"You've improved quite a bit over the years," Secretary Lin said.
However, her voice was no longer the sharp, high-pitched tone of Secretary Lin. It was melodious and graceful, clear and pleasant to the ear. Just hearing the voice, one could conjure the image of a young lady in their mind.
"Do you really think you're your sister? What gives you the audacity to speak to me like that?"
Han Xiangning's face darkened, and the temperature in the entire office plummeted, quickly being covered by a thin layer of frost.
The coffee that had fallen to the ground moments ago, still steaming with heat, instantly turned into an icy lump.
But the "Secretary Lin" standing opposite paid no mind.
Her appearance shifted, and who else could it be but Su Huamei?
"Your ice-cold aura is scattered, not condensed. Did I say you haven't improved much over the years? Was I wrong?" Su Huamei said with a playful laugh.
Hearing this, Han Xiangning suddenly chuckled, and the frost in the room quickly receded.
"Isn't this thanks to your sister? She hoarded it like a treasure. If it weren't for her, how could I have been stuck at this bottleneck for so many years."
"You woman are truly ridiculous. You have no shame. Does my sister owe you anything?"
After Su Jinxiu's death, there was a burial item that contained an extraordinary inheritance, allowing her true spirit to remain intact, her bones to transform into a demon, and return to the mortal world.
Han Xiangning had somehow obtained this information and was determined to seize this inheritance.
This also led to her enmity with the sisters, and countless battles had ensued over the past few hundred years.
If she hadn't stumbled upon a遁法 (dùn fǎ - escape technique) that allowed her to escape certain death, she would have long since perished.
Han Xiangning didn't dwell on this issue, as it had been discussed for hundreds of years, and further discussion was meaningless; neither side could convince the other.
"Then why have you come to see me today?" In reality, Han Xiangning knew exactly why Su Huamei was here.
After arranging for someone to "invite" Su Jinxiu's husband over and failing, she knew this day would come. She just hadn't expected Su Huamei to be the one to show up.
"Stop playing coy. Stay away from him, or don't blame us sisters for fighting you to the bitter end. I doubt you want that, do you?"
Han Xiangning let out a soft laugh.
"Are you threatening me? This is a society governed by law now."
"I am threatening you," Su Huamei said with a stern face.
Her eyes emitted light like the sun and moon. Though her words were soft, they thundered like lightning, causing the entire building to seem to shake with each syllable. Behind her, the phantom image of a one-legged ferocious beast appeared.
With the emergence of the beast's phantom, the air grew thick and viscous. Han Xiangning felt as if she were being pressed down onto her chair by a heavy object, finding it difficult to even move a finger.
She didn't struggle, but her eyes were filled with jealousy. They had both died, so why did the Su sisters each have their own fortunes? One sister had a powerful and complete inheritance, and the younger sister had a treasure to protect her spirit.
And what about her? She had nothing. Everything she had was obtained through her own efforts.
Even death was so unfair.
Her confrontation with the Su sisters over the years was not solely for Su Jinxiu's inheritance.
The sister's bones, the younger sister's skin, combined with her own body, the three corpses united...
Thinking of this, the jealousy in Han Xiangning's eyes receded, replaced by greed. The rosy glow on her skin quickly faded, and a blue color, like ink seeping into water, spread rapidly from her forehead to her entire body, "dyeing" her indigo.
A biting chill once again enveloped the entire office, but this time it was stronger, and frost silently crawled onto the glass.
If anyone else were in the room at this moment, they would surely feel the piercing cold like sharp blades, stinging their skin.
Han Xiangning, who had been slumped in her chair, moved her fingers slightly and then sat up straight, her movements a little stiff.
She raised her hand and placed it on the desk in front of her, producing the sound of hard objects colliding. Cracks began to spread outwards from where her palm touched.
"Do you want to start a fight here?" Han Xiangning asked unhurriedly.
In this state, her voice was completely different from her previous charming female tone. It was a grating rasp, like two pieces of ice rubbing against each other, raising goosebumps.
Su Huamei snorted lightly, and a muffled thunderclap seemed to echo through the office. Then, she slowly withdrew the phantom image, and the light in her eyes, like the sun and moon, completely vanished. The features on her face shifted like water.
Finally, she reverted to the appearance of Secretary Lin. She cast a deep glance at Han Xiangning, then opened the door and turned to leave.
As she opened the door, a gust of cold air rushed out, causing those working outside to shiver involuntarily.
Meanwhile, the indigo color on Han Xiangning's skin rapidly receded, and her skin once again became rosy and lustrous.
