Chapter 83: The Xie Surname Belongs to the Distant Lord of the Eastern Frontier…

Emory sent an invitation, inviting them to a dinner banquet at a high-end restaurant in the Silver Watchtower the next evening.

He had even specially sprayed perfume on the invitation and affixed flower-shaped gold foil, attempting to create an elegant atmosphere.

As Xie Jianxun passed the hotel front desk, the receptionist recognized him and handed him the invitation, saying it was from a gentleman who specified it be delivered to the young guest with the surname Xie.

He puzzledly opened it on the spot. Before he could even read the words clearly, the pungent fragrance from the letter paper caught him off guard.

Xie Jianxun: “…” It wasn’t too strong, but it still made him want to sneeze.

The receptionist lady gently asked him, “Sir, do you need to send a reply?” She recognized this guest staying at the hotel, who had booked the top suite and was young yet impressive.

Xie Jianxun waved his hand and held the letter paper farther away. “Please get me some paper and a pen, thank you.”

The invitation itself was exquisitely made. The flower gold foil layers shifted and unfolded the moment it was opened, simulating a flower blooming.

He had no intention of crafting such a flashy reply. Instead, after writing his response, he simply tucked the letter into the original invitation envelope.

When Emory’s person came to retrieve the reply, he looked displeased at the plain paper.

He had sent such a formal invitation, and this was the reply?

But the acceptance on it immediately brightened his mood. He instructed his subordinate to prepare the dinner properly: “Be generous but not overly luxurious—simple and elegant, without seeming shabby.”

Additionally, “Prepare some fireworks,” he ordered. “Create some memorable moments for my serendipitous encounter with this big shot.”

Emory brimmed with confidence, while on the other side, chaos reigned.

“Clothes! Clothes! And your hair,” Xun Jia shouted. “Did you just crawl out of a chicken coop?”

Xie Jianxun leaned toward the mirror, looking left and right, and finally spotted a small tuft of hair sticking up on his head.

He pressed it down flat, and Xun Jia let out a breath of relief.

But before he could fully exhale, it popped up again. “Look at me—what do you think?”

Xie Jianxun and Seles were both fussing with themselves, but upon hearing this, they turned back for a quick glance. Seles nodded. “Sir, you’re flawless.”

Xun Jia was somewhat doubtful. “Really? Aren’t my pants wrinkled? It’s all my fault—I didn’t put them in the closet last night properly, so they got creased on the chair back like this.”

Xie Jianxun understood his anxiety and nervousness. He quickly went through the motions, smoothing out wrinkles that weren’t even there.

In the final hour before dinner, just as everyone was about to leave the hotel, Xie Jianxun suddenly grabbed Xun Jia. “Emory hasn’t seen you yet. You still have a chance to back out.”

Xun Jia turned back in surprise and saw his young friend speaking to him earnestly. “We have no idea what will happen next. It could be a scam or a high-stakes gamble. Have you thought it through?”

In truth, Xun Jia had mulled over this question countless times while lying on the narrow, foul-smelling bed in his rental room.

If it had just been him getting scammed, so be it—a net romance gone sour, like facing death. But apparently, there were many innocent girls involved, as well as families who still believed the whole thing was real…

Thinking of the families made Xun Jia’s gaze turn cold and fierce.

“Mainly, he didn’t just scam me—he scammed my family too,” the young man said through gritted teeth. “They still believe Emory truly cares for me… I have to gather evidence on him, then slap him hard across the face!”

Seles: “…”

Xie Jianxun cheered, “Slap him across the face!”

Seles: “…………Jianxun, Xun Jia, we should go.”

The three immediately composed their expressions and stepped into Seles’s sleek, low-key luxury new-model Air Sedan.

“Even the license plate is brand new—perfect for a prop.”

Seles buckled his seatbelt, activated the in-car aromatherapy, and explained to them, “I just picked up this new car. The level fits you perfectly.”

Xun Jia corrected him. “Fits the big shots we’re pretending to be.”

