Chapter 32: Second Update

The woman before them spoke in a voice that was not particularly loud, even carrying a hint of gentleness.

Yet, the words she uttered struck everyone’s ears with a sharp sting.

Wasn’t she clearly scolding Qin Tianrui for not knowing his priorities?

The young masters and misses who had come with Qin Tianrui were so intimidated by the situation that they couldn’t find their voices for a long time.

For a moment, they couldn’t tell who had the upper hand in terms of presence—Qin Tianrui or this housekeeper. This was Qin Tianrui, after all, not some random nobody. Normally, he could swagger around wherever he went, but now he was being lectured by a housekeeper?

Not only were they stunned, but even Qin Tianrui himself was left speechless with anger.

His family also had a housekeeper, but the housekeeper would address him as “Young Master” at every turn, fearing that he might be dissatisfied and kick them out of the house. So, what gave this woman the right to act this way?!

Originally, he had even considered getting to know her, but now her calm and indifferent demeanor had left him feeling humiliated.

A surge of inexplicable anger rose from the depths of his heart, and he blurted out in frustration, “You…”

Before he could finish, a deep male voice interrupted him from behind, “Qin Tianrui.”

The tense Qin Tianrui nearly bit his tongue, swallowing the rest of his words.

Steady footsteps approached from behind, and Qiao Wu was slightly surprised to see the newcomers.

Because, apart from the person she had specifically called for, there were a few others.

“So, you’re here,” Zhong Hejing said as if she didn’t notice the tense atmosphere, naturally walking over to her. “I was going to say hello, but I couldn’t find you after searching around.”

Qiao Wu joked, “I was behind the scenes.”

Zhong Min, who was following Zhong Hejing, glanced around and also greeted, “Miss Qiao.”

The younger generation watched in surprise as the Zhong siblings casually interacted with this woman.

Even though the Zhong family had fallen from their former glory, Zhong Hejing had been a prominent figure when she was in good health, so many people still gave her face.

But this woman was just a housekeeper. Why did the Zhong siblings go out of their way to greet her?

Qiao Wu nodded at Zhong Min, then turned her gaze to another tall man in a black suit. “President Qin.”

The man’s sharp eyes swept over everyone present, and the younger generation instinctively lowered their heads, not daring to utter another word.

Qin Tianrui reluctantly muttered, “Brother.”

The man ignored him, his gaze fixed on the unfamiliar woman before him. “You sent me the message?”

Very few people knew his private number, so when he received a message from an unknown number earlier, he had been skeptical. That was until he entered the banquet hall and saw a group of people standing on the second floor.

In the message, this woman had introduced herself as the housekeeper of the Lu family.

“Qiao Wu?” Qin Lian read out the name she had left in the message.

Qiao Wu replied, “That’s me.”

In the information she had obtained, the private contact details of some key figures were included, and Qiao Wu had long since saved these numbers.

As the saying goes, one doesn’t understand the cost of running a household until they take charge. Qin Tianrui, a spoiled and pampered worthless son of a rich family, had always stood high, believing that power and money were everything. But he didn’t realize that in their circle, proper social etiquette and maintaining appearances were equally important.

But it didn’t matter. What Qin Tianrui didn’t know, someone else did, and that person would surely keep him in check.

 So, before Qiao Wu came to this tea house, she had already sent a message to Qin Lian. As the current head of the Qin family, Qin Lian naturally knew whether his younger brother’s actions were right or wrong. No matter how high and mighty he usually was, at this moment, he had to lower his head for the sake of his family’s dignity.

The fact that Qin Lian didn’t immediately defend his brother upon arrival indicated that Qiao Wu’s prediction was correct.

She smiled and said, “The banquet hasn’t even started yet, but President Qin’s younger brother seems a bit drunk.”

Having been in the business world for so many years, Qin Lian naturally didn’t miss the glance Qiao Wu inadvertently gave him as he walked upstairs.

The so-called “main guest” remark wasn’t just directed at Qin Tianrui; it was also meant for him.

He and Zhong Hejing had known each other since childhood, and they had exchanged a few words when they met at the entrance before walking into the banquet hall together.

When he saw the situation on the second floor, he heard Zhong Hejing call out Qiao Wu’s name.

He asked at the time, “Do you know her?”

