Honestly, Lu Xiaoxiao was rather confused by what she had overheard.
She couldn't help asking the system, "Hey, what's going on between those two?"
The system replied, "If you'd like to redeem information, you'll need to spend points~"
Having already squandered all the points she'd earned earlier, Lu Xiaoxiao fell silent.
"Forget it. I can live without this gossip!"
With time running short, her top priority now was to sneak into the electrical room.
She had checked the floor plan in the stairwell. The electrical room was on this floor, so she had already narrowed her search considerably.
Lu Xiaoxiao carefully turned around in a crouch, hoping to slip around to the other side without a sound.
But the instant she took a step, a hand grabbed the back of her collar.
Lu Xiaoxiao: "!!!"
I'm doomed, doomed, doomed, doomed, doomed!
At a time like this, she couldn't imagine anyone appearing behind her except Ji Yunhuai or a ghost.
And if she had to choose between the two, she would honestly rather the person holding her were a ghost.
But this wasn't a freaking supernatural novel!
Lu Xiaoxiao screamed like a groundhog inside. Clinging to a sliver of hope, she slowly turned her head, only to find the man's face right in front of hers.
Ji Yunhuai regarded her through half-lidded eyes, his gaze faintly appraising and his lips curved in something that wasn't quite a smile.
It was an exceptionally handsome face, yet to Lu Xiaoxiao, at that moment, it looked even more terrifying than a vicious ghost.
She forced out a strained smile, then greeted him in a trembling voice. "Hello?"
Ji Yunhuai scoffed, clearly having no intention of offering a friendly hello in return.
"Well? What did you overhear?"
Lu Xiaoxiao played dumb. "Was someone talking just now?"
Ji Yunhuai studied her expression. After a long moment, he gave a soft, derisive laugh and let her go.
He straightened, putting some distance between them, then asked, "Are you a server at the hotel?"
Lu Xiaoxiao: "???"
Lu Xiaoxiao was a little indignant. Sure, she had dressed rather simply today, but surely not so simply that she could be mistaken for a server!
On second thought, though, it was probably a good thing Ji Yunhuai didn't know who she really was. After all, she had just been eavesdropping on his private affairs.
Lu Xiaoxiao genuinely worried that the trouble she caused might hasten the Lu Family's bankruptcy.
She had finally gotten a chance to experience life among the wealthy. She didn't want it to end too soon.
Besides, to someone like Ji Yunhuai, who had been born at the very top of the social ladder, there probably wasn't much difference between the Lu Family's adopted daughter and a server. Neither would matter to him anyway.
Having figured that out, Lu Xiaoxiao gave up trying and nodded solemnly at Ji Yunhuai. "Yes, Young Master Ji. I'm a server here."
Ji Yunhuai glanced at her, his tone suspicious. "You know me?"
"Uh... well..."
Regretting her loose tongue, Lu Xiaoxiao hurried to cover for herself. "Surely everyone in the Imperial Capital knows your illustrious name, Young Master Ji? Having the privilege of meeting you today, I can see you truly live up to your reputation. You're simply... so handsome my eyes nearly burst! A sight to behold! A horrifying spectacle! I'm deeply honored!"
After finishing that speech, Lu Xiaoxiao felt genuinely proud of herself.
Oh my God, nobody used idioms better than she did~
Lu Xiaoxiao had never imagined she could say anything so flattering. A crisis really could draw out a person's limitless potential!
Ji Yunhuai: "..."
Ji Yunhuai: "Is that how you usually compliment people?"
Lu Xiaoxiao shook her head and answered honestly, "No. I rarely compliment people. Mostly, I insult them."
Ji Yunhuai: "..."
Ji Yunhuai pinched the bridge of his nose, his exasperation almost solid enough to take physical form.
But Lu Xiaoxiao couldn't concern herself with what Ji Yunhuai thought. She was in a hurry to do something bad and had no time to get tangled up with him. All she wanted was to escape quickly, so she offered a fake smile and took her leave. "Young Master Ji, I'll get back to work, then."
"Wait."
Before she could even finish turning around, Ji Yunhuai stopped her again.
Lu Xiaoxiao patiently looked back at him, keeping her tone as businesslike as possible. "Is there anything else, Young Master Ji?"
Only then did she really get a proper look at Ji Yunhuai's face.
He had beautiful, narrow eyes with slightly upturned corners, which easily gave the illusion that he was smiling. His bone structure was excellent, with pronounced brow bones, a high nose bridge, and a sharply defined jaw. Overall, his features were refined and elegant, while his eyes held an unmistakable air of languid indifference.
His looks were deceptive in their lack of overt aggression, but anyone who met his gaze would clearly realize that he was no harmless soul, and certainly not someone to cross lightly.
In all honesty, Lu Xiaoxiao wasn't particularly keen on getting involved with someone like him.
Ji Yunhuai tipped his chin toward her and said casually, "I don't know where the main hall for the Lu Family's banquet is. Take me there."
Lu Xiaoxiao: "Huh?"
"What are you standing there for?" Ji Yunhuai frowned, impatience creeping into his voice. "The Lu Family is the only one that booked the venue today. We're heading to the same place anyway. Is showing me the way that much trouble?"
Lu Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded.
She admitted that Ji Yunhuai's logic was sound, but... but... she wasn't heading to the banquet hall right now!
If she took him there now, she wouldn't have time to flip the breaker!
Lu Xiaoxiao tried to refuse. "That may be true, but I..."
"If you keep wasting my time, I'll call the hotel manager and have him dock your pay."
Still unwilling to admit defeat, Lu Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth, squeezed her eyes shut, and abandoned her dignity to keep lying. "But my job is cleaning toilets, Young Master Ji! We're really not heading the same way!"
Ji Yunhuai: "...?"
The corners of Ji Yunhuai's mouth twitched twice. Then he said in a tone that brooked no argument, "Take me there first. Clean afterward."
Lu Xiaoxiao was shocked, her face contorting into an expression that said, "Are you even human?"
But with things having reached this point, and Ji Yunhuai's impatience now plainly visible, she genuinely feared he might strangle her if she refused again.
One lie needed countless others to sustain it. Suffering the consequences of her own actions, Lu Xiaoxiao finally led the way with a stony expression.
Along the way, they even passed the electrical room she had spent so long searching for, adding a cruel twist of the knife.
By the time Ji Yunhuai finally let Lu Xiaoxiao leave and she circled back to that spot, she discovered that the electrical room was locked. The staff member was nowhere to be found either, leaving her with no way in.
The system, utterly lacking in emotional intelligence, suddenly spoke up. "Host, the banquet is almost over. Aren't you going to start your plan?"
Lu Xiaoxiao: "..."
Lu Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth. "The plan is over."
Completely ruined!!!
Lu Xiaoxiao was so angry she wanted to punch the wall, but abandoned the idea for fear it would hurt. Instead, she sat in the stairwell and sulked by herself.
Very good! That man Ji Yunhuai had done very well! He had successfully caught her attention!
Lu Xiaoxiao swore to the heavens that once she saved up enough points, she would get every last detail on Ji Yunhuai, then exploit his weaknesses to get her revenge!
Before you continue