Chapter 100, Chapter 1: The Lost Manor

[Ha ha……]

[call……]

A black-backed, white-feathered swallow swooped down, grabbed a branch, and paused to catch its breath.

It turned around in shock, only to see a bird's head rotate 360 ​​degrees twice, clockwise and counterclockwise. Once it was sure there was no one chasing it, it breathed a sigh of relief.

That's terrifying, that's horrifying.

When it was completely unprepared, a cleaver came crashing down on its head, almost splitting it in two!

It didn't even know when, but [the world's henchmen] had been secretly following behind it without it noticing at all.

For a whole month, Yanzi was racing against time, briefly shaking off the girl two or three times along the way, but she would catch up again soon after.

If this continues, it will be unable to develop any more supernatural tales and will have to ask its master for help.

The scarlet bird's eyes were filled with black mist, turning pitch black and lifeless, transmitting what it saw and heard upwards.

After a while, the eyes slowly regained their original color and became bright again.

That's fine.

The swallow straightened its disheveled feathers. Its master had received its message and would arrange for other [attendants] to distract the girl. Taking advantage of this opportunity, it had to quickly develop new ghost stories.

When choosing a lord again, Swallow did not act rashly.

It reflected on the reasons for the previous two failures, the primary reason of which was, of course, that the lords were insane!

However, its previous approach did contain some misconceptions.

It thought the ghost stories needed a bloodthirsty, violent, and power-hungry lord, so it chose that silly dog.

The silly dog ​​was quickly domesticated by humans.

It thought that the ghost stories needed a dark, twisted, and vengeful lord, so it chose that madman.

Madmen were quickly domesticated by humans.

The core of ghost stories is negative emotions. Lords are not machines; they have emotions. A creature with feelings is bound to be tamed.

The current logic is:

The legend will end once a sufficiently intelligent human appears and tames the lord.

Following this line of reasoning, it seems that the important thing is not the lord, but the humans in the ghost stories?

But the swallow cannot interfere with the creatures of the world; it cannot filter who enters the ghost stories.

The larger the scale and the longer the duration of a ghost story, the more humans will enter it, and sooner or later one or two clever ones will inevitably appear.

The swallow scratched its head in annoyance, raising its claws.

As its claws grazed its head, a sudden inspiration struck it.

What if the lord can only see idiots?

There will always be smart people, so choose a lord who only sees fools, and the lord will never be bothered by smart people.

That's brilliant!

...How could such a combination exist?

This combination is even more outrageous than [The World's Minions] and its master [The Liar] laying eggs.

Blindly choosing a lord will only waste your feathers.

With a try-it-and-see attitude, Yanzi decided to look for it first.

...

In early May, the Ferrari Racing team, owned by Philiania, finished its championship race.

To celebrate the excellent results, the management arranged a relaxing team-building activity for the team.

"Please come with me, Feifei, I beg you."

Li Yufei turned away impatiently, busy watching the SN new product launch on her phone. "Don't bother me, Zheng Jianbin."

A man of similar age crawled two steps on his knees on the bed and came around to her again. “The departments are separate. There aren’t many people from our side, just two main candidates, three testers, and a few navigators. You know them all.”

Li Yufei stared intently at the live stream, her gaze fixed on each and every model who appeared.

"That place has a wonderful environment; it's a super luxurious manor, and the nearby town is also very charming. You should go, you should go! Maybe you'll get some inspiration there—like putting together a manor ball outfit or something."

The woman raised a seductive fox-like eyebrow and looked at the man's face, whispering, "Zheng Jianbin, if you utter another word, get out of here."

Zheng Jianbin fell silent.

He carefully glanced at his girlfriend's profile.

Li Yufei was known for her bad temper. He had hoped countless times that she could be more obedient, but her angry and annoyed appearance was also quite beautiful, like a rose being consumed by fire, casting shadows that shimmered with gold.

Li Yufei had two minutes of peace and quiet when she heard her boyfriend humming softly beside her: "But... Dean will also bring his girlfriend."

"Who?" Li Yufei suddenly turned her head. "Song Xiaona?"

