Chapter 23: Written by Lu Jinzhi

It must be Lu Xuan and Lu Ning, those two hopeless ones.

He had said that the error rate in Lu Ning’s homework was unbearable for anyone!

Qiao Wu chuckled, “I didn’t say I was going.”

“You said you would consider it.”

“Not for now, at least.”

So, does that mean she would consider it in the future?

Lu Yingchi didn’t speak again until the car arrived back at the Lu Residence.

Just as Qiao Wu was about to ask him to get out first so she could park the car, he suddenly turned his head and asked, “What does it mean to be promising?”

If attending classes diligently every day and not fooling around doesn’t count, then what does?

Qiao Wu was momentarily stunned.

When she had said that to Lu Ning before, half of it was in jest, but she hadn’t expected the words to spread so widely.

Since Lu Yingchi wanted to talk, she didn’t mind taking this opportunity to have a proper conversation with him.

“Do you want us to become like Lu Jinzhi?” Lu Yingchi asked.

In the eyes of others, Lu Jinzhi was the most promising, wasn’t he? The Old Man also hoped they could take on the responsibilities of the group like Lu Jinzhi.

Qiao Wu smiled, “No.”

She didn’t think she had the power to decide everyone’s future development, nor did she want to dictate what anyone should do. She believed in doing one’s best and leaving the rest to fate.

She said, “If you can take responsibility for yourself and your family, that’s already very promising.”

What kind of nonsense is that?

“Isn’t that simple?”

“Simple?” Qiao Wu raised an eyebrow, “Then I’ll be watching.”

Lu Yingchi gave her a strange look, then slammed the car door and left.

Qiao Wu was actually quite curious about what he would do. When she returned after parking the car, she found that Lu Yingchi hadn’t gone upstairs yet.

The servants around him were at a loss, while he sat expressionlessly downstairs, cracking walnuts.

There was a huge pile of them, and he had even placed a basin beside him, looking as if he was about to smash the table.

What was he doing?

Just then, Lu Ning, carrying her backpack, ran in from outside. The moment she saw Qiao Wu, she tilted her head up and said, “I’m back—”

“Bang!”

The sound of the hammer striking startled Lu Ning. Only then did she notice someone sitting behind the sofa. That head of yellow hair was unmistakable.

Lu Yingchi raised and lowered the hammer with 80% personal resentment, clean and ruthless.

Lu Ning walked over, saw the table full of walnut shells, and scowled, “What are you doing? Trying to intimidate me?”

With a clatter, Lu Yingchi pushed the half-basin of peeled walnuts toward her, “Eat.”

Lu Ning: “???”

Are you insane?

“I cracked these with my own hands. You’re going to stuff them down your nostrils if you have to,” Lu Yingchi said, holding the small hammer in his other hand, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, the threat unmistakable. “From today on, you’ll stay here and do your homework. You’re not allowed upstairs until I’ve checked it.”

Lu Ning hadn’t forgotten the sight of her homework covered in red crosses. The worst part was that after marking them, Lu Yingchi had gotten so frustrated that he even wrote “Are you a pig? How can you not get this?” next to her mistakes.

For the past two days, when she handed in her homework, her teacher would smile and ask, “Did your parent not correct your homework this time?”

Her homework had even been passed around by her classmates, which was infuriating!

She rolled her eyes, “Are you sick?”

Her room had such a big study, and now she had to do her homework here? Did she have no dignity?

Lu Yingchi pointed at her with a small hammer: “I won’t repeat nice words, come sit here.”

Feeling like the hammer was about to land on her head any second, Lu Ning’s scalp tightened, and she gripped her backpack strap tightly: “Qiao Wu, look at him!”

To be honest, Qiao Wu didn’t know why Lu Yingchi was suddenly pulling this stunt. She cast a puzzled glance his way.

“Isn’t this responsible enough?” Lu Yingchi frowned.

Oh!

So that’s what it was.

“I think this is a good idea,” Qiao Wu took two steps back, deciding not to intervene further. “Your uncle is more than capable of tutoring you. Finish your homework and then have dinner. I’ll go attend to other matters.”

Lu Yingchi instantly became smug, waving the small hammer: “I’ll count to three.”

Lu Ning weighed the difference in combat power between herself and Lu Yingchi for three seconds, and he was armed.

Then she chickened out.

She slowly moved over with her backpack, overwhelmed by the smell of walnuts, momentarily unsure whose brain was the problem.

She sat down cautiously: “I’m not stupid, I just have a weak foundation. Don’t be too harsh, or I really will fight you.”

Lu Yingchi shot her a glare: “Shut up and write.”

