It seemed Xiao Mei was hopeless. Li Li was still hesitating whether to dial the number when her phone rang first with a urgent, radar-like alarm tone.

  Startled, the phone jumped in her hand like a live fish before she managed to catch it firmly.

  Li Li focused on the screen. It was an unknown local number.

  She answered cautious. "Hello?"

  "Hello? Is this Miss Lily?"

  A deep, magnetic male voice came through. It had a certain... **expensive quality** to it. Low, smooth, and confident.

  "Yes, speaking," Li Li said.

  The man on the other end chuckled softly. "My apologies for the intrusion. I'm the landlord of the apartment you're currently renting. I was away on business and didn't have time to check on the property. I only learned it had been successfully rented out after returning today."

  "I see." Suspicious of the landlord, Li Li's reply was dry.

  The landlord seemed completely oblivious to the stiffness in her tone. He asked amiably, "May I ask if you've been living comfortably there?"

  "It's fine," Li Li said, her eyes involuntarily drifting toward Xiao Mei, who was currently posing in the living room.

  "That's wonderful," the landlord said. "I imagine you were aware of the apartment's... circumstances before renting. To be honest, I thought that unit would never be rented out again. The fact that you're living there peacefully is a great help to me."

  "Not at all," Li Li demurred politely. "It was my luck to rent such a nice, convenient apartment at such a low price."

  "Then, I wonder if you might spare the time to have a meal with me," the landlord requested gently. "Truthfully, since *that incident*, I haven't entered the apartment. I'd like to hear about its current condition from you in person."

  Li Li was curious to see what kind of person this landlord was, so she agreed. "No problem. When shall we meet?"

  "This Sunday at noon, at the restaurant downtown. How does that sound?" the landlord said. "I've already made a reservation."

  "Alright. I'll be there on time."

  "I'll send the specific time and location to your email shortly," the landlord said. "Could I have your email address?"

  Li Li recited her **QQ email** address directly.

  "One, two, three, four, five..."

  It was probably the first time the landlord had heard such an abstract email account. He paused. "Hold on, let me get a pen. Could you please repeat that?"

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Li Li scratched her cheek and repeated the string of numbers. "It's... a very popular email service in China. Highly efficient."

  "It certainly is... distinctive," the landlord laughed. His laughter sounded rich, like clinking coins. "I've got it noted down, Miss Lily. The invite will be sent shortly. I look forward to our meeting."

  "Okay, goodbye."

  The call ended.

  Li Li frowned at her phone, lost in thought. From his voice and demeanor, the landlord sounded like a well-educated, affluent gentleman. Could someone like that have brutally murdered Xiao Mei?

  A while later, Li Li logged into her QQ email. Sure enough, the invitation sat in her inbox. He had used a personal email; the domain wasn't corporate.

  Li Li noted the time and place.

  ---

  Sunday arrived with a drizzle of rain.

  Li Li got up at her usual time, completed her morning cultivation, released Xiao Mei from the **peach-wood figurine**, tidied herself up, and headed out.

  As usual, the apartment curtains were drawn tightly shut. The moment Xiao Mei emerged, she immediately put on the paper clothes Li Li had made and started playing dress-up.

  Although she couldn't touch physical objects, she could operate touchscreens. Li Li had left her tablet for Xiao Mei to watch videos.

  Xiao Mei loved watching luxury fashion shows. Whenever she saw a style she liked, she'd memorize it and pester Li Li to make a paper version.

  Li Li would only cave when the nagging became unbearable. Even so, Xiao Mei's collection of **paper haute couture** was now larger than Li Li's actual wardrobe.

  The rain wasn't heavy. Li Li, currently **financially embarrassed**, chose to walk to the restaurant with an umbrella.

  When she arrived, she paused.

  Judging by the entrance decor alone, this place was intimidatingly expensive. It looked like the kind of establishment where **touching the door handle might incur a $200 service charge.**

  Li Li stood at the entrance, hesitating.

  As an ordinary, broke international student, she cooked at home and rarely ate out. She had zero experience with fine dining. She had no idea the landlord would pick a place like *this*, so she had just thrown on her usual white T-shirt and jeans.

  Through the glass, she saw men in bespoke suits and women in cocktail dresses. Her plain outfit stood out like a sore thumb.

  *It's fine. I'm a 'Chill Girl',* Li Li told herself.

  *I have to be chill. I can't afford to be anything else.*

  Her most expensive outfit was the custom-made **Taoist High Priest Robe** her father had packed for her. But wearing a bright yellow religious robe here would be even more conspicuous than jeans.

  Besides, her business hadn't taken off yet. She was barely scraping by. Even if she'd known the dress code, she had no budget to upgrade her wardrobe.

  Li Li braced herself and stepped forward.

  Before her hand could touch the expensive door handle, a server stopped her. "Do you have a reservation, Miss?"

  Li Li gave the landlord's name and time.

  The server checked the list, his expression shifting to professional politeness. He opened the door for her and took her umbrella.

  The interior was tastefully decorated, with clever partitions ensuring privacy for every table. Warm light from crystal chandeliers bathed the room, accompanied by soft, live piano music.

  Another server guided Li Li to the table.

  It was right in the center—the "King's Table." Not too close to the piano to be loud, but close enough for perfect acoustics. Even Li Li could tell this was the best seat in the house.

  The landlord was already seated, waiting. He propped his chin on one hand, eyes half-closed, listening attentively to the music.

  Li Li walked over and sat down. "Sorry I'm late."

  The landlord opened his eyes. He smiled, crinkling the corners of his eyes.

  "I thought you might arrive a bit later. I was early," he said smoothly. "In our culture, a gentleman arrives early, and a lady is always fashionably late by thirty minutes."

  Li Li shrugged. "We Chinese prefer being on time."

  *And besides, I'm no lady. I'm a Taoist.*

  The landlord chuckled.

  [email protected]). Using it for professional emails abroad often confuses Westerners who expect "firstname.lastname".

  * **"Chill" (松弛感):** Li Li trying to be "chill" is a coping mechanism for being broke in a fancy place. It's the "I don't care about material things (because I can't afford them)" vibe.

  ---