Chapter 26: Second Update

Just as Lu Xuan was feeling elated, he suddenly realized something very important.

Lu Jinzhi had blocked him and still hadn’t removed him from the blacklist.

Damn it!

No wonder people called him a monkey.

As he pondered whether to send an email instead, he hesitated again.

Now, all his money came from Qiao Wu. If Lu Yingchi’s card was also frozen, Qiao Wu might end up making a deal with Lu Yingchi.

Lu Xuan cast a complex and peculiar glance at Lu Yingchi.

To be fair, Lu Yingchi wasn’t much to look at—a guy who could use hand soap as body wash from head to toe. He couldn’t compare to Lu Xuan himself—just a tall, brainless, immature blond guy.

But immature = young.

Brainless = easy to manipulate.

Tall = good height and physique.

Wasn’t this type of college guy quite popular these days?

If Qiao Wu really made a deal with him, what could Lu Yingchi possibly offer her?

After careful consideration, Lu Xuan reluctantly gave up this hard-earned opportunity. Lu Yingchi could spend money, but he absolutely couldn’t let Qiao Wu become Lu Yingchi’s financial backer!

In a corner where no one could see, Lu Xuan, who had secretly gotten excited and silently wrestled with his thoughts, reluctantly put his phone away.

After Lu Yingchi sent the message, Guo Liyan on the other end was instantly overwhelmed with joy. He hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly!

He didn’t have to go drinking in their circle or do uncomfortable things like before.

So he was genuinely grateful to Lu Yingchi, even if it might have just been a casual act of kindness.

He typed cautiously, “I’ll treat you to a meal. You can choose anywhere, and I won’t bring anyone else.”

Lu Yingchi quickly replied, “I don’t need your meal. If you want to thank someone, thank Qiao Wu.”

Then he sent a second message, “Actually, she doesn’t need your meal either. Just stay away from her.”

Guo Liyan: “…”

He stared blankly at the words on the screen.

So that housekeeper’s name was Qiao Wu. Was it she who spoke up for him?

Or was it she who drafted the list?

From the moment he first saw her, Guo Liyan hadn’t dared to imagine leaving any impression on her.

He looked at the name on his phone, pursed his lips tightly, parked the car, and entered his house.

His family was sitting at the dining table, and they frowned as soon as they saw him. “Why are you back now? Didn’t you have dinner with Lu Shao?”

Guo Liyan lowered his gaze. “No, Wang Ziming got drunk and caused a scene at the Lu Residence, so he was kicked out.”

Guo Yangzhou put down his chopsticks and said displeasedly, “So you got kicked out too?”

Guo’s mother quickly tried to smooth things over. “Liyan said it was because of someone else. It’s not his fault.”

“Not his fault? He doesn’t even pay attention to who he’s hanging out with! Wasting such a good opportunity to get into the Lu Family.” Guo Yangzhou didn’t care about his stepmother at all and snapped, “You’re defending him again. That’s why he’s so useless. Is this something to be proud of?”

Guo’s mother’s expression turned sour. “Yangzhou…”

“Completely useless.”

“Enough,” Father Guo finally spoke up after staying silent for a while. “Since you’ve offended them, don’t just stand there. Think of a way to apologize. What are you waiting for?”

 Guo Liyan walked into the dining room, first glancing at his mother, then at his father and brother, before saying, “Lu Yingchi said I can attend the dinner party.”

The entire table fell silent in an instant.

After a moment, it was Mother Guo who stood up in surprise, “What did you say?”

“He said I can go, he gave me this opportunity,” Guo Liyan repeated.

Father Guo’s expression immediately brightened, a smile spreading across his face, “Sit down and tell us, did he agree? Is it really that dinner party?”

Guo Liyan nodded, “The dinner to meet Lu Jinzhi.”

“Good, good, good!” Father Guo slapped the table, pointing at Guo Yangzhou, “You make sure to take out the best car from home, and hurry up with the formal wear. Time is running out!”

Guo Yangzhou picked up his chopsticks again, “Alright.”

The two of them, one singing and the other following, made Guo Liyan feel nauseous. He softly said, “Lu Yingchi said only I can go.”

Guo Yangzhou’s chopsticks fell onto the table, his voice gloomy, “What do you mean only you? What can you do there?”

“Probably because he invited me,” Guo Liyan calmly replied, “He only knows me, so he specifically said only I can go.”

“Are you doing this on purpose…”

“Enough!” Father Guo stopped his eldest son, after a few seconds of silence, his voice softened a bit, “Since it’s what Young Master Lu said, then Liyan will go. But you must remember not to make any mistakes.”

