No Fighting Allowed in the Inn

◎The Truth Revealed, the Master Thief Appears◎

Outside ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‍Dongliu City, the gray-clad assassin had been interrogated using this very pill.

Unfortunately, the assassin had parasitic insects inside him, rendering the pill ineffective. Now was the perfect opportunity to test it on these two men.

Jiang Yunchang was dumbfounded—what was happening?

Madam Jiang, however, brightened, as if struck by a thought, though she didn’t dare believe it. A glimmer of anticipation flickered in her eyes.

The pill was forced into the mouths of the two men, and it took effect swiftly.

Uncle Zhang asked, "Jiang Yaozu, was it your order that prevented the carpenter shops in the city from doing business with us?"

"Yes." Under the influence of the pill, Jiang Yaozu lost all restraint, answering truthfully without hesitation.

"Why did you disrupt the inn’s opening yesterday?"

"You dared open an inn right under my nose without even notifying me! Who gave you the audacity? Everyone knows all the inns in Jiangzhou City must share their profits with the Jiang family!"

"Nonsense!" Jiang Yunchang’s face flushed red with fury. "This is absolute nonsense! When has our Jiang family ever stooped to such despicable acts?!"

Madam Jiang patted his back, her other hand clutching a handkerchief tightly, her eyes gleaming with vindication.

"Manager Lu, I would never commit such heinous deeds. Please believe me!"

Lu Jianwei rested her chin on her hand, her expression indifferent.

"Heinous? Master Jiang, keep listening."

Uncle Zhang pressed on sternly, "Jiang Yaozu, after failing to disrupt the inn, did you then deceive Hong Yingjie, using his influence to suppress the business?"

"Exactly! If you won’t obey, I’ll beat you into submission. And that beautiful manager—heh heh..."

Uncle Zhang slapped him, cutting off the vulgar words about to spill from his mouth.

"This... this..." Jiang Yunchang was too ashamed to face anyone. "A disgrace to the family! A disgrace!"

Assuming the interrogation was over, he said, "Manager Lu, this is my fault for failing to raise him properly. I’ll kneel and apologize to you."

Lu Jianwei frowned.

"Master Jiang, you’re blinded." Uncle Zhang held him back, baffled. "Why do you treat this ungrateful wretch with such sincerity?"

Jiang Yunchang was confused. "Uncle Zhang, what do you mean?"

Ignoring him, Uncle Zhang barked at Jiang Yaozu, "Jiang Yaozu, aren’t you afraid of Master Jiang reprimanding you for these vile deeds?"

"Master Jiang? What Master Jiang?" Jiang Yaozu sneered arrogantly. "I am the master! Once that old man dies, the entire Jiang family will be mine! Will he crawl out of his coffin to scold me? I’ve called him 'Father' all these years, and I’ll even carry his funeral basin—that’s more than he deserves!"

Everyone turned to Jiang Yunchang.

"You... you..." Jiang Yunchang clutched his chest, struggling to breathe.

Uncle Zhang thought, Don’t faint yet—this is just the beginning.

"Jiang Yaozu, Master Jiang is only ill. He might not die."

"He will die! I poisoned him myself—mixed it into his favorite tea jar. He drinks it every day. I waited and waited, and finally, he collapsed! Hahahaha! He’s about to die, and the Jiang fortune will be mine!"

"Where did you get the poison?"

"From a wandering doctor. He told me this poison weakens a person slowly, until they die. No one can trace it."

Jiang Yunchang trembled violently, unable to speak. His eyes bulged like copper bells, bloodshot and wild with anguish.

"Beast! You’re nothing but a beast!" Madam Jiang could no longer hold back, erupting in fury.

"You brought this upon yourselves!" Jiang Yaozu spat venomously.

Jiang Yunchang gasped for breath. "We brought this upon ourselves? We raised you, taught you the family business, and this is how you repay us? You... you..."

His eyes rolled back as he nearly fainted.

Tiao stepped forward, inserting a silver needle into his pressure point, jolting him awake. Supported by Madam Jiang, he wept bitterly.

"A curse! This is a curse!"

Jiang Yaozu, now unstoppable, ranted on.

"You forced me to call you Father and Mother, but you never treated me as your real son!"

