Originally, Lewis had thought Richard's actions were reckless, almost exposing the existence of vampires in front of everyone. No ordinary explanation could account for such speed.
Fortunately, at that critical moment, Lewis had ordered the main power switch to be turned off from backstage, plunging the venue into darkness and obscuring the truth from everyone's eyes—everyone except the vampires, of course, including himself.
Lewis had clearly seen the three of them fall from the stage into the lake. He was certain that a few observant individuals close to the stage might have heard the splash, but most were too startled by the scream to notice. When Lewis arrived on the scene, he witnessed Richard leap into the lake with lightning speed, his movements calm and deliberate.
It was in that same moment that the collapsed stage returned to its original state, completely intact!
Lewis quickly realized that the stage had been rigged with a mechanism during its construction. The circular platform was made of two wooden panels that could separate when triggered, causing anyone standing on it to fall into the lake.
Lewis's mind worked quickly. He even considered jumping into the lake himself to investigate, but reason prevailed over impulse. Standing at the center of the stage, he swiftly signaled to the night-vision-capable vampires and had the spotlight directed at him. Thus, the subsequent "magic act" was born—a cover story he had devised on the spot.
Given Richard and Dylan's abilities, they should have already emerged from the lake. But since no one had resurfaced yet, it meant there must be another passage leading elsewhere. Anran had likely been taken, and Richard and Dylan must be pursuing her captor.
No—as soon as Lewis saw the cross around Zhangning's neck, he was certain that Anran had been taken by a vampire, most likely one from the Hahn family.
As he observed the girl in the witch costume, dozens of solutions flickered through Lewis's mind. The safest option was to forcibly remove the cross and then hypnotize her. His abilities were on par with Murong Mingyue's, so this shouldn't have been difficult.
Yet, as he looked at the confused girl, Lewis instead said, "Zhangning, come with me to Anran's house. Please inform her grandfather that she's tired from tonight's events and is resting at your place."
Zhangning was even more puzzled. Why was the president asking her to lie? Where had Anran and the others gone?
Lewis's expression softened, and he smiled. "Zhangning, I'll explain everything to you on the way. For now, all we can do is trust Richard. I'm sure he'll find Anran."
Though still unsure, Zhangning chose to trust Lewis.
As he looked at the girl's innocent expression, Lewis thought that even if his vampire identity were exposed to someone like her, it wouldn't be such a terrible thing.
Meanwhile, the situation was far from being as optimistic as Lewis had imagined.
After Richard jumped into the lake, he only saw Dylan, who looked equally anxious. When Dylan had fallen into the water, his vision had been blocked by a piece of cloth. Though he quickly freed himself, Anran and the masked host had already disappeared.
Dylan immediately realized that the entire incident had been part of a scheme.
He knew the masked host was a vampire. When Dylan had proposed building the stage over the lake, the vampire had volunteered, claiming to be skilled in wooden construction.
If Anran's perilous situation was a result of his own ideas, not only would Richard never forgive him, but Dylan himself wouldn't be able to live with the guilt.