Chapter 11

Lu Yan had always harbored a faint curiosity about the “past life” You You often spoke of.

He wanted to explore it too.

But sensing the child’s thoughts, he could only prepare her in advance: “You You, Mom and Dad aren’t in Yanjing City right now. Even if we take you to Junyue Bay now, you won’t be able to see them yet.”

You You looked slightly confused, as if she half-understood, but she insisted, “You You wants to see home!”

Even if she couldn’t see her parents, she still wanted to see the home she once lived in.

Lu Yan sighed helplessly and patted her little head.

Lu Fei kept grumbling nonstop, but his actions betrayed him as he opened the navigation app on his phone.

After searching for a while, he muttered, “There’s no such place as Junyue Bay. Kid, are you sure you used to live in Yanjing City?”

Lu Yan, being more patient, asked You You detailed questions—mainly about the surroundings and landmarks near her home.

Eventually, Lu Yan found a place called Water-Merge Bay on the map, a newly built villa area in the northern suburbs.

A Jiu, who had been silently observing, suggested, “Since we’ve already looked it up, why not take You You there? Consider it a post-dinner drive.”

Seeing that Lu Fei didn’t outright refuse, the group got up to leave the restaurant.

You You, excited at the thought of going home soon, happily held Lu Yan’s hand and skipped along.

As they reached the restaurant entrance, a girl wearing a blue mask approached hesitantly, her steps faltering as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t bring herself to speak. The scene felt oddly tense.

Lu Fei instinctively glanced at her a few times.

A Jiu, ever vigilant, stepped protectively in front of Lu Fei. “Excuse me, miss.”

The slender girl seemed startled, nervously pulling off her mask and whispering, “S-sorry… I’m really sorry.”

Lu Fei was stunned at first, but after staring at her unfamiliar face for a few seconds, something clicked in his mind. His lips moved slightly as he said darkly, “It’s you.”

The girl panicked even more, her lips pale and her voice trembling as she repeated, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

She stumbled back a few steps, bowed hastily, and then turned and ran away.

You You tilted her head curiously as she watched the girl flee. “Second Brother, who was that sister?”

Lu Fei’s expression darkened, and he remained silent for a long time.

Had she not suddenly appeared, he might have forgotten her face entirely.

If he remembered correctly, someone had once said she was the School Belle of the first-year class—supposedly quite pretty.

But back then, he hadn’t helped her for that reason.

He had only acted because he remembered his grandmother once telling him how his mother, being too beautiful as a child, was often bullied by cruel classmates, making her teenage years miserable.

He still recalled that evening when the girl had tearfully begged him to keep it a secret, to pretend nothing had happened.

Lu Fei had kept his promise and never spoke of it. But after he became a trainee, he once overheard an old friend mention rumors at their school—that he had “bullied” a first-year girl behind the campus, driving her into depression and getting himself expelled.

……

Lu Fei didn’t want to talk about it, and the others respected his silence.

A Jiu drove, following the navigation and You You’s description, and found the place still called Water-Merge Bay.

“Wow, we’re finally home! You You hasn’t been back for days, wuwuwu…”

The little dumpling, carried out of the car by Lu Yan, was brimming with excitement, her joy practically overflowing.

Lu Yan gazed at the villa complex before him, its design aesthetic striking even under the night sky, his emotions complicated.

Once here, You You completely overcame her usual sense of direction—she remembered exactly where her home was.

Eager to lead her brothers home immediately, she was stopped by a stern-faced security guard at the gate.

“You all look unfamiliar—not residents, are you? Visitors need the homeowner to contact us before we can let you in. Please get in touch with them first.”

You You: “…”

She lifted her chin, her large, grape-like eyes glancing first at her eldest brother, then at her second brother.

Her gaze was full of silent pleading.

Lu Fei, wearing sunglasses, coldly shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I have no idea where this godforsaken place even is.”

Lu Yan, meanwhile, was deep in thought.

If—just if—You You really had traveled through time, then in these mere six years, the ownership of this villa… might not have changed hands at all.