Madam Jiang’s voice turned icy. "When you were cold, I clothed you. When you craved a dish, I had the kitchen prepare it. When you wanted to take over the business, did we ever refuse? And let’s not forget—it wasn’t us who demanded your adoption. It was your parents and the clan who forced it! If you resent anyone, blame your greedy parents!"

"Lies! All lies!" Jiang Yaozu refused to believe. "My parents said you insisted on taking me, tearing our family apart! I’ve hated you for years! If you’d treated me as your real son, fine—but what did you do?"

Madam Jiang’s tone was eerily calm.

"What did we do?"

"You planned to give half the family fortune to a dead girl! I’m your son—shouldn’t everything be mine? By doing this, you proved you never saw me as your own!"

SLAP!

Madam Jiang struck him with all her strength.

"I never should have agreed. I should have stood firm." Tears streamed down her face as she shrieked, "Jiang Yunsheng! Jiang Yaozu! I’ll ask one last time—do you know where Tiao is? Where is she?!"

Jiang Yaozu laughed maniacally. "She’s dead! Long dead!"

"Was it you?!" Madam Jiang seized his collar. "Did you kill her?!"

"I don’t know," Jiang Yaozu taunted. "I was too young. My father handled it."

Jiang Yunsheng, also under the pill’s influence, had been silent until now. Finally, he got his turn.

"That’s right. It was me. Why should a worthless girl inherit half the Jiang fortune?"

"Second Brother... what are you saying?" Jiang Yunchang swayed, his face blank with shock.

Jiang Yunsheng scoffed.

"Elder Brother, I had no choice. Yaozu came crying to me, saying you didn’t treat him as your real son, planning to give half the wealth to that girl as her dowry. My heart ached! A daughter is an outsider—a son is family, isn’t he?"

"What did you do?" Jiang Yunchang’s voice was a broken whisper, his chest burning with betrayal.

The brother he had trusted had stabbed him in the back.

"If she were your real daughter, would you have split the inheritance?" Jiang Yunsheng smirked. "So I had her drugged and dumped in Nanzhou—far enough that you’d never find her."

Lu Jianwei interjected, "Why not kill her and be done with it?"

Jiang Yunsheng waved a hand dismissively. "Murder is sinful. I’d never stoop to such filth!"

The crowd was speechless.

Dumping a child in a mass grave wasn’t sinful?

This man was worse than a beast!

"Jiang Yunsheng! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!" Madam Jiang yanked a hairpin from her bun and lunged for his throat.

A slender hand caught her wrist.

"Let go of me! I must kill this beast!"

Tiao gazed at her calmly and said, "Don't dirty your hands."

Madam Jiang froze, her eyes shifting to Tiao's face. Tears suddenly streamed down her cheeks as she gripped Tiao’s arm tightly, repeating the question she had asked earlier.

"Doctor Jiang, what is your name?"

Her grasp was desperate, as if clinging to the last floating piece of wood in a storm.

Tiao’s arm ached, but she didn’t pull away.

"My name is Jiang Shuitiao, but I go by Tiao."

Boom—

It was as if a thunderclap had exploded in the minds of Madam Jiang and Jiang Yunchang.

The two of them seemed cast out of the world, deaf to sound, blind to faces, their vision blurred as if everything before them was a fragile bubble that would vanish at the slightest touch.

They stood frozen in disbelief.

What had she said her name was? Tiao? Their Tiao?

The same Tiao who had worn her hair in twin buns, who had been fair-skinned, adorable, and exceptionally bright?

The name "Jiang Shuitiao" had been given by Jiang Yunchang.

He and his wife had been traveling by boat back to Jiangzhou City from another region when Madam Jiang became violently ill. Terrified, he was relieved when a doctor on board examined her and declared it wasn’t seasickness—she was pregnant.

Overjoyed, he gazed at the endless river and said, "Our child will be named 'Jiang Shuitiao'—a name that suits a boy or a girl."

Months later, Madam Jiang gave birth to a daughter after a difficult labor, and they called her "Tiao."

The past rushed back as vividly as if it were yesterday. Madam Jiang’s grip on Tiao’s arm only tightened.

Tiao winced slightly.

Madam Jiang flinched as if burned and immediately released her, whispering urgently, "Does it hurt? Did I hurt you? Let me blow on it—it’ll feel better."

