At 2 PM, a black sedan stopped in front of the "Shiguang Bookstore." The driver politely opened the car door for Su Wan, his tone respectful. "Miss Su, Assistant Lin asked me to take you to Cloudtop Mansion."
Su Wan glanced one last time at the familiar bookstore sign. The wooden texture was warmed by the sunlight, and the glass door still had cartoon stickers drawn by her sister, Su Nian. She took a deep breath, picked up her pre-packed suitcase, and turned to get into the car.
The car ride took half an hour, and the sedan entered the gates of Cloudtop Mansion. The hillside villa complex was tightly secured, with well-manicured lawns on both sides of the tree-lined road. Occasionally, servants could be seen tending to the gardens, and everything exuded understated luxury.
The car finally stopped in front of a detached villa. The pure white structure with floor-to-ceiling glass windows was simple yet grand, emanating a coldness that pushed people away. A housekeeper was already waiting at the door. When she saw Su Wan, she hurried forward to take her suitcase. "Miss Su, hello. I am the housekeeper, Zhang Ma. I will be in charge of your daily needs from now on."
"Thank you," Su Wan nodded, signaling for Zhang Ma to lead her into the villa.
The living room was impressively spacious, with a high ceiling from which a crystal chandelier hung. The light reflected off the marble floor, making it almost blinding. Leather sofas, expensive oil paintings, and priceless antique ornaments—each detail shouted wealth, but there was no warmth. It felt more like a meticulously arranged showroom than a home.
"Mr. Lu is in the study handling business. He asked you to familiarize yourself with the environment first," Zhang Ma led Su Wan upstairs. "This room has been prepared for you. The one next door is Mr. Lu's room, and between the two of you is a private bathroom and walk-in closet. If you need anything, just call me."
When the bedroom door was opened, Su Wan was stunned for a moment. The room was simply and elegantly furnished, with light grey bedding, a wooden desk, and huge floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out onto the garden. The natural lighting was excellent. The walk-in closet was already filled with all kinds of clothes, shoes, and bags—everything from casual wear to formal outfits, all seemingly customized to her size.
"These are all prepared by Assistant Lin," Zhang Ma explained. "If there's anything you don't like or need to add, just let me know."
Su Wan looked at the closet full of luxury goods and felt a lump in her throat. These were things she had never dared to dream about before. Now, they were within reach, but they had been obtained through a false marriage. She shook her head. "No, this is fine. Thank you, Zhang Ma."
After Zhang Ma left, Su Wan opened her suitcase and carefully placed a few of her clothes in a corner of the closet, feeling like they didn't belong among the expensive items. She took out her phone and tried to call the hospital to check on Su Nian's condition, but although the signal was full, the call wouldn't go through.
Just then, there was a knock on the bedroom door.
"Come in," Su Wan put her phone away, thinking it was Zhang Ma.
The door opened, and Lu Chengyuan walked in. He had changed out of his suit and was wearing a grey loungewear set. He looked less sharp than in his business attire but still exuded a commanding presence.
"Can't get a signal?" Lu Chengyuan's eyes fell on the phone in her hand, his tone neutral. "This place has signal blockers. Except for certain numbers, no other calls can go in or out."
"Why?" Su Wan frowned. "I need to contact my sister; she's still in the hospital."
"The contract didn't say you could contact anyone freely," Lu Chengyuan walked over to the desk and picked up the landline. "Use this to call. The hospital's number has already been saved in the system and won't be blocked. Also, other than the hospital and your best friend Xia Ran, try to minimize contact with irrelevant parties."
Su Wan took the landline, feeling some dissatisfaction but knowing she had no right to argue. She dialed the hospital and was relieved to hear that Su Nian was doing well and had already adjusted to the hospital environment.
After hanging up the phone, Lu Chengyuan was already at the door. He paused, turned to look at her. "There's a family dinner tonight. Relatives from my mother's side will be there. You need to attend."
"Family dinner?" Su Wan froze. "What… do I need to do?"
