After telling her father about her mother's plans to remarry, Lu Shuya was at a loss. She felt a bit awkward about telling the man but he had a right to know. Even when it seemed like Xu Shen had accepted it all, Lu Shuya thought and thought about this until she became a bit depressed however, these thoughts were just a distraction from her real problems.
It had been many months since Kang Liang had practically moved into the Lu residence.
After all the drama had happened between the Kang's, Kang Liang had been a bit quiet and unlike himself and so, Lu AnLing had asked them for a favour. Unlike the rest of his brothers, Kang Liang didn't have a place to call home. Even in the entertainment business, Kang Liang likes to keep himself at arms length and this was not the life he deserved. At least, according to Lu AnLing and Kang Jun.
Hearing about this, as per Lu AnLing's request, Grandma Lu, Lu Xiaoling and Xu Shen decided to be a kind of pseudo home for the man, despite the changes being made to their own lives.
Ever since then, Kang Liang had been invited over almost every day and stayed over on many others, so much so that he got his own room, right beside Shuya's.
And due to the fact that Lu Shuya was jobless and Kang Liang had almost completely pulled himself out of the entertainment business along with Mo Yichen's understandings, this allowed Kang Liang and Lu Shuya to spend much more time together.
Lu Shuya did not know how she felt about Kang Liang. He was fun to hand out with despite their bickering, and he was always civil with her, despite his flirting but for a small while now, there had been a strange distance between them. And this bothered her like nothing else.
What was worse was that she did not know why...
Sitting around at home, looking between her phone and the door, Lu Shuya frowned.
Kang Liang was not the type to stay home. He usually left home for long stretches however, he would always ask Lu Shuya if she wanted to come with him but for the last couple of weeks he had not uttered such an invitation.
Fidgeting slightly on the foot of the stairs, Lu Shuya bit her lip and thought.
'Did I annoy him? Or is he doing something he doesn't want me to know about...?'
However every time a thought such as that entered her head, Lu Shuya mentally slapped herself back into sanity.
"It has nothing to do with me..." Lu Shuya muttered under her breath.
After saying this, the woman was about to lift herself up and actually do something however, just then, Lu Shuya saw the door open.
Feeling as if she was fought red handed, Lu Shuya pushed herself up quickly and then pretended to be walking down the stairs as if it was just a normal day but she was still a bit fidgety and this got even worse when she saw Kang Liang's face.
"Where have you been?" Lu Shuya asked slightly jealously but she tried to mask this by moving slightly as if to play it off as an accidental tone shift.
Seeing Lu Shuya at the door, Kang Liang froze like a husband who had been caught stumbling in passed curfew.
The man opened his mouth and he was about to explain to Lu Shuya something but suddenly, he felt a buzz in his pocket.
Feeling his phone vibrate, Kang Liang looked down, and then he frowned before he heard his breath.
The only thing that could be heard was his phone. Kang Liang then put his hand up as if to stop Lu Shuya was saying another word or moving an inch.
"Can you hold that thought" kang Liang said without looking at the woman before he picked up the phone.
Seeing the way he treated her, Lu Shuya felt her heart squeeze in her chest but as soon as she felt this she forced herself to push those feelings away.
She wouldn't acknowledge them! She refused!
"Hello? Yes..." Kang Liang said.
He spoke on the phone for a small while, until he said,
"Yes, Thank you, Miss Ye. I'll be contacting you again," Kang Liang said as his face softened considerably showing a look of complete contentment.
Seeing this, Lu Shuya felt her body stiffen.
The way in which Kang Liang had spoken sounded intimate and he was talking to a woman...?
Thinking about this, Lu Shuya felt as if she stood at a fork on the road. Her face was dark and by the second, allowing her thoughts to unwind in her mind, Lu Shuya felt a bit scorned...
But she didn't know why.
After handing up, Kang Liang put all of his thoughts back into Lu Shuya, however, when he looked at her, Lu Shuya's face was completely grim.
