The butler quickly responded: “Sir, Tao Yu’s instrument repair team had an urgent matter looking for her, but couldn’t reach her. After contacting the bodyguards and knowing you were almost home, I came out to meet you.”
Tao Yu reached into her pocket and realized her phone was missing, likely lost during the previous chaos. She immediately hurried towards the instrument room without asking the butler about details.
Arriving there, she saw staff packing instruments: “What are you doing?”
“Dr. Tao, you’re finally back. We’ve been waiting. The workshop sent an urgent message about an important patient urgently needing instruments. We’ve booked a flight in two hours and are preparing to leave,” said the lead maintenance worker.
Tao Yu’s brow furrowed: “But Mr. Yue’s final examination hasn’t been done.”
“There’s no other way. That patient’s mental state is deteriorating. Without treatment, they might not survive. Mr. Yue’s physical condition is no longer critical. If he still wants an examination, he can come to the US,” the worker said gently.
Tao Yu looked at him helplessly and finally nodded. What else could she do? Saving the more critical patient came first, though she wondered if Yue Linze would understand. She sighed and went to find Yue Linze to explain the situation.
Yue Linze was silent for a long time. When Tao Yu was about to speak, he asked with a furrowed brow: “Are you going with them today?”
Tao Yu was stunned, not expecting him to be fixated on this. Yue Linze misunderstood her silence and raised his bandaged hand dissatisfied: “I became like this because of you, and you’re just going to leave? Isn’t that heartless?”
His voice grew cold with anger, seriously holding up his white bandaged hand like a schoolchild demanding compensation. Tao Yu couldn’t help but laugh, which earned her an even more displeased look.
She quickly reassured: “Don’t worry, I’m not leaving.”
“Really not leaving?” Yue Linze raised an eyebrow.
Tao Yu thought carefully: “I won’t go back for now. In a few days, when your hand is better, we’ll go to the US together for the final examination.”
“And after the examination? Will you stay there?” Yue Linze pressed.
Tao Yu frowned: “I worked hard to stay there. I don’t want to give up for other reasons.” Giving up her career for love was something she’d never considered.
Yue Linze, seeing her expression, was surprisingly accommodating: “Do what you want to do, then love me. Don’t worry about anything else.”
Tao Yu laughed, a big stone finally dropping from her heart. She thought he might try to stop her from returning, which would have put her in a difficult position.
Seeing her obvious relief, Yue Linze found it amusing. He reached out and pinched her cheek gently: “Go get some sleep. You haven’t rested all day.”
“…Okay.” Tao Yu blushed and nodded, exchanging a few more words before leaving. Back in her room, she stared blankly for a long time before suddenly realizing she was now in a relationship with Yue Linze.
She was in a relationship with the real Yue Linze.
This realization made her face heat up again. She rolled on the bed, hugged her blanket, and closed her eyes. Random thoughts flashed through her mind but were quickly suppressed by overwhelming fatigue. She turned over and fell deeply asleep.
Yue Linze downstairs couldn’t sleep, and after tossing and turning for a long time, he called over several important assistants from home, including the housekeeper, and held a meeting that lasted over an hour. By the end, everyone was clear that there would be a new mistress in the house.
The housekeeper still felt somewhat uncomfortable, but under Yue Linze’s gaze, he respectfully agreed, though what he truly thought remained known only to himself.
“The only studio that can treat my illness is in the United States,” Yue Linze seemed to sense the housekeeper’s thoughts and slowly spoke after sending the others away.
The housekeeper paused, lowering his eyes: “Sir is correct.”
“The doctor hasn’t come because his schedule is already set and he can’t make changes,” Yue Linze continued.
The housekeeper glanced at him, vaguely understanding what he wanted to say, and his lips gradually tightened. Yue Linze curved his lips and continued: “Tao Yu’s arrival here was permitted. If she hadn’t come, I might still be tormented by my split personality.”
“…You don’t need to say more. I know what to do. I was foolish before, not understanding this point.” The housekeeper bowed deeply to Yue Linze, his eyes now completely sincere.
Yue Linze didn’t look at him, casually flipping through the documents on the table, and after a while, said flatly: “You were left to me by my mother, and I treat you like a half-elder, but that doesn’t mean Tao Yu needs to do the same. Don’t show any disrespect again, or I’ll have to send you to retirement.”
The housekeeper’s body trembled, his eyes suddenly looking much older, and he responded hoarsely: “Yes, sir.”
After the housekeeper left, Yue Linze put down his pen, closed his eyes to rest for a moment, and a slight smile curved at the corner of his mouth. His little friend hated trouble, so he would pave all the roads in advance, letting her fall into the net faster, and even faster.
Tao Yu woke up feeling like the whole world had changed. Although the Yue family had always been respectful to her, now it was clearly different.
Had her lie been discovered?
She nervously went to find Yue Linze and voiced her concerns. Yue Linze gave her a sidelong glance: “How could that be? You’re overthinking.”
“But I’m not blind. Even the housekeeper is being nice to me now. He just asked if I wanted egg yolk pastry,” Tao Yu said seriously.
Yue Linze raised an eyebrow: “Do you want to eat some?”
“I want to, but he’s being too attentive. I’m a bit afraid to eat,” Tao Yu thought suspiciously, wondering if it might be poisoned.
Yue Linze laughed and led her to get egg yolk pastry. After eating, Tao Yu suddenly realized how intimate they were being, and worried about being discovered. Looking around at everyone’s calm expressions, she twitched her mouth, knowing they had probably already noticed.
“What’s wrong?” Yue Linze noticed her distraction and pinched her face.
Tao Yu quickly moved away, frowning: “We’ve only been dating for half a day, right?”
“What?” Yue Linze raised an eyebrow.
Tao Yu looked at him innocently: “I feel like our progress is a bit fast.” She had accidentally brought her relationship habits from the spiritual world, but he shouldn’t be like this – so smoothly intimate right after starting to date, seeming a bit… loose.
Her expression was too obvious, and Yue Linze was unusually speechless, finally saying slowly: “Actually… I’ve liked you since the first time I saw you.”
“Come on, you were in so much pain then, how could you have the mood for love at first sight?” Tao Yu scoffed at his explanation.
Yue Linze shrugged: “Let’s just say I’ve been single for nearly thirty years, so I’m a bit eager.”
“…Thirty years? So you’re a virgin?” Tao Yu’s eyes widened in surprise. “How is that possible?”
Yue Linze gave her a sidelong glance: “How is it not possible? Aren’t you?”
Tao Yu wanted to say no, but then realized that although she was ‘experienced’, every person was Yue Linze from the spiritual world. In reality, she had no actual experience.
Seeing her now speechless, Yue Linze’s mood improved as he held her shoulders: “So we’re a perfect match. We don’t need to learn from others, just do what feels comfortable for us.”
Ten minutes later, the phone rang again, and she half-opened one eye, seeing only one line of text: It seems like bleeding.
She sat up abruptly and ran to the ground without wasting a moment, only to find a sofa at the door, so she had to laboriously move the sofa first, then unlock the door, and then rush to Yue Linze’s door.