Seeing that Xun Jia still had the mind for jokes, Xie Jianxun relaxed and laughed. “What big shots? It’s just us.”

Xun Jia: “Right, right, you’re spot on, cousin.”

Five minutes before dinner, Emory wasn’t waiting at the restaurant entrance. Instead, he had gone specifically to the rooftop parking deck.

The manager stood beside him, still puzzled.

He advised, “Sir, regular guests usually take the ground-level driveways. Few come via the aerial lanes. Since the guests are new to Silver Watchtower, they’ll probably opt for the safer ground route.”

Emory cut him off confidently. “Impossible. They’ll definitely take the aerial lane.”

The manager was baffled—after all, aerial lanes tested the driver’s skills and required a higher-grade license, with poor cost-performance overall.

But the next moment, the whoosh of wind came from above.

A brand-new Air Sedan sped in from afar. Without even circling to adjust its position, it forcefully suppressed the airflow and landed with a resounding boom right on the spot.

Streams of light and dust billowed up. Emory, the manager, and the attendants behind them all stepped back.

Once everything settled, the car door opened, and out stepped a tall, burly bodyguard.

He wore a black suit and black sunglasses, his hair combed impeccably.

He merely nodded at Emory and the others, then opened the rear door without a word. He looked utterly cold and focused solely on his employer’s safety.

“Whoa… a bodyguard…” The manager swallowed his mutter.

He thought to himself, what kind of person had come to Silver Watchtower? Eating out and needing a bodyguard? But seeing Mr. Emory’s delighted expression beside him, he guessed it was someone important.

The second to emerge was Xie Jianxun. With Seles’s hand bracing the door, he lightly vaulted out of the Air Sedan.

Emory immediately greeted him warmly. “Jianxun, you’re finally here. Heavens, I didn’t expect you to be so punctual. I haven’t even had the restaurant fully prepped.”

Xie Jianxun smiled. “Good evening, Mr. Emory. How could we not? I see…” He glanced at the waiting restaurant manager and attendants on the side—the setup was quite grand—and said in surprise, “Perhaps we’re just here for an ordinary, simple dinner?”

Emory winked at him. “Entertaining guests—how could it be anything less?”

Here we go again, Xie Jianxun thought to himself.

The third guest lingered in the car. Emory looked inside curiously and asked Xie Jianxun, “And this is?”

Xie Jianxun simply bent down and called out, “Cousin?”

Xun Jia: “…” Goosebumps rose all over him.

Pretending to pocket his Light Brain, he extended a leg from the door, then his head, and finally stood fully upright. He apologized coolly, “Sorry, I was busy handling something and didn’t notice we’d arrived.”

His demeanor was the result of their joint discussion.

To avoid saying too much and slipping up, they decided Xun Jia should maintain an aloof, arrogant image of someone in poor health—fitting the general impression of that prince who rarely appeared in public.

Emory understood instantly. “Yes, when you’re immersed, it’s hardest to notice changes around you. Shall we head in now?”

He made a welcoming gesture, his gaze sweeping over the bodyguard, Xie Jianxun, and Xun Jia, lingering especially on Xun Jia.

He noticed that this “cousin” wore casual clothes that weren’t overly luxurious—no flashy patterns on the fabric—but they looked premium and substantial at a glance.

Others might have been blind to it.

But not him. He’d gained expertise from accompanying people shopping. He immediately recognized it as a new release from a top Silver Watchtower brand.

“At least he’s genuinely wealthy…” he judged.

Xun Jia nodded and turned to Xie Jianxun. “Jianxun, let’s go in.” He didn’t spare the bodyguard a glance.

Xie Jianxun obediently agreed and followed behind Xun Jia.

Emory noticed again: Xun Jia was the core of this group. Only his words mattered, and the other two would obey.

Though he didn’t stand out—no spoiled young master aura like Xie Jianxun’s, nor the bodyguard’s intimidating presence when adjusting his sunglasses—he blended into the background like an invisible man on the ground.

