"You don't seem to be enjoying this food, let's go upstairs and get ready to attend the charity gala." Lu Zhi Hao suggested looking at her.
Lu Wan Ruyi stared at him for a few more seconds, her chopsticks frozen mid-air. It was true, she wasn't in the mood to enjoy the food on the table.
Her son had always been intelligent, calculative, but something was unnerving about how calmly he was talking about "taking responsibility." What was he planning to do? Her instincts prickled—there was something more he wasn't saying. She didn't want him getting exposed.
"Destroying a prototype isn't exactly subtle, and you know it, if they are bent on getting it, then they can do anything," she said quietly, setting her bowl down. "Are you sure this won't draw more attention? You can just let me handle the situation."
"No! You don't have to get involved, mother, I have already laid the groundwork," he responded, his voice low and steady. "The formula they'll get will lead them in circles with incomplete experiments. By the time they realize it's a decoy, I would have found my own exit."
She didn't like it. But she trusted him more than anyone else. Still, her heart clenched seeing his serious demeanor, and the possibility of bloodshed was high.
He rose from his seat and held out her hand. "Let's go upstairs and change, honey. We are getting late for the gala tonight."
Lu Wan Ruyi lightly nodded her head as Lu Zhi Hao picked her up, his movements graceful but wary. Lu Wan Ruyi arched her back and gazed at her husband, "You think they would try something at the event?"
"They won't dare—not with the security measures I have put in place. But just in case," he loudly sighed, heading upstairs to change into their gowns.
As Lu Zhi Hao carried her up the staircase, her fingers found his collar, smoothing it absentmindedly. "You always say 'just in case," she murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "Would the situation get out of hand?" She was worried, apart from him and her being there, the three boys would be there, that's a whole family.
He paused before proceeding, meeting her eyes with that unreadable calm he wore when danger loomed. "We will handle the situation as they come! If there were a problem, then I don't know how the situation would be; we won't be the only prominent people there." He wasn't worried; his team, plus Lu Zi Zhen's team of guards, could handle their security.
She gave a small, wry laugh, "All right, what else can I say!" She couldn't force them to stay in the mansion.
He kissed her forehead. "You don't have to worry about anything, you are Mrs Lu."
He walked through the corridor over to their bedroom, their bedroom was already prepped. A team of discreet stylists and security personnel waited for them. Lu Wan Ruyi was handed her gown—a sleek, midnight-blue ensemble woven with smart fabric that concealed reinforced threading, just in case.
As she changed, Lu Zhi Hao stood before the mirror, adjusting the cufflinks embedded with a safety chip. He caught her reflection behind him and held her gaze. "If anything happens tonight, find Lu Ting Cheng. He knows what to do." He and Lu Zi Zhen would be too busy to handle situations, and it was best if she stuck with Lu Ting Cheng.
Ruyi froze. "Zhi Hao…"
"It's just a precaution." He turned, buttoning his jacket. "I don't expect anything to happen tonight. But anything can happen." In such scenarios, no one would be certain.
She stepped close and adjusted his collar once more, eyes locked on his. "All right, I will listen to you." They continued to get themselves ready as Lu Wan Ruyi applied light makeup on her face.