Chapter 14: Sudden Crisis

Pei Shijin checked herself over once more, confirming that no one else’s Pheromones scent lingered on her body, before heading back with the sugar-coated chestnuts.

Her brows and eyes brimmed with delight, sparking curiosity even in Lu Yixue, who rarely felt any. Could the chestnuts be that delicious? she wondered. Why else would her mood be so good?

Pei Shijin peeled some chestnuts and popped a few into Little Mingzhu’s and Lu Yixue’s mouths.

The big and little pair moved in perfect sync, both tucking the chestnuts into the left side of their mouths and chewing away.

Lu Yixue’s expressionless face puffed out with her cheek, giving off an adorably silly vibe that made Pei Shijin’s heart flutter repeatedly.

Lu Yixue had been focused on savoring the chestnut flavor but couldn’t figure out what made it so special. Then she felt a scorching gaze upon her. She turned her head, but saw nothing.

Pei Shijin was looking down at her phone. What could be on there?

Lu Yixue glanced twice before looking away; she had no interest in peeking at others’ phones.

Pei Shijin, pretending to scroll, quietly exhaled in relief. She’s too perceptive. Good thing I have plenty of stealth experience.

After finishing the chestnuts, they continued shopping through the mall, snacking as they went and skipping dinner altogether.

That evening, the family of four attended an ocean animal performance. The baby animals interacted with Little Mingzhu, keeping the kids hyped from entry to exit.

As soon as it ended at nine, Lu Mingzhu slumped into Gao Ye’an’s arms, her eyes barely open.

Gao Ye’an cooed her a bit, and she drifted off to sleep.

Back home, Pei Shijin prepared to inspect the bathroom. Though Ji Rong claimed she’d only hidden underwear in the laundry basket, Pei Shijin didn’t trust her. She needed to check herself to confirm if Ji Rong was lying.

Unexpectedly, Lu Yixue’s first move upon returning was to head straight for a shower.

If she found the extra clothes, she’d surely grow suspicious. Then Bai Mingsong could pile on more schemes for compounded charges.

But Pei Shijin wasn’t sure if Lu Yixue would investigate right then or simply let Bai Mingsong off lightly for such a minor offense.

In the end, what Pei Shijin couldn’t gauge was just how deep the bond between those two ran.

She watched Lu Yixue’s retreating back and sighed. She couldn’t stop her from entering the bathroom now anyway, so she left it to fate.

Turning toward the kitchen, Pei Shijin missed the glance Lu Yixue threw back over her shoulder from the stairs.

In the kitchen, Pei Shijin opened the fridge, pondering what midnight snack to make.

The random snacks Lu Yixue had eaten in the evening wouldn’t hold her past eleven; she’d definitely get hungry later.

Pumpkin millet porridge it is, she decided, plus some sandwiches. With her plan set, she got to work.

She deftly washed, peeled, and diced the pumpkin, then added it to the rinsed millet in a clay pot to simmer on low heat.

Standing before the egg molds—round, flower-shaped, heart, and star—her hand hovered over the heart before settling on the star.

She didn’t dare show affection toward Lu Yixue in any way, fearing it would disgust her.

As soon as Lu Yixue stepped into the bathroom, she noticed something off. Someone had knocked over her essence lotion but only righted the bottle without straightening it fully.

A bit of the squeezed-out liquid remained on the vanity, drying with time.

This anomaly alone put Lu Yixue on high alert.

As a scion of Yancheng’s elite Lu Family, she’d encountered countless underhanded plots since childhood.

Someone taking advantage of their family outing to tamper was entirely plausible.

Soon, she found a bra in the laundry basket—not hers or Pei Shijin’s.

The size, style, and Pheromones scent on it all pointed to its true owner.

Lu Yixue’s face turned icy in an instant.

A crude attempt at sowing discord, but its presence here meant the villa’s security had failed.

Today it was just clothes; tomorrow it could be poison in the food.

Lu Yixue immediately issued orders: Have her assistant start investigating from the housekeeper, clear her first, then sweep the entire villa staff.

By the time she finished her shower, the results were in.

Surveillance footage and a brief report on Ji Rong appeared before her.

Lu Yixue recognized her instantly—the Omega from the kindergarten. So even that incident had been premeditated.

As she blow-dried her hair, she reviewed the report, confirming that this woman and her backers were targeting both her and Pei Shijin.

[Investigate everyone she’s contacted in the last three years.] Lu Yixue messaged her assistant. To face enemies, she needed full intel.

Not Assistant Fu from the Research Institute, but her Lu Family aide—handpicked and trained from youth to handle clan affairs as her right hand.

Though her Alpha mother still held power in the Lu Family, and Lu Yixue spent most of her time at the Research Institute, her assistants mostly worked under her mother, learning the ropes.

Perhaps she’d been too quiet lately; people had forgotten her ruthlessness, and restless insects dared hop before her.

Right after she and Pei Shijin married, plenty of fools had pulled idiotic stunts.

Lu Yixue finished drying her hair, put the blow dryer back, tidied the stray strands, and headed downstairs for a glass of water.

As she descended, she pondered whether to cut the trip short and return home. This wasn’t Yancheng; even with bodyguards, she worried some desperate idiot might harm Mingzhu.

She never once suspected Bai Mingsong as the mastermind. To her, their families’ arranged marriage talk was just ancestral jest, their bond mere friendship.

Though Bai Mingsong’s friend’s recent insults and provocations had halved that friendship.

