Taoist priest goes to America

The person has been brought here... Li An pursed his lips, "Didn't this expose us, sister? She just betrayed Fineria's little scheme in one breath."

No wonder he used to yelp at me, but now he's acting like a strategist giving me advice.

It turns out it was a task assigned by my best friend.

The moment the door was pushed open, Ang Lee smelled a rich aroma of red wine mixed with a light scent of rose perfume, lingering in the warm yellow light of the wall lamp.

Fineria nestled in the single sofa by the window, her slender figure draped in a long black velvet dress, the hem of which cascaded across the carpet like a dark flower.

She was holding a wine glass, half of which was already drunk. The other half of the bottle was on the small round table beside her, the mouth of the bottle open and the cork not even put back on.

She looked up when she heard the door open, and her usually aloof and cold face was now devoid of any pretense.

Her eyes were slightly red, her lips were pouting in grievance, and her stray hairs were messily plastered to her skin, making her look like a little girl who had just been bullied.

Only those azure eyes lit up again the moment they saw Li Andang.

"Why are you here?" She sat up straight, her tone tinged with glee, as if her earlier dejection had never existed.

"Tinas told you? I...I'm fine, I just had a little to drink..."

As she spoke, she patted the sofa cushion next to her, "Sit down, don't stand."

Ang Lee did not refuse and went over to sit down at the other end of the sofa.

Tinas leaned against the door frame, her arms crossed, her grey-green eyes taking in everything.

Seeing her best friend's completely different demeanor, she twitched slightly at the corner of her mouth and rolled her eyes inwardly—she was doomed, completely smitten. Fineria had never spoken to any man in her life in such a tone.

She sighed silently, glanced at Ang Lee's calm face, and finally closed her eyes resignedly.

Oh well, I'll just treat it as making my little pig happy. This man doesn't seem aggressive at all, so letting him have a couple of bites won't hurt.

Tinas took a small silver box out of her handbag and casually tossed it onto the sofa.

With a "thud," the box landed on the cushion, bounced, and the words printed on the box flashed under the light.

Tinas walked towards the door without looking back, leaving behind the words, "Mind your manners, mind your time. I'll guard the door for you."

Then, with a "bang," she slammed the door shut.

The room fell silent, and the box of safety balloons lay on the cushion between the two of them, its presence so strong that it was impossible to ignore.

Fineria glanced at the box quickly, her ears burning red, but she didn't reach for it. Instead, she picked up her wine glass and took a big gulp of red wine, as if trying to suppress some inexplicable heat with the liquid.

"My parents... went too far today." She put down her cup, her tone becoming aggrieved again.

"If they can't come, that's fine. I'm used to them being busy. But what happened? They said 'Happy Birthday' on the phone, and then started pressuring us to get married."

Fineria pursed her lips and mimicked her father's tone, "Fineria, you're twenty-three. It's time to think about marriage. Harrington is a good guy, with a good family background and he cares about you. Think about it."

When she said the word "Harrington," her disdain was practically overflowing.

Ang Lee understood immediately. So that's how it was. No wonder Harrington had that confident look on his face tonight. It turned out he had already made contact with the landlady's parents beforehand, even paving the way for the parents.

"Him?" Fineria got more and more excited as she spoke, sitting up straight on the sofa and gesturing wildly as she listed him off.

"Harrington is just a clown jumping around in front of me!"

"He's a good-for-nothing who lives off his parents. He doesn't even have a proper job. All he does is party and race sports cars all day. If I were to be with him, would I be the one helping them out of poverty, or would he be helping them out of poverty?"

She put down her glass, pointing her finger in the air. "You know what? Last time he brought a bunch of his cronies and waited at my door, saying something like, 'I've kicked my drug addiction for you!'"

"I was completely stunned. What does your drug addiction have to do with me? I didn't force you to do it! Who asked you to quit for me? Does he think this is a movie, some kind of devoted second male lead?"

Fineria's speech grew faster and faster as she cursed, her face flushed red from excitement and alcohol, her slender white fingers flying through the air, making her look like a golden kitten with its fur standing on end.

Then she suddenly stopped, realizing that she was berating Ang Lee like a shrew.

