Su Mo stepped out of the hotel, the cold wind making her shrink her neck instinctively. Wrapping her arms around herself, she walked into the night, her mind echoing with the words Lu Ziye had said to her five years ago.

“Xiaoxiao, it’s not that I don’t believe you, but with your situation, how can I believe you? And you say it was Yiyi who framed you—how is that even possible? Yiyi is so innocent, how could she do something like that? Xiaoxiao, stop causing trouble, okay?”

She remembered that at the time, it seemed like she hadn’t said anything—just turned around and left, then went abroad. And she was gone for five years.

Now that she thought about it, she should’ve slapped him twice.

Su Mo sniffled, just about to hail a taxi when her phone rang.

A strange number. Frowning, she answered.

“Hello, who’s this?”

“Liu Xiaoxiao? Is it really you?”

Hearing that voice, Su Mo gripped her phone tightly. That voice was…

Jian Ruyun. Her mother, Jian Ruyun.

“We, the Liu family, don’t have someone as shameless as you. Get lost! From now on, the Liu family has nothing to do with you!” The moment she heard the voice, Su Mo immediately remembered the words Jian Ruyun had said when she was kicked out of the house, as well as the look of disgust on her face, as if she wished Su Mo would just die right then and there.

“Say something! Liu Xiaoxiao, I heard from Yiyi that you’ve come back. You’ve got some nerve, coming back and not even telling us! Now, you better come home right this minute! And you’ve got some guts, going to find Ziye…”

“Sorry, you’ve got the wrong number.” Su Mo hung up the phone with an expressionless face, her eyes staring at the neon lights twinkling in the night, their colors reflecting off the distant, shimmering water.

She blinked a few times, sniffed, and called Wei Ke’er.

“Ke’er, are you free to grab a drink?”

“Okay, Yue Se, let’s go show some support to Lanshan.”

After hanging up the phone, she rubbed her frozen face and flagged down a cab to head to “Yue Se.”

—At the same time.

In the Lu family’s banquet hall’s organizer’s lounge, a little boy around four years old was staring fiercely at the group of security guards and staff.

“I’ve told you so clearly, how can you still not know who she is? If you can’t find her before the banquet ends, I’ll have Uncle Shao fire all of you!”

The crowd… Young Master Ning, you could’ve just said a beautiful aunt, would that not have been clear enough? Please, which of the young ladies out in the hall isn’t beautiful?

And you mentioned someone with black-framed glasses, but they’ve already searched the entire banquet hall inside and out and haven’t seen anyone with black-framed glasses!

The crowd was speechless. They knew this little ancestor was just being difficult, but they couldn’t say anything—after all, he was the most favored little master of the Lu family.

“Ning Ning, how about you describe this aunt a little more carefully? Are you sure she said she was coming to our Lu family’s banquet?”

Lu Old Madam couldn’t help but ask as she looked at the embarrassed security guards and staff.

“I’m sure, Grandma, she told me herself. She was in a hurry to come to the Lu family’s banquet, so Uncle Zhong left right away. She left in such a rush.”

The little guy, plump and soft, with rosy cheeks from the cold, looked so adorable. Now, because of his anxiety, his eyes were sparkling with tears, and just one look made people’s hearts soften—especially Lu Old Madam, who spoiled her grandson without any principles.

“Did you hear that? Ning Ning said it was a beautiful aunt coming to the banquet. How can you not find her? Hurry up and go find her!”

The crowd…

“Yes, Madam.”

The staff and security guards all left silently, thinking, what’s going on here? They thought that with the Old Madam intervening, they’d no longer need to look for a woman they couldn’t possibly find. But instead, the Old Madam seemed even more unreasonable than the little master himself.

As they walked out of the lounge, they ran into Lu Qingze, who was coming upstairs.

Lu Qingze nodded at his assistant and entered the lounge.

Once inside, the assistant turned to the staff and security guards, saying, “No need to search anymore, go back to your duties,” before stepping aside.

The crowd didn’t quite know how to react. Was this for real? No more searching? Or was he just joking with them?

Before they could figure it out, a deep male voice came from inside.

“If you keep causing trouble, Uncle Zhong will send you back right now.”

As soon as the words were spoken, Ning Xiao’s crying stopped immediately.

The staff and security guards standing outside all gaped in shock.

It turned out that there was someone who could control the Lu family’s little master!

“By the way, who was that person who just entered? Is he also from the Lu family?”

“You don’t know him? That’s the youngest son of the Lu family! I think he’s only 31 this year?”

