He was just afraid of losing her, so every time she tried to leave, he resorted to those methods to forcibly bring her back.

He had too little sense of security, feeling like these days were stolen.

“I’ll take you there tomorrow,” he said.

Lu Nian hesitated.

It was fine for him to take her, but…

She glanced at him. “If, uh, if Yayuan is there, please don’t argue with them. Otherwise, just let me go alone.”

Qin Si fell silent.

Even now, hearing those names still made him feel irritated.

He said coldly, “Why would I argue with them?”

“Okay,” Lu Nian said.

That would do.

Qiao Li had a rough time these past few days. Since the day Lu Nian had the accident, he couldn’t get in touch with her.

Later, when he called that man, he gave his usual brief reply, saying there was a little accident but it was resolved now, and Lu Nian was in the hospital.

Qiao Li wanted to go see her but was rejected.

After that, Lu Nian’s phone couldn’t be reached, and when he called Qin Si, someone else answered, assuring him that Lu Nian was fine and recovering well.

Qiao Li didn’t even get a chance to talk to her.

It was only after a long time that they finally got in touch.

Lu Nian sounded spirited and said she had recovered well and wanted to come out tomorrow to breathe some fresh air and see him.

Qiao Li finally relaxed a bit.

Zhao Yayuan asked him, “How is Nian Nian doing?”

Qiao Li replied, “Nothing major, but… he completely shut her off.”

Zhao Yayuan chuckled softly. “…How is that different from the days before?”

“Mr. Qin treats her very well,” Qiao Li’s temperament was gentle and kind, although he didn’t like Qin Si, he still admitted, “He really does seem to love Nian Nian.”

“Is that love?” Zhao Ya Yuan said, “It’s just obsession, selfishness, disregarding others’ wishes, a one-sided affection.”

“His personality dooms him to never receive love in this lifetime,” Zhao Yayuan said.

He would only absorb and plunder warmth from others.

Lacking love himself and unable to convey emotions to others, Lu Nian, who was generous with her warmth, gentle in temperament, and good at expressing love, became his best target.

Qiao Li said softly, “I don’t know what Nian Nian is thinking.”

If Lu Nian really didn’t want to, or didn’t like him, why did she entangle with him for so many years?

The matter with the Lu family had come to an end, and Lu Yang was already a thing of the past.

But the Zhao family, Zhao Tingyuan and Su Qingyou, were hardly affected.

Qiao Li worriedly said, “Xiao Ya, you’d better not oppose your brother so openly.”

He remembered Lu Nian’s instructions last time.

Zhao Tingyuan didn’t feel threatened himself, mainly because of the woman behind him, Su Qingyou, who was really cunning and could put someone in a dire situation without making a sound.

Zhao Yayuan closed his eyes and lay back on the sofa, stretching out his long legs casually. “Some things can’t be helped. I don’t want to be made into a fish on someone else’s chopping board.”

…

Lu’s conference room.

The reminiscing had just ended, and Minghong and Qiu Fan were both present.

The senior executives of Lu’s were sitting upright, occasionally checking the time and the door.

The main seat at the conference table was empty, obviously reserved, waiting for the last and most important person.

The door opened.

Everyone’s eyes instantly converged on the newcomer.

It was a young man in a suit, with a slightly crooked tie, holding a laptop in his arms.

Seeing so many people looking at him with various expressions, Fang Deng became nervous, stammering, “Uh, I, I’m not the little boss. I’m here to attend the meeting on his behalf.”

“Don’t look at me like that,” he hurriedly took the laptop.

The executives of Lu’s were somewhat disappointed.

They had thought that this time during the recollection, the mysterious mastermind behind Ning Sheng would show up, but ultimately, they were disappointed.

Someone asked politely, “Since the boss isn’t here, what should we do about the recollection? Will you take over, or will it be decided by General Qiu?”

On the other side, Fang Deng had already set up the equipment.

With confidence this time, his amber-colored eyes sparkled. “No, this time, he will attend.”

“Boss, can you hear us?” Fang Deng adjusted the equipment and whispered.

Now everyone understood. It seemed they were using some form of video conferencing, remote control, but without visual.

There was only audio.

After a crackling sound of electricity passed by, everyone perked up their ears.

The voice coming from the other side was very young, with a low, magnetic tone.

Silently, everyone was amazed at how young the voice sounded.

There were various rumors about the mastermind behind Ning Sheng, saying he was an old man, a middle-aged man, or a returnee.

However, one thing was consistent: he was ruthless, decisive, and extremely capable.