Guo Liyan nodded.

“Let your mother take you to buy some decent clothes, and you can drive that car when the time comes, don’t lose face,” Father Guo raised his chin, then had a servant bring him another set of utensils, “Didn’t you say you came back without eating? Eat now.”

Under Guo Yangzhou’s furious gaze, Guo Liyan picked up his chopsticks.

At that moment, a strange sense of pleasure suddenly rose from the soles of his feet.

So this is what it feels like to stand at the pinnacle of interest and manipulate others.

Did Qiao Wu consider all this when she was discussing this matter with Lu Yingchi?

He thought of the figure standing in front of the table looking back at him, his chest felt like boiling water, hard to calm down.

At the Lu Family’s side.

It was rare for them to sit so close for a meal. After hastily finishing his meal, Lu Yingchi pushed over a whiteboard, which he had bought specifically to teach Lu Ning how to do her homework.

Lu Ning was still eating her dessert, seeing this, she made a sound of disgust, “Can you not bring such appetite-ruining things to the dining room?”

Lu Yingchi: “Little mouth, please shut up.”

Lu Ning: “…”

Lu Xuan: “…Idiot.”

He stood up to leave but was pressed back down by Lu Yingchi, “Since everyone’s here, I have something important to say.”

Qiao Wu was somewhat interested, “What is it?”

“I have a plan, the first step is to establish some family rules,” Lu Yingchi banged on the whiteboard, “If you have any objections, you can bring them up, but I have the right to veto.”

Lu Xuan pushed his hand away, “Veto invalid, what kind of stupid thing is this?”

Lu Yingchi leaned down and whispered menacingly in his ear, “I call this plan the ‘Strive for Success’ plan, do you have any brilliant suggestions?”

What the hell is the Strive for Success plan.

What, it seems like you’re about to usher in your own era of ‘Striving for Success’?

But then again.

Lu Xuan sat back down, “Might as well listen.”

Hearing about the Strive for Success plan, Qiao Wu couldn’t help but want to laugh, but the serious expressions of the others made her hold back her laughter.

“First, everyone should set a small goal for themselves,” Lu Yingchi said.

“Lu Ning, you… just don’t be last in the final exams.”

Lu Ning angrily slammed the table, “Who do you think you’re looking down on?!”

“I’m giving you a way out, in case you don’t make it,” Lu Yingchi’s gaze drifted to Qiao Wu, “Do you know what the consequences would be?”

At this moment, Lu Ning surprisingly aligned her thoughts with Lu Yingchi’s, “But then again, knowledge isn’t something you can master in just a day or two.”

Goals shouldn’t be too ambitious; it would be embarrassing if they weren’t achieved!

The consequences would be unbearable.

The way these two were openly conspiring was too hard to ignore. Qiao Wu crossed her arms, “Am I that easy to fool?”

“Then…” Lu Yingchi hesitated for a moment, “Let’s change the goal. Lu Xuan, you…”

He pointed at Lu Xuan, “You go and win a Best Actor award at the film festival first.”

Lu Xuan: “…”

Such obvious favoritism, and you still say I’m not being excluded?!

He rolled his eyes, “Why don’t you just organize a film festival and hand out Best Actor awards yourself?”

Lu Yingchi was surprised, “Can you do that?”

Lu Xuan felt that wasting his time here was purely an impulsive decision made after overeating.

Perhaps realizing that his ideas were too extreme, Lu Yingchi had to lower his standards a bit, “Then Lu Ning, how about you just complete your homework every day, don’t skip classes, don’t cause trouble, and don’t get your parents called in? Is that okay?”

“I’m already doing that!” Lu Ning said proudly, “I’ve already achieved it!”

It’s you guys who are the problem!

Lu Yingchi was relieved; this should be easy to achieve.

“As for me, I’ll just follow Lu Ning’s example, don’t fail any subjects in the finals, and try to get a decent GPA.”

“Lu Xuan, besides Best Actor, what other awards are there in the entertainment industry?”

He really didn’t know.

Lu Xuan glanced at Qiao Wu, seeing that she was genuinely interested in this ridiculous plan, and had to speak up, “I’ll just follow the company’s plan, okay?”

The plan was set by Qiao Wu, so she shouldn’t have any objections.

Although Lu Yingchi didn’t understand, he knew that Qiao Wu had accompanied Lu Xuan to the company. Taking advantage of Qiao Wu not having second thoughts yet, he immediately finalized it, “Then it’s settled. Next is the family rules, I’ll go first!”