Qin Lian knew the former old butler of the Lu Family, who was quite elderly.

But within his expectations, no matter how many times they changed butlers, it wouldn’t be someone young who looked more like a young miss from a prestigious family.

“She’s a very remarkable person,” Zhong Hejing had commented at the time. “Just when you think you have her figured out, she suddenly reveals an even more surprising side. I still haven’t figured out what she’s truly like, but there’s no doubt that no matter what, she remains clear-headed and rational.”

Qin Lian didn’t comment on this.

But based on his understanding of Zhong Hejing, this person had always prioritized interests and acted decisively, so the people she favored wouldn’t be too far off the mark.

As it turned out, when Qin Lian walked up and saw Qiao Wu’s true appearance and demeanor, he really had the urge to kick his idiot brother down the stairs.

What a waste, unable to even handle a butler.

Given his understanding of his foolish brother, it wasn’t hard to guess what had happened. With so many people around, who knew what kind of stories could be spun from just a single glance.

Qin Lian understood that Qiao Wu’s remark about being drunk was meant to give Qin Tianrui a way out, so he glanced at Qin Tianrui and said, “Do you really need someone to teach you what to do? Do you have no shame?”

Qin Tianrui gritted his teeth and reluctantly said to Guo Liyan, “I’m sorry.”

His brother was truly someone who would take action in front of others.

If he didn’t apologize now, it might not go well later.

Lu Ning chimed in from the side, “He also said our Qiao Wu has no manners!”

Qin Lian’s expression darkened further.

Seeing this, Qin Tianrui had no choice but to squeeze out a few more words through clenched teeth, “I misspoke.”

Only then did Qiao Wu, who had been standing calmly, smile lightly and say, “What are you saying, Mr. Qin? If you’re drunk, please go upstairs to rest. Would you like me to have someone take you up?”

Each guest’s resting room was separate, and the room number was indicated on the invitation.

Qin Tianrui had no face left to stay here any longer and didn’t want to see anyone from the Lu Family again, so he harshly said “No need” before turning and hurriedly leaving, not even bothering with his brother.

Seeing this, his friends also quickly said their goodbyes and ran off.

“Are you going upstairs too?” Qiao Wu looked at Guo Liyan. “I’ve already called the family doctor. They’ll come to your room later to treat your wounds.”

 Guo Liyan’s hand was burning with pain from the scalding, so much so that even the breeze from someone passing by made him flinch. But what he hadn’t expected was that the most unforgettable sensation was the light, feathery touch that had briefly rested on his elbow. It was so subtle and cool that he had instinctively raised his hand in response, and even after the other person had let go, he was still lost in thought, barely registering Qin Tianrui’s apology.

Truth be told, someone like him was already accustomed to being treated this way. He could even face it without batting an eye. Whether or not there was an apology didn’t matter much anymore.

But there were moments, like this one, when he couldn’t help but feel deeply embarrassed.

“Thank you,” he murmured, lowering his eyes and speaking hurriedly. “I’ll head upstairs now.”

No one stopped him. After he left, Qiao Wu turned to Lu Ning beside her and said, “Send a message to your uncle. Tell him to take good care of his friend.”

Lu Ning pulled out her phone. “Got it!”

Once that was settled, Qiao Wu turned to Qin Lian in front of her and said, “I’m sorry for the trouble, President Qin. Thank you for coming all this way.”

Sorry? Qin Lian thought she didn’t look sorry at all.

After all, she had left him for last.

But her demeanor was so impeccable that it was hard to find fault. Qin Lian couldn’t help but recall Zhong Hejing’s description of her as “rational and clear-headed.”

Though young, the person standing before him seemed unfazed by whoever was in front of her, neither subservient nor arrogant.

“It’s my good-for-nothing brother who should be apologizing,” Qin Lian said.

Qiao Wu didn’t deny it. Instead, she asked, “Would you like a cup of tea?”

Her attitude…

Qiao Wu smiled faintly.

She didn’t even bother with polite pretenses. She truly didn’t hold back her little schemes.

“No need for tea,” he replied. “The banquet is about to start.”

Besides, Zhong Hejing was standing nearby, watching like a hawk.

Qiao Wu knew that Zhong Hejing had followed under the guise of greeting him, but her real concern was that he might give this so-called housekeeper a hard time.

