"It's okay, where is your mobile phone and tablet?" Lu Zhi Hao stretched his hand out and received his mobile phone. Lu Ting Zhou passed it over to him.
"What's the matter, Daddy?" After passing the phone over to him, he curiously queried, seeing him place it down on the couch.
"Just leave the phone at home, don't carry any of it! And also, don't wear a watch or bracelet or anything else." Lu Ting Zhou wasn't as smart as his twin brother, and neither as his stepbrother Lu Zi Zhen. They would easily detect any chip that could track their location.
Lu Ting Zhou blinked, confused and sad. Lu Wan Ruyi was also surprised by his instructions, was he doubting him or something? "Why? Is something going to happen at the gala?" He couldn't think much. He had lost a lot of money, his brother got hurt because of that, and now, it felt like they were hiding things from him. He knew he wasn't that capable, but still, can't they tell him what's happening?
Lu Zhi Hao exchanged a look with his wife. Her gaze was calm but sharp, like tempered steel.
"We are just being cautious," she said softly. "There's been chatter, and we don't take risks when it comes to family. You know that!"
Lu Ting Zhou frowned, his fingers twitching slightly, a habit he had when anxious. "All right, Father."
Soon, Lu Zi Zhen and Lu Ting Cheng joined them, and they left the mansion.
As the sleek black car pulled away from the Lu family estate, the atmosphere inside was thick with unspoken tension.
Lu Ting Zhou sat quietly beside his mother, his fingers still twitching in his lap. Across from him, Lu Zi Zhen leaned back with his eyes closed, seemingly unbothered, while Lu Ting Cheng typed something rapidly on his tablet, his fingers flying in a controlled frenzy.
"Zi Zhen," Lu Zhi Hao suddenly called him, seeing how calm and composed he was, his voice was low but firm, "did you confirm the security sweeps at the venue? Are our people stationed in every corner of the hall and building?"
Without opening his eyes, Lu Zi Zhen responded, "Confirmed several times, and the guards stationed at every post have three times the usual number. Our team has been on-site the entire afternoon. No bugs, no signals, no signs of foreign interference. But I have placed two of our men inside the catering crew just in case someone tries to mess."
"Good," Zhi Hao nodded, looking calm, he knew his son would handle that seamlessly. "Ting Cheng, you will stay with your mother closely. Stay alert all the time. If anything feels off, pull back immediately and be in a safe place."
"Yes, Father. Heard you!"
Lu Ting Zhou felt a prickle down his spine. He looked at his mother, but she was staring out the window, her expression unreadable.
He hated this feeling of being the only one who didn't know the whole story or whatever that was happening. Was he still too naive? Or were they just protecting him like always?
He took a breath, forcing calm into his voice. "Father… is there a problem? If the place ain't safe, we can stay at home." He spoke up his mind as Lu Ting Cheng eyed him. Since the morning, they had a slight argument, they haven't gazed at each other face to face.
"It's not something for you to worry about now," his father finally said. "Just follow instructions. Stick closer to your mother all the time." he subtly nodded his head and let the topic settle.
As the car approached the gala venue, a sprawling estate bathed in golden lights, Lu Wan Ruyi leaned close and whispered to her son, "Watch their eyes, not their smiles. Only the eyes give out their true emotions." She wasn't an expert in psychology, but she knew a few things here and there.