Volume One, Chapter 16: Brother, Are You Hiding a Beauty in a Gilded Chamber?

The rain was pouring down, and the wipers on the front windshield swept back and forth, rendering the surroundings completely indistinct.

When she got out of the car again, it was another underground garage.

Stepping out of the elevator and stopping at the entryway, Sang Wan hesitated, feeling an uneasy reluctance to move forward.

The living room before her was spacious and opulent.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows stretched a verdant expanse of rolling hills.

The cream and pale gray decor lent the entire house a gentle softness, diluting much of the gloom that usually lingered in Lou Ye’s features.

Yet Sang Wan didn’t dare take a single step further.

Droplets of water dripped steadily from her clothes.

Her muddy footprints still marked the elevator entrance.

She had felt nothing standing in the Lu family’s villa, calmly removing her gown before so many people.

But now, Sang Wan was overcome by a sense of abject embarrassment.

Lou Ye opened the shoe cabinet without a word, took out a brand-new pair of cotton slippers, unwrapped them, and placed them at Sang Wan’s feet. “Go take a shower, then come out and let me tend to your foot.”

“I…”

“If you don’t want to catch a cold, just do as you’re told!”

He pointed toward the bedroom as he yanked off his tie and tossed it onto the sofa, pulling out his phone and making a call. “You’ve all arrived? …Forget it, let’s reschedule. Another day.”

His voice was deep, his words commanding.

Dressed in black from head to toe, his back was the very image of a domineering CEO from a city drama.

Of course, that impression only lasted if you ignored the orange tabby cat tucked under his arm.

The water pooled on the floor, spreading outward.

Sang Wan was mortified.

But a little embarrassment, compared to utter humiliation, seemed hardly to matter anymore.

Resolute, she slipped on the slippers and walked into the bedroom.

The deep gray room was suffused with a cool fragrance, reminiscent of Nordic firs and snow-dusted cedar, enveloping her senses.

Surveying the layout, Sang Wan found the bathroom and stepped inside.

As she tossed her wet clothes into the hamper, she hesitated.

What was she supposed to wear after this?

She couldn’t very well wrap herself in just a towel and linger in Lou Ye’s house.

She wondered how long the courier would take to deliver something.

In the living room, Lou Ye frowned at the shadow cast on the window, glancing at the unattractive tabby sprawled in his arm, so limp it looked lifeless. He couldn’t help but mutter, “Whether it’s a hundred billion or a trillion, can’t you see even the heavens are warning us not to sign anything today?”

“If they’re reasonable, tell them I’m willing to give up one percent and sign tomorrow… If not, then forget it!”

He cared not at all how important the contract waiting for his signature might be.

Lou Ye simply hung up.

He glanced at the orange cat, now sleeping so soundly its eyes rolled back.

He looked around again. The sofa was wide, the carpet soft, yet nowhere seemed quite right.

Before he could finish debating, the tabby cat woke up.

It stretched luxuriously, then leapt to the floor, strutting about as if inspecting its territory.

Lou Ye raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Water rushed in the bathroom. Recalling the scene he’d just witnessed, Lou Ye’s expression darkened as he dialed another number. “Do you have any new clothes that haven’t been worn? Send a set over… Don’t waste my time—do you have any men’s clothes?”

!!!

“Brother, are you keeping a beauty hidden away in your golden house?”

The girl’s voice on the other end was so loud it nearly pierced his eardrum.

Annoyed, Lou Ye pulled the phone away until her barrage of questions ended. Then he brought it back. “A complete set, from inside out. The shoes must have soft soles. And hurry!”

“Brother!”

Her shocked exclamation was abruptly cut off as Lou Ye ended the call.

Sang Wan enjoyed a long, hot shower, wrapping herself tightly in a bath towel.

She’d just switched on the hairdryer when there was a knock at the door.

Startled, she hadn’t even answered when a lively, girlish voice called from outside. “Sister, I’ve left the clothes by the door. They’re all new—you can wear them with peace of mind!”

Bang!

As if worried Sang Wan wouldn’t believe her, the bedroom door slammed shut.

Sang Wan opened the door and saw the bag on the floor.

Inside were a set of black underwear, still warm from the dryer, and a long, lake-green Bohemian dress—relaxed and comfortable.

She dried her hair, dressed, and stepped out of the bedroom.

She froze at the sight before her.

On the sofa, a short-haired girl in shorts and a T-shirt was using a tie to strangle Lou Ye’s neck, her face alight with excitement.

Her eyes sparkled like stars. “Spill it! Or next year on this day will be your memorial!”

She hadn’t expected Sang Wan to finish so quickly.

The girl paused, stunned.

Lou Ye yanked the tie from her hands and tossed it straight into the trash.

“I’ll count to three—you disappear! One… three!”

???

Still mesmerized by Sang Wan’s beauty, the girl was startled by the abrupt “three” and dashed away. “Lou Ye, you’re playing dirty! What happened to two? …Pretty sister, it’s an honor to meet you—see you next time! Bye—”

With those words, she vanished into the elevator.

Sang Wan: …

“The doctor will be here soon. Please have a seat…”

Lou Ye gestured for her to sit, then went to the kitchen and brought her a cup of hot milk. “That was Jiang Ke’er. She brought you the clothes.”

“Is she… your girlfriend?”

Sang Wan sipped the milk, her eyes bright with a smile. “She’s adorable. I like her a lot!”

“No,” Lou Ye shook his head. “She’s my sister.”

Sang Wan’s expression cleared with understanding.

Lou Ye continued, “Her father is my third uncle. She takes her mother’s surname. She lives in the next building—it’s easy for her to get here from the parking garage.”

Sang Wan nodded. “Next time, could you ask her how much the clothes cost? I’ll transfer it to you, and you can pass it along. Tell her thank you for me.”

“Alright,” Lou Ye nodded.

The doorbell rang, and Lou Ye went to answer it.

Two teams of doctors filed in.

One attended to Sang Wan, taking her temperature and treating the wound on her foot.

The other carried off the orange tabby to another room.

When Sang Wan looked up again, Lou Ye was nowhere to be seen.

Though she’d been soaked in the rain, she didn’t have a fever. Still, the doctors left her medicine and careful instructions for any symptoms that might arise.

Her foot was cleaned and bandaged.

Even the tabby, when it returned, had soft, fluffy fur and an uplifted tail, clearly in high spirits.

The doctors departed.

The vast living room fell silent.

Sang Wan gazed out at the relentless downpour, unable to stop fretting.

Who knew when the rain would finally let up?

“Senior…”

Lou Ye’s voice came from behind her. Sang Wan turned to see him now dressed in loungewear—a white T-shirt and long pants.

Barefoot on the floor, Lou Ye had shed all the earlier brooding and coldness of a domineering CEO.

With a bright, gentle smile, he seemed, for a moment, to have returned to the sunny youth who once raced across the university basketball court.

He raked his still-damp hair with his fingers and asked Sang Wan, grinning, “Are you always like this when you’re a guest in someone else’s home?”

Sang Wan paused, looking down at herself. “Like what?”

“Like a hedgehog with every quill out, as if this place were an interrogation room instead of a home.”

Lou Ye teased, not waiting for a reply, and then casually asked, “What would you like to drink? Tea or coffee? …Never mind, I’ll make something and you’ll drink it.”

The rich aroma of coffee with a hint of fruitwood filled the room.

A moment later, Lou Ye handed her a cup and sat on the floor by the window.

Several meters apart, he gazed out at the rain.

Sang Wan felt much more at ease.

Then Lou Ye asked, “Senior, do you regret it?”

Sang Wan was momentarily taken aback.