The Lu family's actions confused most of the upper class. Why were they openly airing such dirty laundry? It was something people couldn't understand or explain, as there was simply no logical reason for it. Unless...
The women's eyes deepened, the same thought flashing through their calculating minds. Unless he is special.
That conjecture seemed the most plausible. But whether it was true or not was something they had no idea about, so in the end, they simply continued chatting with the Old Madam.
Emboldened, the woman who had spoken up earlier, after receiving a gentle reply, continued further.
"Why doesn't the little Young Master join the kids at the playground? He might be bored watching us women chatting, don't you think?"
At this point, the ladies tentatively watched to see how the Old Madam would respond.
But her reaction surprised everyone.
The gentleness in Old Madam Lu's eyes seemed to deepen, and she gently asked her grandson, "Are you tired? Do you want to play with your peers?"
She was worried that their dull conversation might bore him.
He stared at her blankly, showing no reaction at first. Just as he was about to open his mouth, the young woman spoke up again.
"The young master must be bored."
Thinking she was right, the Old Madam glanced at the waiter standing nearby. "Take the Young Master to the playground."
She patted Lu Jianchen's head of long black hair. "Don't play too rough, okay?" she said dotingly, her eyes filled with a smile.
"Mmm."
The maid respectfully bowed, and Lu Jianchen stood up from his seat, following the waiter.
It was at that moment that the couple Su Nian and Jian Mingzhen entered the scene. After paying their respects, Su Nian stayed behind, and Jian Mingzhen went to meet his brother.
At the playground...
The playground was a testament to the hotel's luxury.
There was a modest but elegant garden filled with colorful flowers. Five wooden swings hung beneath a wrought-iron arch, their chains polished to a soft gleam. A small slide curved gently beside them, its lacquered surface catching the afternoon light. Beneath a blooming cherry tree lay a white-sand sandbox, dotted with scattered toys.
A table nearby held a buffet of nutritious meals for children—grilled chicken strips, vegetable sticks with hummus, mini fruit skewers, boiled eggs, whole-grain sandwiches, and yogurt parfaits.
Two security guards stood at the playground entrance, stationed there in case of any mishaps, though their presence was usually unnecessary as the children were often well-behaved.
"Young Master, we're here. You can play wherever you like—the swings, the slide. If you're hungry, feel free to enjoy the food. If you need anything, just let the security guards know, and they'll help you. I'll take my leave now," the maid said respectfully, curtsying.
"Mmm," came the young, assertive reply from the little boy.
So young, yet so cold.
The maid retreated, leaving the boy standing alone.
His eyes didn't linger on the empty swings, but on the gathering nearby.
The children were noisy, and his presence went unnoticed.
They were surrounding someone—a girl with superior height. All he could see was her black hair, pinned with a star-shaped maroon hairpin.
Their conversation drifted to him as he walked toward the swing.
"Yue'er, your hairpin is so pretty! What do you think of mine?"
"It's pretty."
"See! Yue'er said my hairpin is pretty! I knew it!"
"Yue'er, your hairpin is so beautiful. I'll get one too, then we can have matching hairpins. What do you think?"
"That's cool."
"Yay! Yue'er agreed! We're sisters now!"
"She'll get one with me too, right, Yue'er?"
"And me too!"
"Me too!"
"And me too!"
"I want one too!"
"It's okay, we can all get the same hairpin."
"That sounds good!"
"Yes, I'm in!"
"Brilliant!"
The girls were visibly excited, while the boys looked awkward. After all, they couldn't exactly say they wanted a hairpin too, could they?
In the end, they pursed their lips and glanced at one another.
Meanwhile, one of the girls took Jian Yue's hand with a smile. "Yue'er, let's go play on the swings. The boys will push us, what do you think?"
"Sure."
The young girl's smile widened, and she looked at the silent boys. "Hey, which one of you will push us?"
"Me!"
"Me!"
"No, me!"
"Let me!"
"I will!"
"No, I'm the strongest here. I'm also older than you all. I can push Yue'er really well," one boy said. He looked about seven, taller even than even Jian Yue. He seemed tough too, so the young girl instantly gave him the pass.
"Pei Lu, you can push Yue'er," she said, then glanced at another boy. "You can push me."
The boy's eyes lit up.
One of the others complained. "But I'm strong too! Why didn't you pick me?"
"Su Li is more handsome than you. Also, he has a gold wristwatch! It must be expensive."
"B-but I have a gold wristwatch too…"
"Where is it?"
"At home…"
"Mmm... Who knows if you're lying?"
With that, the young girl took Jian Yue's arm and walked toward the swings, the others trailing behind.
They hadn't taken more than two steps when they saw a little beauty already sitting on one of the swings.
The girl holding Jian Yue's arm—her name Xiao Xue. Her father was the mayor of Water City, and her mother had once been a famous actress. Probably due to her being surrounded by attractive people, she started judging others from their looks.
"Who's that?" Xiao Xue mumbled, eyeing the little beauty around their age, whose skin was even paler than Jian Yue's. She had always thought Yue'er had the fairest complexion among them, but it turned out there was someone even fairer.
Xiao Xue especially loved beautiful girls. She liked being friends with them, because that way, she felt prettier too. A bit excited, she approached the "girl."
"Hey, do you want to play with us?"