Since Miss Hu would become Third Brother’s fiancée, Sheng Xiao naturally had to investigate every familial connection of the Hu family, down to their ancestors.

  It turned out Miss Hu had met the accident two years ago. She was only a little frail physically before, but she had a cool cleverness, and was awarded many honors for exceling in her academics and had graduated in journalism.

  If her head had been normal, she would definitely have been a match for Third Brother.

  On the other hand, Hu Ran’s stepmother became a part of the Hu family four years ago. She had been a singer who had seen tough times at the entertainment industry, before eventually marrying the property magnate, securing an assurance for the latter half of her life as she wished.

  She was in her thirties, and logical speaking, she should have had a child soon after marrying into a rich family to secure her position. And yet, there were no such signs over the last four years.

  While the secrets of illustrious families appeared mysterious, it concerned nothing other than desire at the heart of the matter.

  As for the fiancée of Sheng Xiao’s Third Brother……

  Sheng Xiao obliterated the papers that recorded the Hu family’s information after reading through them.

  ***

  Tomorrow was the declaration of inheritance for the Lu family.

  On the night before, Mama Lu was laying in her bed, unable to sleep no matter what, and eventually decided to visit Lu Qianqian’s room. “Dear…… are you asleep?”


  Lu Qianqian was holding her phone and sitting over her bed, and tapped the spot beside her when her mother showed up at her door. “Come, quick.”


  “Are you talking to Mu’an?”


  “Yeah. He’s asking me to tell him about what happened at the announcement of dad’s will tomorrow.” Lu Qianqian replied.

  Sitting beside her daughter, Mama Lu leaned on her and asked, “Tell me the truth. Do you like Mu’an or not?”


  “Mother……” Abruptly finding things a little unnatural, Lu Qianqian asked, “Why are you suddenly asking me that?”


  “I protested when you had your puppy love with Duan Shao’an before. Even if we were longtime acquaintances with the Duan family, I was worried knowing Duan Shao’an’s character, but you had fallen for him so single-mindedly. That is why I can’t do a thing, and could only watch as you get hurt.”


  “After that, I swore to myself that I wouldn’t let another man hurt you, especially now that you are still twenty.”


  “However…… I have nothing to say against Mu’an.”


  “He is no younger than you are, and he took on everything when your father passed away, and thought of you and me in everything he did. If he wasn’t around, I can’t imagine how badly the funeral would have gone—I could see from there that the child is a reliable man.”


  “True, the Lin family had come to me and tried to persuade me so that you two would cut ties…… but I understand you. Mu’an is a good child, and I don’t wish that you two would part ways even before you two gave it a try. Moreover, I don’t think that returning to the Lin family is the best choice for Mu’an, because he isn’t happy there.”


  “That is why if you truly like each other, Mommy can help you.”


  Her heart warmed at her mother’s words, Lu Qianqian embraced Mama Lu. “I’ll do my best to protect you and Mu’an.’


  “So, tell Mommy. Do you really like him?”


  “I……” Lu Qianqian could not answer.

  Even as she recalled the last few days and every moment that she shared with Lin Mu’an, she felt that many things between them had exceeded the boundary of friends. Still, she was still being careful…… because she was afraid that Lin Mu’an would dislike her.

  “To tell you the truth, your mommy is very strong.”


  She had already carried out Lin Mu’an’s suggestion to secure support amongst the board of Lu Holdings.

  If Qinaqian could not shoulder that responsibility now, Mama Lu herself would take the post of chairman. Only then could she protect her own daughter.

  “The truth is…… I really like Lin Mu’an.” Lu Qianqian told her mother even as she lay in her arms. “But I’m scared, Mommy…… because I know it would be difficult if I try to live with Lin Mu’an, and I fear bringing disaster to him.”


  Mama Lu reached out to stroke her daughter’s hair at that. “You have to be brave. Don’t you see how Mu’an is holding on even if things were hard for her? As long as there is life, as long as you feel that it is worth it, why not struggle for it with everything you have?”


  “Mommy, can we really be happy?”


  “You can try……”


  ***

  As a matter of fact, Lin Mu’an had trouble sleeping at the police academy as well, and was tossing and turning around in bed without falling asleep.

  Suddenly, he received Lu Qianqian’s text. “Slept?”


  “Can’t sleep. Head’s a mess.”


  Lu Qianqian stared at the screen and wondered, when her mother’s advice suddenly popped out. What are you thinking?”


  Putting one hand over his head, Lin Mu’an thought about it for a moment and soon answered, “Thinking of you.”


  Soon, he became nervous.

  His heart was thumping wildly……

  He did not expect Lu Qianqian’s reply that came a moment later. “Me too.”


  Lin Mu’an head went blank at the text, and he promptly sat up on his bed in disbelief.

  That was why he sent another text. “I just said I was thinking about you!”


  “And I replied, me too.”


  “Little pepper……”


  “Go to sleep, Mu’an. There are things I don’t want to say things just like that. Do you have time tomorrow? Let’s meet.”


  “Come to the academy noon tomorrow, then. The reading of the will is tomorrow afternoon, right?”


  “Yep.”


  In truth, Lin Mu’an had something to tell Lu Qianqian personally too, and did not want to be noncommittal about it.

  These two youths are actually so careful even as they cherished each other.

  While they could conceal their own feelings and be friends before, the passing of Papa Lu had a tremendous impact on their relationship.

  It was especially true for Lu Qianqian. The very thought of the one she loved disappearing suddenly preventing her heart from continuing the pretense of not liking Lin Mu’an.

  As for Lin Mu’an?

  Why else did he give up on being the young master of a rich family and leave them, rather becoming a policeman and attending the police academy?

  Was it not to protect Qianqian?

  When he saw how vulnerable Lu Qianqian had been over the last few days, he hated himself the most.

  His feelings were so potent that he probably would not be able to conceal it for long, even if he didn’t reveal them now.

  Tomorrow?

  Lin Mu’an closed his eyes while clutching his phone.

  He wondered if the little pepper would suddenly back down.

  Actually, he had already decided to protect those feelings as long as Lu Qianqian did not give up, that he would put his life on the line……

  He had the confidence that he could weather through every obstacle in the world at Lu Qianqian’s side.

  Old Lin would never know or understand that no matter how he tried to stop them, he was only bringing the heart of those two youths closer.