Mo Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sight, but he said nothing.

One of the servants standing near the entrance straightened at once when she saw Su Wan approaching. "Madam..."

Su Wan gave a small nod and continued forward without slowing.

The moment she stepped into the main hall, the conversation quieted noticeably—not completely, but enough. Several unfamiliar faces turned toward her at once.

At the center sat Zhang Wei beside an older man whose composed expression and sharp features made the family connection obvious.

Father and son.

Zhang Hui sat slightly behind them, one hand resting protectively against her stomach, while two women from the Zhang household remained nearby like carefully placed witnesses.

Old Master Lu sat opposite them, calm but visibly colder than usual.

Second Madam remained seated nearby, while Lu Meiqi stood further back, openly observing the confrontation with poorly hidden interest.

And near the far side of the room—Lu Shaohan. Still. Unreadable. His gaze shifted toward Su Wan the moment she entered, lingering briefly on the visible bandage beneath her sleeve before returning to neutrality.

Su Wan walked forward calmly despite the persistent pain in her arm and took her seat without asking permission. Li Chen and Mo Chen stopped behind her naturally.

The room remained quiet for several seconds afterward.

Then Zhang Wei smiled faintly—polite, measured. "This must be Madam Lu."

His tone sounded respectful enough publicly, but beneath it was obvious calculation. He wasn’t greeting her. He was assessing her.

Su Wan met his gaze calmly without responding immediately.

Old Master Lu finally broke the silence. "We were discussing the current situation."

Zhang Wei inclined his head slightly. "Naturally." His eyes flicked briefly toward Zhang Hui before returning to the Lu family. "My sister has been under significant pressure these past few months, particularly after learning her child may have connections to the Lu family."

The wording was deliberate—not a direct accusation, not confirmation, but pressure disguised as caution.

Lu Meiqi folded her arms loosely near the side of the hall. "And what exactly does the Zhang family want?" she asked before anyone else could speak.

Old Master Lu’s expression darkened faintly at the interruption, but Zhang Wei answered smoothly anyway. "Nothing unreasonable."

That immediately made the atmosphere colder. Because demands wrapped in politeness were always the most dangerous.

Zhang Wei leaned back slightly. "If the child truly belongs to the Lu bloodline, then naturally the child deserves proper recognition and protection."

Su Wan finally spoke. "And by protection," she said calmly, "you mean entry into the Lu family structure."

The room quieted further.

Zhang Wei’s smile remained in place, though thinner now. "I mean stability."

"No," Su Wan replied evenly. "You mean survival."

For the first time, his expression shifted slightly. Because she had reached the real issue too quickly.

The Zhang family did not need emotional acknowledgment. They needed leverage. Protection. Political stabilization before their own problems surfaced publicly.

Zhang Wei’s gaze sharpened faintly. "And Madam Lu seems very certain about our intentions."

Su Wan rested the black folder lightly against her lap. "Only because your family moved too quickly."

A brief silence followed.

Then Zhang Wei smiled again, though less comfortably than before. "Interesting."

Su Wan looked at him steadily. "No," she said softly. "What’s interesting is how confidently the Zhang family entered succession negotiations while currently under sealed financial investigation."

The room froze instantly.

Even Old Master Lu’s gaze shifted slightly at that.

And across the hall, the warmth disappeared entirely from Zhang Wei’s face.

The silence that followed Su Wan’s words was no longer merely tense.

It had become dangerous.

Zhang Wei’s expression remained controlled, but only barely. The polite composure he had carried since entering the Lu Residence cracked at the edges the moment she mentioned the investigation.

Beside him, the older Mr. Zhang’s gaze hardened noticeably, the subtle shift enough to alter the entire atmosphere inside the hall.

Because sealed investigations were not public knowledge.

And Su Wan should not have known.

So, how did she know it? Or she was just bluffing?

Across the room, even Lu Meiqi’s expression changed. Her earlier satisfaction vanished beneath visible confusion as she looked between Su Wan and the Zhang family, trying to understand what had just happened.

Old Master Lu remained silent, watching and measuring.

The servants standing along the edges of the hall had grown unnaturally still, every instinct warning them that something far more serious than household scandal was unfolding before them.

Zhang Wei finally spoke, though the smoothness in his voice no longer sounded effortless. "Madam Lu seems very well informed."

Su Wan did not answer at once. She simply rested the black folder lightly beside her chair, calm enough to make the tension around her feel even sharper by comparison.

At that moment Mo Chen stepped forward quietly, carrying a fresh tray of tea. The movement should have been ordinary—routine. A servant replacing cooled tea during a prolonged meeting. But nothing inside the hall felt ordinary anymore.

Mo Chen moved first toward Su Wan. Steam curled softly upward from the porcelain cup as he lowered it carefully beside her.

"Madam."

Su Wan gave a small nod and reached for the tea with her uninjured hand.

And that was when everything broke.

"One moment."

The interruption came sharply from Mr. Zhang. The room stilled at once. His eyes had fixed on Mo Chen—not casually, but directly and suspiciously.

Mo Chen’s hand paused slightly above the tray before lowering completely.

Mr. Zhang’s gaze narrowed. "You’re not Lu family staff." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The statement landed heavily. Because he was right. Mo Chen did not wear servant attire. He stood too straight, moved too precisely, and carried himself with far too much awareness to resemble ordinary household personnel.

Li Chen’s posture shifted subtly beside Su Wan. Old Master Lu’s eyes darkened slightly.

But Su Wan remained calm. "He works for me," she said evenly.

Mr. Zhang’s gaze did not leave Mo Chen. "A bodyguard serving tea personally?" His voice carried faint disbelief now. "Madam Lu seems unusually trusting."