The butler led Lu Nian’an toward another building nearby.
His steps were steady, yet hurried.
He never looked back.
Nor did he notice—
that Lu Nian’an was still holding someone else’s hand at her side.
Xia Jiuwei quietly followed beside her.
Like a shadow. Easy to forget she was even there.
The three of them passed through corridors and turned several corners.
She followed without a word, moving through the corridors like she had every right to be there.
Until they finally stopped before an exquisitely crafted door.
“Master, Miss has arrived.”
The butler announced softly.
The door slowly opened.
The room inside was brightly lit.
An elderly man sat within.
His back straight, expression stern.
Everything in the room was arranged with meticulous precision—
the desk, the chairs, the decorations, all placed exactly where they belonged.
Nothing extra.
And no warmth.
“Father, happy birthday.”
Lu Nian’an spoke first.
Her tone carried the detachment of routine.
The old man looked up at her.
He did not respond to the greeting.
“Lu Nian’an. I called you here today because there’s something we need to discuss.”
His voice was low and slow.
“Mm?”
She answered lightly, her tone already cooling.
Then casually sat down in a nearby chair.
“What is it?”
“You’re not young anymore.”
The old man looked at her steadily.
“It’s time to discuss your marriage.”
The air subtly tightened.
“Marriage?”
Lu Nian’an let out a faint laugh.
“I’m only thirty-two, and I already need to have my marriage arranged?”
“If it’s not arranged now, it’ll be too late.”
His tone did not change.
“I’ve already selected someone suitable for you.”
“Good family. Appropriate standing.”
“And young.”
He paused briefly.
“You only need to show up.”
“The rest will take care of itself.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
Lu Nian’an spoke.
Her tone had begun to stiffen.
“I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions.”
She raised her eyes.
“I’ll handle my own life.”
“This isn’t only about you.”
The old man’s voice lowered further.
She followed the entire way without a word.
No one stopped her. No one even noticed her there.
“This concerns both the Lu family and the Han family.”
“A marriage alliance benefits both sides.”
At that moment—
Lu Nian’an’s hand tightened.
She was still holding Xia Jiuwei’s hand.
Her knuckles turned pale.
“After the financial crisis,”
she said slowly, her tone turning colder,
“I remember very clearly that everything between us was already settled.”
She looked directly at him.
She didn’t look away.
“And one more thing.”
“If you want to arrange a marriage alliance—”
She paused.
Her voice lowered.
“Then go find your own children.”
“Not me.”
The room went still.
“And lastly.”
Lu Nian’an stood up.
Her tone was calm to the point of indifference.
“Mr. Lu.”
“I hope you haven’t forgotten.”
“Who the largest shareholder of both the Lu and Han families is now.”
She looked at him.
Without a trace of emotion on her face.
“So.”
“Is there anything else?”
There was no response.
Only silence.
At that moment,
the last remaining fragment of expectation in her heart—
quietly fell apart.
Leaving nothing behind.
She turned around.
Without another pause.
Still holding that hand,
she walked straight out of the room.
The door closed behind them.
The sound wasn’t loud.
Yet it cut the room off completely.
The room remained silent for a moment.
The old man’s gaze rested on the closed door.
Emotionless.
As though calculating something.
“Then proceed with the original plan.”
He spoke calmly.
Without the slightest hesitation.
The butler standing nearby frowned faintly.
“Master… doing this may not be appropriate.”
He lowered his voice.
“With Miss’s personality… she won’t accept it easily.”
The old man let out a cold hum.
“She has a bad temper.”
“But—she cares deeply about appearances.”
His tone was certain.
His tone left no room for doubt.
The butler fell silent.
He did not try to persuade him further.
He only lowered his head slightly,
though unease had already begun forming in his chest.
But in the end,
he could only obey orders.
Lu Nian’an walked quickly out of the building.
The night wind greeted her, carrying a faint chill.
Her steps had not yet slowed—
when a figure suddenly approached from ahead.
“Hmph—guess you got lucky.”
The voice sounded casual, even slightly impatient.
The moment the words fell,
the other person tossed something one-handed.
A kraft paper envelope cut through the air and landed accurately in Lu Nian’an’s hands.
She caught it instinctively.
By the time she looked up again, the person had already walked away.
Without stopping.
“Sis!”
Another voice hurried after him.
A younger-looking boy ran up to her, slightly out of breath.
“Sorry about my older brother just now…”
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly with a sheepish smile.
“Don’t take it personally. That’s just how he is.”
Her half-brother.
There was a hint of careful flattery in his tone.
“It’s not your problem.”
Lu Nian’an answered flatly.
“You should go.”
She waved her hand casually.
Without sparing him another glance.
The boy froze briefly, seeming like he still wanted to say something.
But in the end, he only nodded and turned away.
Silence settled around them once more.
Lu Nian’an lowered her gaze toward the kraft paper envelope in her hands.
Without hesitation,
she opened it.
Inside were two stapled documents.
Standard A4 size.
Each cover displayed a clear portrait photo.
Beside them were short labels:
First son of the Incheon Group, Korean descent: Im Byung-woo.
Second son of the Incheon Group: Im Hyun-jun.
Xia Jiuwei stood beside her and glanced over curiously.
Her attention caught on one of the faces.
Slightly familiar.
She looked again.
Yeah. It was him.
It was the arrogant man in the suit from earlier at the banquet—the one who had sat across from her.
Her gaze cooled slightly.
The crowd moved around them as if they weren’t even there.
People continued passing by.
Lu Nian’an flipped open the documents.
Her eyes moved quickly across the pages.
Little by little, her brows drew tighter.
On the surface,
the eldest son of the Incheon Group appeared flawless—
excellent credentials, an impressive background, almost impossible to fault.
As for the younger son—
a notorious playboy with a messy private life.
But those were only the things visible on the surface.
The deeper she read,
the colder her expression became.
Every incident in Korea had been listed in detail.
Gray-market dealings.
Illegal operations.
Even filthier transactions hidden beneath the surface.
Everything that should have existed—
and everything that never should have—
was all there.
It was only because of the protection surrounding a chaebol family
that most of it had never reached the public eye.
When she turned to the final page,
a small note slipped out.
Sis, this one’s pretty troublesome. This is as much as I could help with.
(Remember to make me CEO of Lu Group later!!)
Lu Nian’an looked at it,
then let out a quiet laugh.
“He really dares to ask for a lot.”
For once, the tension in her voice eased slightly.
Lu Zhiyuan.
That blunt, rough-spoken younger brother of hers.
Compared to those people who spoke with smiles while calculating behind her back—
he was strangely reassuring.
She tucked the documents away.
The faint warmth in her expression disappeared just as quickly.
Everything was clear now.
From the very beginning,
her father’s plan had never been a simple business marriage alliance.
The only thing left uncertain was—
when he intended to finally reveal his hand.
Under the night sky,
Lu Nian’an stood motionless.
And little by little,
the emotions in her eyes settled into something cold and sharp.