Aria pushed her into the bedroom, "Of course, go change quickly."
The Zhou family's old house was in the eastern suburbs, a forty-minute drive away. Lily didn't plan to go early and only set off at five in the afternoon.
After the New Year, Edmond had been busy with work, and she had been occupied as well, so they hadn't seen each other.
However, they frequently exchanged messages and phone calls. Edmond was aware of her schedule and often reached out to her.
For instance, when she mentioned getting a new car, he had Octavian accompany her, saying Octavian was knowledgeable about cars.
When she participated in a marathon, he reminded her to warm up properly. When she attended a charity auction, he shared the local weather with her, reminding her to dress warmly.
When she went abroad to see an exhibition, he sent her a designer's business card. Lily gradually understood what he meant by "living well."
Living well. He was slowly integrating into her life, hoping she would gradually integrate into his, aiming to position their marriage comfortably, like an ordinary couple.
This way, both of them would feel at ease. Naturally, she was happy to cooperate with such a request.
The problem was:she was not enthusiastic about her work, kicked off the covers when she slept, was capricious, held grudges, and had a lot of quirks. If they lived together for a long time, and her true nature was revealed, what if Edmond became annoyed with her?
The only things she had going for her were her looks and money, but Edmond had certainly seen women more beautiful than her and had more money than she did.
So, the current priority was to quickly enhance her own charm. Other bad habits had accumulated over the years and were hard to change.
So, perhaps she should start with improving her work?
Yes, work. After she made a strong impression tonight, her next step would be to advance towards becoming "Master Photographer Lily"!
Lily arrived at the Zhou family's old house at 5:40. The old house, occupying half a mountain, was a solemn and ancient standalone villa with walls showing the patina of age and faint traces of weathering.
Lily and Edmond had agreed that he would arrive half an hour later.
She would go in first to stir things up, and he would show up right on time to save the day.
Lily parked her car by the roadside and sent Edmond a message, [I'm here.] Edmond then called the security guard, giving Lily's car license plate number.
"Open the gate and let her through immediately."
Two minutes later, the security guard, seeing the striking red Ferrari driving into the courtyard, was still frozen in shock.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
The woman in the car looked exactly like Lily. But why would Lily be here? Today, all the Zhou family members were present. Royce had brought his new wife.
Why would Edmond allow Lily to come in?
Yet, that face was unmistakable. He couldn't be wrong.
Whenever the old house had many visitors, the butler would send a list of cars to be admitted to the security room.
The security guard remembered that only Edmond hadn't arrived yet; everyone else was here.
So, the red Ferrari must have been a last-minute addition. Unsure if the butler had been informed, he felt it necessary to make a call.
"Butler Zhong, it looks like Miss Lily has come in... No, I didn't make the decision on my own... Yes, he called personally... He only gave the license plate number and told me to let her through…"
On the other end, Butler Zhong, after hanging up the call from the security guard, stood there dumbfounded for a moment. Was this for real? Every year, dealing with the Zhou family's bunch of troublemakers was already exhausting enough. Today, Royce had brought Nadia, and the subtle yet sharp rivalries had already begun inside the house.
With the old lady of the house gone, and the eldest son Marlon deceased, his widow had immigrated with their daughter, leaving the household matters to the second son Nelson's wife, Malika. Malika's arrogance had offended many, and now that her son had married beneath their social standing, many were waiting to see her fall.
Though the family feuds were none of his business as a butler, the expressions everyone wore as they tried to maintain surface harmony while harboring inner animosity made his job stressful. They vented their frustrations by ordering the servants around, one saying the coffee was too weak, another complaining the tea was too strong, one disliking the temperature set by the air conditioning, and another preferring it higher. It was a constant struggle to serve them all.
The younger maids had been pushed to their limits, with some already hiding in the restroom to cry. He had taken over personally, thinking that as an old servant of the family, he would have some leeway. He hadn't expected that when women's war fires ignited, nothing could survive. He felt like a sandwich cookie being squeezed from all sides.
The security guard's call had seemed like a lifeline, a chance to escape, but turned out to be a death sentence instead. At such a chaotic time, why did little ancestor Lily have to show up? It was a pot of stew already boiling over! Despite his tangled emotions, hearing that Edmond had personally called, Butler Zhong decided he had to welcome her.
He intended to inform the living room but the moment he hung up the phone, he saw the red Ferrari approaching.