6

The man looked cold and distant—clearly not someone easy to deal with.

But Lu Huan had always believed in a simple philosophy: Nothing is truly difficult… if you’re willing to give up.

Judging by his expression, he didn’t seem the type to entertain small talk. She was just about to give up and pick another target when the man unexpectedly spoke.

“WeChat. I’ll scan yours.”

Lu Huan froze, staring up at him with wide, glassy eyes, caught completely off guard.

Gu Zhendong pulled out his phone, his expression still cool and unreadable. That finally snapped her out of her daze, and she quickly opened her WeChat QR code.

He scanned it.

She glanced down at her phone. A red notification popped up—Friend Request: ①.

His profile was nearly blank. A gray, default-style avatar. No status. His display name was just a string of English letters—probably his English name.

That was it?

She’d expected more resistance.

That was way too easy.

Gu Zhendong then asked, “What’s your name?”

She answered without thinking, “Lu Huan. Lu as in mainland China, Huan as in joy.”

That soft, pleasant voice again.

As she spoke, the tightness in his chest loosened even more. It was easier to breathe now—his whole body felt lighter.

It wasn’t a hallucination.

Her voice… it really had a calming effect on him. Almost like it was healing.

He swallowed, his Adam’s apple shifting slightly, and let out a quiet, hoarse “Mm.”

Since she’d offered her name, it was only natural he should return the courtesy.

Lu Huan tilted her head, tone casual and curious. “So, what about you, Mr. Gu? What’s your full name?”

“Lu Huan!”

A sharp male voice suddenly cut through the air from behind, calling her name.

Lu Huan instinctively turned around, looking toward the sound.

Her gaze landed on a stranger—Chu Jun. Her expression turned puzzled. How does he know my name?

Wait… could he have known the original Lu Huan?

She really did look different now—completely changed from how she used to dress and present herself.

Chu Jun stared at her profile for several long seconds, stunned. His memory flickered uncertainly.

It had been years since he’d seen Lu Huan without makeup.

But the moment he remembered she might be here to cling to him again, that brief flash of confusion vanished. His expression turned cold with disgust.

So what if she changed her look?

Did she think that alone would make him fall for her? Dream on.

It was bad enough she wouldn’t stop pestering him—now she was bothering Gu Zhendong?

Worried that Lu Huan might mess things up for him, Chu Jun strode over quickly and bowed his head slightly, apologizing to Gu Zhendong in a panicked tone.

“Sorry, President Gu. She’s young and doesn’t know any better. I hope she didn’t bother you.”

Lu Huan was baffled. What the hell is wrong with this guy?

She hadn’t done anything wrong—why was he apologizing on her behalf?

Who even is he to speak for me?

Gu Zhendong glanced at Lu Huan standing behind Chu Jun and noticed the fire burning in the young girl’s eyes. He asked, “You two know each other?”

Chu Jun gave an awkward smile and glanced sideways at Lu Huan. “She’s my… sister.”

Lu Huan immediately retorted, “Sister? I don’t have a brother!”

Gu Zhendong looked at Lu Huan with a complicated expression, his lips pressing into a thin line.

He wasn’t interested in their relationship—it was clear she wasn’t just any ordinary sister.

In a low voice, he said, “I have something to take care of,” then turned and started to walk away.

“Wait!” Lu Huan called out, wanting to catch up. She still hadn’t learned his name!

Suddenly, another hand grabbed her arm. Lu Huan turned to see the man who had just appeared, his face full of displeasure and his eyes cold and unfamiliar.

“Who are you?”

Chu Jun frowned, a flash of surprise crossing his face. “You don’t recognize me?”

Lu Huan disliked being touched and impatiently shrugged him off, smirking. “Are you money? Why would I know you?”

“I’m—”

“Brother!”

Chu Han hurried over, worried Chu Jun’s words might hurt Lu Huan. She quickly stood in front of Lu Huan and explained, “Brother, Huanhuan has amnesia. She doesn’t remember a lot of things!”

Chu Jun was stunned by what he heard.

A week ago, Lu Huan had nearly drowned and was rushed to the hospital. Although Chu Jun hadn’t visited her himself, he had heard bits and pieces about it from others.

They said that after waking up, Lu Huan had completely forgotten everyone.

At the time, he had dismissed the news without much thought.

At first, he had considered Lu Huan his sister, but as her relentless clinging grew, so did his resentment, and he gradually distanced himself from her.

His gaze returned to Lu Huan’s face. The excitement and joy that once filled her eyes were gone.

Her expression and eyes now seemed unfamiliar, which made Chu Jun uncomfortable—a strange heaviness pressed on his chest.

Still skeptical, his dark eyes searched hers. “Do you really have an amnesia?”

He found it hard to believe that Lu Huan could forget him so easily.

Though they were siblings, they resembled different parents—he took after their father, she their mother—and at first, Lu Huan hadn’t recognized him.

Only when Chu Han called him “brother” did Lu Huan finally realize—this must be Chu Jun, the male lead from the original story!

She had expected it would take a few more days before they crossed paths, but to her surprise, it happened so soon.

Lu Huan wasn’t the original character and had zero interest in Chu Jun. Seeing him didn’t make her happy at all—in fact, she was a little annoyed that he was interrupting her from flirting with the handsome guy!

