Mrs. Zimmerman wiped her hands on a towel, smiled, and said, "I'll get the door."
Steam billowed from the bowl of sweet pear porridge. Lianne nodded as she took in the sweet aroma. "Mm."
Less than a minute later, Ethan Sinclair's executive assistant, Hugo Hollis, walked in. Seeing Lianne, he greeted her familiarly, "Miss Lane."
Mrs. Zimmerman asked Hugo Hollis to wait a moment and then went into the kitchen.
Seeing Lianne glance toward the kitchen, Hugo Hollis explained, "Mrs. Zimmerman's porridge is even better than The Serenity House's. I'm taking some to Mr. Sinclair."
After the previous housekeeper, Mrs. Sawyer, was dismissed, Ethan Sinclair had Mrs. Zimmerman come over from his villa.
Mrs. Zimmerman had worked for Ethan Sinclair for five or six years and was familiar with his dietary preferences.
'Sweet pear porridge… It's light and easy on the stomach, the kind of thing you make for someone who's sick.'
Lianne picked up her spoon and gave the fragrant porridge a little stir.
"Is Mr. Sinclair sick?"
Assistant Hollis, who was waiting to the side, didn't seem surprised by her question. He nodded. "He has a cold. He's already seen a doctor. He should be fine after a day or two of rest."
Mrs. Zimmerman came out of the kitchen with an insulated container and handed it to Assistant Hollis with a small smile. "It's still hot."
Lianne turned to Hugo Hollis. "Isn't he resting at home?"
"There are several important meetings today, so Mr. Sinclair is still at the company." Assistant Hollis didn't beat around the bush and told her directly, "He's expected back at Grand Vista Manor at 5:00 PM."
Lianne looked at him as if she could see right through him and smiled. "I'm free tonight. I'll bring the porridge over and check on him while I'm at it."
When Hugo Hollis joined Ascendant Group, Lianne was already by Ethan Sinclair's side. He knew they weren't blood siblings, but their bond was closer than that of most.
Hearing this, Assistant Hollis dipped his head slightly and took his leave, insulated container in hand.
"Be careful on your way," Lianne said.
It wasn't Hugo Hollis's first time here, so he knew the way and didn't need to be escorted out. Mrs. Zimmerman asked Lianne how she was enjoying her food and if there was anything special she wanted for lunch. Lianne, her eyes sparkling as if filled with starlight, smiled and patiently answered each question.
A small robot cat glided over, and Lianne reached out to stroke its cool, round head.
The little cat was an eighteenth-birthday present from Ethan Sinclair. It was a home robot designed especially for a young woman by a robotics research team under Ascendant Group.
Its appearance and functions were all customized to Lianne's liking.
The research team was composed of top experts in the industry, mostly focusing on military-industrial robots like drones, marine robots, and military robots.
When they first received the order to build a home robot, the entire team was utterly bewildered, as if lost in a dense fog.
Fortunately, Ethan Sinclair only asked for one. Otherwise, they really would have had to change their research focus.
At the memory, the smile in Lianne's clear eyes deepened.
A message popped up on her phone.
She picked up her phone and opened the message.
Sophie Sheridan: "Lia! They're serving crab! Newsflash!!"
Sophie Sheridan: "Golden October, autumn winds, and a craving for crab. The school cafeteria has hairy crabs on the menu!!!"
The school cafeteria had added hairy crabs to the menu, and the students were thrilled. But their enthusiasm wasn't for the crabs themselves, but for the fact that the *school* was serving them. In Sophie Sheridan's words: Is it the crab I love? No! It's the school I love!
Lianne: "Eat plenty, and have my share too."
Sophie Sheridan: "If I eat these crabs, does that mean I can walk sideways in Kingsford?"
Lianne: "Nope. If you want to 'walk sideways' like that, you'd have to change your last name to Sinclair."
Sophie Sheridan: "If my last name was Sinclair, would I even need to walk? I'd just float, I'd fly~"
Seeing this message, Lianne arched a delicate eyebrow and replied: "Sophie 'Social Butterfly' Sheridan."
