When Lu Jingming went downstairs the next morning, breakfast was already served on the table.
There was a roast beef and fried egg sandwich, shrimp and crab roe shumai, a tuna vegetable salad, and a glass of rich, fragrant multigrain soy milk.
He frowned and looked at Xu Yanxia, who was standing to the side. "Didn't I say to make a little less?"
Xu Yanxia paused for a moment. "...Compared to usual, this isn't that much."
After all, when Mrs. Lu and President Lu were at home, she would usually make at least six or seven different breakfast items.
Housekeeper Zhang thought he was finding fault and quickly chimed in, "Xiao Xia got up at six to prepare this for you. It's all freshly made, perfectly balanced in nutrition, and much better than anything sold outside."
Lu Jingming said helplessly, "...I'm not complaining about her cooking. It's just that her wrist is injured, and I don't want to make it worse."
At these words, Xu Yanxia hurriedly held out her hand to show him. "Mr. Lu, you don't need to worry. My wrist is already healed."
Lu Jingming cast his gaze over and saw that although there was no longer a medicinal patch on her left wrist, it was still a bit bruised.
"Did you use the spray from last night?" he asked.
Xu Yanxia nodded and said, "I did. It felt cool and very soothing, and the swelling was gone when I woke up this morning. Thank you."
"Then remember to apply it a few more times today."
After saying this, Lu Jingming finally sat down on his chair and began to eat.
He picked up a sandwich first, and with just one bite, his taste buds were conquered once again.
The slow-roasted beef retained its juices while boasting a rich, grilled aroma. Sliced thinly and sandwiched with a fried egg between crispy pieces of bread, it was incredibly layered in both texture and flavor. Even as someone who had studied abroad, he had to admit that the best sandwiches he had ever eaten were actually all made by her hands.
The shumai went without saying; inside the soft, chewy wrapper was a savory, bouncy shrimp filling, and the crunchy crab roe was the perfect finishing touch. It completely rivaled the offerings of any dim sum restaurant outside.
The vegetable salad, of course, left no room for criticism, and the soy milk was richer and more fragrant than anything you could buy outside.
Just like last night, it was only through deliberate self-restraint that he managed not to overeat this breakfast.
Seeing him finish, Xu Yanxia came over to ask, "Should I deliver lunch to you at noon?"
"No need,"
Lu Jingming said. "If there's a lot to prepare for tonight, ask everyone to help you out. I'll also come back a bit early this afternoon."
"Okay."
Xu Yanxia nodded. He then got up, went outside, and drove his Maybach out the gate.
Xu Yanxia stepped forward to clear his remaining dishes. When she returned to the kitchen, she happened to run into the cleaners, Sister Wang and Sister Sun, chatting while eating their meal.
"Don't you think Young Mr. Lu is different from before?"
"He talks more, and it seems like he knows how to take care of people now."
"More like he specifically knows how to take care of Xiao Xia..."
As they spoke, the two women turned their gazes toward Xu Yanxia. "Xiao Xia, don't you feel that Mr. Lu has been treating you a bit differently lately?"
Before Xu Yanxia could reply, Housekeeper Zhang walked into the kitchen and said to Sister Sun and Sister Wang, "Mr. Lu taking care of Xiao Xia is because Xiao Xia is capable in her own right. Not only is her cooking delicious, but she can also help out with company matters. Tonight, the Third Young Master is bringing his friends back for a dinner party, and there probably won't be a small number of people. In a little while, the two of you should go with Lao An and the others to prepare the venue."
"Will do."
The two older women agreed in unison.
Housekeeper Zhang then instructed Xu Yanxia, "Just make something simple for our lunch today. If you need any help this afternoon, just say the word. Your hand hasn't fully recovered yet, so please don't push yourself too hard."
"Got it."
Xu Yanxia smiled and said, "Thank you, Auntie."
—It wasn't just President Lu taking care of her; clearly, everyone was taking good care of her.
It truly warmed her heart.
...
At 3:00 PM, the Lu Group was at its busiest.
Lu Jingming had been working non-stop for the better part of the day, not even taking a break at noon. It wasn't until the final meeting ended that he could finally catch his breath.
Returning to his office, he signed two more documents and said to Wen Jiajun, who had come in to see him, "Find a few people to accompany President Guo for tonight's dinner reception. I have some business to attend to and need to leave early."
Wen Jiajun was momentarily stunned. "What business? Don't tell me you're going on another date?"
