When Fire Breaks Out, There Are Always People Who Can’t Stand Others’ Happiness

House Lewis never actually planned to wreck Serena Feng’s birthday bash. Prince Nolan had invited every big name in Shandong—except for House Lewis. If anything went wrong, they’d be the first ones everyone suspected. But hey...

When a golden chance lands in their lap, House Lewis isn’t about to play nice.

The birthday banquet was going off without a hitch. With Prince Nolan’s status, who’d dare mess things up? Even when he showed up late and just sat at the head table, totally silent, none of those officials dared sneak out early.

And the Shandong Governor-General? No matter how much he hated it, he kept a poker face. With Prince Nolan’s icy stare locked on him, he probably wouldn’t dare show a hint of annoyance.

Blossom Hall was buzzing. The men kept raising their glasses, and even with Prince Nolan’s reputation for killing the mood, the party vibe held strong.

Meanwhile, Serena Feng was stuck entertaining the women in Autumn Grace Court. The Governor-General’s wife and her official-lady pals looked down on Serena, calling her a sly fox who only got this far by clinging to Prince Nolan.

But snobbery aside, they kept things polite on the surface, tossing out fake compliments whenever they could. The official daughters, though, played by different rules.

Those girls had mixed feelings about Serena—sure, they looked down on her, but they also couldn’t help being jealous.

Prince Nolan was the total package: drop-dead gorgeous, high-status, and untouchable. Yet somehow, he’d ended up with a woman like Serena. That stung. Every girl in the room wanted to take her spot—even if it meant no title, just being close to Nolan would be enough.

As for the merchant wives and their daughters, they bent over backwards to please Serena, whispering sweet nothings and acting all cutesy. Those merchant girls had their own dreams of cozying up to Prince Nolan, but they didn’t dare hate Serena. All they wanted was for her to help them climb the ladder.

No one could say if it was Serena's commanding presence or simply the shock of her shout, but the entire hall instantly fell silent. Every woman stared at her, some with fear, some with resentment, while Serena, still furious, slammed her hand on the table and barked, "Look at yourselves! The fire's only just started, it hasn't even reached us, and you're already losing your minds. If you keep panicking like this, you'll scare yourselves to death long before the flames get here!"

A fire breaking out at this exact moment was suspicious, and as the hostess, Serena knew she couldn't let anything happen to her guests—otherwise, she'd be the one to lose face in front of the whole city. Her tone was harsh, but the pampered young ladies weren't about to take it lying down; several immediately shot her resentful looks.

"Hmph, who do you think you are, lecturing us like this? If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened!" snapped the Governor-General's daughter, the leader among Shandong's young ladies. Serena had stolen her spotlight the moment she arrived, and now, with Serena's scolding, all her pent-up dislike burst out, making her forget her parents' warnings to stay polite.

Serena just shook her head at the girl's arrogance. She refused to be drawn into a petty quarrel with a spoiled princess, but the outburst did remind her of her own responsibilities as hostess.

Serena managed a faint smile and addressed the crowd: "Ladies, I apologize for the poor hospitality. With this sudden fire, Autumn Grace Court is no longer safe. Let's all leave in an orderly fashion—please, one by one."

Smoke was already billowing, quickly growing into visible flames, but thanks to the servants' quick response, the blaze hadn't gotten out of control yet. The wives and daughters, realizing how badly they'd just lost their composure, forced themselves to straighten up and plastered strained smiles on their faces, each trying to salvage her dignity.

The Governor-General's daughter opened her mouth to protest, but her mother, the highest-ranking lady present, seized her arm and marched her toward the exit. The other women followed suit, falling into line behind them, each determined not to be the last to leave.

Just as order was being restored, a sudden commotion erupted—a group of black-clad, masked men stormed into Autumn Grace Court, shouting and brandishing weapons.

"Out of the way! Anyone who blocks us dies!" barked the lead assassin. The wives and daughters, who had only just regained their composure, instantly descended back into panic. Several timid girls went pale and fainted on the spot, while others screamed and tried to scramble away, trampling each other in their desperation.

Serena's pupils contracted sharply. Her first instinct was to rush out and confront the attackers, but she forced herself to hold back, knowing her current physical condition and the speed of the masked men made escape impossible.

It was obvious these guys were after her. They’d charged straight in—there was no way she could outrun them.

“Help! Somebody save us!” The rest weren’t any better—they just hugged their heads and screamed.

The masked men didn’t start killing people. They just kicked aside any women in their way and headed straight for the main room. Inside, they found Serena standing calm and proud in the center. One of them hesitated, then asked, “Serena Feng?”

“That’s me. And you are?” Serena was alone except for two terrified little maids behind her—girls so scared they were more likely to drag her down than help.

As for everyone else, the moment the masked men surrounded Serena, they scrambled out of the room as fast as they could. Nobody cared if she lived or died—so much for sucking up and making connections. When it came down to life and death, none of that mattered.

The lead guy didn’t bother with small talk. Once he confirmed her identity, he raised his knife. “If you’re Serena Feng, then you’re dead.”

A huge blade came swinging right at her, but Serena just lifted an eyebrow, not even trying to dodge. The move stunned the masked man—he hesitated for a split second, a flicker of doubt in his eyes, but his killing intent didn’t fade. He was sure he’d land the blow, but then…

Just when things seemed under control, a bunch of black-clad, masked men suddenly burst in out of nowhere, storming right into Autumn Grace Court.

“Move it! Anyone in the way dies!” one of them barked. The ladies, who’d just calmed down, freaked out all over again. The more timid ones rolled their eyes and fainted straight away.

Serena’s pupils shrank. She instinctively wanted to rush out, but thinking about her current condition and how fast these guys moved, she forced herself to hold back.

It was obvious these guys were after her. They’d charged straight in—there was no way she could outrun them.

“Help! Somebody save us!” The rest weren’t any better—they just hugged their heads and screamed.

The masked men didn’t start killing people. They just kicked aside any women in their way and headed straight for the main room. Inside, they found Serena standing calm and proud in the center. One of them hesitated, then asked, “Serena Feng?”

“That’s me. And you are?” Serena was alone except for two terrified little maids behind her—girls so scared they were more likely to drag her down than help.

As for everyone else, the moment the masked men surrounded Serena, they scrambled out of the room as fast as they could. Nobody cared if she lived or died—so much for sucking up and making connections. When it came down to life and death, none of that mattered.

The lead guy didn’t bother with small talk. Once he confirmed her identity, he raised his knife. “If you’re Serena Feng, then you’re dead.”

A huge blade came swinging right at her, but Serena just lifted an eyebrow, not even trying to dodge. The move stunned the masked man—he hesitated for a split second, a flicker of doubt in his eyes, but his killing intent didn’t fade. He was sure he’d land the blow, but then…