Chapter 18: What a Lovely Old Flower

“Take good care of Madam.”

“Certainly.”

Startled, Jiang Wan Ning patted her chest in relief.

Turning her head, she noticed that Madam Lu’s complexion was no better—pale and wan. As Lu Jingchen passed by her side, her body trembled uncontrollably.

A mother afraid of her own son? Something was amiss.

That night, as expected, Jiang Xinwan arrived, and Lu Jingchen had prepared an extravagant welcome.

In the kitchen, Jiang Wan Ning took charge, appointing a chef and claiming the right to direct—but this “directing” meant only watching, not cooking.

In truth, she couldn’t cook. With the fast pace of modern life, she was like a beast of burden, eyes barely open before diving into work. Who had time to cook? She wondered if instant noodles would suffice.

She brought a small stool and a tiny bowl filled with chopped scallions. Her task was to sprinkle a bit of scallion on the dishes before they were served—apparently, Lu Jingchen loved scallions deeply.

In a secluded corner, Jiang Wan Ning secretly turned her back, holding a small vial in her palm—the deadly herb Bai Ku Cao, a single drop enough to send someone to their grave. Ha ha ha...

[Host, please refrain from attempting to kill the main characters. Their death will cause the collapse of this dimension, resulting in the demise of all inhabitants!] came the cold, mechanical voice of the system.

Jiang Wan Ning curled her lips slightly and casually tossed the vial into the trash as if nothing had happened.

“Bring this up,” the butler handed over a fish.

“All right,” said the very honest and dutiful old man, then immediately spat into the fish.

If I can’t kill you, I’ll disgust you to death.

The fish was placed on the table. Jiang Wan Ning stood dutifully behind Madam Lu, faithfully playing her part as a tool.

Jiang Xinwan picked up a piece of fish and put it into Lu Jingchen’s bowl, her voice soft and coquettish: “Chen, you’ve been working so hard lately. Have some fish to nourish yourself.”

“Are you blaming me for not spending enough time with you?” Lu Jingchen’s face softened as he looked at Jiang Xinwan, gentle and relaxed, far from the cold and ruthless exterior he showed to outsiders.

Indeed, the domineering CEO trope was still the same—only effective in front of the female lead. In front of Jiang Wan Ning, it turned into a horror story.

Jiang Xinwan fidgeted shyly: “Of course not! How could I ever blame you? Ah, take a bite.” She fed him as if he were a child.

“You have some too,” Lu Jingchen replied, picking up a piece and feeding it to Jiang Xinwan.

They fed each other, piece by piece, sweet and syrupy, oblivious to everything else… all while eating Jiang Wan Ning’s saliva.

“The flavor of this fish today…” Lu Jingchen suddenly frowned.

“Not to your taste, Chen?”

“No, this fish tastes especially fresh today.”

Of course it was fresh—the saliva was just freshly produced, unique and unmatched.

Jiang Wan Ning looked up at the ceiling.

Madam Lu picked at the fish bones with a lacquered spoon in a dull, lifeless manner. Recently, she had developed a liking for gnawing on meat bones. When asked why she didn’t just pick them up and bite directly, she said she was a noble lady and had to maintain her image.

“Then eat more,” Jiang Xinwan said, placing the entire fish into Lu Jingchen’s bowl.

The poor fish lay in Lu Jingchen’s bowl, restless even in death—spat on by a madwoman and used as a prop fish. What a harsh fish life.

When Jiang Xinwan reached over, she accidentally pulled the tablecloth. With a crash, all the bowls and dishes tumbled to the floor.

She pounded her small hands on her head in frustration: “Oh no, I’m such a fool, always messing things up.”

Lu Jingchen smiled and rubbed her little head.

Jiang Wan Ning stared intently at the butler’s mouth, and sure enough, he uttered the classic line: “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the young master smile so happily…”

How satisfying.

The silly romance was still the same silly romance.

The butler turned and saw another “old man” gazing at him with deep affection.

Butler: “…”

He tensed up.

Tonight, the door must be locked tightly.

Absolutely locked.

Madam Lu, unbothered, chewed on a meat bone amidst the chaos.

Late at night, the old Lu residence was shrouded in darkness as a nimble figure darted through its halls.

Jiang Wan Ning peeked into room after room. The system had said the little landlord was in the old Lu residence—so where was he? Where could he be hidden?

Given Lu Jingchen’s character—cunning and nearly demonic in intellect—there must be a secret chamber in the house. The most dangerous place was often the safest, with a hidden switch in an unexpected spot.

Got it.

The bathroom!

It had to be the bathroom!

Jiang Wan Ning rushed there anxiously. The old mansion was huge, with more than a dozen bathrooms. Finding the right one was a matter of life and death.

Huh? This door was locked from the inside? No lights on, locked door in the dead of night—something was fishy.

Jiang Wan Ning began prying at the lock.

After a colossal effort, she finally managed to unlock it. Holding a miniature flashlight in her mouth, she tiptoed inside.

The lighting was poor, so she carefully felt around each tile, wondering if the switch might be on the toilet button. From years of watching Hong Kong dramas, that was very likely.

Feeling around…

Huh?

Are rich people’s toilets really this advanced?

She had heard that high-end appliances now offered tactile feedback. The Lu family truly was powerful— even their toilets had skin-like sensations, though the texture was a bit rough and wrinkled...

This felt slippery and soft, like a human mouth.

Wait, why were there teeth?

“Ah…” Pain shot through her fingertips—a monster was biting her.

The light suddenly turned on.

The scene became awkward.

The butler sat on the toilet, biting Jiang Wan Ning’s hand.

…

His face was full of sorrow. He had long suspected Jiang Wan Ning was like the “Shining,” sneaking into each room one by one with sinister intent.

He had hidden himself inside the bathroom, yet she still pursued him. He knew this “old man” was after his tender flesh, given the lustful glances he’d cast at him in the dining room.

He knew!

And now she was fixated on his mouth—hmph, clearly wanting to kiss his delicate lips.

Jiang Wan Ning withdrew her hand sulkily.

Trying to ease the tension, she said something, but the butler opened his arms wide, spreading his limbs across the toilet.

“Do what you want, I know you like me,” he said shyly, his cheeks flushing pink. The old man was surprisingly innocent.

Bah.

She wasn’t!

She wasn’t!

Don’t slander me!

Jiang Wan Ning jumped back three feet in fright—good grief, she was a super stunning beauty…

Oh wait, now she was an elderly person in her fifties.

At that moment, indescribable noises came from the adjacent room—people engaged in indescribable acts, their cries growing louder and louder.

She recalled that room was a storage room. Ha, the male and female leads really did take the road less traveled.

“Come on, I’m ready,” the butler said, apparently overcome by some impulse, closing his eyes as if making a decisive sacrifice. His eyelashes fluttered gently like a delicate old flower awaiting plucking.