But she was overthinking it.

As Qin Lian approached, Qiao Wu had glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, her gaze calm and composed.

He thought to himself that if anyone were to truly try to make life difficult for someone like her, they might end up getting bitten back—hard.

She knew exactly what to say to whom.

If he hadn’t been there when she made that remark, Qin Tianrui would have undoubtedly caused a scene at the Lu family’s banquet. But Qiao Wu had timed it perfectly, leaving him with no choice but to intervene and prevent Qin Tianrui from making a fool of himself.

Zhong Hejing glanced at the time and asked Qiao Wu, “Are you going downstairs?”

Qiao Wu shook her head. “No.”

Her presence at such events was optional. She didn’t enjoy being the center of attention.

“Alright,” Zhong Hejing said, turning to Zhong Shixia. “It’s crowded downstairs. Why don’t you stay here where it’s quieter?”

She had been cleaning house recently, dismissing all the domestic help and learning to cook on her own.

Today was the weekend, and Zhong Shixia didn’t have school, so she had brought him along.

Since Zhong Min was now diligently learning how to manage the company, it was time for Zhong Shixia to broaden his horizons as well.

Zhong Shixia nodded.

He had no interest in these strangers and didn’t mind where he stayed.

“Oh, by the way,” Zhong Hejing remembered something and turned to Lu Ning. “Little Lu Ning, you and Shi Xia are classmates. Have there been any misunderstandings between you two lately?”

She thought that since the two children were classmates, if there was any misunderstanding, they could clear it up. If not, that would be even better.

Lu Ning: “There isn’t.”

Not to mention misunderstandings, she barely even spoke to Zhong Shixia at school because she couldn’t figure out his thought process. She was worried that if they talked, he might suddenly act up and want to fight her.

She was now a diligent girl focused on studying.

Zhong Hejing felt relieved: “If you both feel bored, you can play together.”

Zhong Shixia didn’t say anything, but he didn’t refuse either. After all, he harbored no hostility toward Lu Ning.

Lu Ning was initially unwilling, but then she thought that Zhong Hejing wanted to poach Qiao Wu. She could use this opportunity to gather some intelligence on the enemy.

So she agreed: “Sure.”

After the others left, Qiao Wu patted Lu Ning’s head and walked back to the tea seat where he had been sitting: “You two play, I’m going to work.”

“Okay!” Lu Ning responded.

Then she beckoned to Zhong Shixia: “Come here, I’ll play with you.”

Zhong Shixia quietly followed her to the adjacent tea seat.

It was filled with cakes and toys, exuding a strong girly vibe, completely unlike what one would expect at a formal banquet.

“Let’s play Truth or Dare,” Lu Ning said. “I’ll ask you a question. If you answer correctly, I’ll give you a piece of cake.”

Zhong Shixia glanced at her.

A few seconds later, he grunted in acknowledgment.

Lu Ning wasn’t quite sure how to calculate the value of a company. She figured it probably depended on who had more money.

So she lowered her voice: “Have you seen your sister’s safe? How much assets does she actually have? How much does she usually pay her most valued employees?”

“…” Zhong Shixia.

Realizing he couldn’t stay silent any longer, he asked: “Do I look like an idiot to you?”

Lu Ning was surprised: “Aren’t you?”

Zhong Shixia corrected her: “Last semester, I was ranked first in the entire grade.”

Lu Ning: “…”

“What’s so great about that,” she sat back, scoffing. “From elementary to middle school, I was consistently ranked last in the entire grade for seven and a half years. That’s an impressive level of skill, you know.”

Zhong Shixia thought about it seriously: “I don’t get it.”

Lu Ning, annoyed, pushed all the cakes in front of herself: “You’re not allowed to eat any.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a glass of juice in front of her was taken away.

“You’re not allowed to drink either.”

Lu Ning looked up angrily and frowned when she saw it was Lu Yingchi: “What are you doing!”

“Do you not know your own situation?” Lu Yingchi downed the juice in one gulp and placed the empty glass in front of her. “Don’t just drink anything.”

Earlier, Lu Ning had only asked the servant to bring some juice, not realizing that the juice had ice cubes in it.

Seeing the remnants of ice at the bottom of the glass, her bravado immediately deflated. Noticing Guo Liyan standing behind Lu Yingchi, she leaned over and asked: “Is it better now?”

