When Jiang Hezhou realized that Chu Luyu was lying, several thoughts flashed through his mind—
Why was she lying?
Had there been another man?
Was she… thinking of cheating?
The restaurant was located between the interest class studio and Jiang Hezhou’s apartment. The car drove eastward for about half an hour before arriving at the apartment building.
Chu Luyu assumed Jiang Hezhou wouldn’t get out, so she reached into the back seat to grab the takeout containers. But to her surprise, the driver’s side door opened and the man stepped out.
“I’ll get it.”
Chu Luyu quickly waved her hand. “Go do your thing—you don’t need to walk me up.”
Jiang Hezhou didn’t stop. He stepped past her and leaned into the back seat, his voice calm and even: “I’m not going back to the bureau. I’ll come home with you.”
“Huh? Didn’t you say you were busy today?”
“Yeah. Turns out I’m not anymore.”
Earlier, when he’d gotten out to pick up the food from the restaurant, Jiang Hezhou had texted his colleagues at the team to let them know he wasn’t coming back.
In fact, for this particular case, he had already completed everything required of him as a forensic examiner. The current phase was the investigative stage, and he’d grown accustomed to staying at the bureau like usual, discussing leads and offering input with his colleagues.
But today… he couldn’t guarantee that his emotions wouldn’t affect his judgment.
After all, his mind was in chaos right now, and his ability to think clearly was certainly far below normal.
Once they got home, Jiang Hezhou went about everything as usual. Chu Luyu, being rather carefree, didn’t notice anything off about him. She directed him to put the takeout into bowls and even told him to give her an extra serving of rice—she’d expended too much energy today and needed to eat more.
Expended too much energy…
Those four words made Jiang Hezhou unconsciously tighten his grip on the spoon in his hand.
He knew he shouldn’t be suspicious like this. There was absolutely no way Chu Luyu’s character was questionable. Even if something had really happened, perhaps it was only an emotional affair at most.
Anything else was absolutely impossible. Absolutely.
During dinner, Chu Luyu praised the restaurant’s food multiple times, saying how fragrant and delicious it was. Jiang Hezhou remained silent, simply picking up food and placing it into her bowl as he always did.
Eventually, the little girl sensed something was off. She held up her chopsticks and bowl, cheeks stuffed full, tilting her head to look at him.
After observing him for a few seconds, she suddenly asked: “What’s wrong with you? I feel like you’re being so quiet today?”
Jiang Hezhou raised his eyes and met her gaze.
The light in the girl’s eyes was still as soft and sparkling as ever. She was looking at him with such focus—he could read genuine care and concern in those beautiful almond-shaped eyes.
Forget it.
Jiang Hezhou told himself.
Whatever happened today, whatever reason she had for lying—it didn’t matter anymore.
As long as she was still by his side, still belonged to him, that was probably enough.
Even if she really was hiding something from him, even if someone else had truly appeared in her life, it certainly wasn’t her intention.
His little fiancée was so innocent and kind. Even if she did step out of line, it must have been because some other man had seduced her.
Others had plotted for a long time; with her personality, she definitely wouldn’t have seen through it. Naive and confused, she might have just fallen into a trap…
It was his fault for not being vigilant. His fault for being too busy and neglecting her.
It wasn’t her fault.
Jiang Hezhou silently accepted this line of thinking, and the heavy, gloomy aura around him noticeably diminished.
He looked back at Chu Luyu, his expression softening. “It’s nothing. I’m just a bit tired today.”
“Oh… Well, go rest after you finish eating! I’ll handle the dishes tonight!” The little girl’s eyes sparkled as she assured Jiang Hezhou with great confidence, “Don’t worry—I’ll make sure every bowl and every chopstick is perfectly clean!”
All she had to do was toss everything into the dishwasher—it wouldn’t take much effort on her part.
Jiang Hezhou was finally amused by her again. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, but he still said: “No need. I’ll do it.”
After dinner, Chu Luyu, as usual, grabbed a bunch of snacks and went to the living room to watch shows on her computer.
After Jiang Hezhou took the dishes out of the dishwasher and put them away, he came out to see her clutching a bag of potato chips, laughing heartily.
