Chapter Fourteen: Quite Intriguing

Jiang Mengnan tilted her head thoughtfully. “It’s a pity. In my family, the little treasure who was supposed to be your equal in status lost her life in the womb. The doctor said it was natural selection, but my understanding stepmother insisted I scared her to death.”

Hearing this, Jiang Mengnan’s story seemed even more tragic.

Originally reluctant to talk about her family, she had inadvertently touched on Jiang Mengnan’s sore spot.

Lu Yu rubbed the tip of his nose. “Sorry about that.”

Jiang Mengnan shrugged. “It’s nothing.”

Though she appeared carefree and unconcerned, Lu Yu noticed her eyes darkened slightly and her nose reddened.

Not experienced in comforting others, but seeing Jiang Mengnan had just eaten heartily, Lu Yu asked, “Are you hungry? Should I have the butler prepare some late-night snacks?”

At the mention of a midnight snack, Jiang Mengnan’s eyes brightened.

She raised her hand to signal, “I want to eat the steamed soup dumplings made by Butler Liu.”

Butler Liu was from Xicheng, and his steamed soup dumplings carried the city’s signature sweet flavor—delicious beyond words.

Lu Yu clicked his tongue in mild discontent but still took out his phone to send Butler Liu a new order.

Back at home, the fragrant steamed soup dumplings were freshly made.

Seeing Lu Yu head upstairs without a glance back, Jiang Mengnan called out, “Aren’t you going to eat some? I noticed you didn’t have much dinner.”

Lu Yu walked with his hands in his pockets, saying casually, “I never eat dinner.”

“Tch, just knew you’d act cool,” Jiang Mengnan muttered as she made her way to the dining room.

Butler Liu kindly explained, “Since Master entered the entertainment industry, he’s followed a strict fitness regimen and only drinks water at night.”

Jiang Mengnan suddenly understood.

Right, he was an entertainer, and even more, an idol.

Maintaining his figure was an absolute priority.

Skipping dinner like that—his physique must be something else.

On her first day here, when Jiang Mengnan accidentally barged into Lu Yu’s room, he happened to be shirtless. Yet, the incident was so sudden she neither had time to properly appreciate nor the courage to peek.

Jiang Mengnan propped her chin on her hand and began to imagine.

An idea struck her; she opened her phone and searched online.

Someone so fond of showing off surely wouldn’t want to hide his impressive physique.

Looking down, she found several magazine covers where Lu Yu’s shirt was slightly unbuttoned, revealing faintly defined abs.

“Tch, he’s quite well-built,” Jiang Mengnan swiped through the photos, objectively commenting.

A cool voice came from above her head: “The current version is even better.”

“Scared me half to death,” Jiang Mengnan’s hand trembled, and her phone slipped onto the table, knocking over the vinegar dish and creating a mess.

Lu Yu leisurely took a seat nearby, watching her flustered attempts to clean up as he began to unbutton his shirt. “Want me to show you?”

“No need!” Jiang Mengnan covered her face to stop him.

Closing her eyes in embarrassment, cheeks flushed, she knew she looked utterly awkward.

More mortifying was her phone still displaying one of Lu Yu’s fashion posters.

His once-handsome smile now seemed to mock her.

Hurriedly withdrawing the phone, Jiang Mengnan stammered, “Y-you wanted to see me? Is there something?”

A slight smile tugged at Lu Yu’s lips. “I’m going to Wucheng tomorrow to record a show. I’ll be back next Saturday. Be careful these days.”

His serious tone made Jiang Mengnan put down her hands and ask, “Me? Careful about what?”

Lu Yu poured more vinegar for her. “My elder brother is not easy to deal with.”

So he was worried about Lu Yiqin.

Jiang Mengnan relaxed her expression. “Don’t worry. I’m just a poor ghost; he wouldn’t look twice at me.”

Lu Yu, however, disagreed. “He’s been making moves recently. You should stay alert. I’ll have someone watch over you secretly, but you should also be careful.”

She wanted to tease Lu Yu for overthinking, but seeing his vigilant face, she gave up.

Taking a bite of the soup dumpling, Jiang Mengnan nodded. “Got it.”

After finishing the important reminders, Lu Yu’s gaze returned to Jiang Mengnan’s phone. “If you like looking at these, I’ll pick some good photos for you another day.”

“Who, who, who likes looking at them? I-I’m not interested at all,” Jiang Mengnan denied nervously, her protest sounding unconvincing and guilty.

Lu Yu couldn’t help but laugh.

Jiang Mengnan lowered her head in shyness.

The atmosphere in the dining room warmed as Butler Liu chuckled and slipped back into the kitchen.

Looking at the dumplings in Jiang Mengnan’s bowl, Lu Yu hesitated for a moment, stood up, and left. “Good night.”

Jiang Mengnan, still savoring the dumplings, barely managed a “Good night” from her plump lips.

Watching Lu Yu’s retreating figure, for some reason, Jiang Mengnan felt a twinge of pity.

But soon, she abandoned the thought.

With his flourishing career and a life lacking nothing, how many people envied Lu Yu? What was she worrying about here?

With that in mind, Jiang Mengnan withdrew her gaze and continued enjoying the dumplings.

About ten minutes later, satisfied and patting her full belly, Jiang Mengnan returned to her room.

Glancing at the time, she quickly washed up in the bathroom.

After her shower, Jiang Mengnan eagerly picked up her phone and launched her mobile game.

She still remembered her agreement with “Perch” earlier.

“Perch” was already online, so Jiang Mengnan sent a greeting: “I’m here.”

“Perch”: “Wanna play a round?”

Jiang Mengnan rubbed her hands together. “Sure!”

Having not played in days, she was a bit rusty at first, making several small mistakes that nearly cost them the game.

Fortunately, with “Perch” covering her, Jiang Mengnan quickly recovered. The two coordinated smoothly and easily won the first round.

Belching contentedly, Jiang Mengnan lay back on the bed holding her phone horizontally, ready for the second round.

“You’ve improved a lot recently,” Jiang Mengnan praised.

“Perch” sent a happy emoji. “Thanks, just getting the hang of it.”

Jiang Mengnan: “Looks like I can’t slack off either. I’ve got free time lately, so I’ll practice hard.”

She casually sent a smug emoji.

“Perch”: “Looks like you’re in a great mood today.”

Their conversation paused as the game continued, with Jiang Mengnan focusing intently on her phone, afraid to miss any detail.

Five minutes later, they won another round.

Contentedly swinging her feet, Jiang Mengnan shared her feelings: “You know, I sometimes wonder if I saved the entire universe in a past life.”

“Perch” sent a question mark emoji.

Jiang Mengnan touched the expensive facial mask on her face and sighed, “I met a good person. He helped me out of a tough spot, gave me a place to stay, and a life free from want.”

Fearing “Perch” might misunderstand, she added, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not that kind of person.”

“Perch”: “I didn’t misunderstand. I’m just thinking, if he’s so good to you, maybe he likes you?”

Jiang Mengnan stared at her phone, lost in thought.

Lu Yu, like me?

Impossible.

She denied it. “Probably not. We’re more like a mutually beneficial partnership.”

“Perch” analyzed again, “Helping you this much must have some ulterior motive. If it’s not love, then what is it?”