The Master’s Mask Unveiled Again
Chapter 896 - 895: They Are So Scary

Chapter 896: Chapter 895: They Are So Scary

Lu Xinnuan waved her hand, indicating she didn’t care at all.

Whether Li Aiqi was favored or not had little to do with her; she simply didn’t care.

She just felt like her current life was humiliating and utterly meaningless.

"Xinnuan, didn’t you say you reserved a table at MM Ji Restaurant? If nothing else works, just invite your sister for a meal and apologize. Taking her to such a great place is enough to show your sincerity. Even the Li Family couldn’t book a table at MM Ji!"

Lu Xinnuan bit down hard on her lip. Thinking about the MM Ji lunch reservation Fu Yu had helped her secure for tomorrow, her frustration seemed to ease a little.

She wasn’t completely powerless; at least her uncle still supported her to some extent.

She had effortlessly gotten a reservation at a place even the Li Family had no access to. That, in itself, was proof of her capabilities.

Thinking of this, Lu Xinnuan regained a shred of confidence and gave a small nod.

"Alright, I’ll give it a try then." She swallowed her irritation and said elegantly, "When the time comes, all of you can come along."

"Great, great!"

——

Whatever Lu Xinnuan was plotting, Lu Mian was completely unaware.

Sitting in the most prominent spot in the front row, Lu Mian had zero self-awareness of being under the spotlight and in front of high-definition cameras.

She played her game when she wanted and yawned whenever she felt like it.

Not far away, several seats down, Li Xinghan kept glancing in her direction.

Seeing the screen on her phone, he felt they might share a bit of fate.

He also enjoyed playing the game "Valley of Heroes."

Lu Mian seemed to sense someone’s gaze. Once her game ended, she squinted in Li Xinghan’s direction, and he immediately turned his head back in fright, not daring to meet her eyes.

Oh my god, Zero’s gaze was way too intimidating.

It was practically scarier than the bigshots in his own organization.

——

During intermission, Lu Mian quietly returned to the modest fan section.

The group of loyal fans immediately went wild, screaming Zero’s name nonstop.

Fu Yu teased jokingly, "Mianmian, if I’d known you were Zero, I wouldn’t have gone through all that trouble asking around..."

This was something Xiao Qimo knew; Fu Yu had even asked him about it.

The refined man decisively reached out and adjusted Lu Mian’s mask, nearly covering her entire face.

Lu Mian suspiciously eyed her boyfriend, who seemed intent on suffocating her.

Xiao Qimo smiled gently. "The night wind is strong. Don’t catch a cold."

Lu Mian: ...

Director Qimo is anything but honest.

After Lu Mian’s little mishap at the opening ceremony, the event went on as scheduled.

Lu Xinnuan also perfunctorily went on stage to sing a song. If not for certain people knowing about her sibling relationship with Lu Mian, her performance level undoubtedly would’ve been scorned by others.

Lu Mian wasn’t particularly interested. Once the ceremony ended, she immediately grabbed Xiao Qimo’s hand and quietly slipped away.

Fu Yu, Ya Ling, and the others were very understanding and even helped cover for them.

Qiao Yaqian, seeing this from the surveillance room, immediately clicked her high heels and chased after them.

A bunch of industry singers who wanted to collaborate with Zero also caught wind of the news and swiftly followed Lu Mian as well.

Lu Mian: ...

In the end, it was Li Xinghan, surprisingly quick on his feet, who caught up with Lu Mian and Xiao Qimo at the exit first.

Both of them were a bit shocked.

Ordinarily, regular people wouldn’t be able to match their speed at all...

"Uh..." As a superstar in the industry who excelled in movies, TV, and music, Li Xinghan was part of the elite group of first-tier celebrities. For him, this was the first time he had to speak this humbly to someone.

Frankly, given his looks, he figured there wasn’t a woman he couldn’t charm.

Winning over Zero... He felt he had at least some chance.

"Zero, I’d like to invite you to..."

