Ice Poppy married without ever having to make an appearance.

Yet that fleetingly stunned look vanished almost instantly as Du Cheng quickly regained his composure. After replying with a quiet assent, he took the seat opposite Ye Nanling.

“But others wouldn’t grant me such a chance. Even after graduation, it would be hard to find this sort of work,” Qiao Yurou mused inwardly. Was this what people called the favor of being recognized by someone of discerning eye?

That middle-aged man swept his gaze across the room with the bearing of a monarch. There was no trace of emotion in his eyes as he looked at the crowd, as if he were surveying a dozen corpses. After scanning everyone, his eyes finally settled on Wu Qi, clad all in black.

“So, what if I am willing to employ you for the long term? Can you promise to abide by the contract and consistently follow my orders?” I rephrased my question.

He gently brushed Chu Bingling’s hair with his chin. Though they were so close, his heart harbored no desire, only endless tenderness.

Just as these five or six people were still puzzling over the sudden, cryptic words of the boy in burial clothes, they suddenly felt a disturbance in the sky behind them. All of them turned hurriedly, gazing into the distance. At a single glance, what they saw instantly drained the color from their faces, and they could only manage bitter smiles.

After being rebuffed by Song Yi, Qiao Yurou could only seek comfort from Shen Yingxue, exaggerating the wonders of Myanmar and expressing regret at not being able to go in person.

“Developing a market is bound to have its ups and downs. Surely your superiors won’t be too harsh,” I offered in reassurance.

Indeed, Song Yi had painted yet another portrait of Su Mei, this time capturing her poised and confident presence in the jewelry business. The painting perfectly depicted her mature and elegant aura. Su Mei was so taken with it that she cherished it at once—needless to say, she carefully added it to her private collection.

If I’m alive, then where am I? I tried to sit up, but my body simply wouldn’t obey—as if I were bound by rope.

“Outrageous! What are those high-ranking officials, secluded in their ivory towers, thinking all day?” Master Zixuan stormed into the courtyard, her presence as swift as the wind, fuming with anger.

Gao Chao broke out in a cold sweat at these words, deeply regretting his actions. Now that his boss had caught him red-handed, he was sure this would leave a lasting bad impression.

Everyone who heard the mysterious man’s words felt that, though his tone was brusque and even crude, there was a certain wisdom in his occasional remarks. They all fell silent, pondering the meaning behind what he had said.

Master Huaiyuan said no more, rising and heading out the door. The Grand Protector followed close behind, and the group made their way to the plaza in front of the residence.

The feeling was like a fish cast onto a sun-scorched desert, not a drop of water in sight, about to evaporate into nothing in an instant.

Tang Zhihang was startled by my sudden sobbing, looking at me in confusion and not knowing what to do. My tears wouldn’t stop streaming down my face—because the pain was truly unbearable.

The red moon hovered less than two meters from the edge of the deck, blocking the path of the golden-scaled flying carp. The carp, meeting resistance, leapt up with a bang, soaring more than three meters into the air.

Monday, July 7th. Three days had passed since the departure of the third generation master. In those three days, through relentless effort, we finally managed to figure out the password to that bank card and successfully withdrew the five hundred thousand deposit the third master had left for me.

A few of the men looked a bit embarrassed, quietly turning away to wipe the tears from their faces. When they turned back, their expressions were already steadfast and resolute.

None of them believed that fellow would share the money with them; certainly, he’d keep it all for himself.

Later, after being found by Wan Yongqing, the two found another place to rest for the night. At first, Chu Feng was puzzled, but in the end, Wan Yongqing managed to talk him round.

Ding Shanshan also wanted to rest in the car, but when she got close, she realized that the vehicle had only been sent out as a favor to Liu Shilan.

What of the Marquis of Cheng’en’s household? Even if his master belonged to a ducal family, he was still a servant, just like Fangfei—property of the household. How could such a person be worthy of speaking with his superiors?

“All right, I need to go. That’s enough!” Cheng Liangwu no longer wanted to hear Li Ju’s useless chatter; in any case, he would not agree.

Whether it was the nightclub where she once danced or the dubious shell company she tried to seduce for work, all had rejected her. Some even had their phones switched off and were unreachable.

As the final notes faded, the sound of the flute lingered in the room. Aside from the breathing of the three people present, all was silent.

Upon hearing these words, Elder Shangguan’s pupils contracted with alarm, and just as he was about to speak, Xiao Junyan struck and knocked him unconscious with a single palm.

Now, the power Chu Ye was absorbing from the Sacred Elven Pool was nothing like any energy he’d absorbed before. This force was incredibly gentle, causing no harm to his body—only comfort, an indescribable comfort. Wrapped in this feeling, Chu Ye and the other three gradually drifted into sleep.

“I’m not joking. It drained all of our divine light.” Jin Feihuan pointed to Di Chongxiao’s left arm, which was wrapped in bandages.

Heimu Ling was again taken aback and hurriedly scrutinized Lin Qingxuan up and down. He found the other man regarding him coldly, silent and inscrutable, making it impossible to discern anything extraordinary about him.

Shan Baihu landed back on the ground, cradling his head in his hands as he twisted it back into place. Zhu Hongyu tossed him a vial of Worryfree Spirit Elixir; Shan Baihu caught it and drank, and his wounds were instantly healed.