Chapter 4

Lu Xi felt more than a little wronged, though she wasn’t truly angry. She spoke earnestly, laying out her thoughts. “Sis, your mother-in-law married me off to her nephew — and she’s using the bride price he gave me as a down payment on a house. “Putting aside whether I even agree to this, let’s talk about the house itself. She wants to put it under her name. That means not a single cent of it will ever belong to you. “When you married my brother-in-law, he already owned a home. That was his property before marriage, and his housing fund covers the mortgage payments perfectly. So that house has nothing to do with you either. “And the car he bought for the wedding? Registered under your father-in-law’s name. Also pre-marital property. Still nothing to do with you. “Sis, to be blunt… if you and he ever get divorced, you’ll walk away with nothing. Worse — he’d probably take custody of Guoguo too. He’s far better off financially than you are.” Lu Yao paused, then tried to explain. “She’s just… terribly calculating. I’ve been married to Nan all these years, and she’s never once let her guard down around me. “But you know what kind of man your brother-in-law is. All this time, he’s never told his mother exactly how much he earns. He hands every paycheck straight to me, and I’ve been keeping it in your bank card — he’s been saving it all for me, secretly. “Xi, I know you’re looking out for me. Leave this matter alone. I’ll tell her you’ve already got a boyfriend. “And I’ll find you someone wonderful. A man of good character, who treats you half as well as Nan treats me. My little sister is beautiful and a university graduate — whoever you end up with must be better than what I have.” Lu Xi’s chest tightened. Her sister didn’t understand at all. “Sis!” Lu Xi said urgently. “Today… he held me. Touched me. Said he likes me. He said — he said all three of us should live together.” Lu Yao laughed out loud, taking it entirely the wrong way. “Oh, that man! I’ve told him a hundred times — you’re twenty-two now, not a little girl. He still treats you like a child. I’ll speak to him later, tell him to watch his manners. My Xi is a grown woman — he needs to know his place.” Her tone was warm with affection for her sister, and utterly, blindly trusting of her husband. Lu Xi burned with anxiety and frustration. She hadn’t exposed him right then and there, precisely because she knew her sister trusted him too deeply — she’d never believe it. “Sis… please don’t trust him so blindly. He isn’t as good a man as you think.” Lu Xi mumbled softly. Lu Yao’s expression hardened instantly. “Lu Xi. I brought you into this family when I married Nan ten years ago. You know perfectly well how he’s treated you. If you’re going to be so ungrateful and try to turn me against him… then I will be truly angry with you.” Lu Xi’s throat stung. “Sis… am I trying to turn you against him? I’m your own sister! All I want is for you to be happy and safe! Fine — forget I said anything.” The two sisters had always bickered. But today, Lu Xi’s heart ached. Her sister was so defensive of her husband — she wouldn’t hear a single word against him. And yet… Lu Xi wasn’t lying. Lu Yao sighed, about to reply, when Che Nan wrapped his arms around her. “What’s wrong? Fighting with Xi?” Lu Yao gave a bitter, helpless smile. “She says you… kissed her. That you like her.” “It was my fault,” Che Nan said smoothly, without a flicker of hesitation. “I keep thinking she’s still the little girl she was years ago. I forget how much time has passed. I just… still see her as a child.” Lu Yao chided him playfully. “Well, be more careful from now on. She’s twenty-two! What kind of brother-in-law goes around kissing his wife’s younger sister? If I didn’t know what a good man you are, I’d honestly think you had improper intentions toward her.” “It was wrong of me. And… about my mother. Don’t worry yourself over it. She’s being ridiculous. Marry Xi off just to be someone’s stepmother? If the man isn’t of sterling character — not even ten million in bride price would make me agree to it.” Lu Yao nodded, leaning into his embrace, and spoke quietly. “Still… we really ought to find Xi a good match ourselves.” Che Nan replied. “Leave it to me. The Fu Group has plenty of outstanding young men. Now that I’ve gotten Xi into the company, finding her a worthy husband will be my next step.” “So this is… Aunt Yi’s uncle’s home? It’s practically a mansion!” Lu Xi blinked, awestruck. Was Yi Zhuang’s uncle really this wealthy? Yi Zhuang always spent freely, so Lu Xi had assumed her family was well-off — but she’d never imagined this. Right. The passcode. Lu Xi pulled up her messages. Sure enough, Fu Nanzhou had sent it to her. She typed in the code. The great gate swung open. Lu Xi walked along a cobblestone path. Gardens stretched out on either side. Further ahead lay a massive swimming pool, and beyond that stood a three-story mansion — each floor easily spanning more than six hundred square meters. “Greetings, Mistress. Welcome home.” The smart lock spoke in a calm, mechanical tone, and the front door unlocked itself. Lu Xi stepped inside tentatively, pausing for a moment before walking further in. She stepped lightly, half-afraid of dirtying the floors. It was enormous — and luxuriously furnished in every detail. She felt awkward entering someone’s home unannounced. So she slipped off her shoes, didn’t even dare put on the guest slippers, set her suitcase right by the entrance, and sat on the sofa to wait for Fu Nanzhou. At first she sat perfectly upright and proper. Eventually, though, she curled up on the cushions… and drifted off into a light sleep. Fu Nanzhou had only recently returned to take charge of the Fu Group. Mountains of work awaited his attention, and it was nearly ten o’clock by the time he returned home. He saw the girl curled asleep on his sofa. His gaze paused, and for a heartbeat, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu. A familiar scene… yet the person before him was not the one he remembered. The haze cleared. He remembered. This was his wife. They had signed their marriage certificate earlier that very day. What was his little bride doing asleep here? Moonlight spilled in, falling gently across her fair face. Her skin seemed to glow, like a princess stepped straight out of a fairytale. She looked so much like her. Fu Nanzhou stood watching her for a long moment. Then he loosened his tie. After a day of endless meetings and formalities, his shoulders and neck ached — he needed to unwind. He walked over, leaned down, and lifted her gently into his arms. The girl woke slowly, her eyes fluttering open. She saw his face close above hers — and in a panic, she jerked upright. “Ouch!” Their foreheads cracked together. Lu Xi clapped her hands to her stinging brow, her face flushing scarlet. Fu Nanzhou let out a low, rich laugh. “Am I so frightening? Did you think I’d eat you?” “I’m so sorry… Uncle.” The word slipped out before she could stop it. Fu Nanzhou’s smile faded. He lifted an eyebrow. “Uncle?” Lu Xi nodded hurriedly. “I’m sorry, Uncle. I only just found out you’re Yi’s uncle.” Fu Nanzhou found her earnestness amusing. “There’s nothing to apologize for. But Lu Xi… we are married. You need not call me ‘husband’ if you are not yet comfortable doing so. But you cannot call me ‘Uncle’. No uncle weds his own niece. Only a monster would do such a thing.” Lu Xi’s heart thudded — as though jolted by an electric shock. “H-Husband?!” “Mmm. Mrs. Fu.” He answered her — simply, and with perfect composure. Lu Xi stared, dazed. Had she just called him ‘husband’… and had he just acknowledged it? “Um… Mr. Fu… where would you prefer I sleep?” Fu Nanzhou arched an eyebrow again. “On our wedding night? If we sleep apart… people will talk.” Lu Xi’s face burned hotter than before. He meant… she was to share his bed. That meant… that.