Chapter 58: The Master of the Yue Sisters

Yuexi's words warmed Li Nianlong's heart, and he chuckled, "It wasn't that serious. I'm a grown man; who could kidnap me? But still, thank you for your concern. Did everything go smoothly on your journey?"

"It was alright. Changchang slept the whole way. We had to ask for help to carry her off the plane, and getting her in and out of the car was all thanks to the kind driver."

Li Nianlong chuckled at Yuexi's slightly exasperated tone. "That must have been quite the adventure for our little heroine."

"Hehe... It was okay, just that..." Yuexi paused, and Li Nianlong playfully asked, "Just what?"

"Nothing much! It's just... just that..." Yuexi's voice took on a shy tone, and she whispered, "Big Brother, I missed you." Before Li Nianlong could respond, she hastily hung up.

I missed you...

Those simple four words were filled with a young girl's deep longing. Li Nianlong was struck, feeling a mix of warmth and joy. A smile tugged at his lips as he composed a text and sent it off: I missed you too.

In Longcheng, within an apartment in the second ring road, inside a room decorated with a romantic, girlish style, Yuexi lay on the bed. Seeing Li Nianlong's message, her face flushed with bashful delight, and she giggled, "So Big Brother missed me too, heeheehee…" She playfully kicked the mattress with her feet and then rolled around the bed hugging her pillow. "Oh my! So embarrassing! Heeheehee…"

Ding-dong—

The doorbell rang, and Yuexi jumped off the bed in a flash. A puff of white smoke emerged from her face, and when it cleared, so did her blush. She checked herself in the mirror, nodded in satisfaction, and rushed to the door in her slippers.

Opening the door, she found an elderly woman standing before her, dressed in a white blouse adorned with blue floral prints, black woolen pants, white socks, and black cloth shoes. The old lady was in her seventies, with short silver hair, a face full of wrinkles, and a pair of frameless glasses perched on her nose. Her cloudy eyes held unfathomable depth, and she was petite with a slight hunch, leaning on a cane.

One might assume she was just an ordinary, unremarkable old lady, but Yuexi happily exclaimed, "Master! You're here!"

The old lady chuckled upon seeing Yuexi, "Where's Changchang?"

Yuexi's smile faded, and she pouted, "Master only cares about Changchang, Changchang. So biased."

"Hehe, you little one." The old lady's face softened with affection as she stepped inside. After Yuexi closed the door, she smiled, "You girls completed your mission well this time, but unnecessarily expending three months of your abilities is a loss. It's not worth it!"

"Master…" Yuexi pouted, "Didn't you anticipate all of this? Now you're blaming us. Isn't that being deliberately obtuse?"

"You cheeky girl, always talking back to your master." The old lady chided, tapping Yuexi's head with her cane. "I've spoiled you too much; you're becoming more and more unruly."

"Aiya!" Yuexi retreated, holding her forehead, and giggled, "Master, how could that be! I'm a good child."

She hurried behind her master and placed her hands on her shoulders, massaging them gently. "Master, see, I'm good, right?"

The old lady beamed with joy, "Yes, yes, who dares say anything bad about Xi Xi? I'll break their legs."

"Heehee…" Yuexi playfully tapped her tiny fists on the old lady's shoulders and sweetly said, "Master, since we've completed our mission, shouldn't we get paid now?"

"Forget about the money this time," the old lady immediately shook her head when the topic turned to payment.

"Why?" Yuexi raised her voice, her pout capable of holding a soy sauce bottle.

"You silly girl, would I ever harm you?" The old lady scolded lovingly, tapping her head again. "The problem is that the money is too hot to handle. We can't take it."

"How is it hot to handle?" Yuexi protested, "We've taken the money before!"

"The nature of it is different," the old lady explained patiently. "Our previous targets were heinous criminals. Killing them was justified, a way to uphold justice. But this time, the target wasn't particularly evil. Taking this money would make our hands dirty. I plan to donate it to a charity fund, doing some good deeds in your names to absolve you of any sin."

