The Mask

Luo Qiu noticed the Black Card, but Ren Ziling looked puzzled and muttered under her breath, "Last time... was this thing here? Why don't I remember it?"

Luo Qiu heard the doubt in Ren Ziling's heart and knew the reason.

The Black Card in front of them was indeed an item belonging to the club. It had probably been here all along, but very few people ever noticed its existence.

It wasn't truly invisible. People simply overlooked it. This kind of Black Card possessed the ability to make ordinary people subconsciously disregard it—much like the existence of the club itself.

Even if the club were located in the middle of a main road, those who should see it would naturally see it, while those who had no need to see it simply wouldn't.

"Mm, it was here. Maybe Editor-in-Chief Ren didn't notice it last time." Zhang Qingrui's face showed no unusual expression. She looked naturally at Luo Qiu and said, "Are you interested in that Black Card?"

The existence of every Black Card represented a potential customer for the club. Of course, all of them had been left behind by the previous owner—but it was impossible to say Luo Qiu wasn't interested.

However, he felt it would be inappropriate to show too much interest directly.

So he shook his head. "Not exactly. I just find it strange."

He looked at Zhang Qingrui. "No matter how you look at it, this Black Card doesn't resemble an antique or a handicraft, yet it's displayed here. If I had to say what caught my attention, it would probably be how out of place it is."

Zhang Qingrui smiled. "A guest once asked me the same question. How do you think I answered him?"

Luo Qiu shook his head very directly, looking as if to say that she could tell him if she wanted, but it was fine if she didn't.

Zhang Qingrui froze, thinking that this fellow really had no intention of making idle conversation.

They were classmates, and there were several days each month when they saw one another without having to look up or down. They weren't close enough to feel they had to understand each other, but human nature was curious. Someone who could remain silent so often would naturally make people want to learn more about him.

It was only an occasional thought, however, and Zhang Qingrui didn't take it too seriously. If Luo Qiu wasn't planning to open his heart, she had no need to pester him and force it open. They were neither relatives nor friends. Their only connection was the chance meeting brought about by sharing a class, and even that connection could disappear at any time.

"No comment."

With that thought in mind, Zhang Qingrui slowly gave the answer she had offered back then.

Ren Ziling froze when she heard this. When she realized that Luo Qiu's lack of tact had probably upset the girl, and that Zhang Qingrui was merely teasing him a little, she didn't say anything more.

She had worked as a reporter for many years and was extremely observant. From Zhang Qingrui's words, she could already tell that this was a tactful way of asking them to leave.

Ren Ziling pretended to check the time on her phone, then suddenly said, "It's already this late? I'm sorry for the trouble, Miss Zhang. I just remembered that I still have somewhere to go for an interview... Mm, thank you for hosting us today. And my Luo Qiu is just a block of wood, so please don't take it to heart. Since you're classmates, you can keep in touch when you have time. Since you're classmates, it's only natural to become good friends! This child is actually quite nice. He's kindhearted, and he also... Hey, hey, damn Luo Qiu, I haven't finished yet—"

What an idiot...

After cursing inwardly, Luo Qiu sighed. Feeling that he couldn't bear to lose any more face, he immediately headed outside. Ren Ziling hurriedly added a few more polite words before rushing after him.

Only after Zhang Qingrui watched the two of them leave the exhibition room did her smile fade.

The woman in the long, antique-style Qipao frowned slightly as she looked at the Black Card on display. She suddenly opened the glass cabinet and reached out toward it.

However, her fingers stopped in front of the Black Card. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, then finally withdrew her hand and closed the cabinet again.

The young female general manager of Gu Yue Zhai knitted her brows beautifully. She had only begun managing Gu Yue Zhai two years ago, but she had already met quite a few prominent figures.

Yet there weren't many people who paid special attention to the Black Card after entering the exhibition room. She knew that her grandmother, the true owner of Gu Yue Zhai, had deliberately placed it there. She had asked about the reason before, but had never received an answer. Her grandmother had only silently shaken her head, as if she were avoiding some taboo.

The Black Card seemed to possess a wondrous magic. Whenever someone stopped to look at it, they would feel an urge to hold it in their hands. Apart from her grandmother, Zhang Qingrui had probably come into contact with the Black Card more than anyone else, so that feeling had grown stronger and stronger.

