Chapter 33: The Art of Concealing in the Mist

"Ouch~ That hurts!" Gu Xiangnan cried out again.

"What are you yelling about? Are you going to die from bumping into tofu?"

Wang Mei glanced at the road ahead. It was smooth, with not a single stone in sight.

She looked at Gu Xiangnan's left hand, "Gu Xiangnan, no more braking!"

Stones on the ground? He was just looking for an excuse to take advantage of her!

Wang Mei, gritting her teeth in annoyance, wrapped her arms around Gu Xiangnan's neck from behind and threatened, "Gu Xiangnan, let me drive."

No sooner had she spoken than Gu Xiangnan slammed on the brakes, coming to an abrupt halt. Wang Mei crashed into his back yet again.

Fuming, she got off the back seat and tugged at him.

This time, they swapped places.

Wang Mei drove Gu Xiangnan back to the villa.

Her driving was superb, gliding along the road with the motorcycle as smoothly as flowing water.

Ahead, a traffic light appeared. She stopped the bike, and a pair of hands from behind reached forward, caressing her towering peaks.

Wang Mei freed a hand and slapped his away, "Hands! Hands!"

She turned her head, roaring at Gu Xiangnan behind her.

Gu Xiangnan spoke into her ear, "When you braked, I almost fell off, so I accidentally grabbed hold~"

His tone was both innocent and shameless.

Wang Mei nearly ground her teeth to dust, wishing she could glare at him with the back of her head. He always managed to profit and play the victim.

Two intersections from the Rose Garden villa, Gu Xiangnan suddenly said:

"Stop at the sign ahead."

After Wang Mei stopped the bike, she asked impatiently, "What trick are you up to now?"

"You came to bring me a gift, but I ended up hitting you. To show my gratitude and apologize, I'd like to treat you to a meal. There's a restaurant nearby that's really good, and I wanted to bring you to try it." Gu Xiangnan hopped off, removed his helmet, and spoke.

Wang Mei was surprised by his intention, suddenly feeling a bit guilty for her earlier harsh attitude.

Her tone softened, and a small smile appeared on her face. "Actually... I was a little out of line too."

Gu Xiangnan smiled, innocuous and gentle. "Let's not dwell on it. We'll get along better in the future. Come on, you must be hungry, right?"

Wang Mei followed behind Gu Xiangnan, but the further she walked, the more something felt off.

"What is that awful smell?" Wang Mei sniffed the air, trying to locate the source.

"This place's snail noodles are absolutely delicious," Gu Xiangnan pointed to a small shop ahead.

"You!"

Rose Garden, hilltop villa.

Wang Mei stormed inside, her head down, cheeks puffed in anger.

Gu Xiangnan chased after her, calling to her back, "Don't be mad! I really think it's delicious, I just wanted to recommend it to you."

Wang Mei said nothing, not even turning her head.

Gu Xiangnan muttered under his breath, "Such a bad temper, always getting angry. She'd better watch out or she'll develop nodules."

Wang Mei marched up to the second floor, into the room Gu Xiangnan had once shown her.

She sniffed her clothes, disgusted by the pungent odor, so strong it made her want to retch. She hastily took off her jacket.

Her hair seemed to have absorbed the stench as well.

Might as well take a bath!

The bathroom was right next to her room. She ran a bath, then returned to her own room. Searching the wardrobe, she unexpectedly found several clean women's outfits.

She gathered the clothes and slipped into the bathroom.

Just as she finished undressing, the door suddenly swung open.

Gu Xiangnan stood at the threshold, looking her up and down, and exclaimed with genuine admiration, "Wow, what long legs!"

A chill swept over Wang Mei. She turned and saw Gu Xiangnan at the door.

Startled, she instantly crossed her arms over her chest and screamed.

"Ah~~~~"

Gu Xiangnan pleaded urgently, "Don't scream!"

Wang Mei glared furiously at him, berating, "You pervert!" She hastily grabbed a towel and wrapped herself tightly.

In her rage, she raised her leg to kick at Gu Xiangnan, but he deftly dodged and, in one swift motion, caught her waist and pulled her close.

Wang Mei's expression turned frosty. She warned him sternly, "I'm warning you, don't touch me, or I won't hold back!"

But Gu Xiangnan suddenly closed his eyes, his voice low, "Princess..."

Wang Mei's heart raced. Was Gu Xiangnan about to force a kiss?

He enunciated each word, "Princess, please turn off the lights."

Before Wang Mei could react, the smart lights in the room shut off, plunging everything into darkness. Her eyes instantly lost focus in the pitch black.

At that moment, Gu Xiangnan opened his eyes.

His gaze quickly adapted to the darkness. He resolutely pushed Wang Mei out of the bathroom, then spun around, striking up toward the ceiling.

When they returned to the villa, Gu Xiangnan's instincts told him there was a third presence in the house, apart from himself and Wang Mei.

He had searched the rooms unobtrusively, finding nothing.

Impossible!

He could distinctly sense murderous intent.

The only place left unchecked was the bathroom where Wang Mei was bathing.

Gu Xiangnan wondered what the intruder's purpose was.

He hadn't been down the mountain long, yet had already offended people from Gaoli and Fusang.

Who had come tonight?

He had to locate this person quickly and uncover their intentions.

So he burst into the bathroom. Several metal rods for hanging the shower curtain were affixed to the ceiling; the intruder was suspended from them.

Gu Xiangnan's palm struck out, landing squarely on the intruder.

But what happened next defied his understanding.

The person vanished on the spot, leaving no trace behind.

Gu Xiangnan's brows knitted tightly, his mind awash with confusion.

What was going on? Could it be a ghost?

"Whoosh—!"

Just then, a gust swept past his ear.

He instantly sensed danger, tilting his head aside.

A dart whipped past, barely grazing his forehead, embedding itself in the wall.

A glint of coldness flashed in Gu Xiangnan's eyes.

He looked up at the window, where a shadowy figure swiftly slipped out.

"Trying to escape?"

Gu Xiangnan growled, and in a flash, leaped out the window in pursuit.

Landing in the villa's courtyard, he looked up to see the figure, spider-like, scaling the exterior wall toward the third floor.

The person moved lightly and quickly, clearly skilled.

While climbing, the figure glanced back and, seeing Gu Xiangnan giving chase, hesitated slightly, clearly surprised.

Though the moonlight obscured facial features, it was evident the person wore stealthy nightwear, their build petite and agile.

Not slowing for an instant, the figure darted and twisted like a black cat, making use of every advantage to reach the third-floor window in a few moves.

Gu Xiangnan followed close behind, his speed astonishing, closing the gap in a matter of strides.

He picked up a pebble and flicked it lightly; it shot toward the figure like a bullet.

Sensing danger, the figure swiftly flung a dart.

Pebble and dart collided in midair, sparking as they fell to the ground.

The figure raised their left hand, pressing index and middle fingers to their lips, eyes closed in silent incantation.

The gesture was reminiscent of casting a spell.

A second later, the figure vanished.

"Fog Concealment Technique?" Gu Xiangnan exclaimed in amazement, then curled his lips into a smile. "This is starting to get interesting!"