Chapter 1012: Finalizing the preparations

A short while later, their car passed through the gates of the Lu Household.

Snow lined the winding driveway, and the bare branches of the surrounding trees glistened beneath the morning sun.

Yue Ling looked out the window as the mansion came into view.

It had been a long time since she had been able to look forward to a family gathering without the shadow of another crisis hanging over her.

Today, they were here to discuss their future.

Their engagement.

Their wedding.

The beginning of another Chapter in their lives.

Lu Tian reached for her hand.

"Nervous?"

She glanced at him.

"Should I be?"

"Only if Mother brings out the guest list."

Yue Ling laughed.

"How many people are on it?"

"I haven’t dared to ask."

She shook her head, smiling.

The car came to a stop beneath the entrance.

Lu Tian stepped out first, then he walked around the front of the car to the passenger side. His hand reached out for her.

Yue Ling had already opened the door but seeing how fast he moved, she chuckled and accepted it.

Together, they made their way toward the mansion.

The front doors opened before they reached the steps.

"Young Master. Young Madam. Welcome."

The couple entered the warmth of the household.

From somewhere deeper inside came Madam Lu’s familiar voice.

"Are they here?"

"Yes, Madam."

"Wonderful! Tell them to come in. I’ve been waiting all morning!"

Her excitement since the early hours terrified her husband so much that he suddenly needed to go to Lu Corps. She knew it was an excuse but did not stop him.

If he had stayed, he might have slowed her down.

As for her other son, he answered on the first call but the moment she mentioned the word preparation, he was long gone.

Yue Ling glanced at Lu Tian.

He gave her an amused smile.

"I warned you."

She laughed softly and tightened her hold on his hand.

Neither of them knew that, elsewhere in Imperial, Alpha Team had spent the entire night searching for a man who should never have escaped.

For now, however, the morning belonged to happier things.

And as Lu Tian led his wife toward the sitting room, Yue Ling allowed herself to look forward to them.

From early morning until now, Madam Lu showed no signs of slowing down.

The sitting room had gradually become a sea of wedding preparations.

Photographs of venues shortlisted from the earlier selections when she was here, invitation samples, floral arrangements, and fabric swatches lay scattered across the coffee table, while folders containing guest lists and proposed schedules occupied the surrounding seats.

The guest list alone was considerably longer than Yue Ling had anticipated.

"Are all these people attending the engagement party?"

She asked, glancing at the pages in her hand.

Madam Lu smiled.

"Of course, dear. And we haven’t even finalized the wedding guest list yet."

Yue Ling blinked.

Lu Tian, seated beside her, gave a quiet chuckle.

"Now you understand why I warned you."

She shot him a look, earning another amused smile from him.

Despite the seemingly endless discussions, Yue Ling participated attentively. She offered her opinions on the venue, reviewed invitation designs, and listened as Madam Lu enthusiastically explained her ideas for the ceremony.

Yet throughout it all, something felt wrong.

It was an inexplicable uneasiness, a strange heaviness that had been lingering in her chest since the previous evening.

The same tugging in her chest as when she was working on her engagement dress.

She had tried to dismiss it.

Perhaps she was simply tired. Perhaps everything that had happened over the past few weeks was finally catching up with her.

But the feeling refused to leave.

As Madam Lu continued discussing the floral arrangements, Yue Ling’s attention gradually drifted.

Her gaze settled on the scattered documents covering the table.

For reasons she could not explain, her heart suddenly clenched.

She drew a quiet breath.

’What is wrong with me?’

’Nothing had happened.’

Ji Jingxu was recovering. Her grandfather was resting at home. Lu Tian was beside her and the family was happily discussing their future.

Everything was finally beginning to settle.

So why did she feel as though something was terribly wrong?

Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the guest list.

As the discussion turned to the wedding ceremony, Madam Lu picked up a photograph of one of the proposed venues.

"Oh, this would be lovely," she said, showing it to Yue Ling. "Your mother would have adored a place like this."

The words slipped out naturally, but Madam Lu’s smile slowly faded.

She looked at Yue Ling, her expression softening with a quiet sadness.

"Your mother would have been so happy to be here with us, helping you prepare for your wedding."

Yue Ling’s fingers stilled against the invitation sample in her hand.

Madam Lu gently placed the photograph down.

"I can almost imagine the two of us sitting here, arguing over the flowers and deciding which dress would suit you best."

A faint, bittersweet smile touched her lips.

"She would have wanted to be involved in every little detail."

Yue Ling lowered her gaze.

For a moment, she imagined her mother sitting beside Madam Lu, laughing as they discussed the arrangements, occasionally turning to ask her opinion.

An ordinary moment between a mother and daughter.

One she would never have.

Madam Lu reached across the table and gently held her hand.

"Ah Ling, I know I can never take her place. But I hope you’ll allow me to share these moments with you."

Yue Ling looked up, her eyes glistening.