But they didn’t expect the voice to be this young.

However, the possibility of a voice-changing device couldn’t be ruled out.

Qiu Fan cleared his throat. “Let’s begin.”

Someone asked, “May I ask, what will happen to our company in the end? Will it merge with Ning Sheng?”

In the study, the young man sat at the desk, his expression indifferent. “No.”

“Lu’s will retain its legal status as an independent entity.”

“Then…” a senior executive sat up straight, asking eagerly, “Will our positions remain the same? Will we be overshadowed by people from Ning Sheng?”

A faint hint of coldness and sarcasm seeped into the voice. “Overshadow?”

The room fell silent.

Sweat beaded on the executive’s forehead.

In the past few months, they had indeed found themselves without any bargaining power against Ning Sheng.

The young man’s presence unexpectedly dominated the entire room, leaving no room for rebuttal.

Qiu Fan and Minghong both listened to him, practically obeying his every word.

Just like the rumors, he was firm and efficient.

In just an hour, he achieved what they would argue about for a whole day.

He said, “Ning Sheng’s accountability system will extend here.”

“In the future, everyone should have a clear understanding of their responsibilities.”

His voice was pleasant to hear, but the underlying chill and threat reached directly into everyone’s hearts.

The meeting ended.

Everything was arranged clearly.

He asked, “Does anyone have any objections?”

The young man’s voice was clear and cold, devoid of any emotion.

No one opposed.

During this period, Lu Nian often felt very sleepy.

She looked at the study door, which was open, and Qin Si seemed to be sitting inside.

She was a little curious and leaned over to take a peek.

She silently approached.

She saw him looking at documents, probably working, and seemed to be dealing with their family matters.

She rarely saw Qin Si working.

They say that a man is most handsome when he’s focused.

Looking at his lowered eyelashes, his clean-cut profile, and his fingers flipping through the documents, he was indeed very handsome, to the point of being breathtaking.

She leaned her head over from behind, a warm breeze blowing near his ear, carrying the sweet scent of flowers and fruits, along with a hint of milkiness.

As soon as she got close, he sensed it.

The faint breeze tickled his ear, sending shivers down his spine.

Even after spending these days together, his reaction to her closeness remained the same.

He pursed his lips, feeling a bit uncomfortable but unwilling to pull her away.

“Am I bothering you?” Lu Nian leaned against his shoulder, using a soft tone. “I’ll leave soon.”

He shook his head, speaking softly, “No, I’m done.”

He stayed here instead of going to the company meeting, just to save a little more time to be with her.

After all, in a few days, they might not have this kind of companionship anymore.

On the other side, everyone exchanged glances upon hearing the woman’s gentle voice and his response, and then the microphone was muted.

Compared to before, it was unbelievably gentle.

According to rumors, the boss behind Ning Sheng, intervening in Lu’s affairs, was also for his little lover.

Could it be true?

Lu Nian said, “Miao Miao called me and said that our house has been unsealed and cleaned up. She’s going over there and asked me to come.”

She was referring to the Lu family residence.

He nodded and stood up. “I’ll take you.”

The long-lost Lu family residence.

The driver drove steadily, and the two of them didn’t speak, looking at the distant estate coming into view.

He had already bought this place but hadn’t told Lu Nian.

In the past, the steward, chef, servants, and disciples who had scattered were now all back.

The garden had also been tended to, seemingly restored to its original state.

“Miss Nian Nian.” She saw a familiar gardener, who greeted her respectfully.

Lu Nian was surprised. “You… why are you all back?”

“I asked them to come back,” Qin Si said. “You’re more accustomed to it this way.”

Lu Nian’s health wasn’t good, and she liked this garden and had gotten used to the people serving her.

There was no need to change.

Everyone remained silent.

Miss Nian Nian was still Miss Nian Nian.

And standing beside her was that young man.

Tall and slender, with a handsome and cold countenance, his features were vaguely familiar.

He was the wild and unruly little wildling who had been expelled from the Lu family many years ago, living worse than a dog.

But now, he had become the future master of this family.

Especially the Xu family, bowing their heads low, just wanting to keep their distance.

Qin Si knew how much the Xu family had done to him back then.

He knew it all too well.

He forced him to live in a cold, damp, and cramped attic, withheld his winter clothes, his living expenses, and if it wasn’t for Lu Nian’s interference, even his tuition might not have been guaranteed, forcing him to drop out of school to work.

Not to mention not giving him food, turning a blind eye to the unheated attic, and letting those older kids bully him, gang up on him.

