Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 341: Family Dinner (2)

Dragon Raja 3

The Japanese monk, feeling aggrieved, said, “Look, just look. Does this fortune even need interpreting? Anyone can understand it, right? I’m really not a scammer. I just saw you two walking together, and it looked like a beautiful scene…”

Lu Mingfei replied, “You’re in cahoots with that painter from earlier, aren’t you? He already used that exact same line.”

The monk quickly denied it, “No, no! We belong to two different groups…”

Lu Mingfei smirked, “See? You slipped up! Come on, tell me—who sent you?”

The monk answered solemnly, “As a monk, I do not lie.”

“What does that even mean?” Lu Mingfei asked.

The monk scratched his bald head and replied, “It means I cannot lie, but I also cannot tell you who it was. So, no matter what, I won’t confess!”

Lu Mingfei immediately pulled out his phone and texted Lu Mingze: “Are you messing with me again?”

Lu Mingze cheekily replied, “How could I? I just thought it might be boring for you and the Uesugi family head, so I arranged some fun for you.”

Lu Mingfei replied, “Is this fun for me, or fun for yourself? If you really want me to have a good time, why don’t you send me some good food?”

Lu Mingze responded, “Heaven and Earth can testify! How do you think you got that Kikanbo abalone ramen last night? The delivery services were all shut down due to the heavy rain, and yet I sent someone to bring it to you. We, the finest customer service managers, always care for our clients in secret!”

“Enough with the jokes! If you keep this up, one day I’ll end up dead because of you!”

“As a devilish customer service manager, my goal is to take your entire soul. My job is to play you to death! Brother, if you stop me from playing, you’ll leave me unemployed—boo hoo hoo hoo.”

“Boo hoo hoo my ass! Get rid of these stupid tricks! Food delivery services are fine, but keep everything else far away!”

“So, you’re canceling the taxi service and discount shopping service too?”

“Those can stay.”

“Then there’s nothing else to cancel. All I’m doing is calling taxis for you, delivering some good food, and securing discounts at stores. I haven’t forced you to pursue the Uesugi family head, have I? Have I sent big burly men to tie you two up and make you bow at a wedding altar? Brother, you used to whine to me all the time about not having any girls. Now that I’m going out of my way to bring girls to you, you say I’m meddling. Sigh, it’s so hard to be a devil.”

Lu Mingfei was left speechless by Lu Mingze’s words. If you put it that way, it did seem like Lu Mingze hadn’t done anything wrong. Yet, the whole situation felt like he was being watched through a camera, like a penguin from a nature documentary. As he awkwardly waddled over to woo the female penguin, the narrator on the distant screen would be saying, “Look! Look at our cute little Penpen making his approach to Princess Sissi! He’s going for it! He’s courageously going for it! Let’s all cheer for him!”

This feeling of being observed infuriated him. He hated the idea of being watched, especially when his efforts were reduced to a mere show in the eyes of others.

“Listen up! Get your monks, Taoists, and artists away from me! All of them, gone! Including you!” Lu Mingfei snapped in anger.

“Understood! Monk and artist services canceled, the service team will be immediately withdrawn, and your request will be executed immediately. Is there anything else I can assist you with, dear customer?” Lu Mingze responded, shameless as ever.

Lu Mingfei took a deep breath. “When I use my last wish with you, I’m going to wish for you to perish with me!”

“No problem! Whether it’s heaven or hell, I’ll accompany you. That’s something we agreed on long ago. Now, I’ll smoothly roll out of your life and let you enjoy the peace and quiet of your two-person world.”

A few seconds after this text, Lu Mingfei noticed changes happening around him. The idle taxis that had been parked nearby without taking any passengers drove off. The photographer who had been engrossed in taking photos of old architecture packed up his camera and melted into the crowd. The owner of the sweets shop on the commercial street, who had recently offered Erii a free treat, closed up her shop. The most exaggerated part was the giant Sony electronic advertisement blimp that had been hovering overhead—it also turned and flew away.

It was only then that Lu Mingfei realized he had been surrounded the entire time. No matter how he tried to hide or conceal his identity, there had always been a group of loyal servants forming an impenetrable circle around him.

