A Shocking Dream

Chapter 176

"Boss, we do have some matters to attend to. We are sorry to bother you, Lord. Please offer your apologies on our behalf."

Qianqian echoed from the side, "Yeah, we don't even know this Marquis, so why should we go have dinner with him? Sister is right, we won't go."

The shopkeeper stamped his feet anxiously, "You two are putting me in a difficult position. I know the Marquis has a bad temper. If he blames me, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep this inn going."

Lin Wunian pondered for a moment. She understood the shopkeeper's dilemma. If they didn't accept the invitation, they were afraid they would bring trouble to the shopkeeper. However, the Marquis's sudden invitation must have ulterior motives. If she and Kankan went, they would undoubtedly be walking into a tiger's mouth.

Seeing Lin Wunian's hesitation, Wan Wan tugged at her sleeve and said, "Sister, what should we do? If we go, it will definitely be dangerous, but if we don't go, the shopkeeper will be in trouble."

Lin Wunian gritted his teeth and said, "Call the shopkeeper in first, and then we'll make plans."

The shopkeeper walked into the room trembling with fear, his forehead covered with sweat, "Miss Lin, please have pity on me."

"Boss, you go and reply first. The two of us will clean up and then go down." Lin Wunian didn't want to see the boss in trouble.

The shopkeeper, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly turned and left. Beside Lin Wunian, Kankan frowned slightly, "Sister, are we really going to meet those people? I have a feeling there's something fishy going on."

Lin Wunian smiled bitterly. "At this point, I'm afraid I have no choice but to go. We settled down in this inn and didn't want to cause any trouble, but now that we've been targeted, running away is not an option."

After saying this, Lin Wunian walked to the bedside and looked at the sleeping Lu Yao. In order to prevent someone from entering the room after they left, she had to do something to Lu Yao.

From the package, Kanan pulled a finished human skin mask and handed it to Lin Wunian. Lin Wunian took it and gently walked over to the sleeping Lu Yao's bedside. Lu Yao's sleeping face was peaceful and tranquil, like a defenseless fledgling. A wave of pity welled up in Lin Wunian's heart, but the situation forced her to slowly bend over.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she gently lifted Lu Yao's cascading hair, her movements so gentle she wouldn't disturb her sweet dreams. Then, Lin Wunian carefully aligned the human skin mask against Lu Yao's face, adjusting the position before gently fitting it. Her eyes were focused and solemn as she meticulously smoothed the mask from forehead to cheek, from nose to jawline, securing it with a special glue.

Kankan watched quietly from the side and said softly, "Sister, this is also helpless."

Lin Wunian nodded silently. She knew it all. Once the mask was completely fitted, she pulled a box of paint from her bosom and meticulously colored the human skin mask, tailoring it to Lu Yao's skin tone and temperament to give it a more natural and realistic look. Her brushstrokes were delicate, like she was painting a masterpiece, each one imbued with care and concern.

Finally, the transformation was complete. The once beautiful Lu Yao had now transformed into an ordinary-looking woman, less stunning but more simple. Lin Wunian straightened up, breathed a sigh of relief, and said to Qianqian, "I hope this will keep her safe. We'll go and come back quickly."

Kanan responded, and the two exchanged glances, each seeing determination in the other's eyes. They quietly left the room, gently closing the door, leaving Lu Yao alone inside, completely unaware of the dangers and protections emanating from the outside world.

"They are coming down." The guard heard footsteps on the stairs and reminded Xie Yuan in a low voice.

The first-floor lobby, once bustling with diners, had long since been cleared out by Xie Yuan's arrival, leaving only a dead silence. In this empty space, the footsteps from the rooftop seemed particularly harsh, each step pounding on the heartstrings, with an unsettling rhythm.

Xie Yuan and the other two raised their heads slightly, staring at the stairwell with piercing eyes, their expressions impassive. They wanted to see what this so-called peerless beauty was like. The footsteps were getting closer and closer, with a force so powerful that the air around them seemed to freeze.

Finally, a slender figure slowly came into view. The girl was dressed in a moon-white brocade dress, the hems of which were embroidered with delicate silver patterns. As she walked, she appeared and disappeared, like a galaxy twinkling in the moonlight.

Looking up, her long, lustrous black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, gently held back with a jade hairpin. A few strands draped around her fair neck, adding a touch of playfulness and charm. Her face was obscured by a veil as thin as a cicada's wing, revealing only a pair of autumn-water eyes, their shimmering light seeming to conceal endless emotion and mystery.

Kanan walked down first, followed by Lin Wunian. She was dressed in a pristine white gown, like a frost-snow-fallen figure, pure and ethereal. Her white hair flowed like a waterfall, held together simply by a wooden hairpin. Her face was as white as jade, and her eyes held an unwavering coldness, like a fairy, otherworldly, who had strayed into the mortal world. Her lotus steps moved lightly, like a fairy treading on the waves, emanating a cool and otherworldly aura, like a bamboo in the morning mist, detached from the world.

Zhou Junze saw Lin Wunian suddenly stand up, her eyes cast straight towards the stairs. Yang Zishi's eyes suddenly lit up, and he couldn't help but nudge Xie Yuan gently, whispering, "This woman is so extraordinary! Today has really opened my eyes." Xie Yuan's eyes also shone, staring at Lin Wunian intently, secretly marveling, "How could such a woman exist in this world? She's like a star that has fallen into the mortal world, making it impossible to look away."

Zhou Junze, however, seemed to have lost his soul, his usual calm and composed presence completely gone. Lin Wunian's figure was reflected in his eyes, her cool demeanor like a sharp hook, instantly catching the softest corner of his heart. His lips parted slightly, as if he had a thousand words to say, but they were choked in his throat. He could only stand there in a daze, as if everything in the world had vanished in that moment, leaving only that moon-white figure deeply imprinted in his eyes.

Zhou Junze had initially been drawn solely to Lin Wunian's appearance and aura, but when his gaze stumbled upon her frosty, snow-white hair, a strong sense of familiarity surged within him. His brow furrowed slightly, his mind racing, carefully reviewing every image he'd ever seen in her.

Those faces and figures, some clear, some blurry, flashed by one by one. Suddenly, a name, along with a story, slowly sprouted in his mind like a bud breaking through the soil. A flicker of surprise and certainty flashed in his eyes. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and said in a voice tinged with respect and admiration, "I am shortsighted. I didn't recognize you. You are Dr. Wu Nian, the doctor who recently became famous for single-handedly curing an epidemic in Linzhou."