In the dead of night, the underground garage of the high-end apartment was quieter than a graveyard. The man stepped out of the elevator, deliberately pulling his cap low over his eyes. A black Mercedes-Benz business vehicle was waiting for him right outside the elevator, engine running. He strode towards it and reached out to open the door.
Sensing something, a sharp glint flickered through his eyes, and he halted his movements.
With a swift turn of his head to the right, he caught sight of a sneaker-clad foot in the corner. Withdrawing his hand from the car door, he stuffed both hands into the pockets of his black track pants and stood up straight, casually calling out to that corner, "Come on out, I'll allow you a face-to-face interview."
No sooner had his voice faded than the person in the corner emerged excitedly, "Really, Team Blue?"
The male reporter, not yet thirty, had round wire-rimmed glasses and a camera hanging around his neck. He approached Lan Mu with a grin, snapping photos as he walked.
Lan Mu's mouth twitched into a half-smile as he stepped forward to close the distance with the reporter, exerting a powerful presence that made the reporter involuntarily shrink back, looking up at him with a timid expression. Towering over the reporter, Lan Mu asked with a sardonically sweet smile, "What are you planning to write when you get back?"
There was a dangerous glint in his eyes.
The reporter trembled, "The... the truth, about Team Blue's late-night visits to Sister Sangsang's love nest..."
He was cut off mid-sentence by Lan Mu's cold voice, "If there's ever any news or rumors about me that aren't related to my profession, I won't just be after your jobs—I'll come after your pots and pans too."
By the end, his voice and gaze had grown sharply threatening.
He clearly meant business.
So scared that his teeth were chattering, the reporter could only nod repeatedly, "Yes... yes, I understand, I understand."
"Get lost!"
With a roar from Lan Mu, the reporter fled as if his feet were greased.
The young man who came to pick up Lan Mu was a member of Team LY, Qing Cheng, who had just turned twenty.
He got out of the car beside Lan Mu, looking somewhat puzzled, "Captain, are you saying you don't want him to write about you and Sister Sangsang?"
Lan Mu frowned, "You have a problem with that?"
Turning around, he walked towards the car.
Qing Cheng struggled to understand Lan Mu's behavior, "Why don't you let them report the news about you and Sister Sangsang?"
Shouldn't he want the reporter to cover more about his and Sangsang's situation, to make the one at home think twice?
Lan Mu had entered the car, his face was a steely blue as he glared at Qing Cheng, "Shut up and drive."
He removed his cap and swept his hair back with one hand.
"Oh."
Qing Cheng, not fully grasping the situation, nodded, started the car, but wasn't sure where to head, "Where are we going?"
Lan Mu: "Home."
Qing Cheng asked uncertainly, "Back to... your marital villa?"
This didn't seem right.
Lan Mu's face was somber, and he didn't speak.
Did this mean he actually wanted to go back to the villa? Qing Cheng wasn't sure and raised an eyebrow at Lan Mu, who frowned impatiently, "Why aren't you moving?"
Taking that as an affirmation, Qing Cheng didn't dare to ask any further and started driving.
Meanwhile, the young man muttered to himself as they took off.
...
Yan Zao vaguely heard footsteps, uncertain whether it was a dream or reality; she was sleeping soundly.
With her eyes closed, she turned over and continued to sleep.
The next second...
Something grabbed the clothing at the front of her chest, and her body was suddenly lifted into the air.
Her eyes flew open, and her hands shot up, flailing wildly, her voice shouting for help, "Help, help!"