Tears continued to fall as she spoke.

The onlookers felt their hearts ache.

Yue Shu thought of his own parents, and the pain of losing loved ones surged in his chest, his eyes growing moist.

Not wanting others to see his vulnerability, he turned his face away.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Lu Jianwei—was that a glimmer of tears in her eyes? But when he looked again, it was gone.

An illusion?

It must have been!

Tiao shook her head. "It doesn’t hurt."

"How could it not? You’re still so young, so small..." Madam Jiang could no longer hold back. She wrapped her arms around Tiao and wept as if her heart were breaking.

Tiao stiffened, instinctively wanting to pull away, but when her hands touched Madam Jiang’s shoulders, she hesitated. In the end, she didn’t push her off, instead patting her back awkwardly.

The gesture only made Madam Jiang cry harder.

Jiang Yunchang stood rooted in place, tears welling in his eyes before spilling over and dripping to the ground.

He longed to embrace his wife and daughter, but he didn’t dare.

His feet felt like they had taken root, fused to the earth beneath him.

Jiang Yunsheng and Jiang Yaozu, still under the effects of the drug, were disoriented. Seeing the scene before them, they burst into mocking laughter.

"Over the years, so many girls have pretended to be that dead brat. Are you really going to believe this one?"

"I believe her!" Madam Jiang snapped her head up, her voice frantic as she told Tiao, "The moment I saw you yesterday, I wanted to give you everything I had. I couldn’t sleep all night, thinking only of you. You are my Tiao!"

"You’ve lost your mind!" Jiang Yunsheng sneered. "Brother, control your wife. She’s gone completely mad."

"Shut your mouth!" Jiang Yunchang roared, slapping Jiang Yunsheng with all his strength, veins bulging on his forehead.

Jiang Yunsheng couldn’t withstand the force. He crashed to the ground, his lip splitting as blood trickled out.

"How dare you hit my father!" Jiang Yaozu snarled, surging forward with a vicious punch aimed at Jiang Yunchang’s face.

Jiang Yunchang kicked him away. "You beast!"

Still weak from his recent illness, the recoil nearly sent him stumbling, but Uncle Zhang steadied him in time.

Catching his breath, Jiang Yunchang said, "Hui, Tiao has a birthmark."

Yun Hui froze. "Yes, the birthmark—it’s right here..."

She pushed up Tiao’s left sleeve, rolling it to the crook of her elbow. There, a brown birthmark came into view—identical to the one in her memories.

Jiang Yaozu and Jiang Yunsheng had never cared enough about a mere girl to notice such a detail. After all, she had lived in the inner quarters, never baring her arms in public.

Their hearts sank. No wonder every other imposter had been dismissed without hesitation.

Yun Hui laughed through her tears. "We didn’t even need the birthmark. Tiao resembles her maternal grandmother. When I saw her yesterday, I felt an instant connection, but I was so dizzy, I thought it was another dream. I didn’t dare believe it."

Jiang Yunchang suddenly understood why Yun Hui had been so insistent on asking Tiao’s name.

His mother-in-law had passed early, so he hadn’t recognized the resemblance.

Now, there was no doubt—the one who had cured him was his own flesh and blood! His Tiao wasn’t dead. She had survived, grown strong, and even found herself among such formidable martial companions.

Yun Hui had waited ten years, prayed for ten years, and now, at last, her wish had come true. But as she traced Tiao’s slender arm, the overwhelming joy and sorrow proved too much for her frail body. She collapsed, unconscious.

Tiao caught her effortlessly.

"Take her to your room," Lu Jianwei instructed.

Without a glance at Jiang Yunchang, Tiao carried Yun Hui away.

"Hui... Tiao..."

"Master Jiang, there’s no need to worry. Tiao is skilled in medicine. She’ll take good care of Madam Jiang." Lu Jianwei turned her gaze to Jiang Yunsheng and his son, her tone devoid of emotion. "You might want to consider how to deal with them."

Jiang Yunchang didn’t hesitate. "They’re heartless monsters who abandoned Tiao and made her suffer all these years. I’ll report them to the authorities—let them taste the misery they inflicted!"

As ordinary civilians, the law was the best recourse, not the code of the martial world.

