บท 7: A Dangerous Favor?

Mia was completely taken aback, until Scarlett took her hand, gave it a comforting squeeze, and guided her towards the sofas.

Initially, Danial had reserved a seat only for Scarlett. However, when Lucius remained silent, neither approving nor disapproving, everyone subtly shifted to make room for one more.

Scarlett and Mia then confidently took their seats among the business magnates, Scarlett in particular. Right next to her was Lucius. Before he could even speak, she poured herself a drink, turned to him with a polite smile, and said, "I haven't had a chance to properly thank you, Mr. Zhou, for your help the other day."

Her voice was soft, almost understated, but everyone in the room could hear her clearly. The looks they gave Scarlett were now filled with curiosity and intrigue.

Lucius, lounging on the couch, remained as relaxed as he would be in a nightclub. He took a drag of his cigarette and asked, "How would you show your appreciation?"

Scarlett replied, "I know what you value most. In due time, my actions will speak louder than words." With that, she raised her glass towards Lucius and drained it in one gulp.

The onlookers were initially puzzled about the relationship between Scarlett and Lucius, but the deep implications in their conversation were clear to see. Why would a man with such a notorious reputation help a beautiful woman? The intention was as clear as day.

No one dared to speculate about Lucius's personal life, but judging by his attitude towards Scarlett, and his acceptance of Mia's presence, it seemed he was more than willing to charm the fairer sex. Everyone was desperate to curry favor with Lucius, and seeing this opening, not only did they treat Scarlett with deference, but Mia as well.

Many people actively engaged Mia in conversation. Business cards, previously withheld, were now eagerly offered. Scarlett noticed a bald man exchanging cards with Mia and jokingly warned her, "Be careful, don't hand out your room key instead of your business card."

It was this very bald man who had previously made fun of Mia, suggesting she give Lucius her room key instead of a business card. Scarlett's light-hearted comment had a deeper message, and everyone understood that she was stirring the pot.

As expected, the bald man's face changed. He quickly looked towards Lucius, but seeing no expression, he quickly laughed it off, "It was just a joke earlier, don't take it to heart."

Scarlett responded with a straight face, "We can't have fun without jokes, don't take it to heart."

The more attractive a woman is, the more she is perceived as a femme fatale in this circle. When Scarlett was being pleasant, people couldn't help but think of the phrase 'hidden daggers behind smiles'. Not only was Lucius unable to provoke her, but the same went for those around him.

Clearly, Lucius had no intention of 'mingling with the masses' for long. He stood up after a while, and everyone followed suit, fawning over him with offers of future dinner invitations. Only Scarlett was bold enough to say, "Take care, see you tomorrow."

Could Lucius be met by just anyone?

When Scarlett spoke, she always caused a stir.

Although Lucius didn't say anything, those who were discerning had already cemented the relationship between him and Scarlett in their minds. After Lucius left, he was met with a wave of grinning faces. It seemed like they were all itching to claim kinship with him right then and there.

Scarlett, knowing when to make a graceful exit, left Mia to handle the aftermath. There were plenty of folks looking to cozy up to Lucius, hoping some of his shine would rub off on them. If they couldn't get on Scarlett's good side, cozying up to her best friend was the next best thing. After all, these days, intimate conversations can be more influential than smooth talk.

Half an hour later, Mia pushed open the restroom door to find Scarlett, who'd been hiding out there for a good while. With no one else around, Mia could finally ask the question that had been eating at her all night: "What's the deal with you and Lucius? When did you... when did you meet him?"

Even without an audience, Mia couldn't help but lower her voice when she mentioned Lucius' name.

Contrasting Mia's anxious haste, Scarlett was cool as a cucumber, answering readily: "Yesterday. He's my new client."

Mia's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she stared at Scarlett: "You're tutoring Lucius?!"

Scarlett corrected her, "His kid."

Mia's face paled, "I was only overseas for a few days, and you didn't think to tell me about this huge development?"

Scarlett kept her composure, "Lucius is the ninth client assigned to me by the CEO. Should I have refused? Who knows if the tenth one will be some barren bachelor. I can't be picky, and telling you wouldn't have made a difference. You're always running around like a headless chicken."

Mia furrowed her brows, "Do you know who Lucius really is?"

Scarlett replied calmly, "Rumor has it he has a bit of a reputation, but that doesn't concern me. He pays, I work. I'm a tutor, not a cop."

Mia was at a loss, chuckling with a touch of despair, "Seems like your understanding of 'a bit of a reputation' is also a bit off."

Scarlett joked, "Nice tongue twister."

Mia exclaimed urgently, "I'm not joking around with you!"

She looked at Scarlett as if she was a lost cause, fists clenched, "It's my fault for being so busy this month. I haven't had time to fill you in on our local culture. You don't know about the 'Six Sights' of our city."

Scarlett's eyes sparkled with curiosity, "Don't try to fool an outsider. Our city has eight sights, including the renowned Dapeng, the early blooms of Lotus Spring, and the radiant Overseas City..." She started to count them off on her fingers.

Mia rolled her eyes, interrupting her, "Girl, those are the sights for tourists. As a born and bred local, let me tell you, we now only have Six Sights!"

Seeing Mia's gritted teeth, Scarlett reluctantly played along, "Do tell."

Mia lowered her voice, "The Six Sights of our city now refer to six individuals, three saints and three devils. Your dreamboat, Leo Zhen, is one of the saints, and your new client, Lucius, funnily enough, is the leader of the devils!"

She emphasized 'devil' and 'leader' to drive home the point, hoping to make Scarlett understand the gravity of the situation. She couldn't just be all about the money and oblivious to the danger.

But Scarlett merely blinked, an innocent glint in her eyes, and quietly asked, "Is Leo that famous in our city?"

Mia nearly toppled over, grabbing onto the sink to steady herself. She had been seriously warning Scarlett about the dangers of Lucius, and yet all Scarlett had on her mind was Leo.

Scarlett reached out to pat Mia's head, trying to soothe her, "Alright, alright. I get it, okay? You're getting all worked up. Did you bring your quick-acting heart relief pills?"

Mia took a moment to collect herself, muttering under her breath. Scarlett had to lean in to hear her clearly.

"You should've never stepped in to defuse the situation earlier. Now that you've gained his favor, he won't let you off that easily. We're in deep trouble."

Scarlett was about to encourage Mia to lighten up a bit. After all, as someone standing tall at 5'8", she'd be the first one hit if the sky were to fall, not 5'5" Mia. But before she could get a word out, someone else entered the restroom. No more time for private conversations. Both of them walked out, Scarlett leading the way, Mia trailing behind. Suddenly, Scarlett stopped dead in her tracks, causing Mia to nearly bump into her. Mia was about to ask what was going on, but then she looked up and got her answer. It was enough to make her heart skip a beat.