Sang Lu couldn't hold it in.
She even accidentally blurted out the sarcastic thoughts in her head.
Honestly, it wasn’t her fault.
If anyone was to blame, it was…
The sudden recollection of a few lines from Feng Bai’s album title track—
"I’m a ghost abandoned by the world, dancing on graves without a care..."
"Tombstone-flavored cotton candy, crushing innocent memories..."
What kind of nonsense was this?!
If this song could actually become popular, Sang Lu was willing to perform a headstand while washing her hair on acupressure mats, followed by a full Thomas flare.
Clear, unrestrained laughter echoed through the main hall.
In an instant,
All eyes turned to Sang Lu.
The butler, the maids, the chef—all discreetly observed the young mistress, who had only returned to the family estate for the second time.
Their gazes were filled with surprise, confusion, curiosity…
A few with lower thresholds for humor couldn’t help but duck their heads and snicker.
They felt the young mistress was completely different from the last time she visited.
Back then, she hadn’t cracked a smile all evening, her expression sharp and resentful, looking down on everyone as if they were beneath her.
Today, no matter when you glanced her way, her face was radiant with laughter, lifting the mood of everyone around her.
Right now…
The way she was doubled over, clutching the edge of a chair for support, there wasn’t a trace of that former haughtiness—just pure, unfiltered relatability.
And she was bold, too!
Daring to voice what everyone else had been too afraid to say.
Old Master Feng had gifted every staff member in the estate a copy of the third young master’s album.
Truth be told, no one could last more than twenty seconds.
Even a seasoned professional like Uncle Yue had to pause multiple times, steadying himself before barely making it through a single track.
Under the collective gaze,
Sang Lu laughed until her cheeks ached, rubbing them with her knuckles.
Only when she finally stopped did she realize—everyone was staring at her.
Her expression froze instantly.
Some people might appear alive, but their souls had already left the building for a good while.
Sang Lu took a deep breath.
With great difficulty, she forced a slightly awkward smile and slowly parted her lips:
"Uh… well… I’ll just go to the restroom."
And with that, she fled the scene via the classic "bathroom escape."
Even as she reached the side hall, snippets of conversation still drifted to her ears—
Feng Yi’s boisterous laughter: "Hahaha! Sis-in-law’s got a point! Just give up and go to sleep—dreams are your only hope."
Feng Bai’s gloomy muttering, as if tattling: "Big Brother, is Sis-in-law mocking me…?"
The old master’s robust voice chimed in:
"Uncle Yue, what did Lu girl mean by that? Is it some trendy phrase the youngsters use these days?"
Uncle Yue delivered a textbook explanation:
"Master, I’ve looked it up. ‘Keep dreaming’ is generally fandom slang, used in arguments to mock someone’s idol—ah, Master, let me emphasize, ‘idol’ here refers to the person they stan…"
The old master had an epiphany:
"I see… Seems I still have much to learn. I’ll have to ask Lu girl to teach me more later."
"……" Sang Lu quickened her pace. Old Master Feng, there’s really no need to be this diligent.
Amid the chaos in the main hall,
Only one person remained unshaken.
Feng Yan leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose, a faint, relaxed smile playing on his handsome features.
Utterly unfazed.
……
After dinner, everyone lingered with the old master over tea.
By the time they left the estate and settled into the car for the return trip,
Sang Lu was still kicking herself.
Ughhhh, why couldn’t I just keep it together?!
She’d worked so hard all evening to improve her image—had it all been ruined in one careless moment?
Life’s theme: Back to square one.
She pressed the button to lower the window,
Letting the breeze soothe her frustration.
The night wind carried a damp chill as it swept in,
Mingling with the heavy scent of roadside lilacs, easing her mood slightly.
Sang Lu turned her head, glancing at the man beside her, who had closed his eyes the moment they got in the car.
Outside, streetlights flickered past one by one.
Feng Yan’s head was tilted back slightly, the shifting light casting shadows along the sharp line of his nose.
Light and dark intertwined, flickering across his face.
Further down, his profile was outlined in silhouette, half-hidden in shadow.
The top button of his black shirt was undone, revealing pale, cool-toned skin.
His Adam’s apple bobbed faintly with each breath.
With his eyes closed, Feng Yan seemed to shed the usual intimidating aura he carried.
