Chapter 15: Gaining Initial Trust

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Everyone’s attention immediately shifted to Lu Hongyu and Ning Lu. Even the servants nearby could not resist gossiping.

Lu Hongyu sat calmly in a single armchair on the other side, meeting Lu Sui’s gaze without flinching.

Ning Lu stole a glance at Lu Yanfeng’s reaction. Her heart began beating inexplicably faster, and her fingers nervously twisted the fabric of her clothes.

“Ning Lu was hungry, so I took her out to eat. Is there anything wrong with that?” Lu Hongyu said calmly. “Or should I have acted like you and gotten handsy with her?”

“You!” Lu Sui looked at Lu Yanfeng in alarm. The trouble he had caused last time had not yet blown over.

“That’s enough. Stop embarrassing yourselves, one after another.” Lu Yanfeng cut off the exchange between the two brothers.

“Ning Lu was invited here by Dad. We should at least show our guest some courtesy.”

Lu Hongyu deliberately added the last sentence, his gaze sharpening as he fixed his eyes on Lu Sui.

Ning Lu froze for a moment. She had not expected Lu Hongyu to speak up for her. Somehow, they had suddenly found themselves on the same side.

“Dad, look how close they are,” Lu Sui said through clenched teeth before turning to Lu Yanfeng.

Lu Yanfeng could not quite determine Lu Hongyu’s attitude, but there was nothing wrong with what he had said.

Since Ning Lu was, in a sense, a guest in their home, there was nothing inappropriate about entertaining her. Besides, the two of them had always appeared together openly in public.

“Uncle Feng, I should actually thank the eldest young master. He’s helped me a great deal. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have adjusted to this place so quickly.”

Ning Lu smiled as she spoke. The hidden meaning in her words was clear to everyone present.

Ning Lu exchanged a glance with Lu Hongyu. Together, they aimed their fire at Lu Sui.

“Wherever Ning Lu and I go, we do so openly. Plenty of people have seen us, so there’s nothing for us to fear.”

Lu Hongyu spoke each word slowly, the warning in his eyes unmistakable.

Lu Sui was left speechless. He could not simply produce the photographs, or he would lose the leverage he needed to threaten them in the future.

“That’s enough. We’re all family. You’re several years older than Ning Lu, so you should take better care of her.”

Lu Yanfeng’s face darkened, and his words carried the force of an order.

“I understand,” Lu Sui muttered unhappily.

The ringing of a phone broke the silence. Lu Hongyu rose and went outside to answer it. The moment he left, Lu Sui found an excuse and slipped away.

Only Ning Lu and Lu Yanfeng remained in the living room. Lu Yanfeng asked with concern what she had been busy with lately.

Ning Lu answered truthfully. As she looked at Lu Yanfeng, she noticed him give a light cough, a trace of weariness showing on his face.

“Uncle Feng, I recently learned a new massage technique. Would you like me to try it on you?”

Speaking softly, Ning Lu slowly rose and walked around behind the sofa.

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“All right.” Lu Yanfeng remembered that Ning Lu’s technique had been quite good the last time. He had slept especially well that night.

Ning Lu placed two fingers against Lu Yanfeng’s temples and gently massaged them, gradually moving downward to his neck before applying slightly more pressure to his shoulders.

Lu Yanfeng felt the tension in his shoulders ease considerably, and his tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed.

Ning Lu kept a close eye on his expression, watching to see which pressure points brought him the most relief.

Outside, the man speaking on the phone caught a glimpse of the tender scene in the living room from the corner of his eye.

A trace of coldness flashed through Lu Hongyu’s eyes, and his attention gradually shifted.

Ning Lu was massaging Lu Yanfeng while his beloved father wore an expression of utter contentment.

This woman really knew what she was doing. She always seemed to know exactly how to please his father.

“Mr. Lu.” A voice from the phone urged Lu Hongyu to make a decision.