But Emory knew: such people were always the most important.

His gaze swept over Xie Jianxun and Xun Jia as he pondered: the young master and the heir…?

The manager led them into the hall and seated them at the long table, with the bodyguard standing behind Xun Jia.

Emory smiled. “I’ve already ordered the main course. Any dietary restrictions, everyone? We can add more as needed.”

He handed the menu to Xun Jia, but the other man didn’t move. Instead, the bodyguard stepped forward, took it, and presented it to his employer.

Xie Jianxun said casually, “I have no restrictions, but my cousin has a weak constitution—some things he can’t eat. Best to exclude those.”

Emory replied, “Of course, of course.”

Xun Jia closed the menu and finally addressed Emory directly for the first time: “I heard it was you who showed Jianxun around Silver Watchtower?”

His voice was slightly hoarse, carrying an obvious cold detachment that kept others at bay.

Emory stood from his seat and offered Xun Jia an aperitif. “Yes, Jianxun and I clicked right away. I had nothing better to do, so I took him around. If there were any shortcomings in hospitality, please be lenient, Jianxun.”

Xie Jianxun also lifted his aperitif and clinked it lightly in the air toward him.

The wine merely touched his lips; he didn’t drink.

He smiled. “Exactly, cousin. No need to worry. See, Mr. Emory is very reliable. He explains everything I don’t understand.”

Like an elder fretting over a junior, Xun Jia relaxed slightly upon hearing this and clinked glasses with Emory.

So enthusiastic… he thought with a pang of bitterness.

“Thank you.”

Unable to think of how to continue, he stuck to the plan: keep it brief.

Sure enough, Emory’s smile deepened. To him, this was a rare token of appreciation from the aloof gentleman—a mutual acknowledgment of favor.

The main course arrived, gleaming cloches gliding past them.

Xun Jia instinctively squinted, unaware that Emory keenly caught the moment.

Would a big shot accustomed to high-end restaurants and banquets flinch at the flash of light from a cloche being lifted?

Or had he simply never seen such a scene many times before?

Emory’s eyes narrowed too. He glanced at Xie Jianxun, who showed no reaction.

To test his suspicion, he stood and approached Xun Jia, introducing the main dish’s ingredients and plating origins.

“This dish comes from Silver Watchtower’s 300th anniversary, when a chef found a mushroom on a wild grass slope in the back mountains…”

Before he could get close, the bodyguard made a subtle motion, handing a spray to the head of the table.

Xun Jia took the Treatment Spray, his expression sour as he spritzed himself. Turning back, he saw Emory standing nearby, only three steps away.

Emory startled. “What’s wrong?”

“My cousin?”

Xun Jia didn’t answer. Instead, Xie Jianxun chimed in. The Little Adventurer’s mind worked quickly now, full of contingency plans—he was no longer the hesitant speaker from the start!

While slicing the snowy white fish fillet on his plate, he said offhandedly, “My cousin has health issues, so he needs the Treatment Spray on hand at all times.”

As if suddenly recalling something, he sobered his expression.

Xie Jianxun said slowly, “Mr. Emory, my cousin rarely attends dinners like this. You don’t need to get so excited, do you?”

He circled the words deliberately, then turned serious. “You’d better not spread word of my cousin’s presence here—or his health issues. If we find out you did, how long do you think you and your Mande Technology Company can last in Silver Watchtower?”

Xun Jia’s eyes lit up, silently thanking Xie Jianxun for charging bravely into the fray!

If it had been him, he probably couldn’t have delivered those lines without cringing!

After delivering his freshly rehearsed speech, Xie Jianxun beamed inwardly: How fluent! How intimidating!

A top adventurer needed exactly this skill!

As Xie Jianxun finished, the bodyguard looked up, and Xun Jia lifted his eyelids, staring straight at Emory.

Emory was genuinely intimidated.

He stepped back, sat down, and forced a smile. “Of course. That’s this gentleman’s privacy. I won’t tell a soul.”