With a cold expression, she snapped, “What do you think?”

Chu Jun was used to Lu Huan’s constant pestering and sweet talk, so being met with such sarcasm caught him off guard and instantly ignited his temper. He snapped, “Who told you to bring my sister here? Don’t you know how messy this place is? What if something happens—are you prepared to take responsibility?”

Lu Huan sneered upon hearing this, clearly he’d come to make a fuss.

Though she was much shorter than Chu Jun, she matched his intensity without losing an inch. Crossing her arms, she said, “Your sister’s an adult now. She can decide where she wants to go—I can’t control her. ‘Heaven on Earth’ is an open-door business. If you call their place a mess inside their own store, aren’t you afraid the owner will kick you out?”

“And everyone here’s a customer—why should you get to come but we can’t?”

Sure, Heaven on Earth was chaotic, but the real reason wasn’t the women—it was the men, drunk on money and power, causing trouble.

Chu Jun glared at her angrily. “We’re different! You’re girls!”

Lu Huan raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Mr. Chu, is that gender discrimination? There’s no sign outside banning women. Why can’t we come and have fun?”

Surprised by how sharp and outspoken Lu Huan had become after her memory loss, Chu Jun ground his teeth. “I don’t care about your business—just don’t corrupt my sister!”

Chu Han, trembling on the sidelines, nervously grabbed Chu Jun’s sleeve and stammered, “Bro, this isn’t Huanhuan’s fault. Actually, I was the one who brought her here!”

Chu Han took the blame willingly, throwing Lu Huan a reassuring look.

Chu Jun snapped, “What did you say?!”

Terrified since childhood of her brother’s temper, Chu Han trembled, clutching her head and dared not argue.

Chu Jun didn’t believe it—he was sure his sister was lying to protect Lu Huan.

He glared angrily at Lu Huan. “I’m not going to argue with you about this today!” Then, grabbing Chu Han’s wrist in frustration, he snapped, “You’re coming home with me!”

Lu Huan was furious too. Who was not arguing with whom? She was determined to settle this today!

“Wait!” Lu Huan called after Chu Jun, her eyes narrowing with a teasing glint. Her hazel gaze was full of challenge. “Mr. Chu, you’re leaving without an apology?”

“Apology?”

“You accused me of corrupting your sister without even asking. Now that you know the truth, don’t you owe me one?”

She wasn’t the original girl who took the abuse silently—she wasn’t about to put up with Chu Jun’s accusations.

Seeing her push further, Chu Jun narrowed his eyes and sneered coldly, “Apologize? You’re dreaming.”

Grabbing Chu Han’s arm, he stormed off.

Lu Huan stood there, both annoyed and amused.

She really had no idea what the original girl saw in Chu Jun—his taste was seriously questionable.

She definitely needed to wash her eyes when she got back!

What an eyesore!

After Chu Jun’s commotion, Lu Huan completely lost interest in continuing the game.

She said a quick goodbye to Yang Zi, slung her bag over her shoulder, and left.

Stepping outside, she was surprised to find a heavy downpour waiting at the door.

The weather had been perfectly fine before she came out.

Rain poured relentlessly, the strong wind whipping droplets onto her dress. The cold soaked through her clothes, and she shivered.

On rainy days like this, getting a car is always a hassle. After a long wait, Lu Huan finally hailed one.

As the driver pulled up, she stepped inside to dodge the rain.

Tonight was really turning out to be unlucky!

“Meow—meow—”

Amid the pouring rain, a faint, weak meowing came from outside the curtain of rain.

At first, she thought she’d imagined it, but listening closely, it was definitely a cat.

The meows were sharp and fragile—surely from a tiny kitten.

Before coming into the story, Lu Huan had already owned a cat—a mischievous and adorable silver shaded one.

Following the faint cries of the kitten, she searched nearby and soon heard the weak meows coming from a bush.

Without hesitation, Lu Huan braved the rain and rushed over.

She switched on her phone’s flashlight to illuminate the bushes, listening closely while bending down to search.

Amid the dense leaves, it took her a while, but she finally spotted a small, dark bundle lying in the mud.

Carefully cupping it in her hands, she found the kitten was tiny—smaller than her palm—and its eyes were still closed.

The kitten must have been crying for quite some time; its voice was already hoarse. Lu Huan cradled it protectively and hurried back to the shelter of the corridor.

Not far away, inside a black car, Gu Zhendong was once again suffering from his old headache.

Rubbing his throbbing temples, he also felt a tightness in his chest making it hard to breathe.

He hadn’t brought any painkillers with him. The driver asked worriedly, “Mr. Gu, are you alright? Should I take you to the hospital?”

In the rearview mirror, Gu Zhendong’s face looked pale, but his eyes were dark and sharp—his frail appearance was truly concerning.

The man furrowed his brows and slightly parted his tightly pressed lips. “No need.”

He was used to this kind of headache; he could endure it until it passed.

Rubbing his temples, Gu Zhendong tried to distract himself.

When he looked up and glanced out the window, he spotted a remedy in plain sight.

He said, “Go bring that young lady into the car.”

The driver blinked in surprise. “Which young lady?”

=^_^=