Visiting hours at the hospital ended at ten o’clock.
Checking the time, the Boss should already be on his way downstairs.
Ji Cheng hadn’t started the car yet when he looked up and saw Lu Qingze walking over, followed closely by An Ning. He immediately got out and opened the rear door.
An Ning paused mid-step. “This is…”
“My second uncle.”
Lu Qingze glanced at Ji Cheng.
???
First, the crying lady actually didn’t recognize him.
Then came that “second uncle.”
Feeling as if his soul had left his body, Ji Cheng was thunderstruck.
The next moment, he plastered a wide smile on his face and looked at An Ning. “Hello, Miss An. I’m Qing… Qingze’s second uncle.”
Second uncle.
So he’s the son of the elderly lady in Room 1?
Suddenly understanding, An Ning smiled and nodded. “Hello.”
Watching An Ning and Lu Qingze get into the car one after the other, Ji Cheng moved stiffly to close the door before sitting in the driver’s seat.
The discarded suit jacket.
The dismissed bodyguards.
And him, the driver turned second uncle.
Combined with the Boss’s earlier order to investigate An Ning, Ji Cheng instantly understood.
As the car drove out of the hospital, Ji Cheng glanced at the Boss through the rearview mirror. “Qingze, where will you stay tonight? How about… staying at your second uncle’s place?”
“Alright.”
Lu Qingze nodded, giving Ji Cheng a cold look. “Sorry to trouble you, Second Uncle!”
“No trouble at all.”
Ji Cheng beamed.
The next moment, he met the Boss’s murderous gaze.
His smile froze on his face. Ji Cheng straightened his back, stared straight ahead, and focused on driving.
Something felt off about this uncle-nephew pair—it almost seemed like the uncle was a bit afraid of his nephew, Lu Qingze?
An Ning looked at Ji Cheng, then at Lu Qingze, and that strange feeling bubbled up again inside her.
A ringing phone interrupted her thoughts.
An Ning answered the call, and a stern, authoritative voice came through. “Hello, is this An Ning? This is the Southern District Police Station. Did you lose a suitcase? Do you have time…”
“Thank you, thank you!”
As if her soul had been saved, the girl’s eyes instantly sparkled like stars in the night.
Her voice rose with excitement. “I’ll come pick it up tomorrow at noon. Is that okay?”
The person on the other end agreed. An Ning hung up and let out a soft sigh of relief.
Completely forgetting what she had been thinking about earlier, An Ning gazed at the street scenes outside the window, feeling that Sicheng’s night view was exceptionally charming tonight.
A little over half an hour later, the car entered Jiayu Haoyuan.
Almost as soon as she saw the residential gate of Jiayu Haoyuan, An Ning’s whole demeanor once again radiated suspicion.
The car stopped in the shade in front of the villa. Ji Cheng got out to open the door, while An Ning turned to look at Lu Qingze. “Your second uncle’s house… looks quite luxurious.”
“You mean, with an uncle like this, I shouldn’t need to go on blind dates, right?”
Seeing right through An Ning’s thoughts, Lu Qingze curled his lips. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t ask? What, want to know more? I don’t mind giving you the details.”
!!!
“No, no need…”
An Ning hurriedly pulled the car door open and got out.
When Lu Qingze entered, he saw Ji Cheng and An Ning standing in the living room.
“Miss An…”
“You can call me An’an.”
“An’an, the master bedroom on the first floor is my… my mother’s room. The room on the second floor is Qingze’s. The guest room next to it is yours. Toiletries and such should be in the bathroom cabinet. Make yourself at home.”
“Thank you, Second Uncle.”
“No need to thank me, no need… If there’s nothing else, you two should rest early.”
After saying this, Ji Cheng silently mouthed “study” to Lu Qingze, then hurriedly opened the door and left.
An Ning stared blankly at Lu Qingze. “Your second uncle… doesn’t he live here? And, are there no other people in the house?”
They had been inside for quite a while, but she hadn’t encountered the so-called second aunt, nor anyone else.
The entire house was eerily quiet. Apart from the sound of her own voice, there was only the sound of his breathing.
Even the household appliances, though their indicator lights were flashing to show they were running, made no sound at all.
Lu Qingze paused. “…He’s not from Sicheng. His home is in Didu.”
So that was it.
An Ning’s face showed sudden understanding. As if thinking of something, she turned and went into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator.
The fresh food compartment had vegetables and fruits.
The freezer had steak and chicken.
Everything seemed to be fully stocked.
Taking out a frozen chicken to thaw, An Ning looked at Lu Qingze, who had been watching her. “Then… good night?”
“Good night.”
Receiving his agreement, An Ning turned and went upstairs.
As soon as she pushed open the guest bedroom door, a faint scent of air freshener greeted her.
It was exactly the same smell as on Lu Qingze.
An Ning’s footsteps faltered.
The image of throwing herself into Lu Qingze’s arms at the hospital doorway instantly surfaced in her mind.
Her face felt warm. An Ning stepped forward and opened the wardrobe door.
Quilts and pillows were all there.
In the bathroom cabinet, bath towels, face towels, toothbrushes, and cups were also fully stocked.
But the only thing missing was pajamas to wear after a shower.
On one hand, she thought it was just one night, she could make do.
On the other hand, she felt that rather than tossing and turning unable to sleep later, it would be more comfortable to just ask directly now.
An Ning knocked on the door of the adjacent room.
Knock knock.
Knock knock knock.
Just as An Ning thought Lu Qingze was already asleep and turned to leave, the bedroom door opened.
For a moment, both of them froze.
Wrapped in a snow-white towel, Lu Qingze’s upper body was completely bare.
Broad shoulders, narrow waist, an inverted triangle model’s physique.
His hair seemed not yet dried; glistening droplets fell from the ends, sliding down and disappearing into the towel.
The fresh, damp scent of shower gel washed over her, reminding her that just moments ago, she had crashed into such an embrace.
An Ning’s ears turned slightly red.
Not knowing where to look, she kept her head down, staring at her toes. “Do… do you have a new T-shirt or a new shirt that you could… lend me?”
“Wait…”
Perhaps because he had just showered, the man’s voice sounded slightly muffled.
She could see him walk barefoot to the wardrobe, then return, handing over a piece of clothing.
Not even daring to look up, An Ning snatched the clothes. “Thank you…”
Bang!
Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, the girl’s footsteps disappeared down the hallway.
The guest bedroom door slammed shut.
Was she… scared?
Thinking of the girl’s flushed cheeks, evasive gaze, and the tips of her ears that turned crimson in an instant, Lu Qingze’s lips curved into an amused smile.
But the next moment, the smile slowly stiffened.
The air seemed filled with the girl’s delicate fragrance, like magnolia, or perhaps gardenia.
The faint scent seeped into his heart, like fine red wine, stirring a momentary restlessness within him.
Feeling a slight awakening in his body, a flicker of annoyance rose in Lu Qingze’s eyes. He turned and walked back into the bathroom.
The sound of rushing water started again.
More than ten minutes later, Lu Qingze sat down behind the desk.
On the table were the documents Ji Cheng had found regarding An Ning.
Lu Qingze opened the file.