Chapter 43: We Are Secretly Married, Hidden from the Light

"I thought you would scold her," his voice carried no discernible emotion, cool and pure as a mountain spring.

In the corridor, Lu Ye and Jiang Sui walked side by side at a gentle pace.

Jiang Sui smiled, "She didn’t do anything wrong, so why would I scold her?"

To avoid disturbing Xuanxuan’s rest, their conversation had already taken them to the other side.

"I’ve seen you be stern with her during your livestreams," he said quietly as he walked beside her.

Their breaths seemed to mingle, as if the air around them was suffused with each other’s presence.

Jiang Sui paused. So this man liked watching livestreams?

"I can’t be harsh with her all the time, can I? Xuanxuan is about to start primary school; she’s not a clueless three-year-old anymore. If you reason with her, she listens—and she understands. Children sense your emotions; if you approach them gently, their own emotions become gentle. As a parent, you have to be relaxed yet measured.

Be strict when strictness is called for, explain things when explanation is needed. Be stern when it’s necessary, comfort her when she needs it. And the reason Xuanxuan fusses at night and won’t sleep is because she lacks a sense of security—didn’t you notice?"

She raised an eyebrow, "I hope next time you look for a wife, you’ll use this standard. After all, I can’t expect a man like you to take care of Xuanxuan."

Lu Ye was usually busy, and Xuanxuan had school. Aside from indulging her every request, he rarely disciplined her. It was only after Xuanxuan complained that he didn’t treat her well that Lu Ye started bringing her to his side whenever he had time—but even then, he didn’t actually spend time with her; he handed her off to his secretary.

That’s why Lu Xuanxuan’s temperament became more willful, and she lacked a sense of security.

Lu Ye’s expression remained neutral as he listened to Jiang Sui’s earlier remarks. But at her final words, a faint chill crept into his features. He frowned, his tone cool, "What do you mean, ‘next time I look for a wife’?"

Jiang Sui was curious, "So you won’t look for a wife next time?"

Lu Ye said nothing, only gazed at her.

Jiang Sui averted her eyes, skipping past the topic, about to speak.

"I’ll rearrange my work schedule from now on," Lu Ye suddenly said in a low voice.

Jiang Sui was a little taken aback; this didn’t concern her, so why tell her?

"By the way, there’s something I need to talk to you about," she suddenly stopped.

Lu Ye glanced at the door behind her, "Let’s talk in my room."

Jiang Sui frowned, still processing, when Lu Ye’s presence enveloped her and he grasped her wrist.

She almost instinctively wanted to land a punch on him. But to avoid suspicion, the fist she had just clenched stayed at her side, and instead Lu Ye pulled her into the room.

Or rather, dragged her in would be more accurate.

The pleasant scent he carried quickly surrounded her.

After pulling her inside, he slowly released her hand and looked at her, "My room won’t disturb Xuanxuan."

Jiang Sui thought, the spot outside wouldn’t have disturbed her either.

And—

She glanced at the door behind them; why close it?

Lu Ye stood in front of her, his presence thick and enveloping.

"Go on, what did you want to say?" His deep voice carried a tempting restraint.

Jiang Sui stepped sideways, putting a little distance between herself and this man, then spoke, "It’s like this—I’ll continue participating in the reality show ‘Mom Is a Hero.’ The next livestream will be held here in this villa..."

As she spoke, Lu Ye’s frown deepened.

Finally, his tone was tinged with complexity and a hint of grievance, "So what you mean is, you’d prefer I not appear on camera, and ideally I should leave the house during your livestream?"

"Yes, we have a hidden marriage. This kind of relationship can’t be made public. If it’s discovered, it won’t be good for either of us. Publicly, I’m still single, and Xuanxuan is only my goddaughter. Tomorrow the production team will come to install cameras; though they’ll only set up a few, if you appear, or if they see you… it won’t benefit us."

She looked at Lu Ye—and found his expression shadowed, unreadable. Finally, she asked, "You don’t want others to know we’re married either, do you?"