The next afternoon, Tan Meng arrived at the villa at three o'clock.
If Lu Bochuan hadn't suddenly appeared yesterday, she would have almost succeeded.
Therefore, she deliberately came an hour early today.
Based on her observations over the past few days, between three and six in the afternoon, Lu Bochuan wouldn't be home, Shu Qingqing would usually stay in her bedroom playing on her phone, and the servants would all be working on the first floor. As for Lu Xun, he was just a kid who didn't understand anything, so she didn't need to worry about him.
She had prepared a test paper today. When the time came, she would tell Lu Yu it was a pop quiz to check his recent learning progress. This way, she could use the excuse that she shouldn't disturb him during the exam to slip out, go to the study, and plant the bug.
That person had said the bug must be placed in a hidden spot. If it was discovered shortly after being planted, she wouldn't get the money. So she needed to spend some time looking for a good place, but half an hour should be enough.
With a perfect plan in mind, Tan Meng rang the doorbell and entered. Just as she was about to head straight up to the second floor as usual, Nanny Li stopped her. "I'm sorry, Ms. Tan. From now on, I'll have to trouble you to teach the Young Master on the first floor."
Tan Meng already had her left foot on the stairs. "No, Nanny Li, what do you mean? Are you the one in charge of the Lu family now?"
Nanny Li hurriedly explained, "Ms. Tan, please don't misunderstand. Our sir is a neat freak and doesn't like his private space being disturbed. Normally, except for cleaning, none of us go up to the second floor either."
"I'll just stay in Lu Yu's room, okay?" Tan Meng rolled her eyes impatiently and bypassed Nanny Li, intending to continue upstairs.
Nanny Li rushed to stop her, and Shu Qingqing happened to come out.
"What's wrong?" Shu Qingqing asked.
Tan Meng instantly dropped her arrogant attitude and put on a gentle yet aggrieved expression. "Mrs. Lu... it's nothing... it's just that the nanny in your house said I'm not allowed on the second floor. Nanny Li, don't worry, I absolutely won't dirty the places you've cleaned. I'll even try my best to hold it and not use the bathroom, so you really don't have to be so..."
Nanny Li looked troubled. "Ms. Tan, this really isn't my idea."
Shu Qingqing said, "It's like this, Ms. Tan. I was the one who instructed Nanny Li to have you teach Lu Yu on the first floor because the second floor is indeed a bit inconvenient. Nanny Li, please take Ms. Tan to the guest room on the first floor. I'll go call Lu Yu now."
Hearing Shu Qingqing say this, Tan Meng's heart suddenly tightened. Had someone discovered something about her?
She carefully probed, "Mrs. Lu, did I... do something wrong?"
Shu Qingqing: "Ms. Tan, please don't overthink it. It's mainly because Lu Yu's father is a neat freak."
Tan Meng finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Nanny Li really hadn't lied.
Lu Yu soon came downstairs and went with her to the guest room on the first floor.
Tan Meng came out several times and found that there were always maids cleaning on the first floor. She pretended to forget and tried to go up to the second floor, but was stopped.
This happened for two consecutive days.
Tan Meng began to feel anxious.
Today was the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month; there were less than ten days until the Chinese New Year. Lu Yu definitely wouldn't have tutoring sessions during the New Year holidays, so she didn't have much time left.
But anxious as she was, she thought of several methods and still couldn't get up to the second floor.
This afternoon, Tan Meng arrived at the villa early as usual. As soon as she entered, she saw Shu Qingqing changing her shoes, looking like she was about to go out.
Tan Meng asked, and sure enough, she was.
Tan Meng suddenly felt elated. The reason she hadn't dared to force her way up to the second floor before was that she was afraid of causing a commotion and letting Shu Qingqing know. Now that Shu Qingqing wasn't home, even if those servants tried to stop her, she could easily find an excuse to go up.
Tan Meng went to the first-floor guest room to tutor Lu Yu. After an hour, just as she was about to take out the test paper for Lu Yu to do so she could take the opportunity to slip out, she saw Lu Yu glance at his phone and suddenly stand up.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Tan, but something came up with my friend and I have to go over there. How about we pause today's lesson? The tutoring fee will still be paid to you at the two-hour rate." Zheng Binyang had just messaged him saying he needed him urgently.
Hearing this, Tan Meng became even more excited. Once Lu Yu left, only Lu Xun, a kid who knew nothing, would be left at home. Wouldn't she be able to do whatever she wanted then?
So she hurriedly said, "How can we do that? I won't take money for nothing. How about this: since I have nothing else to do anyway, you go help your friend first, and I'll wait right here. We'll continue the lesson when you get back."