When had this circle first appeared? Lu Mingfei didn’t know. Perhaps it had been there for a long time, maybe even since the day he was born. The devil had been waiting to claim his soul. Perhaps he had never been free, and the freedom he thought he had was just an illusion created by the devil.

This realization sent chills down his spine. He grabbed Erii’s hand, wanting to leave immediately, but Erii didn’t move. The Japanese monk was still making an omamori, a Japanese protective charm. He was carefully placing a piece of wood inscribed with a deity’s name into a small, square brocade pouch. He delicately wrapped Lu Mingfei’s fortune around a tiny metal plate engraved with the god’s name and tucked it into the pouch, sealing it with red silk thread before handing it to Erii. Erii clasped the charm in her hands and thanked the monk.

“It will bring you both good luck,” the monk suddenly said, adopting a more serious tone.

“Your teammates have already packed up. Why are you still here playing around?” Lu Mingfei stared at the high monk in bewilderment.

“The employer’s orders were for us to go home,” the monk scratched his bald head. “But I’m a monk of Sensoji Temple. I live here.”

“Do you really need to keep playing tricks on me?” Lu Mingfei asked.

“I was just hired to get you to draw a fortune stick. You drew it yourself. As monks, we don’t lie. We’re not scammers,” the monk said as he handed the entire set of fortune sticks to Lu Mingfei. Sure enough, every fortune had different verses, such as, “Ghost Yao holds fortune, gods bring prosperity; whatever you plan will flourish,” and “A clear mind shines like a mirror, as bright as the moon at its zenith.” Only the one Lu Mingfei had drawn was so simple and straightforward.

“You drew a good fortune. You’ll have good luck,” the monk said, appearing sincere.

“What does this fortune even mean?” Lu Mingfei felt uneasy upon hearing this.

“The meaning of the fortune depends on what you were asking about—love, career, or studies. The interpretation differs. I can’t interpret fortunes,” the monk said, bowing his hands in a respectful gesture. “But since it’s labeled as the best fortune, I would say it’s probably a good one, right?”

In the secret office at the top of Takamagahara, Mai was on the phone with her boss.

“Following your orders, the frontline broadcasting teams have been pulled back, leaving only one camera crew to maintain surveillance. In this case, should we disband the expert team?”

“No need to disband them. We’ll still need them. The Tokyo Love Story project hasn’t been canceled. So far, you’ve done an excellent job. The bride and groom are following the track we set for them,” the boss said in a lazy tone.

“Lu Mingfei has already realized that someone is orchestrating this behind the scenes. He’s becoming extremely cautious, and we can no longer approach him closely. To this point, he hasn’t developed feelings for the Uesugi family head… can we really call this progress?” Mai was puzzled.

The boss chuckled. “We’ve been playing him like this for a while, so of course he’s going to notice—he’s a sensitive guy. But Tokyo Love Story isn’t about Lu Mingfei. It’s about our adorable young girl. To her, this is a dreamy pink-hued journey. Just look at how happy she was when she received that protective charm. In her world, Lu Mingfei is a hero. Wherever he takes her, that’s where the fun is, and fun things keep happening along the way, with the entire world seemingly revolving around them. If a man like that appeared in front of you when you were sixteen, wouldn’t you fall in love with him too?”

“But Lu Mingfei knows everything is fake. He won’t believe in it.”

“When a lie is repeated a thousand times, it becomes the truth, as long as the lie is beautiful enough. It’s like an elderly woman being complimented on her beauty by a young person—she knows it’s a lie, but she’ll still feel delighted. As long as Erii loves Lu Mingfei, he will reciprocate. He’s starved for love. If someone gives him just a little warmth, he’ll return it with blazing passion. I’m eagerly waiting for him to burn for Erii.”

“I see. We’ll maintain surveillance, and the expert team and the broadcasting vans will remain on standby 24/7. Today is the fifth day, with less than 60 hours remaining before the project ends. Do we still proceed with the plan to hold the wedding on the seventh day?”

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