Chapter 6: The Uninvited Guest

Fu Zhengnan’s hands briefly paused on the keyboard. His dark eyelashes lowered, concealing his emotions. “You’re investigating me?”

Lu Jian’an, having inadvertently touched the tiger’s tail, quickly confessed, “Brother, I’d never do such a thing! This must’ve been spread by Chen Xiaoyue. Now the entire upper-class circle is buzzing about how CEO Fu spent a million overnight on a low-tier female streamer.”

“My dear President Fu, you haven’t been scammed by some cunning woman, have you?”

Lu Jian’an looked at Fu Zhengnan with the concerned gaze of a mother watching over her naïve child.

After all, in his eyes, the eternally single Fu Zhengnan was an easy target for the temptations of the outside world. What kind of decent person would spend a million in a single night just to watch a livestream? Even if one had money, this was no way to spend it.

“The Chen family? It’s time they were dealt with.”

Fu Zhengnan casually dropped this sentence without responding further to Lu Jian’an.

He wasn’t a fool. A million meant nothing to him. Since the game provided him with emotional satisfaction, why shouldn’t he spend on it?

Paying for his own emotions—nothing could be more normal.

Before Lu Jian’an could reply, Fu Zhengnan changed the topic. “Weren’t we supposed to go to Las Vegas to find that artist? I’m free these next two days.”

Lu Jian’an had secretly opened a gaming company, with its largest shareholder being none other than Fu Zhengnan.

They were currently planning to develop a large-scale AAA ancient-themed game.

But they lacked a concept artist.

In the domestic gaming industry, only the Bai family in Beijing dominated. If they could take even a small share from them, their annual revenue could easily reach the billions.

Hearing Fu Zhengnan’s words, Lu Jian’an was puzzled. “Weren’t you never interested in games?”

Fu Zhengnan replied indifferently, “I am now.”

—

In the House

After eating and drinking her fill, Jiang Qingqing strolled leisurely around her new “bedchamber.”

She hummed an unfamiliar tune.

Who would have thought that being “exiled” could be so comfortable?

Looking at the unfamiliar appliances filling the room, Jiang Qingqing didn’t dare touch anything recklessly.

Moments ago, curiosity had led her to open the refrigerator, and the blast of cold air had startled her so much that she nearly jumped.

She had thought it was an ice coffin.

“Deity, are you there?”

Jiang Qingqing called out twice, wanting to ask how to use these objects, but received no response.

She nodded in understanding.

The deity must have too many poor souls to rescue and was too busy to answer her.

Upon entering the study, she noticed a sheet of rice paper laid out on the desk, along with an ink brush. After some contemplation, Jiang Qingqing picked up the wolf-hair brush from the inkstone stand.

People of the Great Liang valued returning favors the most.

Since the deity had helped her, she couldn’t take things for free.

She lacked gold, but she had her skills.

She wondered if the deity would like the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix painting.

In Great Liang, this painting symbolized peace and prosperity. Each year on the emperor’s birthday, local dignitaries would commission the most renowned embroiderers and painters to present it as a tribute.

Jiang Qingqing was essentially using the highest standard of gifts from Great Liang to express her gratitude to Fu Zhengnan.

—

Meanwhile, Fu Zhengnan was preparing to depart for Las Vegas.

Just before boarding, he briefly opened the game interface.

Jiang Qingqing was still wearing the same gold-pink ruqun from the night before, with delicate gauze-draped golden epaulets on her arms. Her long black hair was loosely pinned up with a bamboo hairpin, as she leaned forward to paint.

Despite the stark contrast between her ancient attire and the modern décor of the study, it didn’t seem out of place.

Instead, it created a striking visual impact.

Fu Zhengnan’s Adam’s apple moved slightly.

Seated beside him, Lu Jian’an immediately sensed the shift in Fu Zhengnan’s emotions and curiously glanced at his phone screen.

What could possibly make the usually indifferent Fu Zhengnan reveal his emotions?

Just then, Jiang Qingqing looked directly at the camera.

Her peach blossom eyes, strikingly similar to those of Consort Wan, made Lu Jian’an gasp in shock.

“Holy sh*t!”

Lu Jian’an ripped off his sleep mask and rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

“Brother, who is this beauty? Why does she look exactly like my goddess?”

He exaggeratedly reached out to snatch Fu Zhengnan’s phone, but of course, he failed.

Meeting Fu Zhengnan’s gradually darkening gaze, Lu Jian’an felt an eerie sensation, as if he were slowly being sucked into an abyss.

