Soon, the head chef arrived. He was the executive chef of the most prestigious seven-star hotel in the metropolis, a true master of his craft who had participated in numerous state banquets.

When he and his kitchen team stepped into the manor, they were equally stunned by its opulence.

At first, the chef wore a face full of reluctance. No matter how wealthy Luo Yao was, did that give her the right to insult his dignity?

He was a chef; cooking was meant for those who truly appreciated fine cuisine, not to serve spoiled rich kids.

But when Uncle Fu pulled out a check, the chef reluctantly sold his pride.

Now, he wore a forced smile as he focused seriously on preparing the dishes.

By dinner time, they had prepared a lavish feast for Luo Yao and Lin Ran, all their specialties.

Since they weren’t the manor’s regular kitchen staff, someone had to taste the food first.

You might wonder: who was the most trusted person in the manor?

Was it the servants? The nannies? The gardeners? The security guards?

Wrong. It was the chefs.

Because if anyone wanted to harm the household, the kitchen team was the easiest to exploit. That’s why Luo Yao had extremely strict standards for selecting chefs.

They had to provide detailed backgrounds going back three generations, including all relatives and family circumstances. Moreover, Luo Yao had a powerful strategy.

All manor employees’ families lived in unified housing, and even their children’s education was handled by Luo Corporation.

Not to inspire gratitude, but as a warning: if anyone harbored ill intentions, they should think about their families.

This time, Jiang Feihua hesitated to taste the dishes and said nothing.

Uncle Fu, however, ate a few bites openly and after a while declared the food was fine.

Seeing Uncle Fu approve, Jiang Feihua looked miserable.

In truth, the dishes were constantly supervised during preparation, and the kitchen staff were the first to taste them.

Uncle Fu was only the second line of defense.

The head chef was about to come over and proudly introduce his masterpieces, but Uncle Fu stopped him.

“Miss Luo and Young Master Lin are dining. No one else is to disturb them.”

The chef was furious on the spot, but after considering the hefty sum he’d received, he forced a smile and stepped back.

No choice—Luo Yao’s offer was just too generous.

“Aran, want a drink?”

Lin Ran’s eyes narrowed. Could Luo Yao be plotting something against him?

Probably not—her relatives still lived inside, after all.

“Sure, I’ll drink with you, even if it costs me my life.”

Lin Ran rarely drank—not because he couldn’t, but because he genuinely had a low tolerance.

He remembered getting drunk after their high school graduation, making a fool of himself, and even directing traffic on the street.

Alcohol was a strange thing.

When you’re sober, you control it—you drink as much as you want.

But once you’re drunk, it controls you. It makes you drink as much as it wants.

It makes you go crazy, fall asleep, pee in public, or even direct traffic.

Since then, people often teased him about that night.

But when his wife invited him, even if it was poison, he’d still try it.

A bottle of red wine worth millions was taken from the wine rack, uncorked without hesitation.

The chef team carefully decanted the wine, not daring to be careless for a second.

Luo Yao didn’t plan to get Lin Ran completely drunk today—just a light buzz would do.

Tonight, they could go somewhere together for a stroll.

After a few rounds of drinks, Luo Yao raised her glass.

“Ah Ran, how’s the taste?”

Lin Ran was actually a bit shocked.

“A professional chef really is something else. I had almost given up hope on the food in the city, but I didn’t expect it could be this delicious.”

The swirling red wine glass, stained with a touch of red on Luo Yao’s lips, looked incredibly seductive and alluring in Lin Ran’s eyes.

Luo Yao rarely drank, but her tolerance was surprisingly good.

“And this wine is impeccable too. Even someone like me, who doesn’t usually drink, can tell this wine has a unique flavor.”

Lin Ran gave his most honest appraisal as the dinner was nearing its end.

“Do you know why I wanted to have a drink together today?”

Lin Ran didn’t know why.

“You’re not thinking of getting me drunk so you can do some naughty things, are you? There’s a fancy term for that kind of thing—XX—and technically, it’s illegal.”

“Illegal or not, do you think I’m scared?”

Lin Ran was stunned and quickly stopped Luo Yao from going further. “Shh, keep your voice down. We’re on the Urban Daily channel here.”

But Luo Yao wasn’t intimidated by Lin Ran’s words. “So what? The last thing I like is all these rules and regulations. Legal or illegal, am I scared?”

Lin Ran was helpless and just gave up completely, shrugging his shoulders.

“Not scared, not scared. You’re my law.”

His face flushed slightly, showing signs of mild intoxication—drinking was never Lin Ran’s strong suit.

“Actually, I just wanted to take you somewhere. Consider this dinner a celebration.”

“A celebration of what?”

“Celebrating that after all these years, you’re finally by my side.”

Lin Ran: ???

“Ah Ran, come walk with me.”

“Okay.”

Uncle Fu knew they probably had something to talk about, so he didn’t follow. Meanwhile, Jiang Feihua was eagerly preparing to tag along.

With just a glance, Luo Yao cast a paralysis spell on Jiang Feihua.

After Luo Yao stepped out of the villa, Uncle Fu leaned in and whispered, “Remember, no matter how big this world is, nothing can stop Master Lin and Miss Luo’s sweetness.”

Jiang Feihua looked at Uncle Fu’s knowing expression and began to scheme in her mind.

“Uncle Fu, sometimes I really envy you. You get to stay by Miss Luo’s side. Unlike me, stuck guarding this empty mansion in the city. They call me the professional manager of the estate, but really, I’m just a gatekeeper—only the gate’s a bit bigger. You understand how I feel, right?”

Uncle Fu raised an eyebrow—Jiang Feihua’s words had a hidden meaning.

“Your description is pretty accurate. Honestly, I feel the same way. Whether in Kyoto or the city, it’s all the same.”

“Is that so? Heh.”

Jiang Feihua clenched her phone tightly in her pocket. This time, she was determined to expose the true face of this old housekeeper to Luo Yao.

If you don’t want to be the watchdog of Kyoto, I’m more than willing to be one.

Since arriving in the city, Lin Ran and Luo Yao had never properly explored the mansion. Usually, they only stayed in the rest area and the work zone.

Now, the two stood before a strange artificial rock formation.

Luo Yao gazed at the building before her, a nostalgic look in her eyes. "I've actually been thinking about whether I should bring you here to see it."

"Where is this place? Why so mysterious?"

Luo Yao pushed aside a large decorative piece, revealing a dog-sized hole.

Lin Ran was utterly baffled, watching as Luo Yao went in first.

This...

If anyone else saw this, their jaws would surely drop.

The heiress of the top financial family, crawling through a dog hole?

But somehow, this dog hole felt oddly familiar. Lin Ran followed her in.

The moment he stepped inside, he was stunned.