Watching Su Huamei's retreating back, Han Xiangning tapped her finger lightly on the desk, a cruel look on her face. She desperately wanted to keep Su Huamei there, but...
Ultimately, it was just a long sigh. Not yet, but soon.
She lowered her head and continued working, though the damaged desk and the hole in the carpet looked slightly out of place.
...
"Hey, Xiao Liu, haven't seen you these past few days?"
In the afternoon, when things slowed down, everyone gathered under the shade of a tree to rest. A familiar voice asked with curiosity.
"Of course, Saturday and Sunday are for rest. Are you all like me, working just to make a living? You have to work on your days off too?" someone teased with a smile.
"Not at all, I just went back to my hometown."
Liu Nanfeng didn't mind, knowing everyone was just joking. Of course, there was some envy, but that was normal; there was no need to take it to heart.
"Sigh, I haven't been back in months either. I'll have to wait until National Day. It's the farming season then, so I can go home and help."
"Me too. I have to rest. Alright, let's not talk about this. Oh, right, an old lady died at Heping Garden a few days ago. Be careful when you deliver there today."
"Careful about what? Someone just died. Someone dies every day. What's there to be afraid of? Are you afraid of ghosts? We're a bunch of poor souls, what else are we afraid of?"
The crowd burst into laughter.
"Be careful though. This old lady died in a rather strange way. She fell in her house and starved to death, and was then gnawed beyond recognition by her own dog. It was a horrific end. If the neighbors hadn't smelled the stench and called the police, she might not have been discovered."
"Wow, that's terrible! Did she have any relatives?" Everyone was surprised.
"I heard the old woman had a very bad personality. For the slightest thing, she could curse loudly in the neighborhood for a whole morning. Everyone in the complex was annoyed by her, like a shrew, relying on her age. But because she was old, no one wanted to argue. Now that she's dead, everyone might be happy inside, even if they don't say it."
"Some elderly people are indeed very annoying. One blocked the elevator door and wouldn't let me in, saying I smelled of sweat."
"That's nothing compared to what happened to me. Last time I was delivering a cake to a customer, I met an old man in the store who asked me for a slice to try. I refused, and he spat at me. At that moment, I really wanted to hit him."
"Haha, hit him? What would you do? If you hit him, you'd probably have worked for nothing this year."
They sat in the shade, chatting merrily, but soon an order came in, and they left one by one. Liu Nanfeng was no exception.
The previously lively spot under the tree became deserted, with only the shadows of the trees swaying in the breeze.
"2403."
Liu Nanfeng glanced at the order slip in his hand. Since it was a weekday, most deliveries at this time were to office buildings.
This order was for two cups of coffee.
One latte, and another latte.
"Yun Suo Yoga Studio." Liu Nanfeng looked at the sign on the wall. It should be here.
He vaguely heard music coming from inside. Liu Nanfeng reached out and knocked on the glass door.
The receptionist, who was looking down, heard the sound, looked up, and reached out to open the door for him.
"The delivery for Ms. Luo," Liu Nanfeng said as he walked in.
"Put it here..."
Before the receptionist could finish speaking, a voice from the side asked, "Is that my delivery?"
Liu Nanfeng looked towards the sound and saw a woman in fitness attire walking towards him.
The woman looked very young, with an excellent figure. She had her hair in a ponytail, revealing a smooth forehead, an oval face, and fair skin. However, her eye sockets were deep, and her eyeballs were pale blue, giving her an exotic charm.
Her face was covered in sweat, and even the front of her clothes was damp.
Liu Nanfeng glanced at her, not daring to look too long, as it would be impolite.
"Are you Ms. Luo?" Liu Nanfeng asked.
The receptionist next to her quickly stood up and respectfully called her "Teacher Luo," indicating that this woman likely held a high position here.
"Yes, it's mine. My phone number ends in 8317."
"Ms. Luo, enjoy your meal. Please leave a good review," Liu Nanfeng said habitually as he handed over the bag.
The woman took it and then looked at Liu Nanfeng quite carefully.
Then, to his surprise, she exclaimed, "Liu Nanfeng?"
"Huh?" Liu Nanfeng looked up at her in surprise.
"It's me, Luo Hongxiu. A high school classmate, don't you remember?"
"Luo Hongxiu?"
Upon her mentioning it, Liu Nanfeng vaguely recalled that there had indeed been a classmate like that in high school.
However, he remembered her as dressed plainly, wearing black-rimmed glasses, the studious type. Compared to her current appearance, she was like a different person.
"You've changed so much!" Liu Nanfeng said with a sigh.
Even now, he couldn't be entirely sure if the person in front of him was Luo Hongxiu.
