Mr. Lu felt his soul leave his body. He scrambled down from the stage, shouting, “Quickly, call an ambulance!” Xiao Cheng was the sole heir to the Xiao family. If anything happened to him at their home, the Lu family would never survive the fallout from the Xiaos' wrath. Murmurs rippled through the guests as conspiracy theories began to fly, some even suggesting the Lu family had tried to poison Xiao Cheng. Mr. Lu shot Tao Lan a look. She took the hint immediately and, with her daughter, announced the end of the party, ushering the remaining guests out. Shen Lan tried to use the chaos as a cover to check Xiao Cheng’s pulse. But the moment her fingers brushed against his wrist, a large hand clamped down on them. A jolt of shock went through her. She realized Xiao Cheng was awake—or had been all along—watching her through half-lidded eyes, his expression unreadable. Her heart leaped into her throat. “Mr. Xiao,” she cried out, “you’re awake!” Mr. and Mrs. Lu rushed over, and Shen Lan seized the chance to yank her hand free, ducking behind them. Xiao Cheng’s eyes followed her retreat. He gritted his teeth. *So much for being slow-witted,* he thought. *The girl’s as sharp as they come.* Leaning on Liu Lin for support, he stood and offered Mr. Lu a weak smile. “I’ve been so busy with work lately I’ve lost my appetite, haven’t had a proper meal in ages. Then I had some hard liquor at the party, and I suppose my stomach condition just flared up.” As he said “hard liquor,” Xiao Cheng glanced at Tao Lan. She dropped her gaze guiltily, unable to meet his eyes. Her heart sank. *It’s over,* she thought. *That look… he knows. He knows I spiked his drink!* Liu Lin picked up the cue. “Mr. Lu, I’m so sorry to impose, but would it be possible for the kitchen to prepare a bowl of porridge? Something easy on the stomach.” Before anyone else could respond, Lu Yunting jumped in. “Yes, of course! We have some of Shen Lan’s medicinal porridge in the kitchen. It’s perfect for settling the stomach. I’ll go get it for you.” The medicinal porridge in the kitchen had been prepared for Lu Yunfan. He had been bedridden for years, and after a period of refusing to eat, his stomach was in a terrible state. Shen Lan had poured immense effort into nursing him back to health, spending two years just learning to perfect these therapeutic porridges. And now, she would rather feed it to a dog… well, rather give it to Xiao Cheng than let Lu Yunfan have a single sip. He didn’t deserve it. Staring at the steaming bowl of porridge before him—a delicate blend of yam, fox nut, and coix seed—Xiao Cheng tightened his grip on the spoon. Under Liu Lin’s worried gaze, he scooped up a spoonful and ate. The yam was smooth and soft, the fox nut fragrant, the porridge itself exquisitely fine. A gentle warmth instantly spread through his stomach. To Liu Lin’s astonishment, Xiao Cheng finished the entire bowl. Mr. Lu asked nervously, “Mr. Xiao, how are you feeling now?” A rare smile touched Xiao Cheng’s lips, softening the cold, severe aura that usually surrounded him. “Much better. This porridge really hits the spot. It’s just…” He sighed. “A shame it’ll be hard to have it again.” Shen Lan’s eyelid twitched. A terrible premonition crept over her. Sure enough, in the next second, Tao Lan looked up, her smile painfully eager. “That’s no problem at all! Shen Lan made the porridge. She’s a wonderful cook. Her family was in traditional Chinese medicine, so she’s very experienced in taking care of people. Anytime you want something, just ask her.” “Auntie…” Before Shen Lan could finish, Xiao Cheng cut her off. “I couldn’t possibly do that. It would be too much trouble for her to run over to the Xiao residence three times a day.” Tao Lan froze. *Three times a day?* Did Xiao Cheng really expect Shen Lan to cook all his meals? How could he be so shameless? She had just been making a polite offer! But seeing the veiled threat in Xiao Cheng’s eyes, Tao Lan’s scalp tightened. “In that case,” she stammered, “why don’t I have Shen Lan go to your home directly? She can take care of your meals there. How does that sound?” “I disagree!” Before the words were fully out, two voices rang out in unison. It was Lu Yunfan and his sister. Shen Lan stared at them, bewildered. Miracles really did happen. For once, they were actually acting like decent human beings. “Mom, that’s a servant’s job,” Lu Yunfan protested. “Shen Lan is my fiancée, the future daughter-in-law of the Lu family. If you send her to be Xiao Cheng’s personal chef, what will that do to my reputation?” Lu Yunting tugged on Tao Lan’s arm, glaring at Shen Lan. “A single man and a single woman, alone in a house? What will people say about our family? We’ll be a laughingstock.” Tao Lan forced a smile at Xiao Cheng before pulling her children aside. “Yunfan, is there any servant’s work that Shen Lan hasn’t already done around here?” Seeing the displeasure on her son’s face, Tao Lan sighed. “Your father told me we have an upcoming project we need to partner with the Xiao Corporation on, and the competition is fierce. I was thinking that if Shen Lan can keep Xiao Cheng happy, we can secure the contract. You’ve been sick in bed these past four years, you don’t know how badly the Lu Corporation is struggling. Your father is pinning all his hopes on this partnership. This is our one chance to take the company to the next level.” Lu Yunfan’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t object again. Relieved, Tao Lan turned to Lu Yunting. “And you, don’t you want to marry Xiao Cheng? With Shen Lan in his house as your informant, you’ll know every move any woman makes on him. Think of the advantage it gives you.” “But…” Tao Lan knew what she was about to say and let out a derisive snort. “Look at Shen Lan. Do you honestly think a man like Xiao Cheng would look twice at her? He has impossibly high standards; he’s seen every kind of beauty there is. If even Yunfan doesn’t want her, why would he be interested?” Lu Yunfan glanced at his mother. She wasn’t wrong, but the way she put it was deeply unsettling. “He’s just intrigued by her cooking for now. The novelty will wear off, and he’ll get tired of it. Shen Lan will be back before you know it. What are you two so worried about?” That silenced them completely. Having convinced her children, Tao Lan walked back, beaming, and pushed Shen Lan forward. “She can go with you tonight.” Shen Lan’s eyes turned red with fury. She was a person, a living, breathing person, yet the Lu family treated her like a piece of property to be bartered away. To do this on her engagement day was the ultimate humiliation, like they were grinding her face into the dirt. She took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing herself to remain calm. “Before you make a decision about my life, shouldn’t you ask for the opinion of the person involved?” Xiao Cheng gave her a surprised look, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk. Well, well. The little rabbit was finally showing her claws.