23. Not Interested

Ruan Li held the small tube, turning it over to inspect it. It was crystalline and shimmered with a dreamy, light blue hue. She hadn't expected Lu Muyu to still be thinking of her as his little sister.

"Thank you, brother," Ruan Li said with a sweet smile and an equally sweet tone. However, the next second, her smile stiffened on her face.

"Ruan Li, you never used to call me brother."

Ruan Li maintained her rigid expression, her pupils contracting slightly. "Is that so... hehehe..."

"Indeed. I didn't expect that after living on your own for half a year, you’d become so much more sensible." Lu Muyu turned his head. His smile was so gentle it was chilling; he moved his eyebrows and lips, yet his eyes remained entirely void of emotion.

Ruan Li even began to wonder if he had seen through her. She nervously gripped the hem of her skirt.

"Yes, I’ve been reflecting on myself. I shouldn't have been so willful and caused you all to worry," Ruan Li said weakly, her eyelashes fluttering as she kept her gaze fixed on her toes.

"It’s good that you know you were wrong. Go back and apologize to Mom and Dad; they won't truly be angry with you." Lu Muyu turned sideways, crossing his legs. Seeing Ruan Li nodding hastily, he continued, "Given the situation last night, why did you still go to the nightclub?"

*Hm? So he still wants me to admit fault?*

Forget it. When under someone else's roof, one must bow one's head.

"I was wrong. I shouldn't have gone." She lowered her head, feeling dejected. She thought to herself that it was no wonder "Ruan Li" didn't want to stay in that house. She had already explained the reasons, so why did he still insist she was wrong?

The man took in her aggrieved expression. "You were indeed wrong. You were wrong because, knowing it was a trap, why did you still choose to test it yourself?"

Ruan Li bit her lip and said nothing.

"Speak up. Are you mute?" The man’s voice was like a reprimand, full of authority.

"If I speak, you’ll just say I’m wrong anyway," Ruan Li muttered in dissatisfaction.

She had clearly explained the whole situation to him already; why was Lu Muyu still harping on it?

"Because I wanted to see Ruan Jiao look humiliated, to see her lose her composure in a fit of rage." Ruan Li decided to throw caution to the wind and voiced the negative thoughts she had been harboring.

To her surprise, the man nodded. "At least you’re honest."

Ruan Li thought he was going to let her off, but his next sentence left her feeling utterly crushed.

"However, it was truly as stupid as it could get." The man remained calm and collected, his gaze steady, as if he could see through all the laws of the world.

"..." She had clearly handled the whole situation perfectly!

Ruan Li didn't speak, but she glared at Lu Muyu with indignant, resentful eyes.

Watching her pout like a little punching bag, Lu Muyu tapped his wrist-mounted smart device, and a virtual screen projected into the air.

As he opened a file, the recording played out clearly!

"How do you have that?" Ruan Li exclaimed, though a second later, she realized that in this future interstellar age, hackers existed who could breach firewalls at will.

A serious question occurred to her. "Does that mean you can see everything on my smart device?"

Lu Muyu pushed up his glasses, hiding the amusement in his eyes. "Theoretically, yes."

"You are not allowed to look at my smart device!" / "However, I have no interest in doing so."

The two voices overlapped.

*Who knows if he’ll look?* Ruan Li thought to herself. She didn't believe for a second that anyone could be completely uninterested in secrets.

"This is just a basic operation. Your enemies could easily hire someone to do the same."

"Oh."

Lu Muyu saw how extremely reluctant and unwilling she was to listen. He seemed to sigh internally and explained the stakes clearly to her. "The Ruan family is practically unshakable in the Empire right now. If you offend Ruan Jiao, the most likely heir to the Ruan family, how many people do you think would be willing to help her sweep away the dust in her eyes?"

"Using a recording to threaten Ruan Jiao will only bring you more trouble."

"...Then what do you want me to do? Crawl on the ground like a pug to win her favor? Don't you know that 'Ruan Li' might be...!" Ruan Li suddenly shut her mouth, burying that secret speculation deep in her heart.

A flicker passed through Lu Muyu's eyes.

"I'm sorry, I was just a bit emotional," Ruan Li apologized, shifting her gaze to a random corner of the aircraft.

"What I meant was, when you received those threatening messages, you could have told me directly. If you didn't trust me, you could have chosen to tell our parents. We would have handled the matter properly for you," Lu Muyu said.

A look of bewilderment appeared on Ruan Li's face. "You would solve it? But didn't you just say that the Ruan family is unshakable?"

"To you, of course, the Ruan family is unshakable. But to the Lu family, it is certainly not a problem." Lu Muyu walked to the cockpit to operate the controls. His calm voice came through: "We are about to perform a spatial jump. It might be a little uncomfortable."

A sudden, crushing sensation pressed against her brain, causing Ruan Li to clutch her head and lie on the sofa in distress. She endured the nausea for half a minute, and then everything returned to normal.

"Drink some water." Lu Muyu handed her a glass.

"Thank you." Ruan Li accepted it and took small, delicate sips.

On her pale cheeks, a few teardrops hung precariously from her thick lashes, looking exactly like ice crystals forming on branches in winter.

Lu Muyu’s gaze deepened. Seeing the empty glass, he asked, "Would you like another?"

Ruan Li shook her head.

The air remained quiet for several minutes.

For the first time, Lu Muyu truly looked at Ruan Li. She possessed a delicate, soft, and feminine appearance; a face that looked innocent and pure no matter how one viewed it was her greatest advantage. However, her personality was much more likable than before.

"Don't worry about Ruan Jiao. I will handle it for you. She won't have the time to bother you for a while. You should go back and visit Mom and Dad more often when you have time; they miss you."

The man stood before her, his tailored wine-red suit perfectly outlining his physique. Having just finished the spatial jump, the bright light spilling from behind him added a touch of warmth to his cold, detached face.

"I understand. I'll go back to see them often."

The aircraft landed on the estate grounds. Ruan Li followed behind Lu Muyu, her peripheral vision quietly taking in the surroundings.

What a grand estate.

Ruan Li felt as if she had walked nearly a kilometer before finally seeing the luxurious buildings. She kept her head slightly lowered, though her eyes were stealthily scanning the area. The castle style was reminiscent of Central European Gothic—solemn and imposing.

At the entrance to the main hall on the first floor, a man in a tuxedo with silver-gray hair slicked back greeted them politely: "Young Master, Young Miss, the Master and Mistress are already waiting in the dining room."

Lu Muyu nodded and said to Ruan Li behind him, "Father and Mother have been waiting here for you for an hour."

Ruan Li knew she had to play the role of a good daughter, so as soon as she saw the elder Mr. and Mrs. Lu, she offered a sweet smile. "Father, Mother, I’m home."

Mrs. Lu immediately welled up with tears. "As long as you're home, as long as you know the way back. Little Li, you've lost weight."

Mr. Lu’s expression was slightly reserved, but it was clear he was concerned as well. "Don't stay away from home for so long in the future."