"Mm." "But I still have school," Ye Shengsheng ventured meekly. Lu Shiyan’s reply was curt. "I'll drive you." Ye Shengsheng froze. Did he mean... he would be driving her himself? Could she refuse? Trying to sound reasonable, Ye Shengsheng said, "It would be more convenient if I stayed in the dorms." His tone left no room for argument. "This isn't up for discussion. Whatever you decide, your safety is what matters." Hmph! What an overbearing old man! Ye Shengsheng fumed silently. Driving her back and forth every day would be such a hassle. The cost of gas alone... And if she really had the babies, he'd have to support two children! Could he even afford it? Raising kids is expensive, especially two of them. "What if... I stay at your place at night, but in the dorms during the day? It's too much of a hassle to go back and forth if I have afternoon classes." "Fine." And just like that, Ye Shengsheng moved into Lu Shiyan's home that very day. When they arrived, she discovered the place was only a ten-minute drive from campus—incredibly close. Since she still hadn't decided whether to keep the babies, she had only packed a couple of changes of clothes. Her roommates were all out, so no one saw her being picked up. On the way to Lu Shiyan's house, Ye Shengsheng racked her brain trying to figure out how to explain to her academic advisor that she would be living off-campus. She was still agonizing over what to say when a notification popped up on her phone: her request to live off-campus had been approved. Ye Shengsheng stole a cautious glance at the man driving beside her, her face a mask of disbelief. He'd just made one phone call, and it was all taken care of? She hadn't expected a single call from him could solve it. She couldn't help but wonder about his identity. That man, Lin Zhiyuan, had called him Master Lu, and even the hospital staff had been so deferential. Could he be some kind of big shot? As she wondered, Ye Shengsheng pulled out her phone, opened a browser, and searched for the name Lu Shiyan. Lin Zhiyuan had said his name was Lu Shiyan. The search returned a flood of results. She clicked on the first one, and what she saw made her want to cry. Eldest young master of the Lu family, the Crown Prince of the capital, CEO of the Lu Corporation, the renowned Master Lu... These titles all screamed that he was no ordinary person. Ye Shengsheng swallowed hard, turned off her phone, and looked at the man beside her, at his perfect profile. She thought her furtive glances had gone unnoticed. In truth, Lu Shiyan had seen everything. Every little movement. Like a startled kitten. The understated luxury car pulled into a gated community and stopped before the entrance of a villa. Ye Shengsheng had heard her classmates talk about this place. It was the kind of neighborhood she couldn't afford even if she worked for several lifetimes. It seemed none of her classmates lived here either. Rumor had it you needed more than just money to buy a place here; you needed power. Just how much money and power did Lu Shiyan have to live here? Ye Shengsheng wondered. The villa was huge. Before Ye Shengsheng could even process it, Lu Shiyan had unbuckled her seatbelt for her. Only then did she get out of the car. As soon as they stepped inside, a maid came forward. Ye Shengsheng nervously changed into a pair of slippers and walked slowly inside, her astonishment growing with every step. She trailed cautiously behind Lu Shiyan, terrified of putting a foot wrong. Lu Shiyan settled onto the sofa and watched her nervous expression. Taking her hand, he said, "Shengsheng, sit here." Ye Shengsheng sat down gingerly on the edge of the sofa. She glanced around; everything looked priceless. A wave of insecurity washed over her. She didn't belong here. Sensing her unease, Lu Shiyan scooped her up in his arms—a princess carry—and settled her properly on the sofa. Before Ye Shengsheng could even react, she was already seated, with Lu Shiyan sitting calmly beside her. She looked at the man next to her, her mouth opening and closing, but no words came out. Just then, the housekeeper, Li Ma, approached with a group of staff who began setting out dinner. Then, Li Ma smiled warmly and asked, "Young Master, you're back. And this young lady is...?" "She is your new Young Mistress," Lu Shiyan said, a corner of his mouth lifting into a smile. Li Ma nodded, and after a glance at the others, they all chorused in welcome, "Greetings, Young Mistress!" Startled, Ye Shengsheng quickly waved her hands. "No, I'm not." Lu Shiyan looked at her. "Shengsheng, you are." Then he addressed the staff again. "From now on, her word is my word." "Yes, sir." Once the staff had acknowledged their new mistress, Li Ma dismissed them to their duties. Li Ma stepped forward. "Young Master, shall we serve dinner now?" "Yes," Lu Shiyan said. "And arrange for two nutritionists to come. They need to create a meal plan for the Young Mistress's pregnancy." Li Ma looked at Ye Shengsheng in disbelief, then her face broke into a happy smile. "Yes! I'll see to it right away. The Young Mistress is too thin; she needs to eat more." She directed the last part to Ye Shengsheng. Ye Shengsheng, still struggling to process the sudden turn of events, was at a complete loss. Dinner was a lavish spread, and Ye Shengsheng had never tasted anything so delicious. After dinner, Ye Shengsheng found herself with nothing to do. The table was cleared and the dishes were washed by others; there was nothing for her to help with. Back home, if she didn't do all the chores, she would be met with a brutal beating and a torrent of vile insults. At home, she was treated as if she didn't deserve to live. Lu Shiyan called Li Ma over. "Take the Young Mistress to her room to rest." "Of course," Li Ma said gently. "Young Mistress, please follow me." Lu Shiyan stroked her head and murmured softly, "Get some sleep. You'll get used to it." She gave a soft murmur of assent and followed Li Ma upstairs to a room. Li Ma opened the door and stepped inside. "Young Mistress, this will be your room from now on. Please let me know if there's anything you'd like to add. I'll have it arranged." Ye Shengsheng's first impression of the room was its immense size. It was perfect. She felt like she was in a dream. Could she really live here? Ye Shengsheng gave Li Ma a polite smile. "It's wonderful. I love it. Thank you, Li Ma." Li Ma smiled back. "If you want to thank someone, you should thank the Young Master. This was all his doing." Ye Shengsheng lowered her head and hummed in agreement. "Well, I'll let you rest now, Young Mistress. Don't hesitate to call for me or any of the staff if you need anything." "Okay." After Li Ma left, Ye Shengsheng took her time exploring every corner of the room. Before long, exhaustion took over, and she fell asleep. Meanwhile, Lu Shiyan, who was attending to business, was interrupted by Li Ma. His mother had arrived.