“He went out alone?”
In a guest room on the second floor, Gu Yucheng sneered after hearing his subordinate report that Lu Rao had left.
“Carrying that expensive ginseng tea… she must be going to see that old professor in the neighboring alley again.”
“Old professor?” Qiao Shuxin, who had been arguing with Gu Yucheng over the ownership of the four chests, couldn’t help but ask.
“What old professor? Could he cause trouble for the Lu family? Getting too close to those university lecturers right now is nothing good.”
She had lived through her previous life and knew that in these years, many teachers and professors would be labeled as “stinking intellectuals.” Getting involved with them brought nothing but trouble.
Now she was the Lu family’s young lady. Until she secured her own future, nothing must happen to the Lu family!
“Hurry and send someone to bring her back. Why is she allowed to leave so freely? If she drags the Lu family into trouble, can you bear the consequences?” Qiao Shuxin frowned at Gu Yucheng.
The suppressed anger in Gu Yucheng instantly flared up. He slapped her hard across the face.
“Little bitch, who gave you the right to talk to me like that?”
Qiao Shuxin covered her face in disbelief. Her mind instantly flashed back to scenes from her previous life—being beaten and tortured by Gu Yucheng—her whole body trembling.
Seeing her fear, Gu Yucheng finally felt satisfied. He grabbed her wrist and lowered his voice in warning.
“Don’t provoke Lu Rao. No matter what she does these next few days, stay far away from her!”
“W-why?” Qiao Shuxin trembled, her voice filled with unwillingness and hatred.
Why should she avoid Lu Rao? She was nothing but an impostor—she was the real daughter of the Lu family!
“Why?” Gu Yucheng snapped. “Because she is the heir personally written into the clan registry by the old master, acknowledged before the ancestors. Whether she is blood-related or not, she can inherit the Lu family!”
He was secretly proud that he had raised Lu Rao into such a “useless” state that she forgot one crucial thing—so long as she herself didn’t relinquish her status, no one could strip her of it.
So before fully expelling her from the Lu family, it was best not to provoke her.
More importantly, Gu Yucheng knew the truth—Lu Rao was the real Lu family heiress. She carried the ruthless blood of the Lu family in her bones.
But he didn’t say this. Not even to Qiao Shuxin.
Instead, he lied to her that Lu Rao was a child he had brought back, that the real daughter of Lu Fengtang had died long ago, and that Qiao Shuxin should impersonate her to seize the Lu family fortune together with him.
In Gu Yucheng’s mind, only he knew Lu Rao’s true identity. That was the safest arrangement.
But Qiao Shuxin was already drowning in jealousy.
“Why is Grandpa so good to that impostor?! I’m the real daughter of the Lu family!”
She clenched her teeth, already determined to seize everything from the Lu family.
In her previous life, Lu Rao had been sent to the countryside like a useless pawn anyway—she had taken nothing with her.
A useless girl who knew nothing—Qiao Shuxin didn’t believe she couldn’t deal with her.
She glanced at the guest room arranged for her—small, remote, shabby.
Meanwhile, Lu Rao’s room was large and luxurious, located in the very center.
She couldn’t accept it.
“Good that you went out. Lu Rao… when you come back, the Lu family will already have changed hands.”
Qiao Shuxin tightened her fists, already forming a plan.
“Did you hear me? Don’t provoke Lu Rao!” Gu Yucheng snapped again.
Qiao Shuxin snapped back to attention, glanced at him coldly, and said with disdain, “I don’t need you to teach me what to do.”
A useless parasite like him wasn’t worth her attention anymore.
“You—!” Gu Yucheng was furious, rolling up his sleeves—but Qiao Shuxin had already slammed the door shut in his face.
At that moment, a subordinate rushed over in panic.
“Second Master! Something’s happened downstairs!”
“The basement?” Gu Yucheng’s expression changed instantly. He abandoned the argument and hurried downstairs.
Chaoyang Residence
After entering the alley, Lu Rao turned into a dilapidated doorway, twisting through several turns before slipping into an abandoned kitchen shed.
She moved a large water jar aside—revealing a hidden tunnel underneath.
From her space, she retrieved a set of night clothes, changed quickly, and took out a flashlight before descending into the tunnel with practiced ease.
The underground passages connecting the Lu residence and Chaoyang Residence were like a maze—interconnected and complex.
When she was a child, her father had brought her here every month—not only to train her, but to help her memorize the routes.
Back then, she thought it was just a game.
Only now did she understand her father’s intention.
The tunnel was long and winding.
It took her nearly fifteen minutes to reach the section beneath the rear courtyard wall of Chaoyang Residence.
By now, the residence had long been confiscated and turned into a street office, and there were still staff on duty upstairs.
Lu Rao moved extremely carefully, making no sound at all.
Passing through a hidden iron door ten meters underground, she emerged beneath the rear courtyard of the Lu residence.
Her mind was fixed on her father’s safety. Without hesitation, she headed straight for the basement where, according to the plot, he was being held.
As expected, every exit was guarded, each guard armed.
If she came down from the main entrance, she would be caught immediately.
But at this moment, it was shift change during dinner time—the guards were distracted.
This was exactly what she was waiting for.
She circled behind one guard, covered his mouth, and struck him cleanly on the neck. He collapsed instantly.
“Try putting him into the space. See if others can be stored too.”
She communicated with the system while tying a black cloth over his eyes and tossing him into the space.
The system immediately responded.
【Host, once inside the space, he loses consciousness.】
【From now on, anyone you store inside will pose no threat to you.】
Lu Rao understood.
She was about to turn a corner when she suddenly heard footsteps and a man cursing inside the nearby chamber.
“Damn it, why did he suddenly go bad? So unlucky!”
“Gu Yucheng!”
Lu Rao’s expression turned instantly cold.
But then—
What did he just say?
Her father…
“No. Impossible!”