Exquisite dishes were served one after another, with empty plates replaced each time a new one arrived.

Xun Jia ate slowly and elegantly, leaving a little on almost every plate.

This prompted the kitchen staff to rush out from the back, sweating as they asked if the food did not suit the guest’s taste.

Xun Jia set down his fork and said flatly, “It’s none of your concern. I have a small appetite.”

…Damn it, who was this bird feed for?

Believe it or not, he could devour it plate by plate, eating it all gone!

He thought fiercely to himself.

Emory apologized, “It seems I didn’t put enough thought into ordering. Please give me another chance. Next time, I’ll definitely select dishes more to your liking, sir.”

“However, even though the food wasn’t entirely satisfactory, I’ve prepared a little program for your enjoyment during the meal.”

Xun Jia raised an eyebrow lightly, expressing puzzlement.

The next moment, the sound of fireworks echoed from the other end of the city.

Everyone’s gazes turned to the window, where they saw a massive firework shell launched into the sky, exploding into brilliant flares.

Emory’s eyes fixed on the fireworks, praising them with a mesmerized tone, “These are the finest fireworks we’ve made. I had planned to save them for New Year’s to enjoy with my family, but since honored guests are here now, displaying them for you doesn’t waste their splendor.”

Xun Jia nodded reservedly, “They’re quite nice.”

He thought to himself, Why does this guy talk so much? His food was getting cold before he even finished!

Xie Jianxun glanced at the fireworks and realized this batch lacked the awe he had witnessed at Lihou Port.

Those had been so dazzling, with the river, sky, and their unified reflections constructing an entire dreamlike world.

Moreover… he didn’t voice it, but moreover, this restaurant wasn’t the tallest building in Silver Watchtower. Launching fireworks nearby for a full view would inevitably face restrictions.

For instance, the largest firework had one corner blocked by a building.

For ordinary viewers, such a fireworks display would already be stunning, but their apparent identities weren’t those of common folk—they naturally paid more attention to details.

That one missing corner became the flaw in the entire banquet.

…Damn it!

Emory wasn’t a fool; he immediately noticed the imperfection, and his expression soured.

He was hosting honored guests!

He needed a flawless, spectacular performance to leave an impression. Well, an impression was left now, just not a good one!

Even though they were silently sipping soup now, they were undoubtedly dissatisfied with him.

…Would normal people ignore fireworks and keep eating during the show?! They were definitely unhappy!

He endured until the fireworks ended, then forced a smile. “What did you think?”

Xun Jia finished the last bite of dessert, mimicking Xie Jianxun by wiping his mouth with a wet napkin, and said casually, “Not bad.” The dessert’s presentation and taste were both excellent.

Emory: “…”

See?! See?!

Once dinner concluded, the group returned to the rooftop parking area. Emory first helped Xun Jia into the car, then, when it was Xie Jianxun’s turn, quietly pulled him aside by the shoulder.

He pleaded, “Jianxun, did I not perform well today?”

His dejected look seemed utterly genuine, as if tears would fall any second.

Xie Jianxun said in surprise, “How could that be? I think my cousin was quite satisfied today.”

…Bullshit! He didn’t even glance my way afterward!

Emory suppressed his panic and finally steeled himself, saying resolutely, “But there’s one thing I definitely did poorly.”

Xie Jianxun glanced at the already revving Air Sedan and gestured for him to speak. “What is it? I think you did more than enough, Mr. Emory. We’re the guests; we shouldn’t be too picky.”

Emory replied, “This was supposed to be a dinner invitation for you and that gentleman, yet I only wrote one name on the invite. That was truly impolite.”

He shook his head and slowly voiced the key question, “I’d like to know—what is that gentleman’s name? Next time I host you both, I’ll do even better.”

Xie Jianxun said breezily, “My cousin and I share the same surname, Xie. His given name is Jia.”

Xie.

A noble surname.

Here on official business.

In an instant, Emory’s thoughts flew to the distant East Territory.

The Xie surname was that of the East Territory Lord.