She gently stroked the picture frame, her fingers lingering on the image of the infant within. She nodded slightly. “This is our only family portrait,” she murmured. “The only one in over twenty years. I’m so glad it didn’t break.” I offered a small smile. “Ma’am, your family is all together now. You can take a new one whenever you like. There’s plenty of time.” Suddenly, she fell silent. Tears welled up, falling onto the glass without a sound. Her voice was low when she spoke again. “Yes, plenty of time. We’ll definitely take another family portrait together.” Her sudden sorrow caught me off guard. I fumbled for words of comfort, but my mind went blank. Thankfully, Lu Yi arrived just then. He paused, taking in the messy state of the study, before walking over to his mother. He glanced at the photo album. “Mom,” he said, his voice laced with weary frustration, “didn’t I tell you to stop looking at this? You’ll ruin your eyes if you keep crying.” With that, he gently took the album from her hands, set it aside, and helped her out of the room. Left alone in the study’s disarray, I knelt down and began to tidy up. My eyes were drawn to the people in the frame. I found myself staring at the bracelet on the baby’s wrist. For some reason, it struck me as deeply familiar. “My mom didn’t scare you, did she?” A voice came from the doorway. I flinched, turning to see Lu Yi standing there. It was Lu Yi. Setting the frame down, I shook my head and managed a faint smile. “Is she alright?” He shook his head and walked over, picking up the frame. He polished the glass with the same care his mother had shown before placing it inside a cabinet. Turning back to me, he said, “She’s fine. It’s just… thinking about the past makes her sad.” I nodded slightly and decided to change the subject. “Your sister was a very cute baby.” I assumed the infant in the photo was Lu Ke’er. He looked at me, a small smile playing on his lips. “That’s not Ke’er.” His reply left me at a loss for words. I managed a weak laugh. “Oh, so you have another sister!” Perhaps he sensed my curiosity or simply tired of the back-and-forth, because he sighed. “Yes. But she went missing when she was two.” Missing? It was a private family matter, and it wasn’t my place to ask more. I kept my mouth shut. I finished tidying the study. In the living room. Lu Yi went to wash his hands. I chatted quietly with Lin Wan for a few moments until he emerged from the bathroom. I stood up to face him. “Mr. Lu, thank you for letting me stay last night. If there’s anything I can do to help you in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll do my best. I should get going now.” I had half-expected him not to be here and had planned on visiting the Lu Corporation offices or leaving a note to thank him. Since he’d shown up, it was better to do it in person. He pulled a paper towel, drying his hands as a slight frown creased his brow. “You don’t like it here?” I quickly shook my head. “No, it’s very comfortable.” “Then stay.” He poured two glasses of water as he spoke, one for me and one for Lin Wan. “I’m rarely here. The place just sits empty otherwise.” We were practically strangers; I couldn’t just move in. Besides, staying here meant I might run into Lu Ke’er and Gu Zhizhou, and I wanted to avoid any more complications. “I really appreciate the offer, Mr. Lu,” I said, declining, “but I have my own plans.” He studied me for a moment, then one eyebrow arched. “Alright. I respect that. Where are you headed? I’ll give you a ride.” This part of town was unfamiliar to me, so I didn’t refuse, simply nodding my thanks. After saying goodbye to Lin Wan, I gave Lu Yi the address, and we left the villa together. The drive was mostly silent, broken only by a few brief exchanges at the beginning. When the car pulled up in front of the Yuntong Community building, I turned to thank him. “Th—” Before I could get the word out, he cut me off. “You don’t need to thank me,” he said. “But you can do me a favor.”