Ze Kai didn't like perfume, neither in his previous life nor this one. Overly strong scents always felt like they were trying to hide something.
But Madam Tulip was different; there was no pungent floral scent, only a light and subtle fragrance, very natural.
Opening his eyes, a woman in a purple velvet dress walked towards him, holding a plate of cake. Her skirt swayed like a field of flowers in the wind, and with every step, a faint, ethereal fragrance wafted over.
Although the skirt was slightly voluminous, it fit Madam Tulip perfectly, gracefully outlining her slender waist and voluptuous figure.
"Young Master."
Madam Tulip walked up to Ze Kai, the breeze making her purple hair flutter, which only enhanced her snow-white skin.
"Roland, you're here."
The muffled voice spoke again; Ze Kai still wasn't using his own voice.
Roland wasn't surprised, a serene smile on her face as she said, "I was busy promoting new perfumes this afternoon and was delayed a bit. Please punish this Young Master."
As she spoke, she didn't forget to wink at Ze Kai, a natural flirtatiousness about her.
Ze Kai was used to Roland's occasional teasing. After all, she was no longer young, twenty-nine years old, and inevitably lonely.
Especially since everything she had was bestowed by Ze Kai: life, money, reputation, and… the meaning of existence.
"It's fine, I just happened to be resting."
Roland elegantly sat on the sofa, her body inevitably brushing against Ze Kai's. She showed no reaction, and Ze Kai dared not make a sound.
The elegant woman scooped a spoonful of cake and looked at Ze Kai expectantly.
"Xiao Yu said Young Master was hungry."
Ze Kai looked at her, his peaceful eyes, unbefitting his age, seemed to see through her thoughts.
Roland remained silent, smiling as she met his gaze.
After ten seconds of silence, Ze Kai removed the terrifying Shura mask, revealing a somewhat youthful, handsome face.
A hint of surprise flashed in Roland's eyes, but she wasn't truly shocked.
Ze Kai asked in confusion, "Don't you recognize me?"
Roland smiled and replied, "Of course I do, Young Master Shura."
"I mean my true identity."
Roland pushed the spoon forward, "Rocks Ze Kai, I know that too."
Ze Kai opened his mouth to accept Roland's feeding, his mouth filled with a floral scent.
"Aren't you surprised? One is a notorious good-for-nothing, the other is Shura, who dominates the underground arena." Ze Kai was very curious; after all, his two identities were indeed a stark contrast.
Roland smiled faintly, "My nose is very keen; I recognize Young Master's scent."
Ze Kai said in surprise, "You knew all along?"
Roland shook her head, her tone gentle, "I only know that from beginning to end, you have always been my Young Master. The scent with the mask on and the mask off is the same."
Ze Kai's heart suddenly skipped a beat; he felt his blood beginning to boil.
"Roland, do you want some cake?"
Roland was an experienced woman; she instantly understood Ze Kai's meaning and chuckled in response.
Ten minutes later.
The cake was finished. Ze Kai ate half, and Roland snatched half from his mouth.
"Young Master, you don't have to hold back. I'm already yours," Roland said, her eyes hazy.
Ze Kai shook his head, "I have something to do tonight. Next time. I'll be staying with you for a while recently."
Roland's eyes were filled with pleasant surprise.
"Let's talk business. As you know, I've been stripped of my surname by the Wilson Family, so it's probably time for me to leave here."
The joy in Roland's eyes faded, replaced by disappointment: "Young Master, I can support you."
Ze Kai was momentarily stunned, then pinched her fleshy cheek and laughed, "Does your Young Master look like someone who lives off women?"
Roland nodded vigorously.
Seeing Ze Kai's look of bewilderment, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.
"You're the mature and steady Madam Tulip; why are you acting like a little girl now?"
Roland replied with a smile, "Young Master gave me new life. By that count, I'm only four years old now."
Ze Kai smiled helplessly and continued, "The forces in Quartz City are too complex, and the Sunset Empire is even harder to shake. If I want to develop, I must start from scratch and accumulate strength over time."
Roland's gaze suddenly became serious: "Whatever Young Master wishes to do, I will follow him to the death."
Ze Kai smiled and added, "I know."
For the rest of the time, the two talked for a long time, and Ze Kai roughly explained his plan to her.
Although Roland wanted very much to leave with him, she also knew that Young Master needed someone to stay in Quartz City to observe changes in the situation.
A smart woman wouldn't make excessive demands, so Roland chose to stay.
"All right, it's getting late. I should go collect some interest."
Roland asked, "Is Young Master going to the underground arena?"
Ze Kai nodded, extending his hand, "Didn't you want to keep me? Start with ten thousand gold coins as a token."
Roland smiled charmingly, playing along, "Ten thousand gold coins isn't cheap; one night won't be enough."
"Then how long do you want?"
"A lifetime."
...Dusk settled, and most of Quartz City grew dim, but the central area of the city remained as bright as day.
Underground Arena.
At this moment, the arena was bustling with people, every seat taken. Tens of thousands of spectators stared at the central ring, the atmosphere frenzied and hot.
The air was filled with an unshakeable smell of blood, mixed with sweat and alcohol, incredibly complex.
Currently, in the arena, two figures were fiercely clashing. One was a woman in a blue combat suit, the other a muscular man in a vest.
What was rather surprising was that the woman had long blue hair, two fluffy ears on top of her head, and a grayish-white tail behind her.
This was a female wolf beastkin.
"Black Iron! Kill that filthy beastkin!"
"Rip her head off! I get sick just seeing her bare her fangs!"
"Damn beastkin, just lose already!"
...The crowd in the stands roared, almost everyone supporting the muscular man and showing strong animosity towards the wolf beastkin.
Inside a private box.
"Phantom, are you all right?"
Feeling the sudden force in the massaging hand, Ze Kai asked with concern.
The cat beastkin, who was massaging Ze Kai, realized her lapse and said in a panic, "I'm sorry, Young Master, I didn't mean to."
"It's fine."
Ze Kai knew the reason for Phantom's lapse and understood it. After all, the box wasn't soundproof, and she could clearly hear the malicious words from the audience directed at Shuang Ya.
"Phantom, let me massage Young Master. You rest for a bit."
A white-haired fox beastkin girl patted Phantom's shoulder, signaling her to switch places.
"Understood, Sister Bai Ling."
Phantom moved aside, the panic on her face somewhat lessened.
Bai Ling's massage technique was clearly much better than Phantom's, the pressure perfectly controlled.
Ze Kai comfortably continued watching the match. The match on stage was about to end, and it would soon be his turn.