A Rolls-Royce Phantom sped down the lane with such velocity that every other vehicle on the road seemed merely to serve as a foil for its majesty.
"Aren't you afraid of crashing, driving this fast?" Chen Nuo asked with mild amusement.
Klein flashed a fawning smile. "My Lord Pluto, I know you appreciate passion and speed; this is actually quite slow. In Daxia Country, you still have to stop for traffic lights, but back in the United States, traffic lights are just mood lighting."
Chen Nuo remained expressionless, merely nodding in tacit approval.
A moment later, the Rolls-Royce rocketed past an SUV.
Jiang Yurou glanced to the side and caught sight of the dazzling super-executive sedan.
Because the car was moving at extreme speed, she only managed to catch a glimpse of the front-seat passenger's profile in the fleeting second before her heart nearly stopped.
*Chen Nuo?! How could he be riding in that car? How is he even qualified to sit in the front passenger seat of such a vehicle?*
Qingcheng had plenty of Rolls-Royce Phantoms, but modified specials equipped with sports car engines numbered fewer than three in the entire city, and the owner of each one was a personage entirely beyond her reach.
*Phew, I must be seeing things. He's just a mountain boy who only came down recently and knows nothing except swindling and bluffing—how could he possibly be in a car like that?*
Jiang Yurou chuckled bitterly at herself. "I really am a fool, truly. How could I ever imagine that Chen Nuo might possess that kind of clout..."
The Century Palace villa district was nestled deep inside a private mountain that had been bought out by an individual; mere wealth alone was not enough to purchase a villa there, no matter how much money one threw around.
Klein jogged out from the driver's side to open the door for Chen Nuo.
Seeing the Century Palace, Chen Nuo merely raised an eyelid. Klein immediately chimed in, "Pluto... the environment here is just so-so, nothing compared to your Pluto Palace. Please make do with it for now. If it really won't do, I'll arrange for you to stay in the Imperial Capital—"
"No need. Anywhere is fine for sleeping; I'm not picky. As long as it's quiet."
No matter how luxurious the living conditions were, they were merely external possessions. Even in the Pluto Palace, where every square inch was literally worth a fortune and even the floors were paved with gold sand, he had no desire to linger for long.
Qingcheng was just a place to stop over; once he found his younger sister, he would naturally leave.
Klein guided Chen Nuo all the way to the front entrance, but just as they drew near, both men simultaneously noticed a woman in military uniform standing ramrod straight before the door.
"Who is this?"
"Pluto, please don't be angry, this woman has nothing to do with me. She used to be Daxia's only Female War God, Song Yan, holding the rank of major general. Lately, Daxia Country has run into some trouble, so she's been trying to get me to come out of retirement. This is already her third time calling on me."
Klein rushed to explain, terrified of incurring Chen Nuo's wrath—when the Pluto of the Underworld grew angry, a million corpses would litter the ground, and that was no idle threat.
Chen Nuo said, "It's fine. I'll go in myself. Since she's trouble, you should clear out and stay away."
Klein hurriedly prepared to drop to one knee, but Chen Nuo pulled him back up. "This is Daxia, we don't do that kind of thing here. Be off with you."
The moment the words left his mouth, Klein vanished from the spot.
Chen Nuo walked straight up to the front door. Song Yan frowned slightly and asked in a soft voice, "Who are you? Get away from here at once. This is the residence of Death God—aren't you afraid of losing your head?"
Song Yan looked the newcomer up and down. He was dressed in ragged clothes, indistinguishable from a beggar, the only unusual thing about him being his air of serene detachment.
Chen Nuo spoke up, "Beauty, why don't you head back? He's not coming."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Song Yan's face. She fished a bank card out from her clothes. "Here is two hundred thousand. Since you're here to do the cleaning, please do a thorough job. If it's not enough, you can come looking for me and I'll make up the difference."
Chen Nuo was momentarily left speechless. Did his outfit really make him look that much like a cleaner?
Wasn't the whole point of going out to dress however felt most comfortable? Why was this woman's habit identical to Jiang Yurou's, throwing money around at the drop of a hat?
Chen Nuo accepted the bank card. "Got it. Go back now."
*Thump.*
As the heavy front door slammed shut, Song Yan had no choice but to leave the premises, crestfallen and desolate.
At noon the next day, Chen Nuo's phone rang. The moment he answered, a voice came shrieking through the receiver.
"Chen Nuo! Can't you have a shred of responsibility as a husband? Get over here right now, this instant! Yurou already has an aversion to you, and the two of you don't have any emotional foundation to begin with. The most important thing for you right now is to be by her side at all hours, do you understand?"
Huo Xiaoyu's voice was so loud that if Chen Nuo hadn't held the phone a little further away, his ears would have been blasted.
"Got it."
Chen Nuo gave a helpless smile. If not for the immense grace Eighth Master had shown him, coupled with Jiang Zhenguo's past kindness and care, he probably wouldn't even have given Jiang Yurou a second glance, let alone come running the moment a single phone call summoned him.
"Oh well. Consider it repaying a favor. Once fate runs its course, that will be that."
Chen Nuo hailed a cab and arrived at the location Huo Xiaoyu had sent him. It was a high-end archery club called the Hundred Steps Club.
Two men and two women were currently standing at the club entrance.
A man wearing gold-rimmed glasses gently pushed up the bridge of his frames and remarked, "Yurou, this husband of yours really isn't punctual at all. It's already been half an hour—doesn't he even have a car?"
Jiang Yurou was too embarrassed to say anything. Coming down from the mountain, Chen Nuo didn't even have a car, let alone decent clothes—how could he possibly own a vehicle?
*I hope he realizes his shortcomings and uses the money to buy a car and a decent outfit,* Jiang Yurou prayed inwardly.
After all, she had already given him one million, which was more than enough to buy a car.
Huo Xiaoyu chimed in with a coquettish tone, "Young Master Li, Young Master Zhang, Yurou's husband's family background certainly can't compare to you two gentlemen. Please bear with him, please bear with him."
Li Shuangquan chuckled lightly. "Hehe, little Yurou, I originally thought you'd wait for me to return from abroad and accept my proposal. It seems our fate together hasn't quite arrived yet."
Jiang Yurou kept her head down. "Young Master Li shouldn't talk like that. Even though Chen Nuo and I don't have much of a bond, he is still my husband now."
Not wishing to make a fool of himself, Li Shuangquan stopped pressing. Soon, a taxi pulled up to the entrance.
Chen Nuo stepped out of the cab. Huo Xiaoyu frowned and said, "Why did you take a taxi here? Yurou has so many cars at home, couldn't you have driven one of them? Do you have any idea how long we've been standing here waiting for you—nearly half an hour?"
Jiang Yurou felt humiliated as well; she remained silent with a downcast expression.
When Li Shuangquan saw the newcomer wearing flip-flops and oversized shorts, a teasing look crept across his face.
"Yurou, oh Yurou, I originally thought that even if you didn't marry me, you'd at least find some wealthy young scion, someone from a family matching yours in social standing. Now it looks like your father's taste leaves a lot to be desired."
Jiang Yurou said coldly, "Young Master Li, Young Master Zhang, let's go inside. This isn't the place to talk."