Zuo An was not someone who yielded easily, nor was he a simple-minded fool. Even if Serena Feng wanted to play the "good cop," she had to pick her moment—otherwise, Zuo An would rather break than bend.
Ninth Royal Uncle (Nolan Dongling) was here precisely to help Serena Feng win Zuo An over, so of course he wouldn’t butt heads with Zuo An. Facing Zuo An’s flushed, stubborn face, Nolan Dongling generously refrained from arguing, instead watching him with calm composure.
Serena let the two handsome men stare each other down. Only when sweat began to bead on Zuo An’s forehead did she gently persuade Ninth Royal Uncle: “Don’t bother arguing with Zuo An. Just look at his heroic tower jump the other day—it’s obvious he hasn’t produced anything worthwhile in years. Why waste a thunder-blast grenade blowing up his trash storeroom?”
Trash?
Serena Feng’s words nearly made Zuo An spit blood. Trash? That secret chamber had cost him countless effort and silver—how could it possibly be trash?
Just as Zuo An was about to roar at Serena and set her straight, Ninth Royal Uncle nodded seriously. “She’s got a point.”
Zuo An was completely enraged, pointing at Nolan Dongling and cursing, “A point? What point? Who says what I built is trash? My tower-jump kite is already fixed—tomorrow, I’ll show you all! This time, I’ll definitely succeed!”
Zuo An sounded certain, but the flicker in his eyes betrayed his doubts.
“Success? Just because you survive your own jump, you call that success?” Serena Feng teased.
“Of course not. My goal is to let ordinary people jump and survive.” When Zuo An spoke of his dream, the light in his eyes was so intense it could blind anyone.
Serena Feng knew Zuo An was just like the Master of Mystic Healer Valley—both scientific madmen. To persuade someone like that, you had to show them something they couldn’t deny.
“Zuo An, no matter how big you make that kite, there’s no way for ordinary people to jump and not end up dead.” Serena Feng understood what Zuo An really wanted was something like a parachute.
A giant kite wasn’t impossible, but when Zuo An built it, he hadn’t considered materials or wind strength at all.
Serena Feng had seen Zuo An’s oversized kite—it was just a regular kite scaled up. He hadn’t chosen lightweight materials, let alone accounted for wind resistance. Failure was inevitable.
“It’s impossible now, but that doesn’t mean it’ll always be impossible. One day, I’ll let ordinary people jump from great heights and survive.” That’s the obsession of a research maniac—they believe in their vision and fight for it.
“Someday? How many years from now? When you’re old and gray and can barely walk?”
“Of course not. I believe that day isn’t far off.” Zuo An was full of confidence, but Serena Feng, for her own plan, had no choice but to say, “It really won’t take long. In fact, I can do it right now—I can let an ordinary person jump from a high place and survive.”
Serena Feng smiled at Zuo An, waiting for his reaction.
Just as she expected, Zuo An’s jaw dropped, then he shook his head over and over. “Impossible. I don’t believe it. If I haven’t figured it out, how could you?”
“Believe it or not, you’ll know once you try. How about a bet?” Serena Feng’s bright smile couldn’t hide the cunning gleam in her eyes.
“A bet? What’s the wager? How do we play?” Zuo An was hooked, just as expected.
“I’ll bet I can jump from Skycrest Tower and walk away unharmed. If I win, you give me back my pistol. If I lose, the gun is yours.” Serena Feng pointed at the disassembled pistol Zuo An was hiding behind his back.
Zuo An shifted nervously, hiding the pistol even more. “No way, that’s not a fair bet. The pistol is the price for you staying here—it’s already mine.”
Serena Feng didn’t argue—she knew Zuo An was bound to lose. “Fine. If I win, you give me back the pistol. If I lose, I’ll help you reassemble it.”
Just because he hid it behind his back didn’t mean Serena Feng didn’t know Zuo An had taken the gun apart.
Zuo An hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Deal.”
“It’s settled then. Once I’m healed, we’ll go to Skycrest Tower.” Serena Feng said crisply.
So, while Serena Feng recovered, she and Nolan Dongling stayed safely under Zuo An’s roof, with Zuo An personally protecting them.
Outside, the Brocade Guards were nearly jumping with frustration. After more than ten days with no sign of anyone leaving, if they hadn’t seen Serena Feng and Nolan Dongling come out each day, they’d have thought the pair had already escaped.
They knew their enemies were right in front of them, but acted like it was nothing. Was it that Serena Feng and Nolan Dongling respected Zuo An’s skills, or just looked down on the Brocade Guard?
The Brocade Guard figured Serena Feng and Nolan Dongling were deliberately using Zuo An as cover. After more than ten days of waiting outside, they finally made their move.
Early in the morning, the Chancellor’s residence sent someone to summon Zuo An, saying Left Chancellor Damian Du missed him. Zuo An didn’t bother with courtesy—he threw the messenger out before they could finish speaking.
The next day, the Princess Royal’s household sent for Zuo An. This time, he hesitated a moment, then went along—because the visitor was none other than the old nanny who’d raised him as a child.
With Zuo An gone, the Brocade Guard lost their last scruple. At a signal, hundreds of guards swarmed Zuo An’s little courtyard, packing it wall to wall. But...
“Reporting, sir—nobody’s here.”
“Reporting, sir—nobody’s here.”
...
Every search team came back empty-handed. The Brocade Guard had put on a massive show, but couldn’t even find a mosquito. The deputy commander in charge of the last failed siege looked like he’d swallowed manure.
Meanwhile, Serena Feng and Nolan Dongling—so closely watched by the Brocade Guard—were actually atop Skycrest Tower, waiting for Zuo An. With nothing to do, they stood on the windy summit, taking in the Lyndaria night view.
The wind was fierce at the top. Nolan Dongling worried Serena Feng would catch cold, so he held her close. She didn’t resist, snuggling against him like a little bird, enjoying the Lyndaria scenery and gazing out over the Imperial Palace.
For a moment, Serena Feng wondered—if a sniper were lying in wait atop Skycrest Tower, it’d be so easy to take out the target. Of course, she was only daydreaming; she hadn’t even managed to get her hands on an AK-47, let alone a sniper rifle.
By the time Zuo An arrived, night had fallen. He saw Nolan Dongling and Serena Feng sitting close together at the edge of the tower—so close that with a gentle push, he could send them both over.
Those two were fearless.
Didn’t they worry the Brocade Guard would find them? This spot wasn’t suited for a counterattack at all.
Zuo An coughed. The two had ignored him for ages, so he finally made a sound.
Serena Feng and Nolan Dongling exchanged smiles. They’d known it was Zuo An all along, but kept silent just to test his patience. As expected...
Zuo An really lived up to his reputation as a research maniac.
Time was running out, so Serena Feng and Nolan Dongling stopped teasing Zuo An. They stood and walked toward him. Serena Feng handed Zuo An a small bundle. “To keep you from accusing me of cheating, we’ll jump together.”
And use the chance to make a getaway...