CHAPTER 479: CHAPTER 476 [REGARDING HOW OLD MY WIFE REALLY IS]

Chapter 476: On the Matter of How Old My Wife Actually Is

"..."

As the little scourge fell into deep contemplation, the heart of the Grand Knight Commander of the Blade Knights stirred, and he swallowed back the question that had reached the tip of his tongue.

Although he did not understand what was happening, the Grand Knight Commander had a feeling: if he were to ask any more questions at this time, he would most likely get hit.

Chen Nuo caught a glimpse of the Grand Knight Commander putting down the file and silently leaving the room from the corner of his eye.

Finally, Chen Nuo slowly unfolded the crumpled photograph in his hand, gently smoothed out the wrinkles with his fingers, and stared intently at Lu Xixi’s face in the picture.

The photograph was actually a profile shot. Since it was a candid street snapshot, it wasn’t taken from very close up, but the angle was captured very well, perfectly showcasing Lu Xixi’s breathtaking beauty.

In the frame, she was at an open-air café, gazing into the distance with her cheek propped on one hand under a sun umbrella.

Her long, seaweed-like hair was casually tied at the back of her head.

Perhaps due to the lighting, half of Lu Xixi’s body was backlit, making it seem as if she was in shadow.

The play of light and dark created a strange illusion, making the woman’s beauty in the photograph seem as compelling as an unsheathed blade!

It couldn’t possibly be Lu Xixi’s mother... Chen Nuo rubbed his brow forcefully.

Even if they were mother and daughter, they wouldn’t look this similar.

Actually...

There had always been certain doubts about Lu Xixi.

Such as her appearance.

In his previous life, the last time Chen Nuo was with Lu Xixi was in 2012.

And in this life, Chen Nuo met Lu Xixi in 2001.

That was a whole 11-year difference.

Yet, the Lu Xixi of 2012 from his previous life and the Lu Xixi he met in 2001 in this life looked almost exactly the same. In fact, the word "almost" could be removed entirely.

Could the same person not age at all despite an 11-year gap?

This was something Chen Nuo had never doubted before.

Because, after all, the Star Sky Empress was a Controller.

Controllers can control their own physical bodies, even aging.

Just like the Son of the Sun, that Old Biscuit... he could make himself look like a middle-aged man to show off and seduce young girls.

Then there was "Diamond," a female Controller as renowned as the Star Sky Empress, who also maintained a perpetually youthful appearance.

After all, the abilities of Controllers naturally offered advantages in combating aging and extending lifespans.

Moreover, women love beauty, so it wasn’t strange for them to use their powers to maintain a youthful appearance.

But... now this age didn’t make sense.

No matter how much one maintained youthfulness, this just didn’t add up.

In 1978, Lu Xixi should have been about three years old.

Look at the breathtakingly beautiful woman in the photo—and you’re saying she was three years old?!

What a joke!

「」

The photo studio owner didn’t know much. However, through him, it was quite easy to find the photographer of this picture—a freelancer.

This guy was already quite old, around forty, with greasy hair and a receding hairline.

When the members of the Blade Knights led Chen Nuo to the photographer’s home, the man was wearing a dirty T-shirt and a pair of work pants.

The apartment was very small, with messy furnishings. Stacks of dirty dishes filled the sink, and the refrigerator contained nothing but beer.

The couch was ragged, and the coffee table was covered with empty beer cans and junk food wrappers.

Many of his own photographic works hung on the walls.

Unfortunately for him, the Blade Knights burst in just as he and a garishly made-up girl were tangled up on the grimy couch.

The intrusion startled both people inside, and the girl let out a scream.

But the photographer reacted quickly, leaping to his feet and grabbing a nearby floor lamp to wield.

Chen Nuo was the last one to enter, fanning his nose with his hand.

The air in the room was filthy.

The smell of cigarettes, alcohol, the lingering stench of old junk food, and the cheap perfume from the young woman—who clearly worked in a certain profession...