Sophie Sheridan: "Hahahaha, gotta go. I'm going to check on my experiment results."
Lianne sent her a waving goodbye sticker, glanced at the time in the top right corner of her phone, and went to her room to change. After putting on some simple makeup, she headed to the Silverport Orchestra to start her day of practice.
Dusk fell, and night enveloped the ancient yet vibrant city.
Lianne finished her spirited performance, quickly packed up, and left the orchestra.
The elderly security guard saw her and called out, "Hey, kiddo, leaving so early today?"
Lianne waved and said cheerfully, "Yep! I'm off!"
The streets of Imperia were laid out in a neat grid, with clear east-west and north-south markers: the city's center, a north-south central axis, and the east-west Veridian Avenue.
After leaving the orchestra, Lianne headed east.
She first went home for a quick bite, then grabbed the insulated container Mrs. Zimmerman had prepared and hurried off to Grand Vista Manor.
Grand Vista Manor was the kind of place only the 'aristocracy' could afford to live. The security in the residential complex was extremely strict; the questioning at the main gate alone took a full fifteen minutes.
In the dim light, dense thickets of green bamboo could be seen, and the luxury residences were hidden within the dense woods, their details obscured.
Lianne navigated the winding paths with practiced ease, passed through the bamboo grove, and walked toward the inner part of the complex before the magnificent townhouses came into view.
She knew the passcode but didn't enter rashly. Instead, she stood at the door and sent a message to Assistant Hollis.
Before long, Assistant Hollis appeared.
"Miss Lane."
Lianne turned, but the first thing that came into her view wasn't Assistant Hollis, but a giant, lion-like mastiff.
Lianne was stunned.
'Who's raising a Tibetan Mastiff from the plateaus around here?'
The mastiff approached her and lowered its head to sniff at her pant leg, its hot breath ghosting over her ankle and creating a ticklish sensation.
Without a second thought, Lianne reached out to stroke the mastiff's back.
"Miss Lane!"
"Miss Lane!"
Hugo Hollis and Liam Shaw, who was holding the leather leash, both cried out to stop her at the same time.
Lianne wasn't frightened by the giant Tibetan Mastiff; on the contrary, she was startled by the two of them.
"What's wrong?"
Hugo Hollis was terrified, a cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Allergens."
Lianne said, "I'm not allergic to dogs, don't worry."
Hearing this, Hugo Hollis let out a sigh of relief.
Tibetan Mastiffs are highly aggressive. Worried it might hurt Lianne, Liam Shaw was about to yank hard on the leather leash in his hand to force the mastiff away from her.
However, the ferocious Tibetan Mastiff showed no signs of malice. As Lianne gently stroked its fur, it continued sniffing her pant leg. The scene was surprisingly harmonious.
Liam Shaw stared in disbelief.
'Why does it seem like God of Fortune knows Lianne?'
Lianne's gaze slowly shifted from the mastiff to Liam Shaw's face. "What's his name?"
Liam Shaw's expression was a bit strange, but he answered truthfully, "God of Fortune."
"God of Fortune. A great name."
'Of course a money-lover would like the God of Fortune.'
A smile touched Lianne's obsidian eyes. She petted the mastiff's large head and praised, "Such a good boy."
Liam Shaw thought wryly, 'Good boy? I was nearly eaten by God of Fortune.'
Lianne was carrying the hot porridge and couldn't stay long. After exchanging a few more words, she and Hugo Hollis went into the villa.
Liam Shaw watched them go inside until they were out of sight. Only then did he struggle to pull on God of Fortune's leash and walk toward the villa next door.
As soon as he entered the main gate, his grip loosened, and God of Fortune quickly darted away.
Liam Shaw followed and saw God of Fortune run to his boss's feet, rubbing against him affectionately.
Seth Sinclair lowered his gaze, glanced at the dog, and asked, "Who touched him?"