Chapter 68: The Ideal

"Uncle Jiang, please rest assured. I know exactly what I should and should not do," Chen Yun answered earnestly, addressing Jiang Shan with a new level of respect for the first time. He felt immense gratitude toward Jiang Shan, and after hearing his words today, the last bit of distance in his heart vanished. Now, he truly saw Jiang Shan as his second closest family in this world, the first always being his master—Hu Daniu.

"Good, good! Haha!" Jiang Shan was delighted to hear Chen Yun call him 'uncle. "You're much more mature than your peers. I trust your judgment. And I must say, I really admire you for resisting the temptation of sixty million gold coins. Your composure is rare in the world," Jiang Shan sighed.

"Composure? What does that mean?"

"Hehe, you'll understand in time. The car's here—I'm off."

"Goodbye, Uncle Jiang."

Watching Jiang Shan drive away, Chen Yun quickly found a secluded corner, summoned his electric scooter, and headed for the seaside park.

At the Shen family villa—

Shen Qi enjoyed a long, refreshing shower, put on her pajamas, and made her way to the living room. She settled onto the sofa with a glass of juice, savoring it with gusto. It was a simple pleasure she hadn't experienced since falling gravely ill a decade ago.

"Master, thank you," Ah Qi whispered in her heart. Without Chen Yun's help tonight, she didn't know how much longer she could have endured her agony. Her life had long been a torment, and she had lost all hope. It was he who had given her a new lease on life.

Mr. and Mrs. Shen exchanged a glance as they watched their daughter happily sipping juice and watching TV on the couch. Smiling, they walked over to her.

"Ah Qi, how are you feeling? Any discomfort?" Mr. Shen asked, sitting down beside her.

"No, I feel wonderful—better than ever!" Ah Qi replied, popping a few cherries into her mouth.

"That's great. It seems Chen Yun has truly cured you. Can you tell Dad how he did it?" Mr. Shen's curiosity was piqued.

"Well..." Ah Qi hesitated. How could she tell her father that Chen Yun had made her his maid, and that's why she was cured? That was too outrageous. She absolutely couldn't say it.

"Hehe, Dad, you mustn't ask. Chen Yun and I agreed that this secret is just between the two of us." Ah Qi giggled.

"Not even your parents?" Mrs. Shen joined them with a smile.

"Nope!" Ah Qi shook her head firmly.

"Alright, we'll let it be," Mrs. Shen said, pulling her daughter into her arms. Then, smiling, she asked, "What do you think of Chen Yun as a person?"

"Hmm? Chen Yun is wonderful—skilled in medicine, a good person, and not greedy for money. What's not to like?" Ah Qi replied without catching her mother's implication.

"Indeed, Chen Yun is an outstanding young man—in both character and appearance," Mrs. Shen said meaningfully.

"Exactly. A guy like him has unlimited potential—a real talent," Mr. Shen chimed in.

"Yes. I wonder who will become his wife in the future. I envy her," Ah Qi sighed, her eyes filled with longing.

"Wife? What wife?" Mr. and Mrs. Shen were puzzled.

"Oh, nothing. I misspoke," Ah Qi said quickly, sticking out her tongue. That was close—she almost let something slip.

"You seem strange tonight, Ah Qi," her mother pressed, "Tell me, just hypothetically, if Chen Yun were to pursue you one day, would you accept?"

"Ah?" Ah Qi was stunned. Chen Yun pursuing her? Impossible—he was her master! How could a master pursue his servant? But if, by some miracle, he did, what should she do? Accept him, and become his partner? But what about his wife? Refuse him? That wouldn't do either—a servant can't refuse her master's wishes. Oh, what a dilemma!

"Oh, Mom, what are you talking about? How could Chen Yun pursue me? I'm going to bed!" Flustered, Ah Qi dashed to her room.

Watching their daughter's hasty retreat, Mr. and Mrs. Shen exchanged a look and said in unison, "There's hope!"

"We should invite Chen Yun over sometime," Mrs. Shen suggested. "Maybe we can help things along. Ah Qi is so pretty—I don't believe Chen Yun has no interest in her. See, she didn't say no just now; she only said he might not like her. That's a good sign."

"You're right," Mr. Shen agreed. "Since Ah Qi isn't against the idea, it's worth a try. Besides, Chen Yun cured her illness—it's only proper to invite him for a meal. I'll ask the butler to arrange it."

"Yes, and we'll do our best to match them up. I really approve of Chen Yun."

"Not just you—I'm very satisfied with him too. We can't let someone like that slip away."

Chen Yun, unaware that he had already been marked as a future son-in-law by the mayor of Lanyun City, had arrived at his destination: the seaside park.

Despite its imposing name, the seaside park was a small, out-of-the-way park on the city's coast. Few people visited because of its remote location.

"Open mini-map. Search for mission target. Activate target magnification," Chen Yun murmured inwardly.

"Mission target detected within the park. Specific location undetectable."

Huh? Chen Yun frowned. If the system could confirm the target was in the park, why couldn't it pinpoint their location? Could the target possess a skill or item that blocked detection? He suddenly remembered the system's hint: his target was an assassin. And assassins excelled at hiding.

The park was small. As Chen Yun walked around, he kept a sharp lookout, but saw no sign of his target. In fact, he didn't even know how many people he was up against. He had suggested this meeting, but now he realized he was at a disadvantage in unfamiliar territory.

After searching everywhere, he found nothing. The entire park was so deserted that not a soul was in sight.

"This doesn't make sense. The target is here, but why can't I find them? Unless the assassins have mastered invisibility?" Chen Yun muttered to himself. Suddenly, his keen hearing picked up a faint movement behind him. Before he could react, a system prompt flashed before his eyes:

"Player Chen Yun has been attacked by the Evil NPC Assassin 'Author-Too-Lazy-To-Name-09's Chain Assassination Skill. Life points reduced by 400."