Afraid that Zheng Binyang would be anxious waiting, Lu Yu didn't say anything more and just left.
As soon as Lu Yu left, Tan Meng stepped out of the room.
At this moment on the first floor, besides Lu Xun playing with toys in the living room, there was only Nanny Li keeping him company.
Tan Meng walked over: "Nanny Li, why don't you go rest? I'll play with Lu Xun for a while."
Nanny Li: "No need, no need, Ms. Tan. You are here to teach the Young Master. How could I waste your time?"
Tan Meng simply said that Lu Yu had to go out for something and would be back in a while.
Seeing that Nanny Li still wouldn't leave, she simply sat directly on the carpet and started playing with Lu Xun.
She had taught young children before, so she quickly got along and started playing with Lu Xun.
However, Nanny Li kept guarding Lu Xun and refused to leave.
Tan Meng thought for a moment and quietly leaned close to Lu Xun's ear: "Lu Xun, do you want to play hide-and-seek with me? It's really fun."
Lu Xun already liked playing hide-and-seek, so he agreed immediately upon hearing her.
The two played on the first floor for a while. Taking advantage of Nanny Li's inattention, Tan Meng quietly coaxed Lu Xun into hiding on the second floor.
Once Lu Xun ran to the second floor to hide, Tan Meng prepared to go upstairs to look for him with perfect justification.
Seeing her about to go upstairs, Nanny Li spoke up to stop her.
Tan Meng directly pulled a shoe cover out of her pocket and put it on: "Nanny Li, I know President Lu is a neat freak. This should be fine, right?"
Just then, Lu Xun popped his head out from the second floor, "Ms. Tan, hurry up and come find me!"
Tan Meng raised an eyebrow at Nanny Li: "You see, Lu Xun is anxious for me to find him."
Nanny Li hesitated for a moment but ultimately said nothing more.
Tan Meng went upstairs, glanced to make sure Nanny Li hadn't followed, and directly opened the door to the study.
She quickly looked around and was just about to enter when a child's voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Ms. Tan, you're too silly. How come you still haven't found me!" Lu Xun pulled her toward the living room: "Ms. Tan, you lost. Close your eyes, I want to hide again."
Speechless, Tan Meng was pulled to the living room, left with no choice but to wait a while before finding another chance to enter the study.
However, she had overestimated the patience of a child Lu Xun's age. Whenever she took more than a minute to find him, Lu Xun would just run out on his own.
After this happened over and over again, Tan Meng was left exhausted.
Seeing her sitting on the sofa, Lu Xun reached out his chubby little hand and patted her, "Ms. Tan, don't be discouraged. Our Teacher Apple says that persistence leads to victory. I'll hide in that room this time, and you'll definitely be able to find me."
Lu Xun pattered away for a few steps, then looked back at her, "Ms. Tan, come quickly."
Tan Meng could only stand up weakly and follow.
Lu Xun pushed open a door and went in, his voice calling out from inside: "Ms. Tan, I've hidden well. Come find me quickly."
Tan Meng rolled her eyes and followed him.
She opened the door and searched a few spots but could not find Lu Xun. Just as she was deciding to wait for him to show up on his own, she suddenly noticed a walk-in closet in the room. Inside, facing the door, was a glass cabinet displaying an entire wall of handbags.
Tan Meng froze for a moment and subconsciously walked inside.
Once she entered, she stared in absolute awe. Aside from the wall of bags, there were all kinds of designer clothes and shoes.
The low cabinet in the center was completely covered in blindingly brilliant jewelry.
She casually picked up a necklace.
She had seen this piece in a luxury boutique; it cost two hundred and thirty thousand. Even the incredibly ordinary-looking hair clip next to it was three thousand.
She worked herself to the bone as a tutor just to earn twenty thousand a month, yet a simple hair clip belonging to Shu Qingqing cost three thousand.
Tan Meng was so jealous she felt like she could explode.
And then there were these stud earrings. She absolutely loved them. For her birthday last year, she had originally planned to bite the bullet and buy them as a gift to herself, but later, her father took all her money away...
Tan Meng picked up the earrings and was just about to put them on when Lu Xun suddenly popped out of nowhere. "Ms. Tan, you lost again."
Tan Meng reflexively hid the earrings in the palm of her hand.
Lu Xun did not notice anything unusual about her at all. He pulled her toward the stairs. "I don't want to play hide-and-seek anymore. Ms. Tan, come build blocks with me."
As she was being pulled out, Tan Meng glanced back at the jewelry cabinet.
Shu Qingqing had so much jewelry; surely she would not notice a tiny pair of stud earrings going missing.
She pursed her lips and slipped the earrings into her pocket.
