Everyone except Sang Lu exchanged bewildered glances, utterly stunned.
President Feng had actually spoken?
Wasn’t President Feng mute?
What on earth was going on!?
Were all the rumors false? Could this be some high-stakes corporate strategy to lull competitors into complacency?
But it was strange—if President Feng had always been able to speak, why would he willingly let people think he was mute?
Soft gasps of surprise rippled through the crowd.
Eventually, all the questioning eyes landed on one person—Sang Lu.
When every other possibility was ruled out, the answer pointed to the most improbable one.
Could it be that President Feng had defied medical odds, all to stand up for his wife?
As the hotel executives realized this, their mouths moved faster than their brains, and they hurriedly greeted their new boss.
"President Sang, hello! I’m Little Zhou from the Housekeeping Department."
"President Sang, hello! I’m Little Wang from the Food and Beverage Department."
"President Sang, hello! I’m Old Liu from Security."
Sang Lu was momentarily lost in the chorus of "President Sang." She blinked in surprise, then broke into a grin.
But then it occurred to her that perhaps she ought to appear more dignified and composed, like a proper, reliable five-star hotel owner.
So she schooled her expression, recalling how Feng Yan carried himself when greeting others.
Mimicking his demeanor, she gave a restrained nod and a polite smile.
Beside her, Feng Yan’s eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as he watched her struggle—and then adapt—with such vivid expressions.
Meanwhile, the third uncle and second aunt’s group had been separated by security, fuming but not daring to make a scene. Under the stern gaze of the guards, they eventually slunk away.
Not far off, Zhuang Xiao and her mother stood with faces flushed dark with humiliation, their expressions crumbling.
Shock. Confusion.
Envy. Resentment.
All of it melted into bitter defeat.
Far from being ostracized by the wealthy family as they’d assumed, Sang Lu was thriving—even the untouchable Feng Yan had broken his silence for her.
The Zhuang and Sang families had been rivals for decades, competing in every conceivable way.
And now, they had lost.
Utterly and completely.
...
The last sliver of sunset quietly faded.
The resort path finally settled into tranquility.
The camphor trees on either side stretched their canopies overhead, forming a natural arch, the breeze filtering through them carrying a soothing fragrance.
"Which villa are you staying in?" Feng Yan suddenly asked.
Just then, a driver stepped out of a black sedan parked nearby and wheeled a suitcase over to Feng Yan.
His hand rested on the black luggage handle, his wrist bones stark and pale against the dark material, as he calmly watched Sang Lu.
Sang Lu froze for a second.
Then it dawned on her—the suitcase must be full of clothes he’d brought for her.
A flicker of guilt crossed her face. Under Feng Yan’s steady gaze, she curved her eyes into a smile and reached for the suitcase.
"The one up ahead. I can take it myself~"
Her fingertips had barely brushed the handle when the suitcase was pulled just out of reach.
Feng Yan strode forward.
"I’ll carry it."
"..." Sang Lu paused, then quickened her steps to catch up.
After a few paces, she seemed to remember something and stopped abruptly.
Instinctively, she tugged at the sleeve of the man whose long legs kept him perpetually a step ahead.
"There’s something I forgot to take care of. Wait for me—I’ll be right back."
With that, she turned and hurried back, calling out to Sister Chen before she could get too far.
"Sister Chen, there’s something you should look into. It seems some front desk staff have been privately booking rooms for clients and pocketing the profits."
Sister Chen’s face paled. "What? That’s happening?"
"Can't say for certain, but you'd better look into it, especially that bespectacled male staff member."
Sister Chen wore a serious expression: "Don't worry, I’ll investigate thoroughly and report everything back to you in detail."
"Good." Sang Lu nodded, then added, "Oh, by the way, can we order dinner to the room here?"
After all the earlier commotion, she had no appetite for the restaurant. Right now, all she wanted was to collapse onto her bed and relax.
