The doorbell rang, and Tian Ling, rubbing her red-rimmed eyes, opened the door.

  "Sister, it's you. Is there something going on so te?" Tian Ling leaned against the door, half-awake, mumbling a few words.

  "Tian Ling, your sister wants to chat with you for a bit."

  "What do you want to chat about at this time of night? Can we talk when it's light out?" Tian Ling said while stretching and yawning.

  "We haven't seen each other in ten years. Don't you want to have a good chat with your sister?" Tian Yu asked, somewhat disappointed.

  "I want to chat, but we can wait until I wake up. There's plenty of time; we can take it slow."

  Tian Yu didn't say anything, just staring at her sister, who had grown up and was no longer the one who listened to everything her sister said, unable to utter a single word.

  "Sis, do you have anything to discuss?" Tian Ling seemed very sleepy and was already a bit impatient, urging her.

  "No," Tian Yu said in a very low voice.

  "Then I'll go to sleep first." The door closed, and Tian Ling's figure disappeared through the crack.

  "She really has changed," Tian Yu said softly, her eyes slightly lost as she gazed into the distance.

  "Have you made your decision?" Xian Zi leaned half her body out from a dark corner, looking at Tian Yu leisurely.

  Tian Yu was silent for a moment, slowly lifted her head, and a spark of hatred burst forth in her eyes. She said bitterly, "I've made my decision."

  The door creaked open, and the boss answered it.

  "What's brought you here so te?" The boss typically disliked being disturbed in the middle of the night—a habit everyone in the gang was well aware of. Besides, he was in the middle of eating the steamed buns in front of him, driven by hunger. He had a particur fondness for steamed buns and was extremely particur about how they were made. Each had to be identical, perfectly sized—not too big or too small, not too loose or too dense. Every bun he ate was meticulously measured with a ruler beforehand.

  "Boss, I wouldn't normally bother you so te, but something has come up..." Xian Zi paused mid-sentence, her eyes drifting to the steamed buns on the table. She hated the sight of those things.

  "What is it?" The boss knew Xian Zi was always sensible, so her coming over this te could only mean something serious had happened.

  "It's Tian Ling; she..." Xian Zi hesitated again.

  The moment he heard Tian Ling's name, the boss's drowsiness vanished instantly. His sharp, thief-like eyes gred as he demanded, "What happened to Tian Ling? What's wrong?"

  Xian Zi wanted to ugh but held it back. A gang leader capable of countless murders yet doting on a young girl—perhaps that was as close to human warmth as he could get.

  "Tian Ling and Tian Yu got into a fight," Xian Zi quickly expined, knowing the boss would be anxious.

  "What? Those two sisters actually quarreled? That Tian Yu is just too much. I provide her food and shelter, yet she still fights with Tian Ling." The boss seemed to harbor a deep resentment toward Tian Yu.

  "Exactly. Tian Yu is really something—eating and drinking well, yet still not satisfied.

  She even..." Xian Zi trailed off again, leaving her sentence unfinished.

  This time, the boss grew impatient. Grabbing a long robe in haste, he rushed out of the room.

  Xian Zi fshed a smug, cold smile and followed closely behind.

  Meanwhile, Ji Nan quietly slipped into the boss's room. His task was clear: to find that piece of silver—the key objective of their pn.

  Ji Nan had entered the boss's room countless times before and was thoroughly familiar with every corner. His main focus now was to locate a secret chamber or passage, convinced that such a precious item must be hidden there.

  Meanwhile, the boss stormed into Tian Ling's room, already prepared with words to mediate. Though he disliked Tian Yu—especially her sudden intrusion into the life of Tian Ling, whom he treated as his own daughter—she was still Tian Ling's sister. He didn't want conflict between them and, most importantly, couldn't bear to see Tian Ling upset.

  But he was too te. Far too te.

  Tian Yu stood there, motionless, her gaze empty and dazed. On the ground, Tian Ling y quietly, her gauzy dress soaked in blood. Her wide-open eyes, once filled with joy and vitality, now reflected only terror.

  The bloodied knife rested in Tian Yu's hand, crimson drops slowly sliding from its bde.

  "You!" The boss was stunned, utterly unable to process the scene before him. "You hurt Tian Ling—I′ll kill you!"

  The boss had never been so furious, so heartbroken. He lunged forward, intent on strangling Tian Yu with his bare hands, determined to avenge Tian Ling himself.

  Suddenly, a rope tightened around the boss's neck. It wasn't Tian Yu who moved—she stood frozen, paralyzed with fear and unable to react. The rope's other end dangled from a beam above, perfectly positioned just behind him.

  "Xian Zi, you..." The boss looked at her in shock.

  "You've been the boss for a long time. It's time for you to rest." Xian Zi smiled calmly at him.

  "I never thought it would be you..." The boss struggled to speak, clinging to his st breath, his fierce gre sharp enough to kill.

  "There are many things one wouldn't expect," Xian Zi said with a ugh. "Tian Yu and Tian Ling were once deeply bonded sisters, and yet now..." She chuckled softly.

  "You're after the silver too?" The boss asked, his voice weak but resolute.

  "Of course." The mention of the silver lit up Xian Zi's eyes with excitement.

  The boss ughed—a ugh that echoed powerfully, shaking the room. Then, at st, his eyes closed, and he exhaled his final breath. His body swayed slightly in midair, and a small piece of steamed bun fell from his mouth—the st thing he had eaten.

  "Human nature is truly treacherous," Wu Mi said softly, her voice tinged with mencholy.

  Yan Hua gave a bitter smile and said, "Let's just keep watching the show."