Chapter 91

Chapter 91

At critical junctures, people often unleash intense wisdom. It's hard to say what Eve realized in that moment, but with Lorca behind her, on the verge of waking, she was momentarily dazed.

—So how did he wake up so early... and so coincidentally?

First, she could rule out Luo Wenqing's knocking as the cause. If a couple of taps could forcibly rouse someone under synchronized manipulation, Eve might as well give up and return to the Medici family to sell baked sweet potatoes.

Second, she dismissed the idea that Lorca had been awake all along, merely feigning sleep. While his acting skills were certainly up to the task, he likely lacked the inherent ability to maintain such a deception.

Eliminating these possibilities left only one explanation. Suddenly, Eve recalled that Lorca's original spiritual power level was also A-grade; it was only the persistent toxins that had rendered him virtually incapacitated.

And she had just personally drawn away the toxins gathered in his brain. Coincidentally, the Luna Butterfly was highly discerning—the lower the opponent's spiritual power compared to hers, the more effective her abilities would be. In other words, Lorca was likely in remarkably good condition now, which was why he managed to break free from her control so quickly.

Eve: "......"

She still hadn't figured out how to face the seemingly frail young man behind her.

The situation shifted in an instant. Eve had always believed in adapting to circumstances. Her hand instinctively moved to the door handle, which she pressed down steadily.

With a creak—Luo Wenqing outside hadn't expected such a swift change of heart. Her raised hand nearly struck Eve's face.

Fortunately, her reflexes were sharp. With a flick of her wrist, she redirected her hand to rest on the girl's shoulder, leaning in with an air of familiarity and smiling, "Miss Lu, may I come in and speak now?"

From behind the girl came a timely, soft call: "...Xiao Qing."

Calling her so intimately? Luo Wenqing imperceptibly raised an eyebrow.

Eve ignored Lorca for the moment, turning to let Luo Wenqing in first. Earlier, the laboratory lights had been off to facilitate her use of spiritual power to observe Lorca's internal state.

Now, Eve seemed utterly oblivious to the dim surroundings. She wore a blank, eerie silver mask, her only visible features being a pair of intensely dark eyes that stared fixedly at Luo Wenqing as she said, "Please come in."

Her gaze shifted slightly downward, settling on the black leather case in Luo Wenqing's hand, which contained the alchemical materials she needed.

"......" The expression was indeed a bit unsettling, but Luo Wenqing, naturally bold, was unfazed. She simply laughed heartily, then clicked on the wall light, casually remarking, "The family shouldn't mind the electricity bill. Why not turn on the light?"

Eve gave her a displeased glance and closed the door behind her.

Luo Wenqing's knack for familiarity seemed innate—whether it was boldly asking to add her as a terminal friend the first time they met or now shamelessly trying to strike up a conversation with Eve.

She entered the laboratory as if it were her own home, placing the case on the table before concernedly asking Lorca, who still looked weary, "Cousin, are you feeling better? Why do you look so tired?"

"Better, because I was just... resting and sleeping," Lorca said, sneaking a glance at Eve when he mentioned resting and sleeping. Unfortunately, his attempt at goodwill was met with no response. Instead, she walked over to another table, head bowed as she fiddled with her alchemical materials, generously giving the siblings the space.

—Though the thoughtful expression on her face as she stared at the materials was a bit too pronounced. Lorca had no doubt that if Eve had the materials on hand, she'd probably want to knock both of them out at once.

He paused, gauging Eve's thoughts, and naturally asked, "This is my specialized medical laboratory, Wenqing. What brings you here?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Lorca finally caught sight of the black-haired girl subtly perking up an ear.

"Of course I know. I'm helping the butler bring something over."

"Mrs. Ryan is diligent and never neglects her duties. It must have been your idea to help," Lorca narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice gentle but carrying an undeniable hint of vigilance and doubt. "When you've visited our family before, you've never shown interest in this place. In fact, you've said you dislike the strong medicinal smell here."

"Lorca, you just don't get it."

Luo Wenqing laughed heartily for what felt like the umpteenth time, unfazed even by her cousin's hostility. "I used to be inconsiderate and willful, but now I understand the true meaning of family—loving, caring for, and understanding each other. See, I took the initiative to help deliver the materials, didn't I?"

"......"

Eve, who was standing to the side, was simply amazed—at Luo Wenqing's thick skin. The last time she had dealt with Luo Wenqing was when the latter helped Isabella trick her into testing the mecha. Back then, Luo Wenqing had been completely unembarrassed even after being exposed.

But this person indeed had a strange charm. Whether her intentions were for looks or wealth, Luo Wenqing never bothered to hide them much. Yet this openly displayed desire wasn't off-putting; instead, it made her seem unusually honest and adept at playing dumb just the right amount.