“That shipment will go by air, not by sea,” Lu Hongyu said sharply.

“But that will triple the cost…” His subordinate hesitated.

“It doesn’t matter. Just make sure it arrives safely.”

With that, Lu Hongyu hung up.

His phone vibrated once. He saw a message from Ajiu.

“It looks like Ning Xiang has been abducted.”

A cold glint flickered in Lu Hongyu’s eyes, and he narrowed them slightly.

“Keep investigating.”

Lu Hongyu put away his phone, turned, and strode off in another direction.

That evening, only Ning Lu and Lu Yanfeng were at dinner. Ning Lu peeled shrimp for him, carefully removing the veins as well.

She was deft with her hands. Wearing gloves, she peeled each shrimp cleanly and placed them one by one on Lu Yanfeng’s plate.

“The servants can take care of things like this,” Lu Yanfeng said, a gentle smile on his face.

“You’ve given me so many things. I should at least show you a little gratitude, shouldn’t I?” Ning Lu joked. “Otherwise, I’d feel embarrassed.”

“There’s no need…” Lu Yanfeng shook his head. “All you have to do is live here at ease.”

Ning Lu had been waiting a long time to share an idea with him, but she had never found the right opportunity.

She removed her gloves, wiped her hands, and placed a large piece of abalone in Lu Yanfeng’s bowl.

“Uncle Feng, actually, I have an idea…” Ning Lu slowed her speech. “I don’t know if I should bring it up.”

“Go ahead.” Lu Yanfeng set down his chopsticks and listened attentively.

“You see, I spend quite a lot of time at home. Would it be possible for me to study something else?”

Ning Lu’s heart tightened. She was afraid he would refuse.

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“Isn’t it nice to stay home and relax?” Lu Yanfeng asked gently. He assumed that most girls did not enjoy hardship.

“Of course it’s nice to live comfortably, but I’m still young. I think learning more would certainly be useful.”

Ning Lu’s voice was soft and gentle, and she adopted a pleading expression as she sought his approval.

“What would you like to learn?” Lu Yanfeng asked curiously.

“I heard that the Lu family owns several Michelin-starred restaurants. I’d like to go and help out.”

Ning Lu sounded tentative. If she wanted to gain access to the inner workings of the Lu family, she would have to start from the bottom.

“Lu Sui is still mainly in charge of the catering business…”

Lu Yanfeng thought of how vindictive that boy could be. He might well take revenge on Ning Lu, and he could not bear to see her suffer.

“I see…” Ning Lu’s gaze gradually dimmed, disappointment settling over her features.

“Would you be willing to learn by working alongside Hongyu?” Lu Yanfeng asked quietly.

“As long as the eldest young master has no objections, I’m willing to do anything.” Ning Lu smiled faintly.

“Very well. I’ll speak to Yu’er later. If a suitable opportunity comes up, I’ll have him bring you over.”

A thought flashed through Lu Yanfeng’s mind. Lu Sui had mentioned that Ning Lu and Lu Hongyu were quite close.

The matter had lodged itself firmly in Lu Yanfeng’s heart. He was curious to see whether the two of them would actually do anything together.

“All right. Thank you, Uncle Feng.” A smile curved Ning Lu’s lips.

After dinner, Ning Lu returned to her room to rest, her mind filled with all kinds of plans.

She could sense that Lu Yanfeng had a favorable impression of her. His agreement to let her work alongside Lu Hongyu was also a sign of his trust.

As long as she had the opportunity to achieve something impressive and win Lu Yanfeng’s complete trust as quickly as possible, she would be able to obtain what Aunt Yue wanted sooner…

Her phone vibrated. Ning Lu saw a message from Aunt Yue.

“There isn’t much time. You must get the item within a month. Otherwise, you’ll bear the consequences.”

The message from Aunt Yue carried an unmistakable sense of pressure. Ning Lu quickly replied:

“Understood.”

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