Chapter 44: The Reason for His Haggardness

Luo Yao had noticed that Lu Yunze seemed a bit strange lately.

Even if they didn’t stop to chat when they met, he would still greet her with a smile. But these past few days, Luo Yao could clearly sense that something was off about him.

When they ran into each other, Luo Yao would walk right up and call out to him, only for Lu Yunze to barely manage a smile in response.

Even during meals, he often stared off into space, looking so listless that he seemed like someone who had just gone through a breakup.

If that really was the case, Luo Yao absolutely couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. These days, she’d been paying extra close attention to those around him.

But the result didn’t satisfy her. The people around Lu Yunze were the same as usual—no strange women had appeared, and the topics he discussed with others rarely involved girls.

Since she’d ruled out the possibility of a romance, could it be something else?

Luo Yao considered asking Lu Yunze directly, but knowing his personality, he probably wouldn’t tell her the truth.

Although Lu Yunze was gentle and reliable, he had some very stubborn little habits. For example, whenever he encountered danger, he always tried to shoulder it alone, and had even put himself in life-threatening situations several times.

Clearly Luo Yao was right behind him—if he would just turn around and give her a look, she would do everything she could to help, instead of always arriving at the scene after everything was over.

Every time she thought about this, Luo Yao couldn’t help but marvel at Lu Yunze’s luck, and her worries grew even heavier.

Getting lucky once or twice was fine, but it couldn’t last forever. Someone had to help him and encourage him, or else sooner or later, Brother Lu would get himself into trouble.

Thinking this over, Luo Yao, who was sitting in front of her dressing mirror enjoying a full hairdressing service, couldn’t help but speak up.

“Brother Lu has become so haggard. How can I help him?”

“Has he? I think Young Master is doing just fine.”

Hearing her speak, Jiang Sui, who was behind her managing her hair, immediately replied.

“How can you be so sure?” Luo Yao raised her eyes, meeting Jiang Sui’s gaze in the mirror.

“Mm, because that’s Young Master Lu Yunze we’re talking about—there’s no way he’d be taken down so easily.”

“Why do you trust him so much?” Luo Yao arched an eyebrow, her eyes—those of a true heiress—turning sharp.

If there was any woman who could get close to Lu Yunze without Luo Yao noticing, the household staff would be her first suspects.

Especially Jiang Sui, who was currently doing her hair—she’d been present the first time Lu Yunze experienced a life-or-death crisis. It was possible that something had happened between them back then.

Perhaps sensing the hostility in Luo Yao’s eyes, Jiang Sui sighed and spoke earnestly:

“Miss, you’ve spent more time with Young Master than I have. How come you have less faith in him than I do?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The incident at the police station last month—Young Master saved my life. From then on, I’ve believed that he’s a very capable person, and he won’t be defeated so easily.”

“Then you…”

“If even I trust Young Master this much, what’s there for you to hesitate about, Miss?” Jiang Sui cut her off. “In our eyes, the only one worthy of Young Master is you. You couldn’t possibly doubt him so easily—doing so would only disappoint him.”

Whenever Lu Yunze was mentioned, Luo Yao’s attention was completely diverted. After hearing Jiang Sui’s words, her expression changed noticeably. The thought of making Lu Yunze disappointed in her—she definitely didn’t want that to happen.

“Then tell me, what should I do?” Luo Yao’s hand, resting on her thigh, clenched tightly.

Noticing the worried look on Luo Yao’s bowed face, the corners of Jiang Sui’s lips curled up ever so slightly.

She took two steps closer, folded her hands in front of her chest, and spoke like someone guiding a lost child:

“At times like these, we should believe in Young Master.”

“Huh?”

“Young Master needs support, but we absolutely mustn’t disturb him. Excessive concern might actually backfire.”

“……”

“So we should give Young Master unconditional trust and silently support him from behind. As long as Young Master knows you’re behind him, he’ll definitely be able to persevere.”

“That… does make sense.”

Luo Yao mulled over Jiang Sui’s words, finding them increasingly philosophical.

If I interfere too much with Brother Lu, not only will I cause him trouble, but he might even come to dislike me.

I almost made a terrible mistake.

To thank Jiang Sui for waking her up in time, Luo Yao decided to give her a portion of her own pocket money, turning Jiang Sui’s monthly salary into several times its usual amount.

