Chapter Twelve: Physical Contact

Jiang Mengnan was utterly confused and asked back, "Why?"

Lu Yu’s tone was firm: "Please do not question the client's demands."

Looking at Lu Yu’s message, Jiang Mengnan sighed hopelessly, "The client really thinks highly of themselves."

Though she voiced her displeasure, her body obediently moved toward the door.

Arriving at the meeting spot, there was no nanny car from Lu Yu as expected, but instead, a flashy Ferrari sports car was parked there.

Squinting down at it, the car flashed its headlights at her before slowly pulling up beside her.

Jiang Mengnan quickly slid into the car.

No sooner had the door shut and before she could even fasten her seatbelt, the Ferrari suddenly sped off.

The intense force pressed her back into the seat; she glared irritably at the culprit beside her.

At this moment, Lu Yu’s expression could only be described as ice-cold.

His mood seemed even worse than when they had arrived.

Jiang Mengnan wanted to complain about his reckless driving, but seeing his state, she wisely kept quiet and leaned back silently.

Half an hour later, the Ferrari pulled into a grand estate.

Judging by the subdued atmosphere inside the car, Jiang Mengnan guessed this must be the old Lu family residence.

A wave of panic swept over her.

Wasn’t the plan to keep their marriage secret?

Why was he bringing her here to meet the family?

She wasn’t prepared at all.

Luckily, her outfit was appropriate.

With a drift, the Ferrari came to a smooth stop in the parking spot.

Despite her nerves, Jiang Mengnan stubbornly refused to unbuckle her seatbelt.

Lu Yu unfastened his own belt and suddenly said, "The atmosphere at home isn’t very good. Please bear with it."

Jiang Mengnan nodded blankly, "Can I... not get out?"

She looked at Lu Yu with a guilty glance.

His expression was stern.

She knew the answer without him saying a word.

She forced a laugh, "Haha, I was just joking."

After obediently stepping out, the two followed a servant into the villa.

Through the long corridor and past the garden, after nearly five minutes of walking, the main building finally came into view.

"Your family home is really huge," Jiang Mengnan said wearily.

As she looked more closely at the villa, a strange sense of familiarity washed over her.

Had she been here before?

Entering the villa, changing into high-quality slippers, and passing through the foyer, they finally reached the expansive living room on the first floor.

The living room was estimated to be over a hundred square meters.

From a distance, Jiang Mengnan noticed many people sitting on a sofa with their backs to her.

Hearing the commotion, a middle-aged woman with kind, gentle features turned to greet them: "Little Yu's here? Come, have a seat."

Little Yu?

Jiang Mengnan smiled softly to herself.

It sounded like a girl’s nickname.

Lu Yu cleared his throat, suddenly taking her delicate hand.

Jiang Mengnan was instantly rendered speechless.

She glanced at Lu Yu, silently questioning his intent.

Hadn’t they agreed on no physical contact?

Lu Yu turned slightly toward her and whispered, "Play along."

Meeting Lu Yu’s unusually gentle gaze up close, Jiang Mengnan’s cheeks flushed, her breath caught, and she nodded dumbly.

Taking advantage of the moment, Lu Yu affectionately rubbed her forehead, then led her over.

Lu Yu greeted the elders seated in the main seat simply, "Dad, Mom."

"Dad, Mom," Jiang Mengnan echoed.

A light cough drew Jiang Mengnan’s attention.

She turned to see her close friend Zhang Jingyan.

Their eyes met, and they exchanged a knowing look that silently asked, “What are you doing here?”

Then, both glanced at the men beside them.

So it turned out that Lu Tianyu and Lu Yu were biological brothers!

Struggling to digest this fact, Jiang Mengnan found Zhang Jingyan’s presence less surprising.

But seeing Lu Yu holding Jiang Mengnan’s hand so intimately, Zhang Jingyan was quite taken aback.

After some brief small talk, everyone moved to the dining room.

Zhang Jingyan pulled Jiang Mengnan aside and whispered, "What’s going on?"

Jiang Mengnan feigned ignorance, "What do you mean?"

Zhang Jingyan rolled her eyes, "Don’t play dumb. We talked for a long time about how Lu Yu went to the civil affairs bureau, and yet you pretended not to know. You got your marriage certificate but didn’t even tell us?"

"Is this love at first sight or a quickie marriage?"

Jiang Mengnan smiled stupidly, "I didn’t expect it to turn out this way either."

Zhang Jingyan asked again, "Does Yunshu know?"

Jiang Mengnan shook her head, "Probably not. But Qi Gou knows; it won’t stay a secret for long."

Thinking it over, Jiang Mengnan asked, "Wait, you and Lu Tianyu got your certificate too without telling us? You were even complaining about Lu before..."

Mid-sentence, Zhang Jingyan suddenly covered Jiang Mengnan’s mouth, signaling her to stop talking.

Watching Lu Tianyu and Lu Yu walking ahead, Jiang Mengnan blinked obediently, telling Zhang Jingyan to let go.

Entering the dining room, Zhang Jingyan whispered, "I’ll explain everything when I get a chance."

Then Zhang Jingyan sat beside Lu Tianyu, exuding elegant poise.

Jiang Mengnan sat next to Lu Yu, recalling the etiquette teacher’s instructions—straightening her back, lifting her chin slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips, her eyes shining brightly—she instantly embodied the grace of a noble lady.

Lu Yu glanced casually at Jiang Mengnan, his gaze involuntarily resting on her profile.

At this moment, she appeared cool and refined.

Her gentle smile with downcast eyes was utterly charming.

Lu Yu picked up a slice of candied lotus root and thoughtfully placed it in Jiang Mengnan’s bowl, leaning close and smiling softly, "Nice acting."

Jiang Mengnan covered her mouth shyly and whispered, "Same to you."

To outsiders, their interaction seemed incredibly sweet.

Lu Yu’s mother, Xu Junying, watched Jiang Mengnan and Zhang Jingyan with satisfaction.

Both sons had recently married, resolving two major concerns for her—it was perfect.

As for Lu Yu’s father, Lu Qiyue, his mood was at an all-time low.

Looking at the new family members—one a nouveau riche heir who made his fortune in real estate speculation, the other a destitute fallen heiress—he saw no benefit to the Lu family.

Worse, it cost him a golden opportunity to arrange a marriage alliance with the prestigious Song family of the capital.

Throughout the meal, Lu Qiyue wore a dark expression and said nothing, clearly displeased.

Fortunately, no one cared about his opinion.

After all, Lu Tianyu and Lu Yu had both acted independently, registering their marriages first and informing him later.

There was no turning back now.

Xu Junying and Zhang Jingyan chatted quietly when suddenly a voice came from outside the door: "Wow, the house is lively today."

In walked the eldest Lu son, Lu Yiqin.

Standing beside him was his wife, the renowned opera singer Rachel.

Jiang Mengnan immediately sensed the atmosphere in the dining room shift; even the air seemed to stiffen.

She stole a glance at Lu Yu, whose beautiful brows furrowed once again.

It was clear their relationship was strained.

After a long silence, Xu Junying broke it, "We thought you’d be on your honeymoon longer. Well, this is perfect—a family reunion."

Lu Yiqin joined the conversation bluntly, and Rachel smoothly took the seat next to Lu Tianyu.

Across Lu Tianyu, Rachel smiled at Zhang Jingyan and greeted warmly, "Good to see you again, Reporter Zhang."