“Once your health improves, you can come back immediately. I won’t stop you then.”
Lu Rao held Lu Fengtang’s hand and acted spoiled.
“The environment in Hong Kong is better anyway. Just treat it like recuperation. If you cooperate with rehabilitation and exercise, maybe before long, you’ll want to come back—and no one will even be able to stop you.”
Given the current situation in the country, with Lu Fengtang’s identity as the head of the Lu family—who had ties to the underworld—if he were discovered anywhere, the lightest consequence would still be “re-education through labor.”
After thinking it over, Lu Rao felt Hong Kong was probably the best option right now.
Lu Fengtang lowered his gaze and carefully considered his daughter’s words.
He had originally thought he was going to die this time, and being able to see his daughter again was already a huge blessing.
But the medicine Lu Rao gave him yesterday was incredibly effective—so effective that he actually felt like he might truly recover.
People who practiced martial arts from a young age had a sharper sense of their own physical condition. Lu Fengtang trusted his instincts.
He wasn’t mistaken—his body had clearly improved significantly in just one night.
He looked at his daughter lovingly, his eyes slowly growing red.
Of course he wanted to live well—to be her strongest support.
“Dad…” Lu Rao shook his hand. “Just agree, okay? Please agree, please agree.”
Lu Fengtang could only sigh.
What father could resist his little cotton-padded jacket acting spoiled?
“Then Dad has to set three rules with you first.” He raised a hand with difficulty.
Lu Rao immediately clapped her hand with his. “No problem! Even a hundred rules is fine!”
Seeing her bright, happy expression, Lu Fengtang’s last bit of resistance collapsed completely.
He immediately began carefully listing various rules he could think of—mostly survival experience and how to protect herself in dangerous situations.
Lu Rao listened with a sore nose, nodding seriously, remembering every word.
“Also, let Ah Da go with you to the countryside.” Lu Fengtang said finally, seriously.
Ah Da was the Lu family steward, a loyal man raised by Lu Zhenxing and grew up alongside Lu Fengtang—essentially a dead soldier of the Lu family.
He was one of the most trusted people in the family.
Lu Rao suddenly remembered the plot in the novel: after Lu Fengtang disappeared, Lu Rao had left him in Shanghai to search for clues while she went alone to the northeast.
Later, when Ah Da found Lu Fengtang’s body in the underground chamber, he rushed to the northeast overnight, only to learn that Lu Rao had been framed by enemy agents.
In the end, Ah Da risked everything trying to save her—and died brutally at the hands of Jiao Shuxin.
Just remembering that description made Lu Rao’s eyes burn.
“Dad, let Ah Da go to Hong Kong with you instead.”
She lowered her head and tightly held Lu Fengtang’s hand.
She didn’t want her family to die for her.
Seeing Lu Fengtang still worried, Lu Rao sniffed and said, “A while ago I had a dream. I dreamed I might face a calamity in the future, but I don’t know what it is yet.”
“Dad, I need Ah Da to go to Hong Kong to take care of you. With him there, you’ll recover faster. And once you recover, I’ll need you to come back quickly to save me. I won’t feel safe letting anyone else go with you except him.”
Lu Fengtang stared at his daughter blankly.
He had never thought she would lie about something so serious. People of the Lu family never joked about matters like this.
So… was she really going to face danger in the future?
Thinking of the medicine that had nearly brought him back from death, Lu Fengtang’s heart gradually became certain.
He didn’t probe further into her words.
He simply decided that, at present, this arrangement was probably the best for both of them.
With that thought, he immediately wanted to fly to Hong Kong and recover as fast as possible so he could return sooner.
“Alright! Dad will listen to you!” he said solemnly.
Lu Rao happily hugged his face and kissed him.
Finally getting the hardest part of the Lu family settled, she could finally breathe a little easier.
But Lu Fengtang didn’t let her off so easily either. He forced himself to write a full page of survival instructions for the countryside in the northeast and listed all his contacts, telling her to choose trustworthy people.
“In the story, Jiao Shuxin’s ‘female lead halo’ is still too strong. Anyone who goes with those people ends up as cannon fodder,” Lu Rao thought coldly.
That was exactly how it was written in the plot.
No wonder she was so angry at the original story.
So many capable people in the Lu family—just because they tried to save her, they all ended up dying in Jiao Shuxin’s schemes.
Just because she was the “female lead.”
Lu Rao sneered inwardly.
But looking at her father’s worried expression, she didn’t refuse. She accepted everything.
“Then I’ll assign them to remote areas and keep distance for now. Inn Inn, remind me at all times not to let Jiao Shuxin exploit any gaps,” she said inwardly.
【Already noted, Master. I am your most loyal memo system.】
Lu Rao was reassured.
After everything was arranged, she handed over the three train and ship tickets she had taken from Gu Yumeng.
Lu Fengtang assumed she had bought them in advance and didn’t think much of it. Half-asleep, he only vaguely heard her say as she left:
“Dad, I’ve emptied the Lu family.”
Lu Fengtang frowned slightly.
“Emptied? Those were always your things anyway…”
Lu Rao stepped out of the secret room, smiling faintly at her father’s mutter.
Yes.
This was her best father.
He was alive. He was back.
That was more than enough.
……
She filled both courtyards’ basements with supplies and left several boxes of gold for Lu Fengtang to bring to Hong Kong.
In a place full of opportunity like Hong Kong, money was essential.
She did not take out the antiques or jewelry—those were family heirlooms for the future.
Though still young, she already felt as if she had lived through the entire storyline once. With her early training and guidance, she saw things more clearly than most.
In just two days, she had already planned all her assets and prepared everything for her father’s departure.
Then she went to the neighboring courtyard and filled the kitchen with supplies.
She needed ready-made food stored in her space.
Because once she went to the countryside—
She truly didn’t know how to cook.
A young lady could train in martial arts, fall into mud, or fight fiercely—but cooking? She could burn down an entire kitchen.
Thinking about food, she sighed deeply.
After finishing, she went to find a local street thug and had him gather his group of younger brothers to buy food all over Shanghai.
“Meals, pastries, local specialties—anything good, buy it all. The more the better. Bring everything to this courtyard.”
She handed him the keys and a stack of money and tickets.
“For this job, I’ll pay you five yuan tomorrow. Your men get one yuan each. Also, each of you gets 10 jin of grain tickets.”
The thin young man respectfully accepted everything, wiped his face, and suddenly looked up at her with red eyes.
“I know you’re helping us on purpose. Miss… are you really leaving? If the Lu family can’t keep you, you can still stay outside. We brothers will work for you—we won’t let you go hungry.”