At least, upon reflection, Eve didn't dislike Luo Wenqing. After all, few people would dislike such straightforward, clear-cut interactions. Perhaps that was why even the haughty Isabella was willing to befriend her.

Eve turned her head to glance at Lorca, who was still wearing a smile—though one that looked worse than no smile at all—and felt complicated emotions.

Ah, still too young.

She tidied the book in her hand and placed it on the table with a soft thud, immediately drawing the attention of the other two. Lorca pursed his lips, about to say something, but Eve spoke first: "Miss Luo."

"Hmm?"

"The laboratory is my workplace after all," Eve met Luo Wenqing's gaze directly without flinching. "If you want to chat with Lorca about sibling bonds, you can do so outside."

—This person was too slippery. With her around, it felt uneasy. Better to send her away as soon as possible.

Luo Wenqing raised an eyebrow slightly. Though she didn't know why the other had changed her attitude after such a short observation, the suggestion somewhat suited her purposes.

She glanced at Lorca, whose expression was already tightening, then turned and clapped her hands cheerfully. "Alright, I do have something to discuss—but not with Lorca. It's with you. If Xiao Qing is willing to step outside with me, I'd be honored."

"I can give you that honor, but I have one question," Eve asked sincerely. "Why do you also call me Xiao Qing?"

Were they that close?

Moreover, having someone intimately use a name she'd carried for over thirty years in her previous life felt really strange.

"Oh dear, of course it's because my brother calls you that," Luo Wenqing said with a smile, shifting the blame with utter conviction. "If he can call you that, why can't I?"

"No, actually, he shouldn't either."

Upon hearing this, Eve shot a sideways glance at Lorca. The moment Lorca caught her look, his expression shifted slightly before he suddenly broke into a soft smile. "I learned it from Alice."

He even added with aggressively helpfulness, "If you don't like the nickname but feel awkward telling Alice directly, I can pass it on for you."

Eve remained silent. From the same blame-shifting tactic, it was clear these two were indeed siblings.

When it came to nicknames, it was fine for close people to use them however they liked. Besides, Alice was naturally prone to acting cute, and over time, no matter how intimately she addressed Eve, it had stopped being strange. But what were Lorca and Luo Wenqing jumping on the bandwagon for?

Eve believed Lorca knew this well—and that he had deliberately dragged Alice into it.

"Actually, I don't understand why you're always so fixated on comparing treatment with her," she said, somewhat exasperated. "Forget it, just call me that if you want, but I hope this is the last time you pull something like this."

"Alright," Lorca curled his lips into a smile. "Thank you, Xiao Qing."

He was playing dumb quite well now, much like his cousin.

Eve couldn't be bothered to engage further and instead walked out of the laboratory with Luo Wenqing, one after the other, until they reached a somewhat distant staircase corner.

This floor was mostly Lorca's territory. Because of his headaches, he preferred quiet, so even this corner was usually deserted.

"Alright, this should be far enough," Luo Wenqing said, turning to check that they were nearly ten meters from the laboratory—enough that even Lorca inside wouldn't be able to hear their conversation. She then turned back and said casually, "Actually, I sought you out because you give me a familiar feeling. I'd like to get to know you better—I just wonder if Xiao Qing would be willing to give me this chance."

Eve sized her up for a moment before letting out a light laugh. "Miss Luo, using such a pick-up line is rather cliché."

She had no intention of removing her mask to prove anything. Luo Wenqing was clearly just using it as an excuse. Taking off the mask too easily might allow the other to see something revealing beneath the criss-crossed scars.

Luo Wenqing's fondness for beautiful people is well-known throughout the capital planet, but in Eve's view, it is merely an extreme manifestation of her mastery of the halo effect.

The more notorious her reputation for debauchery becomes, the more it acts like a glaring spotlight, making it easier for people to overlook the other behaviors she conceals beneath her love for beauty.

For instance, many might know that Luo Wenqing has recently taken a liking to a certain beauty, but few pay attention to the abilities or traits of the chosen individual. Even if they do, human nature being what it is, they tend to jump to the conclusion that it's a case of "sleeping their way to the top."

It's hard to imagine that such a simple trick has been skillfully employed by Luo Wenqing for so many years.

"You're more straightforward than I imagined. I thought alchemists preferred not to speak plainly," Luo Wenqing's smile faded, and she gestured toward Eve, half-joking and half-probing. "But cutting straight to the chase—that style is quite similar to a friend of mine."

Eve replied flatly, without any fault to be found, "Miss Luo's friends are anything but ordinary. I'll take that as a compliment."

"Quite the confident one, aren’t you? Well, that’s very alchemist-like. Since you’ve seen through my ulterior motives, I won’t beat around the bush. You’ve heard about the recent attack on the eldest son of the Medici Family, right?"

