Chapter 186 – Predatory Eyes and Mad Eyes

Chapter 186: Chapter 186 – Predatory Eyes and Mad Eyes

The next day.

Around 10 a.m.

Phoebe’s room.

- (Me). "Phoebe... Am I going to have to stand here much longer?"

- (Phoebe). "Just a little longer..."

- (Me). "You said that about ten minutes ago."

- (Phoebe). "Boo. Don’t be so mean, just pose for me for a few minutes. You know this is important for my fantasy... my website! It’s all for the website Maria and I are running!"

- (Me). "Fine..."

- (Phoebe). "Yay!! You’re the best!..."

(~sound of a delicious kiss on the cheek)

Now, with her phone in hand and a professional camera near his chest, Phoebe was photographing Sohen in his new, stylish outfit, which she had sewn herself.

- (Me). "Phoebe..."

- (Phoebe). "Now stand like this..."

For the first time ever, the main character’s younger sister had designed men’s clothing, and who else but Sohen was unanimously declared the winner to model the outfit, which would be featured on the homepage of her website in the "News" section.

(This is a total headache... I won’t be doing anything like this again, but I have to say that Phoebe did an impeccable job working on these clothes. She’s got talent.)

Looking in the mirror standing nearby, Sohen could clearly see what Phoebe had been spending her time on over the last few days.

(I’m the very picture of elegance, ha-ha...)

He was wearing a slightly form-fitting, asymmetrical shirt.

The left side was a deep, almost charcoal black.

The color was matte, dense, and light-absorbing.

The right side was a pure, cool white.

The white fabric started right at the shoulder and ran down in a wide panel, extending slightly onto the chest and stomach, creating an uneven, deliberately broken line.

The contrast was sharp but not garish.

The collar was stand-up, narrow, and without a lapel; it fit snugly around the neck but wasn’t constricting.

The top few buttons remained undone — just enough to reveal the collarbones and the upper chest.

The buttons were small, metal, and glinted slightly in the light.

The sleeves fit snugly around the arms, accentuating the shoulders and forearms, but did not restrict movement.

The fabric felt pleasant to the touch — not as thin as a regular shirt, nor coarse; it held its shape, hardly wrinkled at all, and had a slight spring to it under the fingers.

The pants were black, the same rich shade as the left half of the shirt.

They hugged the hips and legs snugly, without being too tight.

The rise was high, with creases that were barely noticeable but definitely there.

The waistband sat straight, without a single fold.

All together, it created a silhouette that looked expensive and put-together.

- (Me). "..."

Sohen slowly turned sideways, then stood up straight again.

The mirror showed him from head to waist, with not a single flaw in the cut.

- (Phoebe). "Hehehe... Tonight, my fingers won’t get a moment’s rest because of these photos..."

- (Me). "What do you mean?"

- (Phoebe). "Hehe... Oh, what?! Nothing important!..."

- (Me). "All right."

...

Fifteen minutes later, the photo shoot was coming to an end.

Phoebe took a few more shots from different angles, then put the camera down and nodded with satisfaction.

- (Phoebe). "That’s it, enough... Hehehe... These came out perfectly."

She set her professional camera down on the table, quickly reviewed the photos on her phone, and only then walked over to the closet.

From there, she pulled out another suit, which was neatly folded on special hangers.

- (Phoebe). "Here’s your order. In this, you’ll be the hottest guy at the party. I got the measurements right, and it’ll fit you perfectly. If you don’t believe me, you can try it on."

- (Me). "I believe you."

Sohen carefully took the suit.

The fabric felt nice to the touch, was thick, and held its shape well.

He unfolded it, examined it, and slowly, very carefully, folded it to put it in his suitcase.

Phoebe stood nearby and watched.

- (Phoebe). "Listen... Are you really sure I can’t go with you? To the youngest Mao daughter’s birthday party."

- (Me). "..."

Sohen paused for a moment, adjusting the collar of his suit.

