The instant Lu Xia looked over, Cecil met her gaze. His heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but wonder, ’Is Lu Xia talking about me?’

Smelian noticed the change as well and looked up at Cecil. "What is it?"

Cecil shook his head.

Lu Xia hadn’t explained anything, and he wasn’t sure if his guess was correct, so he didn’t say anything to Smelian.

Lu Xia quickly settled on a meeting time with the nightclub owner. After ending the call, she stood up and returned to the table, only to find both Smelian and Cecil looking at her with concerned questions in their eyes.

Lu Xia smiled. "Don’t be nervous. It’s good news. The Golden Spirit Gene has been found."

Cecil was completely surprised by this outcome. He hadn’t even started looking yet, but Lu Xia already had a lead. It was clear she had been planning for this for some time.

"How did it go so smoothly?"

"Back when I was acquiring the Ice Spirit Gene, I made an arrangement with him to keep an eye out for any other Alien Genes. I never expected him to actually find one, and for it to be the Golden Spirit Gene, no less."

Lu Xia was genuinely happy about this, a smile gracing her face. She had originally planned to go to the black market with Cecil when she had time, since the probability of finding an Alien Gene there was higher than anywhere else. She truly hadn’t expected the nightclub owner to bring her such a wonderful surprise, saving her a lot of trouble.

Smelian understood the importance of the matter and asked attentively, "When are you going? I’ll go with you."

"I scheduled it for tomorrow afternoon. If you’re busy, Cecil and I can go together."

Cecil immediately added, "That’s right, it’s fine if I just go with her. You can focus on your work."

Smelian did, in fact, have something on for the next afternoon, so he could only nod. "Alright, then. Contact me immediately if anything comes up."

With the time set, the three of them stopped talking and continued to enjoy the pleasure of their meal.

「The next afternoon.」

Cecil followed Lu Xia to the nightclub entrance, when something belatedly dawned on him.

"You’ve been here before? Who with?"

Lu Xia glanced at him. "I came here with a friend to relax, but I don’t like the atmosphere. It’s too noisy."

Hearing this, Cecil smiled back. "Are you explaining yourself to me? It’s alright. As long as you like it, I’m fine with anything. You can bring me along next time you come here."

Seeing he had misunderstood, Lu Xia smiled and shook her head. "I really don’t like it. There probably won’t be a next time."

Cecil leaned in, still smiling. "Whatever you want is fine with me."

Lu Xia raised a hand and patted his head. "Alright, stop your sweet-talk. Let’s go in."

When they arrived, the nightclub owner was already waiting in his office.

He was dressed as fashionably as ever. When he saw Lu Xia enter with Cecil, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes before he smiled. "Good day, Duke. You look even more beautiful than the last time we met."

As he spoke, he moved to gently take Lu Xia’s hand, intending to greet her with a kiss to the hand.

However, Cecil blocked his path.

The nightclub owner paused for a moment, his gaze shifting to the young male in front of Lu Xia with astonishment. He then looked at Lu Xia. "And this is?"

"This is Cecil, my partner."

When she said the two words "my partner," both Cecil and the nightclub owner were slightly taken aback.

This was because females in the Empire rarely used the two words "my partner" when introducing a male. They would usually just say, "This is my main husband," "my secondary husband," or "my husband."

It was rare for a female to use such an intimate term as "my partner" with outsiders, and even rarer to say it so naturally.

Cecil’s gaze toward Lu Xia was filled with surprise and emotion. If the occasion had been more appropriate, he would have hugged her. ’Why does this young female always manage to give me such wonderful surprises?’

The nightclub owner glanced at the young male, unable to hide the envy on his face. "It seems you two have a very good relationship."

Lu Xia nodded, not denying it. "Where is the item I came for?"

The nightclub owner immediately had someone bring Lu Xia the item he had prepared.

When the case was opened, Lu Xia saw the Golden Spirit Gene sealed inside. Confirming it was what she was looking for, she asked with satisfaction, "How shall I pay?"

This wasn’t the first time the nightclub owner had done business with her. He knew Duke Lu Xia was not one to dawdle; on the contrary, she was very decisive.

"My master was very satisfied with the gene fusion agent you provided last time. He wants to thank you personally, so please consider this Golden Spirit Gene a gift of gratitude from him."

Lu Xia was slightly taken aback by his words. "Who is your master?"

Lu Xia truly hadn’t expected the nightclub owner to have someone above him. It seemed the two gene fusion agents she had traded last time weren’t for his own use, but for this so-called "master."

"My master is..." He paused, subconsciously glancing at Cecil before continuing, "Simon Lee."

Lu Xia couldn’t recall where she had heard the name, but it sounded familiar. So she asked, "Have I met your master before?"

"I don’t believe so."

Hearing this, Lu Xia nodded. "Then please make the arrangements. My schedule is quite flexible, so we can go by your master’s availability."

Seeing that Lu Xia didn’t refuse, the nightclub owner broke into a smile. "Of course. I’ll contact you as soon as it’s arranged."

Lu Xia looked at the Golden Spirit Gene in the case again. "But I can’t take this for free. How much is it? Name your price."

She knew full well there’s no such thing as a free lunch. The most expensive things are often the ones without a price tag.

The nightclub owner was put in a difficult position by Lu Xia’s insistence. "I’ll have to ask my master for a decision on that."

"Fine. I’ll wait."

"Please rest for a moment. I’ll be right back." The nightclub owner gave a slight bow and left the office.

After he left, Cecil looked at Lu Xia. "You don’t remember who Simon Lee is?"

Lu Xia looked at him. "You know him?"

From her response, Cecil understood that Lu Xia truly didn’t remember who Simon Lee was.

This made him wonder if Lu Xia had also forgotten his name back then.

"He’s one of your husbands. A male from Earl Li’s family."

Lu Xia was slightly stunned by Cecil’s answer. No wonder the name sounded familiar; she must have seen it in the files Graces had prepared for her.

Lu Xia was both surprised and not surprised by this. She even had the feeling of, ’Of course, another one of my husbands has tracked me down.’

"Lu Xia..." Seeing her silence, Cecil asked, "Do you not want to see him?"

Lu Xia shook her head. "It’s not that. I just wasn’t expecting it."

Cecil was about to say more, but just then, the nightclub owner came back in, smiling. "I’ve just spoken with my master. His meaning is, if you insist on paying, then 5 million will do."

To buy a Golden Spirit Gene for 5 million was an absolute bargain.

After learning the man was one of her husbands, Lu Xia said nothing more and directly transferred the 5 million. As she was leaving, she even took the initiative to say to the nightclub owner, "Contact me once you’ve confirmed the meeting time."