Mixed together, these scents were quite frown-inducing.

"We need to talk to him about something. You can go," Chen Nuo said with a smile to the woman covering her mouth.

She obviously worked in a "special" profession, and apparently, this wasn’t a new experience for her. Once she realized what was happening, she immediately got up, hastily wrapping her scattered clothes around herself. "I’ll leave right now! Don’t worry, I didn’t see anything, and I won’t blab. I’m good at keeping secrets."

After speaking, however, she hesitated, turning to look at the photographer. "You haven’t paid me yet."

The photographer’s eyes bulged. "?! I haven’t even done anything yet!"

"You’ve been groping me for a long time, and you’ve wasted my work time," the woman raised her voice.

Chen Nuo frowned, directly pulled a British Pound note from his pocket, and threw it over. "Take the money and leave quickly. Don’t get yourself into trouble."

The woman caught the money, stuffed it into her cleavage, gave Chen Nuo a seductive wink, and then ran out the door.

After the Blade Knights closed the door and stepped out, only Chen Nuo and the Grand Knight Commander remained in the room.

The photographer seemed to have calmed down. He let go of the floor lamp and nonchalantly sat down on the sofa.

"Are you guys sent by Wilson? I don’t have any money right now. You can go back and tell him I’m getting paid next week, and I can give him a partial payment then."

"I don’t have a single British Pound on me, so even if you take everything in this place, it’ll be useless," the photographer said, his face a mask of defiance.

"Not a single British Pound? So you were planning to skip out on paying her just now?"

"...Alright, I only have fifteen British Pounds," the photographer admitted, nonchalantly changing his tune.

Chen Nuo laughed. "Fifteen British Pounds, and you dare call for a girl? For that kind of thing, fifteen Pounds probably wouldn’t cover it, right?"

"I was desperate, you know?" The photographer shrugged. "Do it first, worry about payment later. If I’m short, women like her won’t dare call the cops. I give her ten Pounds, she’ll cuss me out at most but will still take the money and leave. They don’t want trouble."

"Even if she has people on the streets protecting her, they wouldn’t do much over such a small amount—worst case, I’d get beaten up."

Shameless enough, and pretty straightforward.

Chen Nuo laughed.

He then took a roll of banknotes from his pocket—a whole roll of the largest denomination British Pounds—and placed it on the table.

The photographer looked at Chen Nuo with confusion, swallowed, and glanced at the money on the table.

"We’re not sent by your creditor. We need your help with something else. If you cooperate, this money is yours," Chen Nuo said.

The photographer hesitated for a moment. "I’m just a photographer. I take pictures for the tabloids... I can’t do anything too dangerous, and besides, I don’t know how to fight."

Chen Nuo smiled. "Nothing dangerous."

As he spoke, he took out the photograph, placed it on the table, and tapped his finger on it. "Tell me everything you know about this picture, all the details!"

Unexpectedly, upon seeing the picture, the photographer merely paused for a moment before an expression of sudden realization crossed his face.

"Oh, so it’s about this," he said, reaching out and nonchalantly grabbing the money from the table. He quickly counted it before stuffing it into his pocket. "No problem. You’re not the first ones to ask me about the girl in the photo anyway."

Chen Nuo’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Others have inquired about this woman?"

"Yes, of course!" The photographer laughed. "Men, you know. Seeing such a beautiful woman, who wouldn’t be interested? It’s hard to find many women in the world as beautiful as her."

Chen Nuo didn’t say anything but nodded, indicating for him to continue.

"I happened to capture this girl on the streets of London three years ago. That day, I planned to follow and shoot a rock band and was staking out a location. While testing my camera, I inadvertently saw this girl and quickly snapped her picture.

I’ve been a photographer for many years and have never photographed such a beautiful woman. If I hadn’t had work to do staking out the location, I would have gone up and talked to her.

After I returned, I took the photo to be developed. Even the photo studio owner was curious about this girl and asked if he could buy the picture from me.