He stood there quietly for a moment, watching her, then turned and walked into her room.
Afterward, both of them had changed into loungewear. Normally, the girl would toss the clothes she’d worn all day into the laundry basket.
When he went to look, sure enough, he found them there.
Her dress, a thin white outer layer, and… underwear.
Jiang Hezhou paused for a moment, then picked up the entire laundry basket. He also stripped the bed sheets and covers from her room and replaced them with a fresh set.
Chu Luyu was completely oblivious to everything happening in her room. When Jiang Hezhou came back out, he was carrying a pile of items to be washed.
“I stripped your bed sheets and stuff—I’ll wash them for you.”
This was something Jiang Hezhou normally did anyway. At home, Chu Luyu practically had to do nothing except eat with her own hands and mouth; everything else was taken care of by him.
So she wasn’t particularly surprised. The show on TV happened to be at an intense scene—she didn’t even turn her head.
“Okay, thanks for that.”
It’s no trouble—how could it be? He’d never found it troublesome any other time, least of all today.
Jiang Hezhou silently carried the items to the laundry room. Once the door was closed, he gently locked it from the inside.
After making sure the little girl wouldn’t come running in, his movements became less restrained.
He set the bedsheets aside first, turned on the faucet, and filled the sink with water.
At the very bottom of the laundry basket lay a matching set of cream-colored underwear. Without a word, he took them out and placed them under the running water.
The padding was just as soft as he remembered from last time. The outer fabric was fine and delicate, and it looked like it offered good coverage.
Jiang Hezhou was uncharacteristically free of any amorous thoughts. He brought the garment to his nose and smelled it—he wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt he could detect that man’s cologne on the fabric as well.
His expression turned cold again, beyond his control.
He grabbed the laundry detergent and poured nearly half the bottle into the sink. Then, expressionless, he began rubbing those two small pieces of clothing, over and over.
Jiang Hezhou washed every piece of Chu Luyu’s clothing, inside and out, three times. Finally, he brought the damp fabric to his nose again—still not satisfied—and silently opened the door to fetch something else.
The little girl outside was still obliviously watching TV, completely unaware of what was happening on his end. He quietly walked to his own bathroom, grabbed his body wash, and came back. Throughout the entire process, she never once looked back—just sat there smiling, clutching her snacks.
Jiang Hezhou returned to the laundry room without a sound. The clothes, already rubbed many times, were soaking in the sink. Without a second thought, he opened the body wash and poured the entire bottle in.
His own scent now completely enveloped Chu Luyu’s clothes—a subtle, elegant cold fir fragrance. If he weren’t afraid that Chu Luyu might find it overpowering, he would have poured in disinfectant too.
Because he spent most of his days in the dissection room, the little girl had once said he smelled like disinfectant.
He’d never thought about these things before, but now, he wanted every trace of his scent to completely possess her.
Inside and out, every inch—he wanted her to carry his smell.
It wasn’t until the next day that Chu Luyu discovered that her clothes—including her underwear—had all been washed by Jiang Hezhou.
She stared in shock and asked the system what was going on. The system said it had been watching TV with her yesterday and hadn’t paid any attention to the male lead’s movements.
After thinking it over, she decided to ask Jiang Hezhou directly.
“Jiang Hezhou… why, why did you wash all my clothes again?”
The little girl phrased it tactfully, but Jiang Hezhou knew what she really meant. He deliberately played dumb, his gaze calm as he looked at her.
“We’re going to get married sooner or later. Washing your partner’s clothes is part of marital duties—I’m just fulfilling my responsibilities ahead of time.”
The man spoke with his eyes lowered, looking at her. Behind his glasses, his eyes were like two deep seas—calm and unfathomable, yet so deep they made one want to drown in them.
Chu Luyu felt that his gaze today was unusually possessive. She swallowed unconsciously and quickly said to the system: [Cuihua, I feel like the male lead is acting really strange. And what’s this about marriage… why is he bringing up marriage? Since he already harbors such disgust for me, logically he should avoid the topic altogether and drag things out as long as possible, right?]
