After finishing hanging the laundry, Ruan Xingchen turned around and saw that Lu Jingyuan had somehow appeared behind her at some point. His deep, dark eyes were fixed on her without blinking.
"Uncle, is something wrong?"
"Let's go," Lu Jingyuan said, withdrawing his gaze. "I'll walk you downstairs."
Ruan Xingchen waved her hands quickly. "No need, it's so close—I can go down by myself."
But it was as if Lu Jingyuan hadn't heard her at all. He walked straight toward the door.
Ruan Xingchen looked puzzled.
It was just one floor apart—there was really no need.
The elevator stopped on the second floor, but Lu Jingyuan turned and walked directly into the stairwell instead.
Seeing this, Ruan Xingchen hurried after him.
With a creak, the iron door behind them closed. The motion-sensor lights in the stairwell flickered twice, then went out.
In an instant, everything went pitch black.
Was the light broken? Afraid of tripping, Ruan Xingchen didn't dare move forward and softly called out, "Uncle?"
Just as her voice fell, a familiar scent suddenly approached her.
Instinctively, she tried to step back, but a hand accurately pressed onto her shoulder. A low, steady voice came from above her head, especially clear in the silent stairwell.
"Careful."
Recognizing Lu Jingyuan's voice, the slight tension in Ruan Xingchen's heart eased.
"Uncle, maybe we should take the elevator instead."
A large hand suddenly took hold of hers, completely enveloping her small hand.
Ruan Xingchen's heart trembled slightly.
Growing up, she had never even touched a single finger of her fiancé—yet now, she was holding hands with this "uncle."
Still dazed, she heard the man say in a low voice:
"Follow me."
Ruan Xingchen pressed her lips together and softly replied, "Okay."
In the pitch-dark stairwell, Lu Jingyuan half-embraced her, leading her downstairs as if walking on flat ground.
Whenever Ruan Xingchen was about to stumble, he would react instantly, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her.
Ruan Xingchen looked up at the man beside her in a daze, thinking to herself: Who would've thought this older, strange uncle is actually quite capable…
They quickly reached the eleventh floor.
After watching Ruan Xingchen enter her apartment, Lu Jingyuan turned to look back at the dark stairwell. In his mind, he couldn't help but recall what Wei Yuanxiao had said before leaving.
"I'll go fix the stairwell lights later. When you walk the little girl back… heh heh…"
The next day, when Ruan Xingchen arrived at school, she didn't mention that incident to Lu Xiaobai. Likewise, Lu Xiaobai didn't bring up the phone call either—she just occasionally looked at Ruan Xingchen with a pitying gaze.
Ruan Xingchen found it a bit strange, but after asking a few times and getting no answer, she stopped asking.
…
In the blink of an eye, it was Friday.
There were no extra classes this weekend, so after school that afternoon, Lu Xiaobai went grocery shopping with Ruan Xingchen and returned together to Wutong Apartments.
After entering, Ruan Xingchen stuffed the grocery bag into Lu Xiaobai's hands and began ordering her around without hesitation.
"Xiaobai, go prep the ingredients first."
Lu Xiaobai's face fell. "Ruan Luoli, I'm a guest."
"You're just here to freeload food and drinks."
"Ruan Luoli, you've changed."
"I've become cuter, I know. Now hurry up, or we'll run out of time."
Pouting, Lu Xiaobai reluctantly carried the groceries into the kitchen, while Ruan Xingchen turned toward the laundry room.
Though Lu Xiaobai was a rich young lady, after spending so much time with Ruan Xingchen—and watching her cook often—she had picked up some skills and could help out fairly well.
After preparing all the vegetables and meat, Lu Xiaobai washed her hands and went to find Ruan Xingchen.
Hearing movement in the laundry room, she walked over and peeked inside—just in time to see Ruan Xingchen sitting on a small stool, washing a pair of men's boxer briefs.
Her jaw nearly dropped.
Was she seeing things? Ruan Luoli was washing her uncle's underwear?!
Too horrifying—absolutely horrifying.
And her uncle was downright shameless, making a young girl wash something like that!
And yet this silly girl was actually okay with it.
Lu Xiaobai sighed silently.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt that her only best friend—this delicate little flower—would sooner or later be ruined by her uncle.
After finishing the laundry, Ruan Xingchen placed the small plastic bucket of freshly washed clothes in front of Lu Xiaobai.
"Xiaobai, go hang these up. It's getting late—I need to start cooking."
Lu Xiaobai's eye twitched.
Under Ruan Xingchen's glare, she resigned herself to carrying the bucket to the balcony.
Seems like freeloading a meal wasn't so easy after all.
By the time Ruan Xingchen finished cooking and set all the dishes on the table, the sky outside had already grown dim.
Lu Jingyuan hadn't returned yet. Ruan Xingchen and Lu Xiaobai curled up on the sofa, their heads close together, four eyes glued to the phone screen.
"These photos were all sent to you by Ruan Shuqing?"
"Yeah, she even sent videos too. Want to watch?"
"Of course!"
"Why so impatient? Such a country bumpkin!"
"Yeah, yeah, you're the worldly one. Hurry up and play it!"
…
Around 6:30, Lu Jingyuan returned to the apartment on time.
The moment he pushed the door open, he immediately heard intertwined male and female sounds—breathy and suggestive—coming from inside.