I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Yan knew that she was using him as a "meal substitute" again.

"...Then why did you agree?" he couldn't help but ask. "You could have refused."

“Don’t overthink it,” Floro said softly. “That music was originally created for ‘you.’ In the past, I’ve imagined countless occasions for its performance, but actually… it no longer has any reason to exist.”

"As for why I agreed to your request, it's simply because I don't want them to disappear completely... at least, they should leave some trace of their existence."

"Otherwise, what difference is there between disappearing from this world without a trace and death?"

Floro's voice was ethereal, his gaze sweeping over Duanmu Yan's profile as if looking at a distant shadow.

Duanmu Yan had nothing to say.

Never mind, if doing this will make her feel better.

"So... what kind of person is he?" he finally asked.

“Him?” At first, Floro didn't react, but soon, a subtle smile appeared on his lips. “Oh, you mean 'him'? How should I put it? A guy with a deep-seated obsession, willing to pay any price to achieve his goals. Sounds ruthless, doesn't it?”

Duanmu Yan nodded slightly.

Although he never actually saw the person, if Floro wasn't lying, the description is more like that of a villainous character often found in novels.

Of course, it could also be another kind of uprightness.

The kind of righteousness that turns evil—the kind that would burn everything in order to save the world.

“Although…” Floro put his hands behind his back and looked up at the night sky, “I don’t really have the right to say that about him.”

"If that person were to reappear in front of you, would you forgive him?" Duanmu Yan asked cautiously.

"Forgive?" Floro pursed his lips slightly, then shook his head, his smile faint yet bitter. "I stopped expecting it a long time ago. He was the one who saved me, he was the one who gave me hope, but he was also the one who pushed me into the abyss. He won't forgive me, and I won't forgive him either."

Was Floro's past really that heavy?

Is this really something I, as a meal replacement, can listen to?

Duanmu Yan decided to avoid the topic and didn't want to delve any further.

The more you discuss it, the deeper your obsession with the past will become.

After all, his original intention was to help Floro move on from those regrettable memories.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Floro's lips curled slightly as she turned her head to look at him. "Weren't you very concerned about my past?"

Duanmu Yan looked away: "I just don't want to see you get more and more involved. Besides, I'm not him after all."

“Who knows?” Floro said softly, her gaze already fixed on the distance. “Maybe it’s just… you’ve forgotten.”

Duanmu Yan sighed softly, then asked, "What was that thing you asked me to promise you before?"

"I haven't thought about it yet," Floro replied casually. "I'll tell you when I've figured it out. You owe me this, no rush... Maybe one day I'll suddenly have an idea?"

"Until then, please wait patiently."

"The process of waiting is also a memorable and enjoyable experience, isn't it?"

Book 1: Chapter 41 A Song for Him

After that, the concert was held as scheduled.

The music gradually became the subject of discussion throughout the city of Laguna.

The previous performance led many to speculate that the second daughter of the Motari family intended to enter the music field, attempting to break the long-term monopoly of the Order of Arts and Music.

After all, this was not the first time the Morthari family had done this—whether it was painting or sculpture, they had used the name of art to secretly diminish the prestige of the order.

This time, however, a few astute individuals sensed a deeper meaning: business opportunities, and a stance.

As the Mortari family's influence in Laguna grew, the Order and the Faisaleh family, though not significantly weakened, no longer held the absolute authority they once did.

Thus, this concert was no longer just about art, but also became a subtle yet important moment for taking sides.

Many people are secretly preparing, hoping to use this stage to send a signal of cooperation to the Motari family—to express their sincerity with applause and attendance.

This was not unexpected for Coleta.

Although this wasn't her initial intention, as long as it made the religious order feel uneasy—

All of this is worthwhile.

Koleta leaned against the black luxury car in front of the Dreamer clothing store, her figure almost blending into the night.

Only the occasional passing streetlight reflected a cold light in her eyes. She waited quietly, as if pondering something, or perhaps simply enjoying this moment of tranquility.

Everything is ready.

She only looked up when the shop door was pushed open and warm yellow light briefly flooded the street.

Duanmu Yan walked out of the clothing store, his well-tailored suit making him look even more dashing, a stark contrast to his usual casual demeanor.

"Not bad." Her voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet night, with a hint of a smile. "Compared to your usual sleepy look, this outfit makes you look quite handsome."

Duanmu Yan raised the corners of his mouth, his voice brimming with self-assured confidence: "What does this have to do with clothes? I'm handsome to begin with."

“I love your unfounded confidence.” Koleta chuckled, tossing her car keys to him. The keys arced through the air. “Can you drive?”

"Of course." He caught it steadily. "Why?"

"Then what are we still standing there for?" She had already opened the passenger door and gotten into the car. Shadows outlined her profile, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness. "Are you going to have your girlfriend drive? Let's go, it's time to go to the theater—the mission is about to begin."

……

……

The streets outside the theater were noticeably more crowded than usual.

Although it wasn't quite crowded, a silent clamor already filled the air.

All the well-known forces in Laguna gathered here at this moment, each with their own different purposes.