Before he could even finish saying "collaborate," Li Xinghan noticed the man in the black mask next to her shoot him a knife-like glare that said, "Think carefully before you speak."

Perhaps sensing some of Li Xinghan’s unspoken shady thoughts, Xiao Qimo seemed particularly wary of him.

"Collaborate! Collaborate on a song!"

Li Xinghan hurriedly clarified.

He had no idea who this man was, but that sharp-eyed warning threw him for a loop, quickly deflating his confidence.

Oh my god, not only Zero’s gaze was terrifying, even the man by her side had such a menacing aura!

Both of them made the bigshots in his organization look like amateurs!

Lu Mian scrutinized the visibly intimidated man. He was good-looking, but personality-wise... not a great match.

"Give me a reason to be convinced," she said lightly.

Li Xinghan let out an "Ah," racking his brains before blurting out, "I’m handsome."

Lu Mian rolled her eyes mercilessly.

Xiao Qimo nearly took off his mask then and there.

Lu Mian pressed down on Xiao Qimo’s hand, gently reassuring him, "A real man relies on strength. Those who rely on looks are just boy toys."

Li Xinghan: ...???

Xiao Qimo was extremely satisfied with her response. This little troublemaker truly lived up to her title as the queen of clapbacks.

After putting these flirty nuisances in their place, his mood was noticeably improved, prompting him to temporarily let Li Xinghan off the hook.

Thankfully, Xiao Qimo wasn’t one to follow entertainment news closely and didn’t recognize him.

As for Li Xinghan’s ties to the Li Family, Xiao Qimo was even less informed.

He had never interacted with anyone from the Li Family, nor did he care to.

After all, the Li Family had supplanted the Yun Family to become one of the three Supreme Clans.

There were depths to that matter that needed no explanation—only understanding.

Li Xinghan scratched his head. By this point, a number of other people had caught up to them, all clamoring to approach Lu Mian.

Thankfully, Qiao Yaqian found Lu Mian first and resolved the situation on her behalf.

In a quieter place, Qiao Yaqian asked, "Zero, will you be attending the music festival tomorrow or the day after?"

"La Ge can represent me," Lu Mian responded decisively.

If she came to these kinds of events more often, Director Qimo would soon be a changed man...

Qiao Yaqian was a bit disappointed but still respected the boss’s decision, picking up on the subtle implication in her words.

"So you’re planning to fully back La Ge?"

"He’s an honest guy and has the talent," Lu Mian replied with a smile.

Hearing her mature response, Qiao Yaqian mused internally: Aren’t you only twenty yourself...

Oh well, bigshots are just different. No point in comparing.

"Safe travels..."

Qiao Yaqian sent Lu Mian off respectfully. When she returned to the venue, one of the ticket inspectors craned their neck curiously to ask, "President Qiao, who was that? She said someone inside was going to pick her up, but she looked pretty suspicious, so I stopped her..."

The inspector clearly remembered the girl clad in sportswear. She certainly didn’t appear to be a legitimate attendee.

Qiao Yaqian stared at the inspector, opened her mouth, but then waved her hand dismissively.

"Don’t bother coming in tomorrow."

The inspector was shocked. "What? Why?"

"You offended a bigshot!" Qiao Yaqian added wearily, "And the person who was going to meet her? That was me."

The inspector: !!!

——

On the drive back to Yijing Residence, Xiao Qimo remained mostly silent.

However, his right hand stayed firmly clasped around Lu Mian’s the entire time, unwilling to let go.

His gaze occasionally flicked toward her, filled with a meaning that was hard to decipher.

Lu Mian couldn’t figure out the intent behind his look until they got home.

As soon as they entered the living room, Director Qimo’s hands started to wander.

Lu Mian stared at his long, slender fingers as they tugged at the zipper of her sports jacket.

The breath brushing against her face was slightly warm.

His deep, elegant voice broke the silence: "When I said I’d strip you bare, I wasn’t just talking..."