"You're never serious!"
Jodie rubbed her aching forehead, shooting a glare at Veil. "I have something proper to talk to you about. This weekend, the Chandler family's patriarch in Veyport City is celebrating his seventieth birthday. Shouldn't our Lancaster Universal Group send someone over to pay respects?"
The Chandler family held considerable influence in Veyport City.
Especially the old man Oliver Chandler—he was one of the earliest businessmen to make a name for himself. Practically every prominent entrepreneur in Veyport had been mentored by him in some way.
In the city, he was a major figure—respected, authoritative.
More importantly, Oliver was notoriously stubborn. Even at his age, he still maintained a tight grip on the Chandler family's financial core, refusing to hand down any real power. The younger generation only managed a few petty branches of the business he'd graciously allowed them to handle.
If they could use this birthday celebration as a stepping stone to build ties with the Chandlers, then the distribution channels for their Beautifying Pills would be covered. They could flood the Veyport market in no time.
That's business—always planning ahead.
Even though the Beautifying Pills were Lisa's responsibility, Lancaster Universal still held a share. It was only natural to get involved and retain a measure of control.
"Of course we're going," Veil replied with a grin. "But you can leave that kind of hassle to me. You just focus on work at the company."
His smile deepened.
The Chandler patriarch's birthday?
How could he possibly miss such a golden opportunity to rob a Child of Fate of their fortune?
And for that matter, this event was bound to be pivotal for Lyra as well—a heroine fated for greatness. This birthday banquet was the perfect moment to carve out a place in her heart.
"You're grinning like a lunatic again. I just know you're scheming something," Jodie muttered as she pushed herself out of Veil's arms and headed upstairs.
But even after some time, she still hadn't come back down.
Curious, Veil followed her upstairs.
The moment he opened the door, his eyes landed on Jodie sitting on the edge of the bed. She was bent slightly forward, slipping her feet into a pair of patent leather high heels. Her hands were running up her thighs, smoothing out the faint creases in her white stockings.
Her snow-white skin beneath the silky fabric seemed even more radiant, fine and smooth, accentuating the flawless curves of her legs—legs that could drive any man insane.
"What are you staring at?" she snapped. "I said I'd do it, and I meant it. Today's Tuesday—white stockings, remember?"
Her tone was sharp, but it was just a thin veil covering her embarrassment.
Veil raised an eyebrow. "That's true... but I don't recall ever seeing you wear white stockings before. Where did you even get them?"
No way she just bought them today.
Unless… she took them from Julia's closet?
Well, well.
Even Veil couldn't help but feel a ripple in his heart.
Big sister wearing her little sister's white stockings?
That's a whole different level of visual buff!
"Julia's still in the shower. Don't even think about doing anything funny," Jodie warned, pushing Veil away as he sat beside her.
Even she didn't understand what had gotten into her. She'd actually gone into Julia's room to borrow a pair of stockings just to fulfill his ridiculous demand. Thinking about it now made her face flush.
But Veil wasn't about to stop. He cradled her face, kissing her lips, his tongue gently trying to pry its way in.
Panic and hesitation flashed across Jodie's face. She kept glancing nervously toward the door, her palms pressing against Veil's chest. "Stop teasing me! Are you planning to do that to me?"
Veil rested his hands on her shoulders and gave a mischievous nod.
Jodie's anxiety peaked. "No! Don't kiss me! If you kiss me, I swear I'll lose it! If Julia finds out, how could I ever face her again?"
Her heart was a whirlwind of emotions—this wasn't the right time. Not with her feelings still so uncertain.
Veil didn't say a word. He just looked at her, gaze steady, his eyes locked onto hers.
"Julia's a clean freak," Jodie whispered, flustered. "That Body Refining Pill cleanses impurities. God knows how long she'll be in the shower... she'll probably stay in there forever."
"Fine! Kiss me! If you don't kiss me, I'll get mad!"
Jodie's heart pounded wildly. She couldn't resist the way Veil looked at her—his eyes, his presence, his everything.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned in first.
Ding! Congratulations, host! You've earned +1000 Villain Points!
…
Later that evening, a freshly bathed Julia finally emerged from the bathroom, satisfied now that there were no more dark, grimy residues coming from her pores.
She stood on the staircase, glancing around the empty living room, then made her way to her sister's bedroom with anticipation. "Sis? Where's Veil? Where did he go?"
Jodie, curled up under the covers, sat up quickly as Julia walked in. Her face was flushed and awkward. "You were in the shower for so long. He called out a few times and got no reply, so he left."
"I wanted to come out earlier," Julia pouted, "but after taking that pill, I kept sweating these gross black impurities. It was so nasty. I didn't want Veil to see me like that."
Just thinking about it gave her the shivers. She'd had no idea her body was so… dirty on the inside.
"Julia, your skin... it looks so much smoother now," Jodie said softly, reaching out and pinching her cheek.
It was silky—almost glowing—as if she were wearing foundation, but without a trace of makeup.
"Hehe, I think so too! It feels really nice!"
Julia giggled, excited, and went to lift the blanket, intending to climb into bed beside her sister and let her feel it for herself.
But the moment she pulled the covers back, her expression froze.
"…What happened in here?!"
Jodie's heart sank. Her face turned scarlet as she lowered her head in shame.
Silently, she cursed Veil a thousand times over.
...
Meanwhile, at the hotel.
Inside the Emperor Suite, the long dining table was already filled with an extravagant feast.
A dignified woman in a pale short-sleeved blouse sat with a grim expression, her tone cold and stiff. "Mrs. Falkner, are you serious right now? We agreed to meet at six sharp. It's already three minutes past, and where is Miss Daisy? Not even a shadow of her has shown up yet."
