Volume One, Chapter 63: A Lesson

"Lu Wenzhou?" Hearing this name from Shen Xinghe's lips, Jiang Wan, who stood beside him, looked at Shen Xinghe in surprise. She was puzzled. Meanwhile, he gazed seriously toward the surface of the lake.

Jiang Wan followed his line of sight. Across the cycling road lay the central lake of the scenic area, several kilometers away, with a small island at its heart. A pleasure boat drifted leisurely from the island, gliding across the water.

A man stood on the deck, smoking. The modern suit he wore contrasted sharply with the traditional style of the boat. His tall figure and cold, imposing aura made his presence obvious even at such a distance.

"You know him?" Jiang Wan asked Shen Xinghe, still confused. "Didn't you say... you had no friends in Rong City?"

"I'm hardly his friend." Before Jiang Wan could pursue the matter, other employees paused to look as well.

"It's really Master Lu," Xia Nuan recognized him. "Master Lu is about to become a celebrity in Rong City; even Mr. Shen, just arrived, knows about him."

"How could he not be famous? The Crown Prince of the Capital Circle stays in Rong City for love—it's the hottest gossip lately. Even passing dogs overhear a bit."

"But why is he alone..." The remark was left unfinished.

Lin Zhi, Lin Hongguang, and Ji Jiali stepped onto the deck from the cabin, one after another.

Lu Wenzhou, who had been smoking, immediately stubbed out his cigarette upon seeing them. He waved his hand twice, naturally, to dispel the lingering smoke.

Jiang Wan couldn't make out their expressions, but their gestures were clear. Lin Hongguang and Ji Jiali were intimately holding hands; she leaned halfway into his arms. Lin Zhi walked to Lu Wenzhou's side, tilting her head to speak softly to him.

"So they're out for a family outing..." an employee sighed. "Didn't expect Master Lu to be so family-oriented, giving up a romantic weekend to bring along his father-in-law."

"Father-in-law?!" Shen Xinghe raised his voice, instantly interested. "That woman is his partner? Quick, quick, anyone have binoculars?"

He looked eagerly around, but everyone shook their heads. Shen Xinghe had to pull out his phone, zooming in repeatedly to capture Lin Zhi's figure.

Because of his actions, Lin Zhi's gentle expression as she spoke to Lu Wenzhou, and Ji Jiali's sweet, happy smile behind her, were clearly visible to Jiang Wan.

She wanted to ignore it, to look away, but in those brief seconds, the scene was deeply etched in her mind.

"Well, she's not as pretty as her mother," Shen Xinghe said with disappointment, pursing his lips. "What taste."

His unabashed remark made the atmosphere subtly awkward. The Lin family's status in Rong City was considerable. Now that Lin Zhi had one foot in the Lu family, who would dare comment recklessly? It would be courting disaster.

No one dared respond.

Shen Xinghe, still staring at his phone, suddenly noticed something. He turned to look at Jiang Wan, then back at the screen.

"Honestly, don't you think her mother looks a lot like Jiang Wan?" Shen Xinghe said seriously, as if he'd uncovered a startling secret.

Still, no one replied.

Until Jiang Wan forced a stiff smile. "Indeed, everyone says so."

No sooner had she spoken than, because their group lingered, the Lin family members on the boat also noticed them. The four on the deck cast looks their way.

The distance was vast; no one could see each other's expressions.

Jiang Wan withdrew her gaze and took the initiative. "Let's go. Shall we choose an activity? How about frisbee?"

She led the way, as if entirely unaffected. Those in the know wisely followed.

Until, at the end of the group, Shen Xinghe exclaimed, "Whoa! That's her birth mother? The circles are truly tangled."

Jiang Wan was long accustomed to such whispered gossip. She pretended not to hear, gathering everyone to form teams.

The frisbee field was on the great lawn, marked in a rectangle. Teams of seven, scoring zones at each end, a central contest zone. Each round lasted ten minutes. The offense scored a point by catching the frisbee in the defense's scoring area; first to fifteen won.

This sport had become popular from abroad in the last two years, so some were unfamiliar with the rules. Employees who knew the game demonstrated, sharing experience and tips.

Jiang Wan was pushed onto the field, Shen Xinghe among them. Fourteen players raced across the grass, running, passing, catching in the sunlight.

Jiang Wan's team quickly took the lead, 6:1.

Players began to tire, so they called a ten-minute halftime.

As they walked off, they noticed—the pleasure boat, which had been drifting on the lake, was now docked near their field.

Lu Wenzhou and his group were approaching.

Seeing this, the employees slowed their steps. Jiang Wan glanced at them, then turned to the rest area, grabbed a bottle of water, and drank.

Sunlight spilled over her, cheeks flushed from exertion. The cool water in her mouth contrasted sharply with her heated body.

In her peripheral vision, Lu Wenzhou and his party finally arrived at the frisbee field.

As soon as they appeared, Shen Xinghe, who had stayed put, spoke with a proud snort, "So you finally bothered to say hello? I thought you'd play dead forever."

His words changed the entire atmosphere. His relaxed tone carried a hint of jest, mockery, and a trace of reproach.

Lu Wenzhou's face remained grim and silent.

Seeing this, the Jiang employees were instantly on edge, exchanging nervous glances, too frightened to speak.

"Mr. Shen..." Xia Nuan, nearest to him, couldn't help but remind.

She sent him a look, but Shen Xinghe dismissed it immediately. He dug at his ear with one hand, raising his brows. "What's the panic? Won't implicate your company—never seen an uncle scold his nephew?"

At these words, a chilly wind swept the open field, making everyone's spine tingle.

"Wha... what?" Xia Nuan couldn't believe her ears. The others stared wide-eyed as well.

Even Jiang Wan, standing nearby, almost choked on her water at Shen Xinghe's sudden revelation.

"Cough, cough... cough." She put down her bottle, involuntarily looking their way.

Shen Xinghe, standing before Lu Wenzhou, was half a head shorter, dressed in casual athletic wear with a small ponytail tied at the back.

In stark contrast to Lu Wenzhou's sharp suit and cold, forbidding aura, he looked like a newly grown kid.

Yet he claimed...

He was Lu Wenzhou's uncle?