“Tonight I’ll be going home to have dinner with Nian Nian. Inform the kitchen,” Lu Zhihong said.

“Alright,” Zhang Hua responded immediately. “Miss Nian must be very happy to have you home for dinner.”

The Lu residence.

Knowing that Lu Zhihong would be returning home for dinner tonight, the lights in the house were on, and the servants and chefs were busy.

However, the legitimate lady of the house, He Tian, remained unhurried.

After receiving the call, she reclined in her chair and calmly instructed the girl crouching beside her, “Continue.”

Sitting opposite was a woman in her early thirties, dressed in luxurious attire. “Your husband is coming home for dinner tonight, and you’re still getting your nails done here?” she remarked.

“Why should I care about accompanying his sickly daughter? It’s got nothing to do with me,” He Tian scoffed.

Qiu Min looked at her belly and sighed regretfully, “So, he really loves his daughter. All these years and he hasn’t let you have one of your own.”

He Tian laughed scornfully, “You think it’s his choice? He wants it badly.”

Qiu Min widened her eyes, “Really?”

He Tian chuckled, “Wanting is one thing, but being incapable is another.”

Qiu Min was shocked to learn this secret of the aristocratic family.

She immediately asked, “Is it him or her that’s incapable?”

He Tian replied casually, “It’s him. Severe oligospermia. He can’t produce offspring anymore.”

How ridiculous.

Even more ridiculous was Lu Zhihong’s immediate reaction after discovering his condition.

He immediately took Lu Nian to the hospital for a paternity test to confirm his own lineage.

But, he no longer had the luck he had back then. Not only did he get pregnant, but it was also twins.

Lu Zhihong and Cheng Mingying didn’t have much of a relationship.

Their marriage was purely a family alliance for mutual benefit at the time.

Their relationship even reached a freezing point, and they separated directly after Lu Nian and Lu Zhuo were born.

Back then, he was ambitious and thought little of having one or two children.

He believed that when he wanted more, he could have as many as he wanted.

He threw himself wholeheartedly into his career.

And now, He Tian’s mocking smile.

So many years had passed, and Lu Zhuo was already lost to them. Regret was useless now.

As for his daughter, she wasn’t a good person either. Who knows what her relationship with Lu Zhuo was when he died.

He Tian married Lu Zhihong when the twins were six years old.

If Lu Zhuo could still elicit some sympathy, then Lu Nian… He Tian had never seen such a girl.

The father and daughter of the Lu family were quietly having dinner together.

Lu Zhihong asked about her daily life, and Lu Nian obediently answered.

“Xiaoyang said you got along well last time. Next time, invite Zhao’s son over more often. He’s a good kid, worth befriending,” Lu Zhihong added.

Lu Nian nodded silently.

“Your grades are still not good enough. I’ll get you some tutors to help. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll skip the college entrance exam and send you abroad. I can arrange for recommendation letters,” Lu Zhihong continued.

Lu Zhihong had studied finance for his undergraduate degree and pursued an MBA at a prestigious university in the United States.

He had also had some brief academic experiences abroad and knew many people.

Lu Nian kept her head low and murmured, “Okay.”

She had no interest in studying finance, and she wasn’t good at math either.

Back when she was a child, she used to do homework with Qin Si, and while he could mentally calculate numbers, she might make careless mistakes even when doing simple arithmetic.

In reality…

She was very tempted to pursue an art-related path.

With her grades in liberal arts and her years of experience in art, her art teacher had even mentioned that if she truly wanted to pursue this path, she could try applying to top art schools in China.

But Lu Nian didn’t dare to tell Lu Zhihong.

Because he would never agree.

Despite his middle-aged appearance being refined, there was something unsettling about his gaze.

“Recently, Zhang Qiuping called me,” Lu Zhihong said seemingly casually.

Lu Nian’s heart raced, but she remained silent and stiff, continuing to eat her meal.

“There’s nothing interesting in Nanshang,” Lu Zhihong said indifferently. “Once Dad’s done with work, I’ll take you skiing in Switzerland or go see the aurora in Finland.”

“Have you been having nightmares lately?” Lu Zhihong asked again. “I heard you’re not sleeping well. Dad knows a therapist…”

“No!” Lu Nian’s voice trembled, but she quickly lowered it. “No nightmares, Dad. I’m fine.”

“That’s good,” Lu Zhihong said.

“Listen to Dad,” he gently stroked his daughter’s hair and murmured, “Dad will arrange everything for you.”

Lu Nian’s body trembled slightly.

She bit her lip and nodded.

The next day, she went to school with heavy dark circles under her eyes.

“Nian Nian, what’s wrong with you?” asked her desk mate, Tian Yue. “You didn’t sleep well last night.”

Lu Nian forced a smile and shook her head.

Last night, she indeed hadn’t slept well.

She had spent the whole night thinking about ways to leave the Lu family and earn money on her own, but she hadn’t come up with any fruitful ideas.

There were still two years of high school left. Would she really have the chance to leave the Lu family after two years?

“…Nian Nian?” Tian Yue’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

Lu Nian snapped out of it. “Huh?”

“…They say they have a good relationship,” Tian Yue said to Lu Nian. “They’ll probably end up together, with your family’s kind of high-class marriage?” She chuckled at the term herself.

