SYLFS 03

SYLFS

Posted by Hari, Released on October 18, 2025

Chapter:3

Blinded by His Aura

“My family told me to come pick you up. They reminded me again and again to be on my best behavior since it’s our first meeting. So, I hurried and borrowed a few cars for the escort. There aren’t many… but please bear with it.”

Jiang Huai said this casually as he turned to glance behind him.

Kuan Xuxu stared at the fleet of black Maybachs stretched out before her.

…This is what he calls “not many”?

The line of cars nearly blocked the entire gate of the villa. There was nothing “modest” about it.

Just then, Jiang Huai raised his hand and gestured to the drivers behind him.

“Introduce yourselves.”

“Miss!”

The drivers, all dressed in matching black suits, shouted in unison.
Their voices blended perfectly, like a military chant.

“Welcome home, Miss!”

Kuan Xuxu: “…”

What was this overwhelming sense of secondhand embarrassment?

After being neglected by the Kuan family for so long, she wasn’t used to this kind of grand welcome.
When she finally opened her mouth, the words stumbled out awkwardly.

“L-let’s… go.”

She just wanted to get out of there.
Even the villa’s security guards were staring at them like she was some celebrity!

Jiang Huai seemed to find her discomfort amusing. He smiled, then suddenly narrowed his eyes—as though remembering something.

His beautiful peach-blossom eyes glinted as he examined her closely.

“…So, why were you out here all alone?”

A girl standing by herself at the gate of a villa at this hour—it was hardly something you could excuse with, “I just went out to buy soy sauce.”

Kuan Xuxu flinched slightly, her lips tightening.

—She definitely didn’t want to admit that she had been kicked out of the Kuan family.

Just as she was racking her brain for an excuse—
a low, clear voice suddenly cut through the air.

“Aren’t we leaving yet?”

Kuan Xuxu turned toward the voice. She hadn’t noticed before, but someone else was sitting in the back seat of the car Jiang Huai had stepped out of earlier.

It took only one glance—one single glance—and she felt like her eyes were burning.

The man in the backseat had his long legs crossed, half of his body hidden by the car’s shadow. His wrist rested carelessly on the armrest, exuding an effortless elegance. Even the wrinkles in his suit seemed to hold some kind of refined allure.

But what truly dazzled her wasn’t his posture—it was the golden light radiating from him.

Ever since she was a child, Kuan Xuxu could see something no ordinary person could—the color of a person’s fortune.
Gold was the rarest of all, seen only around those who had rendered great service to the nation—and even then, just a faint shimmer.

But this man was different.
He was bathed in blinding golden light, as though he carried the fortune of an entire country upon his shoulders.

“Let’s go. Right away,”

Jiang Huai replied with a smile, not daring to argue with the man. He placed a hand on Kuan Xuxu’s shoulder and guided her toward the car.

He muttered under his breath,

“…Tch. The Demon King really has no patience.”

And so, Kuan Xuxu found herself pushed into the very car that held the rumored “Demon King”—right beside him.

Up close, that golden light was even more intense.
Squinting against its radiance, she finally got a good look at his face.

It was as cold and sharp as his voice—sculpted to perfection, with no wasted softness.
His lips were pressed into a cool line, like the snow peaks of a distant mountain, and his deep, dark eyes seemed capable of swallowing every emotion whole.

When he noticed her staring, he narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced her way.
That single look made her feel as if he could see through every flustered thought in her mind.

Still curious about his golden aura but afraid of sounding strange, she hesitated for a moment before asking:

“Um… are you also… my brother?”

That one line made Jiang Huai, who had just sat in the front seat, burst into laughter.

The man beside her merely shot Jiang Huai a cold glance, then turned his gaze away and replied curtly,

“No.”

He said nothing more.

But Jiang Huai was still there to fill the silence.

“This is Chu Beihe. He’s not your brother—your only brother is me.”

Kuan Xuxu felt like she’d heard that name before, though she couldn’t recall where.

There were two major families in Haishi—the Chu family and the Jiang family.

…Could it really be a coincidence?

Jiang Huai continued explaining,

“I told him I was going to pick you up, and he just decided to tag along.”

Just as Kuan Xuxu was about to nod in understanding, Chu Beihe—who had been looking away until now—turned his sharp gaze toward Jiang Huai and said coldly,

“You’re using my convoy.”

He was, after all, the head of the prestigious Chu family. There was no way he’d be hitching a ride in someone else’s car.

But Jiang Huai just spread his hands casually.

“Can’t help it—our company fleet’s all booked. Besides, out of everyone I know, you’re the only one obsessive enough to keep a personal convoy in your own garage.”

Chu Beihe was infamous for his perfectionism—the kind who once ordered his staff to keep all their socks identical in both color and shape.

So, of course, every single car in his fleet was maintained to flawless uniformity—even the floor mats matched exactly.

As the three talked, the black Maybach convoy began to move, the central car surrounded by escorts as it departed with a display as grand as its arrival.

Once the cars were gone, a few security guards who had been watching from afar exchanged looks and started whispering.

“That was the eldest Miss Kuan, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. I heard just two days ago—she’s not actually a real Kuan by blood. That’s why they kicked her out. Apparently, her real parents are from some remote mountain village.”

“A mountain village? Did you see that motorcade? No way people from the mountains show up like that. Maybe her real family’s someone big—really big.”

“Ha! If that’s true, the Kuans are going to regret it big time.”

Even though idle gossip was frowned upon during duty, the guards couldn’t resist speculating about the residents of this luxurious neighborhood.

Just then, one of them abruptly fell silent, turned toward the gate, and bowed deeply.

After all, it’s bad luck to gossip about people in broad daylight—
because look who just showed up: the Kuans’ car.

Inside the back seat sat Bai Shuqin and Kuan Ruirui.
As the security guards bowed one after another, neither woman gave them so much as a glance, their faces cold with pride. To them, these working-class guards were nothing but background scenery.

“Even though the final candidates for the City Image Representative have been decided,” Bai Shuqin began smoothly, “the list hasn’t been officially submitted yet. According to my sources, it’s the executives at the Jianghai Group who will hand it in.”

She smiled at Kuan Ruirui.

“And since your father just signed a new contract with them, we’ll use that connection to our advantage.”

Kuan Ruirui’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Jianghai Group—that’s the one backed by the Jiang family, right? One of the Four Great Families! Dad’s amazing for landing that deal!”

Pleased, Bai Shuqin allowed herself a proud smile but kept her tone calm.

“That’s right—the Jiang family. Most people throw money at them and still can’t get a meeting, but they came to us. That’s our family’s standing now. Before long, companies will be lining up to work with us.”

Kuan Ruirui’s excitement was barely contained.
To be connected to the Jiangs meant stepping into Haishi’s elite circles—
and her future marriage prospects would rise to an entirely different level.

Ever since Kuan Xuxu left, our luck’s been nothing but good, she thought smugly.

“I’m so happy,” she said aloud, putting on an innocent, modest smile.
“But… won’t it be awkward to ask them directly?”

“They reached out to us first,” Bai Shuqin replied confidently. “We’re already partners. They won’t reject such a small favor.”

She took Ruirui’s hand firmly.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get that City Representative position. You’ll be the face of Haishi—and I’ll be damned if we let that hypocritical little traitor steal it from you.”

Though Ruirui had already claimed victory in her heart, she kept her outward expression demure.

After a short pause, she asked,