As the key initiator of this concert, Koleta undoubtedly became the focus of everyone's attention. Representatives from various small families kept stepping forward to respectfully greet her.

Whatever scheming lay behind those smiles, Koleta accepted it all—she didn't care.

Their presence was an indispensable part of the plan, and it would only make the grand event proceed more smoothly according to the established schedule.

Duanmu Yan gently took Koleta's arm, calmly playing her own role.

He responded impeccably to each person who approached him, his demeanor natural and appropriate.

Koleta also cooperated perfectly, often turning her head to introduce his identity to others with a light smile, her words conveying an almost imperceptible intimacy.

Deep in the corner, a solitary spider lily blooms silently, like a silent observer, taking in everything that happens in the scene.

People gathered here not for the music playing in their ears.

Floro knew all too well that each of these seemingly enthusiastic attendances came in the name of Coleta, and each was entangled with its own ambition and calculation.

In the past, she would never have agreed to such a thing, and she would never have allowed herself to be used as a bargaining chip.

But now, after weathering so many storms and experiencing the full spectrum of human emotions, whether or not one is being used is no longer important.

She agreed to him, simply because...

The obsession in one's heart.

That's it.

"Miss Floro, the performance is about to begin. Would you like your makeup touched up?"

A gentle inquiry came from behind him from a theater staff member. Floro turned around, leaving the past behind completely, and simply shook his head.

"No need."

So, let's do as agreed.

Let's bring a performance that everyone has been eagerly anticipating to Laguna.

……

……

The theater was packed, with hardly a single empty seat to be found.

This grand occasion is like a world-renowned music master about to perform here.

However, most people present were not drawn to the melody itself.

Koleta and Duanmu Yan were led to the P box on the second floor, where they had a commanding view of the entire theater.

"Are you ready?" Koleta leaned closer, her warm, fragrant breath brushing against his ear, her voice extremely low.

"Hmm." Duanmu Yan's gaze swept over Giacomo downstairs, who was chatting and laughing with several representatives of small families. Giacomo was clearly too busy to pay attention to anything else. "Everything is ready."

Koleta nodded slightly, her gaze sharp: "Very good. Remember, be quick."

The theater lights suddenly went out, plunging the entire venue into a quiet darkness.

Immediately, a cool spotlight fell, and Floro slowly walked onto the stage.

At that moment, all eyes—regardless of their intentions—involuntarily focused on her.

Despite the ulterior motives of those present, no one dared to question Colletta Motari's taste.

That's why they all harbored a certain expectation: this might be a truly unique concert.

As always, Floro exuded an ethereal and aloof aura, completely out of place with the world around him.

She held a violin in her hand, closed her eyes slightly, and took a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes again, her gaze slowly swept across the audience, finally settling on Duanmu Yan in the second-floor VIP box.

The next second, the bow fell, and the first note burst forth.

Initially, people didn't pay much attention to it.

Until that melodious tune quietly seeped into the air and lingered in everyone's ears.

In the darkness, countless eyes were involuntarily fixed on that slender yet powerful figure on the stage.

My gaze followed the undulating melody and gradually became lost, as if I were swept into an impromptu, passionate elegy, rising and falling with the fluttering notes.

Even Koleta was momentarily captivated by this sea of ​​music, forgetting her original purpose.

The entire theater fell silent. Everyone held their breath, captivated by the unexpectedly perfect performance, afraid of missing even the slightest bit of the brilliance.

Although Duanmu Yan had always had confidence in Floro, her performance at this moment far exceeded his expectations—only the word "amazing" could describe it.

If he could, he really wanted to sit here forever and listen to the song she played for "him".

But not now.

He still has tasks to do.

The lingering sound still echoed in the rafters, and everyone remained deeply immersed in the vortex of the music.

As Koleta slowly emerged from the world constructed of musical notes and returned to reality, she discovered that the seat beside her was already empty.

Only the door behind him was swaying slightly.

Volume 1: Chapter 42 Let's Create a Little Panic

Everything is ready.

The audience was immersed in a world made up of melody, and now was the perfect time to act.

Through his previous reconnaissance, he had basically figured out the layout of the theater.

Giacomo's office is located on the eighth floor, which has no other connecting passages and can only be reached by elevator—which requires specific permissions to be activated.

However, Duanmu Yan had already made a thorough plan.

All he needed to do was infiltrate the data center, implant a virus into the system, and he could tamper with some permissions.

According to Koleta, this is a specially customized virus that cannot be detected by ordinary firewalls unless the target has a high-priced security system.

Of course, he doesn't need to specifically look for data centers.

In the relatively closed city-state of Laguna, many people are resistant to new and foreign things.

This is why, apart from the Mortari family which has invested somewhat in information security, neither the religious order, the Fesari family, nor other smaller forces have paid much attention to this aspect of development.

Therefore, Duanmu Yan only needed to find any terminal connected to the theater's internal network and implant the virus. The program would then silently locate the core security database along the system path and modify permissions.

“In that case…” Duanmu Yan took out the USB drive and examined it carefully. “Then let’s go to the monitoring room and take a look.”