This caused Kang Liang's heart to skip and beat and almost stop.
"It isn't what you think." Kang Liang said with a sigh. He then took out a photo from his pocket and handed it to her. "I'm trying to find her. The girl on the phone was just an informant."
Lu Shuya's heart did not calm and when she felt this she felt slightly disgusted in herself. So much so that she wanted to groan but she held back.
"This is...?" Lu Shuya said with a slight frown as she gazed upon the mint condition photo of an elegant woman with dyed blonde hair. She was like a star in a crown of rocks. She shone like no other woman Lu Shuya had ever seen.
Seeing her look, Kang Liang smirked.
"Now, now, no need to be jealous. This is my mother." Kang Liang said as he laughed slightly.
Hearing this, Lu Shuya snapped, "I am not jealous!"
Kang Liang shrugged. "The point is... I'm trying to find her."
"How long have you been trying?" Lu Shuya asked with a frown as she examined the picture a bit closer. Considering how new the photo looked, Lu Shuya assumed it wasn't long.
However, that guess was wrong...
"All my life..." Kang Liang said in a low voice as he looked at the photo himself. He then took it gently out of Lu Shuya's hands, brushing his finger tips on hers.
Feeling this light tickling sensation on her finger tips, the girl shuddered, however, Kang Liang was too wrapped up in his own world to fully recognize this.
This made a slight pang of jealousy run through the woman.
Kang Liang: "My mom was duped. She slept with one of her childhood friends and then fell pregnant with me... She didn't know back then but the man was married.... and after that made bad things happened to her... so she decided... well she left me..."
As Kang Liang said this, an unusual expression spread across his face. Watching as his face twisted sightly, Lu Shuya could not quite decipher it. It was a mix of anger, annoyance, sadness and... dread. In the man's eyes, questions roamed. Unanswerable questions without his mother present...
It darkened and darkened as the negativity swirled within the man. It was so dark that if left alone, Kang Liang might drown in it. But feeling the aura from the man, Lu Shuya put her hand on his.
This snapped Kang Liang out of it. He then looked down at her hand which was planted squarely on his.
Realizing what she had done, Lu Shuya immediately pulled away. Then, as if to distract both herself and Kang Liang, she brought the hand she had laid on his to her ear and she nervously tucked in a stray strand.
"Look... if you need help, I'll be here..." Lu Shuya said slightly awkwardly as she looked to the ground. Feeling horrible for feeling jealous, despite not admiring it, Lu Shuya looked the man in the eyes. Seeing the earnestness in his eyes made the girl blush and then she suddenly blurred out, "Y-you're so useless so obviously you'll need my help!"
Hearing this come out of her own mouth, Lu Shuya wanted to slap herself but after a small bit of silence, Lu Shuya heard Kang Liang's soft lounger errupt.
Looking up at his face which was a mix of peaceful and happiness. His eyes were small and his smile was wide but covered by his hand.
Kang Liang: "If you don't mind being with a useless man, then be my guest. I'd be lucky to have you."
Hearing this, Lu Shuya froze and her face suddenly began to heat up.
Lu Shuya was going to retort something cheeky but then suddenly, Lu Duyi came running down the stairs and as he did, he screamed,
"Stop flirting! You two are the only ones in this house!"
Hearing this, Lu Shuya's face turned beat red and Kang Liang's smirk expanded.
"We're not flirting./!" Kang Liang And Lu Shuya said in unision in completely different tones.
Hearing this, Kang Liang turned to Lu Shuya who frowned hard as she tried to concentrate all he draw emotions on her annoyance.
Looking at her hilarious face, Kang Liang felt a switch turn on in his mind. He then bend in from of Lu Shuya, monopolizing her every thought.
"Ignore your brother. He's just jealous. I'm happy to be in your care, my lady." Kang Liang said softly as he kissed her hand.
Seeing this, Lu Shuya looked to his and blushed hard but she didn't say a word. Instead many words flashed around her head...
The loudest wondered,
'Am I in love?!'