Everyone turned toward the entrance at the sound of footsteps.
A woman walked into the living room with calm, elegant strides, dressed impeccably.
Her oval face was flawless, her expression faintly aloof.
Her temperament and appearance were both exceptional.
At the first glance, Lucas's eyes flickered with genuine admiration.
Beautiful.
Beside him, Adrien Lefèvre stood up almost instantly, staring at the woman with undisguised obsession, his gaze burning with possessiveness.
Only when the woman stepped forward and softly called out to the elderly man seated at the head—
"Grandfather."
—did Adrien restrain himself.
Mr. Bai smiled and nodded."Yingying is here."
Claire Dubois had come straight over after work.
She usually lived in her own villa, but upon receiving the news, she rushed here immediately.
She was extremely concerned—and deeply resistant—to this matter.
To her, if she truly had to marry Adrien Lefèvre, she might as well die.
Adrien stared blankly at her for a moment before reacting. He hurriedly pulled over a chair.
"Claire, sit down. Don't stand."
Claire ignored him completely.
Instead, she turned and walked straight to Lucas, then sat down beside him.
The moment she did, Adrien froze.
What does this mean?
Why would Claire sit next to Lucas?
In an instant, jealousy surged violently in Adrien's chest.
They were the same age—
And Lucas was clearly more handsome now.
Although Claire said nothing after sitting down, in Adrien's eyes, this was nothing short of betrayal.
He felt like he was being cuckolded.
Meanwhile, Lucas himself was momentarily stunned.
Why is she sitting next to me?
When Claire had arrived earlier, she had subtly signaled him with her eyes—but he hadn't understood at the time.
Didn't I just send you home last night?
Claire felt a strange sensation the moment she sat beside Lucas.
Her heart thumped lightly, inexplicably faster.
What a strange feeling.
Adrien's expression darkened. He wanted to speak—
"Claire, what do you mean by—"
—but he was still holding the chair awkwardly, unable to place it anywhere.
Especially now, when he looked at Lucas, there was no goodwill left in his eyes.
Claire glanced at him calmly and said lightly,"I don't want to sit next to you. Is that a problem?"
The atmosphere instantly turned stiff.
Mr. Bai fell silent for a beat, then stood up to smooth things over.
"Hahaha, alright. Adrien, didn't you say you had something to talk about? Go on."
Mr. Bai had lived for many years.
One glance was enough for him to understand that things were far from simple.
Usually, when Adrien came, his granddaughter would sit directly beside him.
Now—
She was sitting next to Lucas.
That alone said enough.
Adrien composed himself. Even though Mr. Bai was easing the situation, his expression remained unpleasant.
"Grandfather," Adrien said directly, "I want to propose to Claire."
No embellishment.No pretense.
He laid his intentions bare.
The moment he finished—
"I'm sorry," Claire replied immediately. "I don't agree."
How could she possibly agree?
She didn't want to marry someone like Adrien Lefèvre.
Seeing her refuse without hesitation, Adrien grew anxious.
"Claire (yingying), I'm sincere!"
"Why won't you accept me?"
"Or… do you already like someone else?"
As he spoke, his eyes subconsciously darted toward Lucas.
Lucas ignored him entirely, calmly looking elsewhere.
What are you thinking?
I'm still the younger brother.
I can't openly steal my big brother's woman yet.
When I flip the table and return to the sea—then I'll be the big brother.
Claire rolled her eyes at Adrien and said indifferently,"Whether I have someone or not doesn't concern you, does it?"
"And besides—who exactly are you a couple with?"
Her attitude had always been clear.
But Adrien continued to stalk her relentlessly.
Claire was already extremely annoyed.
Hearing her answer, Adrien turned toward Mr. Bai for help.
Mr. Bai sighed, rubbing his temples."Adrien, I really can't interfere too much in matters between you young people."
"But… you've seen Yingying's attitude."
In truth, Mr. Bai had once leaned toward Adrien.
But his granddaughter genuinely disliked him.
And that left him in a difficult position.
Hearing this, Adrien's heart went half cold.
"If I had known," he muttered bitterly, "I should've waited for my mother to come."
He truly couldn't figure this out.
Seeing his dejection, Mr. Bai smiled and said gently,"Young people—don't rush. Take your time."
At that moment, Mr. Bai's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, his expression shifting slightly.
Then he answered without hesitation.
"Hello? …Mm. Alright, I understand. I'll arrange it."
When they saw him end the call, the tense atmosphere inexplicably eased.
Claire and Adrien exchanged confused looks.
What just happened?
Why did Grandfather suddenly seem… happy?
On the contrary, Lucas, sitting quietly to the side, curved his lips into a faint smile.
The protagonist is arriving.
Just as he predicted, Mr. Bai's mood was clearly lighter after hanging up.
He looked at Adrien and said with a smile,"Adrien, you should head home first. It's getting late."
"I have a distinguished guest arriving shortly. It wouldn't be convenient to entertain you."
That sentence—
Was a polite eviction.
The implication was clear: You should leave. Someone important is coming.
Adrien's face changed slightly.
But under Mr. Bai's gaze, he didn't dare resist.
"Alright, Grandfather," Adrien said stiffly. "I'll take my leave."
He stood and walked out.
As he passed Lucas, he shot him a furious glare.
You bastard!
I've never been this close to Yingying before!
Especially when he noticed how close Lucas's arm still was to Claire—
Adrien's jealousy nearly exploded.
Once Adrien left, Lucas stood as well and nodded politely.
"Mr. Bai, excuse me. Your treasured red robe tea is truly remarkable."
Mr. Bai looked at him with interest."Lucas, you know tea?"
"Just a little," Lucas replied.
He then turned to Claire and smiled faintly."Miss Dubois, see you later."
Claire returned his smile."Alright."
Lucas left.
But the smile on Mr. Bai's face slowly faded.
His gaze deepened.
"This kid…" he thought."Not a good person."
"It seems… he wants to abduct my precious granddaughter."