Today, Lu Yancheng wore a black wool overcoat—cold and distant as always.
As I pushed his wheelchair downstairs, he asked, "Do you want to go see the wedding house today?"
I froze. That had only been an excuse I'd used to draw attention to the statue incident. Now that the matter was settled, I'd almost forgotten about it.
But our marriage was real now, and a wedding home was inevitable. I couldn't keep living in a side room—it wasn't convenient. So I nodded. "Alright."
Every day since my rebirth felt different. Even when the world outside was still covered in snow, my heart was full of clear blue skies.
When we entered the dining room, the air in the Lu household was still shrouded in the gloom left by Su Wan's funeral.
Even Bai Lan, who'd never liked me much, looked dispirited. Understandably so—anyone with a shred of humanity would find my "death" a tragic affair.
Old Master Lu, sitting at the head of the table, looked years older in just a few days. He turned his head aside and coughed a few times.
I gently patted his back and handed him a cup of warm water.
At least in this house, the old man had truly treated me with kindness.
Suppressing the urge to call him "Grandpa," I changed my address. "Dad, drink some water."
"You're still the most sensible one, girl. Every time I see you, I feel like I'm seeing…" His voice faltered; then he sighed deeply. "Sit down, see if the food suits your taste."
"Mm."
I first asked what Lu Yancheng would like to eat. His taste was similar to mine, so I scooped some porridge and a few side dishes for him.
Bai Lan turned to Su Ning'an. "An'an, everything alright at the police station?"
"Don't worry, Mom. My brother and I just told them what we knew. With how strange Sister's death was, it's only natural the police want clues."
As I suspected, Su Ning'an hadn't been directly involved. Without evidence, the police couldn't do anything to her for now.
Lu Shiyan stayed silent, but his eyes often drifted toward me—or maybe through me, toward her.
When I met that falsely tender gaze, all I could see was him and Su Ning'an entangled beneath my statue. My stomach churned.
I calmly averted my eyes, picked up a shrimp dumpling, and held it to Lu Yancheng's lips. "Brother Yancheng, try this shrimp dumpling—it's really good."
His cool gaze swept toward me, unreadable depths glinting in his eyes.
Lu Shiyan spoke up, "You probably don't know—Uncle's never liked seafood."
Before the words even faded, Lu Yancheng took a slow bite and chewed deliberately. "Not bad."
It landed like a slap across Lu Shiyan's face, leaving him speechless.
After swallowing, Lu Yancheng looked at me again. "Tell Auntie what you'd like for lunch."
"I'm fine with anything."
"Can you eat spicy food?" His tone was calm, almost casual. "The Lus have a strong palate. I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable."
"I can," I replied automatically. After all, in Haicheng, everyone grew up eating chili.
The moment the words left my mouth, regret shot through me.
I wasn't me anymore. I was Jiang Wanwan.
This morning, he'd asked whether I preferred sweet or savory porridge. Now—this? My scalp tingled.
Was Uncle testing me?
My habits, my mannerisms—of course they were different from Jiang Wanwan's. But he'd never met her before, so I'd thought I was safe.
Surely he wasn't that observant… right?
Maybe dying once had made me overly cautious.
Whether his questions were simple politeness or a deliberate probe, I needed to tread carefully.
"I got tired of foreign food when I was abroad," I said quickly, smiling. "At home I eat Chinese most of the time. No need to worry, Brother Yancheng—our tastes are the same."
"Alright."
His face remained calm, giving nothing away.
Maybe I was overthinking it. After all, how could anyone believe something as absurd as rebirth? He didn't know what had happened—how could he suspect anything that far-fetched?
The rest of the meal passed in silence, the only sound that of chopsticks against porcelain.
When we finished, the old master, exhausted, went to rest.
Su Ning'an seemed to want to speak with Lu Shiyan. I deliberately stepped aside, and when they slipped off together, I quietly turned on my phone's recorder.
They stood in the corridor outside. The snow was falling heavily—no servants would be out there.
Thinking themselves alone, they had no idea I was just above them on the terrace.
Su Ning'an suddenly threw her arms around him from behind. "Brother, Sister's gone. No matter how sad you are, she won't come back."
"Su Ning'an, are you crazy? This is the Lu house."
"There's no one here, don't be afraid. You've been avoiding me, and it hurts. I miss you. I miss how you felt inside me. We were so happy just days ago—Brother, hold me, please."
Oh, yes. Very happy. About five times that day, if memory served—the office desk, the window, the bed, the carpet, even the bathroom.
That, at least, I could testify to.
Now, though, Lu Shiyan's eyes were filled with disgust. "I've said everything that needed saying. Get rid of the baby."
Su Ning'an looked up pitifully. "Brother, Sister's dead. No one can stop us now. I understand you can't let go so easily, but I can wait. The baby can't. It's our only bloodline."
"What do you mean?" His tone grew icy, realizing he'd never truly known the woman before him.
She stroked her flat belly, lips curving into a faint smile. "Brother, I want to give our child a home. Marry me, won't you?"
There it was—the fox tail she'd hidden for years, finally showing.
She'd always claimed she'd never burden him, never make things difficult. Now she was using the baby to climb higher.
Lu Shiyan gripped her shoulders hard, staring in disbelief. "Are you insane? We're siblings! You want me to marry you—what will people say?"
"Brother, everyone knows we aren't blood-related. I'm a Su, not a Lu. If I marry you, it still counts as a Su–Lu alliance. Isn't that perfect?"
He stared at her, horrified. "How could you even say that… Su Ning'an, you're terrifying."
He turned and fled.
I pressed stop on the recorder.
One day, I would drag their filthy secrets into the light before the whole world.
I slipped my phone away, a cold smile curving my lips, and turned to leave—
Only to freeze.
At the end of the corridor sat a man in a wheelchair. His gaze was sharp as an arrow, piercing straight into me.
"What are you doing here?" Lu Yancheng's voice cut through the air like a blade.