He offered a good price, so I sold him one to hang in his studio to attract customers.

You know, there are many wealthy and influential people in London.

People come and go, and they’d see this photograph.

You also know that those wealthy and powerful bigwigs also like beautiful women. So, over the past two years, it’s not like important people haven’t seen this photo by chance and then come to me asking about the girl’s whereabouts.

The people who came to me included talent scouts from film companies, some entertainment venue owners, and some middlemen who specialize in scouting beauties for wealthy bigwigs.

Truth be told, I’m very grateful to this girl. Even though I don’t know her, she has already helped me earn quite a bit of money."

A muscle twitched at the corner of Chen Nuo’s eye.

Nevertheless, he suppressed his anger and said coolly, "And then? Continue."

The photographer’s eyes darted around. "Are you interested in her?"

"Yes," Chen Nuo nodded.

"Then you might be interested in something else. Wait for me a moment!"

With that, the photographer stood up, walked past Chen Nuo, pushed open an inner door, and carefully closed it behind him as he entered.

However, a mere door couldn’t block the senses of a Controller.

Releasing a bit of his spiritual power, Chen Nuo easily perceived everything within the room.

It was a dirty bedroom. The guy rummaged through a cabinet, pulled out a stack of something, then turned and walked out.

THUD!

He tossed the stack onto the coffee table.

Chen Nuo picked it up. The first thing he saw made his eyes widen in shock.

These were several more photos of Lu Xixi.

They were still candid street snapshots, obviously taken at different times, as Lu Xixi wore different clothes in each photo.

Chen Nuo frowned. "You encountered her again later?"

"Yes! I’m a man too, after all. Any normal man would be captivated by such a beauty, so I went back to that place a few more times. That’s when I encountered her."

Holding the photos, Chen Nuo examined them carefully and asked, "These weren’t all taken at once, were they? How many times have you encountered her?"

"Four times in total. But I didn’t see her every time.

In fact, after I first photographed her, I went back to that spot the next day, but there was no sign of her.

I wasn’t willing to give up. I went back seven or eight times and still didn’t encounter her.

Gradually, I lost hope and then stopped going for a long time.

It wasn’t until over a month later, when I happened to pass by that road, that I suddenly saw her again at that roadside café. So, I quickly took another candid photo.

After that, whenever I had nothing better to do, I’d wander around that place, trying my luck.

But I didn’t always bump into her. Her appearances there were incredibly irregular. Sometimes it would be three to five days; other times, more than ten days could go by without her showing up."

Chen Nuo snorted. "Since you went back looking for her and found her, you never went up and spoke to her?"

Hearing this question, a complex expression suddenly appeared on the photographer’s face.

After two seconds of silence, he slowly shook his head.

"The first time I saw her, I was impulsive. My head was full of thoughts that if I could meet her again, I would definitely go up and talk to her, strike up a conversation.

But the second time, when I finally ran into her again, as I looked at her once more, I suddenly didn’t dare.

Because... the first time was just a quick glimpse.

The second time, after staring at her carefully for a while, I calmed down. I understood one thing very clearly.

A woman as beautiful as her... someone like me had no right to even entertain such thoughts.

Hey, I’m no saint, but I know my place.

I’m just a small-time photographer without a stable job, occasionally picking up odd jobs from tabloids, taking candid photos of celebrities to make money.

Sometimes I’d take on private gigs, helping employers get photographic evidence of their spouses cheating.

The most money I’ve ever had in my account was less than one hundred British Pounds. At my poorest, I had to compete with homeless people for Government handouts.

What right did someone like me have to dream of a woman of that caliber?"

Quite candid indeed.

There were four photos in his hand.

Apart from the initial one, of the photos he’d just brought out, two were from 1978, and one was even from 1979—the photographer had marked the date in the bottom left corner of each.

The location was always the same: that roadside café.

"So, the last time you met her was in 1979, still at that roadside open-air café? After that, did you stop looking for her? Or did you just never run into her again?"

