Madame Hongxian’s gaze lingered for two seconds on Weiluoya’s strikingly beautiful face, then shifted to the maid Liya standing straight as a rod behind her, her expression flawless.
As for strength…
Madame Hongxian discreetly recalled several shocking records in the file.
Bare-handed disassembly of the Steam Clock Tower.
Pummeling city guard training dummies into the wall until they couldn’t be pulled out.
And, during a chase after a Phantom Thief at the port, lifting a derailed steam car with one hand…
Good heavens, that was close.
She had even exceeded the client’s somewhat odd requirements.
“Miss Xialvdi, I must say.”
She cleared her throat, speaking into the receiver in a tone of professional confidence.
“Your requirements align with my client’s conditions with astonishing consistency.”
Silence on the other end of the Far-Talker.
A few seconds later, the cool female voice sounded again, but now tinged with a trembling disbelief.
“You mean… Miss Cromwell?”
Madame Hongxian adjusted her glasses, the corner of her mouth curving into an arc.
“Yes.”
“Ah!”
A short gasp came from the earpiece.
Weiluoya looked up curiously at Madame Hongxian.
Madame Hongxian merely gave her a gentle smile that said “everything is under control.”
Then, unhurriedly, she spoke into the receiver.
“Miss Xialvdi, please calm down. We are conducting a serious marriage consultation.”
“When can I meet her?” The voice on the other end grew urgent.
“When can we get married? Right now?!”
“Don’t rush.” Madame Hongxian attempted to soothe her.
“Miss Xialvdi, please calm down.”
“Before the formal meeting, according to procedure, I need to conduct a proxy communication between the two of you.”
“This is to ensure you reach a consensus on basic understanding, which contributes to a healthy and long-lasting marriage.”
A series of deep breaths came from the other end, as if forcing herself to calm down.
“Alright… okay, I’m ready. Go ahead and ask.”
Madame Hongxian gave Weiluoya a “wait a moment” look, then sat up straight and began in a routine manner.
“Then, Miss Xialvdi, to give Miss Cromwell a basic understanding of you, please answer the following few questions honestly.”
“According to your file, you are a jewelry appraiser, correct? Then please tell me, what is your true main occupation?”
“I’m the most skillful Phantom Thief in the Golden City.”
Xialvdi’s answer was crisp and clean, brimming with professional pride.
The smile on Madame Hongxian’s face vanished.
A Phantom Thief?
Wasn’t Weiluoya a detective?
How was she supposed to explain this to the young lady of the Cromwell family?
In her mind flashed Mr. Arthur’s face, which seemed to say, “My daughter’s happiness is in your hands.”
And that fee—exorbitantly high, enough to buy an entire mansion in the city center—was enough to make one’s hair stand on end.
Hiss… this deal had to succeed!
Ha! She, Margaret, was no pushover!
Madame Hongxian put down the receiver, turned to Weiluoya, and plastered an impeccable smile on her face.
“Miss Xialvdi is a connoisseur of life and a collector with refined tastes.”
“She frequents the most upscale venues in the city, has a keen eye for beautiful things, and is never constrained by price when choosing what she likes.”
Weiluoya nodded thoughtfully.
Although her family wasn’t short of money either, it sounded like the other party was financially strong too!
Behind her, Liya remained expressionless, but her posture seemed to stiffen slightly.
“That’s good,” Weiluoya said.
“My father is very wealthy.”
Madame Hongxian’s smile grew more sincere.
She picked up the receiver and continued with the next question.
“Good. Then, the second question: Do you have any special talents or skills?”
The other end thought for a moment.
“I’m really fast at lockpicking,” Xialvdi replied.
“Whether it’s mechanical locks, alchemical locks, or those complex gear-coded doors in bank vaults.”
Madame Hongxian: “…”
She felt her temples throbbing.
Putting down the receiver, she picked up the black tea on the table and took an elegant sip, using this brief pause to calm her heart rate, which had nearly shot up to 180.
Then she continued smiling at Weiluoya.
“Miss Xialvdi is a very independent woman. She owns properties in various districts of our Golden City.”
