Today is Sunday again, and a whole week has passed since the attack at the Police Station.
Lu Yunze woke up as usual, sitting on his bed and trying to clench his fist.
“Mm, recovering well.”
On the day the fight ended, it wasn’t just Jiang Sui who was sent to the Hospital—Lu Yunze was also forced by Luo Yao to undergo a full body checkup.
The results were surprising. Aside from the gunshot wound on his shoulder, the most serious injury on his entire body was a pulled muscle in both arms. For someone who had just gone through a life-and-death battle, having only these wounds was really a stroke of luck.
However, Lu Yunze had underestimated the aftereffects of muscle strains. In the days after returning from the Hospital, he had to endure constant numbness and sharp pain in both arms every single day. Even the slightest bit of force would cause excruciating pain, making it nearly impossible for him to do anything these past few days.
Fortunately, this didn’t last long. When he woke up today, Lu Yunze found his arms had fully recovered. No matter how hard he tried, there was no more numbness or pain.
“It’s finally over.” Lu Yunze let out a sigh of relief.
The first thing he felt every morning was the soreness in his arms, which always ruined his mood for the entire day. Just thinking about it now, he could still recall a faint phantom pain.
After getting up and washing, Lu Yunze headed to the Dining Hall for Breakfast. On the way, he heard someone scolding the servants.
“What’s going on? You’ve spilled water all over the floor. Clean it up quickly, or what will people think?”
Lu Yunze instinctively wanted to avoid the source of the scolding, but suddenly remembered that Butler was no longer here. He was the one who had personally dealt with that.
Rounding the corner, he saw a Maid scolding another Maid. Lu Yunze remembered her—she was Butler’s assistant, the Head Maid of the Manor. After the position of steward was left vacant, Luo Yao had asked her to fill in.
Noticing Lu Yunze approaching, both the stern-faced Head Maid and the apologetic Maid straightened their expressions and bowed to him.
“Young Master, good morning.”
“Morning.”
“Please wait a moment in the Dining Hall, Young Master. The Kitchen will have Breakfast ready soon.”
“Alright.”
They maintained polite smiles the whole time, and after Lu Yunze left, they didn’t whisper behind his back.
The servants’ attitude had changed so quickly that Lu Yunze found it hard to get used to. Ever since his heroic deeds at the Police Station had spread through the Manor, the servants no longer treated him like a useless good-for-nothing.
With no one left to make things difficult for him, and having even gained the servants’ respect, Lu Yunze couldn’t help but sigh at how much better life had become.
When he reached the Dining Hall, Lu Yunze looked at his phone while waiting for Breakfast to be served.
Hearing the sound of little leather shoes approaching, Lu Yunze spoke without even looking up:
“Are you making Sandwiches again today? They taste good, but eating the same thing every day gets boring.”
“Young Master, there shouldn’t be any Sandwiches on the Manor’s menu.”
A strange voice reached his ears, and Lu Yunze looked up in surprise. It wasn’t Jiang Sui.
“Why is it you?”
“Wh-what’s wrong?” The Maid seemed a bit flustered by his expression. “I was ordered to bring Breakfast to the Young Master. I don’t know anything else.”
“…Where’s Jiang Sui?”
“Her? Haven’t seen her, maybe she’s still recovering.”
Everyone knew that Jiang Sui had brushed shoulders with death and come back. Many people joked about how tough she was—taking a bullet to the chest and still surviving.
Lu Yunze said nothing more and silently ate his Breakfast.
But a heavy doubt lingered in his mind, making today’s Breakfast taste bland and flavorless.
That’s not right. Jiang Sui promised me she’d be back at her Workstation today.
Based on her personality, Lu Yunze thought she’d definitely surprise him during Breakfast, and he’d even braced himself for one of her pranks.
But where was she? Why hadn’t he seen her?
Unable to see the person he wanted to see, Lu Yunze felt uneasy throughout the entire meal. Even the whispering voices of two servants passing by the Dining Hall door sounded grating to his ears.
“Did you hear? There’s been talk of ghosts on the Second Floor lately.”
“I heard someone saw the Ghost in the Mist.”
“I thought it was a Cat Cry. There aren’t even any cats in the Manor.”
Lu Yunze just felt a tightness in his chest, with no mood to care about their conversation.
Even the servant bringing him water tensed up at the sight of his sullen, liver-colored face, afraid of angering him.
“This is boring. I’m done eating.”
Halfway through, Lu Yunze put down his utensils and grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth.
Could something have happened? Should I go check on her?
Lu Yunze didn’t go straight to Jiang Sui’s room, but instead sat down by the Flowerbed in the yard.
Looking at his carefully cultivated masterpiece, his mood finally calmed a little.
After all, he was the Young Master of a wealthy family, and he’d already made a promise with Jiang Sui. If he went to find her on his own, he’d lose face.
The servants would gossip, and Luo Yao definitely wouldn’t sit idly by if she heard. More importantly, Jiang Sui would use this as a reason to tease him for days.
Lu Yunze was worried about Jiang Sui—that was a fact. But he also couldn’t stand her being overly lively—also a fact.
Should he go see her or not?
Lu Yunze sighed, plucked a small flower from the Flowerbed, and started picking petals while muttering to himself:
“Go, don’t go, go, don’t go…”
When he reached the end, Lu Yunze was dumbfounded.
The last two petals were stuck together—should he count them as one, or two?
His fingers hovered in the air, and Lu Yunze’s gaze grew deep as he recalled some memories with her.
Jiang Sui always wore a smile, but that smile was reserved almost exclusively for him. Whenever there were outsiders around, she would become quiet and withdrawn, barely saying a word.
Without me, would she even bother to smile? After all, she’s had a tough life.
Thinking this, Lu Yunze took a deep breath and forcefully plucked off the last petal.
Then he stood up at once and strode quickly back inside.
Standing at the door to the girl’s bedroom, Lu Yunze stared at the door, his expression solemn as if he were facing Jiang Sui herself.
“You said you’d come to work today, but I haven’t seen you. Don’t think you can slack off just because you saved me.”
No, that’s too harsh.
“Jiang Sui, are you alright?”
No, that sounds too fake.
“Ugh, what the heck should I even say?”
He paced back and forth at the door, clutching his hair, wondering what on earth he should say when they met.
Better think carefully—can’t lose my dignity.
Just as Lu Yunze was about to pull out his phone to seek advice from the all-knowing netizens, he suddenly heard a dull thud from inside.
Bang.
It sounded like something had fallen to the floor.
Crap, did something happen?!
Lu Yunze’s heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, he twisted the doorknob and burst into the room.
“Jiang Sui?!”
The moment he entered, he was ready for an enemy attack. But there was no sign of danger inside—only Jiang Sui.
She stood dumbfounded in front of the wardrobe, staring wide-eyed at Lu Yunze.
“Mm?”
“Ah?”
The vase that had originally been on the desk was now shattered into glass pieces on the floor.
But that wasn’t the point. The point was Jiang Sui—she was barefoot on the cold floor, her half-removed silk nightgown slipping off her shoulder, exposing the northern hemisphere. The hem of her nightgown barely covered the tops of her thighs, swaying gently with her movements, revealing long, slender white legs beneath.
Lu Yunze was still in a daze, but the girl tilted her head, her eyes slightly upturned, a mischievous glint flickering in her gaze.
“Young Master, barging in without knocking—were you that eager?”