Chapter 12: The Bastard

England.

“President Lu, should the meeting still be scheduled for today?” The secretary in the CEO’s office asked cautiously, her voice tinged with anxiety as she addressed the man seated in the chair.

The man was dressed in a dark green shirt with subtle patterns, his tall and upright frame exuding an air of aloofness that seemed innate to someone of his stature. Though his hair wasn’t meticulously styled, it did little to diminish the commanding presence he naturally carried. His dark eyes often held a faint, gentle smile, masking the intimidating pressure he could exert, making him difficult to read.

Only those close to him knew just how demanding and unpredictable this boss could be.

At the age of 25, he had come to England and, within just two years, had carved out a place for himself in this financial hub with his decisive actions. No one dared to underestimate him.

Today, President Lu had suddenly postponed the meeting and had been sitting in his office, staring at his computer screen for half an hour without any change in expression.

What was more concerning was that President Lu had lit a cigarette, which made the secretary feel as if a storm was brewing. She didn’t dare to breathe too loudly.

Just as the secretary was about to break into a cold sweat, she finally heard the man’s calm and indifferent voice.

“Ten minutes.”

The secretary felt as if she had been granted a reprieve. “Understood, I’ll take care of it immediately!”

After a pause, she added, “President Lu, regarding your previous instruction to contact the domestic side about dismissing the new housekeeper, Old President Lu has expressed his disagreement for the time being. What would you like to do?”

Lu Jinzhi’s phoenix eyes lowered slightly. If he remembered correctly, Father hadn’t been particularly fond of her in the past.

His dark gaze returned to the screen.

His phone was equipped with an alert from the Lu Residence’s Master Alarm System, allowing him to be informed immediately in case of any major incidents. So, when he received the alert tonight, he had someone from the domestic side sync the surveillance footage for him.

The chaos in the main residence was now fully visible to him.

The scene was unfamiliar, so much so that it felt like he was watching someone else’s surveillance footage. It took him half an hour of repeated viewing to confirm that he wasn’t hallucinating.

It was because of someone that the house had suddenly changed.

Lu Jinzhi extinguished the cigarette he hadn’t smoked, watching the flickering ember as he spoke, “No rush.”

A faint smile played on his lips. “It’s been too long since I’ve been back. Some people’s impressions have faded.”

–

When Qiao Wu arrived at the Lu Residence the next day, only Lu Ning came down to greet her.

Due to the varying schedules of everyone in the household, Qiao Wu had stopped using the Morning Alarm for the entire house. Instead, she had someone modify the system so that it could individually connect to each room.

She sat nearby, flipping through some documents, casually chatting, “You don’t have school these two days, why are you up so early?”

“Oh.” Lu Ning’s routine had been adjusted to be more regular, mainly because she couldn’t sleep knowing she would get to see the reactions of Lu Yingchi and Lu Xuan when they woke up this morning.

She held her milk, pretending to be nonchalant as she moved closer to Qiao Wu. She noticed that Qiao Wu was looking at project planning materials for a script, something only Lu Xuan would be involved in.

Thinking about the gift she had received last night, Lu Ning managed to suppress her anger. Leaning against the back of the sofa, she muttered, “Aren’t you the housekeeper? Why are you managing Lu Xuan’s work too?”

“Yes.”

“Grandpa Qiao didn’t handle these things before.”

But judging by Qiao Wu’s recent actions, it seemed more like she was taking on the role of an assistant or secretary to Grandpa, or perhaps even more comprehensive than that.

“If all I needed to do was manage your daily needs, hiring a few attentive nannies would suffice,” Qiao Wu’s fingers moved swiftly across the screen, but it didn’t affect the speed or clarity of her speech. “It wouldn’t have been necessary to involve me.”

“Although I may not be good at studying, isn’t the term ‘startled’ a bit derogatory when used on you?”

Hearing this, Qiao Wu finally looked up and chuckled, “Do you have some misunderstanding about my abilities?”

