On Sunday evening, before the sun had completely set, the Luo Family Manor was already bustling with activity.
The servants, following the butler’s orders, dashed about—some cleaning, some cooking—trying to get everything ready for the dinner party before the guests arrived.
“Hey, you there, the floor isn’t clean enough. Mop it again.”
“Has this flowerpot been watered? If someone sees it, they’ll think our Luo Family is so poor we can’t even keep flowers alive. Throw it out, save us the embarrassment.”
“Shut the kitchen door tight. Since it’s a surprise, don’t let the smell waft out and make things awkward for the guests.”
Every time something like this happened, the house would be busy to death. Of course, there were those who weren’t busy, like Lu Yunze and Luo Yao.
Lu Yunze had tidied up his room early on, so the servants only needed to mop the floor. That’s why, when things were at their noisiest outside, he could curl up in his room, put on his headphones, and enjoy some peace and quiet alone.
But for him, the real noise would only begin after the guests arrived and the dinner party started.
When the last rays of sunset were swallowed by the night, the dinner party officially began.
“To us!”
With a loud cheer, everyone clinked their glasses together, producing a clear, ringing sound.
After drinking the fragrant wine in their glasses, someone quickly exclaimed in admiration:
“This is way better than the beer you get at the convenience store.”
“Of course! Think about whose house we’re eating at.”
“It’s great having Miss Luo as a friend!”
Everyone present was a friend of Luo Yao. They weren’t all rich Young Masters or heiresses, so this truly lavish dinner had left them all wide-eyed with amazement.
From the moment they sat down, the praise for Luo Yao never stopped, not even repeating itself.
As the star of the evening, Luo Yao had dressed up with particular care tonight, wearing a beige long dress with her jet-black hair styled into a bun at the back of her head.
In the face of everyone’s compliments, she always narrowed her eyes slightly, maintaining the poise expected of The Eldest Daughter of a wealthy family.
Only when she had a free moment would she lean over to Lu Yunze and ask,
“Brother Lu, is my hairpiece crooked?”
“Ah, no.” Lu Yunze paused, holding his glass in midair.
“What do you think of my outfit, Brother Lu?” Luo Yao’s voice grew softer, her gaze drifting.
“You look great.”
Lu Yunze wasn’t lying. Out of everyone here, Luo Yao really was the most dazzling. But having seen her shine like this since childhood, he was already used to it.
“Hehe, Brother Lu, you’re so nice.” Luo Yao giggled foolishly, then quickly returned to her usual composure.
Compared to commenting on Luo Yao’s outfit, Lu Yunze was actually more curious about something else: Did you pad them?
He couldn’t help but feel that tonight’s proportions seemed different from usual.
Better not to ask, or he’d have to comfort Luo Yao again.
When it came to consoling women, he really wasn’t good at it. Compared to that, a straightforward fight was much easier.
During the dinner, Lu Yunze barely spoke, just occasionally sampling the dishes brought out.
If you asked him why, it was because he didn’t like such noisy environments.
After so many years at the Luo Family, he’d never once hosted a gathering in his own name. Even his birthday parties were always organized by Luo Yao, who’d use her connections to invite a crowd to celebrate.
So their conversations were always about things in their own little circle, leaving Lu Yunze unable to join in at all.
He could only obediently play the role of an emotionless eater, but even that didn’t work out.
The dishes looked fancy, but they didn’t suit Lu Yunze’s taste at all. And he couldn’t gorge himself either, for fear of being looked down on, so he ate with considerable restraint.
This place really was better left for them to enjoy on their own.
Lu Yunze casually found an excuse and slipped out of the dining hall, heading alone to the flower garden in the front yard to breathe in the fresh air.
“I really just want to eat some late-night street food.”
Fried noodles, stir-fried rice noodles, seafood congee—cheap and filling, but tastier and more satisfying to him than any dish at tonight’s dinner.
“Me too, I want some.”
“Whoa—what the—!”
A sudden voice beside him startled Lu Yunze so much his heart jumped, even if he didn’t leap up in fright.
As expected, it was Jiang Sui again.
Why did she always appear out of nowhere?
Lu Yunze turned his head and saw her face deliberately close to his. Moonlight spilled over her features, her eyes curved up at the corners, every long eyelash distinct. A few rebellious strands of hair slipped from her bun, glinting in the moonlight.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I just happened to see the Young Master all alone under the moon, so I came to keep you company.”
Jiang Sui pushed out her proud, ample chest.
He’d checked with his own eyes—those weren’t padded, they were the real deal.