It wasn't just her. Even the guests who noticed the Black Card would find themselves unable to look away. Only when they suddenly came to their senses could they break free.

Some guests had even said they were willing to name any price. No matter how expensive it was, they only wanted to obtain the Black Card.

Unfortunately, it was not for sale... That was why she couldn't understand why her grandmother had placed it here.

"Qingrui."

As Zhang Qingrui was lost in thought, she heard a familiar voice—her grandmother's. Startled, the girl hurriedly turned around and quickly walked to Old Madam Zhang's side, supporting her arm. "Grandma, why did you come down? You hardly ever come to the exhibition room."

"I suddenly felt like coming down to take a look." Old Madam Zhang spoke slowly, then frowned. "How many times have I told you not to look at that Black Card too much?"

Zhang Qingrui's parents had died young, and she had been raised by Zhang Li Lanfang from childhood. She loved, respected, and feared her grandmother, so she immediately stuck out her tongue. "I was just hosting two guests. I didn't pay attention for a moment..."

Old Madam Zhang suddenly sighed, but still walked toward the Black Card. She stood motionless in front of the cabinet and muttered to herself, "I shouldn't have kept it back then."

"Grandma?" Zhang Qingrui called out in confusion.

Old Madam Zhang shook her head. "Child, take it out and put it away in a box immediately. I have a use for it."

The item had probably been placed here when Gu Yue Zhai was first established. It had never left in all these years, yet today her grandmother suddenly wanted it taken out. Zhang Qingrui couldn't help growing intensely curious and asked directly, "Grandma, did something happen? I think I just saw that Young Master Zhong come looking for you again. Is it..."

Old Madam Zhang nodded, then shook her head. Finally, she said, "That man surnamed Zhong is indeed an outstanding young man, but he's been overly polished. You'd best not get too close to him."

Zhang Qingrui said nothing, but inwardly thought, I've already figured out when that fellow comes by. If I hadn't been trying to avoid him, I wouldn't have suddenly decided to bring Ren Ziling and Luo Qiu here myself.

Zhang Qingrui took out the Black Card as her grandmother instructed and packed it away.

Old Madam Zhang then said, "If that man surnamed Zhong comes again, give this to him. But remember to tell him that he can only use it once. He must return it immediately afterward. Otherwise, he'll bear the consequences."

Zhang Qingrui was curious, but it was obvious that her grandmother had no intention of explaining further, so she could only nod. She also said nothing about someone having noticed the Black Card.

It actually wasn't anything particularly serious.

"Master, what is this?"

At noon, Ren Ziling dropped Luo Qiu beside a bus stop, then floored the accelerator and gave him a firsthand demonstration of the terror of female drivers as she sped away.

Since he had already skipped half a day of classes, Luo Qiu decided to skip the entire day and returned directly to the club. He began carefully examining the illustrated catalog he had brought back from Gu Yue Zhai.

"Mm, it's something I still have no clue about." Luo Qiu answered casually.

Then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, he looked at You Ye and said, "Right, I remember there are several masks in the warehouse on Basement Level One, aren't there? Bring them out for me."

He could freely use the items in the club. They were all accumulated by the club over the years.

This brought up one of the club's rules.

Items that had already been placed in storage could not be used as offerings.

In other words, if Luo Qiu chose to store future transaction payments, they could no longer be offered up. Moreover, storing transaction payments required the club's owner to compensate with his own lifespan.

It sounded like a terrible deal.

But in fact, items serving as transaction payments were protected by a time limit under the club's contract. During that period, "transaction payments" could not be used. They could only be stored or offered up.

"All right. Please wait, Master." You Ye didn't ask why.

Just as the club's owner had to follow the rules in the manual, You Ye, a puppet maid, would also obey the club owner's orders unconditionally.

As he watched You Ye go to retrieve the items, Luo Qiu rubbed his cheek and muttered to himself, "It's troublesome that Zhang Qingrui possesses a Black Card. It'll be bad if she comes here with it one day..."

Thinking one step further, Luo Qiu felt that when he appeared as the club's owner in the future, he probably couldn't use the identity of "Luo Qiu."

Hmm... should I come up with a more impressive title?