Xia Liyang’s breath caught in her throat, and her body stiffened.

Under Lu Huaicheng’s piercing gaze, she had basically lost the chance to turn around and run away.

Unless she could pretend she didn’t know him at all.

And he would have to believe her ridiculous story about having a long-lost twin sister.

Just as luck would have it, the waiter in front of her stopped beside the empty seat next to Lu Huaicheng and cheerfully asked, “Miss, is it okay if you sit here?”

“Hmm…” Xia Liyang, her brain momentarily blank, instinctively replied.

“Then please have a seat; I’ll go get the menu for you,” the waiter said, kindly pulling out a chair for her.

“…” Xia Liyang awkwardly took a few steps forward.

Lu Huaicheng’s narrow eyes squinted slightly, his gaze still lazily resting on her, with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Although he didn’t take the initiative to greet her, under his oppressive scrutiny, she felt she could no longer pretend not to know him.

She could only take a deep breath and force out a nervous smile, saying, “Mr. Lu, what a coincidence.”

“It is quite a coincidence,” Lu Huaicheng said, a slight smirk playing on his lips, his tone somewhat detached.

The girl sitting across from him, Wen Yulin, paused with her knife and fork cutting into the Wellington steak, then looked up.

She had small, fox-like eyes that, despite her exquisite makeup, still carried a hint of youthful innocence.

She didn’t seem very old.

She looked at Xia Liyang, who had suddenly appeared at their table. Noting that she wore no makeup but had red lips and white teeth, with clear eyes and a fresh face like a star, she immediately felt a sense of crisis and unhappily pouted, half-playfully asking, “Ge, who is she?”

“My family’s housekeeper,” Lu Huaicheng said, lowering his gaze back to her.

Hearing such a concise introduction, which didn’t even include her name, Wen Yulin’s tense nerves relaxed slightly. She jokingly probed, “Then your housekeeper must earn quite a bit to dine at a high-end restaurant alone.”

“You’ll have to ask her about that,” Lu Huaicheng replied ambiguously, casting a meaningful glance at Xia Liyang, who looked somewhat unnatural.

“…” Xia Liyang swallowed hard, trying to think quickly and replied, “Actually, I’m not here for dinner; I’m here to apply for a part-time job.”

“It seems the salary I offered isn’t high enough,” Lu Huaicheng scoffed, a dark glimmer flashing in his eyes.

“No, no! Your family’s salary is already very generous,” Xia Liyang’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly waved her hands, continuing to fabricate her story. “It’s just that my mother’s condition has been unstable lately, and the doctor suggested she needs surgery soon, which is quite expensive. That’s why I want to use all my free time to earn some money.”

Worried that Lu Huaicheng might not believe her, she even tried to squeeze out some tears, which swirled pitifully in her eyes.

Seeing her look so wronged and fragile, Lu Huaicheng furrowed his brows.

He parted his thin lips to say something but was interrupted as the waiter returned with the menu.

“Miss, here are our food and drink list. Would you like to order something to drink first?”

“…” Xia Liyang’s expression froze, and she awkwardly glanced at Lu Huaicheng, forcing a smile as she explained to the waiter, “I’m sorry, there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m actually here to apply for a position as a waitress.”

“?” The waiter was taken aback, looking confused. “We’re not hiring anyone right now.”

“Ah… It seems I mistook the restaurant…” Xia Liyang laughed awkwardly, cold sweat dripping down her back. “Sorry for the trouble! I need to rush to the right restaurant for my interview.”

With that, she quickly turned to Lu Huaicheng and bowed. “Mr. Lu, I’m sorry to interrupt your meal with your friend; I’ll be leaving now.”

After bowing, Xia Liyang, already socially dead in this restaurant, didn’t dare to lift her head again and hurriedly fled.

Lu Huaicheng frowned slightly, unconsciously directing his gaze outside the glass window.

He watched her slender figure blend into the crowd on the street, feeling a bit desolate.

“Your housekeeper seems a bit clumsy; can she do the job well?” Wen Yulin couldn’t help but comment.

“…” Lu Huaicheng’s gaze faltered for a moment as he collected himself, “At least she’s done well here with me.”

“Really?” Wen Yulin paused slightly, “I rarely hear you compliment anyone, Ge.”

“That might be because you don’t often spend time with me,” Lu Huaicheng smiled noncommittally, his warm tone urging her, “Hurry up and eat; it’ll taste bad if it gets cold.”

“Oh.” Wen Yulin pursed her lips, obediently following his advice and lowering her head to eat the steak.

But she felt that something was off.

That girl, even if she was just his housekeeper.

But when she left, he was clearly staring at her.

His usually calm eyes were filled with emotions she couldn’t decipher.

She had never been looked at like that by him.

Even though he had always treated her well.

But she knew his kindness came from a brotherly concern.

He even encouraged her to date if she found someone suitable and liked in college.