"I looked for her, but I never encountered her again."

Chen Nuo sneered, squinting at the man. "Never had any malicious thoughts? Like stalking her or something?"

"...I didn’t dare." The photographer shook his head. "I might not be a good person, but I’m actually quite timid. Even at my poorest, when friends tried to drag me into doing dangerous things...

...I wanted that money too, but I just didn’t dare. I’m very cowardly."

Hmm... that could be considered this guy’s luck.

If he had harbored malicious intentions towards Lu Xixi earlier, his grave would likely be three feet overgrown with weeds by now.

"After the initial photo was sold to the photo studio, over the following months, people traced their way to me through the studio, seeking information about this girl.

As I told you before, they were all people with money and power.

There were people from modeling agencies, entertainment venues, and even intermediaries scouting women for the rich and powerful.

I made a bit of money here and there from these people, earning ten or twenty British Pounds each time, sometimes a few dozen.

So... I won’t deny it, that was also one of the reasons I later went to stake out the woman’s location. Only... I didn’t sell this information to anyone else afterward.

Because I figured that only if I kept the location where the girl appeared to myself could I continue taking her pictures to sell to those people.

If I ever sold the information, then... those people could find the girl themselves.

And I wouldn’t be able to make money anymore.

Having said that, he paused, deliberately looking into Chen Nuo’s eyes. "But later on, after I never met that girl again, I couldn’t make that kind of money anymore. As time went by, people stopped coming to me.

You’re the only ones in two years who’ve come looking for me after seeing the photos."

Chen Nuo glanced at the man’s eyes and suddenly smiled. "I think you might know something more. You’re holding back, hiding something from me."

The photographer looked a bit nervous, his hands rubbing his knees.

After a moment of internal struggle, he took a deep breath, raised his head, and said slowly in a pleading tone, "Sir... I... I owe a lot of money."

"Hmm."

"That Wilson, he’s a well-known figure on the nearby streets. I owe him money.

I’ve been dragging it out for so long. That guy won’t kill me, but he’ll beat me up every now and then. Plus, if I don’t repay him, he’ll cause trouble for me, making it impossible for me to get any photography work. If I can’t earn money, I can’t support myself, nor can I repay him.

It’s a vicious cycle, you understand?"

Chen Nuo smiled meaningfully. "What are you trying to say?"

"I owe him two hundred British Pounds...

But I swear, I originally only borrowed fifty Pounds from him! But then, somehow, as time went on, the interest kept growing, and now it’s two hundred Pounds.

I swear it’s true!

I... I really need money now... Without it, I’ll soon not even be able to afford the rent for this apartment.

Alright, the truth is I haven’t paid rent for two months. If I don’t get some money soon, I’ll be sleeping under a bridge next week."

Chen Nuo laughed. "Two hundred Pounds?"

"...Actually, even one hundred Pounds would do. I could pay a month’s rent with it and pay back a bit to Wilson, so he’ll stop bothering me for a while. Then I could find some work and earn some money."

Chen Nuo looked at the Grand Knight Commander, who had been standing silently by the door the whole time.

The Grand Knight Commander immediately stepped outside and returned in less than a minute with a thick kraft paper envelope in his hand.

SLAP!

He placed it on the table.

Chen Nuo picked it up, glanced inside, and smiled at the photographer. "There are two thousand Pounds here."

The photographer’s breath hitched.

"You can take it and pay off all your debts. With the remaining money, you can rent a nicer apartment—something bigger and cleaner. Then, you can improve your life.

Of course, whether you go drinking or find women, that’s your own business and has nothing to do with me.

But my advice is to find a job with a stable income. That’s the sensible thing to do."

Light filled the photographer’s eyes. He reached out to grab the envelope from the table, but Chen Nuo swatted his hand away.

Chen Nuo narrowed his eyes. "The money is here if you want it... But to get it, you’ll have to provide some information that’s worth this much, right?"