"Of course, Mother."

Madam Lu squeezed her hand.

"Then we’ll make this a beautiful wedding. One your mother would have been proud to see."

Yue Ling managed a faint smile.

"Thank you."

Lu Tian quietly took her other hand beneath the table.

She turned to look at him and her hand squeezed his to let him know she appreciated his support.

The conversation eventually resumed, but Yue Ling found it increasingly difficult to concentrate.

Her gaze drifted across the scattered photographs, invitation samples, and guest lists.

Her mother’s absence.

Her grandfather’s declining health.

The thought of another loved one no longer being there to share the important moments of her life.

An inexplicable heaviness settled in her chest.

Then, without warning, her heart clenched.

The sudden suffocating feeling made it hard for her to breathe.

She drew a quiet breath, pressing her fingers against the edge of the table.

’Why do I feel like this?’

Lu Tian noticed the change in her expression immediately.

He had been watching her throughout the morning, aware that her smiles had grown increasingly distracted.

Without interrupting his mother, his hand beneath the table gently squeezed tighter.

She turned toward him.

Their eyes met.

The concern in his gaze made her chest tighten further.

She offered him a faint smile, silently reassuring him that she was alright.

But Lu Tian knew her too well.

"I’m sorry," Yue Ling said softly, setting the papers down. "Please excuse me for a moment."

Madam Lu looked up.

"Oh? Is everything alright, dear?"

"Yes. I just need a little fresh air."

"Of course. Take your time."

Yue Ling rose and quietly left the sitting room.

Lu Tian watched her disappear through the doorway.

Madam Lu followed his gaze, her expression shifting from excitement to concern.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Lu Tian turned toward her.

"No, Mother."

"Was it the guest list? Perhaps I’ve been overwhelming her with all these arrangements."

He shook his head.

"It isn’t you."

Madam Lu glanced at the scattered documents.

"Then what’s wrong?"

Lu Tian rose.

"She’s had a lot on her mind lately."

He gave his mother a reassuring smile.

"I’ll go check on her."

"Of course. Go."

Lu Tian found Yue Ling in the sunroom.

The room was quiet, its tall glass windows overlooking the snow-covered gardens. Morning sunlight streamed through the glass, casting a gentle warmth over the tiled floor and the surrounding greenery.

Yue Ling stood near the window, her arms loosely folded across her waist.

She was staring outside.

Beyond the glass, sunlight glistened against the snow, while the bare branches of the trees swayed gently in the winter breeze.

It was a peaceful scene.

Yet she seemed unable to find any comfort in it.

Lu Tian approached quietly.

"My love."

She turned at the sound of his voice.

"Tian."

He stopped beside her.

"What’s wrong?"

Yue Ling lowered her gaze.

For a moment, she did not answer.

She wanted to tell him.

She wanted to explain the strange feeling that had been following her, the sudden tightness in her chest, and the inexplicable dread that seemed to grow stronger whenever she tried to ignore it.

But how could she explain something she did not understand herself?

"I don’t know," she finally whispered.

Lu Tian’s expression softened.

He reached for her hand.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

She shook her head.

"Not exactly."

"Then tell me."

Yue Ling looked toward the garden again.

"Everything is fine. Jingxu is home. Yeye is resting. We’re finally finalizing preparations for our engagement and wedding."

Her voice grew quieter.

"But for some reason, I can’t seem to feel at ease."

Lu Tian listened without interrupting.

"It’s like..." She paused, searching for the right words. "Something is bothering me, but I don’t know what it is."

She pressed a hand lightly against her chest.

"Every time I try to ignore it, the feeling comes back."

Lu Tian studied her face.

He had noticed her unusual quietness since the previous evening, but he had assumed she was still thinking about her grandfather and his request concerning Ji Corps.

Now, seeing the uneasiness in her eyes, he realized it was something she herself could not explain.

He gently drew her into his arms.

Yue Ling stepped closer, resting her forehead against his chest.

"Maybe I’m just tired," she murmured.

"Perhaps."

His hand moved slowly along her back.

"But you don’t have to force yourself to pretend everything is fine."

She closed her eyes.

For a while, neither spoke.

Lu Tian simply held her, allowing the quiet warmth of the sunroom to surround them.

Eventually, he lowered his head and kissed her hair.

"Do you want to go home?"

Yue Ling shook her head.

"Your mother has been looking forward to today."

"She’ll understand."

"I know."

She lifted her head and gave him a small smile.

"Just give me a few minutes."

Lu Tian brushed his thumb across her cheek.

"Take as long as you need."

Yue Ling leaned into his touch.

Outside, the afternoon sun continued shining over the peaceful gardens.

Everything appeared exactly as it should.

And yet, even in the safety of her husband’s embrace, the unexplained heaviness in her heart refused to disappear.

It was as though, despite all the grandeur and meticulous preparations, a lavish wedding was not what her heart truly desired.