Chapter 666: Let’s Talk About the Skirt

In the kitchen.

Jiang Zuo, playing with Su Qi’s hair, said, “I’ll tie up your hair for you. You just cook the noodles, and no more talking.”

Su Qi laughed. “Alright. But don’t hurt me—I still have to walk, you know.”

Jiang Zuo said, “I know.”

「Meanwhile, at Jingyue Villa.」

Jingyue gazed at the villa, then asked Qing Lian over the phone, “I don’t see any difference. Where’s this so-called Grand Array?”

Qing Lian replied, “Senior Sister Jingjing, you’ll see once you come inside. It’s really terrifying.”

Jingyue was skeptical. ‘Terrifying? Just how terrifying could it possibly be?’

Jingyue then stepped inside.

The moment she stepped inside, she found herself in an endless desert.

Jingyue froze. She hadn’t sensed a thing.

“An Illusion Realm?”

Jingyue began trying to break the Array; she had to find a way to “wake up.”

But no matter how hard she tried, it was useless.

She started walking, then even tried to fly, but the desert remained a desert—endless and inescapable.

Then, Jingyue unleashed her full power, but it was still completely useless.

She was powerless. Jingyue was completely helpless against this Illusion Array.

She couldn’t even tell if this place was real or an illusion.

‘What level of Array is this?’

Finally, Jingyue asked, “Is this an Illusion Array?”

“Yes.” It was Qing Lian’s voice.

Jingyue sighed in resignation. “Let me out.”

Only then did Jingyue realize she was still standing right at the entrance.

‘This Array is truly incredible.’

‘Even my master might not be able to pass through this, could she?’

‘A little terrifying.’

Jingyue walked up to Qing Lian. “What kind of Array was that?”

Qing Lian shook her head. “It doesn’t have a name, but it has many functions. This is the instruction manual.”

Then Qing Lian gave Jingyue a piece of paper.

Looking at the contents, Jingyue asked curiously, “The handwriting looks like it belongs to a little girl.”

Qing Lian said, embarrassed, “I wrote it. The original manual got burned.”

Jingyue: “…”

Not dwelling on it, Jingyue began to read the instructions. The more she read, the more shocked she became.

Finally, she looked at Qing Lian and asked, “Is what’s written on here for real?”

Qing Lian nodded. “It’s real. I’ve tried it all.”

Jingyue was incredulous. “Which great predecessor set this up for me? What’s the meaning of this? An old friend from the Holy Land? Or one of those old fossils from the Holy Land?”

Qing Lian shook her head. “I don’t know him, nor have I ever heard that name. But I feel like I’ve heard you mention it, Senior Sister Jingjing, though I’m not sure if it’s the one.”

Jingyue asked, “Who is it?”

Qing Lian said, “Po Xiao.”

The instant she heard the name, Jingyue’s pupils contracted.

‘Po Xiao?’

‘No wonder. No wonder I didn’t see him at Tianhe Group. He came here to set up an Array, and he did it in secret.’

‘But could an Array this terrifying really be his handiwork?’

Jingyue discovered that this Po Xiao was even more powerful and more terrifying than she had initially imagined.

‘If this person is an enemy, he would be incredibly dangerous.’

At this thought, Jingyue froze for a second before leaping onto the balcony.

‘It’s just a guess, but it’s definitely possible.’

Jingyue then activated the Defense and Mist functions.

On the balcony, Jingyue simply gave a light wave at the Mist before her, and it parted.

Jingyue suddenly broke into a smile. She focused her senses again and discovered that the Defense in this spot was especially powerful—far stronger than anywhere else.

Jingyue was thrilled. “Wouldn’t you call this a little slip-up?”

‘This is where that young couple watches the sunrise, after all.’

Then Jingyue went to other places to test it.

She discovered that dispersing the Mist anywhere else required the central Array Stone, but not here.

‘Even though this is facing the main entrance, there’s no way it’s a coincidence.’

‘Even if it could be a coincidence, the probability just went from zero to fifty-fifty.’

‘Hahaha, now all I need is that last photo.’

‘But, if it really is him, he shouldn’t be home yet. I’ll give her a call and find out.’

Then, she got ahold of her “little complainer.”

Su Qi asked, “Senior Sister, what are you up to?”

Jingyue asked, “What are *you* doing?”

‘Asking if her husband is home would be too direct.’

Su Qi said, “I’m eating with my husband. He came back early this morning.”

Jingyue: “…”

‘He came back early this morning?’

‘Who are you trying to fool?’

‘Could it really be another coincidence?’

Jingyue didn’t feel like talking to Su Qi anymore and just hung up.

Jingyue was getting frustrated. It felt like the more she tried to prove her theory, the more evidence appeared to contradict it.

‘No, I have to take this slow. Rushing things seems to be working against me.’

‘It would be bad if luck is entirely on his side.’

“It feels like I’m fighting against heaven and earth,” Jingyue said, exasperated.

Qing Lian, standing behind her, asked curiously, “Senior Sister Jingjing, what are you doing?”

Jingyue said, “Struggling against fate.”

Qing Lian asked, “So, are we going to accept this Array?”

Jingyue replied, “Of course we’re accepting it. But I’m leaving a bad review. He didn’t break my Array according to the rules.”

Then Jingyue took out her phone and gave it one star.

She had been about to explain the reason for the bad review.

But seeing the comments already there, she realized her explanation was entirely redundant.

‘In short, a bad review with no explanation.’

Thinking about it now, Jingyue felt a pang of regret. When Po Xiao had first accepted their commission, if only her “little complainer” had been willing to go.

‘She could have at least seen if it was her husband. If not, she could have just left. Or even hidden somewhere to watch.’

————

Jiang Zuo asked while eating his noodles, “Why do you keep staring at me?”

Su Qi said, “I was thinking, maybe we shouldn’t go to work this afternoon.”

Jiang Zuo immediately replied, “We have to, we have to. We have to go to work, or we won’t be able to put food on the table.”

Su Qi just laughed. “I’m going to change into something shorter… and a little looser.”

Jiang Zuo: “…”

‘Does this woman not understand what I’m saying?’

While Su Qi was changing, Jiang Zuo debated whether he should just finish his food and make a run for it.

But in that moment of hesitation, Su Qi had already come out.

It was a fairly short nightgown, but it wasn’t overly revealing, and it looked beautiful on her.

Su Qi did a little twirl and smiled. “I bought it yesterday. It’s a little similar to the dress I wore out. Is it pretty?”

Jiang Zuo nodded. “Very pretty.”

Su Qi smiled and sat down beside Jiang Zuo. “That’s more like it. I go to all this trouble to wear a dress for you; it’s only right that you praise me.”

She was still holding a grudge about yesterday.

Jiang Zuo said, “This time it really is pretty.”

Su Qi retorted, “So you’re saying I don’t look pretty when I’m in my normal clothes?”

Jiang Zuo went back to his noodles. “Now you’re just picking a fight.”

Su Qi didn’t argue further. Instead, she propped her feet up on her chair, hugged her knees, and leaned against Jiang Zuo. In a seductive tone, she said, “So… no work this afternoon, then? We can… discuss dresses.”

Jiang Zuo was about to agree instinctively, but he caught himself and said with a straight face, “Absolutely not. I’ve got a job to run today. It’s been so long since I’ve worked, I’ll probably get lost.”

Su Qi looked at Jiang Zuo with a smile on her face, saying nothing.

Jiang Zuo: “…”