Lu Jianwei arched a brow. "Earlier, you mentioned ransom. Does that offer still stand?"

The question struck like a knife. Jiang Yunchang’s face twisted in shame.

The thought that he had once pleaded for mercy on their behalf, even offering a fortune to free them, now made him sick to his stomach.

"Shopkeeper Lu, today’s events have only happened thanks to your intervention. You’ve shown me the true nature of these wolves in human clothing. The medicine you used on them must be rare—I wouldn’t dream of letting you bear the cost. Once I’ve settled this matter, I will come to express my gratitude properly."

Lu Jianwei smiled. "Of course."

"Shopkeeper Lu, what about Hui and Tiao...?"

"Once you’ve handled your family affairs, we’ll discuss it."

Jiang Yunchang bowed deeply, his voice choked. "I’m in your debt."

His eyes lingered on the closed door, but he couldn’t bring himself to take a single step forward.

If only he hadn’t been so weak-willed in the past, cowed by the clan, blinded by his younger brother’s sweet words—his daughter would never have suffered, and his wife wouldn’t despise him now.

This was all his fault.

"Uncle Zhang, see them out."

Wiping his tears, Jiang Yunchang summoned servants to drag the father-son beasts away. Uncle Zhang escorted them to the courtyard gate.

When the gate opened, two figures stood outside.

A young man supported a burly, barely conscious man, his smile disarmingly pleasant.

"Who are you?" Uncle Zhang tensed—how had he failed to sense their presence?

The larger man seemed on the verge of death, his breaths faint and uneven.

The young man cautiously asked, "I heard there's a highly skilled physician at your establishment who cured Master Jiang's illness. My elder brother's injuries haven't healed, so I thought to try my luck here."

Uncle Zhang was skeptical, but what kind of business turns away customers at the door? With the innkeeper and Yan Feicang present, even if this man had ill intentions, he wouldn’t be able to cause trouble. Besides, the innkeeper ran this place to hone her medical skills—this visitor had come at just the right time.

"Come in."

The young man helped the burly man inside, his face alight with curiosity as he glanced around, his gaze sweeping over the shared sleeping quarters before settling on the stables.

"Who are they?"

Uncle Zhang replied flatly, "People who made mistakes."

"..."

The young man seemed frightened and immediately lowered his head, following Uncle Zhang into the main hall.

The first floor had six rooms for staff—Yan Feicang, Xue Guanhe, Uncle Zhang, Yue Shu, and Tiao each occupied one, leaving one spare.

Perfect for a temporary examination room.

"Put him here."

The young man obeyed, setting the burly man down before turning in the cramped space, his slender frame looking as if a gust of wind could knock him over.

"Where’s the physician?"

Uncle Zhang hadn’t seen Lu Jianwei when he returned, assuming she had gone upstairs, so he headed up to find her.

In her third-floor room, Lu Jianwei flopped onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow and pulling the blanket over her head, staying perfectly still in that position.

"What’s wrong?" Xiao Ke had never seen her like this before.

Lu Jianwei muttered, "Nothing. Just missing my parents."

"...Oh." The system couldn’t relate but tried to console her gently. "The dead can’t return to life. Don’t be too sad."

"It’s just a passing mood. I’ll be fine in a bit."

"There’s a guest downstairs seeking medical treatment," Xiao Ke said, trying to distract her.

Lu Jianwei replied lazily, "They won’t die."

"Don’t you want to make money?"

Lu Jianwei counted the balance in her account. "I’m doing alright for now. One less patient won’t hurt."

"It’s nothing compared to a hundred million."

"Can’t I have a break?"

"Everyone else is busier than you."

Lu Jianwei threw off the blanket. "Who says? Wen Zhuzhi seems to have all the time in the world. How does he make so much money while being idle all day?"

"Exactly. Even with his mobility issues, he earns a fortune, yet here you are, dreaming of lazing around."

"I don’t want to be a workaholic."

Lu Jianwei heard the conversation downstairs and Uncle Zhang’s footsteps ascending the stairs. She sighed and slowly sat up.

"Xiao Ke, didn’t you notice something off about the guest?"

Xiao Ke teased, "I did. I just didn’t say anything to give you a chance to shine."

"..."

