Chapter 434 : Raid Party
“Brother, where are you headed?”
Wei Lan eyed her older brother, Wei Suozhai, who was meticulously shaving his stubble. It was rare for her recluse of a brother to groom himself so carefully. Was he going on a date? Her curiosity piqued.
Then again, she thought, *Could my shut-in brother even find a girlfriend?*
Wei Suozhai glanced at his sister. As her older brother, he could read her thoughts with just a single glance at her expression.
“Seriously, what an insult! How could your big brother not have a girlfriend?” Wei Suozhai declared confidently.
In truth, Wei Suozhai’s recent encounters had been rather fortuitous. He had bumped into not one but two stunningly beautiful women on several occasions. Whether it was coincidence or sheer good luck, it seemed like fate had smiled upon him.
“Oh, really?” Wei Lan cast him a dubious glance. Judging by his tone, it seemed he might actually have a girlfriend. But knowing her brother’s introverted and awkward nature, he’d never tell the family unless the relationship was well established.
Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of girl her brother liked. Ultimately, though, she didn’t care too much—as long as he didn’t bring home a boyfriend instead of a girlfriend, she’d be fine.
“Lan Lan, seriously, don’t even joke about that. There’s no way I’d bring home a guy as a girlfriend!” Wei Suozhai protested indignantly. Those two gorgeous women he had recently met were obviously not men. His standards weren’t that twisted.
*But what if they were guys…?* Wei Suozhai hadn’t thought about that. Then again, it didn’t really matter. If they were guys, so be it.
“Where are you headed all dressed up, then? A date?”
“Date? Of course not. I’m going to a raid,” Wei Suozhai replied matter-of-factly. In truth, he planned to swing by the maid café where Chu Feng, a coworker, happened to work. Why not check it out when he had free time?
“A raid?”
Wei Lan blinked, processing his words. Then, noticing his formal attire, she nodded. “Makes sense. You’d want to look sharp for that.”
Glancing at the mirror one last time, Wei Suozhai adjusted his suit, made sure everything was in order, and headed out.
After he left, Wei Lan suddenly remembered the “TOP SECRET USB drive” her brother had asked her to retrieve from his apartment the day before. She had forgotten to give it to him. Assuming he hadn’t gone far, she grabbed her keys and stepped outside, still in her slippers.
Her assumption was correct. Not far from their building, she spotted Wei Suozhai speaking to a group of people. Upon closer inspection, she realized they were mostly women—and beautiful ones at that. *Could one of them be my future sister-in-law?*
Wei Suozhai, meanwhile, was trying to maintain his composure. He hadn’t expected to run into Ling Ning and her group—one of whom had been the school beauty back in high school. This had to be his lucky day.
Thinking he was now confident enough to talk to girls without stammering, he attempted to strike up a conversation with Ling Ning. But as soon as he opened his mouth, his words came out in halting fragments. His nerves betrayed him.
*What’s wrong with me? I’m fine around Chu Feng and Qian Xu. Maybe it’s because Ling Ning was the school beauty? The pressure is too much!*
Ling Ning observed him quietly. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar.
Noticing her puzzlement, Xia You tugged on Ling Ning’s sleeve and whispered, “He was our high school classmate, same grade but different class. His name’s Wei Suozhai.”
The name triggered a memory for Ling Ning. She had seen him a few times back in high school. He always had a nervous expression whenever their paths crossed.
*Wei Suozhai…* The name sounded eerily similar to her childhood friend from her previous life, though they looked nothing alike. It had to be a coincidence.
Just as Ling Ning was about to say something, a petite girl in pink pajamas and slippers appeared out of nowhere. She looked adorably clueless, like she’d just rolled out of bed.
Ling Ye, standing behind Ling Ning, instantly recognized her. *It’s that girl who apologized to a utility pole last time! What’s she doing here?*
The girl ran up to Wei Suozhai and handed him a USB drive. “Brother, you forgot this yesterday!”
“Huh!?” Wei Suozhai stared at the drive for a moment before hastily pocketing it. His nervousness spiked as he stammered, “W-Why’d you bring this out?”
“You always treat it like it’s super important, so I rushed to give it to you,” Wei Lan replied, hands on her hips, waiting for praise.
In that brief moment, Xia You and Ling Ye caught a clear glimpse of the USB drive. It looked identical to the ones they had—right down to the terribly written “TOP SECRET” label on the back.
Could this awkward-looking guy really be the source of the drives they held? Given the content on those drives, it was starting to seem more plausible.
“Classmate Wei, we’ve got things to do. We’ll catch up next time.”
“Goodbye.”
Wei Suozhai replied, watching their retreating figures with a mix of relief and regret.
“Brother, were those your classmates? Any of them my future sister-in-law?” Wei Lan asked excitedly.
“Of course not! They were just old classmates. I’ve barely even spoken to them before. It’s just a coincidence we live in the same complex. Stop overthinking it.”
Before Wei Lan could respond, Wei Suozhai hurried off, seemingly forgetting about the USB drive entirely.
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Author’s Note:
Salty Fish is heading out for a raid!