Chapter 27

“This is it.” The three sisters took a taxi to a high-end garden forest housing complex in Meguro Ward, a famous affluent neighborhood in Tokyo where many billionaires and celebrities lived; the compound was filled entirely with luxurious single-family homes, otherwise known as mansions.

Xingye Sakura lived here. After failing to reach her by phone, Luo Quan decided to confront her face-to-face; while online trolls’ insults didn’t bother her, she’d be heartbroken if they hurt album sales.

Worried, Wen Xia and Yuuki Junko volunteered to come along with Luo Quan, at least ensuring she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage if things turned violent.

But now that they’d gotten out of the car, how to get inside became a major problem.

Entry to this upscale housing complex was guarded by security personnel; outsiders were strictly prohibited without an invitation from a resident.

Pretending to be renovation workers might have worked, but they’d left in a hurry and had no time to prepare props; after hesitating, they could only grit their teeth and walk straight in, pretending the guards beside them didn’t see them.

Yet under the bright daylight, three full-grown women walking past right in front of him—unless he was blind, no one could possibly miss them.

“Stop!” The on-duty guard shouted loudly; the three froze instantly.

“Please scan your access card here before entering the complex,” the guard said sternly, tapping the machine beside him.

The three sisters walked forward slowly; their flickering, evasive glances made the guard even more suspicious.

The guard frowned. “You’re not residents, are you?”

Luo Quan could only force herself to say, “We do live here—we just forgot our access cards today.”

The guard frowned. “Then why haven’t I seen you three during my shifts?”

“We usually wear masks when we go out, but today was special, so we didn’t. It’s normal you don’t recognize us.”

The guard pondered. “There are indeed many celebrities here—lots of masked people come and go every day. So you’re celebrities too?”

“We’re not exactly celebrities—just a little known. Have you heard of ‘Spring’?”

The guard clapped his hands. “Ah—you mean that American singer who sings so well? She’s been pretty popular lately.”

Yuuki Junko looked at Luo Quan in confusion. “American? Aren’t you from Huaxia?”

“Oh, that’s not the point!” Luo Quan hurriedly cut in to steer the conversation back. “I’m Spring—search online and you’ll find my pictures. Compare them to confirm my identity.”

The guard waved his hands quickly. “No need—I already have a vague memory of you. I never expected you’d live here…”

He paused, hesitating. “Could you sign my autograph? I’ve been a guard here for two years and heard there are so many celebrities, but I’ve never met one. For someone like me, getting a celebrity’s autograph would be something to brag about for ages.”

The guard smiled simply, speaking his true thoughts aloud.

Luo Quan thought to herself: I used to be able to brag about my autograph for ages—but after today, whether I could still use it to brag was anyone’s guess.

Still, she nodded. “Of course. Do you have paper and a pen?”

The guard dashed into the guard booth, rummaged through drawers, and finally pulled out a scratched-up marker from a corner. He pried off the cap, swiped it twice on his palm—there was still ink!

“Sign it on my uniform,” the guard said, handing the marker to Luo Quan, then turning around.

The uniform was sky blue; Luo Quan slowly wrote her name on it—in regular script.

“Done,” Luo Quan said, capping the marker.

The guard turned his head to look at his back. “Thanks so much—you can go in now. Next time, don’t forget your access card.”

“No, we’re the ones who should be thanking you,” Luo Quan smiled, then quickly turned and walked into the complex…

“The seventh single-family home on the right path… that’s it!” After searching, Luo Quan and the others finally spotted the house hidden behind tall trees.

The three women hurried over and arrived at the front door.

Luo Quan pressed the doorbell and waited quietly for Xingye Sakura to open it.

Ten seconds passed—no response. She pressed again. Another ten seconds—still no answer.

“Is she not home?” Luo Quan murmured. Just as she was about to press again, the door opened slightly.

A tall man in a black suit blocked the gap, staring coldly at Luo Quan. “Who are you looking for?”

Luo Quan froze momentarily. Wasn’t Xingye Sakura single? She snapped back to herself. “I’m looking for Miss Xingye. Who are you?”

The man in the suit spoke harshly. “You’ve got the wrong place. She’s not here.”

That single answer immediately sparked suspicion in Luo Quan.

She hadn’t said the full name—only the surname. Most people, if unfamiliar, would say, “I don’t know them,” or “There’s no Miss Xingye here.”

But this man said, “She’s not here”—which strongly suggested he knew Xingye Sakura. And there were only two possible reasons for that response.

Either he was Xingye Sakura’s family member or secret lover, sent out to dismiss her because Xingye didn’t want to see her.

Or he was a thief.

Luo Quan leaned toward the latter. After all, who in their right mind wore a suit in the middle of summer?

Especially since the man in the suit looked extremely impatient, and as soon as he spoke, he moved to shut the door.

Fortunately, Luo Quan reacted quickly and shoved her hand against the door to stop it.

No matter the case, she was going into that house today—even if he was a thief, she was confident she could take him down!

The man in the suit frowned. “What do you mean by this? Are you trying to break into a private home?”

“I know Xingye Sakura is inside. I won’t leave until I see her. Please call her out,” Luo Quan said politely, but one foot was already wedged into the doorway; Yuuki Junko and Wen Xia stood behind her, pushing the door open with their hands.

“What’s going on?” A voice came from behind the man in the suit. Another large man stepped out of the house. Through the sunlight filtering through the door crack, Luo Quan sharply noticed a faint scar on his chin.

Then she met his gaze—cold and dangerous.

Luo Quan’s heart tightened, but she still smiled. “I’m a colleague of Xingye Sakura’s. I’m here for something urgent. Please let us in?”

“Since you’re so persistent…” The scarred man glanced at the suited man. “Then come in.”

As soon as he spoke, the suited man opened the door fully and stood beside the scarred man; the two stepped back in unison, their bodies completely blocking the view of the hallway behind them.

“Come in, Wen Xia—you stay behind me,” Luo Quan turned, pulling Wen Xia—who had been at the rear—closer to her side, then gave Yuuki Junko a frantic series of eye signals.

Junko was sharp. Though she didn’t understand what Luo Quan meant, she knew normal people didn’t make such expressions—something was wrong. Her vigilance instantly rose.

The three stepped inside one by one. The suited man sidestepped past them, closed the door, and locked it with a sharp *click*.

At last, Luo Quan saw the living room.

A mess—shattered glass everywhere, sofas overturned. Clearly, a fierce struggle had taken place here.

The scarred man took only two steps back, his eyes fixed on Luo Quan like a ravenous wolf.

“You’re thieves, aren’t you?” Luo Quan asked, voice low.

The scarred man replied coldly. “Hell has no gate—you walked in of your own accord.”

“Junko, you said you learned real skills from your grandfather. I hope you’re not just boasting.” Luo Quan pulled a black umbrella from the umbrella stand on her left and tossed it to Yuuki Junko.

Junko gripped the umbrella handle tightly. “I’m fine—but you…”

“Hold on. I’ll help you in under half a minute.” Luo Quan interlocked her fingers and flipped them outward, producing a rapid crackling sound like popping beans. She rolled her shoulders, then slowly lowered her fists to her waist, stepping forward with her left foot.

It was the most common fighting stance in karate!

“Didn’t know you trained in karate,” the scarred man sneered, clearly dismissing her.

Though he’d received no formal martial training, his physique was far more muscular than Luo Quan’s. And what could a girl of seventeen or eighteen possibly know about karate?

“Attack!” The suited man facing Junko gave a sharp command—launching the battle.