Jiang Qiuyi placed the desserts down and walked straight ahead.

The receptionist watched her retreating figure, inexplicably sensing a hint of hostility.

She blinked and quickly shifted her gaze away.

After glancing at the paper bag on the desk, she was left somewhat confused.

She recognized the brand immediately—it was from a dessert shop in one of their malls. A small piece of mille-feuille cake from there cost hundreds of yuan, which was outrageously expensive.

She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should ask Jiang Qiuyi to take it back.

But before she could decide, a voice called out from the side.

“Miss Jiang.”

The receptionist lifted her gaze, noticing that the woman who had given her the desserts had stopped in her tracks.

Jiang Qiuyi hadn’t even reached the elevator yet when Xu Wanbai called out to her.

She paused, lifting her eyelids to glance at her.

Xu Wanbai didn’t know when she had spotted her, but now she was standing not far away, smiling brightly at her.

“I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

Jiang Qiuyi smiled faintly in response. “Are you surprised?”

Xu Wanbai nodded. “A little.”

Jiang Qiuyi continued to smile, speaking lightly. “I’m Lu Mingcheng’s wife. Isn’t it normal for me to be at our company?”

Xu Wanbai froze for a moment. Upon hearing the words “Lu Mingcheng’s wife,” the smile on her face stiffened slightly.

But soon, she regained her composure. “That’s not what I meant.”

She explained gently. “It’s just that everyone says the Lu family’s wife never comes to the company.”

Jiang Qiuyi listened and smiled lightly. “I see.”

She nodded, her expression calm. “I don’t come to the company often. I only come when I’m in a good mood.”

Xu Wanbai let out a dry laugh. “I see.”

Jiang Qiuyi responded with a faint “Mm,” her expression neutral. “But I need to correct something you said.”

Xu Wanbai looked at her. “Go ahead.”

Jiang Qiuyi lowered her gaze, smiling as she spoke. “It’s not that I never come to the company, it’s just that no one knows when I come.”

Xu Wanbai was a sharp person and quickly understood the underlying message.

She was declaring her territory.

Jiang Qiuyi could come to the company without anyone knowing and could directly take Lu Mingcheng’s exclusive elevator without encountering any of the employees downstairs.

Xu Wanbai bit her lip, speaking softly. “I must have misunderstood.”

Jiang Qiuyi nodded, not wanting to waste any more time with her.

“Do you still have something to discuss, Miss Xu?”

Xu Wanbai shook her head. “Sorry to take up your time.”

She explained in a gentle tone. “I just saw you standing here alone, talking to the receptionist. I was worried there might be some misunderstanding, so I came over to check.”

Jiang Qiuyi understood the subtle meaning behind her words and nodded inwardly.

“There’s no need for Miss Xu to worry,” she replied calmly. “I still have something to do, so I’ll be leaving now.”

Xu Wanbai gave a slight nod.

As she watched Jiang Qiuyi walk away, her fingers tightened around her bag strap, the veins on the back of her hand standing out.

This Jiang Qiuyi wasn’t as simple as she had imagined.

Liu Dong had just finished a call, and after hanging up, he smiled at Xu Wanbai. “Sorry to have kept you waiting, Miss Xu. There was something urgent, but I’ll take you out now.”

Xu Wanbai smiled. “I understand, of course. Mr. Lu’s assistant must be busy.”

As Liu Dong and she walked out, he chatted casually. “The main thing is, Assistant Xu isn’t here today. He’s got a lot on his plate, so we’re helping out a bit.”

Xu Wanbai paused, then unintentionally asked. “Assistant Xu is on a business trip?”

She hadn’t seen Xu Chen in Lu Mingcheng’s office either.

Xu Chen was Lu Mingcheng’s personal assistant, and his rank was slightly higher than Liu Dong’s.

“No.” Liu Dong replied without much thought. “The madam wants to rent a store, so Mr. Lu asked Assistant Xu to take her to view some locations.”

Xu Wanbai’s smile faltered as she caught the inconsistency. “Rent a store?”

She pursed her lips, curiosity piqued. “Isn’t Mingyu Plaza part of Lu’s Group? Why not just arrange a store for Mrs. Lu there?”

Liu Dong explained. “The location isn’t suitable.”

He paused before adding. “Of course, the ownership changes at Mingyu Plaza are a bit complicated, and Mrs. Lu needed something quickly.”

The smile on Xu Wanbai’s lips froze as she bit her lower lip, speaking softly. “The rent for stores is really expensive these days. Mr. Lu has resources of his own, but having his wife rent a store seems a bit inefficient.”

Liu Dong nodded. “Of course.”

He continued. “Mr. Lu has thought about that too.”

Xu Wanbai looked at him.

Liu Dong chuckled. “So, Mr. Lu isn’t planning to rent the store. He asked Assistant Xu to take Mrs. Lu to view some places, and they’ll just buy one outright.”

