Chapter 97 Ling Yue had only one thought in her mind

It was the early hours of the morning. A torrential rain was pouring down.

Purple lightning tore through the night sky, instantly illuminating the pitch-black night like broad daylight, yet it failed to pierce through the excellent blackout curtains in the bedroom.

However, a thunderous crack struck down, causing the ground and even the glass to tremble, as if someone were undergoing a heavenly tribulation, waking Ling Yue, who was already particular about her sleeping environment.

Last time she attended a high jewelry exhibition that required an overnight stay, Ling Yue had firmly refused. Although she hadn't stated it explicitly, Cheng Jiao had noticed Ling Yue's habit of being particular about her sleeping environment through careful observation of her daily life.

Therefore, for this trip, she had specifically brought two sets of Ling Yue's usual bedding, pillows, pajamas, a bedside nightlight, and lavender aromatherapy from the villa.

Being enveloped in familiar scents did indeed help Ling Yue adapt to this place more quickly. However, the thunder tonight was too loud. She felt a bit thirsty.

She downed the warm water she had placed on the nightstand before bed, but it wasn't enough. Ling Yue thought she would get up and pour herself another glass. She pushed the door open and walked into the living room.

Just then, a muffled thunderclap suddenly exploded, and the lightning shone in through the curtains that weren't closed tightly in the living room. Although it was only for an instant, Ling Yue still saw a lump on the sofa, topped with a ghastly pale human face!

"Mom!" Ling Yue screamed in fright. The glass in her hand slipped, hitting the carpet with a dull thud. The 'lump' on the sofa instantly sprang up!

The purple lightning was still flashing. Ling Yue saw that 'lump' look up alertly, her pitch-black eyes staring straight at the source of the sound—herself. A fist was raised in mid-air, and the sleeves of her oversized pajamas slipped down to her elbows, revealing lean, muscular lines and bulging veins.

That 'lump'... which was Zang Lanyi, looked completely bewildered: "Boss, it's you."

Seeing who it was, Zang Lanyi completely relaxed. Ling Yue clutched her heart.

"Why are you sleeping here?" she asked, sounding annoyed.

She couldn't help but think that if that fist had landed on her, she would probably have broken a couple of bones. Zang Lanyi got up, turned on the nearby desk lamp, then walked over to Ling Yue, crouched down, and picked up the glass:

"Housekeeper Cheng said she was worried you might be afraid of thunder and asked me to keep watch here."

The doubt in Ling Yue's eyes dissipated. Was she afraid of thunder? She had been before college. After starting college, she had to work part-time whenever she didn't have classes. At that time, she worked at a milk tea shop on the commercial street outside the school, which usually closed at 10:30 PM. Occasionally, when she worked the night shift and encountered a thunderstorm, she had to walk back to the dormitory alone through the rain. Over time, she stopped being afraid.

The light was too dim, so Zang Lanyi didn't notice the expression on Ling Yue's face. She yawned, "Would you like some water?"

Ling Yue snapped back to reality and nodded.

The presidential suite was well-equipped, and Zang Lanyi quickly brought back warm water. It was 38-degree warm water. It was the temperature Ling Yue was most accustomed to—not too hot, and certainly not cold; it brought a brief warmth when it reached her stomach. Actually, she hadn't known she was used to water at this temperature at first; it was something Qu Shu and the others had figured out through their daily observations. After all, who goes around caring about the exact temperature of the water they drink?

Once awake, she lost all sleepiness. Ling Yue chatted with Zang Lanyi for a while, only to see the other woman's eyelids fighting to stay open. She probably hadn't fallen asleep until very late because she was too excited about counting money that night. It wasn't easy for her, either. Ling Yue got up and returned to her room. Only when the boss rests can the employee be liberated. Zang Lanyi instantly flopped onto the sofa like a dead fish, and there was no more movement.

As for Ling Yue, she binged shows all night. Since she hadn't slept well at night, she couldn't get up in the morning. Anyway, she couldn't go out in the rain, so she simply curled up in bed and continued watching TV. When she got tired of watching, she would tuck herself into the covers and sleep. When she woke up, she would have Luo Shanshan and the others bring her meals up. Then she would eat, drink, watch shows, and sleep, losing all track of time.

