Lu Shiyan seemed visibly unfocused, holding the soup bowl, lost in thought.
Perhaps thinking of me, perhaps of his own future.
Hearing their words, Grandma was so furious she almost choked. She must have been thinking that if she could still move, she'd give my father a good beating.
Listen to that! Is that even human speech?
His own daughter is missing, her fate unknown, and he's stopping everyone from reporting to the police just to save face.
Su Ning'an walked in. "I think Dad is right. You already looked in Jindian. Neither the legitimate nor the underground channels had any news of Sister. I reckon Sister must still be hiding somewhere in the city. If you report it and it causes a stir, not only will both companies' reputations suffer, but the stock price will be affected too."
"No, I have a bad feeling. I've started having nightmares again. I dreamt Wanwan was dead. She was lying by the river in her wedding dress, a pool of blood beneath her. She was begging me to save her."
Su Ning'an smiled, took a spoon from the bowl, and fed him some chicken soup. "Brother, you're just thinking about her too much during the day, so you dream about her at night. Sister is fine. If something had happened to her, the police would have come knocking long ago. But you've lost so much weight lately. Have some soup, build up your strength."
Lu Shiyan's brow was tightly furrowed. Mechanically, he let Su Ning'an feed him the entire bowl of soup.
My father patted his shoulder. "No news is the best news. You should rest properly. Look at what you've become? If your uncle really wins this time and forms alliances with the Jiang and Fu families' daughters, the Lu family will truly fall into his hands."
A cold glint flashed in Lu Shiyan's downcast eyes. "I understand. Then... we'll wait a little longer."
With that, he stood up and walked to Grandma's side. "Grandma, rest well. I'll come see you again in a couple of days."
Grandma used to like him a lot. But now that she knew about him and Su Ning'an, the look in her eyes was full of contempt, even disgust.
Lu Shiyan thought Grandma's expression was because I was still missing. He didn't think much of it.
"Grandma, I will find Wanwan. Don't worry."
If Grandma's face could make more expressions, I think she would have sneered.
My ashes are already scattered, and he decides to look for me now.
Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the door.
The man in the wheelchair appeared so abruptly before Lu Shiyan. Apart from that glimpse in Jindian, I hadn't seen Lu Yanchen for some time.
He seemed thinner than the last time I saw him at the Lu residence. The only thing unchanged was his authoritative aura.
His skin was pale to begin with. His sharply defined face seemed shrouded in an unyielding coldness, making one shudder.
When Lu Yanchen appeared, the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Although reluctant, Lu Shiyan still greeted him unwillingly, "Uncle."
Even the usually arrogant Su Ning'an showed instinctive fear on her face. She put on an obedient act and called, "Uncle."
Lu Yanchen didn't even glance at her. He wheeled his chair towards the bedside.
The Su family seemed particularly awkward in his presence. After all, my father had just encouraged Lu Shiyan to compete with him for the family fortune. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
"President Lu."
Lu Yanchen's gaze coolly turned towards my father. Even though he was much younger than my father and seated, his aura made one instinctively want to bow.
"Uncle Su, I heard the Old Madam was hospitalized. I came to see her."
Lu Yanchen glanced at the bodyguard behind him. The bodyguard placed tonics and fruits to the side.
"President Lu, you are too kind."
Lu Yanchen was a man of few words and disliked small talk. After speaking, he shifted his gaze to Grandma.
Grandma's eyes had been following his wheelchair. It seemed Grandma had a good impression of him.
He softened his tone, "Old Madam, set your mind at ease. You will recover."
Grandma blinked, responding to him.
Suddenly, Lu Yanchen changed the subject, sharply turning his gaze towards the others behind him.
"Last time at the Old Madam's birthday, she didn't seem too unwell. How did she suddenly become like this?" Lu Yanchen asked casually.
My father immediately bent slightly and explained, "My mother is old, her legs are weak. She fell herself, causing a cerebral hemorrhage..."
"Oh? Fell herself? I heard someone else was present when she fell?"
Lu Yanchen's cold sweep of his eyes made Su Ning'an tremble. "Uncle, it was my fault. I didn't catch Grandma, and she fell."
"Then tell me, why did she fall?"
Lu Yanchen turned his wheelchair, slowly approaching Su Ning'an. "An elderly person with weak legs should be even more careful."
"Grandma never liked me much. Plus, with Sister still missing, Grandma blamed all the mistakes on me. She tried to hit me with her cane, used too much force, and fell. That's why..."
Her pitiful act was what the whole family fell for. I thought Lu Yanchen would also be deceived by her few words.
Unexpectedly, Lu Yanchen's gaze was profound. He sneered coldly, "What kind of person is the Old Madam? She was a formidable figure in the business world. Even in her old age, she wouldn't be impulsive. If she wanted to hit you, you must have said or done something that forced her hand."
"Enough, Uncle! Are you here to visit a patient or interrogate a criminal?"
I was surprised. The one questioning was Lu Yanchen, but the one shielding Su Ning'an was actually Lu Shiyan.
Even though he hadn't yet uncovered what Su Ning'an did to me, at least he had started to suspect her.
Compared to his agitation, Lu Yanchen was much steadier. His deep, intense gaze fixed on Su Ning'an. "I heard when the Old Madam had the accident, you were the only one with her. Even the servants around her were sent away by you."
"Uncle, what do you mean by that?" Su Ning'an's eyes reddened, and tears started falling.
"Are you suggesting I harmed Grandma?"
"Aren't you?" Lu Yanchen stated decisively. "I've seen the Old Madam's medical report. Although her health isn't great, it shouldn't have deteriorated so suddenly. And there's another possibility: she was severely stimulated before she fell."
"Uncle! You've overstepped! This is the Su family! Not the Lu family. Moreover, you're not even the head of the Lu family yet. What gives you the right to put on airs here?"
My emotions were in turmoil. On one hand, I was shocked by Lu Yanchen's words. None of my relatives or husband present had considered what he pointed out, just like how he was the first to care about my disappearance.
But on the other hand, I felt that compared to his uncle, Lu Shiyan was simply a fool! If I had loved his uncle from the start, would I have ended up like this?