A voice sounded outside the door: "Innkeeper, someone’s here seeking treatment."

Lu Jianwei pushed aside her melancholy, thought of mountains of gold and silver, and the interdimensional items in the system store. After composing herself, she opened the door.

She walked down the corridor to the stairs, then descended to the main hall.

With each step, fragments of her past memories were locked away, until the young man’s cheerful face came into view.

She smiled warmly.

"You’re the physician?" The young man eyed her doubtfully. "I heard the physician was a teenage girl."

Lu Jianwei asked, "Who is the man inside to you?"

"My elder brother," the young man snapped impatiently. "Can you treat him or not?"

Lu Jianwei replied leisurely, "His injuries are just superficial. Any clinic outside could handle them. Why insist on coming here?"

"Nonsense! I took him to the clinic across the street all night, and he still hasn’t woken up. How is that easy to treat?"

Lu Jianwei thought: The clinic across the street’s reputation is taking a hit.

She said, "I can treat him. But my fee starts at ten thousand taels. Do you still want to proceed?"

The young man gaped. "Are you even a physician? How can you be so unethical? Why are you discriminating against the poor?"

"I don’t discriminate against the poor. I discriminate against—" She paused for effect. "People with ulterior motives."

A seventh-level attack artifact activated abruptly, an invisible surge of internal force pressing down on the young man’s back. Instinctively, he channeled his own energy to resist, but the artifact’s suppression was inescapable.

Uncle Zhang sensed his internal energy and stomped on his back, demanding sharply, "Who are you? What are you plotting?"

The young man: "..."

"Speak!"

"You’re… crushing… me…" The young man gasped out broken words. "Can’t… talk…"

"Let him go." Lu Jianwei leisurely took a seat, propping her chin on one hand as she reclined lazily, studying him with an amused smirk.

Uncle Zhang lifted his foot.

"Innkeeper, I failed to vet him properly before letting him in."

"Who’s a villain here?" The young man groaned on the floor. "I really came for treatment! I meant no harm. Innkeeper Lu, you’re too cruel."

Uncle Zhang asked coldly, "If you meant no harm, why disguise yourself as an ordinary person?"

"I was afraid you’d think I was here to pick a fight!" The young man winced as he struggled to his feet. "Innkeeper Lu, please, save my brother."

Lu Jianwei said icily, "Ten thousand taels."

"I don’t have that kind of money!" The young man wailed. "Innkeeper Lu, have mercy! Saving a life is a noble deed!"

Lu Jianwei raised a brow. "You truly believe that?"

"Yes!"

"You truly trust my skills?"

"Absolutely!"

"Good." Lu Jianwei straightened. "Your brother’s condition is difficult, but not hopeless. However, it requires a special ingredient."

"What ingredient?"

"Your heart’s blood."

"..."

Lu Jianwei mocked, "You said saving a life is noble. You trust my skills. I trust your sincerity. I can waive the fee—can you waive your life?"

"..."

Uncle Zhang mentally applauded.

When it came to verbal sparring, the innkeeper never lost.

The young man stared at her, speechless.

Lu Jianwei mused, "So the ‘Thousand-Faced Phantom Thief’ is scared witless? Seems the rumors about you aren’t entirely reliable."

"What did you call me?" The young man’s eyes widened. "What phantom thief? Me? Hah! Innkeeper Lu flatters me too much."

"Is that so?" Lu Jianwei uttered mercilessly, "Uncle Zhang, lock him in the stables—"

The young man bolted from the hall, his speed like lightning, nearly reaching the courtyard gate in half a breath.

The artifact pressed down again with overwhelming force.

He was slammed face-first into the ground, mere inches from freedom.

Uncle Zhang took the "Ordinary Guest" pill from Lu Jianwei, stuffed it into the young man’s mouth, tied him up, and dragged him like a dead pig to the stables.

To keep the inn clean, the stables were cleaned daily. The young man had arrived at the perfect time—the stables had just been cleared that morning, free of manure or filth.

The "Stable Six" had long adapted to their surroundings. Witnessing the young man’s capture, they felt a kinship and warmly welcomed him to their ranks.

"Newcomer!"

"Are you really the ‘Thousand-Faced Phantom Thief’?"

