Chapter 4
965 Words
After lunch, Lucian really did take Luna out for a walk.
Following the two mothers’ arrangements, their destination was a large shopping mall in the city. The original plan was simply to stroll around and perhaps do a bit of shopping, mainly to give the young pair some time together, and to give Lucian a chance to take care of Luna and win her favor.
But the two mothers hadn’t anticipated that the atmosphere in the car would be nothing like a date. Throughout the ride, the two of them were almost completely silent.
Lucian focused on driving, his eyes fixed straight ahead, not saying another word from beginning to end. And when facing Luna, his expression was neither gentle nor particularly courteous, nothing like how one would treat someone they had been set up with.
On the contrary, his expression was so cold and displeased that it was almost as if he were facing a rival in love.
The prolonged silence made the atmosphere in the car grow increasingly stifling.
At first, Luna tried to maintain her composure out of politeness, but as soon as the car pulled up in front of the shopping mall, she finally couldn’t hold back any longer.
She turned to look at him, her manner polite yet clearly tinged with a hint of distance.
“Lucian.”
He cast her a brief glance.
“If you’re busy, you don’t have to take me out,” she said frankly. “You can drop me off here, I can go shopping on my own.”
She truly didn’t like Lucian, least of all his cold, distant attitude, tinged with what almost felt like hostility.
So what if he was handsome? So what if he was rich? So what if he was capable? She, too, was a cherished daughter, pampered since childhood. Why should she sit here putting up with someone so temperamental?
Hearing that, Lucian made no attempt to stop her.
He simply gave a slight nod, his tone courteous,
“Alright. Then feel free to shop as you please. Send me the bill, you can take it as my apology for not being able to accompany you.”
Luna smiled after hearing that, but there was a clear hint of distance in her expression.
“Thank you. But that won’t be necessary. It’s not like I’m short on money.”
The two of them looked at each other for a brief second, then quickly masked their expressions.
On the surface, Luna maintained her polite and composed demeanor. After all, they moved in the same social circle, there was a high chance they would cross paths again at future social events.
At the very least, she didn’t want today’s meeting to turn into an awkward memory.
But that was Luna’s thought alone.
Because before she could even open the car door and step out, Lucian suddenly spoke,
“Adrian isn’t right for you.”
Luna paused, then turned to look at him.
Lucian didn’t meet her gaze, but continued,
“You’d better not get any inappropriate ideas about him.”
That remark genuinely caught Luna off guard.
She had always been gentle by nature, never one to argue, nor someone who enjoyed debating with others. But Lucian’s attitude from the very beginning had already made her uncomfortable, and a flicker of irritation rose within her.
“And what does that have to do with you? Whether we’re a good match or not is something only the two of us can decide.”
To be honest, she did have a favorable impression of Adrian. There was an easygoing charm and a certain sweetness about him that made her feel comfortable, perhaps even a little stirred. But she had no intention of taking things any further. It was better to just let things unfold naturally.
Only then did Lucian turn to look at her. His gaze grew even sharper, sending an involuntary chill down Luna’s spine.
“Adrian won’t date anyone else. Don’t waste your time.”
Lucian’s overbearing attitude only stirred a rebellious impulse in Luna. She shot back,
“You’re just Adrian’s stepbrother. You have no right to interfere in his personal life.”
“What if I insist?” Lucian asked, his tone firm.
“Y-You…” Luna faltered for a moment. There was something about him now that made her feel a subtle pressure, but she forced herself to stay composed and continued resolutely,
“Adrian is his own person. Who he likes, who he wants to be with, even if you want to interfere, you can’t control that.”
At that, Lucian’s expression darkened even further. His jaw tightened, his voice dropping low,
“All the more reason for me to step in.”
At that point, he realized his emotions were slipping out of control again. Whenever it involved Adrian, he always lost his composure far too easily.
Taking a deep breath, he softened his tone and said,
“This is my family matter. Stay out of it.”
Luna looked at Lucian and suddenly found him a little… frightening. She didn’t want to stay here for even a second longer.
“Freak.”
The word slipped out before she could stop herself. Then she immediately pushed the car door open, stepped out, and slammed it shut behind her.
Luna headed straight toward the mall entrance, still simmering with anger.
Lucian’s expression just now had genuinely scared her, but it also left her confused. She couldn’t help but wonder if the two brothers were on bad terms. The Draven family clearly wasn’t as harmonious as they appeared on the surface.
She took out her phone and hesitated for a moment. Maybe… she should give Adrian a heads-up, tell him to be a little wary of his brother.
- Writer
