Upon hearing Shen Zhi Qiu's words, Rong Mo's face immediately lit up with a smile, and he turned his head to focus his gaze on Shen Zhi Qiu.

Shen Zhi Qiu walked gracefully in a long silver dress. With each step, the silver hem of her dress seemed to shimmer and sparkle like the surface of a lake under the sunlight, rippling in the wind.

She smiled faintly, her delicate face radiating a gentle smile. Her hair was pulled up high, with only two strands falling loosely. Her fair and delicate arms hung naturally at her sides, and the silver dress she wore gave her a serene and elegant beauty that instantly captivated everyone's attention.

"So beautiful. This dress suits you perfectly, this is the one." Rong Mo nodded in satisfaction.

Lu Jia looked at her with a tender expression.

"Then I'll go change, and we'll go eat." Seeing that Rong Mo also liked it, Shen Zhi Qiu couldn't help but smile as well.

By the time Shen Zhi Qiu came out, they had already chosen a restaurant.

"Let's go then, I've already made a reservation." Rong Mo said, standing up and walking outside.

Rong Mo drove ahead, while Lu Jia followed behind with Shen Zhi Qiu and Lu Wei in his car, heading towards the restaurant together.

"Do Mom and Dad know you're back?" Lu Jia asked, glancing at the rearview mirror while holding the steering wheel at a traffic light.

"I don't know, I haven't said yet." Lu Wei pursed her lips tightly. "I was thinking of going back after the wedding."

"Okay. I'll go back with you then. Just let me know the time in advance."

The light turned green, and Lu Jia started the car, no longer continuing the topic.

Lu Wei sighed silently, her fingers, which were resting on the chair, unconsciously curled up.

Every time the topic of going home comes up, it makes her feel heavy, even suffocated. So all these years, she hasn't returned, preferring to stay abroad alone rather than go home.

For others, returning home is a joyous occasion with family reunions, but for her, it's all she faces: cold shoulders and reproaches. This kind of family atmosphere always makes her want to escape, which is why she went to such a faraway place and only goes home when absolutely necessary.

The atmosphere inside the car was a bit cold.

Lu Jia glanced at the rearview mirror again, still worried. Seeing the dejected look on Lu Wei's face, Lu Jia frowned slightly, sighed, and said in a low voice, "Sister, if you don't want to go back, then don't. I won't tell the family that you've returned to China."

Shen Zhi Qiu, in the passenger seat, was taken aback when she heard this. She didn't know why Lu Jia would suddenly say this, but she also sensed Lu Wei's sudden drop in mood. So she looked at Lu Jia, who gently shook her head and silently said, "I'll tell you later."

Shen Zhi Qiu nodded without saying anything.

"We'll talk about it later," Lu Wei said calmly, turning her head to look out the car window.

Inside a private dining room in the restaurant.

"We're having a family dinner in a few days, would you like to come and join us?"

After watching the waiter leave the private room, Rong Mo asked Lu Wei.

Lu Wei looked up with some confusion, and Rong Mo explained with a smile, "You are Lu Jia's older sister, and we just happened to run into each other in the capital, so I wanted to invite you to come along."

There will be not only family members present, but also some friends. It's going to be very lively. If you'd like to come, you're welcome to join us.

“Okay.” Lu Wei readily agreed, glanced at Lu Jia, and said with a smile, “That’s fine too. Actually, I haven’t seen my brother in a long time either. We’ve rarely had the chance to get together these past few years. Thank you for the invitation.”

After finishing her meal, Lu Wei stood at the restaurant entrance, politely preparing to say goodbye and return to her hotel.

"A hotel?" Lu Jia was taken aback. At the dinner table, Lu Wei had mentioned that her friend was getting married and had invited her girlfriends to stay at her house for a lively celebration, so she assumed that Lu Wei would go as well.

"Well, I just arrived today and I'm a bit tired. I'll stay at the hotel to rest for the night and get a good night's sleep before heading to the resort to meet them tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll definitely be out having fun until very late tonight," Lu explained with a smile.

"Why don't you come home with us? We have plenty of space and spare rooms," Shen Zhi Qiu suggested with a smile, sticking her head out.

"No, no, that would be too much of a bother." Lu Wei quickly waved her hand, declining Shen Zhi Qiu's offer.

Just then, Lu Wei's phone suddenly rang.

She took out her phone, glanced at the caller ID, and answered the call.

"Hey, Chuxia, what's wrong?"

The person on the other end of the phone was probably asking when Lu Wei would be coming over. Lu Wei smiled and said, "I'll come to Yunhai Manor to see you tomorrow. You guys have fun!"

The smile on Rong Mo's face froze instantly. It felt as if his heart was tightly bound with a roll of tape, making it hard for him to breathe. His mind went blank, his right hand clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh, and he became completely dazed.

"Brother." Shen Zhi Qiu took Lu Jia's arm and walked down the steps. Seeing Rong Mo still standing there, she called out to him softly.

But Rong Mo remained motionless, standing there blankly.

Shen Zhi Qiu pursed her lips, released Lu Jia's arm, stepped forward, gently touched Rong Mo, and called out, "Brother, what's wrong?"

Rong Mo then seemed to wake from a dream, and for the first time, a look of panic appeared on his face. Without responding to Shen Zhi Qiu's question, Rong Mo strode towards Lu Wei.

"Ms. Lu, I'd like to ask, is the girl you called out on the phone just now the friend you're getting married to? Is her name 'Chu Xia'? Her surname is Chu and her given name is Xia? She lives at 'Yunhai Villa' now, right?"

Rong Mo's facial muscles twitched with tension. He couldn't help but swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing as he anxiously awaited Lu Wei's reply.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Lu Wei was a little confused and didn't know what was wrong with Rong Mo.

“She just came back from abroad recently, right? She grew up in Beijing…” Rong Mo couldn’t continue. With trembling hands, he pulled out a photo from his phone and handed it to Lu Wei, asking in a tense voice, “Could you please take a look? Is this the girl?”

"Yes." Lu Wei looked at the photo on her phone with some surprise and asked in confusion, "You know Chu Xia too?"

Rong Mo's hand fell to his sides, as if an electric current had run through his entire body. His mind instantly became dizzy, his bright eyes became lifeless, and his usually straight back relaxed and hunched slightly. The light on his body vanished instantly, replaced by a grayness.

Rong Mo did not answer. He walked unsteadily down the stairs, gave a self-deprecating smile, and said in a voice only he could hear, "So that's what she meant by coming back."