When Gu Yan stepped into the tea restaurant, the middle-aged man wearing sunglasses at the counter frowned slightly.
Strange.
Why did he sense the master's aura on that man?
Was the other party an acquaintance of the master in the secular world?
But no matter how he probed, he couldn't sense any cultivation from him at all.
A special existence?
The man's gaze shifted to Bai Lian, who was already walking toward Gu Yan.
Let her test him first.
---
At Gu Yan's table.
Bai Lian approached with an empty cup in hand.
She bent slightly while lifting the kettle, deliberately closing the distance between herself and Gu Yan. As she brushed her hair aside, a faint, sweet fragrance drifted through the air. Her eyes curved into a charming smile.
"Little brother~ why didn't you pay attention to me just now?"
Her voice was soft and sticky.
Several nearby guests trembled involuntarily, faces flushing red.
Bai Lian laughed secretly to herself.
Still alive after this?
But Gu Yan merely glanced at her, frowned, and asked sincerely,
"Why do you need to make so many unnecessary movements just to pour water?"
What kind of people was Qingqiu even keeping under her command?
He'd already felt it while reading the original novel—
every one of them was strange in their own way.
Bai Lian froze.
Her hand holding the kettle trembled slightly.
Why so many movements?!
Not angry. Not angry…
"Oh… haha, it's just—"
"Pour it quickly."
"?"
"…Okay."
You bastard. Just wait.
Bai Lian maintained a stiff smile, finished pouring the water, then picked up the kettle and prepared to leave, already thinking of a new approach.
The next second—
"Wait."
Gu Yan spoke again.
Bai Lian's heart leapt.
So you finally can't hold it in anymore?
She was delighted.
Just look at the men hunched over at nearby tables—her charm had never failed.
"What's wrong, little brother~?"
She turned back with a smile.
Gu Yan pointed calmly at a bowl on the menu.
"Give me one of these."
Bai Lian followed his finger—
Egg fried rice.
6 yuan.
Her smile cracked for a split second.
"Okay… please wait a moment."
"Just a moment~"
She slid into the kitchen.
Once she was completely out of sight, Gu Yan shook his head helplessly.
What kind of subordinates are these? One worse than the last.
In the original story, Bai Lian was also a freak.
In a shopping mall, she once controlled hundreds of men using her natural charm, even threatening Xiao Lin with civilian lives.
When Xiao Lin appeared to submit, she thought she'd succeeded—
Never realizing it was just his strategy.
He had a Qingxin jade pendant given by the Bai family's eldest lady.
Immune to her control.
Bai Lian was killed by him with a single punch.
A pity.
She relied too much on her natural charm and neglected cultivation, staying at early Grandmaster level until her death.
Yet the novel clearly stated—
Once natural charm reached the Grandmaster stage, it underwent a qualitative transformation.
A single glance could sway an entire city.
Probably too broken.
That's why the author killed her early.
Compared to that, what truly left Gu Yan speechless was—
Leng Qingqiu's subordinates had zero teamwork.
One person went out alone.
Died.
Then another.
Died.
Over and over.
Instead of weakening the protagonist group, they became stepping stones for breakthroughs.
Gu Yan took a sip of water.
This situation needs fixing.
---
In the kitchen.
"I'm so angry! I'm furious!"
"That damn man!"
Bai Lian kicked a sack of rice repeatedly, treating it like Gu Yan.
Mei Xue asked calmly while washing dishes,
"What happened? Who upset you?"
Bai Lian stomped harder.
"A man came!"
"He wasn't affected by my charm at all! That attitude—infuriating!"
She continued venting.
A man wearing a headscarf while frying pork chops spoke lightly,
"Bai Lian, stop stepping on the rice. That's for guests."
She reluctantly withdrew her foot and crossed her arms, face dark.
"You're not going out?" Mei Xue asked.
Bai Lian shook her head, pulled out a lady's cigarette, lit it casually, and blew out a smoke ring.
"No."
"That kind of unromantic man—I don't want to see him."
There were always a few weirdos in this world.
Like the pork chop guy.
And the one sitting outside.
Mei Xue nodded.
"Then help in the kitchen. I'll go out."
She left, while Bai Lian's expression stiffened slightly.
Help?
Cutting vegetables and washing dishes?
She regretted it a bit—but it was better than seeing that irritating face again.
---
At the counter.
Mei Xue wiped her hands.
A bearded chef passed a plate through the window.
"Guest No. 11's fried rice is ready."
"Okay."
Mei Xue took the plate and walked toward Table 11.
After two steps, her heart suddenly skipped.
She sensed something.
She turned her head.
That familiar aura sat there—its outline shifting slightly, as if waving at her.
She walked over calmly and placed the egg fried rice on the table.
Gu Yan smiled faintly.
When Mei Xue set the plate down, he whispered,
"Does Qingqiu know you're doing this kind of work here?"
Mei Xue's expression tightened.
Her fists clenched.
She'd suspected it back at the Leng residence.
Now it was confirmed.
Gu Yan… knew the master's true identity.
Damn it.
She took a deep breath and whispered back,
"What are you doing here?"
Gu Yan chuckled softly.
"Relax. What if others notice?"
"Just pretend I'm a friend you know in the secular world."
"I'll also tell you about the plan I changed tonight."
After a brief pause, Mei Xue smoothed her skirt and sat down across from him.
At the counter, the manager in sunglasses frowned slightly.
Hmm?
Mei Xue's friend? A man?
Ah… so that's it.
No wonder he carried the master's aura.
The manager lost interest and looked away.