Song Zhilan's tone carried a hint of caution, her expression complex in a way Lu Xiaoxiao couldn't decipher.
Caught off guard by the question, Lu Xiaoxiao hesitated about whether to tell the truth, finally letting out a tentative "Mm" after a long pause.
To her surprise, Song Zhilan immediately grasped her hands excitedly: "Really?! That's wonderful! Baichen hasn't spoken to me for months. Hearing this puts my mind at ease."
At this point, she suddenly remembered Lu Baichen was just beyond the wall. Although the Lu Family's soundproofing was excellent, Song Zhilan instinctively lowered her voice: "What did he say to you? Could you… tell Mom?"
Lu Xiaoxiao was momentarily stunned by the sudden physical contact.
After several seconds, a thought slowly surfaced in her mind:
[Oh, so she wasn't here to check on me.]
Hearing this inner voice, Song Zhilan's movements immediately froze.
She quickly tried to compensate: "Xiaoxiao, you know your third brother has been ill. The psychologist told me recently that if this continues, his condition might worsen… And Jiaoyue just returned, so Mom needs to pay more attention to her. I might have neglected you a bit tonight, but don't overthink it. I've always regarded you as my own daughter, I swear!"
Looking into the other's sincere eyes, Lu Xiaoxiao sighed inwardly.
Having only recently occupied this body, she was in some ways more of an observer, naturally understanding Song Zhilan's struggles as a mother trying to balance attention among all her children.
But from the original host's perspective, this probably felt like another blow during an already insecure time.
Actually, according to the original plot, after bullying Lu Jiaoyue, Lu Xiaoxiao should have been scolded and punished by Lu Yuan.
She didn't know what was different today – aside from that rebellious kid Lu Yubai, everyone in the Lu Family seemed unusually tolerant of her.
Still, Song Zhilan had been genuinely good to the original host – she was inherently kind and soft-hearted.
Lu Xiaoxiao put on a well-behaved smile: "It's alright, Mom. I'm not overthinking it. Third brother just showed me his new paintings, nothing special. Don't worry."
[Sigh, Mom has it tough too. Now that I think about it, she seems to focus all her attention on the children every day. Why doesn't she take some time to clear up misunderstandings with her husband? I really don't understand!]
Song Zhilan: …
Clear up misunderstandings?
What misunderstandings did she have with Lu Yuan? She wasn't aware of any.
This cryptic inner voice left Song Zhilan itching with curiosity, but fearing that revealing she could hear Lu Xiaoxiao's thoughts would make her daughter guarded, she forcibly suppressed the questions on the tip of her tongue.
Seeing no intention to expand the conversation, Lu Xiaoxiao naturally prepared to take her leave.
"Mom, I'm a bit tired today, so I'll head back to my room to rest. Good night."
Song Zhilan returned the goodnight wishes and watched as Lu Xiaoxiao left.
That night, Lu Xiaoxiao slept soundly, but in another room, Song Zhilan tossed and turned all night.
The consequence of her insomnia was that Lu Yuan encountered his wife's sour expression first thing the next morning.
Unable to figure out where he had offended the other party, Lu Yuan was completely baffled and could only silently lament that a woman’s heart was as deep and unfathomable as the ocean.
The next morning, Uncle Liu had the car ready early for Lu Xiaoxiao and Lu Jiaoyue, prepared to take the two young ladies shopping at the mall.
Before getting into the car, the System informed Lu Xiaoxiao that the male lead, Gu Sipei, would also be in the area that day and urged her to find a way to facilitate a meeting between the male and female leads.
To be honest, Lu Xiaoxiao didn’t have much fondness for the original novel’s male lead. He was an overbearing, cold, and aloof character with a dark and brooding personality, waiting for the female lead to redeem him.
She felt it was rather unfortunate that such a lovely female lead like herself had to end up with someone like him.
The System argued, "Host, you shouldn’t think that way. The male lead truly loves the female lead."
Lu Xiaoxiao retorted, "Oh, really? Loves her so much that he drove the entire Lu Family into bankruptcy?"
The System paused for a moment before rebutting, "Even so, after that, the male lead personally took care of the female lead’s daily needs. For someone of his high status and power to go to such lengths for her—isn’t that love enough?"
Lu Xiaoxiao scoffed, "Shouldn’t that be expected? If you keep a cat, you have to clean its litter; if you keep a dog, you have to walk it."
Unable to win the argument, the System sighed helplessly, "Regardless, they have to end up together. That’s how the plot goes."
Feeling a bit frustrated, Lu Xiaoxiao stopped arguing and reluctantly agreed.
Upon arriving at the mall, Lu Xiaoxiao took Lu Jiaoyue to the brand store the original host frequented the most.
There were so many beautiful clothes that Lu Jiaoyue, who was visiting for the first time, felt dazzled and overwhelmed.
Lu Xiaoxiao picked out several outfits and handed them to her, suggesting she try them on in the fitting room.
Just as she was about to pick out a few items for herself, she heard an exclamation from behind:
"Oh my! What a coincidence, Xiaoxiao, you’re here too~"
Hearing her name, Lu Xiaoxiao turned around and saw a young woman with chestnut-brown, wavy hair walking toward her with a look of delight. Without another word, the woman linked arms with her.
"My family is hosting my birthday party next month, and I still haven’t found a dress I like. Since you’re here, Xiaoxiao, why don’t you help me pick one out?"
Lu Xiaoxiao was momentarily flustered. She hadn’t expected to run into one of the original host’s acquaintances while out shopping.
She was well aware that the original host had many superficial friendships in the Imperial Capital’s socialite circle, but there were so many that she couldn’t immediately place who this person was.
Fortunately, the System came through this time, promptly providing a character introduction in her mind.
"Host, this is Yue Mengqian, the daughter of the Yue Family."
Ah, now it clicked. This was the one from the original story who was obsessed with cosmetic procedures—a super, super, super VIP client at plastic surgery clinics.
Staring at her eyelashes, which were long enough to "fan someone to death," Lu Xiaoxiao swallowed nervously and forced a cheerful smile. "Ahahahaha, what a coincidence indeed, Qianqian! Of course, I’d be happy to help you pick out a dress~"
Yue Mengqian tugged at her arm, smiling meaningfully. "No hurry, let me tell you some gossip first. You’ll never guess—so-and-so and so-and-so are together!"
Lu Xiaoxiao: ?
Lu Xiaoxiao: "Who and who?"
Seeing her confusion, Yue Mengqian grew impatient. "Tch! You know, so-and-so and so-and-so!!! I just told you about them last week!"
Lu Xiaoxiao: ???
Without the original host’s memories, Lu Xiaoxiao was completely lost. Worried about blowing her cover, she pretended to understand and mumbled a vague, "Mhmm, oh, okay."
Yue Mengqian was satisfied and winked at her again: "Really, and you absolutely won't believe what they did—they went to that place and then did that!"
Lu Xiaoxiao: "…Ah, uh, oh my god! That's just too… that!"
Yue Mengqian: "Yeah, I also think it's too that. I knew you'd understand me!"
Lu Xiaoxiao could only force an awkward smile.
Fortunately, at that moment, Lu Jiaoyue came out after changing clothes.
Holding the hem of her skirt, she looked somewhat uncomfortable: "Sister, does this… does this look good on me?"