"Not fair, Master!" Yuexi's face fell. "That's a hundred billion! Isn't donating all of it too much? How about half? Half should be enough to wipe away Changchang's and my sins, right?"

"Hehe, what do you think?" The old lady smiled.

Yuexi was defeated by her master's serious gaze and burst into tears figuratively. "Alright! Alright! If I had known, I wouldn't have taken this mission in the first place. Not only did we not profit, but we also lost a lot."

"Did you really gain nothing?" The old lady smiled faintly. "Meeting the destined one is something that cannot be bought with any amount of wealth."

The destined one?

Yuexi's mind conjured an image of a tall and handsome figure, causing her cheeks to flush.

"Hehe…" Observing Yuexi's reaction, the old lady kindly said, "While people can triumph over fate, many things are predetermined. Today, I will reveal the secret of this mission to you."

"Really?" Yuexi got up from the floor, looped her arm through the old lady's, and giggled, "Master, you've always refused to tell us the secret of this mission. I thought you'd never share it!"

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to know the outcome beforehand and create unnecessary trouble," the old lady smiled faintly, her eyes dimming as she sighed, "I have revealed too much of the divine plan throughout my life; I fear my days are numbered..."

"Master! Don't say that!" Yuexi's face darkened, clearly unhappy. "You must live, live well, and live to be a hundred years old. In the future, you'll witness Changchang and me marry and have children, and you'll hold your chubby grandchild!"

These words brought a broad smile to the old lady's face. "Fine, fine, you're the best at making me happy with your words."

"I'm just telling the truth!" Yuexi giggled, supporting the old lady as they walked towards the bedroom. "Master, Changchang used up nearly three months' worth of her abilities at once. Who knows when she'll wake up?"

The old lady smiled. "Rest assured, Changchang will wake up before her bodily functions are affected, but the three-month sleep period won't change. You just need to prepare sufficient sustenance for her when she wakes up, and when the time comes, all will be well."

"That puts my mind at ease." Yuexi looked at the soundly sleeping Yue Chang, ran over, and slapped her bottom hard, causing a jiggling ripple across her fair flesh that was dizzying to watch. "Hehe, serves you right for bullying me before; now it's my turn!"

"You, this girl." The old lady was amused and annoyed, lightly striking Yuexi's bottom with her cane. "Naughty."

"Ouch!" Yuexi jumped up, clutching her bottom, looking aggrieved. "Master, you're always favoring Changchang."

"It's not favoritism, it's... I just learned a new internet phrase a few days ago that suits you perfectly."

"What is it?"

"If you don't court death, you won't die."

"..." Yuexi mentally facepalmed.

The old lady chuckled, tapping her head. "Stop pretending to be pitiful. I'll tell you the secret of this mission now."

"Great!" Yuexi immediately sat upright, anticipation written all over her face as she looked at the old lady.

"You, this girl." The old lady smiled faintly, removing her glasses from her nose, revealing the endless profundity in her cloudy eyes. "This matter begins with a calculation I made that day..."

...

In Tianfu, inside the villa, in the living room on the first floor.

Li Nianlong and Nalan Ruyue sat facing each other, having dinner. With Yuexi and Yue Chang gone, the atmosphere at the table was much gloomier. Nalan Ruyue was naturally a quiet girl, and Li Nianlong was feeling a bit down due to the departure of the Yue sisters. For a moment, the only sounds in the living room were the clinking of utensils and the chewing of food.

Halfway through the meal, Nalan Ruyue put down her chopsticks, catching Li Nianlong's attention. Looking at her, he saw her gazing back, her hands signing softly: Brother, do you feel lonely?

Noticing the worry between Nalan Ruyue's brows, Li Nianlong felt a warmth in his heart, nodded gently, and said softly, "A little, perhaps I'm just used to having Changchang and Xi Xi around. Now that they're gone, it feels really lonely."