Sister Chen smiled and nodded. "Of course, I’ll arrange it. You and President Feng can go back and rest easy."
As she spoke, Sister Chen’s gaze drifted past Sang Lu, peering further down the path.
Under the shade of the trees, Feng Yan stood tall and composed.
Just as Sister Chen looked over, Feng Yan’s indifferent gaze swept past Sang Lu’s retreating figure.
A flicker of surprise flashed in Sister Chen’s eyes.
During her previous visits to the corporate office to report on the hotel’s performance, she had encountered President Feng a few times. Her impression of him had always been one of cool detachment—a man of refined elegance, seemingly untouched by worldly concerns.
But now…
For a fleeting moment, Sister Chen felt that the President Feng before her resembled nothing more than a husband reluctantly trailing his wife through a shopping mall, bored yet resigned.
The aloofness remained, but the "untouched by worldly concerns" aura had completely vanished.
The man who once seemed to dwell in the clouds had now firmly descended to earth.
Sister Chen withdrew her gaze and gave Sang Lu a knowing, conspiratorial smile, her tone warm and familiar:
"Don’t worry, Sang Sang, I’ll make sure everything is arranged perfectly for you and President Feng."
Sang Lu grinned, her eyes curving into crescents. "Thanks for your help~"
She had heard rave reviews about Qilan’s dinner service.
Now that the thought crossed her mind, her stomach let out an audible growl.
Returning to Feng Yan’s side, Sang Lu chirped cheerfully:
"Alright, everything’s settled. Let’s go~"
To prevent Feng Yan from outpacing her again, she took the lead, striding ahead.
She might as well guide the way.
Feng Yan responded with an indifferent "Hmm," his grip on the luggage tightening slightly as he followed with long strides.
Just then, the streetlights behind them flickered twice before fully illuminating.
The twilight, mingled with the warm golden glow of the lamps, stretched their shadows long across the ground.
Then overlapped them.
They walked a step apart.
The tall, imposing shadow gradually engulfed the slender one beside it.
Lowering his gaze, he deliberately slowed his pace.
Arriving at the private villa,
He entered the code, opened the door, and stepped inside.
Feng Yan swept his eyes across the space, his expression unreadable, tinged with a hint of coldness—as if silently judging the villa for being too small.
The Qilan villas each came with a private hot spring. The one Sister Chen had arranged for Sang Lu was the largest among them, spanning two floors. The hot spring was located in an open courtyard to the left of the living room, fed by natural mountain spring water. A light mist rose from the pool, fogging up the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Watching Feng Yan’s detached, inspecting gaze, Sang Lu couldn’t help but laugh.
"Pfft—you look like a corporate president here to inspect his properties."
As she spoke, she sank into the plush sofa, exhaling in relief.
Pure contentment washed over her face.
Feng Yan turned to look at her, his lips parting slightly.
He was about to push past the hesitation in his chest and respond—
But then his gaze shifted, landing on the tote bag beside her.
The open mouth of the bag faced him directly.
Inside, a pile of women’s clothes was crammed haphazardly, unmistakably visible to him.
Feng Yan’s brow lifted slowly, his eyes settling on Sang Lu’s face as she rested with her eyes closed.
"Planning to stay here long?" he asked.
"Huh? What?"
Sang Lu suddenly opened her eyes, blinking in confusion.
She didn’t quite understand what Feng Yan meant.
Following his gaze to the side, her expression froze instantly.
When she had arrived earlier, her mind had been preoccupied, and she’d absentmindedly tossed the canvas bag full of her clothes onto the sofa before heading out.
Now, that very bag lay quietly on the couch.
And beside it—a black suitcase, also packed with her clothes—was gripped firmly under Feng Yan’s hand.
His stare was direct, his eyes filled with silent questioning.
"......" Sang Lu sucked in a sharp breath, her scalp tingling with tension.
Only then did she realize.
The unspoken implication behind his words, "You plan to stay here for a long time?"
Sang Lu: ……………………
Help.
