The younger sister pretends to be hypnotized, and her older brother gets addicted.

A private plane landed smoothly on the helipad of the hillside estate.

Everyone saw this scene through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

Assistant Lu happened to be passing by when someone asked curiously, "Is there any other important person coming?"

Assistant Lu replied, "The dresses that President Jiang prepared for Miss Ruan have arrived. There aren't many, only about a hundred, and they flew in from Singapore."

Everyone: "?"

In fact, Assistant Lu didn't just happen to be passing by; he had circled around several times already.

He wasn't working hard; he just wanted to improve too much.

Finally, someone asked him!

He spoke with feigned profundity, delivering a seemingly nonchalant but actually jaw-dropping answer.

As he expected, everyone showed expressions of surprise.

"Take away the young master?"

Even though everyone present was a prominent figure, such extravagance was still enough to be described as wasteful.

Everyone present was shrewd and astute.

Soon everyone figured out the crux of the problem.

This is Jiang Yanci giving them a warning.

At today's banquet, many people were saying that Ruan Yang was dumped by Jiang Zhuo and didn't even get a formal dress. Jiang Yanci must have overheard them.

And the message Jiang Yanci wanted to convey was—

Even if Ruan Yang really breaks up with Jiang Zhuo, she still has him as her backer.

As long as Jiang Yanci is alive, no one will dare to say a word against Ruan Yang.

Once everyone understood, they dared not say anything more.

Those who had just discussed Ruan Yang were terrified, fearing that Jiang Yanci would settle scores with them.

Seeing that the desired effect had been achieved, Assistant Lu cleared his throat.

"I need to deliver a dress to Miss Ruan, please excuse me."

After Assistant Lu's figure disappeared into the distance.

Only then did the people present dare to whisper among themselves.

"Jiang Yanci is really good to Ruan Yang."

"Ruan Yang saved Jiang Zhuo, and Jiang Yanci dotes on this younger brother so much, so of course he'll extend that love to him as well."

"Tsk! That teacher who just insulted Miss Ruan is probably in big trouble!"

Nearby, several of Xingcan's teachers stood in a corner.

They didn't dare say much, only exchanging glances.

While marveling at Ruan Yang's usually low-key demeanor, he was also somewhat worried about Qiao Wei's situation.

*

at that time.

Qiao Wei left the hillside manor.

At first, she was afraid that Jiang Yanci might do something to her, so she quietly turned on her phone to live stream, wanting to broadcast the ugly faces of these powerful people.

But the two security guards didn't touch her or say a word until after she left and they closed the wrought iron gate.

Qiao Wei breathed a sigh of relief.

That's true. We live in a peaceful era. Even if the Jiang family is powerful and influential, they can't do anything to her.

But she overlooked one thing—

The entire hill where the manor is located is privately owned, and ordinary private cars cannot enter the mountain at all.

She wanted to hail a taxi, but couldn't get one at all.

Ride-hailing vehicles are even worse off, forced to stop at the foot of the mountain.

At this moment, the last wisp of cloud on the horizon was swallowed by darkness, and the winding mountain road, which had just been rained on, was very slippery.

Qiao Wei gritted her teeth, put on her 12cm high heels, and walked down the mountain.

She was still wearing that dress. She hadn't eaten for three days to fit into it, and she hadn't eaten a single grain of rice while taking pictures.

I was so tired after just a few steps that I felt dizzy and lightheaded.

And what's worse is—

The two rows of streetlights that were originally lit on the mountain went out one after another.

In an instant, the mountain was plunged into darkness.

Only the manor halfway up the mountain was brightly lit.

The further she walked, the deeper she went into darkness.

Under the cover of night, the shadows of the trees swayed and danced, like eerie ghosts, waving menacingly.

She could even faintly hear the soundtrack of a horror movie.

It wasn't a hallucination.

It was a loudspeaker, as sharp as a stone, playing eerie music from the green belt.

Qiao Wei's face turned pale, and she finally realized—

Jiang Yanci did it on purpose.

Every blade of grass and every tree on this mountain belongs to him.

Streetlights are.

The same goes for radio.

Jiang Yanci kicked her out, appearing outwardly magnanimous and gentle, but in reality, he had already planned how to help Ruan Yang vent her anger.

Qiao Wei was terrified and wanted to call her sister.

But what drove her to despair was...

The network, which had been at full signal strength at the hillside manor, was now reduced to three cold words: no signal.

Worse.

Because Qiao Wei was taking photos and live-streaming at the banquet, her phone battery was running low.

But what sent chills down her spine even more than the endless blackness was...

She was the only one on this road.

Even if she were dead, she would only be discovered when a car passed by after the banquet...

Qiao Wei's mental state completely collapsed.