Lu Ning swallowed her anger, took out her homework, and spread it out, biting her pen as she struggled to read the questions.

Her messy handwriting made Lu Yingchi’s eyes hurt: “I’ll buy you a calligraphy template tomorrow, practice properly.”

“…” Lu Ning’s ears turned red, and she covered half of her homework with one hand. But then a scene flashed through her mind.

Previously, her homework had been left at home, and besides Lu Yingchi’s corrections, there were also Qiao Wu’s. Their handwriting was very similar.

“Did you practice with the same calligraphy template as Qiao Wu?” she asked. “Or did you have the same calligraphy teacher?”

If that’s the case, she wanted the same.

Lu Yingchi paused in his walnut cracking.

Neither. It was just that Qiao Wu’s handwriting had always been beautiful. At first, Qiao Wu had held his hand to teach him how to write, and later he subconsciously imitated her handwriting.

In this house, only his and Qiao Wu’s handwriting were similar.

This was the part of Qiao Wu that belonged exclusively to him.

With this realization, Lu Yingchi’s previously murky mood improved slightly.

He snorted lightly: “At your level, you’re not worthy.”

Lu Ning: “…Stop hitting! I won’t eat!”

“Why won’t you eat? How will you prove yourself if you don’t eat?” Lu Yingchi tossed another walnut in. He glanced back; Qiao Wu was at the computer, engrossed in something and not paying attention to them, so he lowered his voice. “Do you know someone is already trying to poach her?”

“What?”

“Do you know Zhong Hejing… never mind, you probably don’t.” Lu Yingchi muttered, “Just know that she’s a very ambitious woman who once wanted to become your second aunt.”

“!!!”

Lu Ning was shocked.

That was indeed very ambitious.

Lu Yingchi got angry just thinking about it and hit the table with the hammer again: “I heard her use equity dividends as a condition to get Qiao Wu to work with her, that Zhong family’s rotten shell.”

Although Lu Ning didn’t like Lu Yingchi, at least on this matter, they were on the same side.

She frowned: “So now you’re acting like ‘family harmony brings prosperity’ with me?”

“These walnuts are so magical? They even make you use idioms.”

Lu Yingchi felt his hands were blessed. The walnuts he cracked not only helped one get into university but also made fools wise.

As expected of him, awesome!

He said gloomily, “If you dare to bring me homework that’s as bad as shit again, next time this hammer won’t be cracking walnuts, but your brains, got it?”

“Hmph!”

Lu Ning angrily buried her head.

While handling her work, Qiao Wu glanced up and found it quite rare that the two of them had been sitting together peacefully for so long.

She smiled and then lowered her eyes again.

After receiving Xie Yi’s documents, she carefully reviewed them first. So when Xu Zhao sent over the organized files, she double-checked them again to ensure his work ability was indeed good, and then had him send the documents to Lu Jinzhi.

In fact, since her last conversation with Lu Jinzhi, she hadn’t directly communicated with him at all.

It was limited to her regularly sending him some “daily reports” and “weekly reports” about the family.

But Lu Jinzhi never replied, except for that one accidental encounter at the company where they had a brief interaction.

After thinking for a while, she also sent over the details of the banquet.

She had expected Lu Jinzhi to read and not reply as usual, but this time, within a few minutes, Lu Jinzhi sent a message.

It was flight information.

Lu Jinzhi: “Pick me up.”

This message on her phone meant she was to pick him up from the airport.

Qiao Wu was a bit surprised but quickly replied, “Okay.”

–

Meanwhile, abroad, Lu Jinzhi looked away from his phone and began reviewing the documents Xu Zhao had given him.

Most of the information he already knew from various sources. He just wanted to see what was different about the documents after Qiao Wu had checked them, what made her so confident in front of Xu Zhao.

Opening each file, he found no anomalies in the places Xu Zhao had marked, but he noticed something different in the bottom right corner of every page.

It was a faint watermark—a sycamore leaf.

A corner of his memory was torn open, and Lu Jinzhi found traces of this leaf in his countless clear memories.

Having one more child in the family was of no consequence to him. After all, Lu Xuan was already noisy enough, and having another child could keep Lu Xuan from bothering him.

As he wished, both Lu Xuan and later Lu Yingchi became far more dependent on Qiao Wu than anyone could have imagined.

Lu Jinzhi couldn’t understand this kind of emotion.

Just like he didn’t know why they would cry when no one was around, the books he had read reminded him that there are gains and losses. Between having no one around and having no money, Lu Jinzhi always chose the former without hesitation.

But it was undeniable that compared to the not-so-bright Lu Xuan and Lu Yingchi, Qiao Wu did earn a bit more of his favor.

