When Cheng Buxi first arrived, she was shy and called him "Brother Xiaoye," as she heard from the servants who came to take care of him from the old house.
She was very obedient as a child, good at reading the room, and had a soft, delicate appearance. She knew when to call him "Brother" and when to call him "Brother Xiaoye." In short, she had Lu Tingzhou wrapped around her finger.
Then as she grew older, she had things on her mind and knew to keep her distance, so she started calling him "Brother Lu." Nobody knew where she learned that.
Lu Tingzhou didn't care much about titles, but one day at dinner, when she suddenly called him "Brother Lu" instead of "Brother," he was taken aback.
He still remembered the feeling—like swallowing a fly.
She had never called him "Tingzhou Ge" or "Azhou Gege." She jumped straight from "Brother" to "Brother Lu." Anyone would feel the disparity and subconscious displeasure, but he couldn't very well correct her.
After all, it's just a title, isn't it?
At the time, when she changed how she addressed him, as the eldest brother, his chopsticks paused mid-air. He nearly crushed them with the force of his grip, but on the surface, he showed no emotion. He just silently accepted it.
Little did anyone know, a tiny whirlpool was forming in his eyes—enough to drown an elephant.
That was the end of his memories. Ms. Bai retorted, "The children are grown up now. What's the point of fussing over names? As long as they care for each other, that's enough."
Lu's father took a deep breath, as if to add something, but her reasoning was solid and impartial. He nodded and continued eating.
Mrs. Lu's mood brightened considerably, and she didn't bring up the marriage talk with the Shen family again. Although Cheng Buxi didn't know why, her nerves remained tense.
Near the end of the meal, Mrs. Lu suddenly remembered something and specifically instructed, "Tingzhou, your Aunt Yang Ming recommended a suit shop a while back. The master tailor is excellent—a white man. Go get a suit made there one of these days."
Lu Siyu said sarcastically, "My brother is a busy man. When would he have time for a fitting?"
"Fitting"—the soul of the entire bespoke suit process. He had just returned, and somehow word had leaked. The pile of banquet invitations wanting his favor had already stacked up.
"It was recommended by your Aunt Yang. A trip there won't take much time," Mrs. Lu said.
In noble circles, such things mattered. Many resource exchanges were settled through these seemingly trivial matters.
Lu Tingzhou didn't respond. He finished the last piece of sea bass in his bowl and glanced at Cheng Buxi, who was focused on her dessert. He said calmly, "Mm, when?"
It wasn't surprising that Lu Siyu was sarcastic. Nearly half of his formal wear was custom-made, targeting top-tier British tailoring.
The most prominent feature of British suits is exquisite craftsmanship, which naturally takes time. Besides being sharp and conservative with clean lines, the design emphasizes a cinched waist. He had an outstanding physique—a broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted inverted triangle. Even a sack couldn't hinder his catwalk presence; he was a standard double-door frame.
When Cheng Buxi was little, she often accompanied him to century-old suit tailoring shops, staying for hours. From choosing styles and fabrics to coordinating colors, she knew it all. Once, she even fell asleep on the sofa in one of those shops.
Lu Tingzhou came out of the fitting room to find her sprawled out, completely unladylike. He smiled helplessly and fondly, shook his head, then scooped her up, clothes and all, and took her home.
...
Later, after graduating from university, he spent two years studying in London, then rushed to the special administrative region for business. His career flourished and grew, but his family ties gradually weakened.
Then came the drunken confession on New Year's Eve. The rift between them had fully formed from that point on. They tacitly stopped interfering in each other's lives.
After years apart, he appeared even more distinguished and mature. The Lu family genes were exceptional, and in his generation, they reached their peak—his intelligence, skill, appearance, and ability were all top-notch, his presence overwhelming.
Back then, Cheng Buxi had been infatuated with him. Now, all she wanted was to escape. She hoped to leave this family after graduation, the farther the better.
Debts of gratitude could be repaid slowly, but she only had one heart.
Once broken, it could never be mended.
She was trying to stay unnoticed, but then Mrs. Lu said, "Koukou, you go with your brother."
As if struck by lightning, Cheng Buxi: "..."
She looked up, and their eyes met across the room.