The night was serene, and as he soaked in the hot spring, such a harmonious evening naturally did not leave room for discord.
The hot spring pool was vast, with petals floating gently in the water. However, he was the only one present. In Nicole's words, "Boss, you're not a child anymore; you can't be so indulgent."
The setting was delightful; even the bathroom stretched over two hundred square meters—this was not even the largest. Pebbles lined the bottom of the pool, and Athena controlled the switches, allowing him to direct them. The water's temperature was warm, ever-steady, and carried a faint mineral scent.
Feeling a bit stifled, Zhao Lun opened the roof above, revealing the brilliant night sky.
It was just him, alone in the hot spring beneath the sparkling sky, and the experience was indeed unique.
The hot spring's therapeutic effects did not disappoint, so much so that he almost didn't want to leave, so comfortable that he nearly drifted into sleep.
After a short soak, Zhao Lun emerged, dried himself, and settled onto the bed that carried the scent of sunshine. Without a word, he drifted off into sleep.
He slept soundly through the night, waking up to the clear light of dawn, feeling rejuvenated and completely adjusted to the time difference.
Early in the morning, after a quick exercise, he returned to hear the sounds of a TV show playing in the living room, accompanied by Maria's complaints.
"How fake!"
"Not entertaining!"
"I'm not watching anymore! Athena, change the channel!"
"Miss, I've already switched to every available channel in Hong Kong."
Maria was visibly frustrated. Initially, she had voiced her discontent, but soon, all she did was hum disapprovingly, prompting Athena to turn off the TV altogether.
After becoming accustomed to fine dining, it was hard to go back to eating subpar food—nothing could really be appetizing anymore.
Having watched the films edited by Zhao Lun, Maria's taste had evolved. Now, she couldn't bring herself to watch these simplistic, easily dismantled TV dramas.
"Brother, the programs here are so dull."
Maria complained to Zhao Lun about the childishness of the local TV shows.
"Hehe, Maria, you can't blame them."
"Hong Kong is small, the market is limited. If you ask them to invest more, what if they make a loss?"
Zhao Lun chuckled, sitting down and sipping his hot coffee.
"Brother, what if we make a show like this?"
"We'll star in it together!"
"It'll be a huge hit!"
Maria, with her big eyes, looked at him with eager anticipation, her intent clear—she wanted him involved.
"You want to make one?"
"You should discuss it with Angela."
"As for starring, there's not much time left, so forget it."
With the holidays being short, there was little time to rest outside of work. Also, starring in such a drama could lead to fame, and Zhao Lun didn't want to end up like Nicole and the others. He had no intention of participating in a drama like that.
"Huh? You're not joining us?"
"Once you finish filming, you can have me handle the post-production."
"Alright, let's go eat now."
Stretching lazily, he tousled the girl's shiny hair and leisurely made his way to the balcony.
Thinking about breakfast—sitting in an open area, enjoying the cool breeze while having a delightful meal—was a rare pleasure.
"Humph! Bad brother!"
"..."
Maria had only briefly mentioned filming a martial arts drama to Zhao Lun. When he refused to participate, she dropped the matter.
The weather was hot, but it was cool here. Having breakfast in this environment was truly special.
Today's meal was different from the one yesterday. It featured vegetables known for their cooling properties, and even the meat dishes were refreshing and light.
The most striking thing, however, was the meticulous knife skills. The vegetables, painstakingly prepared, were a visual treat. Just looking at them lifted the mood.
"So much carving, so exquisite!"
Everyone marveled, praising Mulan's cooking skills. Zhao Lun even recorded the scene with his light brain, analyzing it with amazement.
Mulan's knife skills were extraordinary; the dishes on the table seemed perfectly measured, as though a ruler had been used, each portion precisely the same.
Her culinary arrangements were so masterful that upon closer inspection, they resembled a "realistic" topographic map—so detailed that it looked almost like the images taken by the Tianyan 1 satellite.
To create such a miniature 3D map out of food was truly unbelievable. Zhao Lun had no choice but to admit her skill.
"Mulan said she appreciated the kitchen tools you gave her. She really liked them. She made these dishes especially for you."
Maria, using the Chinese she had learned, relayed Mulan's words.
"Really? The cold-hearted Mulan would thank me?"
Zhao Lun was somewhat skeptical. Since returning to the estate, he had only seen her once, through a camera. Apart from that, he hadn't had any direct interaction with her. Even when she was cooking, he hadn't actually met her in person.
Aside from picking them up at the airport, they had never crossed paths. It was clear that this ice-cold beauty did not like interacting with strangers, and she seemed to lack understanding of social niceties. Now, for her to thank him was truly surprising.
"Brother, Mulan really thanked you."
Seeing that Zhao Lun seemed to have a prejudiced view, Maria hurriedly tried to explain.
"Oh."
Zhao Lun nodded, his face showing an unmistakable disbelief.
Maria fell silent.
"I want to believe you," Zhao Lun said with a smile, realizing from the dishes that there was indeed sincerity, more so than when he had been in Great Britain.
"You're getting worse, brother!"
She scolded him playfully, yet her smiling face revealed her mood.
"Do you know what she's doing now?"
Zhao Lun asked.
Among all of them, Mulan and Angela were the closest, followed by Maria. Angela had gone home to visit her family, leaving Maria the best source of information about Mulan's whereabouts.
"Mulan is going home. Her house is very special, and others can't see it. Maria has never been there, but it seems she wanted to show me."
"Her house is invisible to others?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Interesting."
After breakfast, Maria accompanied Mulan to see her house. Only Zhao Lun, Nicole, and Monica remained in the mansion.
Once Maria left, Zhao Lun was contemplating exploring the place himself when the little girl returned, dejected, and slumped on the sofa, clearly upset.
"What happened, Maria? Did something make you unhappy?"
Zhao Lun asked, puzzled.
"Maria and Mulan encountered some bad people!"
"We didn't even get to see Mulan's house before they sent us away!"
Maria, feeling wronged and furious, recounted the events.
They had been about to enter but were stopped before they could even get a glimpse. The mocking manner in which they were treated had soured Maria's mood.
"Humph! I curse you all!" Maria muttered angrily, her resentment palpable.