Chapter 147: Hidden Murderous Intent

Amidst enthusiastic applause and cheers, the magician smiled and walked off the stage. This opening act featured two unprecedented magic performances, stunning the entire audience and delivering a far greater impact than coins vanishing on a grand stage.

"This is the advantage of an intimate stage," Tang Shiya remarked. "There are no rigid restrictions, allowing for complete creative freedom. This truly showcases an artist's deepest mastery."

Liu Jingye nodded in agreement. "You're right. If someone pulled a stunt like this on a massive stage, they'd likely be slapped with labels of promoting superstition and sorcery, and censored immediately."

Just then, the magician gracefully stepped off the stage—no, he didn't walk; he lightly floated down. The noisy crowd instantly quieted, staring with wide eyes in a vain attempt to fathom the secret, left completely in awe.

"Wow, that's amazing," Tang Shiya said in astonishment.

Liu Jingye smiled faintly without speaking, though the magician's trick could not escape his sharp eyes. An invisible thread was tied around the magician's lower back, not suspended from the ceiling, but anchored horizontally to the backdrop panel behind the stage. The moment he descended, it provided support, slowing his downward trajectory and creating the illusion of levitation.

However, this was how the man earned his living, so it must never be exposed. Exposing a magic trick was like destroying someone's livelihood, and cutting off a person's financial path was akin to killing their parents.

Remaining silent with a gentle smile, the magician walked leisurely through the crowd, scanning the intense gazes fixed upon him. Suddenly, he approached a nouveau riche man who was holding an unlit cigar. Startled by the sudden arrival, the wealthy man looked momentarily flustered and lost.

The magician casually snapped his fingers, and a flame miraculously appeared on his fingertip, burning brightly and defying all logic.

He raised an eyebrow with a smile, offering to light the man's cigar.

The wealthy man immediately placed the cigar in his mouth and lit it with the flame dancing on the magician's fingertip. A thin trail of blue smoke rose into the air, bearing witness to a miracle.

Amidst thunderous applause, the magician approached Tang Shiya. Although she was a major celebrity, she was still a young woman at heart, fond of romantic and magical things. At this moment, her expression was filled with excitement.

Finally, the magician spoke: "Hello, beautiful lady!"

His voice was exceptionally magnetic, carrying a captivating, intoxicating charm. Tang Shiya revealed a sweet smile as he continued, "I noticed the necklace resting on your lovely neck. May I ask what material it is made of?"

Tang Shiya instinctively reached out to touch her neck, offering a calm smile. "This is just an ordinary silver-plated necklace."

Everyone around was watching closely. As soon as her words fell, disdainful snorts erupted from the crowd, mostly coming from the surrounding female guests. Adorned in dazzling jewels, they naturally looked down upon ordinary accessories, yet this only served to highlight Tang Shiya's unique charm.

Her own intrinsic elegance meant she had no need for cosmetics or heavy jewelry to enhance her beauty. Even if she wore a hangman's noose around her neck, she would still be the most stunning woman in the room.

However, the magician replied, "You are so breathtaking that I believe only the most magnificent jewelry could ever truly match you. Would you be so kind as to lend me your necklace for a moment?"

"Certainly," Tang Shiya answered generously, but beside her, Liu Jingye had already narrowed his eyes.

*Why do I feel like this magician harbors malicious intent?* Liu Jingye thought to himself. *In front of everyone, he openly belittled Tang Shiya's jewelry. Although she doesn't care, everyone saw just now that I am her companion, and not just an ordinary friend.*

*At an event like this, if a woman's attire is subpar, it implies her man lacks status and power. Is this just another one of Young Master Feng's schemes to disgust me?*

Cold smiles played across Liu Jingye's face as he watched the magician take the necklace, slowly press his palms together to conceal it within his hands, and begin to rub them slowly. The entire audience held their breath.

Then, the magician slowly parted his hands, and a brilliant radiance spilled from his palms. As his hands opened fully, the ordinary necklace was replaced by a sparkling, light-refracting diamond necklace, resting in his hands in a blaze of dazzling, priceless brilliance.

"Beautiful lady, do I have the honor of putting this necklace on you myself?" the magician asked tenderly.

Tang Shiya's eyes widened in disbelief, and gasps of wonder echoed among the surrounding women.

Without waiting for her reply, the magician, holding the necklace in both hands, stepped behind her to fasten it. Her porcelain-white neck, partially exposed shoulders, and flawless skin complemented the dazzling diamond necklace to absolute perfection.

Just as the magician was about to proceed, Liu Jingye, sitting beside Tang Shiya, suddenly stretched lazily as if overcome with exhaustion. Everyone's attention was riveted on the magician, who in turn was entirely focused on Tang Shiya, rendering Liu Jingye as invisible as the air.

Precisely because of this, no one noticed the cigarette burning in his hand.

As he stretched, the glowing tip of his cigarette brushed against the magician's wrist.

The magician jolted as if struck by lightning, trembling violently and jerking his hand away in a sharp spasm. The sudden movement startled those nearby. At that exact moment, a soft clink rang out in the quiet hall. Those close by instinctively turned toward the sound, and Tang Shiya lowered her gaze to look.

