2 Misunderstanding

The gentle piano music gave way to the melodious sound of a cello.

Lu Mi stood rooted to the spot, the hand he was holding growing numb, a thin sheen of sweat appearing on his palm.

He lifted his head slightly, then quickly lowered it again, his gaze scattered as he stared at the flickering points of light dancing on the floor. He did not dare to ask why the person he was to marry had suddenly become Shen Tan. The hand that had been gripped uncomfortably, trying to pull away, now offered no resistance at all, only a faint voice escaping his lips: "H-hello, my name is Lu Mi."

Because he bowed his head, the skin on the back of his neck was fully exposed to the air. Under the dim yellow light, that patch of skin was still pale and fragile, the bones beneath seemingly visible.

Shen Tan had no doubt that with one hand, he could snap that bone.

So fragile, yet beautiful.

Shen Tan stared at that patch of skin for a long moment. The protruding bone trembled slightly. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, a faint smile tugging at one corner of his lips. He finally made a sound of acknowledgment but did not release Lu Mi’s hand. Instead, he gently tugged, pulling Lu Mi off balance.

Sure enough, Lu Mi’s face registered sudden fright. He raised his head to glance at Shen Tan, then quickly averted his eyes and stepped back two paces, trying to create distance.

Shen Tan, as if nothing had happened, continued holding Lu Mi’s hand, leading him to the seat opposite where Shen Tan had just been sitting, only then releasing his hand.

He circled behind the chair and pulled it out for Lu Mi. Though silent, his actions were impeccably gentlemanly.

“Are there any foods you avoid?” Shen Tan sat back down in his seat and asked.

Lu Mi twitched the numb fingers of his right hand.

After being held for so long, the skin there was already reddened.

Hearing Shen Tan’s question, Lu Mi snapped back to the moment and replied softly, "No."

The earlier forceful pull had left him quite shaken. His knowledge of Shen Tan was limited to a brief profile on a bulletin board, but he knew that for someone Shen Tan’s age to take control of a powerful family like the Shens, he must have endured much. Shen Tan was certainly no good man.

In those few seconds, Lu Mi’s heartbeat had surged to its breaking point.

Though he had accepted his fate, when it truly arrived, fear was inevitable.

Yet he hadn’t expected Shen Tan to simply lead him to a seat and pull out the chair.

He had misunderstood Shen Tan.

Before long, Shen Tan called over a waiter. He appeared familiar with this restaurant, confidently ordering several dishes.

After the waiter left, possibly because the restaurant felt warm, Shen Tan removed his suit jacket and casually hung it over the back of the chair.

Lu Mi watched cautiously. When Shen Tan glanced his way, he quickly lowered his eyes again, focusing on the plate before him.

He had no experience like this; the situation was nothing like what Lu Nande had arranged. Lu Mi didn’t know what he was supposed to do.

“You’re very afraid,” Shen Tan said, resting his elbow on the table, fingers interlaced, eyes fixed unwaveringly on Lu Mi. His tone was flat, yet definite.

Lu Mi was startled by the words. He raised his head quickly to deny it but, under Shen Tan’s piercing gaze, he dared not lie and could only stammer evasively, “N-no, I’m not.”

Shen Tan’s expression remained unchanged. “Not afraid? Then what is it? Nervous? Happy? It doesn’t look like happiness—you haven’t smiled since you came in.”

Shen Tan’s words left Lu Mi at a loss. He was indeed afraid, but how could he admit it? If he upset the man before him, the Lu family’s financial lifeline would surely snap, and not even Lu Nande would spare him.

Yet Shen Tan seemed uninterested in an answer.

Seeing Lu Mi’s flustered, blushing face—though Shen Tan had done nothing but speak a few words—he looked as if he had been severely bullied. Shen Tan took a sip of water, then continued slowly, “I understand why you’re afraid. I’ve read your file—you’re only nineteen. That’s quite young to be marrying.”

He made no mention of the fact that Lu Mi’s fear also stemmed from him.

Leaning back casually in his chair, Shen Tan’s posture now seemed far more relaxed, no longer as intimidating or stern as before.

Lu Mi did not understand the meaning behind Shen Tan’s words. Perhaps it was because the person originally meant to marry him was not Shen Tan, and Shen Tan had stepped in last minute, believing he was too young…

Before he could finish this childish thought, Shen Tan shattered it.

“But since the marriage has been decided, there’s no turning back,” Shen Tan said, a slight smile playing on his lips as his sharp gaze locked onto Lu Mi.

That same piercing look, as if it could see through everything.

Lu Mi’s breath hitched; the small spark of hope he had felt was quickly extinguished. He dared not look at Shen Tan’s face again and bowed his head, holding the water cup in both hands, taking small sips in an effort to calm himself.

He had not misunderstood Shen Tan.

Shen Tan was not a good man. His words were meant solely to extinguish any thought of backing out.

The dishes Shen Tan ordered arrived swiftly. The restaurant’s cuisine was exquisite, with each dish pleasing the eye, nose, and palate. Lu Mi had barely eaten all day and no longer felt hungry, yet Shen Tan actively placed a good portion of food onto his plate. Though he did not demand Lu Mi finish it all, Lu Mi dared not refuse.

The meal passed in silence. Lu Mi had not eaten with others for a long time. At home, he always dined separately from the rest of the Lu family. The Lu family had a dedicated dining room where others ate punctually, but Lu Mi usually ate in the kitchen, sometimes arriving late enough to find only leftovers from the servants. He was used to it.

After attending a boarding high school, he only returned home on holidays and weekends. In college, to afford living expenses, he took a job and rented a modest apartment near campus, further reducing his visits home.