Those azure eyes blinked, then her lips tightened, she lowered her head to reach for the wine glass, took a big gulp, and tried to calm herself down.

She took a deep breath and lifted her face again, her gaze falling on Ang Lee's dark red suit.

"Your outfit..." she asked softly, her voice suddenly becoming a little weak, "was it... that you changed it for me?"

Ang Lee looked down at his suit: "I guess so."

Fineria's face turned even redder. She lowered her head, pointing at the velvet fabric of her skirt, her toes shuffling on the carpet. Her entire demeanor had completely changed from her previous cursing state.

Looking at her like this, Ang Lee suddenly reached out his hand.

His palm was facing upwards, his hand hovering between the two of them, his expression calm and composed, as if inviting her to embark on an unknown journey.

"Phinelia," Ang Lee said calmly, "will you elope with me?"

Fineria looked up abruptly, and the two words exploded in her mind like two pebbles thrown into a lake.

Her face burned from her ears down to the base of her neck, and her lips trembled as she uttered a few words: "Elope...elope? That's not a good idea...this is too..."

"Just for one night," Li An added.

"...Huh?" Fineria was stunned. One night? What kind of elopement would they do in one night? She blinked, her chaotic thoughts preventing her from processing the information.

"What kind of eloping do you think you'd do in just one night? And how did you manage to get away with it? There are so many people downstairs, Harrington is still here, what if I suddenly disappeared..."

Ang Lee tilted his head. Not sisters?

What would I gain if I took you away? Your body? Your family background is the most important thing, and I can't let you lose it.

"I have a way to keep your Mr. Harrington from opening his mouth tonight, and also to let you get away with it."

His hand remained suspended in mid-air, his gaze possessing an undeniable certainty. "Never mind that. Just tell me—tonight, do you want to go on a date with me?"

Fineria stared at him, the bedroom light shining down and casting a soft glow on the hand reaching out to her.

She thought of her parents' phone call that evening, Harrington's annoying face, and the insincere small talk and pleasantries downstairs.

Then she bit her lip, lowered her head, and gently placed her hand in Ang Lee's palm.

Fineria's fingers were cold, and her fingers were trembling slightly.

Ang Lee took her hand, stood up, and led her to the other floor-to-ceiling window in the room that led to the balcony.

He pushed open the glass door, and the night breeze rushed in, carrying the aroma of food from the lawn and the faint rhythm of jazz music.

Ang Lee leaned out and glanced outside. The crowd on the lawn below was still bustling, with servants carrying trays moving back and forth, and the lights in the dance floor spinning endlessly.

Fineria stood behind him, curiously peering over: "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Ang Lee did not answer. He suddenly turned around and put one arm around her waist. Fineria was caught off guard and before she could even cry out, she saw him swing his right arm outward and a dark red whip shot out from his palm, precisely wrapping around the thick canopy of the old oak tree.

"Don't scream, or someone will find out." Li An lowered his head, his lips pressed against her ear, his warm breath brushing against her skin.

Then he leaped into the air, lifting Fineria up with him. She instinctively grabbed Li An by the collar.

The evening breeze instantly filled her ears, and a feeling of weightlessness, accompanied by the whistling wind, rushed towards her. Fineria's heart leaped into her throat, and she instinctively wanted to scream, but Ang Lee suddenly pressed his face, so close to hers, against her lips.

Her scream was stifled, swallowed back down her throat, leaving only a light kiss that barely touched skin to skin.

The two people swung out from the second-floor balcony, their dark red suits and black velvet skirts billowing wildly in the wind, intertwining into a dark mass.

When they landed, Ang Lee lightly touched the grass with his feet, dissipating all the impact, and stood steadily in the shade of the old oak tree with Fineria in his arms.

People on the lawn were still chatting and clinking glasses, and the music in the dance floor continued to flow. No one noticed what was happening in the shadows.

Fineria's lips were parted, the touch of Ang Lee's face still lingering on her lips, like a feather gently falling.

She looked at Ang Lee's face: "You..."

"Let's go." Ang Lee put her down, but still held her hand. "Our elopement tonight has only just begun."