The photographer took a deep breath. "I have a piece of information! No one else knows this. I haven’t sold it to anyone... because in the past two years, no one has come to me asking about this girl! I swear, it’s an exclusive scoop!"

"Speak."

After another deep breath, the photographer said something that took even Chen Nuo by surprise.

"The other day, I encountered that girl again!"

「」

As if fearing Chen Nuo wouldn’t believe him, or perhaps eager to get the money, the photographer spoke very readily this time.

"The other day... let me think... yes, last Friday, I went back to that street. I really wasn’t looking for her this time. It’s been almost three years, and I’d long since given up on that idea.

I passed that street by chance, and then, unexpectedly, I saw her again!

But I’m so poor now, I even sold my camera to pay off debts, so I didn’t take any pictures this time!

But I swear what I’m saying is true! I really did encounter her!

Right on that street!

I saw her very clearly. There’s no way I could be mistaken!

I even discreetly followed her for a few steps, but in the blink of an eye, after she crossed the intersection, she disappeared.

Please believe me, I’m telling the truth!"

Chen Nuo stared at the man for a moment, then nodded. "I believe you."

「」

After leaving the photographer’s apartment, Chen Nuo stood in the hallway and looked at the Grand Knight Commander, who was silently beside him.

"Don’t kill him. Just teach him a harsh lesson so he doesn’t dare sell any more information about that photo. Yes, you can leave the money for him."

"...Okay."

After a pause, Chen Nuo added, "Also, find out who else, apart from us, has been asking him for information. Get the details, and then... anyone who came looking, teach them a harsh lesson too. Just don’t take any lives."

Hmph, talent scouts?

Entertainment venues?

Dealers picking out targets for the pleasure of bigwigs?

Break all their legs!

「」

The street wasn’t hard to find.

Neither was the open-air café.

With the help of the Blade Knights, who had considerable local influence, Chen Nuo quickly found himself sitting under a sunshade at this open-air café. He had ordered a cup of coffee and was quietly observing his surroundings.

As an international financial center second only to New York in this era, most of London’s streets were actually very narrow.

This café, if placed in Huaxia a few decades later, would seem a bit shabby even in a second or third-tier city.

Chen Nuo had been waiting here for two days.

He arrived every morning and sat there until Nightfall, when the café closed.

Lu Xixi was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, a waitress from the café had secretly slipped him a note with her phone number on it.

Although he knew waiting like this was like watching a pot that never boils, Chen Nuo still tried to control his emotions.

But after two days, he couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious.

On the evening of the second day, as Chen Nuo watched the café close for the night, the waitress who had slipped him her number gave him a strange look. He stood up, deciding to leave.

But just then, a car stopped across the street, and the Grand Knight Commander swiftly jumped out and hurried over.

"Sir, we have a discovery!"

Chen Nuo immediately sat back down. "Tell me!"

"You told us to teach a lesson to anyone who had been inquiring about the girl. My men did so, and then... we discovered some strange things."

"Oh?"

「」

It started with the photo that had been hanging in the photo studio since 1978.

A total of four groups of people had sought out the photographer, inquiring about Lu Xixi.

The Blade Knights had gotten the details about all four groups from the photographer.

One was a modeling agency, another a film company. However, according to the Grand Knight Commander, both companies advertised as talent scouts but were actually fronts for trafficking pretty girls into the sex trade.

Another group was an organization that scouted women for a famous London nightclub—an entertainment company.

The last one was a high-end pimping organization—the kind the photographer had mentioned, which procured women for rich and powerful individuals.

The Blade Knights had found all four groups.

Then, they unexpectedly discovered that before they could deal with these people, each group had already met with misfortune.

The owner of one of the companies using talent scouting as a front for the sex trade died in a fire in 1978, caused by old wiring. His company burned to the ground, and he perished in the flames.

The other owner was robbed at home and drowned in his swimming pool.

The head of the entertainment company died in a train accident.

