The courtyard fell silent for a moment. Lu Mingyuan rubbed his fingertips, as if the lingering scent of gardenia from the woman still clung to them. His eyes behind the lenses were dark and unreadable.
“Someone drugged us, likely to prevent Elder Sun’s return. She… still hasn’t been found.”
Instinctively, Lu Mingyuan concealed the details about the woman.
His men had discovered that she had been forcibly dragged into the room. She was around eighteen years old, petite and slender, and seemed extremely familiar with the surrounding area, likely a local resident.
Images from the chaotic, intoxicating night flashed before his eyes—the dimly lit room, her forced submission, her slender waist gripped in his hands, arching into an alluring curve.
Amid her disheveled hair, a red plum blossom mark was imprinted behind her ear.
Lu Mingyuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed rapidly. He picked up a glass of water and took a large gulp, the cool liquid barely suppressing the heat within him. His voice was low and hoarse. “Have you thought about what you’ll do if we actually find her?”
Ji Xiao glanced at the wide-open window of the master bedroom and fell silent for a moment before stating resolutely, “I’ll take responsibility. Your status and family would never allow you to marry a woman with no power or influence. When the time comes, I’ll marry her.”
Bang! The glass shattered in Lu Mingyuan’s hand, water splattering everywhere.
He released his grip without a second thought. Broken shards fell from his hand, blood mixing with water as it dripped from his fair, slender fingers. His gentle peach-blossom eyes turned icy.
“My marriage is my own decision. When the time comes, it will depend entirely on her choice.”
Two exceptionally handsome men, each with their own distinct aura, stood facing each other in the courtyard, a fierce battle of wills raging between them.
At this moment, they were no longer brothers who had faced life and death together, but men competing for the woman they loved.
“Fine. Whoever finds her first gets her. When the time comes, no one else may interfere with her decision,” Ji Xiao declared, making a vow-like wager.
Lu Mingyuan smiled, the ice in his expression melting away. His handsome, refined face glowed with a dizzying radiance under the sunlight, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.
“It’s a deal.”
She could only be his.
Su Nuannuan slept until dusk. Stretching comfortably, her tank top rode up, revealing her slender, flat abdomen.
The System popped up. 【Host, you’re finally awake. Hurry outside and watch the show.】
Su Nuannuan turned on her side, propping her head up with one hand, her waist sinking into the mattress. Her optimized body was already beginning to exude a seductive charm.
The girl narrowed her eyes slightly, curiosity surfacing on her innocent face. 【What, has the female lead come looking for us?】
【New mission: Cook a meal for Lu Mingyuan and earn his praise. If you fail, the punishment is performing a striptease in public.】
The laziness in Su Nuannuan’s eyes vanished instantly. She curled her lips into a cold smile. 【Dog System, say that again.】
The System chuckled awkwardly. 【Missions are randomly assigned. The System has no control over it. Host, do your best! Completing the mission will bring unexpected rewards.】
Su Nuannuan rubbed her throbbing temples, then slammed her fist against the bed, her gaze fierce.
Sooner or later, she would hack the System and dismantle it until even its own mother wouldn’t recognize it.
Putting on her clothes, she yanked the door open.
Two men were slumped on the sofa in the living room, their handsome faces bruised and swollen, their clothes wrinkled and stained with dirt. Sweat trickled down their bulging muscles, disappearing into their waistbands.
Su Nuannuan tilted her head and studied them for a moment. “Did you get chased by dogs while stealing something?”
Ji Xiao covered his swollen, reddened mouth, panting heavily, his muscular chest heaving.
The neatly pressed military uniform from the morning was now completely unbuttoned, revealing his well-defined eight-pack abs.
He glared at Lu Mingyuan. “Chased by a dog, were you? And a vicious, cunning one at that.”
Lu Mingyuan wiped his split lip with the back of his hand. Messy black hair fell over his sharp, cold, dark eyes. His white tank top was soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to his body and outlining the smooth lines of his waist and abdomen.
His slender, pale hands were wrapped in bandages, stained with blood that seeped through in faint red marks.
He didn’t even spare Su Nuannuan a glance. Seeing her come out, he stood up with a frosty expression.
“Make it clear to her. If she can’t recognize her own situation, send her away as soon as possible.”
“Got it,” Ji Xiao mumbled in response.
He pressed his tongue against his cheek and patted the spot beside him. “Nuannuan, come sit here.”
Su Nuannuan pulled over a chair and sat by the door, as far away from him as possible. “Let’s just talk like this.”
Faced with such a colorful, bruised face, she really couldn’t bring herself to get close. Since she couldn’t absorb any Luck Points anyway, it was better to keep her distance.
Ji Xiao was taken aback. “Alright, that works too.”
Then his expression turned serious. “There’s something I need your help with. The reason I came back this time is actually because I have a mission. We need a woman to pose as my wife and escort a scientist returning from abroad to the capital. Right now, you’re the only person I can think of, Nuannuan. Are you willing?”
“No,” Su Nuannuan refused outright.
Ji Xiao was stunned. “This scientist is very important to the country. The technology he’s bringing back could advance our military by ten years. Nuannuan, don’t be stubborn. This is a matter of great importance. After this, you can do whatever you want.”
In Ji Xiao’s view, patriotism was etched into the bones of every Chinese person. Being able to help the country should be an honor for her.
Instead of answering, Su Nuannuan asked, “Will the escort have to travel by train? Has the assassination attempts never stopped since the scientist set foot on our soil? How many people have died along the way?”
Ji Xiao didn’t understand why she was asking these questions, but he answered truthfully anyway.
“Yes, the train is the safest option. Many people have died along the way, but as long as we can break through the technological blockade, we have no regrets even if we die.”
Su Nuannuan looked at the fading sunset. The sky was dyed red by the evening glow, wisps of cooking smoke rose all around, and the noisy, lively atmosphere was filled with the warmth of everyday life.
“You can’t even protect him yourselves, and you expect a useless person like me who can’t even tie a chicken to do it? Instead of living a good life, you want me to go get myself killed? Are you stupid, or am I?”
Ji Xiao’s rugged face flushed with embarrassment. “As long as you listen to us, we won’t let anything happen to you. If the mission is completed, there will be a substantial bonus. I’ll give you all of mine.”
“Bonus?” Su Nuannuan’s eyes lit up. “How much?”
“Probably around three hundred,” Ji Xiao said, watching the girl’s brightening eyes. He chuckled inwardly, making up a number on the spot. If it wasn’t enough later, he could always make up the difference out of his own pocket.
Afraid she might think it was too little, he added, “You’ll get your share too.”
“Two times three hundred, that’s six hundred yuan.” Su Nuannuan was tempted.
Having been poor in her past life, she had always had little resistance to money.
System: [Host, be rational. Have you forgotten you’re sick? With so many people on the train, you’d die before even boarding.]
As if seeing the six hundred yuan about to enter her pocket sprout wings and fly away, Su Nuannuan clutched her chest, her heart aching as she refused. “I’m afraid I’d have the money but not the life to spend it. I’m not going.”
Ji Xiao: …Even this little money-grubber is turning down money now?
The door behind them opened, and Lu Mingyuan stepped out wearing a short-sleeved shirt, drying his hair. He glanced at Su Nuannuan.
“Since Miss Su is afraid of death, forget it. I’ll handle the mission myself.”