Simon gazed into the clear eyes of the young woman before him. He knew with certainty that Lu Xia was asking him seriously, not just making a polite, empty gesture.

From the moment they met until now, Lu Xia had shown nothing but genuine sincerity.

A soft feeling stirred in his heart. "I’m free tomorrow. May I go then?"

"Tomorrow? Alright, I’ll make the arrangements."

"Will you be there?"

"If you’d like me to be, I will."

"Then I hope you will be."

"Alright."

Lu Xia gave him a small smile, as if she would agree to any request he made at that moment. This gentle indulgence made Simon feel as though he was being favored.

He finally understood why those men were willing to stay by Duke Lu Xia’s side. It probably wasn’t just because Lu Xia could turn them from defective males into Gene Fusion Experts, or for any other reason.

It was because they all received a kind of affection and indulgence from Duke Lu Xia that they had never experienced before.

He continued, "So we can see each other again tomorrow. In the evening, may I go home with you?"

"Tomorrow? In that case, I’ll have the butler prepare a room for you in advance."

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

The dinner was pleasant, but all too brief.

Even though this was his first time alone with Lu Xia, it left him wanting more. For the first time, he felt that time was passing far too quickly. ’If only I could make this moment last forever.’

As he saw Lu Xia out of the restaurant, Simon was tempted to just follow her home right then and there, but he restrained himself.

Lu Xia opened her car door, then glanced back. "Then it’s settled. Come find me at the No.2 Institute tomorrow."

Simon was touched that she still remembered to remind him. "Alright. See you tomorrow. Please be careful on your way."

Lu Xia nodded at him without another word, got into her car, and drove away.

Watching Lu Xia’s car disappear, Simon’s eyes were filled with relief, joy, and a deep sense of anticipation for the next day.

When Lu Xia got home, she told the old butler, "Prepare a clean room. Someone will be arriving tomorrow." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

The old butler understood immediately. He knew the household was about to welcome a new male master.

Naturally, Cecil and Smelian, who had been waiting for her to return, overheard her words.

Cecil couldn’t wait to ask, "Sister, is *he* coming back?"

"Yes, he’ll be back tomorrow evening."

Hearing this, Cecil pressed on, "Sister, did he make any unreasonable demands of you?"

Lu Xia found it rather amusing to see Cecil so awkwardly trying to pry into the details of her meeting with Simon.

She patiently explained, "He didn’t make any unreasonable demands. He’s just going to the No.2 Institute tomorrow to be injected with the gene fusion agent. It’s what I promised him during our last transaction for the Ice Spirit Gene."

Cecil hadn’t expected this. He had only just become a Gene Fusion Expert himself, and now this newcomer, Simon, was already getting such a precious opportunity.

’It’s all happening way too fast.’ A sense of crisis washed over him. ’This guy is clearly my strongest rival.’

Smelian, standing to the side, glanced at the grave expression on Cecil’s face and said to Lu Xia, "Did you have a pleasant dinner? Would you like me to have the kitchen prepare a late-night snack for you?"

"No, thank you. I’m full. I’m going to my room to wash up. You two shouldn’t stay up too late either."

Lu Xia waved and headed straight upstairs.

Smelian turned to Cecil. "It seems that fellow came prepared. You’d better watch yourself."

Cecil ground his back teeth in frustration. "Thanks for the reminder. I know what I’m doing."

Cecil knew that, unlike Smelian, he hadn’t yet made any substantive progress with Duke Lu Xia. His own relationship with her was still superficial, his position precarious. He could be overtaken at any moment. ’I absolutely will not let Simon, the newcomer, get ahead of me. I will hold on to my current position with everything I have.’

Smelian clapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck!"

With that, Smelian also turned and went upstairs.

Cecil was left alone in the vast living room.

The old butler passed by with a servant. Cecil noticed and asked, "Which room are you preparing for him?"

The old butler knew exactly what Cecil was asking. He replied, "The room after yours, sir."

This answer clearly satisfied Cecil. He took two steps forward and hugged the old butler. "It’s good that you understand."

Satisfied, he went upstairs.

The old butler just smiled and shook his head, saying nothing. He simply instructed the servant to go and clean the room.

「The next morning」

Lu Xia came downstairs and saw Cecil. She was a little surprised, as he was usually not home at this time.

"Sister, aren’t you going to the No.2 Institute later? Can I come with you? Please? I have the day off, and it’s boring staying at home. Let me go with you, okay?"

"Of course you can. But are you sure you’re free? Weren’t you very busy just a couple of days ago?"

"Mhm, I’m really free now. I can leave the rest of my work to my subordinates; I don’t need to handle it personally. Sister, I just want to spend more time with you. Is that so bad?"

Looking at the slightly desperate Cecil, Lu Xia said softly, "Cecil, even with Simon coming to live here, it won’t change your place in my heart. So don’t overthink it."

Lu Xia knew very well that Cecil’s sudden and unusual behavior was most likely because of Simon.

Surprised that Lu Xia could see right through him, Cecil initially wanted to deny that it was because of Simon. But on second thought, he decided to voice his true feelings. He leaned in closer. "You could tell, Sister? I am a little concerned... I’m worried you’ll like Simon more and not like me anymore."

"How could that be? You are all different to me." As Lu Xia said this, she reached out and stroked Cecil’s hair comfortingly.

Cecil seized the opportunity to make a request. "Sister, can you be *my* sister, and only mine?"

Lu Xia understood. She smiled and said, "I think you’re the only one who can call me Sister."

"Then you have to remember, Sister. Only I can call you that. If anyone else tries, you have to turn them down."

Lu Xia nodded. "Alright."

’I’ve read his file; Simon is older than me, so he probably wouldn’t call me Sister anyway.’

After breakfast, Cecil accompanied Lu Xia as she left the house for the No.2 Institute. It wasn’t time for her appointment with Simon yet, but Lu Xia had other work to take care of, so she went in early.

As soon as they arrived at the No.2 Institute, Cecil went inside and noticed that there seemed to be far fewer people at the research facility. He said in surprise, "Sister, where is everyone?"

"Some of them are on vacation and haven’t returned yet. They’ll be back in a while."

"Oh, I see. It seems being your employee is a very fortunate thing."

"Alright, stop flattering me, Cecil. Could you go to the lounge and read for a while? I have some other things to take care of, so I can’t stay with you."

"Okay, Sister. I won’t disturb your work. I’ll wait for you obediently in the lounge."

"Good." Lu Xia smiled, then turned to ask her assistant to prepare some snacks for Cecil to help him pass the time. After arranging everything, she went to her office to handle some matters.

「In the afternoon」

Simon arrived at the No.2 Institute right on time. The moment he walked in, he noticed Cecil standing beside Lu Xia. For a brief instant, as their eyes met, a flicker of mutual assessment and scrutiny passed between them.