Zheng Jianbin nodded.

"Didn't I tell you to tell him?!" Li Yufei immediately retorted angrily, "How come they're still together?!"

“What can I do?” Zheng Jianbin said aggrievedly. “They are boyfriend and girlfriend, why would they care what I, an outsider, say? Besides, what would I look like if I, a grown man, spoke ill of someone’s girlfriend to their face?”

Li Yufei threw down her phone, looked him straight in the eye, and said, "You didn't say anything at all, did you?"

"I really can't bring myself to say it..."

"Why can't you say it? What's wrong with you not being able to say it!"

"What am I supposed to say? 'Hey buddy, your girlfriend bullied classmates in elementary school, cut up my girlfriend's dance costume in middle school, and dated three boyfriends at the same time in high school. She's a scumbag, you need to break up with her right now'?"

“Yes!” Li Yufei opened her eyes. “Aren’t you good at talking?”

Those fox-like eyes were wide and round, just like a cat's.

Li Yufei's personality is like that of a proud and aloof cat. When he leaves for a while, she gets anxious and puffs up; when he's in front of her, she becomes aloof and arrogant.

“Oh my wife,” Zheng Jianbin knelt down on the bed and kowtowed to her, “Song Xiaona has sponsored the car team with another 1,000 W this year. Although it’s not much, she is still a contributor.”

"What do you mean, Zheng Jianbin!" Li Yufei put down her phone. "You're saying she's the daughter of a WV tycoon, rich and powerful, while I'm just a third-rate blogger with no influence. So you're all siding with her, right?"

“I didn’t… I didn’t,” Zheng Jianbin said, genuinely confused. “Why would I break up a perfectly good young couple? Do you expect me to break up every relationship Song Xiaona has? You said it yourself, she’s had many boyfriends since high school, you couldn’t possibly break them all up.”

“Fine, I don’t care who Song Xiaona is with,” Li Yufei said, pointing at him. “But you have to change your navigator.”

"What?"

"You're not allowed to have anything to do with that Dean and Andy anymore!"

"Isn't this ridiculous?" Zheng Jianbin said in astonishment. "There are only two official drivers and two official navigators, and they're both fixed. Who do you want me to replace? It's not up to me to decide who to replace them with; it's decided by the agents and management. I don't have that authority."

Li Yufei angrily punched him, "Didn't you always say you were the pillar of the company, the top star? You can't even make a decision with a different navigator, you're useless, what good are you anyway!"

"You're being a bit unreasonable." Zheng Jianbin hunched his shoulders and let her hit him. Li Yufei's strength was terrifying. He didn't know if it was because she had been dancing since elementary school and exercised regularly. Before the competition, Zheng Jianbin really wouldn't have dared to let her touch him.

"I'm being unreasonable?" Li Yufei exclaimed in astonishment, "You heartless bastard, who's your girlfriend or me? Why do you always take her side!"

He didn't want to argue anymore, so he waved his hand and begged for forgiveness, "Fine, I was tactless. Can we pretend I didn't mention this today? If you don't like Song Xiaona, then don't go."

"Why should I be afraid of her? I'm going anyway!"

And that's how it ended.

First, there was the high-speed rail crossing the city, and then the buses heading to the suburbs.

At the end of May, with the outdoor temperature at 34 degrees Celsius, Li Yufei covered her mouth on the swaying bus, looking utterly exhausted.

She was filled with remorse, but a quick glance at the woman sitting across the aisle made her furious again.

The woman with the neat short hair is Song Xiaona, 28 years old, the same age as Li Yufei.

They are a neighborhood, a kindergarten, a primary school, a junior high school, a senior high school, and a university.

For the first twenty-two years, their lives were almost identical. From the age of twenty-two, everything changed.

In the six years following her 22nd birthday, Song Xiaona studied abroad, joined her family's company, and became an independent and self-reliant financial businesswoman.

She broke ties with her parents, lost her financial support, and became a beauty blogger in name only, but in reality, an unemployed person.

In fact, the differences between the two began to surface in middle school.