Such antics from her friends were commonplace. Pei Shijin and the Lu Family were mismatched in status; envy and hatred were routine. Plenty in Yancheng dreamed of displacing her as the Lu Family’s young mistress.

Reaching the living room, Lu Yixue paused. From her angle, she could see Pei Shijin’s back.

The apron strings tied around her waist pulled taut, accentuating her curves perfectly.

Unbidden, an image flashed in Lu Yixue’s mind: the skin beneath those clothes—fair and silky, perfect for marking.

She loved watching sweat trace over the red-marked abs of her waist.

“Are you hungry? I made sandwiches and pumpkin millet porridge,” Pei Shijin’s voice broke her reverie.

Lu Yixue looked up. “One portion for me, thanks.”

“Coming right up.” Pei Shijin had already set out bowls and utensils. She ladled the porridge, plated it with a sandwich, and served it to Lu Yixue at the table.

Lu Yixue stared at Pei Shijin’s arms and hands. Her arms looked slender but packed with strength, her fingers nimble.

Maybe I’ve been too idle lately, eating too nourishing, she reflected while eating, stoking my desires too high.

Perhaps Pei Shijin’s sex drive is low because she overdid the nutrient paste.

Pei Shijin stood by like a waitress for a moment, and seeing no complaints from Lu Yixue, returned to the kitchen to serve a portion to Gao Ye’an.

She had no idea that beneath Lu Yixue’s serious facade, the woman was theorizing why she never initiated intimacy.

The next day, the family of four stuck to their itinerary.

The morning involved a boat ride to explore the Sea Island’s caves, followed by a fully vegetarian lunch, then an afternoon “Mermaid of the Sea Island” DIY activity for kids.

The seawater before them shifted hues like flowing sapphires.

Pei Shijin stole glances at Lu Yixue, the amber eyes reflecting the scenery more captivating than the view itself.

Once fully inside the cave, sunlight vanished, leaving only the sound of water and breathing in the dimness.

The tour guide soon switched on spotlights, revealing jagged stalagmites.

Lu Mingzhu let out a joyful squeal, reaching curiously for a stalagmite’s tip. Pei Shijin scooped her up, hoisted her high, and they played with it together, laughing.

Lu Yixue eyed Pei Shijin’s upper arms. The short sleeves had fallen back from the lift, exposing sleek, taut muscles that begged to be squeezed.

Her fingers twitched several times, but Lu Yixue held back. Pei Shijin’s reaction would surely be dull.

The full cave tour took over an hour. Still unsatisfied, Little Mingzhu dragged them to another smaller cave.

This one featured colorful stalactites and carved likenesses of popular anime characters. Lu Mingzhu snapped tons of photos.

The vegetarian lunch showcased every edible plant from the island and nearby waters—some oddly flavored, tasted purely for the experience.

One dish was intensely bitter. Pei Shijin watched Lu Yixue chew it, then spit it out involuntarily, her tongue tinged green.

So cute. I really want to kiss her, share the bitterness.

This silent dreamer rarely tasted meat.

In the restaurant’s rest area, they napped.

At two in the afternoon, the family arrived at the Sea Island Mermaid Square on time.

Registered families received a mermaid stone sculpture blind box, then searched a roped-off garden for treasure chests containing paints and decorations to transform their mermaids.

That evening’s bonfire gala would exhibit them for tourist votes on the most beautiful.

“Too bad Yao Yao didn’t come; we could’ve competed,” Lu Mingzhu lamented, shaking her head, her eyes burning for first place.

The kid had inherited her mama’s competitive streak.

Rules limited two guardians per family, so Gao Ye’an sat it out, leaving it to the trio.

The garden wasn’t complex but lush with plants dividing it into zones.

Some families split into teams upon entry—one adult with child, the other hunting chests solo.

Pei Shijin suggested splitting, but Lu Yixue shut it down flat.

The rat in the gutter wasn’t caught yet; separating left them vulnerable.

Fine, stick together then—Pei Shijin didn’t want to split anyway.

But Little Mingzhu’s competitive fire demanded efficiency through dividing.

They found a chest on a tree branch, with safety harnesses and a staffer nearby—clearly requiring a climb.

Pei Shijin gave it a go; her childhood skills hadn’t rusted. “Mama’s going up.”

“Yay!” Lu Mingzhu’s adoration fueled her.

“Be careful,” Lu Yixue cautioned.

“No worries.” Pei Shijin harnessed up and climbed.

Lu Mingzhu watched briefly before tugging Lu Yixue away. “Mama, we’ll just check around nearby and be right back~”

Pei Shijin looked down, locking eyes with Lu Yixue for a second before averting. “Okay.”

Lu Yixue: …

Thus, the trio parted.

When Pei Shijin descended with the chest, the mother-daughter pair hadn’t returned. Messages to Lu Yixue went unread; calls straight to voicemail—probably silenced.

Impatient, she asked the safety staffer their direction and headed that way.

Half an hour later, Pei Shijin’s bag held several chests, but still no sign of Lu Yixue and her daughter.

Her phone buzzed—Ji Rong’s message.

[Bai suddenly decided to strike today. She used a chest and faked a kid’s cry for help to separate Lu Yixue from you and your daughter. Your daughter’s been taken to a service station. Soon, someone posing as staff will call you, saying your daughter is lost and luring you over.]

Pei Shijin’s face froze like frost. Using Little Mingzhu as bait? Had Bai Mingsong lost her mind?