Chapter 13: Vigilance

For several consecutive days, the entire Lu household was bustling with activity. Ning Lu spent her days quietly reading in her room, stepping outside in the late afternoon to bask in the sunlight.

In these undisturbed moments, Ning Lu found herself relaxing—she no longer had to curry favor with the Lu family.

As she walked down the corridor, two maids were chatting while tidying up ahead. She slowed her pace slightly.

“Every time the seasons change, Master starts coughing again. It’s bronchitis, they say,” one maid remarked to the other.

“Yes, the cough drags on for months,” the other agreed.

“Lately, Master hasn’t been sleeping well either...”

The first maid pursed her lips. “We’ve tried so many remedies over the years, but nothing seems to work.”

“Forget it; Master’s used to it by now. This year, he didn’t even bother calling the family doctor.”

The senior maid pushed her cleaning cart forward, followed closely by the other. They soon turned the corner to the next room.

Ning Lu caught every word clearly as she passed by, then turned and left the kitchen.

In the afternoon, the kitchen was nearly empty. She opened the refrigerator, where ingredients filled every corner of the large fridge.

Ning Lu took out some snow pears and rock sugar. With practiced hands, she sliced open the fruit and added a touch of honey.

“What are you making?” a female voice suddenly sounded nearby.

Ning Lu looked up and met the gaze of Yu Jie, who smiled faintly.

Yu Jie had overseen the Lu family’s meals for forty years and knew everyone’s dietary preferences intimately.

She was kind to Ning Lu, often preparing little snacks for her.

“Yu Jie, I thought I’d make some rock sugar stewed snow pears when I have time,” Ning Lu said softly. “Since the season’s changing and the weather’s dry, it’s good to soothe the throat.”

“Indeed, the seasons change so suddenly. My hands have been peeling these last few days,” Yu Jie replied, not suspecting anything amiss, thinking Ning Lu simply wanted a treat.

“You should use more moisturizer, or the peeling will be uncomfortable,” Ning Lu advised, prompting Yu Jie to laugh.

Yu Jie could see Ning Lu was a well-behaved girl—always doing things on her own and hardly troubling anyone.

“All right,” Yu Jie said, just as someone called her from outside.

“You go ahead, I can manage on my own,” Ning Lu said softly.

“Okay, if you need help, just call someone,” Yu Jie nodded and turned to leave.

Left alone in the kitchen, Ning Lu felt even more at ease. No one was watching her; she could be herself.

Rock sugar stewed snow pears weren’t difficult. Ning Lu chose the finest snow pears—this variety cost three figures each outside.

For the Lu family, only the best ingredients were acceptable; cheap food was out of the question.

Half an hour later, Ning Lu watched as the dessert finished cooking. She poured it into a thermos and wiped away the moisture around the bottle.

Carrying the insulated bag, she ascended the stairs and quickly found Lu Yanfeng’s room.

She pushed open the door, entered, set down the bag, and left without a word.

As the door closed behind her, just as she rounded the corner, a hand stopped her. She met a sharp, scrutinizing gaze.

“What are you doing here?” Yi Wei suddenly appeared, startling Ning Lu.

Ning Lu kept her calm, showing no sign of panic.

“I was just passing by and wanted to see if Master was here,” Ning Lu replied lightly.

Yi Wei sized her up, trying to read her thoughts bit by bit.

She suspected Ning Lu was no innocent—no woman brought back by Lu Yanfeng could be a mere innocent lamb.

Yi Wei remained cautious around Ning Lu, unwilling to believe she was simple and pure.

“Master isn’t here,” Yi Wei said flatly, her voice tinged with coldness.

“Oh...” Ning Lu said nothing further.

“This isn’t a place for you to come unless Master himself invites you,” Yi Wei said, displeased.

“Yes, I understand,” Ning Lu nodded and followed Yi Wei’s lead.

Seeing Ning Lu did not argue, Yi Wei chose not to press.

There could be spies everywhere, monitoring everything in the Lu household. Yi Wei feared someone might report to Lu Yanfeng if they saw Ning Lu here.

“Why not have some afternoon tea together?” Yi Wei suggested, but her words were cut short when she noticed someone coming upstairs.

“No, I’ll just go back to my room and rest,” Ning Lu declined, waving her hand and striding forward, passing through the corridor and exiting via the back stairs.

Yi Wei saw the door to another large bedroom open, a familiar figure entering.

What a coincidence—Lu Hongyu had just returned to his room as Ning Lu was leaving.

A flicker of something crossed Yi Wei’s eyes, and a slight smirk lifted her lips. The two of them were quite skilled at avoiding suspicion.

Ten minutes later, Ning Lu returned to her room and lay on the sofa reading. Several professional texts on economics and finance lay on the coffee table.

The floor-to-ceiling glass door slid open, and Ning Lu glanced up.

Lu Hongyu swaggered in as if this were his own room, coming and going at will.

Ning Lu’s expression darkened; she glanced anxiously outside, worried someone might see him enter.

“Why so nervous?” Lu Hongyu noticed her glancing around, a wicked smile tugging at his lips.

“You’re the eldest son; it doesn’t matter to you. I just don’t want to cause unnecessary trouble,” Ning Lu said bluntly, her tone growing colder toward him.

Lu Hongyu frowned, clearly displeased. This woman was not happy to see him at all.

“What did you say to Yi Wei just now?” he asked, sitting on the sofa casually.

“Nothing,” Ning Lu answered, but before her words fully left her lips, Lu Hongyu grabbed her wrist.

“Nothing?” he emphasized, irritation flashing in his eyes.

“She asked why I came over; I said I wanted to see Uncle Feng,” Ning Lu answered honestly, wincing at the pain in her wrist.

“What do you want from the old man?” Lu Hongyu asked coldly.

It seemed the whole family was very concerned about Ning Lu’s visits to Lu Yanfeng. She could see their wariness toward her.

She understood what they feared: that she might be after something, that their share could be taken away.

“I haven’t seen Uncle Feng for a few days. I just wanted to have tea and chat with him,” Ning Lu answered calmly, meeting Lu Hongyu’s guarded gaze without a trace of anxiety.

Lu Hongyu released her wrist, a cold smile curling his lips.

“You haven’t seen me for days either. Why aren’t you this eager to see me?”

Ning Lu fought the urge to roll her eyes. He had no idea how unlikeable he was.

She wished he would disappear and never trouble her again.

“I’m someone your father brought home. It’s natural for me to care about him,” Ning Lu said evenly, her voice steady.

“True, when you put it that way...” Lu Hongyu’s lips curved slightly. “So your sugar daddy is really my dad?”

The term “sugar daddy” was meant to insult her. She suppressed her discomfort, keeping her expression calm as still water.

“I respect Uncle Feng deeply. I think calling him that is a bit insulting,” she replied.