"Rumor says the ‘Thousand-Faced Phantom Thief’ comes and goes without a trace, never caught. Does he look like the type?"

"Lu Jianwei said it, not me."

The young man slumped against the wall, a horse’s tail flicking in his face, the pungent odor enveloping him.

He stared blankly at the stable roof.

How had it come to this?

Back in the hall, Uncle Zhang was also wondering.

"Innkeeper, is he really the ‘Thousand-Faced Phantom Thief’?"

"That remains to be seen, but we’ll have to ask Young Master Wen." Lu Jianwei’s gaze drifted toward the door.

A'Nai promptly wheeled in the chair.

"Manager Lu, you jest at my expense," Wen Zhuzhi said with a light laugh. "If not for your sharp instincts, I wouldn’t have known the new guest was concealing his inner energy."

Lu Jianwei replied, "The Phantom Thief excels at disguise and can suppress his energy. How did you originally learn he intended to steal the White Jade Lingzhi Pill?"

"By chance," he answered.

"I see."

Their eyes locked for several breaths, not a word spoken between them, yet the tension was so palpable it made Uncle Zhang and A'Nai shift uncomfortably.

Their chests tightened, breaths grew shallow, and cold sweat trickled down their backs.

It was as though the air itself had turned into an invisible battlefield, an unseen force pressing down until they could barely breathe.

Wen Zhuzhi was the first to look away.

"I thought you’d wait to catch him in the act."

His words shattered the suffocating atmosphere, the unseen battle dissipating instantly, restoring the hall to its earlier tranquility.

Lu Jianwei remained expressionless. "I happened to be in a bad mood."

She had noticed the Phantom Thief the first time he disguised himself as a frail young man, appearing at the clinic across the street. Her nameless cultivation technique allowed her to sense his inner energy, yet he deliberately feigned unsteady steps—the same act the Yunlai Inn’s staff had pulled.

She hadn’t paid it much mind, but Wen Zhuzhi’s honesty had made her watch more closely.

After the thief’s first act of gathering information, he returned with a burly man for a second performance, all under her silent observation.

She hadn’t planned to expose him so soon, intending to toy with him for a few days before catching him red-handed, leaving him no room for excuses.

But for some reason, a sudden wave of irritation swept over her, leaving her unwilling to play along. She seized him outright and sent him off to the stables.

Wen Zhuzhi blinked, seemingly surprised by her blunt admission of displeasure.

The enigmatic Manager Lu, it turned out, was not immune to mortal frustrations.

After a moment’s consideration, he offered, "Jiangzhou’s scenery is quite beautiful. If you’re feeling troubled, you might take a stroll outside the city to clear your mind."

Lu Jianwei: "Don’t feel like moving."

"I’ve brought some interesting trinkets. Perhaps they might lift your spirits."

"Not interested."

"A'Nai has retrieved the money. We can settle the payment now."

"Hmm."

Wen Zhuzhi fell silent for a few breaths before asking, "Are you... missing your sect?"

"No." Her irritation flared. "All of you, get out. I need to be alone—"

Her voice cut off abruptly, her body stiffening in the chair.

Wen Zhuzhi and the other two stared at her, puzzled by the sudden pause.

No one spoke.

No one left.

Lu Jianwei clenched her jaw, hands balled into fists.

"Xiao Ke—"

"What is it, Weiwei?"

"You said my body hasn’t fully adjusted to this era, so my cycle hasn’t started yet. Well, it’s finally here—but couldn’t there have been some warning beforehand?!"

Xiao Ke: "...You’re just venting."

It was just an inn management system, after all!

Lu Jianwei sulked. "You’re scolding me!"

Xiao Ke: "...Drink more hot water."

And with that, it vanished.

Uncle Zhang broke the silence. "Manager?"

"Leave. I need to be alone." Her voice was drained. "Close the door behind you."

Baffled but not daring to press further, the three quietly withdrew, shutting the hall doors behind them.

"What’s wrong with Manager Lu?" A'Nai muttered as he pushed the wheelchair back to their quarters. "She’s been acting strange all day."

Wen Zhuzhi sat by the window, lost in thought for a moment before something seemed to click. He absently rubbed the jade flute in his hand.

"Go inform Xue Guanhe to prepare some blood-nourishing soup."