The next day, in the daylight, Zhuo Yao ordered her own servants to go out and buy groceries and make preparations. That evening, she hosted a banquet at home, once again inviting many people to attend.
“Luo Gui, I thought you’d forgotten about us.”
“It’s been so long since we’ve come to your house to play.”
“I heard your place got hit by some terrible accident. We thought the whole house must have collapsed!”
Facing their concern and questions, Zhuo Yao kept her elegant smile throughout.
“There was no terrible accident. It was just one of our careless cooks who didn’t pull out the gas canister and caused an explosion. Until the wall is repaired, I felt embarrassed to invite you all over.”
“It’s nothing, don’t forget we’re friends. How could we abandon you over something so trivial?”
“Exactly, exactly!”
Within the Manor, the servants bustled back and forth, busy receiving guests and serving food in the Dining Hall.
Actually, since the Manor still wasn’t fully repaired, Zhuo Yao had originally not planned to hold the banquet. But the arrival of Lin Ying made her change her mind.
Since they wouldn’t see each other the whole summer break, it was better to get together once now, rather than let their friends keep missing each other for the next two months.
“Everyone, tonight the food is plentiful and fresh, so go ahead and eat to your heart’s content. Eat as much as you like, and I’ll cover your cab fare home!”
As soon as she said this, the atmosphere at the banquet instantly livened up, and everyone shouted Zhuo Yao’s name in high spirits.
Tonight’s guests weren’t just Zhuo Yao’s old friends—there was also the newly arrived Lin Ying, for whom she had specially prepared a seat.
Seeing Miss treat him this way, Lin Ying was truly caught off guard. At first he tried to decline, but after being coaxed by a group of people, he had no choice but to take a seat.
Banquets hosted by the Yang Family never had dull moments; everyone was always enthusiastic.
However, not everyone could handle such a lively scene—like Lu Yunze. Amidst all the laughter and cheer, as long as no one talked to him, he would never start a conversation himself.
Because there were so many people, the air conditioners in the Dining Hall had already been running at full blast, but even so, the abundant dinner still made people sweat a lot.
After sitting in his seat for a while, Lu Yunze quietly slipped out of the Dining Hall without anyone noticing and went outside to the Courtyard for some fresh air.
Looking up at the spotless full moon in the sky, Lu Yunze stretched his body in a big yawn.
Just then, suddenly a finger poked his lower abdomen, nearly making Chen Yunze jump on the spot.
“What are you doing!”
Turning around, as expected, it was Jiang Sui. In this Manor, only she would play such pranks on him.
“What are you doing out here? Don’t you need to help inside?”
“All the guests have arrived, and the dishes are served. We don’t have to be so tense anymore.”
Moonlight from Moonlight Lake was cast upon the little maid’s body, her fair skin sparkling with dewdrops of sweat.
Her violet hair shimmered like water under the moonlight, and in the depths of her eyes, a playful smile seemed to hide, yet there was also a cool, ethereal aura—a charming contradiction.
Noticing the beads of sweat trickling down her forehead, Lu Yunze instinctively reached into his pocket and took out a pack of tissues.
“Young Master actually carries something like this? You’re practically a little girl.”
“Trying to help and I still get teased, huh?”
“Hmph, Young Master, you’re not going to dock my pay for this, are you?” Jiang Sui put on a pitiful look as she spoke, looking utterly miserable.
That hit the mark. Chen Yunze could only purse his lips. If she really demanded her wages, he’d probably be more upset than Jiang Sui herself.
Taking the tissues from Chen Yunze, Jiang Sui wiped the sweat from her neck as she asked,
“Young Master, aren’t you afraid of being seen with me like this again?”
Recalling what had happened, Chen Yunze’s heart skipped a beat. He was even worried that Lin Ying might go and snitch to Luo Li, making sure he never saw another day.
Fortunately, at the time Chen Yunze had said he’d go talk to Lin Ying, so Jiang Sui didn’t really discuss with Lin how to make someone’s body disappear forever.
When she heard Chen Yunze say to leave it to him, Jiang Sui had been skeptical at first, thinking that this little virgin couldn’t even handle something so basic.
Today was almost over, and Luo Qiong hadn’t come looking for them, which meant Chen Yunze had succeeded.
“It just so happens that we’re both out here enjoying the moonlight. What’s there to be wary of?”
“Is that so? So Young Master doesn’t think this is something that needs to be kept secret.” Jiang Sui’s tone had a hint of disappointment.
“What’s wrong? It’s not like it’s something shameful.”
“If it was something even more shameful, that’d be perfect. Then it could be a little—Qi Technique—between us, Young Master.”
Jiang Sui seemed to be inspired by his words and glanced at him meaningfully.
The Courtyard was quiet now, the banquet still ongoing inside, and it was unlikely anyone would come interrupt. In such an atmosphere, even if they did something a little shameful, they probably wouldn’t be caught.
Luckily there was grass behind them, or Lu Yunze’s wild imagination would have started running rampant!
