Lin Miao swallowed hard.
This man was far too bewitching.
If Sheng Yanli was a cold tyrant, then this man was, at first glance, a demonic, sinister creature.
One look at him and you could easily have your soul stolen.
The admiration in Lin Miao’s eyes was completely undisguised—her clear gaze like a spring of water, without a trace of impurity.
There was no infatuation, no desire—only pure wonder and appreciation for something beautiful.
Lu Huai raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
An interesting little girl, indeed.
“Why are you staring at me like that? Have you taken a liking to me, miss?”
A smile lingered on Lu Huai’s face. His features were so striking, his lips red and teeth white, so beautiful he hardly seemed human.
“You’re good-looking.”
Lin Miao blurted it out without a second thought.
There was no flattery in her tone, no ingratiation—only sincere appreciation.
Appreciating beautiful things always put the young lady in a good mood.
Lu Huai let out a low chuckle, clearly in a fine mood now.
“Hey, am I not good-looking too?”
Sheng Mingnan, who had been ignored, sounded somewhat displeased. He was handsome too, damn it.
Behind him, Lu Zhizhou let out an undisguised snicker. “Come on, Sheng the Fifth, how can your looks compare to Brother Lu’s?”
“Hmph, Lu Zhizhou, you’ve got a baby face and you still have the nerve to talk about me?”
Lu Zhizhou’s face instantly darkened, and he let out a sinister little laugh. “Sheng Mingnan, do you want your scandalous photos to hit the headlines tomorrow?”
Lu Zhizhou was the youngest son of the Lu family, the youngest in their circle.
The Lu family was the head of the entertainment industry in the capital.
His older sister had inherited the family business, so Lu Zhizhou had grown up completely unrestrained, constantly stirring up trouble.
His sister had kicked him into the military to toughen him up for a few years.
After he came out, his originally arrogant demeanor had clearly mellowed, but deep down, he was still a spoiled rich kid.
Everyone knew that in front of Lu Zhizhou, you absolutely could not mention the words “baby face.”
Whoever mentioned it was dead.
Only Sheng Mingnan, who didn’t fear death, ran his mouth without a filter.
“Hmph, I walk upright and sit straight—how could I possibly have anything like that?”
Lu Zhizhou smiled eerily. “Three months ago, Chongming Hotel, the newly debuted little starlet.”
“Damn it, Lu Zhizhou, were you born a paparazzo?”
“You’re digging up ancient history now.”
Everyone in the capital knew that Sheng Mingnan was a notorious playboy, cycling through girlfriends five times a month.
But no paparazzo had ever managed to get concrete photos.
So it wasn’t surprising that the paparazzi had mistaken someone before—the intel was just too limited.
“Heh, don’t forget what my family does.”
As the young master of the capital’s largest entertainment conglomerate, his paparazzi were everywhere.
He was also the first to know about any little stir in the capital.
“Ugh, you’re vicious.”
Sheng Mingnan flipped him off directly.
This guy might have a baby face, but his heart was pitch black.
“Right, beautiful lady, I forgot to ask your name yesterday.”
Sheng Mingnan asked with a smile, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
He couldn’t gauge his uncle’s temper, so he hadn’t investigated Lin Miao’s background yet.
Lin Miao smiled softly, her expression bright and radiant, dimples appearing on her slightly chubby cheeks.
“I’m Lin Miao. Currently, I’m your uncle’s pursuer (forced).”
Sheng Mingnan was shocked, his heart filled with endless admiration for Lin Miao.
A true warrior.
Someone actually dared to pursue that iceberg of an uncle of his.
So brave.
Lu Zhizhou also couldn’t help but size up Lin Miao.
He hadn’t gotten a clear look before, but now that he did, she was unexpectedly… plump.
But not in an unpleasant, off-putting way—rather, she had a round, radiant fullness.
Like a bright, lustrous pearl.
And strangely, he felt like he’d seen her somewhere before.
“What a coincidence, we were just about to go find Uncle.”
“Miaomiao, hurry up and get in—we’ll take you up.”
Sheng Mingnan was extremely enthusiastic, though in his heart, he was really just looking forward to the show.
He wanted to see what expression his cold-as-ice uncle would have when he saw the young lady.
Lin Miao’s mouth twitched a few times.
…Miaomiao?
This guy was way too familiar for someone he’d just met.
Lu Zhizhou’s baby face was also full of sincerity as he immediately opened the back door, inviting Lin Miao to get in.
He was actually quite curious about what expression the aloof Third Brother would have.
“Alright.”
Lin Miao didn’t want to keep torturing her legs either.
The car sped off quickly—Sheng Mingnan didn’t dawdle, stepping on the gas directly.
In just a moment, the car drove out of the mountain forest and onto the main road.
After driving on the main road for about five minutes, they finally spotted an elegant, refined manor.
A black wrought-iron gate appeared ahead, its pillars made of gray stone carved with intricate crests.
As the car approached, the gate slid open automatically—no guard’s inquiry, no inspection. Clearly, the vehicle itself was the best pass.
A massive fountain sparkled with multicolored light under the sun.
The wide driveway was flanked by meticulously manicured lawns.
At the end of the driveway, a classical Chinese-style manor gradually revealed its full splendor.
Compared to the European-style villas in the capital, this classical Chinese manor utterly eclipsed them.
The manor’s architecture featured a symmetrical layout, with predominantly light-toned walls, numerous hand-carved window frames and reliefs, and a majestic deep-red roof.
The main entrance consisted of massive double wooden doors, flanked on either side by two large stone lions.
As far as the eye could see, there was no end in sight.
This was no ordinary residence, nor even an ordinary luxury mansion—this was the accumulated heritage of generations, the physical embodiment of power and history.
No wonder they said that the wealthy families of the capital were mere newborns before the Sheng family.
Sheng Mingnan was the first to step out, extending a most gentlemanly invitation for Lin Miao to alight from the car.
“Beautiful lady, this way, please.”
Lin Miao raised an eyebrow, showing not the slightest discomfort. Instead, she quickly blended into the surroundings, as if she were the mistress of this manor herself.
The four walked along the path, greeted from time to time by passing servants.
“Master Lu.”
“Master Cheng.”
“Young Master.”
Upon catching sight of the woman beside the Young Master, a flicker of surprise passed through the servants’ eyes before being suppressed by their impeccable breeding. They nodded slightly at Lin Miao.
Lin Miao responded with a warm smile in return.
Soon, they arrived before the vermilion-red doors.
Sheng Mingnan couldn’t contain himself and pushed the doors open, his booming voice fully on display.
“Uncle, I’ve brought your little sweetheart back for you!”
His shout made every servant in the manor look up in astonishment.
The surprise and shock in their eyes were impossible to conceal.
The master’s little sweetheart?
Lin Miao silently covered her face (/ω＼)
This was beyond embarrassing—it was embarrassment’s mother opening the door for embarrassment, arriving right at home.
She wished she could kick Sheng Mingnan, that loudspeaker, right now.
A smirk tugged at Lu Huai’s lips as he walked over and patted Sheng Mingnan on the shoulder.
He uttered a cryptic remark.
“Bold move.”