408: 8.8 Be Careful

8.8 Be Careful

Even though it had been ten years since, Master Knox did not change at all from the man in the painting. Perhaps it was because he was welcoming many esteemed guests from afar, his attire was entirely formal with layers of tunic and high collared outfit, complete with the gold bracelets, diamond brooch and earrings that spoke of his wealth.2

There were five people in the room with him. 

…Huh? Lu Yizhou counted again, the number of people remained the same.

Judging from his batch, he had expected there would also be seven people in the previous batch who would then stay in the mansion for seven days. Had he been wrong? Could this number not mean anything after all…? Lu Yizhou shook his head and shelved the thought for later. He had really been too influenced by Moshe to overthink some details like this.

Master Knox stood up from his seat with a polite smile on his face. "Welcome, esteemed doctors. You must be tired from the journey. Coincidentally, I am throwing a farewell dinner for these ladies so you won't mind joining in, will you?"

"Of course not, Master Knox." Ji Yan took the lead to show his respect. "We are so grateful to have you welcome us personally."

"Please, just call me Luca. We will be closely acquaintanced with each other in the following days anyway." He let out a faint chuckle and gestured to the long table. "Take a seat."

Lu Yizhou carefully observed the table. Most of these women had chosen to sit close to the head of the table. That left only the furthermost seats and also, the ones directly on the right and left side of Luca that remained empty for some reason. 

He glanced at Luca Knox through the corner of his eyes. This cordial man did not act like someone with minus fifty trust, judging from the courtesy he was showing them. But Lu Yizhou did not want to take a risk. He was ready to walk to the end of the table, intending to sit as far away as Luca — whom he suspected was a potential bug — except before he could do so, his wrist was suddenly caught.

Lu Yizhou wrenched his arm away even before he could look at who had the audacity to touch him — only to come face to face with a gobsmacked Ji Yan. 

"Back off," he spat out with a frosty tone. 

Did the protagonist think that they had become buddy-buddy just because they were riding in the same carriage and being in the same team? Ridiculous! It was lucky that Lu Yizhou caught himself squarely before his base instinct could kick in otherwise Ji Yan would not be standing on both feet right now.

"I–I'm sorry!" Ji Yan blurted out, truly looking so apologetic that he almost cried. "I didn't do it on purpose — no I mean, I did it on purpose but that's just because I want to discuss something with you!"

Lu Yizhou measured him with a sharp gaze. Ji Yan did not look like he was faking it. Lu Yizhou took a deep breath to regain his bearings. Alright… he might be overreacting. A bit. Lu Yizhou really was not used to being touched by anyone other than his lover and their daughter. Other than that, he would subconsciously perceive it as a threat. In a way, Ji Yan was actually innocent. But Lu Yizhou still told him, "Please don't do it again in the future."

He heard Olivia scoff out loud somewhere behind him.

'Daddy, chill!' Ozzie wrapped her tail tighter around his neck to comfort. 'Remember that you are a team now. It's no good to act so unfriendly, especially to the protagonist!'

Of course, she was right. Lu Yizhou schooled his features and inclined his head, all hostility vanished from his face and replaced with solid placidness. "I'm sorry for overreacting. You just caught me by surprise."

"Y–Yes!" Ji Yan squeaked out and rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I am sorry for being so inconsiderate. Don't worry, I will not do it again."

"Is there something wrong, ladies?" Luca asked from where he was sitting, his expression calmly curious.

"Nothing, Sir." Ji Yan beamed brightly. He tilted his body toward Lu Yizhou and whispered in a voice only both of them could hear, carefully making sure not to touch any part of his body. "Miss Irene, this is our one and only chance, let's take the seat closest to Luca!"

Lu Yizhou stared at him blankly. Had the protagonist gone crazy or was he just that confident in his ability?

"Think about it." Ji Yan tried to appeal. "There's a reason why the seats closest to him remain empty. Let me guess, other players will not dare to take it because they have been alarmed by the severity of the side quest first. But isn't it the game's exact purpose? To keep us on our toes and deter us from the most important thing? Who knows, we might be able to gain some important clues before nobody else!"