But after thinking it over alone, Luo Yao still decided to go check on Lu Yunze. A little care shouldn’t bother him, right?

No sooner thought than done. After lunch that day, Luo Yao went straight to Lu Yunze’s room.

Before entering, she politely knocked twice on the door. “Brother Lu, are you taking a nap?”

“Ah, no, you can come in.”

Lu Yunze was still sitting at his computer, the screen showing a game stream. When Luo Yao entered, he took off his headphones, but couldn’t hide the haggardness on his face behind his smile.

“What brings you here all of a sudden?”

“Oh, nothing. I just suddenly wanted to chat with you, Brother Lu.”

“Oh.”

After getting closer, Luo Yao noticed that not only had Lu Yunze’s dark circles gotten worse, but his complexion was even paler than before. It was as if he’d suffered some inhuman torment these past few days, making her heart ache.

She had wanted to ask him directly, but Jiang Sui’s words flashed through her mind, and Luo Yao swallowed the words back.

“Brother Lu, your room seems even tidier than before?”

In the past, whenever she came to his room, she’d always see clothes tossed on the bed and books scattered all over the desk. Now everything was neatly arranged, which Luo Yao noticed at a glance.

“That’s because I’ve been tidying up myself. It’s normal for things to be neat.”

“You’re amazing, Brother Lu. I thought maybe the maid who cleans your room had just been working extra hard lately.”

“Haha, I am an adult after all. I can’t always rely on others, can I?” Lu Yunze’s lips twitched.

After a moment of silence, Luo Yao spoke again:

“Brother Lu, if you have any trouble you can’t solve, you can tell me directly. As long as I can help, I’ll do everything I can.”

“I know, because you’ve always cared about me.”

Lu Yunze took a deep breath, and at last, his smile regained some of its usual warmth.

“You know that, but you always try to bear everything alone.”

Seeing that she seemed a little angry, Lu Yunze could only scratch his cheek awkwardly.

“I’m a grown man. If I keep relying on you, people will laugh at me. You know how much I hate that.”

“Mm, that’s true.”

Because she stuck so close to him, people had called Lu Yunze a kept pretty boy.

Not only did it make Lu Yunze angry, but Luo Yao herself was furious—she wished she could drag out all those jerks who spoke ill of him and give them a good beating.

“Besides, it’s nothing. I just haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

“As long as you say you’re fine, Brother Lu, I’m relieved.”

“Silly girl.”

Before she left, Lu Yunze patted her on the head, sending Luo Yao away from his bedroom with a silly grin on her face.

The moment the door closed, all of Lu Yunze’s relaxed expressions vanished, replaced by worry and frustration.

“The more you care about me, the more I have to lie to you.”

Because if she knew the real reason behind his haggardness, there was no way to avoid a storm.

After taking advantage of his lunch break to get a good nap, Lu Yunze woke up, packed his things, and headed to school.

There were no classes today, but he still needed to stop by the clubroom.

That afternoon, the classroom was empty. The weather was hot, so the club members were either in class or hiding in the dorms with the air conditioning on.

He took out his new thermos from his backpack and went to the water dispenser to fill it up.

He’d ridden his beloved street bike on the way here, but there was almost no shade from the school gate to the Technology Building, so he’d worked up quite a sweat.

At times like this, a big gulp of water felt truly refreshing.

“Ha~! That’s the stuff!”

Lu Yunze exclaimed.

“You’re satisfied already, Young Master?”

A crisp, charming voice sounded from behind him, making him freeze on the spot.

“There’s something even more satisfying next. Do you want to try my full service?”

“Stop, stop, what service? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Feeling the girl blow air into his ear, Lu Yunze suddenly felt a shiver and put some distance between them.

“You’re so easy to embarrass, Young Master. I was just joking.”

Jiang Sui covered her mouth and laughed lightly, exuding endless charm for a moment.

“Lately, Young Master hasn’t been in good shape—Miss has been complaining to me, you know.”

“Heh.”

Who do you think is to blame for the way I am now?

“Come on, Young Master, I can’t wait any longer.”

Jiang Sui took Lu Yunze’s hand and led him to the piano.

“Today, you have to satisfy me again. I’ve found another beautiful piece—there’s no way it’ll disappoint you.”

Ah, another day in hell is about to begin. Hopefully, after hearing Jiang Sui’s piece, I’ll be able to get some sleep tonight.