"You don't need to do anything," Lu Chengyuan said in a detached tone. "Just follow me, say little, and play the role of Mrs. Lu. Remember, don't ask what you shouldn't, don't say what you shouldn't, and don't cause me trouble."
Su Wan pursed her lips and nodded. "I understand."
Lu Chengyuan didn't say anything else, turned, and left the room. When the door shut, Su Wan felt as if all her energy had been drained. She collapsed onto the bed, staring at the unfamiliar room, the unfamiliar environment, and suddenly felt lost.
This contract marriage was more complicated than she had imagined. She not only had to attend business events, but now she had to face his family and play the role of someone even she didn't recognize.
In the evening, Zhang Ma came to call Su Wan downstairs. She had changed into a light blue dress from the walk-in closet, applied light makeup, and tried her best to appear presentable.
By the time she reached the living room, several well-dressed middle-aged men and women had already arrived and were sitting on the sofa chatting. When they saw Su Wan, their eyes all turned toward her, scrutinizing and probing.
Lu Chengyuan stood in the center of the living room. When he saw her coming down, he naturally extended his arm. Su Wan hesitated for a moment but then placed her hand into the crook of his arm. His hand was warm, and his grip was just firm enough, but it made her feel tense all over.
"This is Chengyuan's wife? She looks quite delicate," said a middle-aged woman in a cheongsam. Her eyes held a touch of disdain. "She looks young. What does her family do?"
Su Wan's heart skipped a beat. She didn't know how to answer. Her family was ordinary, and her parents had passed away. If she mentioned it, she might be looked down upon.
At that moment, Lu Chengyuan spoke, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable force. "Her family background isn't important. What matters is that she's my wife, Lu Chengyuan's wife."
Those words immediately silenced the chatter in the living room. The woman in the cheongsam's expression changed slightly, but she didn't dare say anything more.
Su Wan glanced at the man beside her, somewhat surprised. She had expected him to let people question her like he did with strangers, but instead, he spoke up to defend her.
The dinner began in an atmosphere of tension. The table was full of exquisite dishes, but no one seemed to have the appetite to eat. Relatives occasionally asked Su Wan questions, mostly about her family and work, with an obvious tone of probing and condescension.
Su Wan kept a smile on her face, following Lu Chengyuan's instructions to speak little and listen more. If it was unavoidable, she answered briefly. Occasionally, Lu Chengyuan would help her out by changing the subject, preventing her from feeling too uncomfortable.
Halfway through the dinner, Lu Chengyuan's phone rang. He glanced at the screen, stood up, and walked toward the balcony. "I'm going to take this call."
As soon as he left, the woman in the cheongsam spoke again, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Miss Su, I advise you to know your place. A man like Chengyuan is not someone you can cling to. This marriage probably won't last long. You'd better plan for yourself."
Su Wan's grip on her chopsticks tightened, her fingers turning pale. She lifted her head and stared directly into the woman's eyes, her voice calm but firm. "Auntie, Chengyuan and I are legally married. As for how long our marriage lasts, that's our business, so you don't need to worry."
Her words made the woman's face darken, and she was about to snap back, but Lu Chengyuan walked back in just then. He looked at the tense atmosphere at the table, his brow furrowing slightly. "What's going on?"
"It's nothing," Su Wan quickly replied, not wanting to escalate things. "We were just chatting about some family matters."
Lu Chengyuan's gaze flicked between Su Wan and the woman in the cheongsam. He didn't ask any further questions, simply saying, "It's getting late. Everyone should rest soon."
After the dinner, the relatives left one by one. Su Wan cleaned the table and was about to head upstairs when Lu Chengyuan stopped her. "You did well tonight."
Su Wan was taken aback. She hadn't expected him to praise her. She turned and looked at him. "I just did what I was supposed to."
Lu Chengyuan looked at her, a fleeting emotion passing through his deep eyes, quick enough that she couldn't catch it. He nodded. "Rest early. There's a business dinner tomorrow."
With that, he turned and walked into his own