CHAPTER 326: CHAPTER 326 I AM YOUR FAVORITE WOMAN!1

The City Lord must have been an absolute construction enthusiast!

On the way to the undersea mausoleum, Lady Duanmu introduced Mengcheng to her, saying that all the city’s architecture was personally designed by the City Lord during his lifetime!

They rode a submarine, cruising above the city, looking down on the entire metropolis, which resembled a gigantic, fervent heart.

Lady Duanmu said, "The City Lord once determined the entire city’s layout. Now, when building houses, no one can deviate from this plan. It was a rule he set on his deathbed, one that all citizens who adored him willingly follow. He hoped that one day, when the woman he loved appeared, she would see his unwavering devotion—a lifetime spent loving only her."

Si Mingjing felt a pang of envy.

"The City Lord was a deeply passionate man."

"He was, even more so, a heartless man. For any woman to fall in love with him was to court tragedy."

These were Lady Duanmu’s heartfelt words.

Si Mingjing smiled without saying anything.

She looked down at the city through the submarine’s glass window. It was so beautiful that she couldn’t help but take several photos and post them on social media.

She added the caption: "Some affections, once they blossom, are as irretrievable as spilled water."

At that moment, the submarine landed on the underwater square in front of the mausoleum.

Another submarine of a different model was also docked in the square.

Lady Duanmu stepped out of the submarine. Staring at the familiar-looking vessel, her delicately shaped eyebrows furrowed. "They’ve come again."

Si Mingjing followed Lady Duanmu, wondering, What does she mean, ’they’ve come again’?

"Miss Si, come with me."

Lady Duanmu led the way to the outer entrance of the undersea mausoleum.

At the entrance, more than a dozen Sentinels were on duty. Seeing Lady Duanmu, they bowed and saluted, "Acting City Lord."

"Hmm, has Zhu Lanying come again?"

A Sentinel replied, "Yes, Acting City Lord. We couldn’t stop her."

Before the City Lord conquered Mengcheng, this area had been a vast Pearl Mining Base, and Zhu Lanying was the daughter of the base’s largest pearl merchant.

When the City Lord took over the Pearl Mining Base, Zhu Lanying hated him to the bone, constantly scheming to sabotage his grand city-building plans.

The City Lord, unwilling to stoop to the level of a "mere girl," simply dismissed her as if she were air.

Zhu Lanying, who had always been regarded as the epitome of fairness, wealth, and beauty, believed there wasn’t a man she couldn’t conquer. However, when she encountered the City Lord who treated her as if she were invisible, her pride and self-esteem took a heavy blow.

Perhaps driven by her desire to conquer men, she suddenly began to pursue the City Lord with great fanfare, declaring she would marry no one but him.

Of course, the City Lord ignored her once again!

From then on, Zhu Lanying became obsessed, surrounding herself with many men who bore some resemblance to the City Lord.

She went through one man after another, parading each one before the City Lord to get his attention—some had a similar nose, others a similar mouth, face shape, or even just a similar silhouette.

She wanted to enrage the City Lord.

Unfortunately, the City Lord continued to treat her as if she were air, paying her no mind.

Zhu Lanying tried every conceivable method, but still couldn’t capture the City Lord’s attention. This became an obsession she couldn’t overcome.

After the City Lord passed away, Zhu Lanying’s obsession became even more entrenched.

For decades, she came to his mausoleum every month to cause a disturbance.

She wanted to enter the mausoleum to see what legacy the City Lord had left behind. However, the City Lord had established a restriction during his lifetime: no one but his beloved woman could enter.

Zhu Lanying was furious, and her hatred intensified!

This intense emotion hadn’t dissipated for decades!

And here she was again.

Even if she couldn’t get in, she wanted to make her presence felt, determined not to let the City Lord’s spirit rest peacefully in the mausoleum.

Si Mingjing followed Lady Duanmu through the main gate. Before they even saw the person, they heard her voice—curses echoing from a distance.

"Hahaha! Didn’t you claim you loved only one woman in your lifetime? What a pity, your beloved woman still hasn’t appeared! Do you think I’m a failure? You’re the complete failure! You’re just low! Utterly low!"

"So what if you looked down on me? I, Yin Congying, have enjoyed the company of at least twenty men in my life, if not thirty! I’ve had young, handsome men by my side every day. But what about you? The great City Lord, who died young in his prime—you probably never even touched a woman before you died, did you?"

"Stop pretending! The truth is, you just couldn’t perform! That’s why you didn’t dare get close to women! If a man is impotent, he should just admit it! Why invent an imaginary beloved woman?"

Lady Duanmu heard this and roared from a distance, "Zhu Lanying, shut your mouth!"

Lady Duanmu quickened her pace, wanting to reach Zhu Lanying and stop her from slandering the City Lord.

Si Mingjing kept up with Lady Duanmu. After traversing a long underground corridor, their surroundings suddenly opened up, revealing a massive underground air-raid shelter.

How large was it? It must have been the size of ten football fields!

Si Mingjing saw a noblewoman, about the same age as Lady Duanmu, standing in front of a rope bridge, crudely shouting curses.

Lady Duanmu strode over, looking very imposing, and raised her hand to slap Zhu Lanying.

Zhu Lanying was no pushover. She dodged to the side and burst out laughing. "I was wondering who was acting so desperately! Turns out, it’s his little lapdog. Duanmu Xue, don’t you also love that man? And just like me, you couldn’t catch his eye either, could you? Is an impotent man truly worth your undying loyalty even now?"

"If you dare disrespect the City Lord again, don’t blame me for being harsh!"

Zhu Lanying scoffed. "Save your empty threats for someone else. What can you possibly do to me? Don’t think that just because you’re the Acting City Lord, you can run roughshod over everyone in Mengcheng!"

The Zhu family had originally been merchants at the Pearl Mining Base. Although their slaves were liberated years ago, causing them heavy losses, her father quickly adjusted his strategy. He hired these former slaves to continue mining pearls and actively complied with the new policies enacted by the City Lord. Consequently, the Zhu family remains the largest pearl merchant in Mengcheng to this day.

The Zhu family holds significant influence in Mengcheng!

Zhu Lanying, hands on her hips, laughed. "You don’t want me to say it? Well, I’m going to say it! He was just putting on an act, inventing a lover to hide his own impotence! I advise you to wake up and face reality. You will never see the woman he spoke of—never! Hahaha..."

Si Mingjing had no interest in listening to a woman’s tirade born of unrequited love. Her gaze fell upon the only rope bridge leading forward.

She took a step forward and walked onto it.

Lady Duanmu cried out in alarm, "Miss Si, stop! Don’t go over there!"

Si Mingjing didn’t heed the warning and gracefully stepped onto the rope bridge.

The rope bridge swayed slightly. Beneath it lay a pitch-black, bottomless abyss. Fortunately, Si Mingjing didn’t suffer from acrophobia, so she crossed the five-meter-long bridge without difficulty.

At that moment, Zhu Lanying, who was still loudly mocking and cursing, suddenly froze, her jaw dropping in shock.

She couldn’t accept this reality and bellowed, "How... how is this possible? How could she have crossed over unscathed?"