After the divorce, the crazy CEO knocked on his ex-wife's door every night.

Sensing the old man's heartfelt joy, despite her complicated feelings, Shen Xuan managed a weak smile in response and softly replied, "Hi, it's been a long time, Uncle Hu. You still look to be in great spirits."

"Thank you for the compliment!"

Uncle Hu waved his hand modestly and said, "By the way, our young master is waiting for you to come up. Please come in and sit for a while. He will come down to keep you company soon."

As he spoke, this loyal guardian of the family still wore a bright smile, as if anything related to Shen Xuan could bring him genuine joy.

"Thank you for your help. I'll go to the room and wait for him."

With a hint of helplessness, Shen Xuan's slender figure gradually disappeared at the end of the villa's long corridor.

She put her hands in her pockets and quickly went inside.

Her steps were light but she seemed somewhat uneasy, as if she was eager to escape some kind of invisible pressure.

Just then, I saw Lu Yuchen slowly descending the stairs, each step exuding a steady strength.

Looking up, she felt her vision was a little blurry, vaguely sensing the imposing aura that Li Siyuan exuded every time he went downstairs.

That condescending attitude made her feel a sense of oppression, as if the once sunny, cheerful, and smiling boy had completely changed.

If we hadn't known each other for a long time, we would have thought he was always this cold and aloof.

"You came?"

As he adjusted his cufflinks, he slowly walked towards her and asked, his tone calm yet revealing an unspoken concern.

"Why did you suddenly invite me to dinner?"

Shen Xuan responded, her eyes filled with confusion and doubt.

She really didn't expect him to invite her so abruptly.

“You’ve been here for so long, but you haven’t been to the Lu family’s place yet. I was planning to bring you here at noon, but I didn’t expect you to be resting at that time.”

Lu Yuchen explained patiently, his tone gentle, but his brow furrowed slightly, as if he also had a hint of dissatisfaction.

Shen Xuan keenly noticed this detail and was momentarily taken aback.

She looked into the distance and suddenly realized why he had come to her so abruptly at noon.

Everything was explained, but the answer did not ease her mind.

But I'm not actually hungry right now.

She declined.

This wasn't entirely a lie; at that moment, she genuinely didn't have much of an appetite and even felt nauseous, with absolutely no desire to eat.

Looking at the person in front of him, Lu Yuchen suddenly felt that the woman in front of him was becoming increasingly indifferent to him, as if she was intentionally or unintentionally creating distance, completely losing the intimacy she once had.

"Xiao Xuan, why don't you move to the Lu family's place? I'll take care of you. Since Li Siyuan doesn't want to be with you anymore, you shouldn't think about him anymore."

His words were clearly pleading and hopeful; he genuinely wanted her to accept his suggestion and end her current lonely life.

Her lips were tightly pressed together, as if she were trying to suppress all the complex emotions surging within her. She lowered her head slightly and tried to speak in a calm voice, "I have no intention of being with him, nor will I be with you. What is the point of living in your Lu family if I don't have a proper status?"

His words were filled with determination and helplessness, allowing people to feel the firm stance he held.

He smiled faintly, his deep gaze slowly falling on her face.

Then, he carefully took out a dark green thumb ring from his suit pocket and gently handed it to her.

"My mother entrusted me and the Lu family to you before she passed away. You can't go back on your word."

He spoke in a deep and firm voice, his eyes filled with trust and expectation.

Her gaze suddenly turned stern as she stared intently at the ring.

The light seemed to sting her eyes, adding a strange emotion to them.

"I don't love you, Lu Yuchen."

She said firmly, each word resounding, "It won't do you any good to keep me here."

"Let's not talk about love or not for now," Lu Yuchen said softly, his tone calm. "Since my mother has decided on you, you have to help me manage the Lu family, unless you can find someone else to replace you."

As soon as he finished speaking, he slowly took her hand and placed the ring in her palm.

Lu Yuchen held her fingers tightly, looked earnestly into her eyes and said, "I won't force you to marry me, nor will I force you to do anything you don't want to do. I just want you to be happy and stay by my side so I can take care of you."

His eyes were full of sincerity, as if they could touch the hardest heart.

Shen Xuan gripped the item in her hand stiffly, feeling the ring pressing heavily against her palm.

Her eyes were heavy, and she thought for a long time before speaking: "Lu Yucheng, let me make this clear. I don't love you, and you shouldn't have any hope for me. I can keep this for you for now, but I won't interfere in the affairs of your Lu family."

Her voice was cold and resolute, brooking no compromise.

"Okay, I promise you."

Lu Yuchen sighed softly, then turned and walked towards the restaurant, his steps steady but tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Shen Xuan followed him into the restaurant.

She glanced at the abundant food on the table; the exquisite dishes, which should have been mouthwatering, held no appeal whatsoever.

Her mood inexplicably darkened, and she didn't understand what had made her so sensitive.

Lu Yucheng noticed that something was wrong with her, looked up at her, and asked gently, "You look a little unwell. Is something wrong?"

His words revealed concern and worry.

"No."

Shen Xuan gave a brief reply, lowered her head, picked up her chopsticks, took a few pieces of food, and began to eat slowly and deliberately.

Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open.

Shen Xuan listened intently and immediately recognized who it was.

She recognized the footsteps and the tone of voices outside the door all too well; they were the voices of Lu Shuli and Jin Shuying.

The reason Lu Shuli and Jin Shuying came here was simply because Old Master Lu was also there, after all, no one could match Old Master Lu's status in the family.

But I never expected to run into this mother and son here again.

She caused such a scene in her courtyard last time, and now she still has the nerve to come here as if nothing ever happened, and continues to visit the Lu family every day.

Jin Shuying chatted with a few servants for a while and heard from them that the young master had brought the young mistress back for dinner. Only then did she realize that Lu Yucheng and Shen Xuan were dining here today.

Upon thinking about this situation, her expression instantly changed, becoming extremely unnatural.

She was well aware of the relationship between Lu Yucheng and Shen Xuan, but how could Shen Xuan be treated so casually given her current status?

She was even called "Young Mistress" by the servants, which was simply intolerable.

Strictly speaking, the two of them could never be together. It was too much for a servant to call her that. Fortunately, they didn't get married two years ago, otherwise everything would have been over, and the whole family would have been in trouble because of her.