System Cuihua: [Oh my god, would you stop worrying so much? The male lead’s aversion value is steadily climbing every day. I checked this morning—his disgust for you has gone from before down to -69 now. That means in the past couple of days, he’s secretly been disgusted by you several more times! As for marriage… don’t you remember? In the original plot, the male lead tolerated the original owner all along. If not for that final incident, he probably never would have considered breaking the engagement. At this stage, even though he’s annoyed by you inside, his sense of duty remains. You’re his fiancée, so of course he has to think about your future together. And washing his future wife’s clothes—even the intimate ones—is only natural.]
The system’s explanation barely satisfied Chu Luyu.
After breakfast, she was driven to the interest class studio by Jiang Hezhou as usual.
Earlier that morning, the renovation workers had called to say the cabinets and study tables would arrive today. In the car, she chattered to Jiang Hezhou about this, her mood quite high.
“Once the tables and chairs are here, I can start trial classes right away! I’ve already got seven or eight parents who’ve shown interest in my WeChat. I mean, it’s not a lot… but at least it’s a good start!”
Chu Luyu smiled, her face full of anticipation for the future: “One student at 1,000 yuan a month, seven students makes 7,000—minus rent and utilities… ah, when I calculate it like that, it doesn’t seem like I’ll have much left.”
Jiang Hezhou reassured her: “Once your business model matures, more students will come.”
He had also quietly made arrangements and spread the word in his own circles. Many people at the bureau had already said they’d consider bringing their kids to try her classes. He’d even asked his older brother to post an ad in the employee group.
The scale here was bound to grow. Perhaps half a year from now, this space wouldn’t be enough, and she’d need a bigger venue.
Chu Luyu had no idea what he was thinking, but she nodded in agreement anyway.
“I like hearing you say that. One day, I’ll definitely become a hardworking gardener with students everywhere! My students will give back to me, and my enrollment will keep flowing in. Maybe eventually I’ll establish a big chain institution, with students across the country… I’ll leap to the top of the Forbes female entrepreneurs list!”
Jiang Hezhou was amused by her. Just then, the car pulled up to the studio building. He reached over and ruffled her hair. “Alright, future tycoon, time to get out.”
He paused, then added: “I’ll come have lunch with you today.”
“Huh? Why?”
Wasn’t he supposed to be super busy? And he’d never come to see her at noon before.
“No reason. I just want to.” Jiang Hezhou’s expression remained gentle. “Get out now.”
Chu Luyu was baffled, but once she got busy later, she didn’t have time to think about it.
The workers arrived about half an hour after she did.
The cabinets and tables all needed assembly. She diligently worked alongside them all morning, and by nearly noon, everything was finally done.
She transferred extra money to the workers for their meals and drinks, telling them to grab some food near the school, rest a bit, and come back in the afternoon.
After they left, she was about to go eat too, but remembering what Jiang Hezhou had said that morning, she hesitated over whether to call him first.
Just then, she heard the clatter of footsteps outside. Thinking a worker had left something behind, she turned around—and found Qi Mubai and the little young master she’d met that day standing there.
Chu Luyu stiffened, looking at them with confusion.
Qi Mubai looked uncharacteristically awkward. After a light cough, he tugged the little boy in front of him forward. “He… insisted on coming to hear your class. Wants a trial session.”
Qi Mubai’s brother-in-law had married into the family, so the child carried the Qi surname—his name was Qi Xuecheng.
Little Xuecheng, unusually obedient to his uncle, nodded with a solemn, dignified air. “Yes. If I’m to enroll here, I need to assess your teaching standards.”
After saying that, he secretly squeezed his little hands, which had already started sweating.
Truth be told, he didn’t actually want to come here to learn painting. His family had already hired a nationally renowned master to be his foundational teacher—he didn’t need anyone else to teach him.
But that day, when he saw this older sister handing out flyers on the street, she was so pretty and smiled so brightly. Watching her chat cheerfully with other kids, little Xuecheng couldn’t help wanting to get closer to her.
So he’d asked his driver to stop the car. And later, he’d insisted that his family sign him up for this interest class.
