Transmigration; Married to My Ex-Fiancé's Uncle-Chapter 232; Kidnapping 5

"Correct," Lu Yuze said. He moved toward the elevator, Shuyin following close behind.

"Yuze," Lu Cheng called as the elevator doors began to close. "This isn’t over. We need to talk. About Zeyan. About what’s happening to him. About why your former sister-in-law-to-be is suddenly appearing everywhere with unconscious teenagers and mysterious emergencies."

His eyes locked on Shuyin with undisguised suspicion and something else, confusion, maybe, at seeing his son’s former fiancée now clearly connected to his brother in some unexplained way.

Lu Yuze’s hand shot out, stopping the doors. "Later. When she’s cleared and safe. Then we’ll talk."

The emphasis on "she" was deliberate, still not specifying which "she" he meant. Yuyan or Shuyin. Keeping everything vague, protected.

The doors slid shut.

The elevator began its ascent in heavy silence.

Then, softly at first, a sound escaped Shuyin’s throat.

"Hehehe..."

She couldn’t stop it. The giggle bubbled up from somewhere deep and cold inside her, spilling out despite her trembling hands, despite Lu Yuze standing right there holding his unconscious daughter.

Lu Cheng thought he could intimidate her? Thought she would cower before his suspicions and accusations?

Did he really believe she would be frightened of a mere human?

The thought was almost funny. Almost precious in its absurdity.

She’d survived three years in a research facility being drained dry. Had died and been reborn. Had clawed her way out of prison and into power in less than a week.

What was one suspicious man compared to that?

Lu Yuze’s eyes cut to her sharply, his expression shifting from controlled composure to something more complicated. Understanding mixed with exasperation mixed with what might have been concern.

"Can’t you hold back just a little bit?" His voice was quiet but carried an edge. "You’re making yourself a suspect."

"Hehe..." The sound escaped again, softer this time but no less satisfied.

She was avenging the original Lin Shuyin. The departed soul who’d died alone in that prison cell, betrayed and abandoned by everyone she’d trusted. It was because of Lu Zeyan, his lies, his manipulation, his callous disregard, that the original Shuyin had suffered and died.

Had he not been involved, the situation couldn’t have gotten to this!

Of course, he needed to experience the same torturous descent. The same helplessness she had felt. The same watching everything slip away while being unable to stop it.

After Shuyin gained everything she wanted, power, security, the children safe and thriving, then maybe she’d consider restoring Lu Zeyan to something approaching normal. But crippled. Diminished. Forced to watch her prosper and care for the family in the way it should have been from the beginning.

Was she bad for this?

No.

They had opened this karma road themselves. Had planted these seeds with their cruelty and lies and casual destruction of an innocent woman.

Shuyin was simply ensuring they reaped what they’d sown.

"You did it," Lu Yuze said. Not a question. A statement of fact delivered with calm certainty. "Whatever is happening to Lu Zeyan. That’s your work."

Shuyin’s giggling stopped. She looked at him directly, her trembling hands finally going still as cold composure settled back into place.

"I have no idea what you’re talking about," she said, her voice perfectly level. "I’ve been shopping with the children all afternoon. You can ask Ting Fei. Ask the boutique staff. I was nowhere near Lu Zeyan."

"That’s not an answer," Lu Yuze observed. He knew it wasn’t the first time, and it wasn’t a must that she be close to him for anything like that to happen to him.

"It’s the only answer you’re getting," Shuyin replied without giving any other explanations. It was all right to speculate, but there was no way she was gonna confirm things.

"Mnnhhh...." He softly hummed letting the matter slide.

The elevator continued its smooth ascent. Yuyan remained unconscious in Lu Yuze’s arms, her breathing steady, unaware of the conversation happening above her.

Lu Yuze studied Shuyin with that calculating gaze she was becoming familiar with. Not angry. Not condemning. Just... assessing.

"My nephew," he said finally, "is not my concern. My brother’s problems are not my problems. What happens to Lu Zeyan, mysterious or otherwise, doesn’t affect my life or my priorities."

He paused, his eyes holding hers with uncomfortable intensity.

"But you need to be more careful. My brother is already suspicious. He’s going to start digging, asking questions, and looking for connections. If there’s anything that could be traced back to you, anything at all, now would be the time to ensure it’s completely untraceable."

"There’s nothing to trace," Shuyin said calmly. "Because I did nothing." And no one was gonna trace something like that unless she told them the existence of her magic.

"Right," Lu Yuze said, his tone suggesting he didn’t believe her for a second but wasn’t planning to push further. "Just... try not to giggle about mysterious coincidences when we’re standing in front of witnesses. It’s not exactly subtle."

Shuyin felt heat touch her cheeks, embarrassment mixing with lingering cold satisfaction. "I’ll work on my composure."

"Please do," Lu Yuze said dryly. "I have enough complications without my wife being suspected of cursing my nephew into neurological collapse."

My wife.

The words still landed with strange weight every time he used them.

The elevator chimed. Third floor.

The doors began to open.

"One more thing," Lu Yuze said quietly, his voice dropping so only she could hear. "Whatever you did or didn’t do to Lu Zeyan, I don’t care. He’s not a family member I value. He’s not someone I protect. But Yuyan is. And if whatever vendetta you’re pursuing ever, ever, puts her at risk, we’re going to have a very different conversation. Understood?"

Shuyin met his eyes steadily. "I would never put Yuyan at risk. Or Chen Xiao. They’re mine to protect now."

"Good," Lu Yuze said. "Keep it that way."

The doors finished opening.

A hospital corridor stretched before them, sterile and bright and filled with the particular smell of antiseptic and illness that all medical facilities shared.