Tomorrow Is My Brother's Birthday

He turned his back to Grace, which made it the perfect angle for planting a talisman.

Grace poured a little Talisman Water into her palm, shaped it into an Ice Needle, and sent it out silently—hitting him right on the wrist.

But he didn’t feel a thing, still carefully writing and drawing, stroke by stroke.

Grace couldn’t help but feel curious. Who stays up in the middle of the night messing around on a wall?

Is he writing a will or something?

But his body was just blocking Grace’s view, so she couldn’t see what he was drawing.

Grace patiently waited for a while. When he finally finished, he stepped back, sat down on a mat, and gazed at his masterpiece with a lovesick look.

Now Grace could see clearly—it was a portrait.

Honestly, the guy’s art skills were impressive.

Even though it was just a sketch on the wall—no colors, no shading—a tall, elegant man seemed to leap off the surface, vivid and lifelike.

Grace remembered what Jason Zhuo had told her: this guy…was into men.

The man on the wall was probably his beloved—the one Jason Zhuo had said was executed, right?

The guy stared at the wall, totally entranced, and who knows what was going through his mind—then suddenly, he reached into his pants and started…well, you know.

Damn! My poor eyes!

Grace quickly turned away, ready to head back.

But just then, she heard a soft murmur: "Imperial Advisor."

Grace froze, ears pricked up, listening as the sounds inside mixed with heavy breathing: "Imperial Advisor…Leon Zane…"

Imperial Advisor? Leon Zane?

Grace couldn’t help but glance at the portrait again. The vibe really did look more and more like Leon Zane…

She ducked her head and snuck away quietly.

"So, how was it?" Jason Zhuo asked her.

Grace pulled him away. "Big Brother, I want to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"That Leo Miles you mentioned—his lover, what did he look like?"

"He was actually pretty good-looking," Jason Zhuo replied. "People always said he had a bit of the Imperial Advisor's vibe!"

Grace paused, then suddenly burst out laughing. "The Imperial Advisor's vibe…Imperial Advisor, hahaha…"

"I'm serious," Jason Zhuo insisted. "Of course, he’s nowhere near the Imperial Advisor, but he really did resemble him a little."

"Yeah, I believe you, I believe you—hahaha…"

"What’s so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing. Let’s go! Tomorrow’s your birthday—let’s deal with this after."

……

That night, back home, Grace still couldn’t stop laughing.

The Imperial Advisor…someone was actually obsessing over him, and she just couldn’t stop giggling about it.

Cutie Pie slithered out and stared at her curiously.

Grace said to him, "Cutie Pie, I snuck into the military camp today. Guess what I saw there?"

Cutie Pie shook his head.

He’d been sleeping at the time, so he missed it.

"I saw…hahaha!" She burst out laughing again.

Cutie Pie stared at her with wide eyes.

"You wouldn’t get it even if I told you!" Grace flopped down, stretching out comfortably with her legs crossed.

Casually, she set the Antler Serpent down beside her.

The Antler Serpent bounced onto her, snuggling close.

"Hey, Cutie Pie, is your injury all healed?" Grace asked, stroking its head.

The Antler Serpent nodded.

Much better now.

Your pocket dimension is actually a pretty good place to heal.

"Tomorrow is my big brother’s birthday," Grace said. "Grace Wan is up to something, trying to ruin him. Can you help me keep an eye on her?"

The Antler Serpent lifted its head, staring at her without blinking.

"Well? Can you or not? Why are you just staring at me?"