Inside the parking lot, under the dim lights.
Their eyes met, and time seemed to pause at that moment.
But, it was only a moment of distraction.
Lu Xuan's clever little mind instantly completed an extremely calm logical analysis!
"He looks extremely similar to my brother."
"He appeared here and sent people to follow me..."
"This is definitely not a coincidence!"
"This must be a huge conspiracy targeting my brother!"
Lu Xuan's eyes, not only lost their usual playfulness, but also flashed with a ruthlessness that was completely out of character for her appearance... Fine.
Then I'll play along with you.
I'll fight fire with fire!
She wanted to see who this "fake" really was, and what unspeakable secrets were hidden behind him!
...The next second.
Lu Xuan's expression did a complete 180-degree turn.
Her previous vigilance instantly switched to an innocent look of panic!
She deliberately stumbled, letting out an "Oh no" as she staggered out from behind a pillar, looking as if she had just realized she was being followed and was scared stiff.
The burly men in black, who were Yan Che's subordinates, heard the noise and immediately swarmed forward like hungry wolves!
They surrounded her petite figure!
"Who... who are you?!"
Lu Xuan's voice trembled, full of fear, yet with a hint of defiance.
"What do you want to do?"
"I'm telling you, my brother is Lu Cheng! If you dare to touch a single hair on me, he will definitely not let you off!"
Her performance was textbook perfect!
She flawlessly portrayed a naive young lady from a wealthy family who, though inexperienced, was encountering danger for the first time and instinctively resorted to using her brother's name to scare people.
At this moment.
Yan Che finally stepped slowly out of the black car.
He didn't rush forward, but maintained a very "gentlemanly" distance from Lu Xuan, showing his "harmlessness."
A gentle, refined smile was on his face, enough to deceive countless young girls.
"Excuse me, are you Miss Lu Xuan?"
He spoke, deliberately slowing his voice, adopting a lazy tone similar to Lu Cheng's.
"My name is Yan Che."
"Your brother, Lu Cheng, asked me to pick you up."
...Lu Xuan sneered inwardly when she heard his words, almost losing her composure.
"Hmph! As expected, he's after my brother!"
"Trying to imitate my brother's way of speaking? Not even close!"
"Do you think I'm a three-year-old, believing whatever you say?"
But her face remained blank, her head tilted to the side, her eyes wide as she scrutinized Yan Che up and down.
"My brother?"
"When did my brother have a friend like you in the Imperial Capital... someone I've never seen before?"
Yan Che secretly chuckled at her expression.
He knew that to make her fully trust him, he needed to reveal something genuine.
"Little sister Lu Xuan, don't be nervous."
Yan Che's smile lessened slightly, revealing a helpless look, as if he genuinely understood, "Your brother has been unusually busy lately."
"You know how he is; when he gets busy, he tends to focus and forget other things..."
"He was afraid you'd secretly run to the Imperial Capital, unfamiliar with the place, and get hurt. So he specifically asked me to pick you up and take good care of you."
To make his words sound even more convincing.
He had prepared a lot... "He also said."
Yan Che paused, looking into Lu Xuan's eyes, and slowly added.
"You've loved osmanthus cake from Sheng Tang Yue Fu since you were little; it's sweet but not cloying, melts in your mouth, and no other place makes it quite as good."
"I've already sent someone to buy some; it should be arriving soon."
"Come with me to the car first; it's too crowded and unsafe here."
Indeed!
When Lu Xuan heard the words "osmanthus cake," her eyes visibly brightened.
This... was information known only to a select few around her.
The suspicion on her face gradually faded, replaced by an "Oh, so that's it" realization, even carrying a hint of being slightly wronged by her brother's 'betrayal'.
"Hmph, my brother just knows how to order people around."
She stomped her foot, her voice carrying a playful complaint, like a child whose soft spot had been hit.
This seemingly perfect performance dispelled Yan Che's last remaining doubts as he observed everything!
He looked at the naive young lady before him, whom he had "played like a fiddle," and his heart was filled with the superiority of intellectual dominance!
"Lu Cheng's sister?"
"She's nothing special after all."
"She looks clever, but she's actually just an inexperienced little girl, easily fooled by a few sweet words."
"It seems the Lu family is just famous in name only."
...Lu Xuan obediently got into Yan Che's car.
In the car, she played her role as the "innocent and naive" younger sister to the extreme!
Like a baby full of curiosity about everything, she would ask Yan Che what her brother had been doing in the Imperial Capital.
Then she would shower him with compliments, "Wow! Brother Yan Che, if you can be my brother's friend, then you must be very, very outstanding too, right?"
Her portrayal of a fangirl was vivid and lifelike, with even the admiration in her eyes perfectly placed, not a single flaw to be found.
Yan Che looked at the little girl beside him, whom he had completely under his control, and he even began to fantasize about how he would deal with the Lu family members when he finally overthrew Lu Cheng and took his place... However.
They didn't know.
While Yan Che was still deeply engrossed in his grand success and feeling invincible.
On the other side, in the Lu family's palace.
Lu Cheng's phone also chimed, a special notification sound.
A text message popped up on the screen, from his beloved sister.
The message was extremely short, with a hint of playfulness. =
"Brother, your friend..."
"He's a very good actor, you know."
After reading the message, Lu Cheng showed a playful smile, as if watching a good show.
"This girl..."
He shook his head, seeming a bit helpless.
"She's really playing a big game..."