Only he didn’t know what was up with his uncle.
At first, his uncle and his mom had both looked down on this place. His uncle had taken one look at the flyer and called it a small workshop, saying coming here would be a waste of time.
So why was he the one who’d brought up sending him for a trial session during lunch break today?
Truth be told, Qi Mubai also felt he’d lost his mind.
Logically, he should stay as far away from this woman as possible. But after meeting her yesterday, especially after she’d briefly helped him in the elevator, he’d felt something strange stir in his heart…
He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Anyway, during his lunch break, he’d inexplicably gone to pick up little Qi Xuecheng, and then just as inexplicably brought him here.
Chu Luyu was internally speechless.
After yesterday’s encounter with Qi Mubai, she’d already stopped expecting this little young master to become her student. Now that they were here, she almost felt reluctant to accept him.
After all, his uncle was truly insufferable, and she didn’t want any further contact with male lead number two.
But after much hesitation, she couldn’t bring herself to turn away a child. Still, she didn’t act overly enthusiastic—just said flatly, “Come with me to the one-on-one studio.”
The one-on-one studio was the first room in the interest class to be finished. Since it didn’t need much furniture, it still looked rather bare when the door opened.
Two easels stood in the center of the room. Chu Luyu took out a stack of fresh drawing paper and pencils from the side, split them into two sets, and placed them on the easels.
“Welcome, little friend, to Teacher Lulu’s one-on-one class. In today’s trial session, besides assessing your drawing foundation and hands-on ability, I’ll also tailor a future learning plan based on your areas of interest—”
Qi Mubai had been observing from the sidelines. At this point, he couldn’t help interjecting: “His foundational skills were taught by Master Qi—there’s no need for further instruction. And as for his areas of interest…”
Chu Luyu cut him off impatiently, her expression less than pleasant: “I’m just teaching my way. If you have a problem with it, you can take the child and leave.”
Upon hearing this, little Xuecheng pouted and shot his uncle a resentful glare.
Qi Mubai hadn’t expected to be shut down like that. He’d only meant to give her a helpful reminder—how had that managed to piss her off again?
How could he possibly know that Chu Luyu was only tolerating him out of basic politeness? If not for the child being present, she’d have kicked him out long ago.
The rest of the lesson went much more quietly.
Perhaps because she’d lost her temper once, Qi Mubai kept his mouth shut. She’d deliberately not prepared a chair for him, yet he didn’t complain—just stood behind with his arms crossed.
Chu Luyu thought to herself that at least he doted on the child in his family. But that still didn’t change the fact that she found him insufferable.
Halfway through the trial session, Chu Luyu accidentally cut her hand with a paper cutter. The wound was a bit deep, and she hissed in pain involuntarily.
Little Xuecheng noticed right away. With a small gasp, he quickly trotted over to the corner to grab his little backpack.
He always kept a small medical kit in his bag, stocked with supplies for all kinds of emergencies.
He pulled out a Band-Aid printed with Ultraman, pattered over to Chu Luyu, his face full of worry and urgency.
“Teacher, use this to stop the bleeding!”
Chu Luyu’s heart instantly softened at the sight of the little boy looking up at her with such anxious concern. She regretted not having been warmer with him earlier.
His uncle was annoying—that didn’t mean he was.
She was about to take the Band-Aid when a large hand appeared beside her and snatched it away first.
Chu Luyu looked up with a less-than-friendly glare. But Qi Mubai ignored her, peeling open the Band-Aid’s packaging as he said, “Give me your hand. I’ll do it.”
“No need.” Chu Luyu was so annoyed with him she could barely stop herself from rolling her eyes constantly—there was no way she’d let him help. “Just give it to me. I can do it myself.”
Qi Mubai could sense her rejection. A spark of irritation flared in him—and for some reason, he was determined to have his way.
He silently grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her toward him. Chu Luyu had no time to dodge; before she could react, he was holding her finger and pressing the Band-Aid onto it.
And just then, a knock came at the door.
Chu Luyu looked over—and saw Jiang Hezhou, appearing like a specter, standing outside the door. Behind his glasses, his eyes were dark and unfathomable—
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