Unless Lu Nande summoned him back for some reason.

Lu Mi had expected to lose his appetite—after all, just sitting across from Shen Tan made him tremble and his heart race—but to his surprise, he ate quite heartily.

Perhaps the food was just that good.

Lu Mi’s appetite was small; he only finished what Shen Tan had served him, and was fully satisfied. Yet he did not dare to put down his utensils before Shen Tan—a rule Lu Nande had drilled into him during childhood Lu family gatherings.

During one such rare family dinner, Lu Mi, whose appetite was smaller than anyone’s, had eaten little and grown full quickly. Disliking crowded spaces and finding the others strangers—even Lu Nande, his stepmother, and two brothers were unfamiliar to him—he put down his chopsticks first, intending to leave.

Lu Nande was displeased, openly scolding him as ill-mannered and striking him twice without regard for the others.

Lu Mi cried loudly but was locked in a small bedroom for a long while before being released.

Whenever he recalled that moment, Lu Mi wanted to ask why no one had ever taught him how to behave and why he had been scolded so harshly.

But he never dared voice this once.

He knew what he was in Lu Nande’s eyes.

Yet the Lu family company was his mother’s legacy. He did not want to see the only thing she left behind fail. Without the ability to inherit it himself, the company could only survive under Lu Nande’s control.

“Are you full?” Shen Tan seemed to notice something, glanced at his watch, then looked back at Lu Mi.

Snapping out of his memories, Lu Mi nodded reflexively. Shen Tan’s eyes fixed on him without concealment, and Lu Mi, gripping his chopsticks, held his breath, unwilling to speak or move.

Every time Shen Tan looked at him like that, Lu Mi felt as if something had him firmly in its grasp, claws tearing him open.

“Then let’s go,” Shen Tan said, standing up.

Lu Mi hesitated, glancing at the mostly untouched food on the table. Shen Tan seemed to have eaten little.

Words formed on Lu Mi’s lips, but he swallowed them repeatedly until he finally asked cautiously, “Mr. Shen… have you eaten enough?”

Shen Tan was putting on his jacket. Hearing this, he turned and fixed his gaze on Lu Mi’s face, which immediately looked away. “Are you showing concern for me?”

He curled his lips into a smile, but it did little to soften the intimidating aura.

Lu Mi clenched his fingers, scolding himself inwardly for meddling. He was only supposed to obey; Shen Tan was not someone who couldn’t take care of himself.

“Thanks for your concern. I have a dinner appointment later, but I’ll see you home first,” Shen Tan said without waiting for a reply.

He stood before Lu Mi, looking down on him. Now dressed in his suit again, he seemed even more distant and sharp. Lu Mi dared not meet his gaze or deny his words, hesitating before cautiously adding, “My father is waiting outside.”

Shen Tan lowered his eyes to Lu Mi’s trembling lashes, his expression unreadable. His voice was calm: “Is that so? What a pity. I hope we’ll meet again soon.”

He seemed to have expected Lu Mi’s refusal and showed no surprise.

Lu Mi’s heart skipped a beat.

Of course they would meet again soon. They had not even discussed when to marry—it was all too sudden. Only two days had passed since the decision, and they had just met.

Yet Lu Mi felt Shen Tan’s words carried a hidden meaning.

Shen Tan appeared busy and left without lingering, leaving Lu Mi alone in the restaurant.

With the oppressive presence gone, Lu Mi breathed easier and checked his phone. Only an hour had passed since he arrived.

The feared impossibility of returning home had not come to pass.

It felt like surviving a calamity.

Though he still did not understand why the man named Shen, who should have been fifty, had suddenly become Shen Tan, who had no obvious reason to marry him, the situation was better than he had expected.

At least Shen Tan had not forced him into anything.

Stepping outside, Lu Mi’s mood lightened considerably.

Night had fallen. He stood at the entrance, looking toward where Lu Nande’s car should have been parked. The restaurant had an open-air parking lot with no restrictions against parking.

He circled the area but still found no sign of Lu Nande’s car. The light relief he had felt was crushed by an invisible weight pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

Lu Nande had said he would wait outside for him.

Cars came and went, and Lu Mi did not stand long in the middle of the road before returning to the restaurant entrance. He glanced down at his phone and called Lu Nande.

As expected, the call did not connect.

Lu Nande had turned off his phone.

A chill deeper than when he learned he was to marry a fifty-year-old man crept up Lu Mi’s spine. The faint hope he had held onto because Lu Nande said he would wait outside vanished completely.

He stood at the restaurant door, his already slender frame swaying in the wind, his face growing paler.

Though winter had not yet arrived, Lu Mi felt cold—so cold he shivered, hugging himself.

After some time, Lu Mi steadied himself and pulled out his phone to call a cab when a car that had been parked nearby for a while slowly drove toward him.

It stopped precisely in front of him. Hearing the sound, Lu Mi froze, slowly lifting his head.

The car door opened, and Shen Tan, who should have left long ago, stepped out holding a black coat.

Lu Mi was completely stunned, unsure why Shen Tan had returned. Before he could react, Shen Tan was already in front of him.

Shen Tan was taller and stood so close he nearly blocked Lu Mi’s view and shielded him from the wind.

The coat Shen Tan held was shaken out, spread open, and draped over Lu Mi’s shoulders.

The coat was heavy, wide, and warm. Lu Mi stared blankly upward, for the first time not shrinking away from Shen Tan’s penetrating gaze.

Shen Tan still looked down at him, his expression cold and stern as he spoke: “Lu Mi, do you need me to take you home?”