Lu Shiyan's temper hadn't always been like this; he was becoming increasingly irritable lately. This sudden roar of fury almost scared Xiao Xu into kneeling on the spot.
"Who is she to order you to throw things out?"
Xiao Xu trembled with fear, his face panicked. "Mr. Lu, it's because Miss Ning'an has a heart condition... we didn't dare upset her, we had to..."
Xiao Xu was being diplomatic. The heart condition was secondary; everyone knew Lu Shiyan's favor was the real reason.
Lu Shiyan knew this too. He frowned and waved his hand. "Go and clean up. We'll redecorate after Mrs. Lu returns."
"Yes, sir."
Looking weary, Lu Shiyan hurriedly ate breakfast and resumed work. Su Ning'an arrived uninvited.
She happened to see her belongings being carried out and immediately pulled a long face. "Brother, what are you doing?"
Lu Shiyan slowly looked up. His gaze towards Su Ning'an had clearly changed.
Su Ning'an sensed something was off. She pouted, looking wronged, and clung to Lu Shiyan's arm. "Brother, did I do something wrong? I apologize. Please don't be angry with me, okay?"
Lu Shiyan had always fallen for this act. Unlike me, who always insisted on arguing right and wrong, never knowing how to play weak.
"Why are you here?" Lu Shiyan's gaze held a hint of scrutiny as he pulled his arm away.
Su Ning'an must have realized he was different from before. A flicker of complexity passed through her eyes, but she quickly put on a smile.
"Brother, I know you've been very sad since Sister disappeared. You look so haggard. I got up early to grind soybeans for fresh soy milk and steam buns. Try them."
Lu Shiyan took a bite. Su Ning'an smiled sweetly. "Is it good?"
"It's good. But you didn't make these, did you? These are from Wang Fu's Bun Shop."
Su Ning'an looked pitiful. "Brother, I knew his buns were good, so I went specially to learn. I know I can't compare to Sister. She learned to make porridge for you before. I just wanted to do something to make you happy too."
Lu Shiyan took a sip of soy milk, then said slowly, "Why do you always have to compare yourself to your sister?"
Su Ning'an was taken aback. She met Lu Shiyan's eyes but found them deep and unfathomable. Not even I could read them.
"Brother, why are you acting so strange today?"
"Am I strange, or are you full of lies? Wang Fu's buns are different from Li's Seafood Porridge. Li's is a chain franchise; in other words, you can buy the recipe if you pay. The owner of Wang Fu's has been making buns for thirty years. Do you know how many people have tried to get his recipe over the years?"
Lu Shiyan bit into the soft bun skin. The savory broth inside slowly seeped out, spreading across his tongue.
He finished the bun deliberately before speaking. "No fewer than ten. Some offered money to franchise, some offered to expand his shop, others offered high prices for the recipe. Recently, with the rise of live-streaming, manufacturers approached him for mass production to sell online. The offers got better and better, but he never agreed. He still sells a limited quantity daily."
"Brother, how do you know all this?" Su Ning'an was clearly starting to panic.
"Because... your sister loved his buns the most. I once offered a sky-high price to franchise, and he wasn't tempted in the slightest. Many people have approached him over the years. Why would he make an exception for you and hand over the recipe so easily?"
"And making buns seems simple, but from kneading the dough, fermenting it, to the filling... do you know how many steps are involved? It takes a master with years of experience to achieve this level of skill. What did you use to learn? Just your sweet talk?"
I have to say, Lu Shiyan was on fire today. He was totally my mouthpiece!
Even though I'm dead, hearing these words felt satisfying for once.
Being exposed so directly by Lu Shiyan, Su Ning'an clearly couldn't save face. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes, shimmering.
"Brother, I'm sorry. I really did want to learn. Just like you said, he wouldn't sell me the recipe, so I told a little lie."
Lu Shiyan watched Su Ning'an quietly, his eyes filled with confusion. "Then tell me, even if you said you bought them, would I refuse to eat them? Why lie?"
"Brother, I'm sorry. I won't lie to you ever again. Please forgive me, okay? I just care about you so much..."
She clutched her chest, adopting a pitiful, fragile pose. How pathetic she looked.
But Lu Shiyan showed no sign of softening. "I'm curious. If you lie about such small things, what else have you lied to me about?"
Su Ning'an widened her eyes, looking as innocent as could be. "Nothing else, Brother."
Lu Shiyan, however, sneered coldly. "Su Ning'an, I'll ask you one last time. That day at the café, how did you really fall? Think carefully before you answer. Even if the surveillance was broken, I've found witnesses. Don't forget, it wasn't just the two of you there."
I saw the panic on Su Ning'an's face. She was probably weighing her options, unsure if Lu Shiyan was bluffing.
"What's wrong? Don't dare answer me?"
Lu Shiyan stood up, reached out, and gripped her chin. "Because that day, it wasn't Wanwan who pushed you down the stairs! You deliberately fell just before I arrived!"
Su Ning'an shook her head. "No, Brother, I didn't..."
"Not only that, you hid Wanwan's passport, didn't you? She clearly bought a plane ticket but ended up taking a boat. Why did you do that?"
"No, Brother! There must be some misunderstanding! I really don't know anything about Sister's passport!"
Lu Shiyan had no concrete evidence for these two things; he was just speculating. But Su Ning'an showed no intention of admitting anything.
Lu Shiyan pointed around his office. "Fine. You keep saying you don't want to come between Wanwan and me. Then why did you fill every corner with your personal belongings? Where are all the things that originally belonged to Wanwan?"