Cold sweat crept down his back.

Lu Jian’an quickly explained, “No, what I mean is that her eyes look a lot like my goddess’s. But your girl is delicate and charming, while mine is a sultry and sophisticated older sister.”

“Don’t get me wrong, they’re not the same person.”

Lu Jian’an’s brain was running at full speed, trying to find a way to explain himself so Fu Zhengnan would let him off the hook.

Because he knew that while Fu Zhengnan appeared indifferent and emotionless, in reality, his possessiveness was unmatched.

Anything he deemed his—if anyone so much as touched it—it would be a matter of life and death.

Let alone coveting it.

Even if he had a hundred lives, he wouldn’t dare have feelings for Fu Zhengnan’s woman.

Wait—Fu Zhengnan’s woman?

Lu Jian’an suddenly sat up straight, realizing belatedly, “She’s your woman?”

Otherwise, why would he be so protective? It was just a glance, yet he looked like he wanted to kill him.

Hearing Lu Jian’an’s explanation, Fu Zhengnan withdrew his gaze and replied flatly, “No, just a game.”

Lu Jian’an was unconvinced. “Are you kidding me? No game has graphics this realistic.”

“What else could it be?”

From start to finish, Fu Zhengnan’s tone remained unchanged.

Lu Jian’an hesitated. Could it really be just a game? He thought about it for a moment and then tried to butter him up. “How about letting me play for a bit?”

The response he got was an even colder, deathly stare from Fu Zhengnan.

Lu Jian’an: “…”

He knew it! Fu Zhengnan was lying through his teeth. To hell with it being just a game—he clearly had someone but refused to admit it.

—

The following night, after a 20-hour flight, Fu Zhengnan and Lu Jian’an arrived at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas. As soon as they landed, the person who came to pick them up informed them that Master CHEAR had been taken in for investigation the night before for allegedly coercing a subordinate into an inappropriate relationship.

The moment Lu Jian’an heard the news, he felt like the sky was collapsing.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! We just spent 20 hours on a flight only to hear this?”

But the biggest issue wasn’t even the wasted time.

The problem was that CHEAR was the only artist they had found whose art style and technical skills were a perfect fit for the traditional Chinese-themed game they were developing.

“Should we try to pull some strings and get him out?”

Lu Jian’an hesitantly turned to Fu Zhengnan for his opinion.

Fu Zhengnan shook his head. “Find someone else.”

A person with bad morals was nothing more than a ticking time bomb.

Lu Jian’an had expected this answer but still wanted to fight for it. After all, the game development was imminent, and finding another suitable artist would take a lot of time.

Twenty years ago, the Bai family had already hinted at developing a fully immersive game.

If they delayed any further, by the time the Bai family released their latest game, they wouldn’t even get a sip of the soup.

—

[Great Liang Kingdom]

The final stroke of the phoenix’s tail landed steadily on the canvas, and Jiang Qingqing let out a deep breath.

“Good, good—my painting skills haven’t declined.”

She gently blew on the still-wet paint, her eyes full of joy as she admired her work. The bold, vivid colors created a mesmerizing, fantastical scene—an ethereal phoenix soaring through the heavens, its dazzling feathers exuding an aura of rebirth from the flames.

She thought the deity would probably like it.

Feeling a small sense of pride, she carefully rolled up the painting with both hands. After searching the room, she found the spot where she had placed the bracelet the previous day. With great reverence, she spread the painting out on the floor.

She then placed her hands together on her forehead and bowed three times.

“This painting is a token of gratitude to the deity for showing mercy and saving me from peril.”

This time, Jiang Qingqing had learned her lesson. Unlike last time, she didn’t stay in place, waiting for the deity to accept the gift. The deity was undoubtedly busy, so a delay was understandable.

She stood up, stretched her sore shoulders, and walked toward the dining table.

What should she eat today?

Would the leftovers from last night still be good?

Knock, knock—

A knocking sound came from the door. Jiang Qingqing paused in her steps, puzzled as she looked toward the entrance.

Who could it be?

This was a remote mountain village with no neighbors around. She couldn’t think of anyone who would be knocking at her door.

Could it be someone who saw how her house had been newly restored and had come to rob her?

“Jiang Qingqing! I know you’re in there!”

Hearing no response, the woman outside began shouting loudly.

“Open the door right now, or I’ll have people tear this shabby house down!”

“Hurry up!”

Because Jiang Qingqing still didn’t respond, the woman continued her aggressive yelling, kicking the door repeatedly—each loud bang echoing through the quiet surroundings.