Velvet Chains of a Tycoon

On Sunday morning, Qin Ran got up at eight o'clock sharp. Considering it would take an hour and a half by bus and subway, she didn't want to waste any time, so she skipped making breakfast for herself. Instead, she planned to grab two buns and a cup of soy milk on the way.

Just as she was about to step out, the door to the master bedroom opened, and out walked Lu Sheng—tall, handsome, and wearing a pair of short-sleeved pajamas that did nothing to detract from his striking appearance. If anything, they highlighted his more relaxed, homey side.

Lu Sheng frowned slightly when he saw her. "It's Sunday. Why are you up so early?"

"I'm going to check out a supposedly haunted villa," Qin Ran replied quickly. "I made plans with the real estate agent yesterday. We're meeting at the entrance of Dongjiang Villa at ten this morning. It'll take over an hour and a half to get there by public transport."

"It's only 8:10 now. No need to hurry," Lu Sheng said calmly. "I'll drive you there in a bit."

Qin Ran blinked, surprised. "Mr. Lu, aren't you busy today?"

"It's Sunday. I don't have much on my schedule, and I haven't planned anything else, so I might as well tag along."

"Thank you, Mr. Lu," Qin Ran responded politely.

What Qin Ran didn't know was that Lu Sheng was simply curious about the haunted villa. He had heard from Lu Yu that such places were rumored to be filled with ghosts, and he wanted to see what they looked like.

As Lu Sheng turned back toward the master bedroom, Qin Ran called after him, "Mr. Lu, I'll go buy breakfast across the street. I'll wait for you at the gate once I'm done."

He gave her a casual thumbs-up. "Go ahead. I won't keep you waiting long—I'll be quick."

Qin Ran nodded. Most men were efficient when getting ready, and Lu Sheng, being naturally handsome, hardly needed much grooming. A quick wash and change of clothes would suffice.

By the time Qin Ran bought her breakfast and reached the east gate of the residential complex, Lu Sheng's car was already pulling out. His efficiency impressed her.

She climbed into the car with her breakfast but then hesitated. "Mr. Lu, how will you eat your breakfast?"

"Do you know how to drive?" Lu Sheng asked.

"Yes, I have my driver's license," Qin Ran replied confidently.

"That works. You eat first, and we'll switch seats once you're done," he suggested.

Qin Ran pursed her lips briefly before nodding. "...Alright."

True to her word, Qin Ran finished her meal in under ten minutes. Lu Sheng pulled over, and they swapped seats.

Now behind the wheel, Qin Ran focused on driving while Lu Sheng sat in the passenger seat, opening the food container. The pan-fried buns inside looked decent enough, so he picked one up with his chopsticks and took a bite. Immediately, his mouth was flooded with grease—the filling was overwhelmingly fatty, leaving an oily sensation akin to swallowing lard.

Unable to stomach it, he spat the bite back into the box and grabbed the soy milk, taking a couple of large gulps. He hoped the drink would cut through the greasiness, but soon realized something was off—the soy milk was cloyingly sweet, as if someone had dumped an entire bag of sugar into it.

Resigned, he set the soy milk and buns aside and reached for the bottle of mineral water, drinking several gulps to wash away the sweetness.

"How did you manage to eat that?" Lu Sheng asked, glancing at Qin Ran, who was fully focused on driving.

Completely unaware of his struggle, she answered matter-of-factly, "You just take a bite, chew for a bit, and swallow. If you feel like you're choking, drink some soy milk—it's actually pretty tasty."

Lu Sheng raised an eyebrow. "...How could you swallow something so greasy?"

Qin Ran found his question odd. "Why not? The fat in the filling makes it flavorful. Personally, I think it tastes better than lean meat alone."

Lu Sheng sighed inwardly. "...Alright, our tastes clearly differ."

Setting the food aside, he noticed that Qin Ran was driving unusually slowly.

"Hey, speed up a little. You're slower than a bus!"

"I don't dare go faster," Qin Ran admitted. "There are too many cars on the road, and I'm afraid I'll hit someone."

Lu Sheng looked at her in surprise. "Wait, didn't you say you have your license?"

"Yes, I got it last summer. But I haven't driven since then, so I'm a bit rusty," she explained sheepishly.

Lu Sheng shook his head. "...So you're still a beginner."

"Pull over. At this rate, we'd be better off taking the bus," he suggested dryly.

"...But I can't pull over right now. There are cars on the side," Qin Ran protested.

"Fine, just drive slowly, then," Lu Sheng relented.

However, he soon noticed that Qin Ran wasn't maintaining her slow pace. Gradually, her speed began to increase.

Twenty minutes later, not only was she driving faster than a bus, but she was also keeping pace with the other vehicles on the road.

Impressed despite himself, Lu Sheng remarked, "Not bad. You're picking this up quickly."

"I guess I'm just getting used to it," Qin Ran said with a small smile. "People always talk about a 'getting-to-know-your-car' phase. Maybe those first thirty minutes were mine."

Lu Sheng chuckled softly. "...You're good at coming up with excuses."

Once they left the city limits and entered the expressway, traffic lights became sparse, and speeds increased.

Lu Sheng glanced at her, concerned. "Are you sure you're comfortable with this? Want me to take over?"

"No, let me handle it," Qin Ran insisted. "It's rare to get a chance to practice driving for free. I want to make the most of it."

He didn't argue further. "Alright, but be careful. You're still new at this."

Though Qin Ran wasn't speeding excessively, they arrived at Dongjiang Villa by 9:50 AM—ten minutes ahead of schedule.

The real estate agent was already waiting for them, wearing a feng shui mirror around his neck.

Seeing the mirror, Qin Ran couldn't help but chuckle. "Does that thing actually work?"

The agent grinned. "Who knows if it works? But in our line of work, we always wear these when showing supposedly haunted properties."

"Besides, ghosts don't come out during the day. They usually appear late at night when everything is quiet. During the day, there's really nothing to worry about."

Lu Sheng looked disappointed. "What? Ghosts don't come out during the day? So I won't see any today?"

The agent's eyes widened in shock. "Sir, you came here specifically to see ghosts?"

Lu Sheng shrugged. "What else is there to see in this remote villa?"

The agent laughed awkwardly. "Sir, you're one of a kind. Who in their right mind *wants* to see ghosts?"

Qin Ran scanned the surroundings of Dongjiang Villa. "This isolated area does seem like the perfect setting for a thriller novel."

"Miss Qin, please don't say that," the agent interjected hastily. "The villas themselves are quite nice, and the property management is excellent. It's just far from the city center, so the occupancy rate isn't high—maybe around thirty percent."

"Alright, let's go inside and take a look," Qin Ran said. "Which villa exactly are we visiting?"

After registering at the security office, the agent led Lu Sheng and Qin Ran through the gates of Dongjiang Villa.

"The name 'Dongjiang Villa' isn't just for show—there's a river nearby, and the villas are built along its banks..."

As they walked, the agent provided a detailed introduction of the community's environment and scenery.

When they arrived at Building 4, the agent unlocked the courtyard gate and handed a set of keys to Qin Ran.

"You can go inside and explore. I'll wait here. This house has seen two owners pass away—both murdered."