- (Me). "I wouldn’t mind. Seriously. But the venue is off-limits. They only let people in with special passes. Without one, they won’t even let you onto the premises. You don’t have one."

- (Phoebe). "Oh..."

Phoebe exhaled slowly.

Her shoulders slumped slightly, and her gaze drifted to the floor.

- (Me). "..."

Sohen noticed it right away.

He stepped closer, reached out, and gently ran his hand over her head, smoothing her hair.

- (Me). "Don’t be sad. I’ll be back soon. And I’ll bring you a bunch of souvenirs and all kinds of accessories. I promise."

Phoebe looked up.

A faint smile appeared on her lips, but she quickly suppressed it.

- (Phoebe). "That’s not enough."

- (Me). "Then what do you want me to do for you?"

- (Phoebe). "Hmm..."

She fell silent.

Her gaze grew pensive.

About thirty seconds passed.

Sohen was just about to say something when a completely different smile suddenly appeared on her face... a bit mischievous, predatory, with a gleam in her eyes.

- (Phoebe). "I want you to grant me one wish."

Sohen raised his eyebrows slightly, surprised by her expression.

- (Me). "Okay... And what exactly?"

- (Phoebe). "Hehe... It’s a secret for now. You’ll find out when you get back."

- (Me). "..."

(Damn...)

He winced inwardly.

He realized he’d agreed too quickly, but there was no turning back now.

- (Me). "Fine."

- (Phoebe). "Hehe..."

Phoebe muttered something contentedly and immediately changed the subject, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

- (Phoebe). "I’m still amazed that you personally know the Patriarch of the Mao family. Seriously. They’re one of the most influential families. They have so many connections, so many resources..."

She began listing facts that Sohen had known for a long time: the scale of their business, their influence in certain circles, the number of children, their reputation.

He listened and only occasionally nodded.

- (Me). "Our meeting was a pure coincidence. Just a twist of fate that later grew into something more."

Phoebe snorted.

- (Phoebe). "My jaw almost dropped when you showed us that group photo. And then I was completely blown away when the Patriarch himself appeared on the video call with his youngest daughter and fifth son. Mom and Grandma were standing there with their mouths agape, too."

Sohen chuckled quietly, recalling that moment.

- (Me). "The three of you had such funny expressions on your faces when Shen Mao first spoke up and thanked you for raising me to be ’such a good boy.’ Hah."

Phoebe laughed too, this time genuinely.

- (Phoebe). "Yeah, that was something. Okay, let’s go."

They left the room together.

In the hallway, Phoebe waved her hand and went to help her grandmother, while Sohen headed back to his room.

In his room, he took out his suitcase and began packing it.

Most of his things had already been packed in advance.

The only thing Sohen was waiting for was the suit that Phoebe had sewn especially for Minkun’s birthday.

Due to urgent orders, she had only recently been able to finish it and had given it to him today.

Sohen neatly arranged everything into the compartments: everyday clothes, a change of underwear, chargers, and a small set of documents.

The suit from Phoebe took up a separate spot, protected from getting wrinkled.

He checked the list on his phone one more time, made a few adjustments, and zipped up several compartments.

Almost everything was ready.

All that was left was to pack the small items from the nightstand.

- (Me). "This is here, and now... Hmm? Oh..."

Sohen opened one of the compartments.

His fingers slid between the chargers and old notebooks and suddenly stumbled upon something hard and familiar.

He held the object up to the light.

- (Me). "..."

(It’s been a long time since I’ve used you...)

An old phone.

The screen was dark, the case a little scuffed, but intact.

Sohen held it in his hand, looking at it longer than he’d planned... there was a reason for that.

- (Me). "How much time has passed since then..."

(Thanks to you, the world saw... "Red Yasu")

The old gadget stirred memories in Sohen of how a tearful and weak boy had turned into an aggressive and cruel creature.

- (Me). "HA-HA-HA..."

In an instant, the young man’s beautiful dark blue eyes turned completely black, blocking out all light and craving only one thing... BLOOD