Watching the female approach, Lu Xia dredged up the woman's identity from the original owner's memories. It was Duke Lan Ya, who often fooled around with the original Lu Xia. Since they were close in age and two peas in a pod, they frequently got into trouble together.
As the Duke walked in familiarly, Lu Xia spoke. "Perfect timing. I'm planning to restart the No. 1 Institute, but I'm short on funds. You should invest some."
She said it so bluntly and naturally, as if she weren't asking for money but simply remarking that the weather was nice.
Duke Lan Ya's eyes widened. She stared at Lu Xia in disbelief. "Are you crazy? You're already making a profit by not mismanaging things. Don't go starting something crazy!"
Evidently, even Duke Lan Ya, her partner in crime, had no faith in Lu Xia's business acumen.
Lu Xia knew, of course, that this was a problem left behind by the original owner.
"You can invest with confidence this time. If we make a profit, I'll give you a share proportional to your investment." Lu Xia's expression was serious; she didn't look like she was joking.
Lan Ya stared at her for a long moment. "No, seriously? Are you for real? What's gotten into you?"
Her playmate, who had always goofed off with her, was suddenly trying to be ambitious. This was truly unexpected.
"I just don't want to fool around anymore. I want to do something meaningful. What do you say? Interested in joining me?" Lu Xia's lips curled into a smile, her expression an eager invitation.
Duke Lan Ya's family was incredibly wealthy, a fact Lu Xia knew from the original owner's memories. Rather than let the Duke waste that money carousing and bullying men, it would be better to put it to good use.
"How much do you need?" Duke Lan Ya was tempted by Lu Xia's earnestness, but she was still worried about losing money. After all, they had been together for so many years; she knew better than anyone what kind of person Lu Xia was.
"Let's start with five million. We can get more if it's not enough." Lu Xia said "five million" as casually as if she were saying "five dollars."
"That much!" Duke Lan Ya was shocked. She'd figured one or two million would be enough at most. She never expected Lu Xia to ask for five million right off the bat—and just to "start" with, at that. This meant five million might not even be enough. "What exactly are you planning to do? Are you sure you won't lose it all?"
"Any business venture has its risks. I can't give you a foolproof guarantee, but I can promise you this: I'm serious this time."
At her words, Duke Lan Ya wavered again. "Alright, fine. I'll go home, get things ready, and send it to you. But what exactly are you planning?"
The research institutes belonging to Duke Lu Xia's family had indeed been profitable in the past. But after the previous Duke passed away and Lu Xia took over, they went under one after another. Now that Lu Xia wanted to stage a comeback, Duke Lan Ya was apprehensive. Yet, she was also filled with a contradictory thought: 'What if? What if Lu Xia actually succeeds? Then I'd be making money right alongside her!'
"You don't need to know what it is for now. Just know it's a profitable venture. You'd better hurry. I can only wait for you for two days. If you can't raise the funds by then, I'll find another way." Lu Xia's "I don't necessarily need you" attitude forced Duke Lan Ya to take the matter seriously. It even gave her a sense of urgency, as if this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She nodded in assurance. "Okay, I get it. I'll go back and get everything ready now."
Watching Duke Lan Ya hurry away, Lu Xia thought, 'An initial investment of five million should be enough.'
'I didn't expect to get such an unexpected windfall from this trip today.'
The gardeners the old butler had hired were very efficient. By the time Lu Xia left, the grounds had been completely cleared. Barring any surprises, the trimming and replanting could begin tomorrow.
Compared to renovating the gardens, hiring qualified researchers would be much more troublesome. However, Lu Xia wasn't too worried. As long as the salary and benefits were good enough, she believed people would come. As the old saying goes, money makes the world go round. No matter where you are, there will always be people who bow to reality.
Therefore, her reputation, good or bad, wasn't an issue at all.
After returning from the No. 1 Institute, Lu Xia felt unusually weak. She hadn't done anything, really—just walked a short distance. 'The original owner's physical fitness is just abysmally poor. It looks like I'll have to start exercising.'
Rubbing her sore shoulders, she returned to her room, planning to relax with a hot bath. Unexpectedly, she ended up falling asleep in the bathtub.
When she woke up and saw Graces kneeling beside the tub, for a moment, it was like a flashback to the previous night. It startled her. "What are you doing here?"
As she moved, she realized the bathwater had grown cool. 'Did I really sleep that long?'
Graces was holding a bath towel, clearly prepared for her. "I just got back. The butler said you hadn't come down for dinner and was worried, so he asked me to come up and check. I was just going to lift you out. If you soak for too long in cool water, you'll catch a cold."
Lu Xia reached out and took the towel from his hand. "I know. You can go out first. I can manage on my own."
Hearing this, Graces stood up from the floor. "Then call for me if you need anything. I'll be right outside."
Lu Xia nodded. Just as Graces was about to turn, she couldn't help but add, "Don't kneel so casually in the future. I don't like it."
'I really can't stand it—this habit of kneeling at the drop of a hat. It makes me feel like some sort of slave owner.'
Walking away with his back to her, Graces's spine stiffened. He clearly hadn't expected Lu Xia to say that. Without turning back, he simply replied softly, "Okay."
It wasn't an illusion. The more time he spent with Lu Xia, the more he could naturally sense the difference between her and the rumors.
However, there were many females who were good at acting. Graces had encountered the type before—females who appeared incredibly approachable in public but revealed a demonic nature in private.
But Lu Xia was the opposite. The outside world's evaluation of her wasn't good, yet in private, she wasn't like that at all.
Graces didn't understand. If Lu Xia wasn't the person the rumors made her out to be, why did she act that way? 'Could it be... that Duke Lu Xia has some hidden troubles?'
Although he suspected this, Graces didn't dare let his guard down. Being deceived wasn't what was scary; what was scary was being deceived after you've given your heart.
Lu Xia quickly got dressed and came out of the bathroom. The nap had eased some of her fatigue, but she had no appetite.
Still, Graces's behavior during the evening was acceptable. He didn't just stand there while she ate; he knew to sit down with her. This saved Lu Xia a lot of explaining.
It was just that after dinner, Graces hovered by her side at all times, as if he had nothing of his own to do. He was quiet and didn't speak, but this feeling of having someone follow her around no matter what she was doing was not pleasant. Finally, Lu Xia turned to look at the man. "Don't you have your own things to do?"
Graces was slightly taken aback, as if he hadn't expected Lu Xia to ask that. After a moment of silence, he said, "Do you not require my service?"
As the husband with the most humble status in the household, all his conduct had to prioritize the Female Master. The Female Master's needs always came first. So, regardless of his identity or status outside, as soon as he returned home, he had to ensure he could appear at a moment's notice whenever Lu Xia needed him, essentially being on standby at all times.