The authority of a teacher had long been deeply rooted in Hua Rui’s heart for many years.
She obediently followed behind Xie Mingchen, waving goodbye to her family:
“Goodbye, Dad, Mom, Brother, uncles, and aunts!”
Her delicate and fragile appearance inexplicably stirred a sense of pity in everyone present.
This little princess had been sweet, well-behaved, and well-mannered since childhood.
She was always polite and friendly to every servant in the Hua family.
Doted on by the Hua family, she had never left China even once.
Now, suddenly about to leave for a month, the entire Hua family naturally felt immense reluctance. Some of the aunts who had taken care of Hua Rui closely had already begun to secretly wipe away tears.
Zaitian Hua’s heart was in turmoil, slowly filling with a bittersweet ache: his daughter had grown up…
That man named Lu Jianshen was now leading his beloved daughter, step by step, out of their home…
Would he understand his daughter’s heart?
Would he comfort that timid girl when it thundered on rainy days?
Would he take utmost care of her when she suffered from menstrual pain?…
Lost in thought, Zaitian Hua’s phone rang—it was Lu Jianshen calling.
“Hello, Uncle Hua!” It was currently early morning in France.
Lu Jianshen hadn’t been asleep.
The butler had already reported to him in advance the exact times Hua Rui would depart and arrive.
“Rui Rui is about to leave…”
Zaitian Hua, usually steady and composed, now spoke with a rare hint of emotion in his tone.
Lu Jianshen understood his feelings and softened his voice further:
“Everything here has been decorated according to Rui Rui’s preferences. I won’t leave France this month, and I certainly won’t let Rui Rui go out alone.”
“Take good care of Uncle Hua’s daughter! She’s my only daughter!” The man’s words carried a trace of weathered sorrow.
“I’m ready to face Uncle Hua’s tests at any time!” Lu Jianshen’s voice was not loud, but it carried a firm and resolute tone.
“Good, I believe you!”
As if sensing something, Zaitian Hua felt that after this trip, Lu Jianshen would take Hua Rui to many more places in the future.
The little princess now had strong wings to carry her flying, destined to soar into broader skies…
On the plane, Hua Rui took the window seat.
Xie Mingchen didn’t hesitate and sat down beside her.
He wanted to talk to her.
The man noticed the young girl subtly shifting her body slightly toward the window and sighed quietly.
“Let’s talk.” His voice, gentle as jade, conveyed trust and warmth.
Hua Rui tilted her head slightly, stealing a glance at him—a look both adorable and tender.
Xie Mingchen couldn’t help but curl the corners of his lips.
“I didn’t mean to disturb your date!” Hua Rui’s voice was soft and sweet, yet stubborn.
“Teacher Yue and I were not on a date. And you didn’t disturb anyone!”
“I do enjoy being with Teacher Xie because you’ve always cared for me, helped me, and protected me like an older brother…” Hua Rui’s deer-like eyes grew misty.
“Hmm!” Xie Mingchen looked at her with trusting eyes, encouraging her to bravely open her heart.
“I did have feelings for you…” The young girl’s cheeks flushed red as she lowered her head.
Xie Mingchen’s expression remained calm.
The turmoil in his heart would never be revealed before this little angel.
“I didn’t know what that feeling was like. But now I can distinguish it…”
Hua Rui bravely raised her head: “After spending time with Little Uncle, I also developed a feeling. I compared the two, and they’re different!”
“Teacher Xie, I respect you, rely on you, and my fondness for you goes beyond that of a teacher—it’s like the affection one has for family.”
Knowing this would be the outcome, Xie Mingchen still felt a faint, lingering ache begin to stir in his heart.
It was as if ten thousand ants were gnawing at him, nearly causing him to lose control of his expression.
Hua Rui did not elaborate further on her feelings for Lu Jianshen.
After all, the young girl was already eighteen; she had her own thoughts on many matters and knew when to stop.
“Very well!” he said, his voice still gentle. “I also see you as a little sister, and I care for you deeply! That was true in the past, it is true now, and it will be true for a lifetime!”
Hua Rui’s eyes brightened, and the little dimples at the corners of her lips appeared. “Then, can I still visit your office in the future?”
“It will always be open for you!”
“Will Teacher Xie still cook delicious food for me?”
“As long as you like it!”
Hua Rui’s mood quickly lifted. “Great! Then, can I call you ‘brother’ in private?”
Xie Mingchen patted her head gently. “No! I’m even a year older than your little uncle!”
Hua Rui blushed. In her heart, there was only one “little uncle”!
She could only resort to being playful. “I insist on calling you brother! Brother is good! Brother, I want to drink iced orange juice!”
Hidden in Xie Mingchen’s gentle gaze was a trace of doting. He stood up. “Orange juice is fine, but no ice.”
Hua Rui pouted. “Alright, I’ll listen to you!”
It felt as if they had returned to those beautiful times of the past.
With the knot in her heart untied and the words spoken openly, Hua Rui once again became the carefree, radiant young girl.
Her fair, delicate face suddenly flushed with a rosy hue as she caught sight of the pink diamond on her slender finger.
Aunt Lu had told her that Lu Jianshen had traveled to several countries to select it.
A rare pink diamond, seldom seen in the world.
She didn’t care about its value; what mattered to her was the heart that had gone through such great lengths to choose it.
The plane arrived late at night.
It landed smoothly on the tarmac beside Rose Manor.
Lu Jianshen, accompanied by Steve and a group of servants, came to greet the princess he had been longing for day and night.
After exchanging a brief greeting with Xie Mingchen, he went straight to Hua Rui’s personal attendant, Aunt Zhou.
“Miss is still asleep in the lounge,” Aunt Zhou said politely, bowing slightly.
“May I go in?” Lu Jianshen asked, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“Of course, Mr. Lu, please come in!”
Aunt Zhou accompanied Lu Jianshen into the lounge.
On the soft bed lay a small, curled-up figure, wrapped in a pristine silk blanket, sleeping soundly.
“Shh, don’t wake her,” Lu Jianshen stopped Aunt Zhou, who was about to rouse Hua Rui.
He stepped forward quietly, his gaze falling on the peacefully sleeping girl, only her delicate face visible.
Her eyelashes were long and thick, like butterfly wings resting gently on her tender skin.
The faint crimson peach blossom mark between her eyebrows, ethereal and delicate, caused a flicker of darkness to swiftly pass through the man’s sharp, hawk-like eyes.
“You may go with the others. I’ll stay here with her.”
Aunt Zhou remained silent, but her eyes glanced toward the single bed.
“I’ll sit on the sofa for a while. I’ll take her back whenever Ruirui wakes up.”
Lu Jianshen had regained his usual composure, but his calm demeanor carried an authority that others dared not meet directly.
Aunt Zhou wrestled with her thoughts, suppressing her fear as she mustered the courage to speak:
“Mr. Lu, I’ve raised Miss since she was a child. Since she’s new to a foreign country, I can’t help but worry! If possible, I’ll wait outside the lounge. Please call me if you need anything.”
The corner of Lu Jianshen’s mouth twitched imperceptibly. She really was guarding against him as if he were a wolf!
My 25 years of abstinence and good reputation, built up over time, have been completely reset since coming to the Hua family!
“Great! Then I’ll trouble you, Aunt Zhou!”
Finally, he brought the little woman who had been his since birth to their own home, a place that belonged solely to them…