Lu Jingming said with a calm expression, "When have I ever gone on a date?"
Wen Jiajun let out a light snort. "Someone saw you going to MixC with Xiao Xu yesterday."
As he spoke, he opened an app on his phone to show him. On the screen were several photos of him and Xu Yanxia going to buy a gift for Aunt Zhang yesterday.
Lu Jingming raised an eyebrow. "How come you're always seeing these things? Are you that interested in me?"
Wen Jiajun practically rolled his eyes. "You think I want to see you on my feed? The algorithm pushed it to me on its own, alright?"
Lu Jingming chuckled. "Big data pushes things based on your preferences. If you weren't interested, it wouldn't have recommended it to you."
Wen Jiajun shot back with a scoff of his own. "You're overthinking it. Even if I were interested, I'd be interested in a beauty like Xiao Xu, not you."
"Then keep scrolling,"
Lu Jingming tugged at the corners of his lips. "Who knows, next time you see her, the person next to her might still be me."
"Hey!"
Wen Jiajun's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Are you two really dating?"
"Take a guess."
Lu Jingming smiled again, grabbed his phone, and walked out of the office.
At 5:30 PM, the clear sunlight slanted across the lawn of the Lu family mansion, and the distant sea shimmered with rippling waves. President Lu's Maybach also drove into the garage.
The tables, chairs, canopy, and grill were already set up. Xu Yanxia was in the middle of distributing tableware in the garden when she saw President Lu, looking as striking as a male model in his suit, walk toward her and hand her a shopping bag.
"This brand of medicinal oil is the most effective. Remember to apply some later."
"Thank you, Mr. Lu."
Xu Yanxia was slightly taken aback but quickly accepted it. When she saw the distinctive traditional Chinese characters on the packaging, she asked in surprise, "This... couldn't have been bought in Hong Kong, could it?"
"Mhm,"
Lu Jingming did not deny it. "I happened to have business in Hong Kong this afternoon, and it's more authentic to buy it there."
"Thank you, Mr. Lu."
Xu Yanxia felt quite apologetic. "This is too much trouble for you."
Lu Jingming merely smiled. "No need to be so polite. As long as it works, that's all that matters."
As he spoke, he looked around and asked, "Is everything ready? Is there anything I can help with?"
"No,"
Xu Yanxia quickly replied. "Aunt Zhang, Sister Sun, Sister Wang, Uncle An, and Uncle Li already helped set everything up this afternoon. You can just enjoy the food later."
Lu Jingming nodded, and his nose caught a faint scent of roasted meat.
"Werent they supposed to grill it themselves tonight? Did you already start grilling in advance?" he asked.
However, Xu Yanxia just smiled. "I just prepared a little of the main course."
Lu Jingming was somewhat curious. "What are you roasting?"
She decided to keep him in suspense, teasingly saying, "I'm saving the surprise. You'll find out later."
"...Alright then,"
Lu Jingming smiled. "I'll go change my clothes first." With that, he headed upstairs.
An hour later, the luxury cars of the third son of the Lu family, Lu Jingyao, and his friends drove through the gates one after another.
The fashionably dressed, long-legged handsome guys walked over, carrying various drinks, snacks, and fruits in their hands.
"Aunt Zhang, we're here to rob you!"
Everyone was quite polite. Despite their playful banter, they made sure to hand their belongings over to Aunt Zhang first.
Xu Yanxia helped Housekeeper Zhang gather the items, taking the opportunity to greet the group. "Welcome, everyone."
As they were talking, Lu Jingming stepped out, having changed into casual wear. He wore a light apricot short-sleeved shirt paired with white cotton shorts, and a stainless steel dual-hemisphere watch rested on his wrist. With his short hair casually tousled, he looked significantly younger than he did in his usual sharp business suits.
Of course, he was still breathtakingly handsome.
Lu Jingyao led his friends in greeting him with a chorus of "Brother," before asking, "How come you're home so early today?"
Lu Jingming gave a soft sound of acknowledgment. "Work wasn't too busy, so I left early. Everything is ready, go take a seat."
"Alright!"
The group was just about to head over and sit down when a sapphire-blue convertible sports car drove through the main gates.
A silver-haired Chu Hao stepped out of the vehicle. In a rare departure from his usual style, he was dressed in a dress shirt and suit jacket, holding a bouquet of pale pink roses. Under everyone's watchful eyes, he walked straight up to Xu Yanxia and offered her the flowers. "For the beautiful lady," he said.
"..."