The housekeeper of the Lu Family is different from those of ordinary wealthy families; they need to be versatile in both literary and martial skills.

Externally, they must be the right-hand assistant to the authority figure in their work, and internally, they must manage the Lu Residence with clarity. Therefore, her abilities must be comprehensive. Her father spent decades accumulating experience to rise from being a driver, and she has already achieved and surpassed that. In a sense, she is the face of the Lu Family.

In the plot, the Lu Family fell so quickly because it had already been eroded and decayed from within.

But Lu Ning didn’t understand this. In her eyes, the Qiao Wu of the past was just a cunning, deceitful, and disloyal lackey. So, this person’s essential abilities had long been overshadowed by these inferior qualities.

However, in the next ten minutes, as she saw the resume Qiao Wu presented, her worldview was shattered for the first time.

Not to mention the nearly perfect grades every year, just the array of awards, trophies, and certifications was dazzling.

Lu Ning couldn’t reconcile the person on the resume with the Qiao Wu of the past; it felt surreal.

Actually, Qiao Wu hadn’t expected this either. Although her body had been controlled by the plot for so long, the results of some important stages of her life still aligned with her true capabilities. Later, she thought that perhaps an ordinary person couldn’t smoothly become the housekeeper of the Lu Family, and thus the subsequent plot couldn’t unfold.

“Then why are you still here?” Lu Ning’s expression was complex.

With Qiao Wu’s abilities and family background, starting a business or climbing to a higher social stratum should be easy. How could she be willing to be confined to the Lu Residence?

“Everyone has different pursuits,” Qiao Wu replied candidly. “Each stage also has its own things to do. For me, staying by your side is the most important thing right now. Money isn’t that important. I’m only 22; if I really need it, I’ll have plenty of opportunities and channels to get what I want in the future.”

Before transmigrating to this world, she was just an ordinary person living earnestly, filled with various fantasies about future life. But in summary, it was nothing more than living happily every day.

Now, she already had more money than she could earn in several lifetimes, had survived healthily, and had learned many things through various channels, feeling spiritually fulfilled.

The only thing she lacked was the familial love she didn’t have in her previous life. So, coming to this world and experiencing those ten years of warmth satisfied her, and she didn’t want to give it up.

The still naive Lu Ning shook her head, “I don’t understand.”

She didn’t understand what was worth staying by the side of the Lu Family members.

“You’ll understand in the future,” Qiao Wu smoothed her hair. “But one thing, I have choices now because I have the ability. I hope you can make choices for yourself in the future.”

Lu Ning’s thought process was quite peculiar, “So, like a tentacle monster, you’re choosing among us?”

Qiao Wu was momentarily speechless.

She lowered her head onto Lu Ning’s shoulder, laughing uncontrollably, “I’m not choosing; I want all of you.”

The sudden intimate contact almost made Lu Ning spill the milk in her hand onto the sofa. She scowled, “What do you mean?”

“The choice I mentioned was about staying here or leaving.”

“You’re leaving?!”

“Not sure yet.” Worried it might scratch her, Qiao Wu took off his glasses and said nonchalantly, “One should choose the right tree to perch on and the right master to serve.”

“My Chinese score was 20.”

Lu Ning pushed her face away, “Don’t speak classical Chinese to me.”

Qiao Wu poked her puffed-up cheek with his glasses: “What I mean is, you all need to step up your game if you want to afford me.”

Lu Ning: “Why are you telling me? I’m only thirteen. Do you expect me to go crack safes with them?”

Go tell Lu Jinzhi, tell those two fools who still haven’t come downstairs yet!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She asked, “Why haven’t you woken them up yet today?”

“Did you get up this early just to laugh at them?”

Lu Ning took a sip of milk to cover her expression.

But Qiao Wu knew those two too well, especially Lu Xuan, who carried such a heavy burden: “They’re too embarrassed to come down. Let’s have someone bring breakfast to their rooms later. Since you’re awake, why don’t you come out with me today?”