The rain didn't stop until evening. A sharp dividing line formed between the pink-purple sunset and the dark clouds. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, gradually scattering the dark clouds to reveal a rainbow that cascaded down from the high sky like a waterfall!

It was so beautiful that Ling Yue even forgot to take out her phone to take a picture.

Perhaps she had slept too much during the day, as she couldn't sleep at night. When she woke up the next morning, Ling Yue couldn't even open her eyes. Cheng Jiao looked distressed, "Miss, why don't you sleep a little longer? We can push back the house viewing time and have Mr. Su come to the hotel first."

Ling Yue yawned, "I'm already up; I won't be able to fall back asleep if I go back to bed. What time is it?"

"9 o'clock." Ling Yue patted her face, "Then let's hurry; there are only 4 hours left until the agreed time."

"Knock, knock, knock." Just as Ling Yue finished speaking, someone knocked on the door. Cheng Jiao went to open it, and a moment later, her voice came from outside the door: "Miss, Ralph Lauren has sent the clothes over."

Last time she attended a high jewelry exhibition, Ling Yue had bought quite a lot of clothes from them, unlocking their at-home fitting service. This time, Ling Yue didn't have the energy to try them on. The other party had arranged for 5 models with similar builds to Ling Yue. The models would change into the complete outfits for Ling Yue to choose from.

Ling Yue had a quintessential Chinese palate. For breakfast, she liked foods like noodles, steamed buns, and wontons. This morning, it was seafood porridge served with pan-fried large yellow croaker, a small dish of blanched vegetables, and a cup of Phoenix Dancong tea. She watched the models showcase the clothes while eating her breakfast.

Considering that the smell of food might cling to the clothes, Ling Yue bought all 30 outfits brought today. Afterward, she selected a dark brown plaid British old-money style outfit as her OOTD for the day.

Next, it was Hu Liyun's team's turn to take over. Based on the clothing style and today's weather, they added a pair of matching-colored stockings for warmth and paired them with matching-colored sneakers for ease of walking. Her hair was left unstyled, falling naturally over her shoulders to add a sense of ease. Then, using makeup techniques, they drew Ling Yue's brows and eyes to look three-dimensional and deep, with a light smoky makeup look that echoed the style of the clothing. The final result presented a confident yet relaxed side of Ling Yue.

Ling Yue twirled twice in front of the full-length mirror and nodded with satisfaction, "Not bad, let's go." She only brought her bodyguard team, Master Qin, and Cheng Jiao. The group left the hotel in a grand procession.

On the way, they met up with Qian Xu and Su Zhao. Following behind Su Zhao's car, they drove all the way to a secluded mountain road. It was said that there was only one road leading into the manor, and at the entrance of the road at the foot of the mountain, there was an iron gate blocking the way, with a security booth next to it. The elderly security guard squinted his eyes to see the license plate of the lead car and immediately jogged over to open the iron gate.

As the vehicles disappeared around the bend, the elderly security guard couldn't help but sigh: "The young master hasn't been here in a long time." The other elderly security guard replied: "Yeah, ever since... sigh." The two of them were still there sighing, unaware that they were about to be sent home for retirement.

The winding mountain road went all the way up. It was hard to imagine that such a massive manor was hidden on such a high mountain. The road up the mountain was very smooth, with neat fir trees planted on both sides. It was spring, and the lush forests on both sides brought a refreshing feeling that was very friendly to the eyes.

Ling Yue opened the window. Taking a deep breath of the wind blowing against her face, she inhaled the thick scent of grass mixed with the smell of damp earth. For a moment, her body and mind were soothed, and even her lungs felt as if they had been washed anew.

She didn't know how long they had been driving. Finally, they seemed to have reached the end of the forest. A blue and white building suddenly rose from the flat ground, gradually enlarging within her field of vision.

At this moment, Ling Yue had only one thought in her mind: Su Zhao's photography skills were truly terrible; how was this any different from making a 1.9-meter male model look like he was 1.5 meters tall?