"Guess you don't need my help then—handle it yourself." Lu Zhe set down the cotton swab, turning to leave, but Lila's voice stopped him. "Since you're playing saint today, why not go all in?"
He chuckled, leaning back to bandage her wound with care. "Watch yourself. This injury doesn't look like an accident—more like someone's dirty work."
Lila stayed quiet, her mind flickering to Vanessa. Lu Zhe glanced at her, his tone layered. "You're something, taming a firecracker like Lu Yun."
At his name, Lila saw her chance to bridge the brothers' gap. Lu Yun's "grand" esports dream needed Lu Zhe's cash, and she genuinely wanted them to talk—really talk.
She wasn't a saint, nor a villain, but winning Lu Yun's trust was strategic. Plus, she cared. "It's not much. He's rough around the edges but decent. Don't you want to know what he's chasing?" Her eyes locked on Lu Zhe's, daring him to dodge.
He smirked, unshaken. He'd checked on Lu Yun, turned a blind eye to his antics—how else could the kid siphon his money? And not pocket change, either. Lu Zhe tolerated it, expecting Lu Yun to burn out and return to run the family empire. Everyone's young once, with dreams no one can crush.
He wasn't ready to bare that to Lila, though. "Nah. He'll come back when he's done playing rebel. Today, he was tame—no fights."
Lila's lips curved, amused.
A knock interrupted. Grandma and Lu Mom entered, carrying a tray of cake slices. "Lila, we weren't sure your favorite, so we grabbed one of each," Grandma said, her eyes brimming with warmth.
Lila's heart swelled, touched by a rare familial gesture. "Grandma, you're the best," she said, moving to hug her, but Lu Mom's cough stopped her. "Thanks for the cake, Auntie," she added, diplomatic.
"I'm just humoring Grandma," Lu Mom said flatly—her biggest concession yet.
Lila nodded, letting it slide. "If you're busy, I'll rest here."
After small talk, they left. Lu Zhe stayed, sharing the cake. "The Qiaos…" he paused, "Grandma's got her eye on them now."
Lila nibbled the cake, not a fan but tasting it anyway. "What, worried I'll get dragged down as a Qiao foster kid? Lu Zhe, you're catching feelings."
He scoffed. "Just don't want their mess tainting me."
"The Qiaos barely claim me," she said coolly. "I'm their disposable foster daughter."
"Cold move," he said. "They raised you, after all."
Lila didn't reply. She couldn't cut the Qiaos off—not with her mother's life at stake. Vanessa could act vile, but Lila held back, waiting for Jo An's stance. Her mother was her Achilles' heel.
That night, the Lu estate hosted a lavish dinner, but Lila stayed upstairs. Lu Zhe had to linger a few days. "Not staying?" he asked.
"No room for me, I bet. I'll head back," she said, pulling out her phone to book a ride. He stopped her. "Stay. I'll drive you tomorrow."
She nodded, relenting.
Near midnight, Lila was dozing when Lu Zhe, downstairs sipping coffee, missed a call from Tracy. "Lila, your mom's critical—doctors are rushing her. Something's off. Can you come?"
Lila's heart plummeted. She considered telling Lu Zhe but hesitated—he knew nothing of her past, and explaining risked suspicion. Instead, she called Chen Yu.
Chen Yu sped over, picking her up without Lu Zhe's knowledge. At the hospital, Elian was in emergency care. Lila demanded details.
"She was improving, doctors even said she might wake, but today…" Tracy sobbed. "If she doesn't make it, I'm to blame."
Lila soothed her. "It's not your fault, Tracy. She's fighting. I trust she'll pull through."
Her voice was steady, but her heart churned.
Chen Yu watched, concern deepening. Why's no Qiao here for something this big?
Lila caught his look, explaining softly, "She's my birth mom, comatose since a car crash. I was sent to an orphanage, then the Qiaos took me in."
Chen Yu nodded, agreeing Lu Zhe shouldn't know. The Lus would pounce on Lila's baggage. "I'm here, Lila. You're not alone," he said, squeezing her hand.
An hour later, the doctor emerged. "Family? She's stable, with a chance to wake, but it's risky. Our hospital's limited—you may need to transfer her."
Lila's face hardened. A City's best hospital wasn't enough. Studying, she had two years to find better care. Could her mom hold on?
"Keep treating her. I'll plan the transfer. Thank you," she said.
Chen Yu frowned. "Need my help?"
She knew he could pull strings but hated debts. "I'll call if I need to transfer her."
Forcing a smile, she added, "If Lila's in trouble, I know you've got me."
They stayed all night. Chen Yu refused to leave despite her protests. "What about Lu Zhe? Won't he flip if you're AWOL?"
Lila shrugged. "He's busy with the Lus. I was leaving anyway—he's the one who insisted I stay."
"Go rest," Chen Yu urged, handing her tea, pained by her swollen eyes. The fierce, radiant Lila looked drained.
She shook her head, sipping water, rallying. "I'm okay watching her—it's my peace."
"I'll keep tabs on hospital options. Don't stress," he said, offering porridge she didn't touch.
She flashed a faint smile, self-mocking yet resolute. "Lila doesn't crumble easily."
Meanwhile, Lu Zhe was unraveling. Lila's midnight vanishing act sent him racing back, only to find her gone. The next day, still no trace. Calls and texts sank unanswered—she'd vanished.
Isn't this what I wanted? That annoying Lila, gone? Yet his chest ached, hollow.
He slammed a fist on the table. "Lila, where the hell are you?"
"Lu Zhe, what's with the temper?" Lu Mom entered, noting his stormy face but switching topics. "Dinner's ready. Family's waiting. You're rarely home—how many meals have you shared?"
He reined in his rage, nodding. "I'm coming."
Lu Mom left, smug, thinking, What's so special about that wild girl to rile him up?
At dinner, Grandma asked, "Where's Lila?"
"Back home—classes," Lu Zhe lied smoothly.
By noon, he returned to his room, stunned to find Lila asleep, pale and exhausted. He wanted to shake her, demand where she'd been, but her frail look softened him.
She stirred fitfully, brows knit, even dreams troubling her. Lu Zhe's lips curved, worry dissolving briefly.
Evening came, and she still slept. "Keep this up, you'll turn into a pig," he muttered, brushing her forehead—scorching.
He dug out a thermometer: 39.5°C. Fury flared. Where was she yesterday to get this sick? What's more important than her health?
He called his private doctor, then cooled her with a damp cloth, muttering, "What were you thinking?"
Lila mumbled in her haze, "No… don't…"
She grabbed his arm, clinging. He tried to pull free, but she held tight.
"Wake up and let go," he said, voice stern.
She didn't budge, tears slipping, repeating, "Don't…"
Lu Zhe's frown deepened, sighing. "Fine, hold on all night. One-time deal."
His tone was softer than ever. I'm losing it—going soft for Lila.
"You're… something else," he whispered, swapping her cloth, rechecking her fever—still climbing.