Sang Lu found herself inexplicably drawn in,
Forgetting to look away.
Maybe this was just human nature—
People were naturally curious about those who possessed qualities they lacked themselves.
Others might shrink under Feng Yan’s commanding presence,
But Sang Lu? She was only more intrigued.
She wanted to understand the source of his unshakable composure.
What kind of training—or perhaps hardships—had shaped him?
Sang Lu longed to be someone who could stand firm on her own, too.
Whether she pursued becoming a producer or an executive in the future, she’d need that kind of resilience.
A measured detachment would help her navigate countless challenges.
Even if she couldn’t match Feng Yan’s effortless calm, at the very least, she didn’t want to repeat today’s debacle—flustered, awkward, and reduced to fleeing to the bathroom.
Lost in thought,
A sudden ringtone shattered the quiet equilibrium of the car.
Clear. Jarring.
Feng Yan opened his eyes, meeting Sang Lu’s openly curious stare head-on.
Her mind blanked for a second.
After a dazed pause, her fingers twitched,
And she hastily averted her gaze.
The call connected, and Lin Yueyin’s concerned voice filtered through the speaker,
Just loud enough to be overheard in the silent car.
"Lu Lu, are you okay?"
Earlier, during the argument with Zhuang’s mother, Lin Yueyin had kept her cool. But upon reflection, she couldn’t shake her worry, so she’d called to check in.
Sang Lu blinked, confused. "Huh? I’m fine, Mom. Why?"
Hearing her daughter’s steady tone—no hints of distress—Lin Yueyin relaxed slightly.
"Nothing urgent. Just wanted to ask how work’s been at the studio. Everything going smoothly?"
"Busy. Swamped, really. So busy that…" Sang Lu paused, then deliberately raised her voice a notch, "...I barely even have time to check my phone."
The latter half was also meant for Feng Yan’s ears.
See? I’ve been crazy busy. That’s why I forgot the date. That’s why I missed your messages.
"Take care of yourself, sweetheart," Lin Yueyin fussed before getting to the point. "By the way, how have things been with Feng Yan? Has he been giving you a hard time? If he’s made you unhappy, tell your dad and me. We’ll confront the Feng family for you."
Even though she knew Zhuang’s mother’s words were nonsense, Lin Yueyin couldn’t help feeling that if rumors about her daughter were circulating, Feng Yan deserved some blame.
Negligence was as good as mistreatment.
"A hard time? Lin Yueyin, what are you imagining now?" Sang Lu laughed it off, instinctively glancing at Feng Yan.
Thankfully, he still had his eyes closed, expression unreadable.
Probably hadn’t caught a word.
Lin Yueyin remained skeptical. "Really? If he dares to—"
"Mom~ Seriously, it’s fine. He treats me well."
Anticipating her mother’s next dramatic declaration, Sang Lu cut in quickly.
The car was too quiet—no need to risk being overheard.
And honestly, with him right there, this conversation was… awkward.
Not that she was lying, though. The Ice Block really wasn’t so bad.
For instance, back at the mansion, when she lost her composure and burst into laughter, everyone stared at her with odd looks.
Only Feng Yan didn’t react that way—he saved her the embarrassment.
Sang Lu deftly shifted the topic:
“By the way, we just had dinner at the old house, and Grandpa Feng showed me photos of Grandpa when he was young. He was so handsome back then…”
Lin Yueyin chuckled indulgently. “Silly girl, of course he was. Otherwise, your grandmother wouldn’t have fallen for him, and your father wouldn’t have turned out so good-looking—or else I wouldn’t have fancied him either—”
Sang Lu laughed along.
Thinking about it, it really was true.
The women in their family were all hopelessly drawn to good looks.
Outside the car window, the wind suddenly picked up, rushing in through the gaps and carrying the night’s chill as it slyly slipped beneath Sang Lu’s collar.
She shivered, tucking her neck in against the cold.
“Well, as long as you’re happy. Mom just wanted to check in on you. Nothing else. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, even when work gets busy…”
Her mother’s nagging continued in her ear.
Then, all at once—
A suit jacket draped over her head without warning.
The scent of masculine cologne, a faintly bitter cedarwood warmth, and the residual heat of his body enveloped Sang Lu completely.