“And,” she emphasized, her eyes sparkling with wisdom, “her hands-on ability is extraordinary. No matter how complex or troublesome the problem, she can solve it effortlessly.”
“Oh.” Weiluoya nodded once more.
She looked at Madame Hongxian, her aqua eyes earnest.
“But I’m a detective, and I often get into trouble,” she stated as a fact.
“I don’t want to use force and cause trouble, so I need someone who can protect me.”
Madame Hongxian immediately understood.
She picked up the receiver and asked in a probing tone, “Miss Xialvdi, Miss Cromwell hopes her partner can give her a sense of security.”
“So, in the face of conflict or danger, how do you usually respond? How is your combat ability?”
Xialvdi on the other end fell into a suspicious silence.
The afternoon three years ago when she was knocked flying by an elbow and lay unconscious in the fountain was an indelible shadow in her life.
“I…” She hesitated, but ultimately chose honesty.
“My surrender speed is top-notch.”
Madame Hongxian felt her fingers trembling as she held the receiver.
Forcing back the urge to smash the thing to pieces, she took a deep breath and nodded heavily at Weiluoya.
Her face was full of a “you can rest assured” certainty.
“No problem! Miss Xialvdi’s style of conduct is pure French School of Combat!”
“French?” Weiluoya was puzzled.
“What’s that?”
“An ancient and elegant martial philosophy of winning through wisdom and avoiding unnecessary sacrifice.”
Madame Hongxian lied without changing her expression.
“You can rest assured; she will never put you in any unnecessary danger.”
Weiluoya thought it over and found it made sense.
She nodded in satisfaction again.
Madame Hongxian felt she was about to collapse, but seeing Weiluoya’s trusting expression, she forced herself to continue.
“Then, Miss Xialvdi, do you have any commendable strengths?”
“I’ve been wanted by the France Supreme Police Department.” Xialvdi’s tone was clearly boastful.
Madame Hongxian put down the receiver expressionlessly.
“…Miss Xialvdi’s personal charm is extremely outstanding,” she said to Weiluoya, her voice steady.
“Those who admire and pursue her line up from the central square of our Golden City all the way to the distant borders of France.”
“And among them are many high-ranking officials.”
“Oh, sounds like she’s popular.” Weiluoya’s focus was always so quirky.
Madame Hongxian no longer wanted to pick up that damned receiver, but Xialvdi’s voice came through on its own.
“Oh, and because of some misunderstanding, I spent three years in the Central Prison here.”
Madame Hongxian felt she was about to overheat.
She thought Arthur Cromwell should double the payment.
No, triple it!
“Miss Xialvdi…” Her voice was gentle enough to drip honey, a saintly smile on her face.
“She once served as a core staff member in our city’s government organization for three years, possessing very stable professional experience and rich social experience.”
Hearing this, Weiluoya finally showed a satisfied expression.
Having someone connected to the government would save her a lot of trouble.
“Sounds great,” she said.
Behind her, Liya also nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing this, Madame Hongxian let out a long sigh of relief, feeling like she had just survived a grueling battle.
She picked up the receiver and spoke in a light tone.
“Congratulations, Miss Xialvdi. Miss Cromwell is more than satisfied with you.”
“Wonderful!” The voice on the other end cheered with relief.
“Can I tell her one thing? A secret about our fate!”
“Go ahead,” Madame Hongxian said weakly, prepared for any thunderbolt.
“It’s because of her that I ended up in prison three years ago.”
Madame Hongxian: (°ヘ°)
She turned her head stiffly, jerkily toward Weiluoya.
Weiluoya also looked at her curiously, waiting for the translation.
Madame Hongxian’s brain reached an unprecedented peak of operation.
She looked at Weiluoya’s innocent face, at those aqua eyes that knew nothing of love and romance.
She put down the receiver, leaned slightly forward, clasped her hands on the table, and began to speak in an extremely solemn tone.
“Miss Weiluoya.”
“Miss Xialvdi said that she fell in love with you at first sight three years ago.”
“So much so that the love was so overwhelming, so uncontrollable, that she made impulsive and passionate moves just to get closer to you.”
Madame Hongxian clutched her chest, tears shimmering in her eyes.
“Miss Weiluoya, this is a fated encounter!”
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