Because she was quiet, smart, and not clingy.

So sometimes, when he couldn’t stand the two idiots pestering her, he would occasionally lend a hand.

He once thought his choices would always be right. When his eldest brother passed away, he would find the best solution in an instant and take on the family’s responsibilities after him.

When he realized he couldn’t communicate normally with Lu Jiang, he would also step away in time, giving both of them space.

Solutions were always more direct and effective than useless entanglements.

But as he reflected on his past twenty-some years, the few things that puzzled him were all related to Qiao Wu.

Clearly, Qiao Wu wasn’t a genius, but why was she so smart and perceptive?

Why did someone he didn’t dislike before start to become unbearable to him at some point?

And why, on the very first day he chose to take on the responsibilities of the Lu Family according to the best plan, he felt a pang of sadness upon returning home and seeing Qiao Wu and others from afar.

Those almost imperceptible emotions remain fresh in Lu Jinzhi’s memory to this day. However, he never found the answers, nor would anyone tell him, because everyone had changed, so there was no need for him to spend time searching.

Before those inexplicable changes, there was this maple leaf.

Qiao Wu had loved reading since she was a child, reading all kinds of books, and she also enjoyed doodling and writing.

Coincidentally, so did he.

The Lu Family had many children, so one of the houses in the Lu Residence was converted into a Repository of books, containing works on astronomy, geography, academics, and entertainment.

The other children rarely went there, only he and Qiao Wu were regular visitors.

Qiao Wu didn’t like to doodle or write in shared books. She would prepare many sticky notes, leaving her thoughts and marks in certain places while reading, so she could easily find them again later.

Thus, he would often find many sticky notes in the same books they had read together. Each sticky note had this leaf in the lower right corner—small and inconspicuous, yet appearing in the corners of many books.

Lu Jinzhi found it hard to imagine that someone five years younger than him could have such ingenuity.

No one knew that whenever he entered the Repository alone and opened a book to see familiar marks, he would gaze at them for a long time, seeing her emotions from that time.

Later, he also developed a habit of carrying sticky notes with him, leaving a trace on a page whenever he opened a book.

The books he and Qiao Wu read overlapped, and unknowingly, they left many sticky notes of different colors. So even for books he had read before, he would occasionally flip through them again.

This way, he could suddenly discover a new sticky note in a book, a distant dialogue and response left by Qiao Wu at different times but in the same place.

Over the years, the Repository acquired many more books, but not a single sticky note with a phoenix tree leaf appeared again.

Only he remained, flipping through one book after another alone. Gradually, even he stopped leaving marks. Now, it had been two years since he left the Lu Residence.

But the phoenix tree leaf had reappeared.

Lu Jinzhi didn’t understand, so he kept searching for a solution. Obviously, the only solution now was one person—Qiao Wu.

So he sent a screenshot of the watermark to Qiao Wu: “What is this?”

Qiao Wu replied quickly: “The document Xu Zhao sent passed through my hands. I made the mark. If there’s a need for accountability later, you can come to me.”

It made perfect sense.

But it wasn’t the answer Lu Jinzhi wanted.

He scrolled up and found the *Traditional Overbearing President Anti-Pitfall Guide* that had shaken him so much he didn’t finish reading it, nor did he open it again.

Without exception, a leaf was marked at the very end.

Lu Jinzhi suddenly realized that after returning to the country, he might need to visit the Repository again.

—

Lu Ning’s school had a monthly reading assignment, so while Lu Yingchi hadn’t returned yet to supervise her homework, she dragged Qiao Wu to the family’s Repository to pick out a few suitable books for her.

She had some self-awareness; if she picked the books herself, she might only understand fairy tales. Besides, bringing Qiao Wu along also showed her “determination” to improve.

“So this is what it’s like inside?” she asked curiously, looking around. “It’s bigger than my school’s library.”

The building had five floors with a hollow center. The first floor was furnished with a sofa and a desk, and a spiral staircase led up to each level, where small sofas were placed. The books were densely and neatly arranged on the walls.

Lu Ning looked up, suddenly feeling a deep reverence for knowledge.

Then, she gently leaned closer to Qiao Wu and sniffed.

Qiao Wu was amused by her action: “Are you a puppy?”

“It’s this scent on you!” Lu Ning exclaimed as if she had discovered a new continent.

She had always found the scholarly scent on Qiao Wu pleasant but had never been able to find a similar fragrance or even knew such a perfume existed.

Now she realized it was from here.

The scent of the Repository of Books was even stronger, mixed with a faint aroma left by the servants after cleaning.

But the scent on Qiao Wu was fresher and more comfortable.

