Dai Mubai

"Ah—" Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help letting out a soft cry, a hint of surprise appearing on her face. She truly hadn't expected the renowned owner of the Peace Hotel to be so sunny and handsome. After a slight hesitation, she said softly, "Of course I don't mind."

As she entered the private room, curiosity sparkled in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes. Smiling, she asked Gu Hengzhi, "Hello, esteemed owner of the Peace Hotel! My name is Zhu Zhuqing. May I ask your surname?"

"My surname is Gu, and my name is Hengzhi. We're of the same generation, so you can call me Hengzhi." The corners of Gu Hengzhi's lips lifted slightly as he gestured for Zhu Zhuqing to take a seat.

Zhu Zhuqing gently picked up a dessert made from a century-old spiritual herb, anticipation flickering in her eyes. "Hello, Hengzhi. May I ask why you wanted to see me?"

"Why not first try the food at my hotel and see whether it suits your tastes? We can talk after you've finished eating, how about that?" Gu Hengzhi smiled as he placed a plate of egg fried rice before Zhu Zhuqing, confidence gleaming in his eyes. "Try this dish I've recently developed—egg fried rice."

Zhu Zhuqing gazed at the egg fried rice on the plate. Every grain was distinct, as though gently wrapped in a layer of golden egg, like gleaming pearls. She couldn't help thinking, This egg fried rice perfectly combines the egg with the rice. It really is completely different from the rice I've eaten before.

A few chopped scallions were scattered across the golden rice like stars in the night sky. Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath, and the fresh fragrance of scallions mingled with the rich aroma of the egg fried rice, as though playing a beautiful symphony beneath her nose and stirring her appetite. Unable to wait any longer, she picked up a small spoon and gently scooped a mouthful into her mouth.

As the delicacy blossomed across her tongue, its fragrance became ever more vivid, like a clear spring flowing over her taste buds. Zhu Zhuqing seemed immersed in the aroma of the egg fried rice, unable to pull herself free. In the end, a thousand words condensed into just two.

"Delicious!!!"

Before the word "delicious" had even fully left her mouth, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't resist sending another spoonful into her mouth. Though there was quite a generous serving of egg fried rice, Zhu Zhuqing had not eaten for half a day in order to reach Soto City sooner, so she naturally ate at lightning speed.

Zhu Zhuqing reluctantly set down her plate, her gaze shooting straight toward Gu Hengzhi like two bolts of lightning. Yet what shocked her was that Gu Hengzhi, who had just seemed like a refined, sunny gentleman, had completely shattered that image in an instant. He was using both hands to sweep through the delicacies on the table like a whirlwind, eating as though he had been starving for three days and nights.

As if sensing someone watching him, Gu Hengzhi suddenly raised his head and met Zhu Zhuqing's gaze. A sly glint appeared in his eyes, and a trace of grease still hung at the corner of his mouth as he said with a grin, "What are you staring at? If it's tasty, hurry up and eat! People are iron, food is steel—skip a meal and you'll be starving!" Before he even finished speaking, Gu Hengzhi buried his head back in the food and continued his "great food annihilation battle."

After three rounds of drinks and five courses of food...

"Hengzhi, what did you want to see me about?" Over the course of the meal, Zhu Zhuqing and Gu Hengzhi had grown much closer.

Gu Hengzhi rubbed his balloon-like swollen belly and let out a satisfied burp. Then he slowly walked to the private room's window, leaned against it, and said leisurely, "Zhuqing, I imagine you came to Soto City to find your fiancé, whom you've never met, didn't you?"

There was a trace of mystery in his voice, as though he were hinting at something. Expectation surged within Zhu Zhuqing, and she asked impatiently, "That's right. I came here to find him. Can you tell me where Dai Mubai is?"

The corners of Gu Hengzhi's lips rose slightly, revealing an almost imperceptible smile. He took out two cloaks and two masks from his storage space and gently placed them on the table, as though presenting two precious treasures. "If you're curious, put on this mask and come with me to see what kind of person he really is!" There was an irresistible temptation in his voice.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at the masks on the table, and a flash of pain crossed her eyes, as if the deepest wound in her heart had been torn open. Her parents' reproaches, Dai Mubai's abandonment, her sister's beatings and scoldings, and the assassins pursuing her kept flashing through her mind... Those miserable memories surged into her heart like a tidal wave, making it feel as though it were being cut by knives.

"Fine! Take me to see him. Let's see what kind of person this Dai Mubai really is!" Zhu Zhuqing's voice carried a trace of resolve, as though she intended to sever herself completely from the pain of the past. With that, she put on the mask without hesitation, as though hiding herself within the darkness.