Two men in black Western-style suits got out of the oncoming car and walked towards Hua Xiaomo's vehicle.
Hua Xiaomo glanced at them, her mind already racing. How can I negotiate a good price?
"Hey, your car almost hit mine..." Hua Xiaomo began.
"Are you Little K?" one of the men cut in.
The question made Hua Xiaomo's eyes glint shrewdly. "I'm certain... I don't know you."
"You don't need to know us. Just come with us!" one of the men in black said, then took a jade ring from his pocket and handed it over. "The owner of this ring sent us."
A cold glimmer in her eyes, Hua Xiaomo sneered. She took the ring, glanced at it without a word, then said, "Fine, I'll go with you!"
Then, Hua Xiaomo glanced at the person in her car. "That's my friend. Let her go back."
"No can do. This matter is highly confidential. Everyone at the scene must come along," the man in black said, looking towards the red Mercedes that had stopped behind them. "Who's in that car?"
Only then did Hua Xiaomo turn to glance at the car stopped behind them. Huh, it was that car that had caught her eye earlier.
Hua Xiaomo looked at the driver, the long-haired handsome man from before. "Don't know him."
"Then take him too," the man signaled to his associate with his eyes.
Hua Xiaomo looked at the man. "Planning to take people by force? I'd save your breath if I were you!"
"What do you mean?"
"Just watch. You'll find out what I mean in a moment." Hua Xiaomo chuckled, stepped forward, and suddenly punched the man in the chest. As he bent over, she quickly yanked his head down, delivered a sharp knee strike, and then slammed her elbows into his back. In less than a minute, she had the man kneeling and wailing in pain.
The other man in black looked on, somewhat dazed. He'd never expected a woman to be so skilled!
"I'll go with you alone. Let them go, or else... HEH..." Hua Xiaomo smirked. She said no more, a roguish glint in her eyes.
"Alright then," the man in black nodded.
Hua Xiaomo walked over to her driver's side, pulled Dong Xiaoyou out, and walked them over to the Mercedes.
The handsome man had also rolled down his window by now, revealing no one else inside the car but a large Chow Chow dog in the backseat.
Ugh, so the 'fun' she'd seen earlier was just him and his dog...
Heavens, could this be any more 'exciting'?
"You saw what happened. I got you out of a bind. So, it wouldn't be too much trouble for you to take my friend home, would it?" Hua Xiaomo said to the handsome man.
The handsome man shook his head, speechless for a moment. He managed a strained smile, composed himself, and then asked her, "Should... shouldn't we call the police?"
Hua Xiaomo gave him a glance, her beautiful amber eyes clear. "No need. Just take my friend home."
"She lives at No. 11 Wutong Road. Thank you," Hua Xiaomo said, then looked at Dong Xiaoyou with a somewhat apologetic smile. "We can't go out and have fun today... another time!"
"Mm. Xiao Mo, be careful," Dong Xiaoyou said, her eyes betraying a hint of nervousness. But when she saw that Hua Xiaomo had already slipped the jade ring onto her index finger, she knew some things were unstoppable...
"HEH! Let's go, Angel in White! I'm borrowing your boss's car for a bit. I'll return it safe and sound," Hua Xiaomo laughed, stepped back, and watched the Mercedes drive away.
Only then did Hua Xiaomo leap into the Chery car and was quickly taken by the men in black to a mysterious location.
「...」
Stepping back into a luxurious suite at the Haosheng Rose Grand Hotel, Hua Xiaomo found the resplendent, gold-lit surroundings instantly dazzling.
"Revisiting an old haunt really brings back memories!" Hua Xiaomo exclaimed, filled with emotion.
Suddenly, a deep voice sounded, "Is that so? Then it seems I've arrived late."
Hua Xiaomo glanced over. Unsurprisingly, she saw him wearing that platinum crown mask, which concealed everything below the bridge of his nose, revealing only the lower half of his face and the elegant curve of his jaw.