“What? He’s the one who’s been living abroad and hasn’t married yet? He’s so handsome!”

“Yeah, that’s him. I heard he’s the one in charge of the Lu family now. Don’t let his gentle appearance fool you, they say he’s actually ruthless. As for how handsome he is… well, people like him are out of our league. Let’s go, we’ve got work to do.”

“Hey, can I just daydream a little? Everyone needs some goals in life.”

…

Inside the lounge, Lu Zining, looking extremely aggrieved, was curled up in Lu Old Madam’s arms, pouting and ignoring the man on the sofa.

Lu Old Madam, seeing how upset her little grandson was, couldn’t help but feel heartbroken and shot a glare at Lu Qingze.

“Be a little gentler with Zining. He’s just a little child, how can he handle you scaring him like that? If you scare my precious grandson, you’ll be in big trouble, got it?”

Lu Qingze sat on the sofa, silent, his eyes cold as ice.

Lu Old Madam couldn’t help but slap his back, saying, “Did you hear me?”

For the first time, a crack appeared on Lu Qingze’s normally calm face. He gave a barely perceptible nod in response to Lu Old Madam.

“That’s better,” Lu Old Madam said with a smile, winking at the little Zining in her arms. Zining finally smiled, high-fived with her, and then jumped out of her lap, giving Lu Qingze a cold snort.

Lu Qingze watched the scene, the corner of his lips lifting slightly, and the light in his eyes softened many times more than usual.

After calming his grandson, Lu Old Madam finally looked up at Lu Qingze.

“Qingze, don’t be mad at me for rushing you, but your dad and I are both 80 now. How much longer do you think we can help take care of Zining? He’s already four years old. Even though we tell everyone he’s your brother’s son, it can’t go on like this. You need to give him a complete family.”

“When you were abroad, I didn’t meddle, but now that you’re back, take some time to visit the Ye family. Qiu’s not young anymore, and she can’t wait forever for you. The amazing thing is, she doesn’t even mind that you’ve got Zining with you…”

Lu Old Madam couldn’t stop talking once she started.

Lu Qingze sat beside her, not showing impatience or intending to interrupt. Only when she finally finished did he stand up, pulled Zining out of her arms, and handed her a glass of water.

“Mom, drink some water and rest a bit. I’ll take Zining out for a walk.”

Before Lu Old Madam could respond, he pulled Zining toward the door.

Lu Old Madam…

“You little rascal, every time I bring this up, you act like this! Can’t you give this old woman some peace of mind before I die?”

Lu Qingze stopped, turned back to look at Lu Old Madam, the tight line of his lips curling slightly. “Mom, don’t worry, your health is great. Full of energy.”

Lu Old Madam was speechless. This brat was really trying to kill her!

…

Lu Qingze pulled Lu Zining out of the lounge.

Lu Zining: “Daddy, when are you going to find me a mom?”

Lu Qingze: “…”

Lu Zining: “Look at you, always like this. I’ve told you so many times, you’re 31 now. If you don’t find someone soon, you’ll be an old man, and no one will want you!”

Lu Qingze: “Looks like you want to go to the U.S.”

Lu Zining: “…”

“Forget it, whether you find someone or not, it’s not me who’s going to be lonely. But you don’t have to find me a mom, but you need to find that beautiful aunt. Daddy, that aunt was so pretty…”

Father and son continued chatting as they walked toward the banquet hall. Just as they reached the door, they ran into Lu Ziye, who was walking toward the lounge with Liu Yiyi.

“Little Uncle.” Lu Ziye greeted respectfully when he saw Lu Qingze. Among the family, Lu Ziye probably feared this little uncle the most—he wasn’t much older, but he was especially hard to get along with.

Lu Qingze gave a slight nod without stopping, leading Lu Zining into the banquet hall.

“Zi, Ziye, what did you just call him?”

Little Uncle? This man is Ziye’s little uncle? Liu Yiyi’s face went pale.

“Little Uncle? Oh right, you probably haven’t met him. How’s he look? Young, right? Doesn’t he seem just a few years older than us? Actually, he’s not much older. He’s the son my grandparents had when they were almost 50. He’s only 31, and he’s been in the military all this time. Don’t be fooled by how gentle he looks now. Apart from my grandparents, no one in the family dares to mess with him…”

While Lu Ziye was still talking, Liu Yiyi could no longer hear him clearly. She only realized that her conversation with Liu Xiaoxiao had most likely been overheard by this man. Did he hear anything? Moreover, she even threatened him!

Liu Yiyi’s face turned even paler.