Chapter 2760: Chapter 2755: Thirteen-Day Talks (12)

Go up the hill, the third building.

Unless Lady Trish lied about her address, Fu Qian felt he’d already found where she lived.

Yet the place was dark as a ghost den, without a trace of human presence.

It was exquisitely done, though—small at a glance, but oozing wealth, with a perfect view.

But if Lady Trish hadn’t lied earlier, then what he was seeing now was a bit strange.

The fact that she hadn’t run into the hairclip girl could be explained—maybe she walked too fast, or too carefully, using her familiarity with the place to avoid her.

And then after getting home she still didn’t feel safe, to the point she didn’t even dare turn on the lights?

That excuse was a bit too abstract.

Or did her head cool down, and the more she thought about having given out her address, the more she regretted it, so she simply didn’t dare come back?

The VIP area wasn’t big—there were only five small buildings in total.

Even using pure trial-and-error, it wouldn’t take long to find the address of Trish’s male companion.

So at first, Fu Qian hadn’t planned to rush over and bother Trish.

However, as he walked to the vicinity of her place, Fu Qian didn’t keep going; instead he turned inward and went up the steps.

Why bother with trial and error when you can correct directly? Just ask Lady Trish outright.

The only slight regret was that maybe he shouldn’t be in such a hurry to return the brooch—

The next second, Fu Qian stopped in front of the locked door and raised his hand to knock.

...

How did that saying go, again, about someone surnamed Fu knocking at your door?

Darkness always frees the imagination; at that moment Fu Qian felt no awareness of disturbing anyone, only a wry sense that life is theater.

Of course, not everyone can pick up a cue.

For instance, even after he knocked and waited a moment, Lady Trish still didn’t come out to respond.

Click—

Everything in this world has its own fate, and Fu Qian has never been one to force it.

He didn’t mind this cold reception in the least; the next moment he simply did it himself.

The reason returning the brooch was only "slightly" regrettable was because Lady Trish’s male companion had a similar style—this outfit also prominently featured a brooch.

And after he casually felt for it, Fu Qian opened the dark wooden door with almost the same efficiency as using a key.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

Yet before he could set foot inside, such a high-level technique was called into question.

As the door swung inward, a figure was standing in the darkness; looking closely, it was the very Lady Trish who’d left earlier.

And right now she was staring coldly in his direction, clearly in a foul mood.

...

"You look in pretty good shape."

At the highest level, the art of opening locks is never just technical proficiency—your state of mind, your cultivation, matters just as much.

For example, if you’re caught right as you’re slipping a lock, and still manage to stay calm and composed.

Faced with her question, Fu Qian showed not the slightest hesitation or awkwardness, merely nodded slightly and offered a greeting.

And even though it was small talk, it was hardly random.

Even with no lights on, her face a bit shadowed, one thing was still very obvious—Lady Trish had even found the time to change outfits.

Still exquisitely gorgeous, with no trace of her earlier disheveled state.

If not for what they’d talked about before, just looking at her now, she was every inch a cool, elegant grande dame.

"Thank you."

Even her poise left little to criticize.

Even though the compliment came from a presumptuous intruder and inevitably recalled an embarrassing episode, after a brief hesitation Trish still thanked him first.

"You look good too; the clothes fit you very well."

Not only that, she reciprocated with a friendly compliment.

Of course, to Fu Qian, there was clearly more to the line.

Stressing how well the clothes fit was obviously because it was worth stressing—reminding him that he wasn’t the original owner.

And this deliberate touching on an unpleasant episode was also an implicit signal that whatever his purpose in coming, he could forget about using that incident to blackmail her.

"I think so too, except the collar’s a bit torn. Hard to control things properly when your eyes are covered."

Luckily, Fu Qian wasn’t about to do anything that crude; he just chatted breezily about past little adventures.

"If someone hadn’t pointed it out, I wouldn’t have noticed something so obvious, so I was just about to go find something else to wear."

He gestured as he spoke, not without a touch of regret.

"...It’s the last one back there. You should have the key."

Trish understood his meaning at once; after a brief silence she Insighted his real request and helpfully indicated which unit belonged to the male companion.

"Thanks for the info... Actually, what I wanted to ask was, do you know who first noticed my collar was torn?"

Unfortunately, even with that level of cooperation, Fu Qian still wasn’t very satisfied; after a polite thank-you he made it clear his main point lay elsewhere.

...

Showing up late at night to knock and play a guessing game? This much leisure?

Fu Qian’s meaning was easy enough to follow, but the lifestyle he displayed was something to marvel at.

At least Lady Trish seemed genuinely struck; her breath caught for a moment, and she nearly lost hold of that cool composure.

"That might be hard to guess. There are quite a lot of people here, and you’re very popular."

But in the end training won out; she took a deep breath, politely demurring while still remembering to flatter him.

"You make a good point, but I believe you can figure it out, because she’s a very special young lady."

Fu Qian pressed on, refusing to give up so easily.

A very special young lady...

Lady Trish’s patience seemed to be nearing its limits; she didn’t mind letting it show on her face.

"Short hair, wearing a tasteless hairclip? Unfortunately I don’t remember her name, only that she has an excellent memory when it comes to clothes."

Realizing evasion was useless, she finally chose to face reality; after thinking for a moment, she really did give him an answer.

An answer that was surprisingly accurate.

"Correct answer, although I happen to think the hairclip is nice."

Lady Trish’s reply was immensely pleasing, another mutual confirmation.

It proved not only that the hairclip girl had told the truth, but also her own assessment of the man in front of her.

Deeply satisfied, Fu Qian still made a point of being fair, saying that though the hairclip was plain, it actually suited her quite well.

"I can agree with you on that. I’m enjoying our conversation very much."

Lady Trish’s response was remarkably accommodating—she actually compromised on the matter of taste, something she’d always been firm about.

Together with what she said next, it was obvious she was now bent on seeing him out by any means necessary.

"I think so too, which is why you should probably invite me in so we can talk?"

Unfortunately, Fu Qian seemed completely immune to hints; not only did he refuse to take his leave, he even pushed his luck.

"And wait with you, while we’re at it."

Then, before she could refuse, he indicated there was still more they could do.

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