Volume 1 Chapter 10: Okay?
For her first official “day at work,” Jiang Zhiwan had come thoroughly prepared, doing her best to maintain her finest state.
It was only before “work” that she learned Lu Yanshu’s room was right next to hers.
The bedroom door wasn’t fully closed, with a male and female servant standing by at the entrance.
When Jiang Zhiwan stepped into the bedroom, Lu Yanshu, dressed in black silk pajamas, was propped against the headboard handling company matters.
A wooden chair sat beside the bed, cushioned with a thick pad and a soft backrest pillow.
“Mr. Lu, what would you like me to read?” Jiang Zhiwan asked softly after sitting down.
Lu Yanshu lay back, his black bangs slightly veiling his cold, sharp features, softening the innate aggression and pressure he carried.
“Anything is fine—pick something you like.”
Jiang Zhiwan casually pulled a book from the small shelf by the headboard.
In the warm, cozy bedroom, calming incense burned quietly on a stand in the corner.
The girl’s voice was unhurried, a voice that should have been light and crisp, but carried a slight nasal tone from the high fever she’d had a few days prior.
Yet it wasn’t unpleasant—instead, it sounded soft and gentle, as if trailing a little tail behind it.
Lu Yanshu, eyes closed, listened attentively at first, but his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and he actually ended up being lulled to sleep.
Insomnia had plagued Lu Yanshu for years, with psychologists intervening throughout, trying various treatments, all with little effect.
He hadn’t initially thought that having Jiang Zhiwan read to him would actually work.
Originally, Lu Yanshu had only wanted an excuse to bring Jiang Zhiwan to his side.
By the time Jiang Zhiwan noticed, Lu Yanshu had already been asleep for a while.
Turning off the warm yellow lamp, Jiang Zhiwan tiptoed out of the bedroom.
She closed the door behind her without making a sound.
Seeing Jiang Zhiwan emerge, the housekeeper, who had arrived at the doorway at some point, immediately sent the two servants off to rest.
“The young master fell asleep?” The housekeeper still couldn’t believe it, keeping his voice low.
Jiang Zhiwan didn’t reply verbally, only nodded.
After they’d walked a good distance, the housekeeper wiped away tears of excitement from the corners of his eyes and thanked Jiang Zhiwan repeatedly: “Miss Jiang, you truly are a great blessing to the Lu family.”
The housekeeper was overjoyed, with so much he wanted to say but couldn’t find the words, pacing in place continuously.
Jiang Zhiwan, however, still had her doubts: “Maybe Mr. Lu was just too tired today.”
His face flushed red from excitement, the housekeeper shook his head. “No, Miss Jiang, you don’t understand…”
“This past summer, the young master worked nonstop at the company for two days and three nights. When he came home, he was exhausted beyond belief, yet he still couldn’t sleep.”
Over the years, Lu Yanshu had taken plenty of sleeping pills, and the calming incense in his bedroom had never run out.
The housekeeper quickly remembered that Jiang Zhiwan still had her final exam tomorrow morning, and amid his elation, hurriedly urged her to rest.
Perhaps from inhaling so much of the calming incense in Lu Yanshu’s room, Jiang Zhiwan fell into a deep, dreamless sleep the moment she touched the soft, warm bed.
The next day.
Jiang Zhiwan was woken by the Lu family’s servants.
By the time she’d washed up and come downstairs to the dining room, Lu Yanshu was already seated at the table.
Two servings of food were already laid out on the table—was Lu Yanshu waiting for her?
Just as Jiang Zhiwan was puzzling over this, she heard Lu Yanshu speak: “You have your final exam today. I had them prepare a fried dough stick and two eggs—may Miss Jiang pass with flying colors.”
A lovely blessing.
For a moment, Jiang Zhiwan cast her doubts aside, smiling with bright, sparkling eyes as she sincerely thanked him: “Thank you, Mr. Lu.”
Lu Yanshu looked down at her, his expression seeming relieved, and smiled: “I was worried Miss Jiang might think there’s a generation gap between us.”
After all, there was a five-year age difference between them.
“Of course not!” Jiang Zhiwan’s eyes widened as she retorted, her voice a bit louder.
Lu Yanshu curved his lips: “That’s good.”
After breakfast.
It was rush hour, and time was already running late, so Jiang Zhiwan had to give up on the bus and opt for a taxi instead.
She wondered if it was even easy to get a cab around here.
Just then, Lu Yanshu, now fully dressed, walked over and offered: “Jing University and the Lu Group are on the same route—I’ll drive you there.”
Then he added: “Okay?”
Jiang Zhiwan’s slightly widened eyes were full of surprise, the tips of her ears flushing pink as she dared not meet Lu Yanshu’s gaze—those eyes as gentle as a pool of spring water.
She only felt that Mr. Lu was truly too kind, too considerate of others.
In the end, Jiang Zhiwan, still in a daze, followed Lu Yanshu into the car, and once seated, she even forgot to buckle her seatbelt.
It was Lu Yanshu who reached over, carefully avoiding any contact with her body, and fastened it for her.
Instantly mortified, Jiang Zhiwan’s face flushed crimson as she lowered her head and murmured softly: “Th… thank you, Mr. Lu.”
Lu Yanshu’s expression was hidden in the dimness, and a flicker of something unusual passed through those dark eyes as he looked at Jiang Zhiwan.
Jiang Zhiwan, who was not in the right state of mind, did not notice anything unusual about Lu Yanshu.
The ride was quiet the whole way.
When they arrived at the gate of Jing University, Lu Yanshu specifically had the driver stop at a discreet spot.
Jiang Zhiwan unbuckled her seatbelt and politely thanked him again: “Thank you, Mr. Lu.”
Lu Yanshu shook his head, a smile on his face: “Good luck on your exam. If you do well, I’ll give you a reward.”
The warmth had just subsided from the tips of her ears, but now it showed signs of flaring up again.
Jiang Zhiwan felt that Mr. Lu seemed to treat her like a child, even though he was only five years older than her.
But when she looked up at Lu Yanshu and met those dark eyes of his, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything to refuse.
With flushed cheeks, Jiang Zhiwan murmured a soft acknowledgment before hopping out of the car.
“Goodbye, Mr. Lu.”
Lu Yanshu gave a slight nod, and as if still a little worried, he reminded her: “Be careful when crossing the street.”
During the final exam period, Jing University was not strict with students living on campus. Most local students, as long as they lived nearby, would choose to go home to stay.
Through the car window, Lu Yanshu silently watched Jiang Zhiwan’s figure.
Only after she had completely disappeared from sight did he withdraw his gaze. The warm smile on his face instantly vanished, quickly reverting to his usual cold and aloof demeanor.
“To the company.”
As soon as those indifferent words fell, Lu Yanshu lowered his eyelids, propped his hand against his forehead, and pinched the bridge of his nose with his slender, well-defined fingers.
Last night, he had rarely slept deeply, but he had woken up in the middle of the night.
After the car started moving smoothly, the driver up front finally spoke up: “Mr. Lu, the old lady called this morning to ask if you have time to return to the old residence tonight?”
Lu Yanshu raised his head, revealing his sharp features, with dark waves churning in his eyes and a hint of impatience flashing through them.
The driver then thought of what he had heard recently, hesitated for a few seconds, and decided to give Lu Yanshu a heads-up first.
“They say that Miss Su, who is also a freshman at Jing University, will finish her final exams today.”