Chapter 53: Don’t Be Deceived

“Wife, I’m serious—this place has terrible feng shui. You absolutely cannot choose it as your office location.”
Lu Fei spread his hands, unwilling to stand by and watch Jiang Meijia make a disastrous mistake.
At that, everyone turned to look at Lu Fei in unison.
Many employees at Jiang Meijia’s company didn’t know Lu Fei’s true identity; they were simply curious, having seen the two of them come downstairs together that morning, and were left guessing about their relationship.
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When Shen Wan visited her, she offered a few words of comfort and told her that if any servant dared neglect her because of this incident, she must immediately report it.
Yet, no matter how rational and clear-thinking Fu Sinian was, matters of the heart could never be controlled. The so-called safety boundaries he set had long since been crossed.
By then, dusk had fallen. The streetlights in the area were dim, and Xiaolu had no idea where she could go to throw up. There were two large poplars by the restaurants nearby; she gripped one, pressing her left hand to her chest, and bent over, retching dryly.
The return to the palace was scheduled for three days later. There was no precedent in history for a deposed empress to return, so the Ministry of Rites was indeed in a quandary. In the end, Xi Chen issued a decree: there was no need for a grand ceremony, only a phoenix carriage to escort her back. The next three days would be spent thoroughly cleaning the Chen Palace, assigning attendants, and arranging new furnishings.
Shen Wan was a light sleeper; before midnight she was startled awake, not by anything in particular, but by the muffled rumble of thunder outside. It seemed rain was on its way.
“What are you all doing?” Looking at the kitchen, which resembled the scene of a fire, Li Yu asked in bewilderment.
“Hmph, is that so? I think it’s nothing special. What’s so wonderful as you all claim? Ha! She’s clearly just a seductress!” The shrill voice was deliberately raised. The discordant tone made Bao’er frown slightly. Reluctantly, she turned her head, casting a cool glance in the direction of the sound.
Xi Chen’s desire to personally lead the troops sparked controversy at court; two-thirds of the ministers were opposed, and the remaining third weren’t fully supportive either, merely urging the emperor to “think long and hard.”
“Yes, Hulk sent me to find you. He asked me to give you this.” Wu Ming pulled out the metal box Hulk had given him from his backpack and handed it to Zhang Rui.
After a moment, there was a series of beeps and whirrs, and a mechanical cavalryman arrived to collect the ore. Upon seeing the ore already packed in a box, it looked on in puzzlement and then turned its head toward the nearby mechanical miner.
The butler watched from the side, not daring to step forward to help, his heart aching at the sight of the crescent-shaped mark in the wound.
Such wealth, such resources—no wonder the entire cultivation world was driven mad by envy. It was no surprise so many wanted to kill him.
At the front of the procession was a catapult; the earlier noise must have come from it. Now, a Barlow warrior was loading a massive stone onto it.
Tang Yisen pulled Shui Xinrou along, running through the vast underground parking lot. Ruan Han chased after them relentlessly, her eyes bloodshot, her face twisted with fury.
Even in illness, Wen Yi refused to rest easy. She eagerly contacted Deng Xianyu, lobbying him to marry her.
The ones most on edge were the senior executives and board of directors at Lian Kai. They feared Tang Yisen would end up in a vegetative state and never wake again.
Xu Yueqing’s eyes sparkled with delight as she looked at Zhuo Nianqi. Zhuo Nianqi mimicked Xu Yueqing, digging out a large spoonful and stuffing it into his mouth. The coldness sent a shiver through him.
Chen Tian looked around the vast underground cavern. There was nothing inside; he couldn’t imagine how the old man had managed to forge anything here.
Granny Hu attended quietly nearby, watching the elderly and the young enjoy their meal and pastries together. She thought to herself that, after all these years of serving the Empress Dowager, she had never seen her laugh with such genuine happiness.