Holding Zhi Yao, Pei Chiyao was about to enter through the door when Zhi Yao suddenly grabbed his hand and said, "Pei Chiyao, let me down. I'll walk myself."
Pei Chiyao raised an eyebrow. You see, Zhi Yao was a lazy little fox spirit. Normally, if Pei Chiyao could carry her, she would never walk on her own. She'd rather have Pei Chiyao feed her bite by bite.
"What's wrong, feeling shy?"
Zhi Yao nodded.
In front of so many people, she was indeed feeling self-conscious.
The young lady struggled to get off Pei Chiyao's back, straightened her clothes, and then followed him inside.
As soon as the door opened, Zhi Yao felt many gazes scrutinizing her. Frightened, she immediately hid behind Pei Chiyao.
Then, Zhi Yao heard a crisp male voice from around them, "Oh my, Pei Chiyao, you really went for a minor?"
Zhi Yao did look very young, though beautiful. Her eyes were like those of a newborn infant - the kind of eyes only possessed by the inexperienced.
Pei Chiyao cast a casual glance at the speaker, who immediately made a zipping motion over his lips.
The young lady peeked out from behind Pei Chiyao, curiously observing these unfamiliar people.
She didn't recognize a single one of them.
The person who spoke earlier had fox-like eyes, which captivated Zhi Yao at first glance.
As she looked closer, the young lady noticed something...he bore a slight resemblance to Xie Qinzhou.
Noticing Zhi Yao's gaze, Xie Tingyan flashed her a flirtatious look, exuding seductive charm.
Zhi Yao was stunned. How could there be...such a beautiful boy?
He beckoned to Zhi Yao with his hand, "Little girl, come here. I'm not a bad guy, I promise."
Zhi Yao glanced at Pei Chiyao, who showed no reaction, so she approached Xie Tingyan.
Taking a closer look, another shocking thing happened!
Because...Xie Tingyan's eyes were also golden in color!
Zhi Yao was astonished.
"Your...your eyes..." she stared at Xie Tingyan in disbelief. Apart from the fox tribe, she had never seen a human with golden eyes before.
Xie Tingyan said proudly, "Beautiful, aren't they? Born with them!"
Then, he noticed that Zhi Yao also had a pair of golden eyes. "You must be wearing colored contacts? They don't look very natural."
Zhi Yao: "..."
Seeing Zhi Yao's silence, Xie Tingyan thought she was just shy. He quickly brought over some fruit platters and pastries, offering them to Zhi Yao. "Don't be afraid, tell me. How old are you this year? Are you still in high school?"
Zhi Yao didn't know how to respond at first. She turned to look for Pei Chiyao, but before she could, Xie Tingyan forcibly turned her head back. "Don't look at him. I won't eat you, I swear!"
"Ignore him." While Zhi Yao was at a loss, Pei Chiyao came over and pulled her behind himself. "She's an adult, stop asking pointless questions."
He had just greeted the other guests and now approached Xie Tingyan.
His main purpose today was to ask Xie Tingyan about Xie Qinzhou.
Xie Qinzhou was Xie Tingyan's cousin.
"Tch." Xie Tingyan scoffed disdainfully, "You want me to spill on my own family without any benefit for me? Dream on!"
Pei Chiyao immediately took out a blank check from his pocket and slapped it on the table.
Xie Tingyan's disdainful expression froze on his face as he hurriedly said, "Mr. Pei is so generous, Mr. Pei is awesome!"
He thumped his chest vigorously. "Ask away! Whatever you want to know about Xie Qinzhou, I'll tell you everything! Even details like what age he was weaned, when he started walking and talking - I can lay it all out for you!"
Family members were meant to be sold out, after all.
Especially since he disliked Xie Qinzhou anyway.
That old fox! He was cunning beyond human!
At the mention of Xie Qinzhou, Zhi Yao also grew tense.
She quickly assumed an attentive posture, sitting upright in case she missed any information.
Before Pei Chiyao could speak, Xie Tingyan started introducing his genius cousin of his own accord. "It was that year, at just twenty years old, he returned to the country in a blaze of glory. From then on, the business world gained a rising new star. At three, he could read. At five, he excelled at math olympiads. At ten, he went abroad for further studies. At thirteen, he was admitted to a top university..."
"Shut up." Pei Chiyao cut him off with a deep voice. "I'm not interested in any of that. I only want to know what kind of relationship he has with the Gu Family."
"The Gu Family?" Xie Tingyan sounded surprised. "None, really. We look down on families like them. If you insist on a connection, I suppose there might be some business dealings."
Those few short words almost confirmed for Pei Chiyao that Xie Qinzhou had deliberately gone to the Gu residence to wait for Zhi Yao that day.
"What's going on?" Xie Tingyan asked nosily. "I heard...there was some paranormal incident at the Gu Family's place?"
But Pei Chiyao wasn't in the mood for gossip.
Instead, Zhi Yao grew anxious. "Do you know if Xie Qinzhou understands some...mysticism?"
After some thought, Zhi Yao could only use that word to describe it.
"Mysticism?" Xie Tingyan seemed puzzled. "Impossible, my cousin is a staunch atheist. He wouldn't dabble in that stuff."
It seemed there was no useful information to be gleaned from Xie Tingyan.
Pei Chiyao silently pocketed the check from the table.
Xie Tingyan: "Pei Chiyao, you dog!"
"You're useless." Pei Chiyao gave him a dismissive glance.
Xie Tingyan scowled at Pei Chiyao but didn't dare act on his anger.
Furious, he watched as Pei Chiyao went to mingle with the other guests, then turned his gaze to Zhi Yao.
The young lady was deep in thought, head lowered.
Suddenly, a peculiarly colored drink appeared in her line of sight.
With ill intent, Xie Tingyan said, "Little girl, have you tried this before? It's the signature drink here, only a hundred servings sold daily. Want to give it a try?"
Limited quantity?
Zhi Yao's interest was piqued. "Is it really good?"
"Of course! An elusive delicacy!"
Zhi Yao accepted the drink, and Xie Tingyan immediately stood to block Pei Chiyao's view, urging her on. "Quick, take a sip!"
Zhi Yao had never tasted a drink of that color before. She took a small sip - the taste was a bit strange, yet strangely appealing.
She licked her lips and, unable to resist, drank a large gulp.
*Burp* Five minutes later, the potent drink was drained.
