Regarding the black card that caught Xavi’s attention, Ziling Ren appeared puzzled and muttered instinctively, “Last time... there was such a thing? Why don’t I remember?” <br><br>Xavi overheard Ziling Ren’s confusion and immediately understood the reason. <br><br>The black card before them was indeed an item from the club. It might have always been sitting there but was rarely noticed by anyone. <br><br>It wasn’t truly invisible but rather ignored. This black card possessed the ability to make ordinary people instinctively disregard its presence—much like the club itself. <br><br>Even if it was placed in the middle of a busy street, those meant to see it would naturally see it, while those who didn’t need to wouldn’t notice it at all. <br><br>“Yes, it’s always been there. Perhaps Editor Ren didn’t notice it last time,” Cherry Zhang looked at Xavi with a natural expression and asked, “Are you interested in this black card?” <br><br>The existence of each black card represented a potential client for the club. Of course, these were all things left behind by the previous owner—but to say one had no interest would obviously be false. <br><br>However, expressing too much interest right away wouldn’t seem appropriate, Xavi thought. <br><br>So he shook his head and said, “Not really. I just find it a bit strange.” <br><br>He looked at Cherry Zhang and added, “This black card doesn’t look like an antique or a craft item, yet it’s placed here. If there’s something to be concerned about, it’d probably be the incongruity.” <br><br>Cherry Zhang smiled slightly, “A guest once asked the same question. What do you think I said at that time?” <br><br>Xavi shook his head directly, displaying an expression that seemed to say, “You can tell me if you want, but it’s fine if you don’t.” <br><br>Cherry Zhang was momentarily stunned, thinking this guy really wasn’t willing to casually chat. <br><br>As classmates, there were a few days each month when they couldn’t avoid seeing each other. While it wasn’t to the point of having to know each other in-depth, human nature is curious, and one would inevitably feel the urge to understand someone who’s always so silent. <br><br>However, such thoughts only popped up occasionally, and Cherry Zhang didn’t pay too much attention to them. Since Xavi wasn’t willing to open up, she didn’t feel the need to pry. After all, they weren’t relatives; they had merely crossed paths as classmates, a connection that could dissipate anytime. <br><br>“No comment.” <br><br>Thinking of this, Cherry Zhang slowly uttered the same response she gave back then. <br><br>Ziling Ren froze for a moment. Considering Xavi’s oblivious nature, she assumed he must have upset the lady, causing her to tease him a little. Realizing this, she didn’t pursue the matter further. <br><br>Having been a journalist for many years, Ziling Ren was observant and could tell that Cherry Zhang’s words were a subtle way of politely asking someone to leave. <br><br>Pretending to check the time on her phone, Ziling Ren suddenly exclaimed, “It’s so late already? My apologies, Miss Zhang, I just remembered I have another place to interview... Anyway, thanks for hosting us today. Also, my Xavi is kind of a blockhead, so please don’t mind him. Since we’re classmates, we should keep in touch when we have time! It’s only natural for classmates to be good friends, you know? He’s really a good kid, kind-hearted and even—hey, hey, Xavi, I didn’t even finish talking, and you’re already...” <br><br>What a fool... <br><br>Feeling embarrassed beyond words, Xavi sighed and headed out first. Ziling Ren hurriedly finished exchanging pleasantries and quickly caught up. <br><br>Cherry Zhang’s smile faded only after watching the two leave the collection room. <br><br>The woman wearing a traditional long cheongsam furrowed her brows slightly at the black card on display. She suddenly opened the glass cabinet, intending to reach out for it. <br><br>But her fingers paused right before the black card, seeming to hesitate. In the end, she withdrew her hand and closed the cabinet again. <br><br>The young general manager of Gu Yue Studio frowned slightly. She had just started managing Gu Yue Studio in the past two years but had already met numerous elites and celebrities. <br><br>However, very few people visiting the collection room paid special attention to the black card. She knew it was something her grandmother, the true owner of Gu Yue Studio, intentionally placed here. She had asked about it before but never received an answer. Her grandmother would merely shake her head in silence, appearing to harbor some kind of