“Miss, are you ready yet?” Su Ze knocked on the door to Lu Ziqing’s room, his brow furrowed in impatience.
It had been nearly twenty minutes since she started changing clothes. She was taking way too long.
Lu Ziqing had no real intention of changing. She rummaged half-heartedly through the wardrobe, making irritating scraping noises.
“It’s almost done, almost. Girls always take this long to change clothes.”
Su Ze mulled it over. All the girls he’d dated and pursued really did spend ages on makeup and outfits.
About ten minutes later, Liang Sheng finally called Lu Ziqing. “Young Miss, I’m here. Let him go!”
“OK.” Lu Ziqing cleared her throat. “Ahem, Su Ze, I’ve changed my mind again. I don’t want to go. You go handle your business.”
“What…?” Su Ze froze for a moment, then caught on, his face turning green with rage.
Was this woman toying with him like a monkey? First she wanted to go, now she didn’t—what the hell was her problem?
Lu Ziqing felt a twinge of guilt, but her naturally spoiled nature meant she couldn’t care less what Su Ze thought. “This Young Miss is tired. I just don’t feel like moving anymore. Got a problem with that?”
“…No problem.” He was living off her generosity—how could he dare complain or criticize the Young Miss?
“Then hurry up and get going!” Lu Ziqing shooed him away.
Su Ze gritted his teeth, stewing with resentment, then messaged the “little three” again, instructing her to stick to their original meeting time.
Meanwhile, Liang Sheng was lurking near Young Miss Lu Ziqing’s villa, hunkered down in a taxi.
“Oh no!” She slapped her forehead.
Tail someone in a taxi? Total idiot move! She’d get spotted in no time—especially by a cunning old fox like Su Ze, who’d run so many scams.
If only she’d bought that electric scooter ahead of time. Liang Sheng was full of regret.
But before she could dwell on it, Su Ze flung open the gate and strode out of Lu Ziqing’s house.
“M-Master!” As expected, Liang Sheng leaned forward, clutching the back of the driver’s seat.
The driver glanced at her, then peered out the window, spotting Su Ze—that scumbag in human form—and his face lit up with sudden understanding.
“Oh…! Don’t worry, little miss. I’ve handled catch-the-cheater gigs at least ten times! I’ve got a solid ten years on the road!” The driver master thumped his chest proudly.
Liang Sheng: “…Huh?”
He’d clearly misunderstood something…
But hey, perfect misunderstanding!
Liang Sheng instantly turned on the waterworks like a pro actress, tears streaming down her face. She even whipped out a tissue to dab at the nonexistent drops on her cheeks. “Wah… Yeah, we’ve been together two years now, but he… hmph!”
Her dramatic pause hit just right.
“Don’t worry, little miss!” The veteran driver eyed Liang Sheng with sympathy, leaving her a touch sheepish.
“Uncle, whatever you do, don’t let him spot us! Otherwise… I’ll miss my shot at catching him this time!”
The driver master puffed out his chest once more. “I’m an old hand at this. You just sit tight!”
Hearing that eased the green-haired girl’s nerves a bit, even if panic still fluttered in her chest.
Su Ze walked farther ahead, and the driver trailed at a cautious distance.
Soon enough, Su Ze hailed a taxi and hopped in.
“Follow… no, hang back more! Careful, don’t let him see us!” Liang Sheng urged the driver.
“Master, that direction—is he heading to that South Garden Neighborhood place?” Liang Sheng pointed at Su Ze’s cab ahead.
The driver master grinned. “Little miss, even twenty years behind the wheel doesn’t make me psychic. Give it a minute—we’ll know soon.”
“Oh…” Liang Sheng deflated.
The chatty driver kept grilling the green-haired girl as he drove. “Little miss, you know where this little three lives?”
“I… sorta know, but not for sure,” Liang Sheng mumbled evasively.
It didn’t take long for the driver to confirm. “Yep, he’s going straight to South Garden Neighborhood.”
“Huh?” Liang Sheng had overcomplicated it. She’d figured Su Ze would cleverly switch buses or hop the subway. Nope—the guy hadn’t even dreamed of being followed.
His smarts weren’t exactly top-tier, after all (lol).
Another ten minutes or so passed, and the driver pulled over.
Liang Sheng watched Su Ze step out and head into the neighborhood. Panicking, she fished out a fifty-yuan bill, tossed it on the front seat, threw open the door, and bolted out.
“No change! Thanks, Uncle.” With that, Liang Sheng scurried after Su Ze into the complex.
Tch, down more than ten bucks! All Su Ze the big pig hoof’s fault.
Truth was, Liang Sheng had dug up the little three’s address ages ago.
Sure enough, once inside, Su Ze beelined for her place.
Ha! Caught red-handed! It was you all along!
“Hold up, Liang Sheng.” Akino Kazuko reined her in. “No need to go farther. We know Su Ze’s behind it now—that’s plenty. Let’s head back.”
But Liang Sheng balked. “The Heartthrob Value System is so overpowered. What if Su Ze slipped her some item or…”
“Pfft-ha!” The Favorability System burst out laughing. “Chill, no items exist—just Canon Law. And Canon Law only works on specific targets. Zilch on anyone else.”
“Oh…” Liang Sheng nodded, casting one last longing look at the little three’s building before turning away with a sigh. “Sigh, honestly, I’m curious how Su Ze talked that woman into seducing my dad.”
Akino Kazuko shrugged. “Huh? Why assume he talked her into it? What if she jumped at the chance herself?”
Liang Sheng paused. Made sense.
Yeah, with Dad loaded now, most women would swoon.
“Mm… fair point.”
Seemed like another bust this time.
“Aw,” Akino Kazuko said, eyeing her host’s wilted expression. She tried to console her. “Even if you’d tailed them, then what? They’d be holed up in a room, you’d be lurking at the door like a creeper—what could you even hear? Houses these days are soundproofed to hell, and this is a ritzy neighborhood to boot…”
Huh? True—at the time, she’d been running on pure adrenaline, blind to pesky realities like soundproofing.
“Whoa, Kazuko, you’re getting smart!” Liang Sheng lavished praise on her system without holding back.
Akino Kazuko rolled her eyes. “Not me getting smart—you’re just that dense.”
