Lu Bancheng slightly increased the force of his hand on the door handle and, after a few seconds, pushed open the door and entered the study. He did not come out of the study until lunch was ready. Upon entering the dining area, he caught sight of the empty seat next to Xu Wennuan. After some thought, he eventually decided to sit beside his father.
A splendid spread of food had been prepared for lunch, and as they ate Mother Lu incessantly talked to Xu Wennuan. Father Lu occasionally tried to interrupt with a word or two, but Lu Bancheng, who was usually talkative, did not converse beyond speaking to his father occasionally about business matters.
As he had only had surgery a few days prior, Lu Bancheng did not have much of an appetite and placed his chopsticks down after eating only a few bites. The nanny noticed that Lu Bancheng was not eating when she was serving the soup. She asked with a frown, “Young Master, why aren’t you eating? Do you not like the food?”
Lu Bancheng smiled and shook his head, but before he could reply the nanny stared at him studiously before she spoke again, “Young Master, you seemed to have lost quite a bit of weight. You don’t look too good either. Are you feeling unwell?”
Upon hearing the nanny’s words, Mother Lu stared at her son and began to examine him. “Now that Xiao’cai mentioned it, you have slimmed down a fair bit. Ah Cheng, were you ill recently?”
Lu Bancheng accepted the bowl of soup that the nanny passed over to him and brought it up to his lips to take a sip before he gave a vague reply of acknowledgment. After he finished the bowl of soup, he said, “I caught the flu a few days ago.”
“Have you seen a doctor? Are you okay now?” Father Lu continued probing.
Everyone’s attention was focused on Lu Bancheng, and Xu Wennuan could not help but look up and glance at him. He had slimmed down significantly since the last time she had gone to his apartment looking for him. His face was frighteningly pale, in fact. Lu Bancheng vaguely sensed her gaze and looked over at her. Before he could catch her watching him, Xu Wennuan quickly lowered her head and began to dig into her bowl of rice.
So I’m hallucinating…
Lu Bancheng stared at Xu Wennuan’s hair for a moment before he shifted his gaze away and replied to his father, “I’ve already visited the doctor. I’m alright now.”
……
After dinner, Lu Bancheng headed off with his father for a game of chess, while Xu Wennuan chatted with Mother Lu for a short while. She excused herself to go upstairs to rest in Lu Bancheng’s bedroom. It was still hot in the afternoon and, with her stomach so full from the meal, Xu Wennuan inevitably felt drowsy. As she laid on the sofa and played with her cell phone, she could not help but doze off to sleep.
In her semiconscious state, she sensed someone pushing open the bedroom door. Thinking she was dreaming, she didn’t pay much attention until a shadow loomed over her. The shock roused her from her sleep and, upon seeing Lu Bancheng’s face close to hers, she reflexively jumped up from the sofa and backed away a few steps. It was only when she was some distance away from him that she calmed down.
Was he trying to cover me up with that blanket when he saw me sleeping?
Realizing she had misunderstood Lu Bancheng’s intention, Xu Wennuan stared in a daze and moved her lips but, ultimately, no words came out of her mouth. Lu Bancheng lowered his head and glanced at the blanket in his hands before he casually threw it onto the sofa. As if nothing had happened, he said calmly, “Let’s go now that you’re awake.”
Xu Wennuan nodded her head but remained silent.