taboo. <br><br>The black card seemed to possess a mystical allure; anyone stopping to observe it would feel an impulse to hold it in their hands. Among those who noticed its existence, most couldn’t tear their gaze away unless snapped out of their trance. <br><br>Some guests even offered to buy it, no matter the price, as long as they could obtain the black card. <br><br>Unfortunately, it was a non-sale item... which left her puzzled as to why her grandmother insisted on placing it here. <br><br>“Qingrui.” <br><br>Lost in thought, Cherry Zhang suddenly heard her grandmother’s familiar voice. Startled, the young lady quickly turned around and walked toward Madame Zhang, supporting her arm. “Grandma, why did you come down here? You rarely come to the collection room.” <br><br>“I suddenly wanted to take a look,” Madame Zhang replied slowly before furrowing her brows. “How many times have I told you not to stare at that black card too much?” <br><br>Cherry Zhang, who had been raised by her grandmother since her parents passed away, held deep respect, love, and a hint of fear toward her. She quickly stuck out her tongue playfully, “I was just entertaining two guests and didn’t notice...” <br><br>Madame Zhang sighed and walked to the black card’s display. Standing still in front of it, she muttered to herself, “I shouldn’t have kept it back then.” <br><br>“Grandma?” Cherry Zhang asked in confusion. <br><br>Madame Zhang shook her head. “Child, take it out and put it in a box immediately. I’ll be using it.” <br><br>The black card had remained here since Gu Yue Studio’s establishment and had never left. The sudden decision to remove it today filled Cherry Zhang with curiosity. Unable to resist, she asked, “Grandma, has something happened? I think I saw Mr. Zhong Jr. looking for you earlier. Does it have anything to do with him?” <br><br>Madame Zhang nodded slightly but then shook her head, finally saying, “That young Zhong is indeed talented, but he’s too polished. It’s best not to get too close to him.” <br><br>Cherry Zhang didn’t respond but thought to herself: Recently, I’ve figured out his arrival times. If not for avoiding him, I wouldn’t have suddenly decided to host Ziling Ren and Xavi here today. <br><br>Following her grandmother’s instructions, Cherry Zhang retrieved the black card and packed it in a box. <br><br>Madame Zhang said, “If that Zhong young man comes again, hand this to him. But make sure to tell him it can only be used once. After using it, he must return it immediately; otherwise, he bears the consequences.” <br><br>Though curious, Cherry Zhang knew her grandmother didn’t intend to elaborate and could only nod in agreement. She didn’t even mention that someone else had noticed the black card. <br><br>It wasn’t a big deal anyway. <br><br>... <br><br>... <br><br>“What is this, Master?” <br><br>Around noon, Ziling Ren dropped Xavi off at a bus stop and sped away, leaving behind the impression of a terrifying female driver. <br><br>Since he had already skipped half a day of class, Xavi decided to just skip the rest and returned to the club. There, he began closely examining the album he had taken from Gu Yue Studio. <br><br>“Hmm, still a mystery,” Xavi replied nonchalantly. <br><br>But he suddenly remembered something and asked You Ye, “By the way, I recall there are a few masks in the basement storage. Could you bring them to me?” <br><br>As the club owner, he had free access to its accumulated items. <br><br>Here, one of the club’s rules needed mentioning. <br><br>Items already in the inventory couldn’t be used for offerings. <br><br>This meant that any future deal sum chosen for inventory would also be unusable as an offering. Moreover, depositing items into the inventory required the owner to compensate with their own lifespan. <br><br>This sounded like a scam. <br><br>However, items designated as deal sums were protected under the club’s contract for a specific duration. During this period, deal sums couldn’t be used and could only be either inventoried or offered. <br><br>“Understood. Please wait, Master,” You Ye replied without questioning. <br><br>Just as the club owner adhered to the rules in the manual, the doll maid You Ye followed all of her master’s commands unconditionally. <br><br>Watching You Ye leave to retrieve the items, Xavi touched his face and muttered to himself, “Cherry Zhang having a black card is quite troublesome. If she ever brings it here, it’ll be hard to handle...” <br><br>Thinking further, Xavi realized that as the club owner, he couldn’t use his ‘Xavi’ identity in the future. <br><br>Hmm... he needed a more sophisticated title." )