Song Xiaona excelled in all aspects of academics, morality, physical education, and aesthetics, and was admitted to University A with high scores; Li Yufei, on the other hand, was admitted to University A through a donation of experimental equipment from her family.

At this moment, after three hours of traffic in the high temperature, Li Yufei felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, while Song Xiaona remained poised and elegant.

On the bus, all the men in the convoy surrounded her, saying, "Xiaona, we never expected someone as busy as you to take the time to join us for team building."

Song Xiaona smiled and shook Dean's hand beside her. "Your tournament results are so good, of course I, as the investor, had to come over."

Investors?

Li Yufei felt like vomiting. In total, she had only invested 15 million yuan, not even enough to buy a car, yet she still had the nerve to call herself an investor.

“I didn’t really want her to come.” Dean squeezed his girlfriend’s hand back. “It’s so hot, it’ll be too much for her. She’s busy with work, and she’s going abroad next week.”

"That's why I'm spending more time with you, since I'm leaving next week." The two intertwined their fingers and smiled at each other.

The passengers erupted in cheers, "That's too much!" "This is a bunch of single people, don't provoke them anymore!" "Hey, someone open the window and throw Dean out!"

Amidst the laughter and chatter, Song Xiaona said with a smile, "Alright, alright, stop bullying our Dean. I brought some juice, it's still chilled, you can try some."

"Damn, what kind of angelic girlfriend is she? She's beautiful, capable, and so virtuous and kind!" "I'm thirsty, let me have a taste."

Dean got up, found an insulated bag on the luggage rack, handed out a paper cup to everyone, and pretended to complain: "I said it was so heavy, but she said it was grown on her own farm and insisted on bringing it with you. Look, there are three ice packs."

"Sister Xiaona also has her own farm!"

Song Xiaona turned on the thermos, which was emitting cold air, and poured it into the paper cups that were brought over. "It's not a big event, just some fruit and vegetables we usually provide for our own family. Try it, and if you like it, I'll have my assistant send some more to the base."

"Thank you, sister-in-law!" "How could it not taste good if the beautiful Song poured it herself!"

"Hey, stop joking with me."

Having to endure Song Xiaona's constant acting was already enough to annoy Li Yufei, but what was even more annoying was that Zheng Jianbin, that idiot, actually bent down and stretched out a paper cup, begging for that little bit of juice like a lapdog eunuch.

Li Yufei was furious.

He's her boyfriend!

"Hey, get Yufei a drink too." Song Xiaona poured a drink for Zheng Jianbin, not forgetting to keep an eye on Li Yufei by the window.

"Thank you," Zheng Jianbin said with a smile, handing the cup in his hand to Li Yufei first.

Li Yufei suppressed her anger and didn't smash the cup, saying coldly, "No."

Zheng Jianbin clicked his tongue lightly, "They brought it on purpose."

"So what?" She was so carsick she felt nauseous and couldn't give him a pleasant look. "I said no."

These words, though not loud, were enough for the entire bus to hear.

The lively atmosphere suddenly froze, and everyone's eyes turned to look at them.

Zheng Jianbin was a little embarrassed, so he nudged her with his elbow to tell her to stop joking, "Drink it, it's freshly squeezed from their own farm, there's no sugar in it."

She already said she didn't want it! Knowing how much she hates Song Xiaona, this bastard still keeps pushing himself on her!

"Don't you have any common sense?!" Li Yufei was furious. "The fiber in fruits and vegetables is completely destroyed when they are juiced, and the free sugars in this cup are harder to metabolize than regular white sugar! If you want to drink it, just drink it yourself, why are you dragging me into this!"

Zheng Jianbin was annoyed at being humiliated by his girlfriend in front of the entire convoy. "Xiao Na brought her along out of kindness, what are you doing?"

"Xiaona?" Li Yufei raised her voice, "You call her that so affectionately."

"Li Yufei, are you sick in the head?"

"Ah, I'm 'Li Yufei,' and she's 'Xiaona'?"

Song Xiaona quickly interrupted, "What are you talking about?"