He had been setting this up for too long, so he vengefully wrote a name on the whiteboard and shouted, “From now on, Zhong Hejing is banned from entering our house!”

Lu Ning raised her hand, “I agree!”

Qiao Wu: “…”

How many childish people are there in this family?

“I veto that,” she said, “Zhong Hejing is my friend and a guest of the Lu Family this time. You can’t mix personal grudges into this.”

Once again feeling excluded, Lu Xuan clicked his tongue, “What personal grudges am I not aware of?”

Qiao Wu: “It’s fine if you don’t know.”

If Lu Xuan found out, Zhong Hejing would definitely be treated with hostility whenever she visited the Zhong Family in the future.

She really shouldn’t have expected these people to do anything serious. So she stood up and walked to the whiteboard, “Since this is a plan to strive for success, there should be no problem with me setting the family rules, right? After all, I’m the Housekeeper.”

Lu Yingchi cautiously asked, “Do I still have veto power?”

Qiao Wu smiled, “What do you think?”

“…”

Ignoring Lu Yingchi’s reaction, she took the pen from his hand, pulled out her phone, added everyone to a group, and then sent a file she had prepared earlier in the group chat.

“Except for Lu Ning, you two should thoroughly read and memorize these two documents. I can guarantee they will save you at least five years of detours.”

The three little school chickens looked down.

In the group chat, two documents were glaringly titled:

“Dog-Blood Rich Family Anti-Pitfalls Guide”

“How a Traditional Overbearing President is Cultivated”

“The second document is too pointed,” Lu Xuan said. “Are you sure you’re not insulting Lu Jinzhi?”

He pointed at Lu Ning: “Little school chicken.”

Then at Lu Yingchi: “Big dummy.”

And finally at himself: “Handsome guy, future superstar, the Face King of the entertainment industry.”

Then he spread his hands: “None of us have anything to do with being an Overbearing President.”

Lu Yingchi wished he could smash his soup bowl on Lu Xuan’s head: “If I ever organize a film festival, the first award for the King of Shamelessness will definitely go to you!”

Qiao Wu hadn’t expected to hold such a meeting today, so she hadn’t prepared in advance. She just casually sent them the documents she had prepared for Lu Jinzhi: “It’s just a difference in names. The contents are useful for you.”

“Besides, there are a few house rules specifically for you.”

She wrote a “1” on the whiteboard: “The Morning Alarm will be set according to your different wake-up times. No one is allowed to damage public facilities. If you have any objections to the Morning Alarm music, you’re welcome to provide new music material.”

This was exactly what Lu Xuan wanted. He planned to change Lu Yingchi’s scolding of Lu Jinzhi into his wake-up alarm.

“Second, in my collaboration with Lu Xuan, your artist image must be maintained. So before going to the company every day, you must do morning exercises. As for Lu Ning and Lu Yingchi, you can decide whether to go based on your physical needs.”

“Third, the mobile TV I placed in the dining room will play the news broadcast and the Legal Channel every day. Everyone must watch it. Common laws and regulations must be memorized, and notes must be taken. I will regularly check and assess you.”

“Fourth: Lu Ning is prohibited from drinking alcohol. Lu Xuan and Lu Yingchi, you can socialize normally, but drink in moderation. I will prepare an Alcohol Tester at home. If you need to drink heavily in specific situations, you must report it and have someone you trust with you. Drunkenness is prohibited at all other times.”

“Fifth: Given that everyone’s social circles are different, but staying out late will cause worry, so you must report in advance if you will be late. I will inform the security room. Under normal circumstances, the curfew at home is 11 PM. Staying out overnight is not allowed unless under special circumstances. If you come home after curfew, the door will not be opened.”

“Sixth, inappropriate behavior or speech towards any family member or household staff is prohibited, especially towards the Old Master. During the Old Master’s illness, you must visit him weekly, and each visit must last at least half an hour.”

“That’s it,” Qiao Wu tapped the whiteboard. “I hope you will supervise each other. There are rewards for reporting.”

Lu Ning asked, “What rewards?”

“Mystery prizes, varying from person to person,” Qiao Wu hadn’t actually thought it through yet. “We’ll talk about it later.”

Lu Ning immediately raised her hand: “Then I report that Lu Xuan just behaved inappropriately and personally attacked me!”

“How was it inappropriate?” Lu Xuan stared at her. “Can’t even handle the truth now?”

“He also threatened me!”

