Chapter 25: Show You the Monkey

Everyone present held their breath, and those who had drunk too much instantly sobered up halfway. Who knew if the next person pinned to the table would be them?

Moreover, the only one who had the final say here was Lu Yingchi, but now Lu Yingchi had stepped back with a bottle of wine in his arms, clearly indicating he had no intention of intervening.

Yet, there was still someone who lacked the ability to read the room.

“Lu Yingchi! I was wrong, please tell your housekeeper to let me go!”

Little did he expect that Lu Yingchi would simply sit down on the sofa with the wine, cross his legs, and completely ignore his plea.

Seeing this, the others took another step back.

Wang Ziming’s heart sank at the sight. From his angle, he could only see Qiao Wu’s chin. He strained his eyes to catch a glimpse of Qiao Wu’s expression, but it was in vain.

“Little Qiao Butler! Miss Qiao, I really didn’t know you didn’t do these things. It’s my fault, my fault.”

Qiao Wu had someone cover his mouth.

“That’s why I don’t like hearing apologies. If you’re wrong, you’re wrong, and you should bear the consequences yourself. Trying to get forgiveness with a couple of apologies is utterly foolish. You and I are not in a relationship where forgiveness can be given so casually.”

She smiled and said, “Tell me, which one do you want to eat?”

Wang Ziming was practically ready to prostrate himself before her, but his legs were so weak he didn’t even know how he ended up sprawled on the table, as his lower body had almost lost all sensation.

Eat what fruit? He never intended to eat any fruit!

“I, I won’t eat!”

“A million dollars, and you just decide not to eat?”

Wang Ziming’s voice trembled, “I didn’t mean to eat fruit.”

“Then what did you want to do?”

It was something everyone knew, but even these young masters had never explicitly said it out loud. Yet, at this moment, being interrogated by Qiao Wu, he found it hard to speak, especially under such circumstances.

But it was clear that Qiao Wu wouldn’t let it go without an answer. Wang Ziming had no choice but to close his eyes and squeeze out a few words through his teeth, “I wanted to flirt with you.”

Everyone’s breathing almost stopped. Not just Wang Ziming, but the others who had come with him felt as if they had been slapped in the face, their cheeks burning with shame.

Including Lu Yingchi, who now genuinely wanted to crack Wang Ziming’s skull open.

But he was also afraid that his face might end up pixelated, with Qiao Wu visiting him in prison.

So he tensed up, holding back again and again.

Having said it, Wang Ziming threw all caution to the wind, “I’m sorry, I was blind to Mount Tai! Please let me go, I won’t dare again!”

“Mount Tai?” Qiao Wu said indifferently, “If it weren’t Mount Tai, then you could flirt with anyone? What, are my servants not human? If I hadn’t come, what would you have done to him? If it weren’t him today, what would you have done to that person? Could it be solved with fifty thousand or a hundred thousand?”

Xiao Lin, standing beside Qiao Wu, was taken aback, not expecting the conversation to circle back to him.

He couldn’t help but look at Qiao Wu, but she seemed to be talking about something as ordinary as could be.

Wang Ziming had always treated others this way, but he never expected someone to dig so deep.

But at this point, he could only apologize to the man from earlier, “You’re right, I shouldn’t have!”

Qiao Wu never expected such people to repent, but her place wasn’t a reformatory either. So, she instructed the security guards to release Wang Ziming: “Take him to the police station and report him for creating disturbances.”

Wang Ziming, who had just been released and hadn’t even stood up yet, collapsed back onto the ground: “Wh-what?”

If his father found out that he had caused such a big mess at the Lu Residence and was being sent to the police station from there, he would be finished.

“No!” he said in terror, “I’ll give you money, I’ll apologize to you, just don’t take me to the police station!”

“I don’t engage in such loss-making deals, nor do I like bargaining,” Qiao Wu tapped the blade of her saber, “Talk less, understand?”

Seeing that Wang Ziming was unwilling to walk on his own, the security guards very adeptly hoisted him up.

“Wait a moment,” Qiao Wu picked up the card, “Since the fruits have already been cut, Young Master Wang should swipe the card before leaving, including the damages for the broken wine glasses and table decorations, as well as Xiao Lin’s fifty thousand.”