He wore a black and gold tailcoat, looking every bit the gentlemanly prince.
"I recall washing my hands of this business last time. We settled all accounts, Xia Shuangming. And yet, you still seek me out? Aren't you afraid I'll give you an earful?" Hua Xiaomo said, her tone a mix of mockery and sarcasm.
"I'd prefer you call me... King," Xia Shuangming replied with a smile.
Hua Xiaomo crossed her arms and retorted quickly, "Shouldn't there be another word after 'King'? King what?"
"Little K, don't be so tactless," Xia Shuangming's eyes gleamed from behind his crown mask.
"'Little K,' my foot! I think Hua Renda really brought a wolf into the house trusting a quack Feng Shui Master like you," Hua Xiaomo said irritably. Can this man's words even be trusted?
At the age of twelve, it was because Hua Renda believed his promises of changing her fate that he had bestowed upon her the name "Xiaomo," essentially "Little Demon." Overnight, she ceased to be Hua Qianqian and became Hua Xiaomo. And from that day on, this mysterious Feng Shui Master had entered her life.
He claimed her health was poor, insisting she practice martial arts, taekwondo, and the like. Well, after nearly a decade of training, she was now a ninth-dan black belt. While not a master of all eighteen traditional martial arts disciplines, becoming a bodyguard for Zhongnanhai would have been no problem for her.
But one day, he came to her and told her it was time to broaden her horizons...
Only then did she realize his true intentions were purely for his own benefit.
"Hua Xiaomo, you're becoming more and more brazen," Xia Shuangming said, his handsome lips curving into a smile. "Alright, I promise you, this is the last mission. Steal the 'Blue Moon,' and you can retire with full honors."
Hua Xiaomo gave him a look, a glint in her amber eyes. "Blue Moon? What's that?"
"It's a national treasure. Whether you like it or not, you have to take this job," Xia Shuangming said, his lips curving into an elegant arc.
"Where is it?" Hua Xiaomo didn't beat around the bush. Her amber eyes darted slyly as she speculated, "The Louvre Museum in Paris, the British Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, or The Forbidden City?"
"HEH..." Xia Shuangming chuckled meaningfully, his jawline looking even more exquisite. "None of those."
Hua Xiaomo tilted her head, looking at him with narrowed, suspicious eyes. "You're not messing with me, are you? When has it ever *not* been in one of those places?"
"October 1st, Gasia's Auction. Remember, the item is called 'Blue Moon.' Find a way to get your hands on it. Once it's done, the reward will be substantial," Xia Shuangming said, pouring two glasses of deep, ink-blue wine and walking towards her. "To success?"
Hua Xiaomo wasn't one for ceremony. She took the glass, brought it to her lips, and asked before tasting, "A Grand Lafite from France?"
"Yes," Xia Shuangming smiled charmingly, gazing into her beautiful amber eyes. "I remember your favorite is the wine from Chateau Lafite in Bordeaux, France, so... I made a special trip just for you. This is the real deal."
Hua Xiaomo shot him a glance and let out a faint, cold laugh. "An unsolicited gift means you're either up to no good or have stolen something. That saying is spot on!"
Xia Shuangming chuckled, showing no anger. "Let's head upstairs. There's a cocktail party on the thirty-ninth floor, the top floor."
"You want *me* to go to that?" Hua Xiaomo almost wanted to spit. She looked down at herself—an utterly ordinary white T-shirt and jeans. They'd probably throw me out before I even got through the door. Is he deliberately trying to embarrass me?
Understanding her unspoken protest, Xia Shuangming smiled. "Your outfit is... very clean!" He then quickly retrieved a pink evening gown from a wardrobe in the suite and handed it to her.
Hua Xiaomo glanced at it. Pink again, and strapless...
She'd been mortified by that peach-colored dress all day. A look of disgust crossed Hua Xiaomo's face. "Forget it, I'm not going." She glanced down at the jade ring on the index finger of her left hand. "This thing... this is the last time I'm wearing it."