“…”

After seeing Xu Wanbai off, Liu Dong stood at the entrance of the lobby for a moment, deep in thought.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that Xu Wanbai had something else on her mind, though he might be overthinking it.

Liu Dong took off his dusty glasses, wiped them clean, and shook his head before heading back to his office.

When Jiang Qiuyi was led to Lu Mingcheng’s office by his assistant, he was on the phone.

The room was warm, and he had taken off his suit jacket, wearing only a dark-colored shirt. As he raised his arm to speak on the phone, the smooth lines of his muscles were evident.

Jiang Qiuyi took a quick glance and then turned her gaze away.

She sat down on the sofa, not rushing him.

After a short while, Lu Mingcheng hung up the phone.

He placed his phone on the desk and walked over to her. “What brings you here all of a sudden?”

Jiang Qiuyi had just managed to suppress her anger when she heard his words, and it reminded her of the encounter with Xu Wanbai earlier.

She leaned forward slightly, turned her head to look at Lu Mingcheng. “Can’t I come?”

Lu Mingcheng was silent for a moment.

He stared at her, then replied. “That’s not it.”

Jiang Qiuyi gave a soft “oh.”

Lu Mingcheng rubbed his forehead, his gaze softening as he looked at her. “Have you decided on the store?”

“Yes.”

He fell silent for a moment. “So, did you come here for something else?”

Jiang Qiuyi thought about what she needed to handle and, for the moment, softened her tone toward him.

“Yes.”

She looked at Lu Mingcheng. “Do you know a company called Xinze?”

“…”

Lu Mingcheng paused for a moment and picked up the tablet on the desk. “What does it do?”

Jiang Qiuyi blinked. “I’m not really sure either.”

The couple exchanged a glance.

Lu Mingcheng who rarely smiles, spoke softly. “Then, what do you want to do?”

Jiang Qiuyi hesitated for a moment, her voice lacking confidence. “I want to change its name.”

Lu Mingcheng gave her a glance before searching for the company she mentioned.

Xinze was a small internet technology company with a registered capital of only one million.

He scanned the details and asked softly. “This one?”

Jiang Qiuyi nodded. “Mm, are you interested in acquiring it under Lu’s Group?”

Lu Mingcheng replied. “No.”

This insignificant little company was beneath Lu’s Group.

Jiang Qiuyi: “…”

She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.

Lu Mingcheng put the tablet down and looked at her. “Why do you want to change its name?”

Jiang Qiuyi didn’t hide it, simply mentioning Lin Shanshan’s situation.

Lu Mingcheng understood.

“Are you trying to help your friend?”

Jiang Qiuyi nodded. “Mm, but if you’re not interested, never mind. I’ll think of another way.”

Lu Mingcheng didn’t respond.

Jiang Qiuyi shifted the topic. “Can I borrow a lawyer?”

“I’ll have Yan Xu introduce one to you.” Lu Mingcheng said. “Our company doesn’t have any lawyers specialized in divorce cases.”

“…”

For some reason, Jiang Qiuyi felt that his statement was a bit too deliberate.

But as she looked at Lu Mingcheng’s expression, she couldn’t detect anything unusual.

She remained quiet for a moment and then softly said. “I’ll be going now. Don’t forget to tell Yan Xu.”

Lu Mingcheng stood up. “Mm.”

He walked her to the door and casually asked. “Heading home?”

Jiang Qiuyi shook her head. “No.”

Lu Mingcheng gave her a suspicious look.

Jiang Qiuyi smiled and, in a good mood said. “I’m going shopping.”

She didn’t ask Lu Mingcheng about Xu Wanbai, but that didn’t mean she had forgotten.

The frustration she’d been holding back from Xu Wanbai needed to be addressed, and she intended to let Lu Mingcheng deal with it in another way.

Lu Mingcheng: “…”

After sending Jiang Qiuyi into the elevator, Lu Mingcheng turned and headed back to his office.

As he passed by the assistant’s office, Lu Mingcheng casually glanced inside and squinted slightly.

When Liu Dong saw him, he greeted him. “President Lu.”

Lu Mingcheng acknowledged with a nod and asked. “Has she left?”

He was referring to Xu Wanbai.

At the dinner last time, Xu Wanbai had arranged a meeting with Xu Chen for an in-depth discussion, which was scheduled for this afternoon.

Liu Dong replied. “She already left.”

Lu Mingcheng nodded.

Just as he was about to leave, Liu Dong smiled and asked. “President Lu, did Madam leave?”

“Mm.” Lu Mingcheng glanced at him. “Why?”

Liu Dong replied, “Nothing.”

He smiled and added. “I just wanted to thank Madam for bringing over the afternoon tea. It tasted really good.”

“……”

Lu Mingcheng lowered his gaze and stared at the several neatly arranged bags in the distance for a moment. “Did Madam have these sent over?”

“Yeah.” Liu Dong was momentarily surprised. “Didn’t Madam tell you?”

Lu Mingcheng: “……”

After Lu Mingcheng left, Liu Dong stood still, momentarily confused.