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt, causing her to grip her knife and fork tightly, making a clattering noise as she cut into her steak.

Noticing her sudden shift in mood, Lu Huaicheng paused slightly and asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”

“…” Wen Yulin opened her mouth, but under his gentle, elder-like gaze, she suddenly lost the courage to question him.

They weren’t dating, nor had they made any commitments.

She didn’t actually have the right to pry into his life.

“It’s nothing,” Wen Yulin bit her lip, trying to suppress her unease, and pouted, “This steak is just too hard to cut, could you help me?”

Lu Huaicheng glanced at her helplessly, good-naturedly accepting the plate she offered.

As he gracefully cut the steak with his defined fingers, his deep-set eyes slightly lowered, Wen Yulin’s mood lightened a bit.

After all, that housekeeper didn’t deserve to dine in such a restaurant with him.

Let alone have him help her cut steak.

But once she got home, she couldn’t wait to grab Wen Yucheng, who was playing cards with friends, and ask about Lu Huaicheng’s housekeeper.

“Huh? What housekeeper?” Wen Yucheng turned back, slightly confused.

“Didn’t Huaicheng Ge mention it? He hired a housekeeper who looks like an idol star,” Wen Yulin said.

“Really? I haven’t heard him mention it,” Wen Yucheng paused and curiously asked, “Which idol star does she resemble?”

“…Your focus!” Wen Yulin hit his arm, exasperated.

“That hurt!” Wen Yucheng rubbed his arm in mock pain and laughed, “What, are you worried that Lu Huaicheng will be taken away by the idol star-like housekeeper?”

“…” Wen Yulin didn’t respond, only sulking and nodding.

“Then you’re worrying for nothing; he wouldn’t be interested in a real idol star. How many up-and-coming actresses have tried to get close to him and failed?” Wen Yucheng’s smile faded slightly, turning serious to reassure her.

“I never heard of any idol star trying to get close to him!” Wen Yulin exclaimed, her eyes wide.

“As I said, you’ll just get upset, and if you do, you’ll come to torture your dear brother, not Lu Huaicheng,” Wen Yucheng said with a wry smile.

“…” Wen Yulin opened her mouth, momentarily unable to retort.

“In any case, rest assured, Lu Huaicheng is more rational than anyone else. Even if he has a bit of a crush on a woman now, he will ultimately pursue a marriage alliance.”

Wen Yucheng paused again and reminded her, “You should also be mindful; don’t always fixate on Lu Huaicheng. Spend more time with boys your age; there may be someone more suitable for you. Our Wen family doesn’t have to rely on an alliance with the Lu family.”

Wen Yulin didn’t respond to her brother’s comment and only muttered softly, “Even if there’s someone suitable, I don’t like them.”

….

After Xia Liyang escaped from the restaurant, she didn’t dare choose any expensive places to eat and could only pick a Lanzhou noodle shop by the roadside to fill her stomach before driving home.

It was ridiculous; she must have been jinxed in that area.

Every time she went there, she would run into Lu Huaicheng—how was that even possible?

Xia Liyang sighed, collapsing onto the sofa, glancing at the riverside villa outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

It was still shrouded in darkness.

After all, he was out on a dinner date; it was impossible for him to return as quickly as she did.

Xia Liyang rolled over, picked up the remote on the table, turned on the TV, and aimlessly flipped through the channels.

When she switched to the science and education channel, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure.

It was her father, Xia Yanxu.

He was wearing a white coat, solemnly accepting an interview from a reporter.

Xia Liyang froze for a moment, the action of changing channels halted.

Compared to the last time she saw him, he seemed to have more gray hair at the temples and deeper wrinkles around his eyes.

It had only been a little over a year.

She hadn’t changed much, but he had aged so much.

Xia Liyang tightened her grip on the remote, feeling an inexplicable sting in her nose.

On the TV, Xia Yanxu was explaining their research institute’s findings on neural representation and machine learning, as well as the upcoming clinical trials, which would provide new references for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with consciousness disorders, reducing the current misdiagnosis rate of up to 40%.

The more she watched, the more uncomfortable she felt, and before her heart softened enough to reach out to him, she quickly switched channels to find a mindless variety show to change her mood.

However, just a few minutes in, Xu Songnian’s call suddenly came through.

She stared at the caller ID, feeling conflicted for a moment, but still pressed the speakerphone button and answered, a bit curtly, “What is it?”

“…Did you get home?” Xu Songnian’s voice was a bit cautious.

“Yeah, I got back early.” Xia Liyang replied dryly.

“Oh.” There was a brief silence on the other end.

The host on the TV was making a joke, and the audience erupted in laughter.

It made the quiet moment feel a bit out of place.

Xia Liyang stared expressionlessly at the smiling celebrities and regular folks on the show and finally said, “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”

“Yangyang…” Xu Songnian’s voice was hoarse. After pausing for a few seconds, he finally mumbled, “About what happened this afternoon, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that to you.”

