---

The courtyard slowly emptied.

No one spoke. But every pair of eyes that passed Su Wan was different now. Cautious. Measuring. Uneasy.

Servants lowered their heads as she walked past. No longer dismissive. Now—respectful. Or afraid.

Su Wan stepped into the main hall of the Lu Residence. Marble floors. High ceilings. Cold, luxurious silence.

This place was no longer the same.

And neither was she.

Behind her—footsteps. Slow. Steady. They belonged to Lu Shaohan.

She didn’t turn. But she could feel it again. That gaze. Sharp. Unrelenting.

"You adapted quickly."

His voice came from behind. Low. Flat. Not praise. Not accusation. Observation.

Su Wan stopped. Then turned slightly.

"Should I have cried instead?"

His eyes narrowed. A pause. Then—

"You’re not the same person."

There it was. Direct. Dangerous.

Su Wan met his gaze. Unflinching.

"People change."

"Overnight?" he asked.

Her lips curved faintly. "Sometimes."

Silence stretched. Neither backing down.

Then a servant approached nervously. "Young Master... Old Master asks that Young Madam be moved to the main wing."

Main wing. The center of power in the Lu Residence.

Another statement. Another shift.

Lu Shaohan didn’t respond immediately. His gaze lingered on Su Wan for a moment longer—as if trying to peel her apart layer by layer.

Then he turned. "Do as Grandfather says."

He walked away without another word.

---

The main wing was different.

Larger. Warmer. The kind of space reserved for the true masters of the house.

Su Wan stood at the window of her assigned room—a guest room adjacent to the master suite, not quite inside but no longer outside.

It was a compromise.

A message.

You have authority. But not all of it.

She understood.

And yet—as she watched the servants hurry past her door, stealing glances, whispering—she knew something had already shifted.

They were afraid of her now.

Good.

Fear was useful.

She sat on the edge of the bed, one hand resting on her stomach. The child kicked. Soft. Insistent.

"Not yet," she whispered. "We wait."

---

The household went about its evening routines.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Old Master Lu had retired to his chambers to rest. The aunts ate in silence, their earlier venom temporarily swallowed. Lu Meiqi had been sent to tend to her burned hand—a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

Lu Shaohan sat at the head of the table, eating methodically, speaking to no one.

Su Wan sat at the opposite end.

Neither looked at the other.

But the servants noticed.

The distance between them was not cold.

It was charged.

Like air before lightning.

---

After dinner, Su Wan returned to her room. Washed. Changed into a simple silk nightgown. Brushed her hair.

The night was quiet. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Too quiet.

She was just beginning to relax when a knock came at her door.

She opened it.

A servant stood there, head bowed so low her chin nearly touched her chest.

"Madam... Old Master has ordered..."

A pause. Trembling.

"That Young Madam move into Young Master’s room tonight."

Su Wan blinked.

"...What?"

The servant looked as if she wanted to vanish into the floor. "It is Old Master’s instruction. He said husband and wife should not sleep separately, especially with an heir on the way."

Then she fled.

As if staying longer would get her killed.

Su Wan stood frozen in the doorway.

Move into... Lu Shaohan’s room?

This was not in the novel.

This was definitely not in the novel.

She exhaled slowly. Pressed her palm against her stomach. Thought.

Fine.

It’s only a room.

Only a night.

Only—

"Sigh!"

---

She packed a small suitcase. Essentials only. Nothing that suggested permanence.

The walk to the master suite felt longer than it should have. Every servant she passed lowered their eyes. Every whisper followed her like smoke.

She’s going to his room.

Old Master’s orders.

What does this mean?

She didn’t answer any of them. Didn’t acknowledge any of them.

She simply walked.

---

The moment she pushed open the carved wooden doors, her thoughts stopped.

The room was vast. Dark. Severe.

Black and gray tones. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. Everything about it carried one thing—control.

And at the desk—Lu Shaohan looked up.

His expression was unreadable. Then his gaze dropped to the small suitcase in her hand.

Silence. Heavy.

Then his voice. Low. Cold.

"Explain."

Su Wan lifted her chin. "Your grandfather moved me in."

A pause.

Then, to her astonishment, he actually looked irritated.

At his grandfather.

Not her.

Interesting.

He shut the document in front of him. Rose. Walked toward her.

One step. Then another.

Too close. Much too close.

Su Wan held her ground. Barely.

He stopped before her. His shadow swallowed her.

Then he said quietly—

"You snore?"

Su Wan stared.

"...What?"

His face remained perfectly serious. "I need to know if I’m sleeping tonight."

For one second—she almost laughed.

Almost.

The corner of her mouth twitched. She caught it but suppressed it.