But one thing was certain: she was human, because there were no words above her head.
"In our third year of high school, everyone was surprised to hear you were admitted to Jiangnan University... Do you remember our class monitor, Jiang Cuiyun? She and I were both admitted..." Luo Hongxiu chatted on.
Then, she seemed to realize she might be talking too much, and her cheeks flushed slightly. "Am I talking too much? Am I delaying your work?"
"It's nothing. It's just that I'm also surprised to see you. Are you working as a yoga teacher here now?"
Liu Nanfeng glanced behind her. The long glass corridor was lined with yoga studios.
"Yes, I started practicing yoga in college. Because I had a background in dance, I progressed quickly. I never expected to become a yoga teacher myself."
Luo Hongxiu said with a smile, then gently wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.
"I'm sorry, I just finished a class. The weather is really too hot."
"It's okay, didn't you order iced coffee? Drink it quickly. I need to get going," Liu Nanfeng said, turning to leave.
"Wait a moment," Luo Hongxiu said, grabbing Liu Nanfeng's wrist.
"Old classmate, are you leaving just like that after such a chance reunion?"
Luo Hongxiu's eyes were full of alluring charm, and her entire being exuded the unique languid allure of a woman after exercise.
The receptionist nearby looked at the scene with surprise, but when Luo Hongxiu's gaze swept over her, she quickly sat down, pretending to be diligently working.
Liu Nanfeng looked down at the wrist that was being held. The palm was fair and rosy, with slender fingers. For a woman, they were a bit large, but very beautiful.
"Let's exchange contact information," Luo Hongxiu said with a smile.
"I have your phone number. I'll add you to my contacts later."
"Who makes phone calls anymore? Let's add each other on WeChat. Wait a moment."
With that, she turned quickly and headed towards the classroom.
Liu Nanfeng watched her back. Her figure was truly amazing, but the gap between her current appearance and his memory was too vast. Could practicing yoga really have such a profound effect?
By now, Liu Nanfeng had basically confirmed that the person in front of him was indeed his high school classmate Luo Hongxiu, because they both had a small mole near the corner of their right eye.
Before, when she wore glasses, it wasn't very noticeable. Now that she wasn't wearing them, it was particularly prominent. But instead of detracting from her beauty, it added a touch of allure.
Luo Hongxiu soon returned, holding a mobile phone.
Seeing that things had reached this point, Liu Nanfeng didn't say much more and they exchanged WeChat contacts.
"I won't keep you from your work any longer. I'll contact you later," Luo Hongxiu said with a smile, her objective achieved.
"Alright, I'll be going then."
Liu Nanfeng wasted no more words, turned and headed for the door. Once he got into the elevator, he opened Luo Hongxiu's Moments feed.
Her Moments content was very rich. Besides personal selfies, the most frequent were yoga practice selfies from various angles, showcasing her beautiful figure.
In addition, there were many posts about Buddhist temples and bodhisattva birthdays, indicating she was also a Buddhist.
"Do you still keep in touch with any high school classmates? Let's invite them out for a get-together tonight."
Before Liu Nanfeng could even exit the elevator, he received a text message from Luo Hongxiu.
"No, after starting university, contact was mostly lost. Although I have a few people on WeChat, they aren't in Jiangcheng." Liu Nanfeng replied.
Soon, Liu Nanfeng received a reply: "That's a pity. But it's okay, we can get together just the two of us tonight, right? You're out and about all day, you must know good places. You find the spot, how about that?"
As he read this message, Liu Nanfeng was already mounting his electric scooter. He chuckled, not in a hurry to leave, and replied, "I'm sorry, I promised my wife I'd be home for dinner tonight."
This time, the reply didn't come immediately. Liu Nanfeng didn't mind. He put away his phone, started the electric scooter, and sped off, rushing to deliver the next order.
However, before he could deliver the second order, Luo Hongxiu's message came again.
First, a surprised emoji.
Then, she asked, "You're already married? That's really unexpected. Is your wife exceptionally beautiful? Curious.jpg"
Her words conveyed a sense of familiarity, which made Liu Nanfeng frown slightly.
"She's alright."
"Who's prettier, her or me? Let me tell you, I'm very confident in my looks."
"Why don't you invite her to join us tonight? I'm really curious what your wife looks like. Excited.jpg"
"Okay, I'm busy now. I'll ask her later." Liu Nanfeng replied.
"Alright, I'll wait for your good news. Talk later."
After finishing his last order, Liu Nanfeng dialed Su Jinxiu's number.
"Honey, someone's trying to seduce your husband."
Su Jinxiu: ...