Cat 226: Rest, What Rest

Chapter 226: Rest, What Rest

At this moment, Yan Jiyun was just as astonished as he had been the first time he entered an infinite flow instance.

Why was Qi Feng here? How did he get in?

He had entered the Christmas instance because the system determined that the main account was in trouble and might soon be finished, but he had just come from the Christmas instance himself, and he was not currently at a critical life-or-death moment—so how had Qi Feng gotten in? Did he leave and then come back, or had he entered the “Beloved at Heart” instance without fully leaving the Christmas one?

Yan Jiyun set down his wine glass and gave chase. However, after he caught up, Qi Feng disappeared into the stairwell within moments, and Yan was blocked by the seven or eight bodyguards following behind Qi Feng.

What was going on? With his abilities, why did he need so many bodyguards?

Bodyguard: “Who are you? Don’t you know that Lord Jiu has reserved the entire second floor tonight? Leave now, or we won’t be so polite.”

Yan Jiyun had come incognito and didn’t want to make a scene. He raised his hand, took two steps back, and feigned drunkenness, swaying as if about to topple over.

“Ah, I can’t go in? Isn’t the restroom in this direction?”

Bodyguard: “Where did this drunk come from? Go downstairs, there’s no restroom here.”

Yan Jiyun let out an exaggerated belch, deliberately: “Fine, there isn’t one, why so fierce? Hmph, I’ll just find another restroom.”

The bodyguard didn’t argue with him: “Alright, get lost.”

Yan Jiyun stumbled down the stairs in a daze. He Ge Yuanle came over, pretending to steady him.

“What’s going on with you? You get drunk and start wandering off. I’ll take you to the restroom. If you can’t drink, why drink so much?!”

“Bro, don’t bother with me!”

The two put on their act thoroughly, making their way toward the restroom, where it was less crowded.

He Yuanle spoke to him in a low voice: “If I’m not mistaken, that was Qi Feng just now?”

Yan Jiyun nodded, then shook his head. “Not sure. If he’d seen me, he should have reacted, but he went right upstairs without pausing at all.”

He Yuanle said, “That’s odd. How did he get in?”

Yan Jiyun hadn’t told them the details about the elite field; explaining further would involve the matter of master and pet, and one lie would require a hundred more to cover, so it was better not to explain.

“I don’t know. We should try to make contact. He’s booked an escort for tonight, who happens to be our target, too.”

“Alright. We’ll have to change the plan—let’s discuss it with Gu Wenzhu later.”

They turned into the restroom, where two men were gossiping about Lord Jiu and the escort.

“Liu Rongzhi really is something. In the blink of an eye, she’s latched onto Lord Jiu. If she becomes his woman, she’ll be able to walk all over Jiangnan Town.”

Liu Rongzhi was the escort in question.

“True! She’s got the skills, though. But she’s been with a few men already—why would Lord Jiu be interested in her? Are there no other women in town? Lord Jiu could have any woman he wants, but he’s chosen someone everyone’s played with.”

“She looks good, makes a fine display in public, perfect for a casual fling—don’t you get it?”

“You’ve got a point. Tsk, money really is everything.”

After a few more comments, the two started sighing and lamenting. Yan Jiyun and He Yuanle stepped back and returned to their booth.

Gu Wenzhu asked, “So? Learn anything?”

The three little hostesses beside them had been dismissed by Gu Wenzhu and were now happily dancing with other male guests.

Lord Jiu’s grand entrance had been too striking. There’s no way Gu Wenzhu didn’t get a good look at his face, but with his difficulty moving, and his tenuous acquaintance with Qi Feng, he hadn’t been able to follow immediately.

Whether that man was truly Qi Feng remained uncertain.

Yan Jiyun said, “We still don’t know. I want to go up to the second floor and take a look.”

He’d just scoped out the restroom and noticed a window without any light outside—it probably faced a garden. Since the upper floor was likely residential, there should be a drainpipe leading up.

This wasn’t his first time climbing a drainpipe. Practice makes perfect.

He Yuanle: “Didn’t you just get stopped from going up? How will you manage?”

Yan Jiyun: “I have my ways. People noticed us the moment we entered—new guests make an impression. You two stay here, keep drinking and listening to music, and I’ll go upstairs to see what Qi Feng and the escort are up to.”

Going alone was easier anyway; three people would look suspicious.

Besides, the life-experience card would soon expire, and as a cat he could sneak around upstairs even more easily.

After a brief discussion, Yan Jiyun pretended to feel sick and staggered toward the first-floor restroom. When no one was looking, he slipped out the corridor window.

Through a single pane, the two worlds separated: one side bustling with noise, the other still as death.

