Volume One, Chapter 14: Shall We Be Together?

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For some reason, Lu Zhaochuan felt that the license plate looked familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. Yet, he couldn’t quite recall where at the moment.

Frowning slightly, he suppressed his irritation and turned back toward the hospital.

He had promised to bring soup to Huanhuan and had already delayed long enough. Besides, with his parents there, it wouldn’t be right to simply not return.

When Lu Zhaochuan arrived at the ward, he found that his father and mother were already there.

Lin Qianyu was sitting beside Lin Yihuan, peeling an apple for her.

Lu’s parents were smiling and chatting with her, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.

Lin Yihuan immediately noticed Lu Zhaochuan’s arrival, her eyes shining with a bright smile.

“Brother Zhaochuan! You came to see me!”

She instinctively tried to sit up from the bed, but Lu’s father gently stopped her.

“Huanhuan, your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. It’s best not to move around too much. Taking care of yourself is the most important thing. If you want Brother Zhaochuan to visit, you should rest more and he’ll come anytime.”

Lin Yihuan lowered her head shyly. “Brother Zhaochuan is so busy every day; I feel bad troubling him too much.”

“That’s no trouble at all. Uncle has liked you from the start. Back then, Brother Zhaochuan’s engagement was to the Lin family’s daughter. Now that you are truly the Lin family’s young lady, naturally the engagement should be with you. Once you recover, we’ll hold the engagement ceremony properly so Uncle can finally rest easy.”

Lu’s father spoke with unusual seriousness, as if he were eagerly anticipating it.

Lu’s mother’s smile stiffened slightly before she gently tapped her husband’s arm in a reminder.

But he seemed oblivious, not even glancing at her.

“Uncle Lu, I know Brother Zhaochuan is wonderful, but everyone knows he is my sister’s fiancé. Their engagement was settled long ago. Since I’ve returned home, my sister has suffered many grievances. I don’t want to do anything that would hurt her further, so about this engagement matter, I think it’s better if—”

Lin Yihuan looked down, nervously twisting the edge of her clothes, her voice growing sadder.

Her maturity was almost heartbreaking. Seeing this, Lu’s father sighed involuntarily.

“Good child, Uncle knows your kind heart, but your sister has said she wants nothing more to do with the Lin family. She’s really impossible to reconcile with. Still, I think—”

Before Lu’s father could finish, Lu Zhaochuan interrupted coldly.

“Dad, I’ve said before, I can handle the engagement matter myself. You don’t need to interfere. Don’t bring it up again. Huanhuan’s health isn’t good yet, so don’t make things difficult for her.”

As he spoke, Lu Zhaochuan opened a thermos container and pushed the ginseng soup toward Lin Yihuan.

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“Drink some soup. It’s your favorite flavor. Getting better soon is the most important thing.”

Lin Yihuan’s eyes glistened with tears as she looked at Lu Zhaochuan and obediently nodded.

“All right, let’s not mention this matter for now. Once Huanhuan recovers, our families will sit down and talk properly. After all, these are children’s matters, and we need to make some decisions.”

Lu’s father smiled in agreement, saying no more.

After Lu’s parents left, only Lin Yihuan and Lu Zhaochuan remained in the ward.

She lay on the bed, hesitation visible on her face.

“Brother Zhaochuan, actually, I’ve had an idea I want to discuss with you…”

“Go ahead,” Lu Zhaochuan replied.

“I think… since my sister has been away from home for more than three years and suddenly came back only to leave everyone behind—even you—could it be that she met another man while she was away?”

Lin Yihuan’s words struck a chord deep within Lu Zhaochuan.

He clenched his fist, his expression growing fierce.

“No! Even if there is someone else, I will never let her go!”

“What we’re doing now is just speculation, but if we pretend to be together, maybe we can test her true feelings.”

Lin Yihuan looked serious, as if she had already made up her mind.

“What do you mean?”

Lu Zhaochuan asked, puzzled.

“We can pretend to be a couple and see if she gets jealous. If she does, it means she still cares about you. As long as she cares, this matter will be easier to handle.”

At her words, Lu Zhaochuan’s eyes brightened, but he looked at Lin Yihuan with some reluctance.

“If we do that, wouldn’t it be too unfair to you?”

“It’s okay, Brother Zhaochuan. I just want everyone to be well. I hope you can reconcile with my sister.”

Lin Yihuan took Lu Zhaochuan’s hand and smiled warmly.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhiyu, who had gotten into the car, quietly spoke to the man beside her.

“Thank you.”

Shen Du responded indifferently without even looking at her.

A notification sounded on the phone. Lin Zhiyu seemed to remember something and checked the message.

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It was a bill sent by Lin Qianyu’s assistant.

Over the years, from childhood to now, every expense—from tuition to daily necessities—was printed and sent in a long list.

Lin Zhiyu stared at the dense bills without changing expression as memories flooded her mind.

Yet she showed no overt reaction, as if devoid of emotion, finally fixing her gaze on the total amount.

The Lin family had spared no expense in raising their young lady, and naturally, it had cost a great deal over more than a decade.

The sum had even surpassed one hundred million yuan.

Yet, this enormous figure only made Lin Zhiyu sigh softly.

“Miss Lin’s debts are quite substantial.”

A teasing voice beside her pulled Lin Zhiyu back to reality.

She barely frowned and then seemed to think of something, putting away her phone and looking seriously at Shen Du.

“Mr. Shen, since you’ve already seen everything, I think there’s no need to keep hiding. I do owe a lot of money. You said before that our relationship is a partnership, so if possible, can we discuss the payment now?”

Shen Du paused, holding the documents.

He raised an eyebrow and then fixed his deep gaze on Lin Zhiyu.

“Didn’t Fang Li give you the secondary card? Not enough?”

His tone was mocking, but his face carried a chill.

The intense pressure gradually eased, but Lin Zhiyu couldn’t help feeling nervous.

“If I keep using the secondary card, you’re the only one losing out. I think it’s better to settle everything clearly, so I can take the money with a clear conscience. I don’t want to feel inferior because of these matters.”

She struggled to remain calm as she expressed her thoughts again.

Shen Du nodded thoughtfully, about to speak, but the car had already slowly stopped at the entrance of a high-end club.

“My time is limited. We can talk about this later tonight.”

The car door opened, and Shen Du left after saying this.