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Chapter 236: Chapter 236 ... Catching Adultery in the Act?
Chen Shu’s expression was calm, but those few short sentences held too much information.
The first time Lu Sheng saw Juanjuan, she felt that the girl did not look like an ordinary person.
Whether it was her doll-like beautiful appearance, her fair and delicate skin that seemed easily breakable, or her thick, soft, blond hair that still shone despite being covered in dust.
The young girl looked like she had never been exposed to any challenges, like a rose that had grown up pampered in a greenhouse.
However, Juanjuan was not as fragile as Lu Sheng had imagined.
Or rather, her later behavior made Lu Sheng change this first impression.
Juanjuan was very well-behaved and sensible, and also very kind and adorable.
She would worry about causing trouble for others, always felt grateful for others’ kindness, and even took initiative to work part-time, not afraid of hardship at all.
So, Lu Sheng was surprised to find out that Juanjuan was the daughter of a First-class Duke Suli, which means she was just below the Royal Princess in status.
She had never expected that before Juanjuan ended up in Jiang City, she had gone through such a terrible ordeal at home.
Witnessing her ill mother kill her father? Almost being strangled to death by her own mother? Cutting her mother’s throat with a dagger in self-defense?
These few sentences created a vivid image.
On a stormy night with thunder and lightning, a bolt of lightning cast a white light inside the house, and the young girl, nearly suffocated and unconscious, instinctively used the dagger to cut her mother’s throat.
Warm blood uncontrollably spurted out, splashing all over the girl’s face and body. The girl opened her eyes to see her mother bleeding from the throat with eyes wide open, and the smell of blood was so pungent it was nauseating.
Just thinking about it sent chills down one’s spine.
"...You mean," Lu Sheng took a deep breath, looking at the man in front of her, "you mean after Juanjuan accidentally killed her mother, she disappeared the next day."
"Yes," Chen Shu’s expression remained calm, but his pale green eyes were slightly sad, "I think, she probably couldn’t face the fact that she had killed her own mother, so she subconsciously wanted to flee."
"Christine visited Jiang City in China once with my mother when she was young. That trip left a deep impression on her, and I guess that’s why she chose Jiang City as her destination."
Chen Shu’s words didn’t seem to have any issues.
Unable to face what had happened, so Juanjuan wanted to escape.
After arriving in Jiang City, unfamiliar with her surroundings, and then a car accident made her lose her memory, leading her to be abducted by human traffickers.
Although she can’t remember what specifically happened at home, her subconscious still feels fear, so she is afraid to return home.
Everything seemed reasonable.
But Lu Sheng still felt there was an odd sensation, yet she couldn’t quite pinpoint what was odd.
"I understand," Lu Sheng looked at Chen Shu and asked, "So, what does Mr. Chen plan to do?"
"I have taken care of everything, inherited my father’s title, and concealed the true cause of my parents’ death from the public. The truth will never be known to outsiders, so Christine doesn’t need to feel unable to face her past."
"I came to Jiang City this time to bring Christine back. But hearing from Miss Lu Sheng that Christine has not recovered her memory, I worry she won’t recognize me as her brother."
"This is where I need Miss Lu Sheng’s help," Chen Shu gazed at Lu Sheng, leaning closer with a very focused look, "Christine is the only family I have left...you will help me, won’t you?"
Chen Shu’s appearance was too superior, his features as finely chiseled as those of a Greek deity, profoundly striking.
When those gem-like, deeply sad light green eyes showed a hint of a plea, it was hard for anyone to say no.
Of course, Lu Sheng couldn’t refuse.
She had already been helping Juanjuan search for her family, her only concern was what had made Juanjuan fearful of returning home.
Now that she knew what had happened to Juanjuan, and her real brother had come to take her sister home, she naturally couldn’t refuse.
Lu Sheng paused and said, "Juanjuan has found a job at a dessert shop, she gets off work at six in the evening, and she should have already returned to the apartment now."
"If Mr. Chen is in a hurry, we can go to the apartment after dinner. Perhaps seeing you might help restore her memory."
"No rush." Hearing Lu Sheng’s suggestion, Chen Shu shook his head, relaxing his body as he leaned back in his seat.
"It’s already quite late today. Even if Christine regains her memory when she sees me, she will not be able to rest well tonight."
"I think, if Miss Lu Sheng is free, perhaps we could meet tomorrow morning. I would also love to see Christine, who has barely ever left the manor since childhood, see what her work environment is like."
Lu Sheng glanced at her watch, realizing it was indeed late after dinner, and then nodded in agreement.
"Then let’s meet at ten o’clock tomorrow morning at the entrance of the hotel where you, Mr. Chen, are staying."
"’Mr. Chen’ is too formal, Miss Lu Sheng, just call me Chen Shu," Chen Shu said with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, his eyes shimmering like rippling spring water, "I know that Chinese friends like to use nicknames for each other, may I call Miss Lu Sheng ’Shengsheng’?"
Although her friends indeed addressed her this way, and the exchange of such formal titles was indeed too polite,
Lu Sheng felt an instant discomfort when she met his eyes.
Or rather, it was a sense of alarm towards danger.
The man before her was undoubtedly courteous and a gentleman. Truly born into nobility, every gesture and word carried an inherent dignity and elegance.
But those eyes... beneath the gentle flow of his gaze, there seemed to lurk an unfathomable depth, indecipherable.
"Of course, you can," Lu Sheng responded naturally, "It’s just a name, whatever is easier to say."
Hearing this, the smile on Chen Shu’s lips deepened.
The meal ended around nine o’clock. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
As a gesture of the host’s hospitality, Lu Sheng went to pay the bill first and then offered to call a car for Chen Shu to send him back to the hotel.
However, Chen Shu paused for a moment, "The hotel I booked is nearby, it might be more convenient to walk there, although I’m not very familiar with the route..."
"I’ll look up the location."
Lu Sheng inquired about the name of the Chen Shu’s hotel, checked the map, and found it was indeed very close, about a ten-minute walk, "It’s not far indeed, I’ll just walk you back there myself."
"If it’s inconvenient, I can use my phone for navigation, just recommend an app to me," Chen Shu said, looking at Lu Sheng, as if he didn’t want to impose on her time.
"It’s no trouble, this is what friends do," Lu Sheng said.
They left the restaurant and walked onto the main street. Many shops along the street still had some Christmas decorations up, retaining a bit of the holiday atmosphere.
Probably because it was a weekday, there weren’t many people on the street.
As they passed a well-known chain coffee shop, Chen Shu suggested going in to buy coffee, stating his routine of having coffee before bed, and Lu Sheng naturally followed him inside.
The coffee was prepared fresh so they needed to wait for a bit.
While Chen Shu was ordering at the counter, Lu Sheng looked around the shop for a place to sit.
However, just as she walked to the seating area, she noticed a familiar figure sitting by a table near the floor-to-ceiling windows.
—It was Li Muchen.
Lu Sheng stood there, watching the scene from a distance.
Li Muchen was sitting face to face with a woman wearing a Chanel suit and with big curly hair.
The woman looked young and elegant, with delicate features resembling those of an affluent family’s daughter. She was almost gazing intently at Li Muchen, a shy smile lingering on her lips, and the two seemed to be enjoying their conversation.