Xiao Lin, who had just received fifty thousand out of the blue: “!!!”

Wang Ziming, who had been humiliated, threatened, sent to the police station, and now had to pay over a million: “…”

“Pack up the remaining fruits for Young Master Wang to take with him,” Qiao Wu smiled, “After all, they’re worth a hundred thousand.”

Then she glanced at the others who were still in shock: “Sorry for the poor hospitality.”

Anyone with a bit of sense knew she was giving them the boot, and they all hurriedly bowed to her and then to Lu Yingchi before making their exit.

Lu Ning popped out from behind Guo Liyan: “Take your things with you!”

Some of the gifts were still piled up in the main residence, while others had just been taken to the Repository of Books.

The remaining security guards immediately turned back to retrieve them.

Guo Liyan, who had been let down by a bunch of incompetent companions, now felt like killing someone.

But he also didn’t have the face to ask to stay or to bring up the invitation letter issue. With a forced smile, he followed to the Repository of Books to retrieve the doll he had bought, saying softly, “Sorry for the trouble.”

Actually, Lu Ning didn’t think this person had done anything wrong. After all, he had come to play with her, and when he explained problems to her, he wasn’t as harsh as Lu Yingchi, and his attitude was quite decent.

But she didn’t want to leave any loose ends, so as long as they came with those people, she didn’t want to keep anything.

She stuffed all the dolls into Guo Liyan’s arms and said with the wisdom of a child, “Be careful when choosing friends.”

Guo Liyan smiled bitterly: “Yeah.”

He thought about it and felt very unwilling, so before leaving, he returned to the wine cellar with a pile of dolls.

At this point, only Lu Yingchi and Qiao Wu remained in the large living room.

Seeing him return, neither of them spoke.

Guo Liyan stood at the door without entering and said shamelessly, “Sorry, if there’s a chance, I’ll make it up to you next time, but Wang Ziming’s actions really have nothing to do with me.”

A group of people who couldn’t be considered true friends had come together for the same purpose, but there were all sorts of shady characters, and he had no choice.

Although Lu Yingchi was displeased with everyone, at least Guo Liyan really hadn’t done anything. He said in a low voice, “Get lost.”

Guo Liyan nodded, glanced at Qiao Wu who was still standing by the table, and his lips moved slightly but he didn’t know what to say.

“Goodbye,” he said softly.

Qiao Wu nodded gently.

After everyone had left, Lu Ning quietly slipped in through the door and leaned over the table, carefully examining the saber firmly embedded in the surface. She didn’t know what to marvel at first, so she settled on the obvious: “You just slashed three hundred thousand with one strike.”

This table cost three hundred thousand.

Her classmates back in school could only save a few bucks with their “Pinduoduo slashes.”

“Didn’t Wang Ziming compensate for it?” Qiao Wu glanced at Lu Yingchi, who was still clutching a wine bottle in silence, as if his world had collapsed.

So she took a clean glass, poured some wine into it, and pushed it toward Lu Yingchi. “Do you have something to say?”

The sofa was large and soft, and Lu Yingchi, a big guy, sank deeply into it. He stared at the liquid swaying in the glass and suddenly said, “Am I pretty useless?”

Lu Ning instinctively wanted to chime in, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she sensed the atmosphere and changed her words. “You’re decent at solving problems. Your leg didn’t break for nothing.”

In the past, Lu Yingchi might have retorted, but today he wasn’t in the mood.

Because he realized he hadn’t done anything well.

The college admission he was so proud of? It came at the cost of breaking his leg.

From the incident on the yacht, to going to the Zero Loop Line, and even today, when he repeatedly confirmed bringing people back, it still ended in chaos.

Qiao Wu said they were disappointing, and she wasn’t wrong. He couldn’t even tell who around him was trustworthy. Aside from going to school and coming back on time every day, he was utterly useless. He could only use that to ask Qiao Wu to stay.

If it weren’t for Qiao Wu, if it were someone else, would he have ended up being one of those taken to the police station?

He let go, and the wine bottle in his arms rolled to the ground with a dull thud.

