Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Fu Yanhuai arrived home an hour earlier than the butler had stated, catching Lu Yao completely off guard at the entrance. Lu Yao couldn't even recall how he'd managed to walk over.

Nervous, Lu Yao avoided Fu Yanhuai’s gaze. His eyes drifted downward, from Fu Yanhuai’s nose to his lips, before finally dropping, shy and flustered.

Lu Yao feigned nonchalance. "Wh-what’s the matter?"

Fu Yanhuai tilted his head slightly, scrutinizing him. Lu Yao appeared normal now—no sickly flush, none of yesterday's debilitating weakness that had left him unable to stand.

Fu Yanhuai no longer detected even a trace of that faint sweetness. His expression remained neutral as he spoke. "Has Dr. Feng been here?"

Moments like this, standing face-to-face and conversing with Fu Yanhuai, were rare. Lu Yao felt a knot of tension. "Yes, he came. Dr. Feng said my fever might have been caused by a pheromone imbalance."

Fu Yanhuai’s brow twitched. "Pheromones?"

Realizing the potential misinterpretation, Lu Yao quickly clarified, "No, I mean… because of the susceptibility period…"

Watching Lu Yao’s face slowly flush, Fu Yanhuai observed him awkwardly avert his gaze, his words becoming a stammering mumble. "The fluctuations might have been too intense these past couple of days, but overall, it’s nothing serious. The doctor said if I’m still worried, I could go to the hospital for more thorough tests."

"Did Dr. Feng only say that?"

Fu Yanhuai changed his shoes and casually handed his overcoat to Lu Yao. Lu Yao’s mind went blank for a full two seconds before he instinctively, stiffly, took it.

Fu Yanhuai stepped further into the house. "Are you feeling unwell anywhere else?"

The moment the coat was in his arms, Lu Yao distinctly caught the scent of cool, woody notes. He had just bent his head, curious to examine the coat, when Fu Yanhuai’s concerned question sent his heart thumping wildly.

Lu Yao quickly suppressed the strange sensation and cautiously followed Fu Yanhuai. "No, I’m completely fine now."

Fu Yanhuai offered no reply. His elite upbringing had indeed cultivated an impeccable demeanor. Outside of his susceptibility period, Fu Yanhuai typically maintained his composed, refined facade flawlessly.

Fu Yanhuai merely hummed in acknowledgment. Unsure what else to say, Lu Yao fell silent, and the living room quickly grew quiet.

The butler appeared at the door at some point. Lu Yao was still racking his brain for a topic that wouldn’t offend Fu Yanhuai when, instead of heading upstairs, Fu Yanhuai settled onto the sofa.

The butler observed this silently, letting out a barely audible sigh before stepping forward.

"Mr. Fu, Assistant Lin has brought the car back. Here are your laptop and documents. Assistant Lin also brought an authorized user card."

Only then did Fu Yanhuai recall he had indeed given that instruction. He glanced at the items indifferently. "If the limit isn’t enough, inform the butler. The assistant will increase it. Take these to the study. Have dinner sent upstairs."

Just like that, Lu Yao found himself holding a black card, utterly bewildered. The butler acknowledged the order and turned to leave, but Lu Yao hastily called out, "Wait!"

Lu Yao sounded genuinely panicked—he had never spoken with such volume in the Fu household before.

But at this moment, he couldn’t care less. Though Fu Yanhuai’s gaze grew slightly impatient, Lu Yao mustered his courage and stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Thank you, Mr. Fu, but this really isn’t necessary. I’ll find a more suitable job. I won’t waste any more time."

Fu Yanhuai simply said, "Suit yourself."

With that, Fu Yanhuai went upstairs, leaving Lu Yao standing there, clutching the card in bewilderment. As the butler passed by, he subtly shook his head.

Lu Yao didn’t want this card. He knew Fu Yanhuai hadn’t meant it as an insult, but he still felt deeply unsettled. He waited by the stairs for the butler to return, his eyes lighting up the moment he saw him. "Butler, I—"

The butler spoke gently. "Since Mr. Fu gave it to you, you should keep it. Mr. Lu Yao, the truth is, Mr. Fu has never had any issue with you. It’s just that sometimes, your family… creates complications. Do you understand?"

Of course Lu Yao understood. He understood all too well.

Today was Friday. Tomorrow, he would return to the Lu family for dinner. Suppressing his unease, Lu Yao replied as if nothing were amiss, "I… I’ll make sure they stay away from Mr. Fu. They won’t disturb him."

The butler seemed genuinely relieved. Glancing at the coat still in Lu Yao’s arms, he said, "Dinner isn’t ready yet. You should return to your room for now. I’ll hang the coat up."

Lu Yao handed it over reflexively. Normally, he would have taken the hint and retreated to his room, but his thoughts were in disarray. After taking two steps, he paused, then hurried back to the butler’s side and asked quietly, "Mr. Fu’s clothes—no, I mean… does Mr. Fu’s room have a room diffuser?"

Ever since Fu Yanhuai’s susceptibility period began, Lu Yao had often caught a peculiar scent in his drowsy state. As a beta, he didn’t recognize it as an alpha’s pheromones, but every time he smelled it, it left him feeling strange—an unfamiliar sensation.

The butler studied Lu Yao for a moment before answering patiently, "Every bedroom has a diffuser, but Mr. Fu doesn’t use his every day."

Without thinking, Lu Yao pressed further, "Is it silver fir?"