“Where to?”

“To get glasses. Didn’t have time yesterday.”

Lu Ning paused: “Do you even know who the Housekeeper is here, making me accompany you?”

Qiao Wu raised an eyebrow: “So, are you coming or not?”

“…Hmph.”

Qiao Wu wasn’t just going to get glasses; he also wanted to give the two young masters upstairs some buffer time, so he took Lu Ning out.

Sure enough, not long after, Lu Xuan sneaked downstairs, only to bump into Lu Yingchi, who was also sneaking around.

Lu Xuan wore sunglasses even at home, dressed so impeccably it seemed like he was about to walk the red carpet any second. The moment he saw Lu Yingchi, he immediately lifted his chin.

But Lu Yingchi was much more at ease, probably because he hadn’t gotten drunk last night.

The two stood in the elevator, neither pressing a button. After a long silence, Lu Yingchi, with his hands in his pockets, suddenly spoke: “I look down on you.”

“Lu Yingchi, watch your mouth,” Lu Xuan leaned against the elevator wall, not even looking at him as he lazily replied, “My patience isn’t that great.”

“Is that so? The one who cries and throws tantrums seems pretty good to me,” Lu Yingchi mocked, “When did you get so close to her?”

Thinking of something, Lu Xuan suddenly smiled: “We’ve always been close. Want to see the message where she said she’d always be my dog?”

The suspicion was confirmed—Qiao Wu must have sent that message to everyone!

Lu Yingchi took a deep breath, his fists clenched tightly, words forced through his gritted teeth: “Funny, she sent me one too. Want to see?”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Lu Xuan scoffed: “Who cares? If you care so much, you can have her.”

With that, he pressed the elevator button, and as soon as the doors opened, he walked straight out without looking back.

Lu Yingchi shouted after him, “If you don’t want her, neither do I!”

Lu Xuan ignored him. Once in his car, he didn’t immediately fasten his seatbelt but sat for several minutes before coming to his senses.

From the moment he woke up this morning, every scene from last night had been replaying in his mind, leaving him with a bit of a stress reaction.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly, thinking that no matter what had happened before, he needed to know how many people Qiao Wu had sent that message to.

But after last night, she was truly no longer an option.

Damn it.

He took off his sunglasses, revealing slightly red and swollen eyes.

Then he drove to the hospital to annoy the Old Man—no, to apologize.

After arriving at school, Lu Yingchi grew increasingly angry. Taking advantage of the fact that he had no classes in the afternoon, he rode his motorcycle straight to the outskirts of the city.

Hu Zhuo watched him leave with a grim expression and made a phone call: “Hong Cheng, where is he going?”

“Zero Loop Line.”

The Zero Loop Line was a mountain located far from the city center. The entire mountain was a luxurious money pit, surrounded by a racing circuit. At the summit stood a massive, top-tier entertainment mansion, waiting for these adrenaline-fueled racers to splurge after the races. Lu Yingchi loved riding heavy motorcycles and was known for his generosity, so everyone enjoyed hanging out with him.

On the other end of the line, Hong Cheng was driving behind Lu Yingchi’s motorcycle: “I told you, since you’ve already upset him, maybe you should stop provoking him. How about I find an opportunity for you two to sit down together?”

“No need. I’ll be there soon. Find a chance to keep an eye on his phone for me.”

“Are you really going to deal with his housekeeper? She’s still part of the Lu Family, after all.”

Hu Zhuo exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes dark and inscrutable: “That housekeeper of theirs doesn’t look much older than us. I had someone look into her—she’s probably someone from Old President Lu’s side. She’s only been back in the country for a few days, but she’s already acting like she’s someone important. Lu Yingchi can’t stand her. Last time, he was so angry he even asked me how to handle her.”

Hong Cheng thought about it and agreed. After all, the servants in their households weren’t that important: “Alright.”

