Chapter 477: Everyone Is Here

Although Yuan Shimo didn’t address anyone by name, his gaze was fixed on Jiang Qingli, completely ignoring the other two.

He wanted to go over to her, but there was no room left on the edge of the bed, and sitting there would mean facing either Gu Nian or Ye Linyuan.

So, Yuan Shimo sat on the sofa.

Fortunately, the room was quite narrow. The sofa was only about two meters from the bed, which was still close.

Gu Nian asked with feigned curiosity, "Senior Yuan, shouldn’t you be at a high-society party right now? How did you hear the news and get here so quickly?"

Yuan Shimo glanced at him, his eyes turning cold.

But in front of Jiang Qingli, he told the truth. "When the news reached the military district, Yuan Shiyao was with Marshal Yuan."

"Ah, so it was the Secretary-General." Gu Nian’s lips curved into a knowing smile. "You two are so close. As expected of twins."

Yuan Shimo picked up Jiang Qingli’s teacup from the table and took a sip, neither confirming nor denying the insinuation.

’To be honest, even Yuan Shimo was a little surprised that Yuan Shiyao had told him right away.’

’This was a perfect opportunity to win her favor. None of the men around her would pass it up. Arriving late meant falling behind the competition.’

’They were brothers, but they were also rivals. Who would help a rival?’

’Yuan Shimo asked himself—if it were him, he would never have told any of his brothers anything about Jiang Qingli.’

’But Yuan Shiyao had called him immediately, telling him everything he knew.’

’Yuan Shimo had begun to feel a mix of complicated emotions.’

’But that feeling hadn’t even lasted two seconds before Yuan Shiyao’s next words shattered the illusion of brotherly harmony: "Brother, can we vie for her favor together? I was thinking, if we team up, we might have an advantage with our sister-in-law."’

’Heh.’

’Yuan Shimo had scoffed right then and there. "I will give you a gift as thanks, but anything else is impossible."’

"Cat Teacher."

Jiang Qingli’s voice suddenly cut through his thoughts.

Yuan Shimo snapped back to the present, his lips curving. "What is it?"

Jiang Qingli asked, "If I remember correctly, the banquet you went to today was for the Wu Family Head’s birthday, wasn’t it? Did you see them? Was anything out of the ordinary?"

Since Yuan Shimo was here, he likely knew the whole story, so Jiang Qingli didn’t bother repeating it.

Yuan Shimo understood what she meant and smiled. "Qingli, don’t worry. The Baili family and the Xie Family are still in the dark for now. The Wu Family has its suspicions but hasn’t caught on. They’re very confident in their plan."

He lifted a finger.

The shadow at his feet split into several palm-sized spheres, which flew in front of Jiang Qingli.

Then, Jiang Qingli saw three images.

They depicted the Wu Family Head, Xie Zhengliu of the Xie Family, and Baili Qing of the Baili family.

In the first image, the Wu Family Head was in the banquet hall, clinking glasses with an elderly man and whispering something. A faint worry creased his brow.

...

In a corner, Xie Zhengliu was toying with a string of beads in her palm while chatting with Xie Guanqi.

Xie Guanqi asked uneasily, "Mother, will Xie Youchen really follow them? What if he doesn’t die? We..."

"Shh." Xie Zhengliu took a sip of wine and said languidly, "Youchen will definitely follow. Time Stop is powerful, but once time resumes, the poison will spread through his entire body instantly. He won’t survive. The Xie Family will still be yours."

"Thank you, Mother!" A look of elation flashed across Xie Guanqi’s face. He quickly raised his glass in a toast to Xie Zhengliu, his movements full of suave confidence.

...

Meanwhile, Baili Qing was in a lounge, with Baili Chengyan sitting across from her.

Baili Chengyan fiddled with her terminal, complaining, "Grandma, why hasn’t the news of Baili Jing’s death arrived? Are those people even competent?"

"Their Superpowers are much stronger than yours." Baili Qing was reading a report, her voice aged. "Be patient. Baili Jing won’t die. Once he’s captured and brought back, we’ll lock him in the laboratory to supply blood just for you. And while we’re at it, we can create a few more... celebrities of this era. It’s quite profitable, you know."

...

The images continued to play, like a camera following and filming these people.

The angles were just a bit unusual.

Jiang Qingli asked, "Are these made of shadow?"

"Yes." Yuan Shimo nodded. "My shadows have dispersed and hidden within their own, monitoring them."

Jiang Qingli’s eyes lit up. "How many more surprises do you have that I don’t know about?"

At her praise, even Yuan Shimo, who was accustomed to compliments, felt a bit shy. He said gently, "It’s a function I figured out a few days ago when I had some free time. It’s not very stable yet. I can only create three avatars, and they don’t last long—half an hour at most."

"Besides, they are all S Level Beastmen. My shadows can’t linger for too long, or they’ll be discovered."

"That’s still amazing," Jiang Qingli said, nodding repeatedly. She thought the ability was very convenient.

Gu Nian, who was off to the side, pursed his lips.

’A walking surveillance camera.’

’Who knows what he might be peeping at when he shouldn’t be.’

’So sinister.’

’But since it helps her, I’ll put up with it for now.’

Once Yuan Shimo finished his report, Gu Nian couldn’t wait to usher him out. "Senior Yuan, you’re still at the banquet. It wouldn’t be good for you to suddenly disappear. Uncle Ye and I are here, so you can rest easy."

’You two being here is precisely why I can’t rest easy.’

Yuan Shimo’s lips curved. "It’s fine. I’m not an important guest. No one will notice if I’m gone for a little while."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Yi Nuo pushed the door open and entered, reporting to Jiang Qingli, "Miss, the person has been settled in."

His gaze fell on Yuan Shimo, and he greeted him, "Mr. Yuan."

"Housekeeper Yin." Yuan Shimo smiled politely. "Thank you for all your hard work taking care of my female master."

Yi Nuo: "..."

Jiang Qingli: "..."

’So everyone’s here, ha ha.’

’This place is getting really crowded.’

’One more person and we’d have enough for two tables of cards.’

The thought had barely formed when another energy fluctuation rippled from nearby. The very space in the living room was torn open.

A refined-looking young man bent down and stepped into the room through the rift.

"Darling, you only sent half a message. I was worried you were in danger." Baili Jing walked forward, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you all right?"

Seeing Baili Jing, Jiang Qingli was almost unfazed. She just smiled. "Jing, I’m fine. How are you?"

Baili Jing smiled and shook his head. "They’re just minor injuries."

He was wearing a new jacket, but Jiang Qingli’s sharp eyes noticed something odd about the way he walked. She reached out and gave his thigh a squeeze.

Baili Jing’s body stiffened. He quickly grabbed her wrist, murmuring, "Darling, are you sure you want to examine me in front of so many people?"

Gu Nian resisted the urge to roll his eyes and sneered inwardly.

’Heh, what a sly old fox.’

’He used a stolen copy of my ability to sneak over and find her. I bet he sneaks around for secret meetings with her all the time.’

’The Baili family is a bunch of trash. How did they not manage to cripple him below the waist?’

His exasperated expression was so obvious that Baili Jing raised an eyebrow at him before saying, "I had to make an impromptu trip to the Twelve Cities to explain the situation to Marshal Yuan. That’s why I was late."

"As long as you’re okay," Jiang Qingli said.

Baili Jing laughed. "By the way, I didn’t come alone. There’s someone else with..."

As he was speaking, a nearby window was pushed open, and a figure vaulted inside.

Jiang Qingli: "..."

’Great. Now everyone’s here.’