She looked past Zheng Jianbin, whose face was flushed, and looked at Li Yufei apologetically, "It was my oversight; I forgot that you don't like drinking juice, Yufei."

“You’re wrong,” Li Yufei glanced at the thermos in her hand. “It’s not that I don’t like drinking it, it’s just that I don’t want to drink this kind of unknown, unregulated product.”

“This is just a regular glass of juice,” Song Xiaona frowned. “Yufei, don’t overthink it. Before… this was just the juice you drank every day.”

Li Yufei opened her eyes.

Ha, what a piece of shit, this green tea bitch, is she mocking her for being homeless and unable to even afford a glass of juice?

Back when she had a personal stylist, this bitch was still playing in the mud on the ground with her hair in a ponytail!

She was so angry, so furious. If she weren't carsick, she would have stood up and yelled at her.

“I was little then, but I’ve got a brain now.” Li Yufei pointed to her temples. “So I won’t be brainwashed by marketing accounts and think of juice as something good. I advise you to drink less too, your teeth are getting yellow.”

Song Xiaona smiled generously, "Okay, since it's your suggestion, I'll consider listening to it."

Li Yufei felt a lump in her throat, and she felt even more nauseous with anger.

The atmosphere became even more tense.

The men in the car all looked away.

Outside, the sun blazed fiercely, while inside the bus, only the hum of the air conditioning could be heard.

Zheng Jianbin's face darkened, and he didn't say another word for the rest of the journey.

Li Yufei's expression worsened.

It's a good thing she came along; if she hadn't, Zheng Jianbin would have been getting along incredibly well with Song Xiaona.

Does this man even know who his girlfriend is?! He has absolutely no idea!

It's been almost ten minutes, and he still hasn't apologized to her.

Li Yufei was angry, annoyed, and a little wronged. What use was this kind of boyfriend? She would break up with him as soon as she got back!

Looking at the scenery outside the window, Li Yufei wanted to calm down, but suddenly found the surroundings becoming more and more familiar.

After passing through a lush, dappled tree-lined tunnel, the bus entered a tranquil town.

It is not a "town" in the administrative region, but a simulated tourist town.

The streets, which intersect on both sides, are paved with bluestone bricks. The shops on both sides have medieval gray and red roofs and wooden signs. There is no electricity or transportation, and only a few horse-drawn carriages are parked on the side to solicit customers.

This is a small town that seems to have stepped out of a fairy tale or fantasy game. There are few people and not many shops.

In the center of the town square stood a pure white double stone sculpture. Before the crowd could get a good look at it, the bus drove past.

Crossing the main road, a magnificent and ornate Baroque manor comes into view at the end.

Song Xiaona glanced at Li Yufei out of the corner of her eye.

From the moment she entered the town, Li Yufei's eyes gradually became rigid, her face turned pale, and her whole demeanor became extremely abnormal.

"Hey, are you alright?" Zheng Jianbin, disregarding their cold war, put his arm around her shoulder. "Is your motion sickness that bad? Do you want me to come with you for a walk?"

Li Yufei ignored him, her eyes fixed on the approaching manor castle.

How could it be here...?

She stood there, stunned. How could this place have become a tourist attraction open to the public...?

The moment she saw the manor, the immense shock made her forget her unpleasantness, leaving only disbelief and astonishment.

As soon as we got off the bus, the tour guide in charge of receiving us was already waiting there.

He warmly introduced, "Welcome to Psyche Estate, everyone from the Thunder."

Even before entering, statues of angels and goddesses can be seen everywhere outside the manor. The front courtyard is spotless, holy and magnificent. Not only is it well-maintained, but the air is also filled with the faint fragrance of grass, trees and roses.

"This estate was sold just three months ago and has been open to the public."

"You are all very lucky. There are only a few dozen tourists in the entire town of Psyche besides you. Come in, the rooms are all set up. I hope you enjoy your time in Psyche."

The convoy followed the tour guide into the manor. Zheng Jianbin, holding his girlfriend's hand, walked at the back. "How are you? Still feeling unwell after getting out of the car?"

