"Master, the traps are set. We're awaiting your orders."
A hooded figure knelt in the dimly lit room, his voice steady yet cautious.
"Hmm... good." A smooth, feminine voice drifted from the other side of the chamber. "But do not engage—yet. We still don't know the exact relationship between the Xiao family and Xiao Zhi."
The figure gave a single, disciplined nod. "Your orders are absolute." Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the shadows.
Bathed in the soft glow of a lantern, a veiled woman sat motionless, her delicate fingers tracing idle patterns along the wooden armrest. Her lips curled into an unreadable smile.
"Xiao Zhi… Liu i… I'm certain we'll et again," she murmured, a quiet giggle escaping her lips.
____
The inn bustled with warmth and chatter, the clinking of bowls and laughter filling the air. Liu i, stuffed and satisfied, leaned back in her chair, rubbing her belly.
Then, as if struck by an epiphany, she turned to Hua Lesy with an innocent—yet unmistakably devious—smile.
"Oh, kind elder," she drawled sweetly, "I'm sure you wouldn't want my master to actually pay for the al, right?" Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Hua Lesy stiffened. Internally, she scread.
— What did I even do to deserve this? She's been picking on this entire ti!
Outwardly though, she forced a stiff, dignified cough. "Ahem, yes, yes, of course! Consider it my treat."
Liu i bead. "See? Elder truly is generous!"
Beside her, Shan Yifeng barely contained his laughter. Ace simply stared at Liu i wonder what was going on.
Aftae the al, their destination was the Hua family estate. As they made their way through the bustling streets, Liu i continued to trail behind Hua Lesy, her curiosity—or rather, mischief—knowing no bounds.
"Say, Elder, what's your na?" she asked, her tone light but her eyes sharp with amusent.
"It's Lesy," the elder responded patiently, glancing down at her with a placid smile. "And what about you?" She spoke the way one would to a child.
Liu i didn't like that.
Her expression twitched. Tch. She folded her arms, puffing up slightly. "Listen here, Lesy— Ahem, I an, Elder Lesy," she corrected, her tone exaggeratedly respectful. "Does the na Sarah ring any bells for you?"
Lesy froze mid-step.
A chill crawled up her spine.
— Why is she asking that?
But before she could respond, Liu i had already moved on, as if the question had been nothing more than idle chatter.
"So, Lesy," Liu i continued nonchalantly, "about that amazing food you were hyping up earlier—what exactly is it?" Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire
Lesy blinked.
Did she just....?
She didn't even call her Elder Lesy!
Lesy inhaled deeply, reigning in her growing irritation.
"It's a feast. The best als in the city can be found at our estate," she replied with forced calm.
"Hmm, if you say so…" Liu i dragged out her words, her voice full of doubt. "But if it turns out bad, I'm going to complain to Master."
Behind them, Ace, who had been content to let the situation play out, finally decided to intervene.
At first, he had dismissed Liu i's antics as re playful teasing. But now? Now it was clear—she was genuinely hostile toward Lesy.
It was like when you raised a cat, and one day, without warning, you brought ho a dog. The cat wanted nothing to do with it.
And right now?
Liu i was that cat.
And Lesy?
Well, she was the unfortunate dog.
______
"Family Head—Elder Lesy has returned."
The announcent echoed through the grand hall, where Hua Hua, the Patriarch of the Hua family, sat in quiet contemplation.
He raised his gaze, his fingers lightly tapping against the wooden armrest of his chair.
"Did she find him?" he asked.
"Yes, Patriarch. They're currently in the guest room, waiting."
For a mont, Hua Hua remained silent, his expression unreadable. Then, his voice cut through the room with quiet authority.
"Nothing happened, right?"
The ssenger hesitated.
A slight furrow appeared between Hua Hua's brows.
"Speak."
The ssenger swallowed, shifting uncomfortably.
It had to be said—originally, they had considered sending soone else to handle this matter. Perhaps one of the brothers, Hua Ting or Hua Tiger—both more levelheaded and less prone to, well... problems.
But Lesy had been adamant about going. And since she had been the one to convince Xiao Zhi to agree in the first place, they had relented.
That decision, as it turned out, was already showing signs of backfiring.
Lesy had always been like this. Since childhood, she had a natural talent for stirring up chaos wherever she went.
If there was trouble within a ten-mile radius, it would find its way to her—or worse, she would find it.
The ssenger finally spoke, albeit carefully.
"Elder Lesy... didn't cause any trouble, per se. But, uh, it seems that one of Senior Xiao Zhi's disciples is—hostile toward her."
Hua Hua closed his eyes briefly.
Ah. So she managed to attract trouble without even trying this ti.
He sighed inwardly.
My condolences, Lesy.
______
Seated in the lavish guest room, Elder Lesy, Liu i, Shan Yifeng, and Ace waited as a group of servants carefully laid out an assortnt of dishes before them.
The table was soon filled with an elegant spread—stead vegetables, fragrant rice, braised ats, and delicately arranged side dishes, each ticulously crafted to reflect the Hua family's hospitality.
However, before anyone could even lift their chopsticks, Liu i wrinkled her nose in distaste.
"Eww... Take it back," she declared without a shred of hesitation, waving a dismissive hand at the dishes as if they were an insult to her very existence.
The room fell into stunned silence. Even the servants, well-trained in masking their emotions, hesitated, looking toward Elder Lesy for guidance.
Lesy's eye twitched, but she maintained her composure. "Liu i, perhaps you should at least try—"
"No need," Liu i cut in. "I can already sll the disappointnt."
Shan Yifeng exhaled slowly, choosing not to get involved, while Ace only sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
As if sensing the growing tension, one of the servants quickly retreated and returned monts later with a fresh dish.
With great care, they placed a platter in front of Liu i—a beautifully roasted chicken, its golden-brown skin glistening under the warm glow of the lanterns.
Liu i's sharp gaze flickered toward it, her previous disdain montarily vanishing.
"Hmm... now we're finally talking," she muttered, leaning in with newfound interest.
Liu i took a bite, chewed for a mont, and then frowned.
"Beh, this tastes bad! How is this even comparable to that chicken from the inn?" she complained, setting her chopsticks down with an air of utter disappointnt.
Elder Lesy blinked, looking at her incredulously.
"But... this is the chicken from the inn. We just brought it here."
That caught Liu i off guard, but she didn't even hesitate before launching into an improvised excuse, her expression dead serious.
"Well, obviously, it's the distance," she declared. "The further you take it from the kitchen, the more the taste deviates."
Ace, who had been quietly sipping his water, suddenly choked, spraying it all over the table. He turned to Liu i, his eyes wide with sheer disbelief.
What kind of nonsense was that?!
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