The Master’s Mask Unveiled Again
Chapter 885 - 884: Lu Mian is a bit strange tonight

Chapter 885: Chapter 884: Lu Mian is a bit strange tonight

Lu Mian’s ticket issue, and whatever means she used to attend the music festival, weren’t things Lu Xinnuan cared about. She certainly wouldn’t lift a finger to help her.

She was an officially invited performance guest of the festival. Even if she could take others inside, she wouldn’t bring Lu Mian.

"Master Kunyang will probably prepare something for her," she said with a trace of sarcasm.

She even shifted her body slightly, acting as though she had no desire to acknowledge Lu Mian.

To her, Lu Mian wasn’t just the sister she despised—she was also a plagiarist.

With irrefutable evidence against her, Lu Mian was guaranteed to become the subject of universal disdain today.

So, it was best to draw a clear line between herself and someone like that.

"Really..." Xue Lu curled her lips. "She’s the one begging Master Kunyang for help, not the other way around... As long as Master Kunyang is willing to promote La Ge, that’s already being generous. Where does your sister get such a big face from?"

"Who knows? Let’s just hope tonight doesn’t spiral into anything ridiculous." Lu Xinnuan pressed down the schemes lurking in her gaze and adjusted her handbag.

Inside her handbag lay quietly a USB drive and several expert appraisal reports, along with a palette of color calibrations.

Xue Lu pulled out her phone and nudged it toward Lu Xinnuan. "Xinnuan, you better brace yourself. Lots of Mi Lu’s fans have already started digging into Lu Mian’s past. Plus... that beat calibration palette you sent me earlier? I’ve already uploaded it online. Mi Lu’s fans will definitely go after Lu Mian tonight."

Lu Xinnuan turned back, feigning surprise and panic as she looked at Xue Lu. "Lu Lu, why did you post that? Tonight is the music gala. If drama breaks out, it’ll be awful..."

"Huh? I just think people shouldn’t be misled by Lu Mian... Especially Master Kunyang. Why on earth would he support a plagiarist instead of you? You clearly ranked as a top-three finalist in ’The Voice of the Best’—you’re a legitimate singer!"

"Forget it. I don’t want to dwell on these matters. I originally planned to raise this with Mr. Mi Lu privately, so my sister wouldn’t end up completely unable to survive in the music circle..."

In Xue Lu’s eyes, Lu Xinnuan’s hypocrisy was a testament to her mercy and kindness.

Xue Lu even felt a little exasperated at her decency. "You’re too soft-hearted, but your sister fights you for everything! Nuannuan, you really need to toughen up..."

"Enough, let’s go check in..."

Lu Xinnuan lowered her head and blended into the crowd as she walked forward. She pulled down her sunglasses and mask.

Those fleeting moments of satisfaction and scheming were well-concealed.

The two of them presented their pre-acquired tickets. As they passed through the checkpoint, Xue Lu suddenly gestured toward the outside and whispered to the ticket inspector, "Ma’am, that girl standing outside looks a bit suspicious. Please make sure to thoroughly check her."

The inspector squinted her eyes and glanced at the girl standing outside, dressed casually in sportswear and wearing a black mask.

Her attire was so ordinary that she didn’t seem like someone genuinely here to enjoy the performance.

The inspector nodded. "Got it."

"Thank you for your hard work!"

Lu Xinnuan glanced back at Xue Lu. She had overheard everything distinctly but pretended as though she hadn’t heard, smiling faintly.

The two went through security and other procedures smoothly, entering without a hitch.

Xue Lu tugged Lu Xinnuan’s arm and gestured toward the outside. "Let’s wait a bit more before going in."

Lu Xinnuan understood her intent. She thought for a moment and figured it wouldn’t hurt to watch Lu Mian’s embarrassment for a little longer.

——

Lu Mian was waiting at the entrance for Xiao Qimo when she got several calls and texts on her phone.

The crowd was noisy, so she didn’t answer the calls.

Instead, she replied with a short text: [I’m here.]

The other party replied almost instantly: [Ghost Talent Boss, where are you? I’ll come get you right now!!]

Lu Mian glanced up at Xiao Qimo’s direction. The tall, refined man stood out conspicuously in the crowd. She replied flatly with two words: [Don’t bother.]

Lu Mian pocketed her phone and took two steps toward Xiao Qimo.

Both of them were wearing identical black masks, temporarily hiding their looks and preventing any significant attention.

"So many people." The girl pulled down her mask slightly, sounding a little dejected.

Xiao Qimo naturally took her hand. "Then don’t lose me."

Lu Mian: ...

The two queued up obediently, but midway, Lu Mian suddenly remembered something.

"Uh... Mr. Qi, do you have a ticket?"

Items like this were usually handled by Mo Si or Mo Nie for Xiao Qimo. He had rushed over today and hadn’t bothered about tickets.

"Do you?" Xiao Qimo looked sincerely and candidly at the girl beside him.

"..."

Lu Mian understood—this man didn’t have a ticket.

The crucial part was—

"You don’t have one either?" Xiao Qimo’s tone was incredulous, as though something felt off.

This troublemaker wasn’t the type to forget trivialities like these.

Lu Mian nodded. Her tickets were usually sorted out and handed directly to her.

Since she had brought Qimo along, she hadn’t asked the music festival’s chief organizer to meet her.

So...

"How about... we use our faces?" Xiao Qimo offered his suggestion.

Meanwhile, inside the venue, Lu Xinnuan and Xue Lu couldn’t hold back a snicker.

"I knew it—your sister doesn’t have a ticket!" Xue Lu immediately spotted the problem. People who had tickets would usually have them ready beforehand.

Lu Xinnuan shook her head, uninterested in whatever happened to Lu Mian.

She was instead focused on the man at Lu Mian’s side, staring with increasing curiosity.

Was that Lu Mian’s boyfriend?

The rumored grandson of Master Xiao?

Tall, lean, and exquisite in features.

Though he was masked, he clearly looked like a handsome man.

Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he looked eerily familiar, as though she had seen him somewhere before...

Lu Mian knew what was bound to happen would come.

As their queue neared the ticket inspection point, she sluggishly, almost reluctantly, pulled out her phone to message someone.

The ticket inspector had fixed their gaze on Lu Mian and Xiao Qimo early on.

When asked to present their tickets, neither could do so.

The inspector made a gesture to dismiss them, signaling for their immediate removal.

"Wait, someone from inside is coming out to get me," Lu Mian explained calmly, stepping to the side without obstructing those behind her.

But the inspector clearly regarded them as suspicious individuals.

After all, plenty of people tried to sneak into the music festival tonight.

The organizers had issued a strict directive to increase inspection efforts and prevent any unauthorized entry.

"Miss, I’ve heard this same excuse dozens of times today."

Hardly a celebrity or bigwig—how likely was it that someone would actually come out to get them?

If everyone tried this method, the festival wouldn’t be able to run!

The inspector’s sarcastic tone wasn’t lost on Lu Mian. Her brow furrowed slightly, though she didn’t respond outwardly.

Not having tickets was indeed her fault.

While continuing to check others’ tickets, the inspector warned Lu Mian, "You two need to leave immediately; otherwise, we’ll call security."

Lu Xinnuan found the scene a bit dull—so this was all Lu Mian was capable of?

She waved her hand dismissively and started walking further inside.

Just as she turned, she ran into someone familiar head-on.