For a moment, Palermo, engulfed in madness, welcomed the dawn, and the atmosphere of the city underwent a dramatic change. Who possessed such positive energy to halt all conversation citywide overnight, replacing it with excitement on people’s faces—not to say happiness or misery. This transformation spread quietly and swiftly through every street and alley, and women began adorning themselves early for the same moment.

July 31st! The last day of the month, marking the day of the final performance of an international superstar’s encore after successfully performing in Palermo.

At 8 a.m., Chopin had already climbed out of bed. Still a bit groggy, he could hear the sounds of fighting in the courtyard. Thanks to these people, he had a human alarm clock. Antonio came in with a tray of lemon water.

"Master, they’re really too noisy. Do we still need to keep them staying here?" As the butler, Antonio felt that these guests had no sense of being guests. Every day, before the sun even rose, they would start brawling, damaging many potted plants. He had to run around compensating for these losses, spending money was one thing—his master had endless money—but items newly purchased for less than twenty-four hours would revert to their original state. So, he learned to be sensible, bought nothing new, and let the once beautiful garden become like a battlefield. After all, his master had no friends visiting.

"Antonio, don’t let them see you like this, especially the quiet one. Otherwise, you’ll wake up the next day finding your head separated from your body." Chopin was in a particularly good mood today. After rinsing his mouth with lemon water, he entered the bathroom. "Antonio, let’s have breakfast in the courtyard today, prepare more than usual, I think they will need it."

"Alright, master!" Antonio pouted behind Chopin’s back, very reluctant. He had to clear space in a large refrigerator for the bloody meat chunks. Luckily, the large beast was fairly kind to him, only causing trouble when in a bad mood.

Xiao Lin lay yawning on a deck chair, his eyes opening and closing lazily as if he were about to doze off. But each time a crow tried to sneak up with its tongue extended, those dark eyes would snap open, glaring at it until it sheepishly went to tangle with the grouchy guy nearby.

His bed was now occupied by someone barely alive. According to Black Doctor, he would definitely wake up, but when? Unknown! Such irresponsible words, just like the messy bandages tangled on Troy.

They had been in the castle for quite some days. From the newspapers Antonio brought back, it seemed they were living a secluded life, overly peaceful. Yet, Xiao Lin knew this was merely preparation before the war.

Antonio pushed the food cart over, his expression as ambiguous as today’s weather. "Gentlemen, the master wishes to join you for breakfast," he said, piling the cart’s diverse variety of foods onto the table.

"Thank you. Any breaking news today?" Seeing the food, those who looked like they hadn’t eaten in ages rushed over, pushing Antonio to the outskirts.

"All newspaper headlines were changed to the master’s performance event. Believe it or not, tonight will be another spectacular show. All tickets sold out within five minutes." Antonio felt proud and honored to serve such a great person.

"Is there still chatter about that woman spreading wildly?"

"People are talking, but most are discussing how to buy tickets through other means. Since the master set up synchronized screen transmissions at all theaters in Palermo, allowing fans outside to watch simultaneously, ticket demand is extreme." Xiao Lin chuckled upon hearing this. "Young Master Xiao, what’s so funny about this?" Antonio pouted, looking displeased.

"You wouldn’t understand. Where’s Chopin? I think he’d be delighted to chat with me alone."

"I am here." Just as Antonio was about to retort, Chopin appeared in casual attire. "Are you satisfied with breakfast?"

"Judging by their hearty appetite, it must be!"

"Haha, don’t mind him, Young Master Xiao. Antonio just has a sharp tongue, otherwise, he’s fine." Chopin hurried to defend his butler; sometimes, he hoped someone would teach his butler some manners.

"Not at all! Without Antonio, we’d be bored." Xiao Lin was being honest. Only Ye Lutian would tease Antonio for fun, and watching their banter added quite some charm. "Shall we take a walk?"

"Do you want to tell me something?" After walking a short distance, Chopin stopped first. "Is there something your brothers shouldn’t hear?"

"It’s not me, it’s you!" Xiao Lin glanced at the sun overhead. They were standing directly beneath it, so he took a few steps into the shade of a tree. "Why did you use your influence to overturn all of Palermo’s suspicions overnight?"

"Company’s arrangement, I’ve done nothing extra!"

"Chopin, there’s no need for secrets between us. I just want to know your purpose!"

"Are you blaming me for disrupting your plan, Young Master Xiao? Wasn’t it you who first spread the news about the woman buying Sin City? But then others exaggerated the story, causing chaos. Who’s true or false isn’t clear. I just don’t want to see things worsen." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Oh, righteous one! Rumors end with the wise, yet spreading misinformation can be a tactic. I started the rumor, but others seeking benefits propagated it further. Does your righteous ending have any consequences? Someone wants to eliminate the mafia and replace it, is that a good thing?"

"Young Master Xiao, if Sicily could be replaced, it wouldn’t have maintained its status for centuries. This person isn’t the first to crave power, and I can responsibly say that such people never meet a good end—there are too many precedents." (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)