man took out a small box from his pocket and opened it. Inside was a small packet of grayish powder.
“This is the thing you mentioned? Does it really work?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve been trading for years; never had a customer doubt my products.”
The man suddenly became enthusiastic.
“Is it troublesome to use?”
“No, just like the sample I sent you before. You only need to add water, stir it, and apply it to your face. You’ll perfectly disguise your real face.”
“Just the face?”
“This lady can already do an incredible thing without using Secret Arts changing her face.”
The man leaned back, pride shining in his expression.
“If you really want to change your whole appearance, why not just find someone to teach you Secret Arts?”
“That’s a good point. Deal.”
“I like your decisiveness!”
The man clapped his hands and closed the small box again. After Jiang Sui paid, he pushed the box back to her.
“If it’s not enough, you can come find me anytime. Old customers get discounts.”
“We’ll see about that later.”
As Black Cat spoke, Jiang Sui stood and slipped the small box into her robe.
Two streets away from the teahouse, she finally took off her hood, sweat streaming down her face from the heat.
Black Cat jumped out from under her robe, sharpening his claws.
“It’s such a tiny box, yet it cost me three months of saved funds.”
Just thinking about it made Jiang Sui’s heart ache. If it weren’t for Luo Yao and Lu Yunze both giving her extra pay, she really couldn’t have made such a smooth purchase.
“You should be grateful. That’s already a bargain I negotiated for you,” Black Cat said. “Once your skills improve, you’ll find your own way to make money. Then this small expense won’t mean anything.”
That sounded pretty far off.
Jiang Sui gently moved the fingers holding the box and smiled brightly.
“Got the goods. Now I just have to ask Senior to do some modifications.”
The man was right what he sold only temporarily altered the face. But with Black Cat’s little modifications, the change could be more than just the face.
“Don’t underestimate this tiny box. It actually lasts a long time.”
“But repeatedly buying it isn’t a solution either.”
“Then it depends on your luck and skill to get in touch with Secret Arts that can alter appearances.”
Jiang Sui just smiled. It was time to leave.
The moment she turned, the girl’s body slumped to the ground.
“What’s wrong?”
Black Cat jumped up and stared at the opposite side of the street, stunned as well.
“Is that… Lu Yunze? He came here too?”
Wait, what really mattered to Jiang Sui wasn’t Lu Yunze, but the person with him: Luo Yao!
“Are they on a date? They look so sweet.”
Jiang Sui smiled again, but this time the smile was clearly colder.
“Senior, why don’t we test how well this stuff works?”
“Sigh, listen to this.”
Seeing Lu Yunze made her unable to move. Seeing him with Luo Yao made it even harder.