“Enough,” Qiao Wu didn’t have time to listen to their bickering. “If there are no objections, that’s it. I will organize these and send them to you. Rest early. Tomorrow, several brands will come to deliver clothes, so pick out what you like.”

The seasonal clothes had already been delivered, and at this time, the only clothes being sent were formal attire.

Lu Xuan had no desire to appear in the same frame as Lu Jinzhi, fearing he might actually attempt to assassinate him.

Therefore, he had no intention of attending the banquet: “What does Lu Jinzhi’s return banquet have to do with us?”

“Seventh,” Qiao Wu raised an eyebrow, “At any family gathering, no one is allowed to be absent without a valid reason.”

Everyone: “…”

–

According to the flight information Lu Jinzhi had sent, Qiao Wu arrived at the exclusive passage half an hour early to wait.

If she had some contact with the others over the past decade, with Lu Jinzhi, it was almost as if they were strangers. Honestly, she wasn’t sure how Lu Jinzhi had changed, especially since he hadn’t even responded to her messages in the past.

Lately, she often found herself thinking about the look Lu Jinzhi had given her in her dreams during her idle moments, which was completely different from the one in the meeting room that day.

So, what kind of look would he give her this time?

After pondering for a while without any clear answer, she simply stopped thinking about it.

To allow Lu Jinzhi time to adjust his jet lag after returning to the country, the banquet was scheduled for two days later. The details were being tweaked daily, and she needed to stay updated.

After an unknown period, she heard a ding from her phone—it was the alarm she had set.

Qiao Wu looked up just as the driver opened the car door.

She gathered her things, ready to get out, but as she looked up, she saw three people approaching the VIP lounge entrance and was momentarily stunned.

The man in the middle, flanked by two assistants in suits, one Chinese and one foreign, had an exceptionally cold and handsome demeanor. He wasn’t wearing a formal suit; instead, he had on a simple dark green shirt with the sleeves rolled up, the top two buttons undone, and a men’s jacquard scarf around his neck, fastened with a sapphire accessory.

Even though his expression wasn’t particularly cold, he still exuded a much more intimidating presence than the man in the videos.

Clearly, he didn’t give her time to get out of the car. His gaze swept over her without stopping, and he walked directly to the car.

Although Lu Xuan always called Lu Yingchi a big oaf, Lu Jinzhi was actually not shorter than Lu Yingchi; on the contrary, he had a more commanding presence.

He placed one hand on his wristwatch, lowered his eyes, and with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, said, “Not letting me in?”

Unlike the deep voices typical of overbearing presidents, Lu Jinzhi’s voice often had a rising intonation, which gave people the illusion that he was gentle and clean.

To make it easier to get out of the car, Qiao Wu had been sitting by the door. Now that Lu Jinzhi didn’t give her a chance to exit, she had to move aside to make room.

Lu Jinzhi put his hand down, glanced back at the two assistants, who then went to the luggage cart behind.

After Lu Jinzhi got into the car, the driver closed the door.

With the outside noise cut off, the silence inside the car suddenly felt somewhat deliberate.

Facing Lu Jinzhi, Qiao Wu couldn’t play too much of an emotional card, so she asked, “Do you want to rest first or talk about work?”

Lu Jinzhi sat in the seat Qiao Wu had previously occupied. Whether it was the inappropriate temperature of the car’s air conditioning or just his imagination, he felt as if her warmth and a faint familiar scent still lingered there.

There was no issue of not resting well; he had eaten and slept as usual on the plane, never letting himself suffer, so he was still quite energetic.

But he didn’t want to talk about anything.

He recalled the moment he walked out of the VIP lounge and saw the car door open. The woman inside looked up at him. Since she was seated, the first thing that caught his attention was her face. As critical as he was, even Lu Xuan’s pride in her appearance was nothing more than a pretty but foolish dog in his eyes. Yet, at that moment, he couldn’t find a single flaw in her features.

And his habitually observant eyes, even through the thin lenses of his glasses, were met with her serene yet gentle and resolute gaze.

For a brief moment, Lu Jinzhi seemed to catch a glimpse of a shadow from the past.

It was strange. Even he wasn’t the same Lu Jinzhi anymore, so why had someone remained completely unchanged?

Or perhaps… she had reverted.

He curved his lips slightly: “The third option.”

Qiao Wu glanced at him, seemingly puzzled: “The third?”

Lu Jinzhi hummed in acknowledgment: “For example, who were those messages of yours originally meant for?”

Qiao Wu: “…”

Was this still not over?!