Just then, another assistant came in and quietly asked. “Did President Lu come by for something important? Why does he look so upset?”

Liu Dong: “Nothing.”

The assistant glanced at the items on his desk. “Who sent these over?”

She had just been in the restroom.

“Madam.”

The female assistant froze for a moment, blinking in surprise. “Huh?”

She was surprised. “But when I met Madam, she didn’t have anything in her hands.”

After getting off the elevator, she had led Jiang Qiuyi to Lu Mingcheng’s office.

Liu Dong was confused, trying to process the situation. “The store staff delivered it, but they didn’t go to President Lu’s office. Are you saying Madam didn’t bring it to him either?”

The female assistant: “I didn’t see her…”

The two of them exchanged looks, suddenly realizing the reason behind Lu Mingcheng’s unpleasant expression.

The desserts Jiang Qiuyi had sent were exactly two servings of pastries and one cup of coffee per assistant.

Not a single serving for Lu Mingcheng.

After leaving the Lu Group, Jiang Qiuyi sneezed unexpectedly.

She rubbed her nose, opened WeChat, and sent a message to Lu Mingcheng.

Jiang Qiuyi: [I ordered afternoon tea for your assistants. Did it arrive?]

Lu Mingcheng: [Mm.]

Jiang Qiuyi: [I hope this doesn’t break any rules, right?]

Lu Mingcheng: [It doesn’t.]

Jiang Qiuyi: [That’s good.]

Lu Mingcheng read the message and rubbed his brow, feeling a headache coming on.

Women’s minds were too difficult to read.

Not long after, Lu Mingcheng’s phone buzzed again.

He glanced at it. His wife, Jiang Qiuyi, was out shopping.

Jiang Qiuyi didn’t have anything in particular to buy, but if she didn’t spend a little money, she wouldn’t be happy.

She wandered around Mingyu Plaza for a while, casually buying a few bags.

The next few days, Jiang Qiuyi was very busy.

Yan Xu had introduced her to a lawyer who specialized in divorce cases. Jiang Qiuyi took Lin Shanshan there and had a few meetings with the lawyer.

Without having to worry about money, the lawsuit became unexpectedly easy to handle.

After organizing all the materials, Lin Shanshan took the initiative to file a lawsuit against Zuo Peng.

She wanted to file for divorce but didn’t intend to escalate the matter unnecessarily.

After filing, there would be a waiting period for the review.

Jiang Qiuyi reassured Lin Shanshan to be patient and not rush.

Previously, Zuo Peng had tried to bully her, pressuring her into a divorce, thinking she had no money, no power, and couldn’t find anyone to help her.

But now, things were different.

Jiang Qiuyi was no longer worried about having too little money to spend.

Oh, to be precise, she was worried about having nowhere to spend Lu Mingcheng’s money.

Before the review results were out, Jiang Qiuyi was dragged to Paris by Li Miao.

The two women took a private jet, comfortably sleeping until they reached their destination, enjoying a vacation-like shopping spree in Paris.

After a few days, they returned home with plenty of shopping bags.

When Jiang Qiuyi landed, she was surprised to see a message from Lu Mingcheng.

Lu Mingcheng: “I’m at the airport. Let me know when you land.”

Jiang Qiuyi: “?”

Not long after, the couple met.

Huo Xun came to pick up Li Miao, and after exchanging greetings, they each went their separate ways.

Once in the car, Jiang Qiuyi looked at the man beside her, who was reading through some documents, and after thinking for a moment, she asked. “How come you’re at the airport?”

Lu Mingcheng: “I had a business trip a few days ago, and I’m returning today.”

Jiang Qiuyi understood.

He didn’t specifically come to pick her up, it was just a coincidence.

She responded with a soft “Hmm,” about to change the subject when Lu Mingcheng handed her an envelope.

Jiang Qiuyi was momentarily stunned as she looked at him and asked. “What’s this?”

“Open it and see.”

Jiang Qiuyi hesitated for a moment before opening the envelope. Upon seeing the contents, she froze for a second. “A purchase contract for the store?”

Lu Mingcheng nodded.

“….” Jiang Qiuyi responded with a casual “Oh,” then asked. “Why are you giving this to me?”

Lu Mingcheng pointed at the property certificate. “Open it.”

Jiang Qiuyi flipped it open, and when she saw the name on the certificate, she paused for a moment.

“You… why is my name on it?”

Lu Mingcheng chuckled as he listened to her. “If I’m buying it for you, whose name would I put on it?”

Jiang Qiuyi pursed her lips, looking at him. “You’re buying it for me?”

Lu Mingcheng responded softly, “Yes, the ownership of this store is yours. With no rent pressure, it will be easier for you to run the business.”

=^_^=

Author has something to say:

Lu Mingcheng: Now I can finally enjoy the desserts my wife buys, right?

Qiuyi: …Not necessarily.

Lu Mingcheng: sighs