Outside the small town by the pond stood a man in green, with a man in gray behind him.
"Gale, I want every scrap of information about her before age seventeen—don’t miss a single word," Lucian Vane dropped his usual smile, suddenly turning uncharacteristically serious.
"Understood, sir." Gale hesitated, then asked, "But with Adrian Knight traveling with you, it won’t be easy to get what we want. Should I find someone to..." He made a throat-slitting gesture as he spoke.
"No need. With him around, things won’t be easy for us, but it’s not any easier for him either. Right now, the only way to find Master Xuanluo is through her. But whether my and his little plan will actually work... that still needs testing." Lucian had received the same news as Adrian Knight. He couldn’t believe that the legendary Xuanluo had met this so-called fool three times—an absolute miracle. Usually, anyone lucky enough to get his guidance would count it as a blessing from a previous life, and he never visited the same person twice. Yet, he’d met Ivy Shen three times. Something was definitely off here. Maybe, relying on her really is the only way to meet Master Xuanluo!
"Got it," Gale replied.
"Good. Bring me her information as soon as possible." Right now, Lucian Vane was desperate to know what kind of person Ivy Shen really was. A fool? An idiot? Or was it all just an act? And if it was an act, what was her goal?!
"Yes, sir." Gale bowed and vanished into the night a second later.
"Ivy Shen, just what kind of person are you? Maybe it’s time I gave you a proper test."
"Ah, this feels amazing!" Ivy Shen, freshly bathed, stood atop the wooden rooftop at the inn, enjoying the cool breeze. Who knew this little town was so modern—they’d even built a tiny terrace on the third floor for guests to relax. It was just a small patch, but since she’d scored the best room in the place, this rooftop thing basically became her private domain.
"Yeah, pretty comfy." Suddenly, Lucian Vane’s lazy voice sounded behind her.
Hearing that, Ivy Shen quickly turned around, frowning the next second. "Hey, this is my turf!"
"Yours? Is your name written on it?" Lucian Vane narrowed his delicate peach-blossom eyes.
"Ugh, what’s that supposed to mean, you venomous snake? The innkeeper said my suite is the best one, so only I get to use this spot."
"My lady, I’ve noticed you’ve been acting different ever since our wedding…"
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Yeah, really different. But I have to say, I like it. You’re way more interesting this way."
"Oh? So this is more your style, Lucian?" Ivy shot him a cold glance, too lazy to argue with this arrogant guy, so she just closed her eyes to rest.
But to Lucian Vane, her casual move looked exactly like some kind of 'playing hard to get' trick. He snorted to himself—time to see what she could really do. The next second, he staggered toward Ivy Shen. "Oops, almost forgot to mention, I’ve been drinking. My head’s all fuzzy!"
Lucian Vane wobbled over and grabbed Ivy Shen’s arm, swaying her back and forth. Ivy shrieked, warning him that he was in danger.
"Ah—" Suddenly, Lucian lunged outward. The short railing couldn’t stop him, and with a twist he toppled right over. But at that moment, a hand grabbed onto Ivy Shen, and Ivy ended up sprawled over the railing, struggling to hold onto his hand.
"Whoa, what’s going on? Why am I hanging in midair?" Lucian faked a dramatic scream. Wasn’t she supposed to know martial arts? He wanted to see what kind of moves she’d use to pull him up.
"Let go, dammit! It hurts!" Ivy yelled, barely managing to hang onto the railing with one hand.
"Let go?" Lucian frowned. "If I let go, I’ll fall and die!"
"Whether you die or not, what’s it got to do with me? Damn it, just let go! If you want to die, go die by yourself—stop dragging me down with you!" Ivy yelled at the top of her lungs, ignoring Lucian’s scowl. This was the third floor! If she fell, she’d be crippled if not dead. She was still young and wanted to live, okay? If this venomous snake wanted to die, he could do it alone—just don’t drag her down!