The Master’s Mask Unveiled Again
Chapter 975 - 974: Yan Dog’s Spring!

Chapter 975: Chapter 974: Yan Dog’s Spring!

Lu Mian played along with Jing Pei’s suggestion and went along with his plan.

Sui Yuan lowered his gaze and nodded slightly, sipping on his water in small gulps, swallowing his unease and nervousness together with the tea.

Xiao Qimo seemed to be in thought upon hearing this and unconsciously spun his phone a few times.

Before long, he had mastered Lu Mian’s signature habit.

When he raised his head again, the refined man smiled in a way that was slightly unsettling.

Lu Mian happened to catch this. She had never seen him show such an expression, and for a moment, she felt both guilty and confused. She paused briefly and asked, "What’s wrong?"

Caught red-handed, Xiao Qimo, fearing that his wife would question him further, immediately wiped the strange smile off his face. With guilt, he shook his head quickly, "Nothing, this arrangement is fine."

When the time came, he planned to go to the Chixia Sect as well. Maybe he could meet that arrogant and conceited individual from Team Two, and on top of that, monitor the progress of his mission.

The meal ended with all the major players harboring their own thoughts. When Xiao Qimo settled the bill, Sui Yuan ordered a small dessert to go.

As they were leaving, Jing Pei, walking behind them, whispered to Kunyang, puzzled, "I feel like I’ve seen Mianmian’s friend somewhere before."

Kunyang, full of disdain, snapped back, "If you want to mooch off Mianmian’s connections, this isn’t the way to do it!"

Jing Pei: ...

Lu Mian and Sui Yuan returned to campus together, declining Xiao Qimo’s offer for a ride. If one person drove her, the others would end up tagging along—it was too much trouble.

She first dropped Sui Yuan off at the dorm building A8.

Sui Yuan handed her the dessert she had packed earlier and pulled out a box of brand-new cosmetics from her bag, stuffing them into Lu Mian’s hand.

Lu Mian picked it up and saw it was a bottle of sunscreen.

"If I don’t give it to you, you will definitely forget to use it yourself."

Sui Yuan was quite familiar with Lu Mian. This girl never cared much about her appearance; her daily skincare routine was quick and simple. Luckily, Mianmian’s skincare products were custom-made to suit her skin type.

"You have to apply it every day, got it?"

Faced with Little Baldy’s command, Lu Mian had no choice but to agree as usual. The carefree girl mischievously ruffled Sui Yuan’s hair but carefully tucked the sunscreen into her pocket with her other hand.

"Mianmian, stop teasing me!" Sui Yuan protested, her face turning red. "And this dessert, take it back to share with your roommates. Since the semester just started, I hope you can get along well with them."

Sui Yuan’s wish was simple—she hoped Lu Mian could live a normal university life.

Mianmian was aloof and not good at socializing, but deep down, she was genuinely kind to those she cared about. Often, she suffered because she disliked explaining herself and wasn’t skilled at talking things through.

She was clearly the best angel in the world yet always mistaken for a wicked demon.

Sui Yuan felt that with a new environment came a fresh start. She especially hoped Lu Mian could be treated kindly.

"Take it." She pressed the dessert forward again.

Lu Mian lowered her lashes, hooked her fingers around the packaged bag, and looked at the heavy token of kindness. She smiled.

"Alright, I understand."

They chatted for a bit more before Lu Mian watched Sui Yuan disappear into the dorm building. Only then did she head toward A9.

On her way, she rummaged in her black backpack for a long time and pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper.

There was only a single phone number on the slip of paper. Lu Mian dialed the number.

It wasn’t her first time calling this number; she had called it before during the assassination attempt by that group of mercenaries at Yangfan Hotel.

This time, however, the unexpected happened—the call wasn’t answered.

This number belonged to the former leader of the Mercenary Alliance, who claimed he would pick up as long as the call came from her.

"Busy...?" Lu Mian murmured to herself, pondering for a moment before dismissing it.

Maybe he was dead.

Lu Mian didn’t dwell on it, hooked the dessert bag on her finger, and sauntered back to her dormitory.

Wang Shiwei was standing at the door, looking into the mirror. Seeing Lu Mian return, she immediately beamed with enthusiasm, "Oh wow, Mianmian, you’re back! You’ve become prettier just from being out for a while!"

"..."

Lu Mian wasn’t impressed by this warmth. Out of courtesy, she smiled faintly and went straight to her desk.

Wang Shiwei pursed her lips.

Then, she noticed Lu Mian placing a bottle of cosmetics and an exquisitely packed food container on her table.

She leaned closer. "Mianmian, what’s this?"

Lu Mian stashed the sunscreen in her drawer, opened the dessert box, and clumsily handed some to Wang Shiwei.

"You guys can eat it together."

If it were anyone else, they would’ve said something warm and friendly to fit the occasion. But Lu Mian wasn’t the type for elegant speech—her actions expressed everything.

Shu Shu climbed down from the top bunk, cheerfully accepting the food. "Thank you so much, Mianmian!"

She was so stunning!

A fangirl’s paradise!

This thought had crossed Shu Shu’s mind countless times since meeting Lu Mian.

She was the epitome of beauty with perfect long legs. Lu Mian ticked every fantasy she had, and if only they were closer, she’d love to take her camera and capture every strand of Lu Mian’s hair!

Shu Shu noticed Lu Mian didn’t speak much and took the initiative to invite her roommates to share the treat. "These desserts are from Mianmian—look how delicious they look! Come on, everyone!"

At that moment, one roommate who had remained unseen stirred on the top bunk.

The person let out a muffled "huh" sound before sitting up.

Shu Shu didn’t notice and continued admiring the packaging. "These must be from the Birch Forest Restaurant, right? I read on the forums that it’s the priciest spot near campus—students without a fortune shouldn’t even attempt it!"

Wang Shiwei, nibbling on a dessert, gave it another look and realized it was true.

She marveled internally at Lu Mian’s connections.

"Mianmian, did you dine with the three masters of Jinjing? What’s your family’s relationship with them, and why did they all come to drop you off?"

Wang Shiwei continued probing curiously while savoring the treat.

However, before Lu Mian could answer, the roommate who had been out of sight descended from the top bunk. Upon making eye contact with Lu Mian, she froze instantly.

"It’s you?!" The girl exclaimed, shocked and incredulous.

She had been hearing everyone calling "Mianmian," but she didn’t expect it to be this Lu Mian.

Lu Mian stood there, looking at the familiar girl across from her. She couldn’t remember who she was at first.

The puzzled gaze seemed to provoke the other girl, who quickly sneered, "So much for your great memory—don’t even recognize me?"

The girl’s tone was biting and sarcastic.

Lu Mian shrugged helplessly and explained, "Perhaps... I didn’t pay attention to you."

The tense exchange left Wang Shiwei and Shu Shu dumbfounded.

They knew each other?

"You!" The girl, enraged by Lu Mian’s nonchalant demeanor, shot up, her anger boiling. "I’m Qiao Yaning! Qiao Yaning!"