This marriage arrangement had only come about because the Falkner family had pulled some strings to reach hers.
If it hadn't been for that mutual connection, Ella would never have agreed to let her son go on a blind date with the eldest daughter of the Falkner family.
People liked to talk about how wealthy and successful the Falkners were, but in the end, they were just a family of merchants. Her own husband, on the other hand, held real power—high enough to rank among the top three in all of Veyport City.
As for her son, he had studied abroad at a young age and, within just a few years of returning, was already holding a deputy division-level post.
By the time he hit thirty, there was no doubt he'd be promoted to a full division chief.
The Falkners?
Ha. They were just trying to break into Veyport City and wanted to ride their family's coattails. No need to show them any special respect.
Sofia's face didn't look too good either, but given that it was her daughter who was late, she had no choice but to force a strained smile. "You know how young girls are… When it comes to blind dates, there's always a little shyness involved. She's probably still upstairs putting on makeup. She'll be down any minute, I promise!"
As she spoke, she quickly typed out several messages to Daisy under the table, each one filled with exclamation points, urgently telling her to hurry.
Ella's interest had already fizzled out. "You've got three more minutes. If she's still not here by then, we're leaving."
Her tone was full of superiority, as if just showing up with her son for this blind date was already doing the Falkners a huge favor.
Even Sofia felt a twinge of irritation at the attitude. What's so great about your son anyway?
Just because he's in politics, you think you're above everyone else? Back in the day, if she'd married into politics instead of business, she would've been a thousand times better off than this self-important woman acting like royalty!
Three minutes passed quickly.
Ella stood up with visible displeasure and snapped at her son, who had been silently staring at Sofia the entire time. "What are you still sitting there for? Clearly they think they're too good for us. No point in waiting around. Even basic manners should depend on who's worth showing them to!"
The young man's name was Kevin.
He rolled his eyes and replied grumpily, "If you want to leave, go ahead. I'm not leaving. I came here to meet someone, and I haven't even seen her yet!"
Then, he turned to Sofia and asked, "Auntie, does Daisy look like you?"
The moment Sofia walked into the room, Kevin's eyes lit up. Jackpot. Absolute treasure trove. She was a stunner—supermodel level, even at her age.
Despite being older, she didn't show it one bit. Elegant, poised, beautiful—this kind of woman, even as she aged, would still be stunning in any setting.
Had Sofia not introduced herself as Daisy's mother, he would've genuinely thought she was his blind date!
She was just that attractive.
If Daisy inherited even 70% of Sofia's genes, he'd happily say yes to this marriage.
Sofia giggled, her expression lighting up at the compliment. "Oh, you're too sweet. I'm already at that age—how can I compare to Daisy?"
Being praised made her feel like she was glowing from within. Even the slightly larger "single-eyed bunny" under her blouse seemed to perk up with excitement.
There wasn't a woman alive who didn't enjoy being complimented—Sofia was no exception. If anything, she relished it more than most.
Why else would she still look this young and radiant at her age?
She turned to the irritated Ella and said with a warm smile, "No need to be in such a rush. Kevin's a good boy. Who knows, maybe he and Daisy will really hit it off, hmm?"
"Hmph."
Ella let out a cold snort and reluctantly sat down again. She shot a glare at her son, inwardly cursing him for being so useless.
It wasn't that she thought Kevin was truly interested in Daisy—instead, it was clear that vixen Sofia had caught his eye!
Before coming, she'd deliberately withheld Daisy's photo to prevent her son from getting too interested too quickly.
But she hadn't accounted for Sofia. That fox!
Just one entrance and she already had her son practically drooling.
"Mom~"
At that moment, the door to the private room opened.
Daisy stepped inside, dressed casually and looking a bit uneasy.
She called out softly to her mother and quickly took a seat beside her, head lowered.
"What is this behavior? You show up late and can't even say sorry? Not even a proper greeting? You just walk in and sit down? How disgraceful!" Ella barked, visibly annoyed.
Sofia's face darkened as well.
As a mother, how could she not see through her daughter's little rebellion?
Not only was Daisy late, she even showed up in this casual outfit—was she here for a blind date or had she just rolled out of bed?
It was obvious she was doing this on purpose!
Without saying a word, she reached under the table and pinched Daisy's thigh hard.
"Hisss…"
Daisy sucked in a sharp breath and shot her mother a resentful glance, all while screaming inside.
Veil, please—please come and save me!
I'm doomed this time!
She thought escaping to Veyport would free her from her family's matchmaking schemes. She never expected them to find her a blind date right here—or worse, for her mom to fly in from Luxhaven City just to supervise it!
They were serious about marrying her off!
No! No, no, no! Please, no!
From the moment she walked in, she'd already locked eyes with Kevin. The guy wore glasses, dressed in an outfit you could find at any bargain store, and worst of all…
He was greasy.
His face looked like someone had slathered it with engine oil—like that meme she'd seen online, the one with the "Daqing Oilfield Boy."
Identical.
"What, are you deaf? Can't even respond when someone's talking to you?" Ella snapped, her distaste clear from the moment she laid eyes on Daisy.
Like mother, like daughter—both seductresses!
Before Daisy could say a word, Kevin spoke up in annoyance, "Mom, could you not be so uptight? Daisy just got here—let her catch her breath and have a cup of tea, will you?"
He poured her a cup himself and spun the lazy Susan to deliver it to her, smiling in what he believed was a warm, charming way.
Daisy's stomach churned violently. For a moment, she was certain international oil prices had dropped.
The oilfield was overflowing.