Xia Liyang hesitated, her hand pausing before hanging up. She scoffed lightly, “Oh, you know how to say sorry now!”

“Um… I’ve had a few tricky cases recently that have been bothering me, so I took it out on you,” Xu Songnian said after a moment, his tone sincere. “How about I treat you to a nice meal tomorrow as an apology?”

“Let’s skip the meal; it’s better if you just keep your comments to yourself from now on.” Xia Liyang smiled, her previously gloomy mood lightening a bit.

Hearing her laugh, Xu Songnian’s tense tone relaxed. “What needs to be compensated still should be compensated. There’s a nice French restaurant near my office; let’s go there tomorrow night, and I can help you fix your phone too.”

“No, no, I don’t want to go back to your area; the odds of running into Lu Huaicheng are practically 100%.” Xia Liyang’s lips twitched as she quickly refused.

“…” Xu Songnian paused for a moment and slowly asked, “You didn’t run into him again after leaving my office, did you?”

“Yeah, and it was at that French restaurant you mentioned.” Xia Liyang replied, still feeling uneasy.

“…”

“Anyway, let’s forget about the meal. You don’t need to fix my phone; I’ve thought of another plan.” Xia Liyang smiled, adding, “And since you have those tricky cases to deal with, I won’t waste your time.”

Xu Songnian fell silent again for a moment before resuming his usual lazy tone and teasing her, “You really are understanding!”

“Of course.” Xia Liyang smiled, her eyes curving. “Remember my kindness! Don’t keep making snarky comments every day.”

“If I don’t make fun of you, how can I be your best sarcastic friend?” Xu Songnian chuckled.

Yet, there was an unexplainable emotion mixed in his tone.

…

When she returned to Lu Huaicheng’s house to clean, Xia Liyang felt a bit nervous, and her finger hesitated on the doorbell.

She wasn’t sure if he would bring up her inappropriate appearance at the French restaurant yesterday.

Even though she had prepared for all the questions she could think of, Lu Huaicheng was indeed a man difficult to read.

After a while of anxious waiting, she finally saw Lu Huaicheng calmly walking out from behind the bamboo grove.

He seemed to have just arrived home a short while ago, still wearing a crisp business shirt, his long legs neatly wrapped in glossy black suit pants.

“Mr. Lu.” Xia Liyang tightened her grip on the garment bag she was carrying and carefully walked closer to him as he unlocked the gate of the courtyard. “This is the outfit you lent me before; I’ve already washed it for you.”

“Oh.” Lu Huaicheng paused slightly, smiling lightly. “You don’t need to return this outfit; I won’t be wearing it again.”

“…Why didn’t you say so earlier? I don’t have a washing machine in my dorm, and I was worried you’d dislike it, so I hand-washed it several times.” Xia Liyang lowered her long eyelashes, her voice soft and murmuring, looking like a little wronged puppy.

In reality, she had just tossed it in the washing machine and set it to a three-hour delicate wash.

“Your phone was broken, and you didn’t take the new one with you. How could I tell you?” Lu Huaicheng raised an eyebrow slightly.

“…” Xia Liyang choked a bit, thinking he really did mind her not accepting his phone. She awkwardly laughed and said, “Sorry, Mr. Lu. I’ve been worrying about my mom’s surgery fees these past few days, so my mind has been a bit scattered.”

“Hmm.” Lu Huaicheng replied blandly, taking long strides as he led her inside.

Xia Liyang quietly followed behind him, noticing that he hadn’t brought up what happened at the restaurant yesterday. She thought maybe he wasn’t as concerned about her as she had imagined.

As she relaxed, she felt a bit disappointed.

However, she could take this opportunity to solve the issue with her phone.

Xia Liyang bit her lip and, as he was about to head to the study, softly called out to him, “Mr. Lu.”

Lu Huaicheng paused, his indifferent gaze turning toward her.

“The offer you made the other day about giving me a phone—does that still stand?” She fluttered her eyelashes nervously.

Lu Huaicheng paused for a moment, his gaze deepening as he said in a low voice, “Didn’t you firmly say that it was too valuable to accept?”

“I wasn’t thinking clearly that day…” Xia Liyang’s slender fingers intertwined in front of her as she lowered her eyes. “And my mother suddenly needs surgery. I really can’t afford to buy a new phone.”

Lu Huaicheng quietly stared at her for a moment.

Seeing her face flushed as she looked down, her long lashes casting delicate shadows on either side of her petite nose.

Her fluffy hair, illuminated by the warm yellow light in the villa, appeared somewhat soft and fuzzy.

Like a cute little animal.

He couldn’t help but smile slightly, gently stroking her soft black hair with his warm hand, as if offering comfort or charity.

His voice was warm and elegant as he said, “What I say always counts.”