Qiao Wu didn’t know she had a scent. She lowered her head to sniff but didn’t notice anything: “Perhaps? I used to like coming here.”

“You haven’t read all these books, have you?”

“No, many new books have been added.”

Because there were so many books, the servants would update the data on the computer here whenever new books arrived. But Qiao Wu remembered a few books suitable for Lu Ning, so she didn’t check the computer. Instead, she pushed the wooden ladder in the corner and walked to the bookshelf she had in mind.

The wooden ladder was heavy and stable. In the past, when she was too lazy to go to the sofa, she would sit directly on it to read. Even now, sitting on it didn’t feel dangerous or shaky.

Qiao Wu pulled out a book and handed it to Lu Ning: “This one.”

Lu Ning stood on her tiptoes to take it and saw the title: “Sophie’s World.”

Good, she could understand the title, so the content shouldn’t be too profound.

She flipped through it casually and found a bookmark inside. The handwriting on it was neat and beautiful, and the person who wrote it had even drawn a phoenix tree leaf.

This definitely wasn’t done by Lu Yingchi.

“Did you write this?” she asked.

Qiao Wu was looking for another book. Hearing this, she glanced down and was pleasantly surprised: “It’s still here.”

“I’m used to leaving some notes and personal insights when I read. If you find it distracting, you can give it back to me first.”

“No.”

Lu Ning hadn’t been able to find out from Lu Yingchi which calligraphy template Qiao Wu used or who her calligraphy teacher was, so she could only start from here.

She carefully placed the bookmark back: “I’ll read it along with the book.”

Although she glanced at it, she didn’t quite understand it.

But if these dull books had traces of Qiao Wu, they would probably be more interesting.

The books Qiao Wu had read, she was now reading too.

Would she end up thinking the same way as Qiao Wu!

Hmph, then she and Qiao Wu would have a soul connection, unlike that fool Lu Yingchi, who probably hadn’t even been to the Repository of Books, hahaha!

Lu Ning suddenly felt motivated: “Find me the books you’ve made notes in!”

Qiao Wu didn’t understand but went along with it: “Alright.”

Lu Ning continued flipping through the book to see how many bookmarks there were and found that the last one had not only Qiao Wu’s handwriting but also someone else’s.

What, who else in this family was so studious besides herself!

This handwriting… first, exclude Lu Yingchi, then exclude Lu Xuan.

She had seen Lu Xuan’s signature, and it was as ugly as a male escort’s.

Then…

Lu Ning suddenly widened her eyes: “Did Second Uncle write this?”

“Huh?” Qiao Wu was taken aback, “Let me see.”

Lu Ning handed her the other bookmark.

Qiao Wu looked down. The notes were more mature and forceful than she remembered, indicating that Lu Jinzhi had written them in the past decade or so.

There was only one sentence.

“Where will Sophie’s boat go?”

Sophie is the protagonist of this book, a fictional character created by a father to teach his daughter philosophy. In the open-ended conclusion of the book, Sophie, having gained self-awareness, unties the boat’s moorings, perhaps leaving the world of the book.

So, was he asking about a non-existent ending?

Qiao Wu looked at it for a few seconds, then suddenly descended from the ladder.

“Aren’t you going to look anymore?” Lu Ning followed closely behind her.

Then she saw Qiao Wu walk to the table, pick up a pen, and lean over to jot down her notes on Lu Jinzhi’s sticky note.

She asked in horror, “You dare to write that?”

Although Lu Jinzhi wasn’t in the country, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t return and see it.

Qiao Wu closed the pen cap and smiled, “Why wouldn’t I dare?”

“He dislikes others touching his things the most,” Lu Ning said, trembling with fear. “He’ll get angry, and he won’t care who you are.”

Qiao Wu thought for a moment, “He probably won’t.”

“Why?”

But this time, Qiao Wu didn’t answer. She put the pen down, took the book from Lu Ning’s arms, and carefully placed the sticky note inside, saying gently, “Keep it safe.”

Lu Ning, puzzled, took the book, but Qiao Wu had already returned to the ladder to select another book.

She looked down and opened the book, seeing the still-wet ink of the reply.

“It will cross the sea of freedom, to any place she wishes to go.”

Lu Ning secretly made up her mind.

She must finish reading this book! And figure out what these two were hinting at!

Sitting on the wooden ladder, Qiao Wu took out another book and opened it. Besides her sticky notes, there were some notes left by Lu Jinzhi, some she had seen, others unfamiliar.

So she wrote that sentence, even the current Lu Jinzhi probably wouldn’t be angry.

Because she was the only one in the world who would answer Lu Jinzhi.

Even though this answer was twelve years late.