Bigger really was better.
At that thought, Lu Yunze quickly averted his gaze. “Is it really okay for you to slack off here? If you get caught, you’ll get scolded again.”
“No need to worry, Young Master. Isn’t the Young Master here to back me up?”
“Don’t always count on me to cover for you.”
It was fine once or twice, but if word got around, Lu Yunze’s own reputation would take a hit. And with Luo Yao in the house, who knew what odd ideas she’d get.
Lu Yunze himself didn’t care much—Luo Yao would just complain a little and sulk for a few days. But for Jiang Sui, as a servant, anyone in the family could bully her as they pleased.
“If Young Master wants some late-night snacks, I’ll go buy them for you. No one would dare question your orders, right?” Jiang Sui narrowed her eyes, waiting to see his reaction.
“So you’d already planned this, huh?”
“Just tell me if you want some, Young Master. The street stalls should be open by now.”
As she spoke, Jiang Sui swayed around him, deliberately leaning in close to his ear and blowing a gentle breath.
“Just think, Young Master—the smell of freshly fried noodles, spend a bit more and you get extra meat. And the seafood congee, just cooked, with crab and shrimp—how delicious would that be?”
“Stop, stop, enough!”
Lu Yunze quickly put some distance between them, goosebumps rising all over.
Any more of that and he’d be drooling.
“Doesn’t Young Master want it?”
“I do, I want it so much.” Lu Yunze changed the subject, “But what about you?”
He couldn’t just take all the benefit for himself; even he felt guilty about that.
Jiang Sui smiled warmly at his words:
“I’m Young Master’s maid. It’s my job to serve you. But if you really want to repay me, I hope Young Master will keep his promise.”
“Huh?”
What promise?
“Sigh, I can’t believe Young Master forgot so quickly.” Jiang Sui sighed, “We agreed to go together, remember?”
“I’m sure I never said anything that weird.”
But with her reminder, Lu Yunze did recall saying some manly-sounding things to her in the alley yesterday.
Was she bringing it up because she had no one else to rely on but him?
Lu Yunze’s expression turned serious at once:
“A man’s word is his bond. I said I’d protect you, so I will.”
“You really are a man of your word, Young Master. So charming, it’s impossible not to like you.”
Jiang Sui deliberately leaned in, causing Lu Yunze to turn away and put some distance between them.
Flirting? Lu Yunze knew he was way outmatched by Jiang Sui in that department.
With his promise, Jiang Sui stopped pestering him and immediately set off to buy him some late-night snacks.
Anyway, she could always get reimbursed by Lu Yunze, so she could buy as much as she liked.
“If I’m running errands for you, it’s only fair I buy a little for myself too, right?”
The servants had eaten early for tonight’s dinner, but in such a hurry they hadn’t eaten well at all. This was the perfect chance to buy something for herself too, so she could enjoy it alone in her room after the dinner ended.
Jiang Sui wasted no time on the road and quickly bought all the snacks, then turned around to head back.
But as she walked, she realized something was off.
Even though night had fallen, Lan City should have been at its liveliest at this hour, yet there wasn’t a single car or pedestrian in sight.
What was even stranger, at some point a strange black mist had begun to gather around her, blocking her view of distant objects and clouding her vision.
As the mist thickened, Jiang Sui found herself lost in a maze, unable to tell where she was anymore.
Jiang Sui didn’t panic. Instead, after observing her surroundings, she felt around her waist, as if checking for something.
“Meow~”
Just then, a cat’s cry sounded behind her, making her quickly turn around.
A black cat, walking with elegant steps, slowly emerged from the mist.
“Good evening, little girl.”
The black cat actually spoke human words, but Jiang Sui showed no surprise—not even a hint of shock on her face.
“You’re finally willing to talk to me, Senior.”
“What senior? Have we met before?”
“Who knows.”
You don’t know me, but I know you.
The black cat fell silent for a moment, then spoke again:
“You seem to know about my past.”
“No, I don’t know anything about Senior’s identity.”
“Then why do you call me Senior?”
Because that’s how it was written in the original story.
“Senior” was what Lu Yunze called the black cat in the original. Even if her true identity was unclear, one thing was certain—she was a venerable figure in the Secret Arts World.
“But I do know Senior has a grand dream—to destroy the Luo Family.”
“You know about that?”
The black cat quickly regained composure.
“Then do you know why I’m looking for you?”
“Senior wants me to be your partner?” Jiang Sui smiled innocently.
“No.”
The black cat’s eyes grew deep and unreadable.
“You’re going to die.”
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