The main group had arrived. The Northern Emperor’s tomb was indeed going to be excavated.

Seeing Ninth Master today, his wheelchair was still there, but he was standing.

Of course—he’d carried her back in his arms just last night, so there was no longer any hiding the fact that his legs had healed.

“Ninth… Ninth Master.”

Zhen Jiu’er walked up behind him, looking at his imposing figure.

Here, he was Ninth Master, and she needed to get used to calling him that.

Not Ninth Imperial Uncle, but Ninth Master.

But he had to be her Ninth Imperial Uncle.

He had to be.

Jiu’er’s mood was like the sky overhead that day—bright sunshine, splendid scenery.

Even Lu Beicheng could sense her cheerfulness.

But glancing again at the figure who had come along behind her, the light in Lu Beicheng’s eyes dimmed slightly.

This girl had just been with Lu Feifan the whole time.

“Little Uncle.” Lu Feifan also walked up to the two of them.

To everyone’s surprise, Lu Feifan actually reached out and pulled Jiu’er toward himself.

“Didn’t you say you wanted coffee? Why’d you leave before even having it?”

That posture!

Why so intimate?

A ripple of astonishment passed through everyone nearby.

Including Ji Mingyu, Qin Fei, Yan Qiu, and several of the girls.

This second young master of the Lu Family who’d just arrived yesterday seemed to have quite a close relationship with Zhen Jiu’er.

In terms of behavior, the intimacy even seemed to surpass the interaction between Zhen Jiu’er and Ninth Master.

This… what did it mean? Had they known each other before?

Zhen Jiu’er froze for a moment too.

This move of Lu Feifan’s clearly had a purpose.

Looking up, she met his gaze, carrying a sharp trace of a smile, and Jiu’er frowned.

Lu Feifan curved his lips into a smile: “Or how about we have it later this afternoon? Or maybe I’ll have Ake make some little snacks too?”

“Does Third Brother know you’re here?” A low, deep voice cut somewhat roughly into their exchange.

Jiu’er instinctively pulled her hand free from Lu Feifan’s grip and stepped half a pace toward Lu Beicheng’s side.

Lu Feifan didn’t seem to mind her putting distance between them, his gaze settling on Lu Beicheng.

“I left him a message.”

“So he didn’t actually agree?” Lu Beicheng’s deep-set eyes revealed little of what he was feeling.

Lu Feifan kept smiling faintly: “He probably agreed. Otherwise, if I brought these people along, he could’ve sent them back midway.”

The people he’d brought were his father’s men—that is, the Lu Family’s Third Master, Lu Beicheng’s third elder brother, Lu Qihong’s elite security personnel.

All top-tier experts, each with their own specialty in karate, taekwondo, sanda, all of them award-winners in the industry.

“Little Uncle, I heard you didn’t bring many people, and something happened here a couple days ago. I brought people to protect you—isn’t that convenient timing?”

As Lu Feifan said this, his gaze fell once again on Jiu’er.

He smiled faintly, then suddenly reached out and rubbed the top of Jiu’er’s head: “Besides, this girl has no self-defense skills to speak of, yet her guts are bigger than a ghost’s, always wandering off into trouble.”

“If I don’t bring enough people, how am I supposed to protect her?”

The Lu Family’s second young master had said he wanted to protect Zhen Jiu’er?

What exactly was the relationship between the two of them?

“Known each other before?” Even Lu Beicheng’s brow furrowed slightly, somewhat caught off guard.

Jiu’er was about to say something, but Lu Feifan spoke first with a laugh: “When Yifan was hospitalized, he ran into this girl. Probably… love at first sight.”

He pulled Jiu’er over again.

This time, pulling her directly into his own embrace: “Jiu’er just agreed a moment ago to be my girlfriend. Little Uncle, you won’t object, will you?”