Lu Ning had never seen Lu Yingchi like this—shattered, like the shards of glass on the floor.

What’s going on? He wasn’t the one who caused the trouble. Why was he so upset?

In the past, she might have ignored it, but Lu Yingchi had been helping her with her problems lately, and he even bought her a doll when he brought friends over. So she awkwardly picked up the wine bottle and hugged it, racking her brain. “Actually, you’re pretty good at cracking walnuts. Each piece is distinct.”

Why did it feel like after she complimented him, Lu Yingchi seemed even more shattered?

Lu Ning looked to Qiao Wu for help.

Qiao Wu probably knew what Lu Yingchi was thinking. Years of ingrained habits made it hard for him to shift his perspective, which was why he felt so helpless now.

She sat down beside Lu Yingchi and asked softly, “Why are you taking their mistakes on yourself?”

“I brought them here.”

“So if they go out and commit murder or arson in the future, will you still think that way? That because you knew them, you should’ve stopped them?”

“…I’m just useless, not brainless.”

“What’s the difference? It’s a matter of degree.”

Lu Yingchi looked lost.

Qiao Wu said gently, “The people around you don’t define who you are. The fact that you’re thinking this way shows you’re not useless. Once you see clearly, just distance yourself.”

“What if I still can’t tell in the future?”

“Would you go along with them?”

Lu Yingchi shook his head.

“Would you try to stop them?”

Lu Yingchi hesitated, then slowly nodded.

Qiao Wu smiled at him: “How could it be unclear? Even if you go out on the street and pick someone at random, you wouldn’t be able to tell if they’re good or bad. Don’t burden yourself with worries ahead of time.”

Yet, despite this, Lu Yingchi’s mood didn’t improve.

Lu Ning still knew to study hard and read books, and now Lu Xuan went to the company for classes every day, but he himself didn’t know what he should do.

“Should I go to the company?”

“Do you want to?”

“I don’t know.” Lu Yingchi was reluctant to admit it, but he still said, “Lu Jinzhi was already managing a project on his own when he was 18.”

“He is him, and you are you,” Qiao Wu said. “If this is what you want to do, you can try talking to your dad and your brother. They won’t refuse you.”

“But if this isn’t what you want to do, just put it aside until you find what you truly want to do,” she continued. “There are many people at your school just like you. Are they useless too? The time you spend studying is just a process of finding yourself. If you gain something from it, even if it’s just making a worthwhile friend, then it’s not a waste of time.”

Lu Yingchi: “How is that the same?”

“Why isn’t it? You were born into this family, and that’s your foundation. As long as you don’t let your family down, you can do anything.”

The rest of the conversation was a bit hazy for Lu Ning, but she understood the last sentence.

Because Qiao Wu had told her the same thing at school.

“It means you can legitimately take advantage of your status and be a carefree rich kid for now,” Lu Ning explained.

She rested her chin on the wine bottle and thought for a moment: “Lu Yingchi, if you really don’t know what to do, why not be my tutor? When I grow up, get into university, and start earning money, it’ll be a good deed for you. How about I give you a commendation banner every semester? By then, you’ll look back and see your glorious achievements!”

Lu Yingchi flicked her on the back of her head: “Can you just get lost?”

Lu Ning glared at him: “Ungrateful!”

“Lu Yingchi.”

Lu Yingchi hummed in response and turned to look at the person beside him.

Qiao Wu had poured herself a glass of wine at some point. She raised it, gently clinked it against the untouched glass on the table, and then downed it in one go.

“Being yourself is also a difficult thing,” she said seriously. “So, if you can be yourself, that’s already impressive.”

The weight that had been pressing on Lu Yingchi’s heart suddenly lifted, jolting him awake from his daze.

He moved his numb body, leaned over, and picked up the wine glass from the table: “Got it.”

“Shall we eat? Lu Xuan should be back soon.”

The two of them stood up from the couch, and seeing Lu Ning still holding the wine, Lu Yingchi frowned: “Are you trying to learn how to drink?”

Caught, Lu Ning blinked.

She thought Qiao Wu looked so cool drinking!

“Shouldn’t we celebrate a bit during dinner?” she deflected.

