Chapter Five: Not Wearing Clothes

Lu Yu descended the stairs and stopped in front of the tea table. "Remember to send me your payment account details."

Jiang Mengnan forced a dry smile. "Okay, thank you."

Having said all that needed to be said, Lu Yu’s gaze unconsciously drifted to the table, settling on the agreement that Jiang Mengnan had kissed.

Suddenly, a faint smile curved his lips. "See you tomorrow."

Jiang Mengnan raised her hand and waved. "See you tomorrow."

This time, Lu Yu went upstairs without turning back.

"Ah…" Jiang Mengnan placed her hand on her chest, exhaling deeply. "That scared me."

Her mind was still preoccupied with whether Lu Yu had seen her improper sitting posture earlier.

And what did that sly smile of his at the end mean?

Her thoughts wandered aimlessly until dinner ended, and she was praising the mango sago with pomelo, when she suddenly remembered a crucial matter.

She didn’t even have Lu Yu’s contact information—how was she supposed to send him her account details?

Could it be that he was lying?

The thought flashed through her mind, and Jiang Mengnan suddenly sat up straight.

Concerned about her thirty million yuan, she could no longer calmly sit and think.

She stood before the staircase, looking up.

The crystal chandelier hanging above the spiral staircase emitted an alluring glow, as if enticing her to go upstairs.

Reaching the second floor, several rooms lined both sides of the corridor, resembling a labyrinth. Jiang Mengnan could not tell which one belonged to Lu Yu.

Walking to the left, she suddenly noticed a faint light shining from the floor ahead.

Following the light, she arrived at the end of the corridor and saw a door slightly ajar.

She knocked cautiously. No response.

Unsure, she moved closer, bending down and pressing her ear against the door, trying to listen.

But before she could hear much, having just detected some movement inside, the door suddenly swung open from within.

Stumbling, Jiang Mengnan lost her balance, closed her eyes, and fell right into Lu Yu’s arms.

He instinctively caught her and looked down with a teasing smile. "Miss Jiang, our collaboration doesn’t require such an earnest performance."

Jiang Mengnan opened her eyes and instinctively looked up to explain.

What met her gaze, however, was a genuine, sculpted chest—well-trained, but not overly muscular.

The intriguingly fair skin was dotted with droplets of water, glistening and steaming slightly.

He must have just finished showering.

But why was he not wearing any clothes?

Breaking free, Jiang Mengnan took several steps back until she was pressed against the TV cabinet.

Covering her flushed face, she stammered, "You, you, you, I, I…"

Lu Yu calmly slipped on his pajamas. "Something wrong?"

After hesitating for a while, Jiang Mengnan finally got to the point. "I don’t have your contact information. How am I supposed to send you the payment account details?"

Lu Yu tilted his head, recalling for a moment, then walked toward her.

Hearing some movement but no words, Jiang Mengnan peeked through her fingers.

Seeing Lu Yu drawing closer, she hurriedly raised her hand to stop him. "What are you—don’t come any closer! I’m not that kind of person."

Ignoring her warning, Lu Yu stood very close, his gaze laden with meaning.

Trapped within his proximity, Jiang Mengnan braced herself, placing her hands on the TV cabinet and leaning back slightly, resigned, closing her eyes tightly.

She felt somewhat at his mercy.

She heard a soft chuckle and opened one eye.

Lu Yu leaned in slightly and waved the phone on the TV cabinet at her. "Don’t worry, I’m not interested in you."

At that moment, Jiang Mengnan’s mind could only conjure the phrase "social death," leaving her unable to think straight.

Since Lu Yu said so, she could only muster a forced agreement. "Really? What a coincidence, me too."

After speaking, she even forced a laugh to ease the awkwardness.

Lu Yu opened his QR code without a word, expression serious.

Jiang Mengnan wisely took out her phone and added him on WeChat.

Lu Yu turned and went back to the bedside, issuing a dismissal. "Anything else?"

Jiang Mengnan put away her phone and replied hurriedly, "No, I’ll be going now. Goodbye."

With that, she dashed back to her room, clutching her chest and panting, annoyed as she closed her eyes and muttered, "This is way too embarrassing."

Wasn’t this just like a cliché scene from an old drama? How could she have mistaken Lu Yu’s intentions like that?

Touching her flushed cheek, Jiang Mengnan shook her head as if scolding herself: "You’re just a scapegoat—stop overthinking."

After a moment, she finally regained her composure.

Sitting on the bed, she double-checked her account details several times. Once she was sure they were correct, she sent them to Lu Yu.

After some thought, she also sent a "Thank you" emoji.

She waited a long time, but Lu Yu did not reply.

Sighing, she looked at her luggage on the floor, stretched, stood up, and began tidying up.

No matter what, Jiang Mengnan thought she was still lucky.

At least during these homeless days, she had found a safe harbor.

In this haven where nothing was lacking, Jiang Mengnan enjoyed a peaceful sleep.

The next morning, she woke refreshed and went downstairs.

Qin Jiu was already waiting by the stairs.

Seeing Jiang Mengnan descend, Qin Jiu greeted her respectfully, "Good morning, Miss Jiang. Breakfast is ready."

Having not experienced such treatment for a long time, Jiang Mengnan still felt a little unaccustomed.

She threw out a quick "Morning" and hurried into the dining room.

Though she thought she had gotten up early enough, she didn’t expect to find Lu Yu already seated at the table, gentlemanly reading the newspaper and sipping coffee.

His eyes remained fixed on the paper, silent, his finely chiseled features radiating a captivating charm.

The scene was like something out of a romantic drama, truly a feast for the eyes.

The tableware had been prepared in advance. She and Lu Yu sat at opposite ends of the long table.

The butler pulled out a chair for her, and Jiang Mengnan sat down, eyeing the array of delicacies on the table. She ordered a glass of milk and a sandwich.

Opposite her, Lu Yu still held his newspaper upright.

Jiang Mengnan took a bite of her sandwich while planning the bookstore’s work.

After a while, Lu Yu tossed the newspaper aside, glanced at her, and furrowed his brows. "You’re going to wear that when we register our marriage?"

Jiang Mengnan looked down at herself—light-colored T-shirt and jeans—and saw no problem.

She nodded. "I always dress like this. Is it strange?"

Lu Yu clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. Looking at her bare, makeup-free oval face, pale and small, he even doubted whether she was getting sufficient nutrition.

"If you go register like this, you’ll mess it up sooner or later."

He muttered quietly, then made a call. "Come up."

Jiang Mengnan stared at him in confusion, not understanding.

Lu Yu offered no explanation. Rising, he passed by her and patted her shoulder.

"Cooperate properly later."

Cooperate?

Cooperate with what?

If it was about registering their marriage, she would definitely cooperate—she was still waiting for the thirty million to be transferred so she could repay her debts.