Lu Nian looked bewildered. “Who?”

“Zhao Tingyuan and Su Qingyou!” Tian Yue clarified.

Lu Nian nodded.

It was normal for them to be together, after all.

The plot of the original book had gone that way.

In this lifetime, it seemed that the Lu family’s business situation hadn’t deteriorated significantly, and there had been some changes in Qin Si compared to his previous life.

She probably couldn’t break them up.

According to the original plot, Lu Nian had already died.

Thinking back on last night’s events, the oppressive family environment, Lu Nian’s long-term depression, and constant suicidal thoughts were understandable.

After class, Lu Nian absentmindedly walked out of the classroom alone.

Suddenly, someone followed her, tapping her on the shoulder.

Lu Nian jumped, her face turning pale when she turned around.

It was Zhao Yayuan.

“What are you doing?” He was startled by Lu Nian’s reaction.

Recognizing him, Lu Nian felt inexplicably embarrassed.

Zhao Yayuan followed her, chatting with her in a half-hearted manner.

He asked, “Are you older than me?”

Lu Nian replied, “We should be the same age. My birthday is in the summer. What about you?”

Zhao Yayuan lazily placed his hands behind his head. “Mine’s at the end of winter, so I’m younger than you.”

Lu Nian remained silent.

“In that case, should I call you…Big sister?” Zhao Yayuan suggested jokingly.

His eyes were very beautiful, but hearing that term sent shivers down Lu Nian’s spine.

She quickened her pace, brushing off his comment.

Zhao Yayuan caught up to her again, walking alongside her. “Have you heard the rumors about my brother and Su?”

Lu Nian asked, “Huh?”

“I remember your family has always been at odds with the Su family,” Zhao Yayuan said. “If my brother really gets together with Su Qingyou in the future, won’t you be in a difficult position?”

The seriousness with which this young man discussed the matter surprised Lu Nian.

But indeed, that was the direction the original book took.

Su Qingyou’s subsequent revival of the Su family was indeed a crucial step after marrying Zhao Tingyuan.

Lu Nian replied, “…Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Zhao Tingyuan wasn’t interested in her, but he was interested in Su Qingyou.

She couldn’t force herself to interfere.

Moreover, even if Su Qingyou did marry Zhao Tingyuan later on, if it weren’t for Qin Si’s sudden and unexpected suicide, they might not have been able to deal with the Lu family anyway.

Zhao Yayuan said, “My brother isn’t suitable.”

Under the sunlight, his eyes were amber-like in color. “But, my family still has another son.”

Lu Nian’s mind was a bit slow to process. “?”

The young man revealed a small canine tooth, smiling as if he was trying to charm her. “That’s me.”

Lu Nian’s confusion deepened. “??”

He grinned and said, “I don’t mind if you establish a good relationship with me in advance.”

“And besides, I’m so unhealthy,” Zhao Yayuan said. “Suppose you marry me in the future, maybe I won’t live long. You can quickly remarry someone you like and inherit my fortune.”

Lu Nian was too shocked to respond. “???”

She couldn’t say anything for a moment.

Zhao Yayuan lazily added, “Just kidding.”

“Just planning a feasible plan for you in the future,” he said.

Lu Nian remained silent.

In the original book, Lu Nian had no interaction with Zhao Yayuan, and she didn’t even live to adulthood, so there was no talk of marriage.

Could the situation change if this were the case in the future? Would she be predetermined to marry whoever Lu Zhihong arranged for her, just like a puppet, living the life he arranged?

The only thing she could be thankful for was that she was still young, still had time, and perhaps had one last chance to struggle.

She couldn’t trust Zhao Yayuan either.

She remembered the mysterious place called “Nanqiao”.

Zhao Yayuan must know something, but whether he chose to tell her or not, the initiative was in his hands.

The Lu family was keeping secrets from her as well.

And she remembered Lu Zhihong’s face, “…Dad found a psychologist for you.” His words were still chilling to Lu Nian now.

She sank into a low mood.

“In the next class, it’s in the multimedia classroom, a joint class with our two classes,” Zhao Yayuan reminded her.

Lu Nian nodded. “Okay.”

Zhao Yayuan and Lu Nian entered the classroom together and sat in different areas.

Tian Yue looked gossipingly at Lu Nian. “Does he like you? Your Lu family status is a perfect match for the Zhao family, and you both look good, quite a match.”

Lu Nian shook her head. “No.”

She didn’t want to talk about this topic anymore.

This class was Chinese class. Lu Nian doodled on a piece of paper, feeling a mess inside.

She suddenly remembered Qin Si.

It was their agreed time to draw together, and tonight was the first time.

Qin Si was only a year older than her, but he seemed to live freely now.

Lu Nian suddenly felt very envious.

…Right now, she really wanted to see Qin Si.

Her phone vibrated in the desk hole, startling Lu Nian. Fortunately, the teacher didn’t notice. She had been too distracted today and had forgotten to turn off her phone.

But the message was from Qin Si.

Lu Nian glanced around and discreetly opened her phone.

It was very much like Qin Si’s style, just three words: “Where are you?”

Oh… She had only told him the time, not the location.

Lu Nian bit her lip and thought for a moment. “Are you willing to come to my house?”