“Celebrate what?”

“Celebrate you growing up.”

Lu Yingchi took a deep breath and grabbed her little braid: “Have I been too nice to you today? Put it back!”

Originally, today’s meal was planned to be in the dining room, so a lot of dishes were prepared. Now that everyone has left, no one feels like moving, so they simply sit around the same large round table.

Unlike the past where everyone ate separately, at first glance, it really feels like a family meal.

During the meal, Lu Yingchi’s phone rang. He glanced at it and saw a message from Guo Liyan.

Today, he felt like blocking everyone he saw, but Guo Liyan asked him to convey an apology to Qiao Wu.

Lu Yingchi didn’t understand: “He was standing right in front of you, why ask me to convey it?”

And he even sent a separate message about it.

Qiao Wu couldn’t read minds, so naturally, she didn’t know what these people were thinking: “Tell him I got it.”

“Then help me convey a message too,” Lu Ning leaned over to look at his phone, “Tell him thank you for helping me with my homework and reading with me today.”

Lu Xuan sat at the outermost edge, next to Lu Ning, and watched as Lu Ning moved her chair away from him and closer to Lu Yingchi. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

He had noticed a long time ago that, for some reason, Lu Yingchi and Lu Ning were getting closer. They used to argue after just a few words, but now they even share a social circle?

They leave together in the morning and eat together at night. At what point was he not there?

Of course, he didn’t mean to get closer to Lu Ning or Lu Yingchi, but he just felt inexplicably excluded.

He, Lu Xuan, the future star.

Being excluded?

What a huge joke!

Lu Xuan drank his soup, the spoon clinking crisply against the bowl, clang, clang, clang!

But no one paid him any attention.

Lu Yingchi pushed Lu Ning’s head away, his face sour: “Why haven’t I heard you say thank you to me?”

Lu Xuan couldn’t hold back anymore and forcibly inserted himself into the conversation: “Haven’t you heard enough?”

Every morning, Lu Ning’s voice in the Morning Alarm was almost becoming his Heart Demon.

Lu Yingchi thought about it and decided to let it go. He casually replied to Guo Liyan with a few messages.

Qiao Wu didn’t know what had happened later in the library and casually asked: “Did that person go to play with you?”

“Yeah,” Lu Ning nodded, “Lu Yingchi doesn’t like reading, but that person does, and he even recommended a few books to me.”

If it were the old Lu Yingchi, he might have hesitated, but now he had changed.

He was Niohuru Lu Yingchi!

“Don’t just sing praises for someone who gives you a piece of candy. You might get scammed without even knowing it,” he poured cold water on her enthusiasm.

“Yeah, yeah,” Lu Ning sneered, “You’re so clear-headed. You turned and ran when you heard the alarm, but that person at least knew to take me to find security first.”

Lu Yingchi: “…”

“And I didn’t accept his gift,” Lu Ning felt she was very cautious because she never made friends, so no one could hurt her.

“He even invited us to eat out,” Lu Yingchi said, looking at his phone, “Is he crazy? Does he think I have amnesia?”

Now he had a brain: “These people said they came to play with me, to see the golf course, but they got bored after just a few minutes of playing and started causing trouble. They must have some ulterior motives. I’m not falling for it, let him play by himself.”

Truly a young master who has walked out of the ivory tower, unaware of the hardships of the world.

Qiao Wu ate her food leisurely and softly said: “He probably has something to say to you, otherwise he wouldn’t keep trying. Let him speak directly. With your brain, you might not understand.”

Lu Yingchi almost crushed his phone!

“I can understand!”

Although he said that, considering Lu Ning, he still sent a voice message, sounding arrogant: “If you have something to say, just say it. I don’t have time to beat around the bush with you.”

Guo Liyan didn’t expect Lu Yingchi to be so direct, but now he felt too embarrassed to speak his mind directly.

After some thought, he called back to show his sincerity: “I genuinely want to invite you all out for a meal to apologize. If you think it’s possible, could you give me an invitation to your family’s upcoming banquet?”

Damn it!

“Don’t even think about it!” Lu Yingchi slammed the phone down. “I knew he had an ulterior motive! The guest list for the banquet has already been finalized, what does it have to do with me?”