Her ordinary necklace lay right at the magician's feet, having clearly just dropped out of his sleeve.

The audience instantly grasped the trickery at play. An uproar erupted through the hall, accompanied by murmurs of indignation and curses.

Overwhelmed with mortification, the magician stood frozen in place, awkward and embarrassed, looking like an adulterer caught in the act. He still held the diamond necklace in his hand, entirely at a loss for what to do.

Ultimately, Tang Shiya stood up herself to smooth things over for the magician. "Thank you very much, Mr. Magician, but I still prefer this necklace of mine—and it seems quite reluctant to leave me, too."

Liu Jingye chuckled lightly, crouching down to retrieve the necklace himself. With impeccable manners, he said to Tang Shiya, "My beautiful lady, I wonder if I might have the honor of putting it on you?"

Tang Shiya smiled in return, sat back down, and let him gently fasten the necklace. That fleeting moment of tenderness and warmth felt as intimate as a newlywed groom gently lifting his bride's veil on their wedding night.

Liu Jingye fumbled nervously with the clasp a few times before securing it. Tang Shiya trembled slightly, especially when his fingers brushed against her skin, sending her heart fluttering and dyeing her cheeks a rosy blush.

In the front row, Tan Yifeng and Tan Yixing turned to look over, though their expressions were worlds apart. Young Master Feng furrowed his brow with a stern gaze, feeling as though his own stage had been wrecked. The magician's failure was no different from a failure of his own making.

Meanwhile, the fat man beamed with joy, his spirits soaring.

Young Master Feng suddenly turned his head and gave a meaningful look to the female host on stage. Catching the hint immediately, she spoke up at once, "Well, let's leave the little game at that. Everyone, please settle down and enjoy the most spectacular magic act of the evening—the grand finale, making a living person vanish and reappear!"

"Eating dinner and someone's already talking about excretion!" Liu Jingye muttered irritably, biting into a lobster.

Tang Shiya covered the necklace at her collar with a small hand, the flush on her cheeks not yet faded. Hearing his crude remark, all romantic sentiment vanished completely. She shot him a sidelong glance and retorted, "He said 'vanish and reappear,' not that kind of discharge!"

"Oh, right. Once I'm done eating, I suppose I'll transform into that too..." Liu Jingye replied deadpan.

Unwilling to tangle with him over bathroom humor, Tang Shiya changed the subject. "He is one of the top magicians in the country. How could a sleight-of-hand trick like that possibly fail? Did you tamper with it?"

Without answering her question directly, Liu Jingye simply smiled. "I just felt that his necklace didn't match your image. Simple things suit you best."

Tang Shiya offered a faint smile and pressed no further, though she was certain Liu Jingye had interfered. To sabotage a trick like that, one first had to see right through the magician's methods in order to strike accurately and decisively.

With the host smoothing things over, the magician hurried back onto the stage, eager to regain his confidence. In truth, mistakes during a performance were entirely normal; he quickly readjusted his state of mind and smiled. "I believe everyone is familiar with the illusion of making a living person vanish. To prove there is no trickery involved, I will randomly select a guest from among you to assist me. As for who it will be, let fate decide."

With a few practiced words, the magician drew the audience's attention back to himself. He pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket, his fingers dancing swiftly as he folded it into a paper airplane. Holding it high, he announced in a clear voice, "Please watch closely. Whomever this airplane lands before shall be the guest for this segment. Let the heavens choose!"

Amidst cheers and applause, he tossed the airplane forward. It glided through the air, suddenly executing a wide arc, bobbing unsteadily before landing precisely in front of the chubby Tan Yixing—Fatty Tan.

The fat man blinked in surprise, while Young Master Feng beside him immediately took the lead in applauding and cheering, urging Fatty Tan to take the stage. Others quickly joined in the chorus.

Fatty Tan frowned slightly, his eyes darting back and forth in contemplation. After a cautious thought, he finally stood up, wobbling his bulky frame, and scoffed, "If they want me up there, so be it. What's the big deal? Is he going to banish me to the netherworld?"

His words carried a pointed meaning, yet Young Master Feng's expression remained unchanged as he clapped even louder.

Fatty Tan walked onto the stage and addressed the magician in his usual overbearing tone, "Brother, if you really possess magic, you'd better send me straight through a spacetime tunnel and transmigrate me into a high-ranking official in the Song Dynasty."

A burst of laughter erupted from the audience. The magician clapped his hands, and an assistant pushed a large wooden box out from backstage, displaying it to the crowd. It appeared to be an ordinary box, and rapping on its sides confirmed there were no hidden compartments or secret mechanisms.

Without a moment of hesitation, Fatty Tan climbed inside and waved cheerfully at the audience, his antics genuinely comical.

Although the magician maintained a calm and composed exterior, Liu Jingye could see beads of cold sweat dripping down his forehead and his hands trembling slightly.

*Could they be plotting something?* Liu Jingye thought darkly. *Last banquet, they used gunmen to assassinate Secretary Zhang. Could they be planning to kill Fatty Tan using a magic trick this time?*