He imagined the silence of the Courtyard being broken by the sounds of their movements. The little maid braced herself against the low wall, while Lu Yunze pressed close behind her.
Their breaths intertwined and merged, their shadows cast tightly together on the wall, swaying in rhythm with Lu Yunze’s movements.
Ah, so thrilling—if only the Lower House could overpower the Upper House.
Lu Yunze quickly forced the Upper House to push the Lower House down, then said seriously,
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“Young Master, you’re not even pretending to not know, huh?”
No, he couldn’t let this topic continue.
Lu Yunze hurriedly found a chance to change the subject.
“I just wanted to confirm—yesterday you said you’d go home with us, you weren’t lying, right?”
“Does Young Master hope I lied?” Jiang Sui blinked at him.
“No, I don’t.”
“Actually, Young Master, my home really is in Central City. So this time, going home, I’ll be accompanying you as well.”
“Oh, is that so…” Lu Yunze really didn’t know about that.
After confirming it a second time with Jiang Sui herself, Lu Yunze’s heart settled a little.
“Is it really that nerve-wracking, Young Master? It’s just going home tomorrow.”
“You make it sound easy,”
Lu Yunze laughed softly.
“That’s not an ordinary home.”
Because that is the Yang Family.
The original story’s major villain family, who would inevitably clash with Lu Yunze’s side later on.
Even though his plan to win over Chen Yunze had gone smoothly, Jiang Sui still felt the future would not be so simple.
Especially after the incident with Li Zhiya.
Jiang Sui realized that neither she nor Lu Yunze were strong enough yet—they still needed to grow.
So seeing Chen Yunze showing such self-doubt now was something Jiang Sui really didn’t want to see.
That’s why she chose to get closer to Chen Yunze, gently taking his hand and saying,
“It’s alright, Young Master. I’ll always be by your side.”
Jiang Sui gave a small smile, with no mockery, only tenderness.
“Even if your family abandons you, I’ll never leave you behind.”
Her eyes shone like jewels under the moonlight, making it hard for anyone to look away.
Lu Yunze was dazed for a moment before he forced a bitter smile and said,
“That’s true. As long as you don’t give up on me, how could I give up on myself?”
“Young Master, but clinging to me comes with a price, you know,”
With a small joke, Jiang Sui turned and left, leaving Lu Yunze standing there, bewildered and thinking she was angry.
The banquet lasted late into the night. After the guests left and the Dining Hall was cleaned up, it was only deep into the night that Jiang Sui finally lay down on her bed.
“Are you really going to walk Chen Yunze home yourself?”
The Black Cat’s voice sounded. Jiang Sui didn’t even look up, just reached to her side and stroked the fur on the cat’s head.
“Even if I don’t, we can still head to Central City under another identity, can’t we?”
As she spoke, Jiang Sui stretched and picked up the Black Cat, placing it on her own fluffy white belly.
There’s nothing more comfortable after work than a nap.
“So, are you planning to visit home often, Senior?”
“I haven’t had a home in a long time.”
The Black Cat’s answer was within her expectations.
“But as for you, Jiang Sui, is it true your family is in Central City?”
“There’s no need to let Lu Yunze know about something like that.”
But honestly, Jiang Sui didn’t have much attachment to that family. After all, she’d only been in this world for a short while.
To tell the truth, if she really had to answer, Jiang Sui wanted to borrow what the Black Cat said: there was no home for her.
In this world, there are those who can use Shijian Kongchuan and Qi Technique—
But she didn’t let such melancholy linger for long, and soon drifted off to sleep.
But tonight, it was a little different.
As Jiang Sui’s mind sank into sleep, her body emitted a faint green glow.
She had a strange dream.
“Recently, I found a really interesting novel—take a look!”
“You really guessed right, it’s total garbage. I’m telling you, I’ve read so many novels and I’ve never seen something this bad.”
“Seriously, you have to read it. Really! I can’t be the only one suffering through this.”
In her dream, the girl picked up her phone, pulled up the novel called [Moonlight Smile, Heart Entranced], and started reading in bed.
Wait, isn’t there a girl with the same name as me in the book?
She quickly realized something was off, sat up, and looked at the mirror by the bed. At some point, the person reflected—who was supposed to be a real man—had become a long-haired, beautiful woman!
“Don’t tell me my past life’s memories are getting scrambled, too!”
Jiang Sui sat up with a start, breaking out in a sweat from the strange dream.
She rolled off the bed, rushed to the mirror, and brushed away the hair sticking to her temple, seeing her face, pale from fright.
After a moment, Jiang Sui’s breathing calmed down and she started to mutter,
“It was a strange dream. No matter what, I won’t blame myself for my past life.”
Except for that scene at the end, the rest of the dream was all consistent with her past life’s memories, even making her recall some things she’d already forgotten.
Like, for example, scenes from the original story she’d read.
Jiang Sui frowned, falling into deep thought.
“That Lin Ying… there’s something wrong with him.”