Eve’s brow twitched, but Luo Wenqing continued, "I may not be particularly fond of Cecil either, but he is, after all, the eldest son of the Medici Family, and I have no interest in plotting against him. However, the Medici Family insists that someone from our Luo Family was involved. With the family head personally stepping in for his son, I can’t just ignore it. So, I looked into it and found that there is indeed some connection to our Luo Family—a low-ranking underling from the Carol branch claimed that his new boss looks strikingly similar to that Medici figure, likely an illegitimate child of the Medici Patriarch, and he passed this information to Cecil. That was the direct trigger for Cecil to leave the estate with his men that night."

"..." Eve remained composed, even letting out a light laugh. "So, this is still a result of the Luo Family’s own lax management, isn’t it?"

Luo Wenqing thought to herself, *She really won’t admit it until faced with undeniable evidence*. She gestured for Eve to listen patiently and then said lazily, "Yes, our Luo Family is certainly at fault. But did that underling actually lie? After that, I investigated the so-called illegitimate child. I can’t vouch for much, but my judgment of people is quite sharp. I can tell a natural face from a surgically altered one, and whether the resemblance is coincidental or hereditary. Speaking of which—"

She laughed loudly, as if recalling something highly amusing, and looked down at the deliberately calm young alchemist with a smirk. "That Luo Wenzhou is utterly incompetent. He didn’t even clean up your origins properly. You’re the top-ranked mercenary squad—how could you be so poor at judging people, daring to cooperate with him? Hmm?"

Although Eve had long known their actions were somewhat sloppy, on the day Venomous Fang was destroyed, Ludwig arrived too quickly, and the Upside Down Wonderland had no time to tidy things up. Still, she hadn’t expected Luo Wenqing to act so swiftly, uncovering nearly the whole truth in just a few days.

Meeting the woman’s sharp eyes, always masked by laughter and charm, Eve’s mind blanked for a rare moment.

Fortunately, the mask hid all her expressions. From Luo Wenqing’s perspective, the young girl merely tilted her head slightly, resembling a captured bird still desperately scheming for a way to survive.

In response, Luo Wenqing reached out and placed a hand on Eve’s shoulder, saying kindly, "So, dear, don’t you have anything to say?"

After a long silence, Eve slowly spoke, each word the result of her mind racing at high speed. "So why are you telling me all this? Why not inform my employer directly or hand us over to the Medici Family?"

"What do you want from me?" she asked coldly, clasping her hands.

"Well, I have no intention of doing anything to you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here talking to you—we’d be meeting in court," Luo Wenqing patted her shoulder, laughing carelessly. "Relax. I only seek peaceful cooperation that benefits us both. I can help you settle the conflict with the Medici Family, but I can’t do it without gaining something in return."

Her words repeatedly circled back to the Medici incident. Suddenly, Eve had an epiphany and understood Luo Wenqing’s roundabout intentions. She turned her head and stared fixedly at Luo Wenqing. "I can’t possibly make the Oliver Family give up the opportunity to gain advantages from Qin Mengde."

"Of course not. Moreover, the Luo Family doesn’t want to lose the Oliver Family as an ally. On our own, we can’t contend with the Cavendish Family, who dominate the military. Allying with the Olivers is far better than allying with the man-eating plant that is the Medici Family," Luo Wenqing glanced sideways at her. "But I also don’t want the Oliver Family to gain too much advantage in this cooperation. You’re quite close to Qin Mengde, aren’t you? I’m on good terms with Isabella, so I’m no stranger to Qin Mengde either. She’s always kept to herself. The fact that she’s now connected with the Oliver Family—it’s you who facilitated that, right?"

"You’re very capable. I had considered inviting you to join the Luo Family, which would also let you reunite with your team. But since you’re Lorca’s Chief Alchemist, I can’t very well do that."

Eve narrowed her eyes at her. With things laid out so clearly, the other party’s intentions were obvious. Luo Wenqing was a smart person, and smart people disliked stating their demands too explicitly—leaving traps to test others was a hobby of such individuals.

She finally sighed and said, "I understand. In the coming days, I will be 'forced' to remain indoors and unable to receive guests due to performing surgery on Lorca."

"Excellent, very sharp," Luo Wenqing patted her shoulder cheerfully, no longer sparing praise now that her goal was achieved. "Working with someone like you is a truly pleasant experience. If you ever resign from the Oliver Family, you’re welcome to give the Luo Family a try."

...Damn it. Eve’s face tightened beneath her mask. She discreetly glanced at the self-satisfied Luo Wenqing before turning her gaze away.

She had always been the one hunting hawks, never the one getting pecked by them. Eve’s nature contained a streak of authoritarianism. Although she had already planned to resolve Lorca’s toxin issue soon and had no intention of interfering in the cooperation between the Oliver and Luo Families, being forced to withdraw still rankled her.

She lowered her eyelids, pretending meekness, to conceal the scheming glint flashing wildly in her eyes.