Meanwhile, Qiao Wu was listening to a salesperson recommend eyeglass frames. The store carried a variety of luxury eyewear brands, offering one-on-one professional service. Even when choosing glasses, she didn’t want to compromise on quality.

After a while, she suddenly turned to Lu Ning, who had been sitting silently on the sofa eating a small cake, and asked, “Any suggestions?”

Lu Ning stared at her, momentarily speechless.

Why did this feel like they were out shopping together?

Normally, the clothes and accessories worn by her family members were custom-made or delivered directly by brands to their home. So, having grown up this way, she had never really gone shopping before, nor had anyone accompanied her. Giving suggestions was something she had no experience with.

Feeling inexplicably nervous, she put down her cake and asked hesitantly, “You trust my opinion?”

“Just for reference. You’re always playing with those cotton dolls, and the outfits you put together for them look great.”

“The dolls are much cuter than you.” Despite her words, Lu Ning still walked over to take a look at the frames and instinctively turned to study Qiao Wu.

Qiao Wu wasn’t wearing her glasses to try on the frames, and when she looked over intently, her eyes seemed to melt like pools of water.

Lu Ning suddenly felt that none of these frames could do justice to those eyes.

“This one,” she pointed to a pair with a thin silver frame.

“That’s what I was thinking too,” Qiao Wu signaled to the salesperson, “I’ll take this one.”

“Of course, please wait a moment.”

Lu Ning hadn’t expected her to be so decisive. Her heart swelled with emotion, and she pressed her lips together, lightly touching her chest.

Suddenly, Qiao Wu said, “As a thank-you for helping me, I’ll buy some clothes for your dolls later.”

Lu Ning’s hand was still on her chest. She opened her mouth to speak but was startled by the pounding of her heart.

Because her grandfather disliked people who didn’t focus on their studies, and her own academic performance wasn’t great, she had never told anyone about her love for dolls—not even Qiao Wu.

But Qiao Wu not only knew about it but was also going to buy clothes for her dolls.

She was silent for a long time, until Qiao Wu’s phone rang.

“Who is it?”

On the other end of the phone, Hong Cheng paused for a moment, thinking to himself that this housekeeper sounded quite young, and her voice was rather pleasant. His tone softened a bit: “Is this Butler Qiao? My name is Hong Cheng, a friend of Lu Yingchi. Lu Shao had a bit too much to drink at the Zero Loop Line today and insisted on going out to run laps with someone. We couldn’t stop him. Could you send a few people over?”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Wu raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t sure about Lu Yingchi’s driving habits, but she knew exactly what kind of person Hong Cheng was.

When these young masters were having fun, why would they ever think to call her?

But she still said, “Address.”

As soon as Hong Cheng finished giving the address, he heard the cold beep of the call being disconnected. He laughed in frustration.

This housekeeper had quite the temper, daring to hang up on him!

Hu Zhuo was right; she was in for a treat when she arrived.

Qiao Wu didn’t call Lu Yingchi. Instead, she dialed another number.

This time, the call was answered quickly. The man’s voice was as calm and clear as ever: “What is it?”

Qiao Wu asked, “Do you have the number for the owner of the Zero Loop Line?”

“Reason.”

“Lu Yingchi.”

The man asked again, slowly, “Who am I?”

Qiao Wu was puzzled: “Lu Jinzhi?”

A faint chuckle came through the receiver: “I’ll send it to your WeChat.”

In less than a minute, Qiao Wu’s phone vibrated. She opened it and first saw the string of numbers, but then her gaze froze on the messages above it.

“I will always be yours. I don’t need any status. Can I see you once…”

At a glance, the screen was filled with green bubbles, all evidence of her past one-sided affection.

Lu Jinzhi had never replied to her, so this chat had long been buried.

Qiao Wu’s breath caught: “!!!”

She had completely forgotten about this.

Before she could react, a second white WeChat message appeared below the green chat bubble.

Lu Jinzhi: “Qiao Wu, this is the second time.”

Qiao Wu was confused.

The second time for what?