That child had been proud and stubborn since he was young, never backing down.

If you treated him harshly, he would only become more resolute.

He never bowed his head.

They couldn’t stand it.

They felt that a wildling, who depended on the Lu family for everything, had to be obedient and lick their shoes, why was he so arrogant?

Everyone remained silent.

Qin Si had no interest in these people, nor did he want to pursue anything further.

He only cared about her.

As for the Lu family’s affairs, he had long let go.

If it weren’t for a person who had always supported him, showing him the warmth that still existed in this world, showing him the beauty of this world, he would have walked down an extreme path if it weren’t for her.

He longed for her.

She was his guiding star, the earliest longing in his life, the desire that was difficult to articulate when he first fell in love, the moonlight held in his heart, supporting him through the most difficult days.

During the long years of his youth, every time he wanted to stray, it was she who pulled him back.

If it weren’t for her, he had thought, perhaps, he might really have gone down an irreversible path.

Lu Nian looked at his expression.

He remained calm all the way, which made her breathe a sigh of relief imperceptibly.

She had always been afraid that he would become the devil blinded by hatred, climbing upwards for revenge by any means necessary, just like the character in the original book.

“Xu Ruhai and the others, have they resigned?” she said cheerfully. “I’ve already talked to them, asking them to leave later. It’s time to clean up my family, too.”

He seemed somewhat surprised.

Lu Nian stood with her hands behind her back.

She remembered it all too well, but she had to hide their relationship before.

This time, the two of them walked side by side through the long corridors of the Lu family estate.

Suddenly, Lu Nian asked, “What are you going to do tonight?”

There were many rooms in the Lu family estate, but the ground floor, where Lu Zhihong and He Tian used to reside, was basically reserved for them.

Qin Si couldn’t possibly stay there, and the Lu family estate didn’t usually accommodate guests.

The guest rooms were given to the servants, and there was also one that Lu Yang often used to stay in.

All of these were clearly not suitable for Qin Si.

So, there was only one room left.

The bedroom was at the end of the corridor.

Lu Nian opened the door, and it had already been tidied up.

The furnishings were still the same as before, with off-white curtains quietly hanging, rabbits and bears piled on the carpet, exuding a sweet fragrance reminiscent of a girl’s.

In his youth, he had looked up countless times from the small attic, only going to bed when the light in this room was extinguished and she was asleep.

It was like a moonlight he longed for but couldn’t reach.

At that time, he had never imagined that there would be a day like today.

Lu Nian walked in, reminiscing as she looked around.

Qin Si followed her.

It was already well into the night.

The young man remained silent, not saying a word but also not leaving.

Lu Nian circled around, hands behind her back. Then, she turned around and looked up, asking, “Aren’t you leaving yet? Or do you want to sleep in my room?”

Qin Si froze.

With a smile playing at her lips, Lu Nian said, “Is that so?”

His back stiffened slightly, feeling a bit awkward, but he still held on and said softly, “No.”

It was just because there was nowhere else suitable to go.

The door was closed, and Lu Nian pressed her hand against it lightly.

Her eyes were curved like the moonlight, full of charm.

“Like this?” Lu Nian blinked. “What a pity.”

“This window is not secure at all. Anyone could climb in,” Lu Nian said, glancing at him. “I remember one New Year’s, didn’t you come pick me up from here? You could climb in back then, right?”

He froze.

Lu Nian smiled, half-mockingly. “Once you’re in, could you do something bad? Like, just place something…”

She looked at the bed in the center of the room and then glanced at the bathroom not far away.

Clearly, she still remembered the incident with the location tracking software on her phone.

“I change my clothes directly on the bed,” she said. “And the bathroom is in the room, so that way, you wouldn’t see everything.”

He looked embarrassed, his voice hoarse. “No…”

Although he had done many absurd things, they didn’t include this.

He wasn’t that despicable.

The most outrageous thing he had ever done in this room was that one night when he missed her too much, he secretly climbed in and planted a light kiss on her sleeping lips.

Nothing more.

“Have you ever thought about it?” Lu Nian asked, teasingly.

A light kiss, just touching lips, and she had already pulled away.

Feeling his breath becoming uncontrollably heavier, the corners of his eyes tinged with a faint red, his lips tightly pressed together, but he couldn’t get any further satisfaction.

She sat in the moonlight, her snow-white legs dangling from the edge of the bed, smiling like a little fairy.

“What have you thought about?” she whispered. “Tell me.”

How many things had this man hidden from her? They had to be explained one by one.