Knock, knock!
A crisp knock sounded at the door.
Inside, Luo Chen raised a brow, somewhat surprised by the visitor's identity.
He rose and opened the great gate, and a graceful figure came into view.
Her skin was like congealed fat, her brows like distant inked hills, and her eyes flowed like rippling water.
Her face was clearly youthful and beautiful, yet those eyes lent her an incongruous touch of bewitching charm.
"Ye Ningbo of the Ye Family's seventh generation greets you, Fellow Daoist!"
"Murong Yuan!"
Ye Ningbo craned her head to glance inside, then said with feigned seriousness, "The doorway is hardly a place to talk. Fellow Daoist Murong, will you not invite me in for a seat?"
Luo Chen smiled. "I am merely a guest here. If Miss Ye wishes to enter, naturally you may. Please!"
As he extended a hand and stepped aside, Ye Ningbo, dressed in a green skirt, skipped lightly inside.
The moment she entered, she unconsciously sniffed the air, and a glint flashed in her eyes.
"What a fragrant scent. Is that the lingering aroma of tea?"
"Miss Ye has quite the keen nose." Luo Chen praised her, but did not pursue the topic. Instead, he directly asked, "May I ask why Miss Ye has come?"
Ye Ningbo said naturally, "An esteemed guest has arrived. As Ningbo, should I not offer some hospitality? Is there anything improper about that?"
Luo Chen smiled without speaking, merely watching her.
Under normal circumstances, there would have been nothing wrong with that explanation.
But Luo Chen knew that Ye Ningbo had three other guests staying here.
Leaving several old friends unattended to come to his side early in the morning—if she claimed there was no reason for it, Luo Chen would be the first not to believe her.