Li Yufei snapped out of her daze, pursed her lips, and shook her head.

An exclamation came from ahead: "Wow, this place is so luxurious."

The two looked up and stopped in their tracks.

No one could help but be shocked.

Baroque church art permeates this castle, and its 23-meter-high ceilings create an extremely awe-inspiring solemnity.

The enormous and magnificent ceiling mural immediately catches the eye. The rich and deep colors, combined with the colored marble, gold ornaments, and mirrors, make the gods in the painting majestic and beautiful, almost too dazzling to look at directly.

Walking under the watchful eyes of the gods, everyone unconsciously slowed their pace.

"Isn't it amazing?" the tour guide said. "What's even more amazing is that this magnificent work of art was built with private funding and took only six years from design to completion."

"This is a building that perfectly blends a church and a castle, and its builders did not name it. After we took over it, we called it 'Psyche Estate'."

"'Psyche'—meaning 'mind' or 'soul' in Greek, is also the name of a goddess, the wife of Eros, the god of love, and the goddess who governs the human mind and soul."

"We chose this name because the manor is full of elements and symbols of the goddess Psyche."

"This is a rare attraction themed around Psyche. There is also a double statue of Psyche and Eros in the town square where you just came in."

"The statue depicts their love story, a myth full of romance, trials, and redemption. If you're interested, you can go and see it, or I can explain it to you tomorrow."

"We are now in the first-floor hall of the castle. The entire castle has seven floors, 153 rooms and a meeting hall."

The entire Psyche Castle has seven floors and 153 rooms.

Li Yufei looked at the gleaming marble beneath her feet.

Her shadow twisted and stretched among the colorful stone patterns.

153 is the love code in the Greek myth of Crete, the sum of the Greek numerals of Jesus' name, signifying that 'profound love is faith, dedication, loyalty, and respect'.

He was not religious at all, but he deeply agreed with this theory and insisted on having 153 rooms.

"From where we are now, if we pass through the first-floor hall, what lies directly in front of us is a sea of ​​roses."

A gentle breeze, seemingly from nowhere, carried with it the rich fragrance of flowers.

In the backyard directly opposite the hall, fiery red flowers bloomed in front of everyone.

On the verdant leaves are clusters of fiery red roses, each the color of a heart.

Li Yufei trembled.

The wind carried a warm and vibrant fragrance. Six years have passed, and the place remains exactly as it was when she first arrived.

The side wall was cut and hollowed out to create a huge kaleidoscope glass window.

The harsh sunlight pierced through the tiny shards of stained glass, like countless eyes staring at her, pinning her shadow to the ground.

The slender figure trembled in fear amidst the polished marble and under the watchful gaze of the gods in the heavens.

Why here? Why this place? How could this place be auctioned off and turned into a tourist attraction? This place is clearly...

It was the place where she almost held her wedding with Cheng Yuzhou.

Six years later, Li Yufei's life has changed dramatically.

She never gave Cheng Yuzhou a kind look in the end, and when she finally let go of her resentment and tried to accept him, he left this world.

Like this manor, when she set foot here again, it had been put up for sale and no longer belonged to her.

-----------------------

Author's Note: [Choose a lord whose heart and eyes only see fools.]

Okay, that concludes this unit.

Note before reading: The female lead in the third unit is quite different from the female lead in the first two units.

I know that most people who read the "Rules of the Strange" series have a dislike for stupidity. When I was writing it, I was very worried that my youngest daughter would be scolded. I even considered not writing this episode at one point, but it was a bit rushed to end after only two stories. I also really didn't have any other ideas to write about, so I ultimately chose to write about her.

Please be kind and let this idiot have his way QAQ

As for why I chose the image of the swallow, I actually thought of a black cat, a goat, and a crow at first. Then, at the end of October 2024, one day after I finished using the restroom at the company, I was walking back to the office when I suddenly remembered a primary school text called "Making Progress Each Time".

Just like the little swallow in the text, our swallows carefully observe each time they fly out, making progress in choosing their lords with each flight. [Thumbs up]