The headline of this " Valerian Times " read:
Is the world going downhill, or is it a matter of open-mindedness?
The subtitle reads, "Several socialites engage in inappropriately intimate behavior with men in public; Lady Xenia Farhan condemns the lewdness!"
The newspaper also included several printed black-and-white pictures.
Although blurry, Gilan could still make out the scene. It was a banquet, a garden, and a street scene, with several elegantly dressed young ladies behaving intimately with men, but their behavior was quite rude.
A young woman was tightly embracing a man; they appeared to be a couple, but the woman, like a koala, had wrapped both her legs around his waist in a very unladylike manner.
Then, amidst the astonished gazes of the onlookers, they kissed in public.
It seemed out of place, and at the same time, it also revealed a hint of eeriness.
The other ladies behaved even worse.
Some lifted their puffy skirts, allowing the men next to them to reach under their skirts. Some even went so far as to undress in public and dance with men.
Although the faces of these ladies and gentlemen were deliberately obscured and blacked out, the upper-class circle of Muse City was small, making it easy to find out their identities.
This matter is bound to cause a stir.
After all, the Bremen Empire has a conservative atmosphere, which is completely opposite to the Ovena Federation. The families represented by these noble ladies will lose face.
Gilan noticed that the subheading mentioned Xenia, but he didn't pay it any mind... The media always likes to use celebrity comments to create sensationalism and grab attention.
After reading the newspaper, I waited for almost half an hour.
My younger siblings still haven't come downstairs.
Not wanting to waste precious time, Gilan simply sat alone in the empty living room, leaning back on the soft, comfortable, high-end sofa, relaxing her body, and closing her eyes.
He appeared to be feigning sleep, but in reality, he had begun his spiritual practice.
He emptied his mind and absorbed the cosmic elements floating in the surrounding air, elements that ordinary people could not see at all.
The crimson light drifted slowly in, disappeared into Gilan's body, and merged with his spirituality.
Time slips away unnoticed.
Around eight o'clock, Gilan finished her meditation.
The spirit has fallen into "fatigue" and is temporarily unable to absorb any more fire element.
Just then, footsteps came from the wooden spiral staircase.
The eldest son, Prince, and the third son Joann, went downstairs together.
They were dressed neatly, one in a blue suit and the other in a red suit, looking both fashionable and flamboyant.
Joann caught sight of his older brother, Gilan, resting with his eyes closed on the living room sofa. He opened his mouth, intending to say hello, but Prince grabbed his shoulder and glared at his younger brother.
Joann swallowed her words, and the two ignored Gilan and went to the restaurant on their own.
Old Charles also walked to the sofa at this moment, bowed slightly and said:
"Young Master Gilan, the cook has prepared breakfast. Would you like to join us for a meal at the restaurant?"
"No need." Gilan opened her eyes and gently shook her head. "I ate on the way here."
"Yes, young master."
Old Charles turned and left.
Gilan glanced at the two brothers dining in the restaurant, her eyes indifferent.
Another ten minutes or so passed, and the second daughter Nancy, and the fourth daughter Milinda, came downstairs hand in hand.
The two ladies are dressed elegantly and beautifully today.
Nancy is eighteen years old this year. She inherited her mother Xenia's good genes, with a beautiful face and elegant temperament. Her golden curly hair is tied up and she wears a small hat.
The youngest sister, Milinda, was only sixteen, but she was already quite beautiful, though she exuded a more youthful vivacity. She wore a light pink dress with lace trim, and beneath it were two curled strands of hair like egg cones.
"Good morning, Gilan," Milinda greeted with a smile.
"Thank you for accepting the invitation, Brother Gilan," Nancy said with a smile. "Would you like to join us for a meal at the restaurant?"
"No need," Gilan said dismissively, shaking her head.
"Then please wait a moment, brother."
Nancy put one hand behind her back, lifted her skirt with the other, and bowed slightly in greeting.
Immediately, the two girls went to the restaurant.
As Gilan watched her two younger sisters walk away, she could imagine that they must have many suitors. Young people in high society are generally precocious, and families are keen on arranged marriages.
Perhaps Lord Ramon took these factors into consideration when he sent his two daughters to a prestigious girls' academy to avoid unnecessary trouble and accidents.
After the four siblings had breakfast, Nancy called Gilan and they left the villa together.
Old Charles had the car ready well in advance.
He drove himself, giving a ride to the three brothers, Gilan, Prince, and Joann. Lord Ramon's bodyguard, Lady Xizi, drove another car with the two sisters, Nancy and Milinda.
Before getting into the car, Ms. Xizi glanced at Gilan again and nodded to him. Presumably, their previous encounter had made this martial arts master acknowledge Gilan's strength and talent, and express the respect he deserved.
Gilan pinched the brim of her hat and gently took it off in response.
Two black vintage cars drove away from the manor, one after the other.
en route.
Gilan sat in the passenger seat, while the Prince brothers sat in the back.
A moment of silence fell over the car; the atmosphere was somewhat awkward and oppressive.
After a while, the younger brother, Joann, broke the silence and whispered:
Is Mother still angry?
"Your noise yesterday gave me a headache, don't you think?" Prince glanced at his brother and said helplessly. " Kiko's behavior was really a disgrace to the Jacob family. I don't know what's so good about that guy Bim that he's so infatuated with her."
"We're meeting Zigui later, should we teach him a lesson?"
Joann suggested.
" Bim is his brother, and it must have been Bim who instigated his cousin to behave so rudely in public and do such an indecent thing."
"What's the point of teaching Zigui a lesson? He didn't do it."
Prince sneered.
"When we get back to the academy, we'll find another excuse to beat Bim guy!"
Gilan wasn't interested in their conversation and instead looked around at the street scenes.
About ten minutes later, the car drove into a particularly bustling neighborhood.
People come and go, and cars and horses move about.
Both sides of the road are lined with various high-end clothing stores, restaurants, cafes, custom cane shops, and even bow and arrow shops and equestrian equipment shops.
The car stopped in front of a club.
The club is a standalone building with a gray stone plaza in front, and it looks quite large. Two young ladies, dressed in blue-gray dresses and wearing berets with upturned brims, stand at the entrance to greet guests.
A sign with the words " Silver Lizard " hangs on the club's porch.
In the upper right corner, there is also a silver lamp pattern featuring a giant lizard.
Old Charles got out of the car and opened the door for the young masters.
Gilan stepped forward, adjusted his hat brim, and gazed ahead.
A group of gentlemen and ladies arrived together, chatting and laughing as they entered the club. The hostesses bowed respectfully and meticulously.
He noticed that most of the gentlemen who came in and out of the club had a simple and powerful demeanor, full of energy and spirit. They were physically strong and even showed signs of training.
With Gilan's keen eye, he could roughly judge the strength of those people.
Most of them are at the apprentice level, quite a few are at the Instructor level, and occasionally you can even see a few at the Emblem level.
'Interesting,' he thought to himself.
Nancy and Milinda, her two younger sisters, also arrived accompanied by Ms. Xizi.
"Let's go inside," Nancy said.
Old Man Charles did not follow, but stayed outside the club to wait.
So the group of six stepped into the porch.