The butler frowned. "You’ve smelled silver fir?"

Fu Yanhuai’s pheromones were silver fir. The household should have avoided purchasing a similar scent.

Lu Yao wasn’t even sure if he had truly smelled it. In fact, the scent always lingered only briefly. Now, standing just steps away from the coat, the woody fragrance had vanished again, making Lu Yao question whether his memory was failing him.

Avoiding a direct answer, Lu Yao said, "Maybe it’s because I haven’t been feeling well these past couple of days. Thank you, Butler. I’ll head back now."

The butler remained lost in thought for a moment before leaving for the kitchen.

It seemed work at the company hadn’t been fully dealt with. Fu Yanhuai had brought tasks home, and the butler dutifully delivered dinner to the study. Lu Yao hadn’t gone out for dinner yet—he was in his room, stressing over where to put the black card.

There was no way he could let anyone in the Lu family find out about it. Lu Yao knew his family too well—they wouldn’t pass up any opportunity to worm their way into the so-called upper class.

Lu Yao’s room was barely furnished. After searching every possible spot, he finally tucked the card into the deepest corner of his wardrobe.

"Even if I worked from my past life, I probably still wouldn’t earn what’s in this card," Lu Yao mumbled under his breath, staring at the modest wardrobe, his few shabby clothes, and the jarringly out-of-place black card. It felt unbearably awkward. He reached for it again, only to reluctantly put it back.

He reassured himself, "It’s fine. I’ll find a chance to return it later."

He’d wait for a time when Fu Yanhuai was in a good mood. For now, the card would stay hidden in the wardrobe.

Lu Yao wasn’t particularly hungry, but he wanted to ask the butler about the exact time the stylist would arrive. Likely, they’d measure Fu Yanhuai first before taking his measurements.

Everything that had happened today left Lu Yao deeply unsettled. He was used to living unnoticed in the background, used to handling everything by himself, used to being overlooked by everyone. Suddenly receiving something so far out of his league only made him uncomfortable.

What troubled him more was not understanding why Fu Yanhuai had given him the card. Was it compensation for the susceptibility period?

Regardless, this was the first tangible gift Fu Yanhuai had ever given him. Lu Yao closed the wardrobe door solemnly.

The butler pushed the dinner cart upstairs. Fu Yanhuai seemed to be in the middle of a sudden meeting, leaning back in his chair, his cold gaze fixed on the laptop screen. The butler worked quietly as he carefully arranged the dishes on the tea table.

Whatever was said on the other end, Fu Yanhuai pressed his earpiece and ordered, "Send me this quarter’s work report. Be in my office at ten tomorrow morning to explain why the expected earnings weren’t met."

The butler meticulously set out the dinner. Fu Yanhuai wasn’t the type of CEO who lashed out at subordinates, but his icy demeanor alone was enough to make anyone uneasy.

Once the meeting ended, Fu Yanhuai skimmed the report, his frown deepening with each page. Before the room’s atmosphere could turn frigid completely, the butler interjected softly, "Mr. Fu, dinner is ready."

Fu Yanhuai didn’t move. "Mm."

The butler added quietly, "The stylist, Kevin, will arrive at seven."

The butler had been with the Fu family since Fu Yanhuai’s teenage years. Before taking over the company, Fu Yanhuai had lived with his parents in the family mansion. It was only in recent years that he had relocated alone, with the butler continuing to care for him.

Fu Yanhuai closed the file and stood. "Have Lu Yao come out tonight."

His instruction was offhand, so the butler promptly asked, "Understood. About the black card you gave him..."

For Fu Yanhuai, that wasn't actually considered anything precious. He had plenty of money, so money wasn't the most valuable thing to him. Directly handing over a card was naturally much more cost-effective than spending effort carefully selecting a gift—Lu Yao simply wasn't worth wasting extra time on.

"This time during my susceptibility period, I lost some control." Fu Yanhuai sat down at the table, not seeing any issue with it. "Think of it as making up for him being sick."

He and Lu Yao had been married for a year, and objectively speaking, aside from the occasional mess caused by the Lu family, Lu Yao, as a beta, was quite easy to deal with. Though timid, he at least knew his place.

The butler lowered his eyes. Was Fu Yanhuai truly as indifferent as he appeared? In all the years the butler had served the Fu family, he had never seen Fu Yanhuai voluntarily give anyone an authorized user card.

He stood to the side, waiting for Fu Yanhuai to finish eating so he could clear the table. Technically, this wasn’t the butler’s job, but today he had deliberately pushed the meal cart upstairs alone to gauge Fu Yanhuai's attitude. A year of interaction was enough to judge whether someone was sincere, and privately, the butler felt Lu Yao was already quite good—there weren't many people in this world who could tolerate and adapt to Fu Yanhuai's temper.

Lu Yao went to the kitchen alone to eat something. He had only had a bowl of porridge in the morning and should have been starving by now, but when he reached the kitchen, he realized he had no appetite at all.

A fever could drain your energy, and Lu Yao indeed lacked spirit. His bones still ached, though the discomfort had lessened considerably.

After waiting in the kitchen for a while without seeing the butler, Lu Yao quietly massaged his lower back and prepared to return to his room to rest, planning to also inform Ma Song of his resignation. But before he could lie down for even ten minutes, the butler knocked on his door.

"Mr. Lu Yao, Mr. Fu and the stylist are upstairs waiting for you."