Still feeling unsatisfied, he cursed: “Which zoo did Lu Jinzhi escape from? So many people want to see him.”

Lu Xuan touched the phone on the table, regretting not recording that sentence.

Otherwise, there would be one more person whose card got suspended along with him.

Qiao Wu wasn’t surprised. She explained: “The invitations sent out in the name of the Lu Family are indeed finalized, but those in your name haven’t been yet. If you have friends who want to come, you can let me know. It’s just a private gathering, friends are certainly welcome, but only your friends can come, no one else.”

“What kind of riffraff are those people? What could they possibly do here?” For once, Lu Yingchi had some self-awareness.

Qiao Wu chuckled: “That’s hard to say.”

Lu Yingchi felt something was off: “You don’t dislike Guo Liyan?”

“His name is Guo Liyan?” Qiao Wu nodded. “Why should I dislike him?”

Lu Yingchi: “His intentions are too obvious.”

“Fourth Young Master,” Qiao Wu propped her chin on her hand and turned to him, her eyes teasing, “You were born in Rome, so naturally you don’t know how far some people have to go to reach Rome. He may have ulterior motives in approaching you, but if you also get what you want, why can’t such an approach be allowed? It’s just like how Hu Zhuo and the others provided you with emotional value in the past, so you were willing to spend money on them.”

If she remembered correctly, earlier when she turned back to stop Lu Yingchi from charging forward with a wine bottle to hit someone, she saw Guo Liyan standing at the door, shielding Lu Ning behind him.

From start to finish, he hadn’t said anything out of line, not even daring to speak when he left.

“Even in business partnerships, there’s an emphasis on mutual benefit and exchange. Why can’t life be the same?” Qiao Wu said. “If he’s using legitimate means to strive for what he wants, that’s his own effort and his own methods. I don’t dislike such people. Whether others accept it or not is another matter.”

The current Lu Yingchi didn’t yet have anything he needed to curry favor with others to obtain.

Wait, there was one.

He looked at Qiao Wu and suddenly understood.

In order to keep Qiao Wu from jumping ship and to get her to pay a bit more attention to him, he was willing to listen to her. Even if he didn’t get along with Lu Ning, he would still help her with her homework. Was this his strategy?

“If you feel happy, then it’s not a bad idea to give the other person a little reward,” Qiao Wu said.

Lu Yingchi’s thoughts began to wander, and he started to apply this to himself.

She was happy, so she would chat with him and drink with him.

Qiao Wu: “If you don’t like it, then it just means they didn’t meet your expectations. Just reject them.”

Lu Yingchi reflexively responded, “No! You can’t reject them!”

“?” Qiao Wu raised an eyebrow. “What does that have to do with me?”

“I mean…” Lu Yingchi snapped back to reality. “Well, you’re right. I should give them a little reward.”

Otherwise, what if you reject me next time!

Lu Yingchi put himself in the other person’s shoes and suddenly felt a deep sense of empathy for Guo Liyan.

After all, Lu Ning was happy today. Guo Liyan had accurately matched his needs and preferences, providing him with options he liked in the wine cellar. He had a keen eye.

Qiao Wu stopped her advice here.

For others, these things might not even need to be pointed out, but Lu Yingchi and his friends were a bit single-minded. Having stayed in their sheltered environment for too long, they didn’t know how treacherous the world could be. In the future, they might develop their own unique way of making friends, which could be a bit challenging.

As for whether he would continue to befriend that Guo Liyan, that wasn’t within her consideration.

“But it’s limited to you,” she said. “You only know this person, not their family or social circle. So, apart from specific individuals, don’t give them any extra privileges. As for how they handle this opportunity, that’s their own business.”

Lu Yingchi: “Oh, then I’ll give him a little reward.”

He blocked everyone except Guo Liyan and then sent him a voice message.

“I won’t be joining for dinner. You can come if you want, but only you alone,” he snorted. “It’s just Lu Jinzhi. I’ll give you a chance to see the Monkey.”

Qiao Wu: “…”

Lu Xuan: “!”

Got it recorded!

Ahahahaha!