Chapter 97: Lu Yunbei talks to Qian Qian

Mu Qianqian did not refuse, “Sure. Since he will be your husband in the future, I shouldn’t have too strained a relationship with him.”

Ye Wanqing smiled, though her smile carried a hint of melancholy.

Young Master Lu sat in the pavilion in the garden, with Ye Xuanlin accompanying him.

The moment Mu Qianqian appeared at the entrance, Lu Yunbei’s gaze was fixed on her.

Ye Xuanlin said with a hint of malice, “Young Master Lu, don’t forget your engagement with Wanqing.”

Lu Yunbei was taken aback for a few seconds.

“Mr. Ye, you misunderstand. I have no romantic interest in Mu Qianqian. It’s just that she looks very much like my lost sister, so I wanted to learn more about her.”

“Oh? So that’s the case?”

“Mr. Ye, I trust your character, so I don’t mind sharing this with you. Qianqian’s appearance and age match those of my sister. She might very well be the daughter our Lu family lost.”

Since the two families were bound to become in-laws sooner or later, there was no need to hide this matter.

Ye Xuanlin glanced meaningfully at Mu Qianqian, “I see.”

“I misunderstood Young Master Lu. I’ll drink a cup to atone for my mistake.”

He never drank alcohol, so the “penalty cup” he mentioned was actually tea.

Mu Qianqian followed Ye Wanqing into the pavilion.

Lu Yunbei stared at her in a daze, almost spilling the tea in his cup.

“You are Mu Qianqian, right? Last time at the Lu residence, I didn’t get the chance to properly introduce myself.”

On the surface, he remained calm, but inside, a storm of emotions was raging.

Seeing her up close, the feeling of kinship was even stronger.

This was his sister, whom he had not seen for fifteen years!

Lu Yunbei’s eyes reddened, and he quickly lowered his head to hide his emotions, finishing the tea in his cup.

“Yes, Young Master Lu. Wanqing and I are good friends.”

“You don’t need to call me Young Master Lu. If you’re willing, you can call me by my name, or… ‘brother’.”

Lu Yunbei had not intended to make such a request so soon.

But seeing his long-desired sister standing before him, he couldn’t help but wish to hear her call him “brother.”

Mu Qianqian hesitated, “Wouldn’t that be too sudden?”

Lu Yunbei eagerly stood up, “It’s not sudden at all. If you’re willing, you can call me whatever you like.”

In her heart, Mu Qianqian seemed to hear a voice urging her. Agree to him, agree to him, call him “brother.”

But her nature, formed over the years, made her hesitant to take such a risky step.

Mu Qianqian hid behind Ye Wanqing.

Lu Yunbei’s heart ached. He smiled wryly, “Sorry, I was too hasty.”

Mu Qianqian sensed the disappointment in his tone and, for some reason, felt a pang of discomfort herself.

She comforted him, “Young Master Lu, you don’t need to apologize. It’s just that I’m not very familiar with you yet. Let’s wait until we get to know each other better before I call you that.”

Lu Yunbei gazed at her deeply and nodded.

As expected of his sister, she was still as kind and considerate as ever.

“Mr. Ye, Miss Ye, I’d like to speak to Miss Mu privately.”

Ye Wanqing’s smile faded slightly, “Young Master Lu, please go ahead.”

Lu Yunbei took Mu Qianqian away from the pavilion.

Ye Xuanlin noticed his sister’s downcast mood and asked, “Are you jealous?”

Ye Wanqing’s heart was bitter, but she stubbornly denied it, “I’m not.”

If Qianqian and Young Master Lu were genuinely interested in each other, she would never do anything to damage their relationship or use the engagement to force Young Master Lu.

Her pride would not allow it.

Ye Xuanlin sighed and offered some advice, “Young Master Lu just told me that he isn’t romantically interested in Miss Mu. He only thinks she looks very much like his sister.”

“The daughter that the Lu family lost?” Ye Wanqing asked.

“Yes, that’s right.”

At this moment, Ye Xuanlin recalled a corroborating detail.

“I once met Lu Madam many years ago. It’s been so long that my memory is quite fuzzy, but hearing Young Master Lu’s description now, I vaguely recall that Lu Madam’s appearance was indeed very similar to Miss Mu’s.”

So, Young Master Lu was not lying.

His behavior toward Mu Qianqian seemed more like that of a relative showing warmth and familiarity, rather than the eagerness one would show to a lover.

“I see, I misunderstood him,” Ye Wanqing said with some embarrassment.

“But it would be great if Qianqian really is Young Master Lu’s sister. Her current family is so unkind to her, she deserves a family that truly loves her!”

Thinking of this, Ye Wanqing couldn’t help but hope that Qianqian was indeed the daughter the Lu family had lost.

…

“Young Master Lu, if you have something to say, please do it quickly.”

Given the engagement between Young Master Lu and Wanqing, Mu Qianqian did not want Wanqing to misunderstand them.

So, it was best to finish this quickly and return.

“Qianqian… I mean, Miss Mu… I mean no harm. It’s just that when I first saw you on stage, I felt you looked very much like my sister.”

Mu Qianqian looked up in surprise.

“Really?”

But how could she resemble Miss Lu?

“I haven’t seen my sister for fifteen years. Since she went missing on her fifth birthday, our family has used every connection to search for her, but we’ve never found any trace.”

“My sister was the treasure of our family. After she went missing, I’ve had nightmares every night, dreaming of her being taken away by bad people, wandering the streets, starving and freezing…”

“I regret not taking better care of her. If I had stayed by her side at all times, perhaps she wouldn’t have gone missing…”

Lu Yunbei’s words were filled with deep sorrow.

Mu Qianqian was moved by his emotions, feeling a wave of sadness herself.

“Don’t be sad. I believe your sister will come back.”

Lu Yunbei gazed at her with tears in his eyes.

He nodded firmly, “Yes, I believe Qianqian will come back.”

“Young Master Lu, can you tell me how Miss Lu went missing?”

“Of course.”

They sat by the flowerbed as Lu Yunbei recounted the events of that rainy night fifteen years ago.

“It was my sister’s fifth birthday, and it was raining heavily. She was worried that the flowers in the garden would be ruined by the storm, so she went downstairs to check on them… but she never came back.”

After hearing this story, Mu Qianqian felt a chill run through her.

She reached up to touch her face and realized she had actually been moved to tears.

Mu Qianqian said with a touch of envy, “It’s a coincidence that Miss Lu and I are the same age and that our birthdays are both in summer.”

However, she was just a burden that the Mu family mistreated, not the treasured youngest daughter of the Lu family.

She envied Miss Lu so much, having such a loving family.

“Young Master Lu, if you miss your sister, feel free to come and see me anytime. I’ll also explain this matter clearly to Wanqing.”

Lu Yunbei nodded gratefully, “Thank you.”

His sister was as kind as ever, always thinking of others.