Ignoring her high heels, she ran barefoot down the mountain, wanting only to leave this terrifying place as soon as possible.

*

The moon rises and hangs above the treetops.

The sycamore trees were decorated with colorful lights. Huo Shen, the birthday celebrant, did not exchange pleasantries with the guests, but instead pulled his assistant to set up the confession scene.

It's very impolite to confess your feelings so abruptly.

Therefore, Huo Shen planned to express his feelings to Ruan Yang in this quiet place.

Huo Shen looked at the reflective wall decorations.

He is 1.85 meters tall, with fluffy, slightly curly flaxen hair, fair skin, a high nose bridge, and a figure that is considered attractive in Asian aesthetics—broad shoulders and slender muscles, with straight and long legs.

Huo Shen was very satisfied with himself.

He has never felt inferior about his appearance.

Once the setup was almost complete, he had someone invite Ruan Yang over, saying he had something important to say.

Before long, the sound of high heels clicking on the ground could be heard on the stone path in the lawn.

Huo Shen turned around and froze on the spot.

The European-style streetlights shone like oranges, casting a golden glow on passersby.

When Ruan Yang heard that Huo Shen was looking for her, she did not refuse.

She stepped onto the stepping stones, one hand holding the hem of her dress.

It was a white long-sleeved dress that revealed her straight, fair shoulders and slender neck.

The satin fabric, adorned with crystal embroidery and gold tassels, and studded with gemstone beads at the waist, made her look like a noble lady raised here as she strolled across the lawns of the manor.

Huo Shen's eyes narrowed slightly, and his ears turned red.

"Mr. Huo, what can I do for you?" Ruan Yang asked.

As she drew closer, Huo Shen caught a whiff of her gardenia scent, a fragrance that seemed to penetrate his very soul.

Huo Shen clenched his fingers. "Yangyang, may I call you that?"

Ruan Yang nodded, "Okay."

She came here not entirely ignorant.

She realized Huo Shen's feelings and understood that he was not Qiao Wei's destined partner.

Huo Shen's family background and appearance are top-notch, compared to the various men at the matchmaking agency.

Ruan Yang felt that he had already done very well.

She hadn't heard Song Lejiao's true feelings these past few days.

I wonder if she will bring bad luck to her brother.

Having decided to take the first step, Ruan Yang looked up and stopped calling Huo Shen "Mr. Huo." Instead, remembering that he was her brother's friend, she called him "Brother Huo."

Huo Shen's heart skipped a beat.

It is too sweet!

Even though her tone was soft and gentle, it sounded like honey to Huo Shen.

He wanted to take a step forward and gentlemanly help Ruan Yang, who was wearing high heels.

But his legs buckled, and he stumbled.

Soft-legged shrimp!

He secretly cursed himself for being so useless!

It's just that you called me "brother," why are your legs going weak? You have a sister too!

Ah, no...

Niannian never called him "brother" because she was a mute.

Huo Shen really wanted to cover his face.

He intended to show his face, but ended up showing his butt!

"Are you alright?"

Ruan Yang caught Huo Shen, preventing him from falling.

Huo Shen looked up and met a pair of clear, bright eyes. The concern in her eyes was genuine, like a spring breeze that made his heart feel like it was about to burst out of his chest. Every breath he took was filled with the scent of gardenias emanating from her.

So sweet.

It smells good.

Huo Shen felt a little embarrassed, but Ruan Yang remained calm.

He was a little frustrated.

...It seems that Ms. Ruan did not treat him as a member of the opposite sex.

But what's wrong with being a little cunning in order to win over the person you love?

Huo Shen feigned pain, "I think I twisted my left ankle. Yangyang, could you please help me to the swing to sit for a while?"

Ruan Yang's face turned serious: "Should we call a doctor?"

"No need! I'll be fine after resting for a while..."

The hillside manor under the cover of night is both solemn and extravagant.

The massive oak staircase extends upwards, and the luxurious leather wall coverings and austere shield-shaped patterns appear even more layered under the lights.

Ruan Yang's eyelids twitched, and she felt somewhat uneasy.

It's like, what will happen tonight?

A sudden inspiration struck her, and she raised her head.

At a glance, I saw my brother standing on the second-floor terrace.

The decorative oak railings were inlaid with orange LED strips, which dimly illuminated Jiang Yanci's serious and austere suit, making his strong aura hard to ignore.

He wasn't wearing his glasses today, and his narrow eyes were exposed in the dim orange light.

His face was dark, except for his bright eyes.

Across the long, dark night, Ruan Yang watched with trepidation.

The next second, her phone rang.

Jiang Yanci's deep voice poured out from the receiver.

"Yangyang, come here."