Chapter 183: Rewards

A dull and somewhat boring weekend.

After the bar incident, Lu Yunze managed to enjoy a rare, relaxing weekend at home.

On one hand, the events at the bar had left him quite exhausted; on the other, he hadn’t gone to Jiang Sui’s home all week.

It was dull because the turmoil was gone, and boring because she wasn’t there.

In his own bedroom, he always felt as if a gaze were fixed on his back, making it hard to feel at ease.

“Hey, Brother Lu, how do you have time to play games with us today?”

“What, you don’t like it?”

“No, I’m just curious, aren’t you going out on a date this weekend?”

“Are you insane? When have I gone on a date every single week?”

On the other end of the voice chat, Xiao Lin was instantly shocked.

“So that’s not the case? We all thought you were going out with girls every weekend and had forgotten about the nine of us brothers.”

Hearing this, Lu Yunze couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Nonsense, how could I ever forget my brothers? If I have a bite to eat, you lot will have a bite too.”

“Brother Lu is wise!”

“Enough talk, why haven’t you logged on yet?”

“Coming, coming! This computer of mine is already several years old, it’s long since fallen behind the times.”

Lu Yunze was about to tease him about why he didn’t buy a new one—he had enough money to chase girls, so he certainly had enough to upgrade his computer.

Just then, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

He whipped his head around.

Their gazes met.

Jiang Sui was standing beside him, silent as a ghost, having appeared out of nowhere.

Her light purple eyes reflected his stunned expression.

Even though she had been caught, she only offered a gentle smile and a slight bow.

“Hiss—”

Lu Yunze drew in a sharp breath.

“Uh, I suddenly have something urgent to attend to. Let’s play next time.”

“I finally logged in, Brother Lu, you aren’t thinking about women, are you?”

“Shut up!”

The call disconnected.

Lu Yunze took off his headset, his expression serious, and gave a few small coughs.

“Didn’t I tell you to knock on the door?”

“I did knock, but the Young Master didn’t hear me.”

Jiang Sui puffed out her cheeks, looking somewhat displeased.

Lu Yunze was stunned for a moment, remembering he had been wearing headphones; he really hadn’t heard anything.

Fortunately, they hadn’t been talking about anything sensitive.

“What do you need?”

This was the first time she had come to see him voluntarily since she returned.

He could skip the game, but he couldn’t ignore her.

Jiang Sui didn’t answer, instead pulling something she had been hiding behind her back.

“This is a thank-you gift for the Young Master.”

She placed the object on the table and opened it—

The sweet scent of cake immediately wafted through the air.

Lu Yunze was stunned.

“Look closely.”

He then noticed that this cake was different from the one he had given her, and it lacked the well-wishes he had written.

“My mother was very moved after learning of the Young Master’s sacrifices; she felt she couldn’t just take your things for nothing, so she bought this.”

…That felt a bit unnecessary.

Lu Yunze didn’t know what kind of expression to wear.

It was supposed to be a selfless act, yet it ended up costing her money anyway.

“I picked this out myself. Does the Young Master not like it?”

Jiang Sui’s tone dropped noticeably.

“I like it, I like it very much!”

Lu Yunze quickly sliced off a piece of cake and put it in his mouth.

“Mmm, delicious. As expected of your taste.”

“I’m glad the Young Master likes it.”

Her expression “warmed up” again.

The cake was indeed delicious, but Lu Yunze wanted to know more—

How she had spent this weekend.

Jiang Sui gave a simple account of a “mundane” weekend.

As for how much of it was true, only she knew.

In reality—

After escaping the police station, she went home and slept soundly.

The cell floor had been cold and hard; she had reached her limit long ago.

She slept straight through until noon on Saturday.

The bar owner was dead, the bar and the club were sealed, and that entire force was essentially wiped out.

Even if there were stragglers, they would have a hard time regrouping.

However, the Black Cat’s behavior had been a bit strange.

When Jiang Sui asked if she had saved them at the critical moment, the cat had only responded vaguely.

As for Xia Youqing—

After being taken to a safe location, she had fallen unconscious, and after Jiang Sui brought her home, she slept until the afternoon.

She remembered almost nothing of the previous night.

Only drinking, chaos, and then losing consciousness.

When Jiang Sui brought out the cake and the gifts, she had been so moved she cried on the spot.

“I’ve worked hard for half a lifetime, and it finally paid off…”

Jiang Sui comforted her for a long time, terrified that she would fall back asleep as soon as she stopped crying.

The return gift had been Xia Youqing’s idea.

Upon learning that the cake and wine had been prepared by Lu Yunze, she dragged Jiang Sui out the very next afternoon.

The excursion eventually turned into a clothes shopping trip, and it was only because Jiang Sui dragged her back that they managed to buy the cake at all.

“Was it expensive?” Lu Yunze asked.

“What, does the Young Master want a reimbursement?” Jiang Sui raised an eyebrow.

“If you’re willing, I suppose that’s possible.”

“Forget it. I don’t like taking advantage of the Young Master.”

She shrugged her shoulders.

Then, she suddenly leaned in close.

“But Young Master, you must not forget about me just like that.”

She leaned forward, her tone becoming sultry and alluring.

At such a close range, her fragrance made his mind restless.

Lu Yunze’s breath hitched.

Jiang Sui smiled even more seductively.

“Now it’s my turn.”

“Huh?”

“That was my mother’s gift; now this is mine.”

She suddenly asked:

“Does the Young Master prefer black silk stockings or white ones?”

Lu Yunze paused, thinking it over seriously.

“I like both, but I have a preference for black silk.”

“What a coincidence.”

Jiang Sui sat on his bed, her fingers grazing her own black-stockinged legs.

“The Young Master likes black silk, and I just happen to be wearing some.”

“Wait, we weren’t discussing—”

“Talk is cheap,” she interrupted him directly.

The temperature in the room seemed to rise.

Lu Yunze felt sweat begin to bead on his forehead.

She was serious.

Jiang Sui shifted her posture slightly, letting him see more clearly.

“Young Master, there is no need to hold back. I know you had a hard week. Why not relax?”

Her voice was like a whisper, prying away his reason bit by bit.

“Besides, it is the duty of a maid to serve her master.”

The final thread of his reason—snapped.

By the time Lu Yunze regained his senses, she was already right in front of him.

Her gaze seemed to be dragging him down into an abyss.

…

Some time later.

Jiang Sui finally finished putting on her shoes and walked out of the bedroom.

Her legs felt weak with every step.

“So tired…”

She looked at herself in disbelief.

“As expected of the main protagonist, he has such stamina…”

If it had lasted any longer, she would have had to request a leave of absence today.

In the corridor, she ran into Luo Yao.

“Jiang Sui, are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Miss. I’m doing quite well.”

“That’s good. Make sure to work diligently.”

“Understood.”

Luo Yao turned and left, muttering about going to find Lu Yunze.

After walking a few steps, she suddenly looked back.

The smile on Jiang Sui’s face was somewhat subtle.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Jiang Sui smiled gently.

“I was just remembering something happy.”