Purely on a whim, he sent a WeChat message to Lu Yu’s secretary.

[Secretary Chen, could you check if Dad owns any property in the northern suburbs?]

The secretary replied within minutes.

[Yes, Mr. Lu bought several new villas in the northern suburbs a couple of years ago. However, the surrounding infrastructure isn’t fully developed yet, so the property values haven’t appreciated. We’re still considering whether to sell them.]

[…Is there one in the Water-Merge Bay development?]

[There is one, currently rented out long-term as a vacation home, mostly for corporate retreats or parties.]

Lu Yan took a deep breath, feeling like he was one step closer to the truth.

Unable to resist, he asked Secretary Chen to contact security and grant them visitor access.

You You finally got her wish and entered the neighborhood, but she could only press her face against the fence of her family’s small garden, straining on tiptoe to see inside. All she could hear was the laughter of young people throwing a party.

Her eyes filled with disappointment as she sighed softly. “So… this isn’t You You’s home anymore.”

Lu Yan wasn’t sure how to explain that it might still be her home—just temporarily rented out by his father’s asset manager…

On the way back to the apartment, You You remained sullen.

Like a soft little dumpling drained of all its energy, she deflated instantly.

Lu Yan tried to cheer her up. “I’ve already sent the design for your watch’s charging cradle to the factory. It might not be long before we can recharge it, okay? Don’t be sad.”

The little dumpling nodded obediently, though her expression remained pitiful.

You You didn’t want to trouble her brothers further. Even if she was sad, she’d save her sorrowful words for the night, whispering them quietly to Dudu.

Though only three years old, she vaguely understood that for her brothers—now six years younger—their lives were already full of challenges. Suddenly having a little sister was already a big burden for them.

…

The next noon, Lu Fei was rudely awakened by A Jiu’s frantic knocking before he could get enough sleep.

“Fei Ge, Fei Ge! Check Weibo now!”

He hadn’t enjoyed such deep sleep in ages since falling ill. Though disturbed, he didn’t have morning grumpiness, only feigning displeasure with a yawn: “What’s all the fuss about?”

A Jiu was exhilarated—it had been over a month since he’d last seen Lu Fei trending for non-negative reasons.

Lu Fei glanced at the screen shoved in his face:

#BREAKING! Lu Fei Terminates Contract with Jingchen Entertainment#

#TRENDING! Bullying Victim’s Brother Has Cleared His Weibo#

#Lu Fei Spotted Dining Out with Mysterious Friend and Child#

The first was straightforward—news of Lu Fei terminating his agency contract had been leaked by gossip accounts.

The second was exactly what it said.

But the third… Lu Fei had ten thousand curses ready to explode.

“Are they insane? We just had a casual meal nearby yesterday and paparazzi still got us?”

“Actually not paparazzi—a girl casually posted it on Little Blue Book first, then netizens reposted to Weibo.”

Zooming in, Lu Fei saw the photos were quite blurry—only capturing his profile, along with his elder brother and the little kid.

The elder brother was holding the child’s hand, bending down to say something to her.

The image itself seemed harmless enough, nothing inappropriate.

Then he scrolled to the trending comments… Lu Fei’s eyes nearly popped out as he almost leaped from the bed!

[That profile is unmistakably Lu Fei! Is the guy beside him his partner?]

[SO HANDSOME!!! That white-shirted guy instantly fits my mental image of a campus novel male lead! If he’s really with my idol, I’m shipping this CP HARD!]

[HOLY SH*T! They’re already taking their daughter out shopping and dining? When did Lu Fei come out??]

[The little dumpling is adorable! Anyone wanna team up to kidnap her?]

[So the question is… how do two men biologically have a daughter?]

[LOL stop wild shipping y’all, probably just a friend’s kid]

[Friend? Can’t you see the kid looks EXACTLY like Lu Fei?!]

[Right! Like they were carved from the same mold!]

[Top Tier Star Lu, ignore those shippers—the real issue is your baby’s messy hair! That ponytail’s all wrong, mail her over and I’ll fix it properly]

[LMAO I could hear your scheming all the way from abroad]