Volume 1, Chapter 49: The Dire Omen: He Died on the Spot

The warmth and intimacy of the past no longer existed between the two of them.

In former days, Miss Xie was gentle, kind-hearted, and soft-spoken, possessing a deeply captivating charm.

Whenever he spoke out of turn or made a mistake in front of the Young CEO, provoking his wrath, Miss Xie always had a way to coax him back into a good mood.

The man ate at a moderate and unhurried pace. Soon, the bowl was empty down to the last grain of rice, and the transparent lunch box was impeccably clean without a trace of grease. Although his manner was rough around the edges, it was clear he was a man who valued cleanliness.

Drawing a bizarre arc with his feet, Li Xiaoyao wove past the bronze pillars lying on the ground, narrowly dodging the boss's attack.

"Qi Yu... has been dragged off by her family to go on blind dates again..." Wen Mo simply couldn't fathom what was so terribly wrong with him that the Qi family kept looking down upon him.

Rong Ran busied himself with hanging up his coat, while Yun Qing walked over with a smile to offer a few words of warm concern. Only Shi Xi remained entirely unconcerned, drifting off into a daze as if utterly bored, lowering her gaze to inspect her fingernails.

After Du Yifan achieved mastery in his cultivation, he passed the Purple Qi Bead on to his senior disciple, Zeng Shifang. Originally, he had intended to hand down the Heaven-Forging Sword and the Purple Qi Bead from generation to generation as the defining tokens and guardian treasures of the Iron Sword Sect. However, the Heaven-Forging Sword had vanished to bring about his resurrection, leaving only the Purple Qi Bead behind for the sect.

Ah, still wonderfully powerful. After checking his inventory, he found a few pieces of equipment that had yet to be appraised, including a one-star legendary armor.

Right at that moment, Li Xiaoyao was preparing to steam a sea perch. Steaming such fresh fish was the best way to preserve its unique, delicate flavor.

For someone as hopelessly directionless as Mo Lan, tracking down her own medicinal pills was somewhat manageable. After all, even though the immortal-grade pills she brewed were only of superior quality, she could still trace a fraction of her own spiritual aura to them.

Rong Sijing's handsome brows seemed veiled by a layer of frost. Thinking of his stubborn demeanor upon parting, he raised a hand to press at the bridge of his nose.

After breakfast, Fu Lang tossed his knife and fork aside and headed straight upstairs. Qu Nange finished her meal in a leisurely manner and returned from the dining room to the bedroom, only to see him emerging from the walk-in closet.

Seeing that three of his companions had already been wiped out in a single exchange, Yue Qingbo was seized with shock, a look of unconcealed terror involuntarily surfacing on his face.

The clothes on his body had been changed, and his watch removed—this was how they always saw Zheng Chunyuan.

Knowing that her mother was having an affair and yet facilitating it, she had even taken the initiative to propose living apart from her mother so as not to cause her any trouble.

Upon getting home, he couldn't even spare a glance at the television. After a barrage of questioning, he learned of Zhai Yuan's plan to open a so-called video parlor.

Li Tao simply didn't have that kind of capital, and people at this time still harbored doubts about real estate agencies; an agency needed to have a successful track record of several closed transactions under its belt first.

Meeting the man's hesitant, unsaid words, Shen Jinjin turned away without a sideways glance, only to have her arm caught in his grip.

Had Deng Zecheng not been so overbearing as to bar him even from leasing public housing, he would have originally intended to defeat the man fair and square in the business arena.

Xu Jinzhi was still on her way back, sitting in the back seat. At first, she stared out the window at the flashing neon lights as they streaked past, but gradually, a dull ache began to twist in her stomach.

"Tuantuan, no matter what happens, you can always talk to Daddy." Xie Yanchuan's tone remained as gentle as ever.

Meanwhile, outside the village, the shameless eggplant that had fallen into a muddy ditch finally managed to claw its way up.

Early the next morning, the air was laden with the scorched scent of savory pouches fried with catnip, and someone knocked on the front door.

"Could it be the work of that stall owner who shared our ride?" Zhao Tianming's guess was surprisingly accurate.

According to routine custom, the authorities should have issued advance notice earlier, along with announcements of the various rewards for the grand tournament, thereby stoking the competitive spirit of the academies.

Yet the others didn't look particularly astonished. After a brief moment of surprise, they simply retreated to their respective rooms, covering their mouths in suppressed laughter. Even Xia Yuntong, who usually loved vying for attention against the esteemed Film Emperor Xiao, refrained from making any trouble.