Smelian and Lu Xia didn’t come home all night.

The next morning, the two of them finally emerged from a hotel.

When they got home, Cecil surprisingly hadn’t left for work yet. Seeing them return, he came right up to them and said softly, "Sister, you’re back. I’ve put the trust fund documents in the study. Sis, you can sign them when you have a moment."

’Cecil’s surprisingly efficient.’ Lu Xia nodded. "Okay, I appreciate it."

After greeting him, Lu Xia went straight upstairs to her room.

Cecil then turned to Smelian. "My sister is in a delicate condition right now. Smelian, you’d better not try anything reckless."

Hearing this, Smelian looked at Cecil. For a moment, it felt as if their roles had reversed. In the past, he was always the one worried that Cecil would act recklessly with Lu Xia.

He looked at Cecil and didn’t argue. Instead, he smiled and said, "Alright. I’ll be more careful next time."

A knot formed in Cecil’s chest. Smelian always handled him this way, making him feel powerless. He turned and looked at Smelian, who was heading up the stairs. "Do you think I’m childish?"

Smelian stopped and turned to look at him, confused. ’Why is Cecil suddenly upset?’

"You were a little, before. But now, I think you’ve matured a bit."

Smelian didn’t directly admit it, but he didn’t deny it either. The answer left Cecil feeling stuck in limbo, utterly frustrated.

He turned back, his voice firm. "I won’t be this childish forever."

With that, Cecil stormed off in a huff.

The old butler watched Cecil leave, then turned to Smelian, who was standing on the stairs. "He waited up for you two for a long time last night."

At his words, Smelian looked at the old butler, a look of surprised realization on his face. "Oh, is that so? No wonder he seemed so angry this morning."

After speaking, Smelian smiled at the old butler and turned to go upstairs.

The old butler thought to himself, ’This household seems peaceful on the surface, but there are quite a few hidden rivalries. At the very least, Cecil’s jealousy is quite strong. It’s understandable, though. After all, among the three males currently around Duke Lu Xia, only Cecil has yet to gain anything. It’s only normal for the boy to be jealous and possessive.’

Lu Xia freshened up, had lunch at home, and then prepared to go to the No.2 Institute. Smelian had thought she would rest at home, but it was clear Lu Xia couldn’t sit still.

He, however, had other matters to attend to today and couldn’t accompany Lu Xia.

Smelian saw her to the door. "Contact me if anything happens. If I get back early, I’ll come pick you up from the No.2 Institute."

Lu Xia felt that after their date last night, Smelian had become a little clingy. She didn’t mind it, though. She smiled and replied, "Okay." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Then she turned and drove away.

On the way to the No.2 Institute, Lu Xia received a message from Lady Daina: "Lady Dain and Victoria have arrived at their fiefdom. They won’t be back for at least the next 10 years."

Lu Xia hadn’t expected the two of them to reach their fiefdom so quickly. Since the day they left the Imperial Palace, Lu Xia hadn’t paid them any more attention.

She replied to Lady Daina: "Alright, I understand. Thank you for letting me know."

Just as she sent the message, a black hover car suddenly sped towards her.

Lu Xia froze for a second. Just as she was about to evade, another hover car appeared from behind and rammed straight into the first one. The two hover cars let out a deafening ROAR upon impact, and debris from the collision slammed into Lu Xia’s vehicle. For a moment, smoke and fire filled the air.

Lu Xia steadied herself and quickly began to land her car slowly. The other two hover cars weren’t so lucky. Their suspension systems had failed on impact, and they plummeted straight to the ground.

Lu Xia opened her car door and was about to go take a look when Tucker got out of the other hover car and called out to her, "Don’t go over there! Stay where you are, Duke."

Lu Xia stopped and looked at Tucker as he hurried over. "What’s going on? Is anyone hurt? Call an ambulance!"

Tucker immediately ordered someone to go and check, while he himself stayed by Lu Xia’s side, asking nervously, "Are you alright?"

Lu Xia’s hover car had a high-level protection system, so she hadn’t suffered any physical harm. She was just a little shaken up, but that was the mildest possible outcome. She shook her head. "I’m fine. We should check on them."

Tucker nodded. "Please rest in your car. You can leave the rest to us."

Lu Xia knew she probably couldn’t be of much help, so she didn’t insist. She turned and went back to her car. An ambulance arrived shortly after.

Of the two people involved in the collision, one was dead and one was injured. The deceased was the driver of the hover car that had suddenly appeared. The injured person was the driver of the hover car that had rammed it from behind.

After the ambulance, police cars also arrived. When the police department learned that Duke Lu Xia was involved in the incident, they didn’t dare to be negligent.

They hurried over to apologize to Duke Lu Xia, assuring her they would solve the case as soon as possible and ensure that the Duke suffered no losses. They also specifically suggested that it would be best to take Duke Lu Xia to the hospital for a check-up, but Lu Xia politely declined.

That was the end of the matter for the time being. As Lu Xia watched the two wrecked hover cars get towed away by the police, she asked Tucker, "The injured person was one of yours, wasn’t he?"

Tucker didn’t hide it, nodding slightly. "You don’t need to worry. His Beastification Form is a pangolin, so his defense is quite high. Even though he’s injured, his recovery ability is stronger than a normal person’s. He’ll be fine after a short stay in the hospital, and his medical expenses will naturally be covered. You don’t need to concern yourself with it."

Tucker had arranged everything. A strange tightness gripped Lu Xia’s heart. She looked at him. "What if you had miscalculated and he had died?"

Tucker fell silent at her words. In truth, the moment the man charged forward, he had already resigned himself to death. Surviving was a miracle.

So he couldn’t answer the question. They were all seekers of death, walking on the edge of danger. To them, death was a final destination. But now, seeing the small female before him, her face flushed with anger, Tucker felt the warmth of being cared for for what seemed like the first time.

He explained, "That wouldn’t have happened. You don’t need to worry. The hover cars we drive have the highest-level defense systems, and his Beastification Form is also a high-defense type. So, as long as it’s not a weapons-based attack, he would be fine in a collision like this."

Lu Xia listened to his answer, unsure if he was telling the truth, but she still admonished him, "Next time something like this happens, you need to think more about your own safety."

After she spoke, she turned and opened her car door, then paused. She looked back at Tucker. "Let me know if the investigation turns up anything. And about that man’s medical bills—I don’t care who’s reimbursing them. After he’s discharged from the hospital, I want you both to come to the No.2 Institute."

Lu Xia left him with those words, got in the car, and was about to leave when her terminal vibrated. It was Smelian.

Apparently, Tucker had already reported the incident to Smelian.