With no one around, he hid beneath a garden shrub, expertly pruned by the groundskeeper. There was a little time left on the experience card; once he turned back into a black cat, the night would give him perfect cover.

The second floor of the ballroom was kept for guests too drunk to make it home, or so one of the hostesses had told Yan Jiyun, though there might be other rooms for different purposes.

This ballroom must be a staple setting for Jiangnan Town. Doubtless, many interesting things happened here.

As he was in uncharted territory, naturally, he had to map it thoroughly. Once the map gradually expanded and the relationships became clear, the truth would surface on its own. He needed patience.

He was here to break new ground, not toil at clearing an instance he’d run countless times before.

The ballroom’s second floor seemed to be split into rooms facing north and south. Along the outer side, each room had a terrace, but as the floor had been booked for the night, none of the rooms were lit.

Lord Jiu had booked the entire second floor to meet Liu Rongzhi.

Tsk. That Lord Jiu was certainly generous. Yan himself had never had the privilege of a hundred people attending his every need. The last time he saw such a scene was when he’d eaten something bad and wound up under observation in the hospital; he’d seen on Qi Feng’s phone once a WeChat group chat filled with doctors and nurses serving him—eight people, including Qi Feng.

Yan Jiyun recalled the scene, but being ill, he hadn’t exactly felt cheered by the crowd.

Heh. Qi Feng now had beauty in his arms—he ought to be delighted.

The soundproofing on this old building was impressive; not a sound from the rooms above, despite its age. Which room were they in? Would he stumble on something not suitable for children later?

Such a beautiful night—and yet, all he wanted was to sleep.

Staring at the upper floor, he yawned, shaking his head. He hadn’t really drunk much; the hostesses never forced him, and what he sipped he spat out. Still, there was a faint hint of wine on his breath.

To make matters worse, he was starting to feel sleepy. He shook his head again, trying to stay alert, and climbed swiftly up the drainpipe. In the blink of an eye, he was on the terrace of a second-floor guestroom.

The balcony door was open. The lights were off, the room pitch black.

The terraces between rooms were spaced apart.

Suddenly, Yan Jiyun felt dizzy. He’d been fine just moments ago. Clearly, he couldn’t handle even the smallest amount of alcohol.

Realizing the severity of alcohol’s effects on him, Yan Jiyun slipped into the room he’d just climbed up to. Judging by the layout, it was a bit removed from the stairs, so less likely for Lord Jiu’s retinue of bodyguards to discover him.

What was it about Liu Rongzhi that made every man in Jiangnan Town lose his head over her? They all claimed to disparage her, but he guessed it was just sour grapes. That kind of escort surely wouldn’t fancy any of them; their crude behavior made that clear. Still, it proved one thing: Liu Rongzhi was a key figure who must have many secrets worth uncovering.

So, if Lord Jiu was truly Qi Feng, how did he adapt to this world’s rules so quickly? It hadn’t even been three hours since returning from the last game, and he’d already found his role precisely? That was the mark of an experienced player—he worked fast.

In any case, he needed to meet Qi Feng face to face, at least to let him know his own cat had an eye on him—to warn him, so he wouldn’t be dazzled by this world’s pleasures and lose himself.

Where was everyone?

At least make some noise for him to follow.

Yan Jiyun gently opened the room’s door and peeked out.

A carpet covered the corridor, muffling all sound.

There were rooms to either side. Which one had Lord Jiu entered? Still no sound of a woman’s voice.

Hadn’t Lord Jiu booked the second floor? Was there another agenda at work? Maybe he claimed to have booked only the second floor, but actually secured the third as well?

The bodyguards had sealed the second floor entirely; no one else went up to the third. This was an old building, without a modern fire escape—just one staircase, no elevator.

The second floor was deserted.

Yan Jiyun closed the door and returned to the terrace. He decided to climb up to the third floor; using both hands and feet, he shimmied up the pipe to another room.

Again, the room was empty—but it yielded some useful clues.

No one inside didn’t mean the room was unused, just that the lights were out.

The furnishings were unmistakably luxurious; the room was steeped in perfume, strong enough to make Yan Jiyun dizzy.

No doubt about it, this was a woman’s room. Several pairs of gemstone earrings lay on the vanity—as if the owner had just been comparing which pair looked best. She must really care about meeting whoever it was she was about to see.

On the vanity, fine jewelry, skincare products, cosmetics, watches, necklaces—every item spoke of refinement.

At last, Yan Jiyun heard footsteps, and finally, voices.

There must be a larger space outside the room; he could hear conversation now.

A gentle, feminine voice drifted into his ear: “Lord Jiu, won’t you take a little rest?”

Yan Jiyun rolled his eyes. Rest, what rest? He’d been playing back-to-back games for two days straight and hadn’t rested yet!