“And this isn’t a gift. It’s a loan.  You’ll return it when we leave the estate,” Yue Linze added, his gaze steady.

The remaining two-thirds of Tao Yu’s joy evaporated.  She gave a wry smile. “Then I’ll have to find a safe place to keep it. What if I accidentally damage it?” Given Yue Linze’s meticulous nature, he would undoubtedly demand compensation.  She couldn't afford it, and if it caused another outburst, she wouldn't survive.

“You must wear it,” Yue Linze narrowed his eyes. “If I find you’ve removed it, you’ll face the consequences.”

…Well, his unreasonable behavior wasn’t new.  She’d just have to get used to it.  Tao Yu sighed. “Understood, Mr. Yue.”

Yue Linze glanced at her, then returned to his book, just as he had been when she first arrived. If not for the brooch on her chest, she would have thought the entire episode a hallucination.

Standing idly by his side, she glanced around.  Spotting the housekeeper emerging from the house, she greeted him with a bright smile.  “Mr. housekeeper, you’re back so soon?” The prospect of not having to endure Yue Linze’s company alone was a welcome relief.

The housekeeper paused at the sight of the brooch on her, then sighed.  “Mr. Gu is throwing another tantrum because Mr. Yue didn’t visit him.”

“It’s understandable that he didn’t go. Mr. Gu insulted him this morning.  It’s perfectly reasonable for Mr. Yue not to want to visit,” Tao Yu chimed in, observing Yue Linze’s reaction.

He trusted his housekeeper implicitly. As long as it didn't irritate Yue Linze, it was worth speaking up for the housekeeper. Who knew when she might need his help?

The housekeeper frowned. “But we’re currently at the estate.  It’s simply not appropriate, no matter how you look at it.  Besides, Mr. Yue certainly won't be leaving, since he still needs to…”

Needs to what? Tao Yu’s ears perked up.

The housekeeper sighed again. “In short, we can’t avoid seeing Mr. Gu.”

“So?” Yue Linze looked up, his gaze icy, finally irritated enough by the housekeeper’s persistence to abandon his book.

The housekeeper straightened. “So, I believe it would be best for Miss Tao to visit Mr. Gu on your behalf.  Firstly, as your girlfriend, her presence would be appropriate. Secondly, Miss Tao is resourceful. Perhaps she can smooth things over for you, offering Mr. Gu a way to save face. I believe he would understand.”

“.…” 

Oh, thank you very much.  Everyone knew Gu Yansheng despised her.  And now they wanted to throw her to the wolves?

Tao Yu had absolutely no desire to see the man who had just injured her ear. However, as soon as the housekeeper finished speaking, Yue Linze looked at her thoughtfully. Wary, she asked, “Are you thinking of ways to threaten me?”

Yue Linze remained silent. Tao Yu rolled her eyes internally, then forced a smile. 

“I’ll go right now.” She glanced at Yue Linze, and seeing no attempt to stop her, turned and left.

“Sir, the brooch…” the housekeeper hesitated.

Yue Linze glanced at him. “I can’t be at ease until I know who sent her.”

The housekeeper nodded.  Seeing that Yue Linze had lost interest in his book, he understood his intentions. He pushed the wheelchair towards the bedroom, closing the door behind them.

Yue Linze retrieved his phone, expertly navigating to an app.  As the phone displayed “Connecting,” the housekeeper leaned closer. “Now that Dr. Tao is wearing the brooch, we should soon know her true identity.”

Anyone likely to target Mr. Yue was currently within the estate. If Tao Yu were truly working for someone, continuous communication would be impossible to avoid.

Yue Linze watched his phone silently. The housekeeper added, “However, we can’t be certain just yet.  What if she possesses exceptional counter-surveillance skills and knows about the listening device in the brooch? She might use it to her advantage.”

This thought made things more complicated.  There was no guarantee she lacked such abilities.

A moment of silence hung in the air. The housekeeper looked at Yue Linze with a troubled expression. “Sir, if Dr. Tao continues to show no signs of deception, what should we do next?”

Yue Linze looked down at his phone, the image of Tao Yu shielding him that morning flashing through his mind.  Her ear had been bleeding, staining her clothes.  Everyone assumed he hadn't noticed, but he had seen it all clearly.

“If she shows no suspicious behavior here, then leave her be,” Yue Linze said slowly.

The housekeeper stared at him in surprise. If he understood correctly, this meant Yue Linze would no longer suspect Tao Yu?  When had his employer become so lenient, so willing to dismiss his suspicions so easily?

While the housekeeper understood that if Tao Yu remained innocent under 24-hour surveillance, she was likely genuinely harmless, he felt a strange unease hearing Yue Linze say this so readily.

He was about to speak when the phone displayed “Connected.”  A second later, Tao Yu’s voice filled the room.  “You b*stard, Yue Linze! Are you even human? You know Gu Yansheng despises me, yet you send me to him like a sacrificial lamb! What if he kills me…?”

“....”

“....”

The meticulously crafted brooch captured even whispered grumbling with perfect clarity. After hearing the attack on Mr. Yue, followed by one directed at himself, the housekeeper’s lips twitched. He was almost instantly certain of Dr. Tao's innocence.

She was the first suspected spy to be cleared so quickly in his mind.  Few spies would be so…stupid after realizing they were being bugged.

“Sir?” the housekeeper asked cautiously.

Yue Linze looked up, his expression cold. “I’m firing her.”

“….”