That’s right, a train accident—the poor bastard’s car broke down right on the tracks, and the doors jammed.

Consequently, he and his car were obliterated by a passing train, leaving no trace.

The most tragic fate befell the leader of the pimping organization. He had an accident while fishing at sea—the investigative report suggested that the unfortunate man hooked a large fish but, instead of catching it, was dragged into the sea and went missing.

His body was later found ten nautical miles from where he fell overboard, gnawed by sharks until only a few bones remained.

After hearing the Grand Knight Commander’s account, Chen Nuo’s scalp instantly tingled!

Damn!

No need to ask! This style! It’s definitely my wife, no doubt about it!

But the underlying question still hadn’t been answered.

The question of how old my wife actually is...

Chen Nuo took a deep breath and slowly asked, "Have you verified all this information?"

"All verified and confirmed. We..."

The Grand Knight Commander was about to continue, but Chen Nuo suddenly raised his hand in a silencing gesture.

"Uh?"

The Grand Knight Commander frowned and saw Chen Nuo’s gaze fixed on an intersection across the street.

Following his gaze, the Grand Knight Commander’s eyes instantly widened!

From an intersection across the street, a graceful figure slowly emerged.

Her graceful figure swayed lightly as she crossed the street, her eyes shining startlingly bright under the streetlights!

The woman from the photo!

The Grand Knight Commander took a deep breath, about to speak, but he saw the woman’s gaze, direct and unwavering, shoot towards them.

Her red lips curled into a dazzling, yet ice-cold, smile.

Then, CLICK. CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.

Her steps were brisk as she headed their way!

"You should leave," Chen Nuo said to the Grand Knight Commander, taking a deep breath, his tone very serious. "Take your men and leave immediately!"

The Grand Knight Commander wanted to ask something, but then he met Chen Nuo’s gaze. He shuddered abruptly and, without a word, turned to leave.

He dashed to a nearby car, jumped in, started the engine, and sped off.

「」

CLICK. CLICK...

The footsteps stopped in front of Chen Nuo’s table.

Familiar scent, familiar face...

Slowly, Lu Xixi sat down opposite Chen Nuo.

Chen Nuo cleared his throat...

Umm, how should I start this conversation?

Call out "Honey~"?

The 1981 Lu Xixi would probably beat me into the ICU, right?

"We haven’t met before. We don’t know each other, right?" Lu Xixi spoke first.

Her tone was very calm.

Her voice was the soft, gentle one Chen Nuo knew so well.

But he could tell her tone was a bit cold.

"Uh..."

"So, who are you? I sense you’re an Ability User," Lu Xixi said, squinting at Chen Nuo.

"Uhm..."

"I sensed a total of six Ability Users nearby just now. The middle-aged man talking to you was the strongest among them—excluding you.

Six Ability Users, gathered where I often appear. I don’t believe that’s a coincidence."

Lu Xixi’s tone was very cold as she continued slowly, "So, I’m giving you two choices."

"Ah? What choices?"

"Option A: you honestly explain your purpose here. As a token of leniency for your honesty, I’ll let you call a hospital and book an emergency room before I beat you up."

Chen Nuo, his expression righteous, replied without hesitation, "I choose Option B!"

Lu Xixi narrowed her eyes to slits. "Option B, is it? Then I won’t ask you anything.

After all, no matter the trouble, once everyone involved is dead, the trouble naturally disappears.

I’ll give you thirty seconds to say goodbye to this world."

"..." Chen Nuo said with a wry smile, "Um, may I be so bold as to ask if there’s an Option C?"

"No."

"Then I’ll go with Option A."

"Good. Now you can talk. And likewise, you only have one minute," Lu Xixi said, her expression relaxed.

Chen Nuo pondered for a moment, then began, "Look..."

"Stop!"

"Hm?"

Lu Xixi frowned. "Use a different opening sentence!"

"Why?"

"No reason. That opening just makes me feel very uncomfortable."