That was… a very logical argument, Lu Yizhou had to admit. So the protagonist did not survive through five quests just being the world's darling. He was also bold and wouldn't shy away from challenges. The corner of Lu Yizhou ticked upward. This was the first time he had met such an interesting protagonist. 

Ji Yan was right. To find his lover, Lu Yizhou might have to get close to the master of the house first. "Very well," he said, causing Ji Yan's eyes to light up. 

Under their teammates' shocked and bewildered eyes, they strolled to the head of the table.

Luca regarded them with a considering gaze. This close, Lu Yizhou could not even sense any malicious intent from him. If it wasn't for the system's panel, he wouldn't know that this man held such a low opinion toward him. "Do you need something, ladies?" He asked with a faint smile on his lips.

Ji Yan gestured to the empty seats and put on a polite yet still charming smile. "Can we sit here please, Master Luca? My companion and I are very distressed by the news of your wife and daughter's illness. If it's possible, we would like to learn something about them before we see them in person. Preferably if it's from you, the one who is their closest family."

Luca's eyes widened by a fraction, genuinely surprised. "Really? You want to learn about my wife and daughter…?"

"Yes," Lu Yizhou and Ji Yan both nodded.

"That's very kind of you." The rigidity in Luca's eyes seemed to thaw, making his expression look more sincere. "No one has ever attempted to learn about my wife and daughter before, not on the very first day and especially not from me. Please, feel free to take a seat." 

No shit, Lu Yizhou thought wryly. Just the side quest 'survive the dinner' was already enough for everyone to be shaken. They would be focused on their own safety, where would they have the leisure to learn about other people? It was only the protagonist who would be bold enough to do something like this!

As Lu Yizhou sat down, another notification rang in his mind.

[[Side quest (2/?): Gain Master Knox's trust. Progress: 0/10000]]

He lifted his head to see Ji Yan grinning at him. Apparently, they had received the same notification. To have obtained 50 points of Luca's trust just by spouting a few sentences, Ji Yan was truly this world's beloved darling. It seemed like Lu Yizhou shouldn't get on his bad side in the future.

After everyone took their seat, Master Knox tapped his spoon gently on his wine glass, drawing everyone's attention to him. "Welcome to the Knox's Residence, for you who have just arrived here. I would also like to use this opportunity to bid farewell for those who will depart tomorrow. My family's cooks have prepared a lot of scrumptious cuisines for you, specials from my hometown! Esteemed doctors, I am certain that you will enjoy it!" He gestured toward Baines, who bowed his head in return and pulled open the double door. 

Two rows of cooks walked in each with a large serving tray held in their hands, following them was a whiff of delightful smell that could make anyone's tummy growl in hunger. The trays were placed one after another in front of them, so many that they almost filled the entire table! 

As soon as the covers were pulled open, the smell instantly exploded in the air. Each dish was plated in a breathtaking visual, colorful yet aesthetic at the same time. Adding to the mouth-watering and delectable fragrant that wafted out along with the sizzling heat, everyone successfully swallowed a mouthful of saliva or two. 

Luca's smile deepened in satisfaction. "Please help yourself, ladies."

Everyone's hands, including Lu Yizhou's, moved to the utensils. It was at that moment that the door swung open once again, and stumbled in two ladies whose attire was crumpled with their hair tied haphazardly on top of their head. Compared to the five others, they could be considered unkempt. "We are very sorry for oversleeping!" They bent down low in remorse. "Please pardon our lateness, Master Luca!"

From the corner of his eyes, Lu Yizhou keenly saw the temperature in Luca's eyes plunged below the freezing point, albeit his smile was unfazed.

He suddenly recalled Baines' passing words earlier — "Be careful, he doesn't like tardiness."

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A/N: please cast your golden tickets to VSS and keep us in the top 30 for a mass release next month. Thank you~

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