Since it was a burn, Guo Liyan’s hand wasn’t bandaged but had medicine applied. Fortunately, it wasn’t too serious.

“It’s nothing serious,” Guo Liyan smiled at him. “Thank you.”

“Oh,” Lu Ning pulled her head back. “I only did it for the sake of these gifts.”

Guo Liyan thought to himself, that was enough.

He never expected that the small, inexpensive gifts he had given would be of such great help to him today.

Lu Yingchi wasn’t interested in playing with kids and took Guo Liyan to sit at Qiao Wu’s tea seat next door.

“He insisted on coming to apologize,” Lu Yingchi didn’t understand.

Didn’t they just meet earlier? Why is he only thinking of apologizing now?

Qiao Wu raised an eyebrow. “Apologize?”

Guo Liyan nodded. “I caused you trouble today, and I’m truly sorry.”

“If you bumped into me and forced me to intervene, then it was indeed trouble,” Qiao Wu said with a smile.

Guo Liyan’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.

The next second, Qiao Wu added, “But this was something we chose to handle ourselves. What does it have to do with you? ‘Sorry’ isn’t a good word. Don’t keep it on your lips all the time.”

Guo Liyan couldn’t help but look up, immediately meeting the other’s smiling eyes. His throat tightened involuntarily.

In truth, he hadn’t initially planned to come down. He had thought he would just stay put for the evening, wait for the banquet to start, take a quick glance at Lu Jinzhi, and then leave quietly.

But Lu Yingchi had come to his resting room.

He thanked Lu Yingchi for the opportunity to attend the Lu Family event.

At the time, Lu Yingchi had simply looked at the back of his hand and muttered, “Is this really the only way to get to Rome?”

Rome?

Guo Liyan had never thought someone like him could ever reach Rome. At best, he was just a hired porter on someone else’s journey to Rome.

But why had Lu Yingchi said that?

Later, he understood why Lu Yingchi had agreed to give him this opportunity.

It was also the first time he had heard someone say that the humble path he had walked was a result of his own methods and efforts.

So, in that person’s eyes, he was transparent, yet insignificant.

But even that was a great satisfaction for him. At least in their eyes, he was a normal person.

That’s why, even after being humiliated in front of her tonight, he didn’t want to give up this chance. He wanted to look into her eyes and personally say sorry and thank you.

To make up for his previous cowardice.

Guo Liyan straightened up and said again, “Besides sorry, I also want to say thank you.”

Thank you for protecting his dignity when he hadn’t even realized it.

This time, Qiao Wu didn’t refuse. She nodded slightly. “Mm.”

At that moment, someone else slipped in from behind the screen. Lu Xuan, seeing the scene inside, frowned without hesitation and sat down. “Why is everyone here?”

He had come back from the company and searched for a long time without finding anyone. Luckily, he had asked around.

Trying to play favorites?

No way!

“I have something to discuss with you,” he said, closing the documents in front of Qiao Wu.

“What?”

“The banquet is over today, so you should have some free time now,” Lu Xuan said, smoothing his hair. “There’s a segment in that program where someone needs to accompany the participants during the entrance and the first performance.”

Actually, the program’s guidelines mentioned that it should be a close friend or family member, and they were supposed to record some words of encouragement and blessings for the participating actors. Usually, it was family.

But Lu Xuan thought about his own family.

Forget it, better not think about it.

After much deliberation, he could only think of one person who barely fit the criteria.

It was this employee of his, whom he didn’t particularly care about.

Oh, wait—now there was another identity: financial backer.

Wasn’t it perfectly normal for a financial backer to go watch their… canary perform?

“You’re going on a business trip,” Lu Xuan said after a great deal of internal struggle. He finally placed the only card he had left in front of her, maintaining the last shred of his dignity in front of Lu Yingchi. “The money here is all yours.”

He really had nothing left!

Qiao Wu: “…”

So, in the end, he didn’t leave a single penny for himself?

“What a grand gesture, Third Young Master Lu,” Lu Yingchi said sarcastically from the side. “If you gave it to me, I could go and definitely arrange a full-service suona performance for you, blowing you all the way to the stage.”

He sneered, mimicking Lu Xuan’s tone from before: “‘I don’t care where she goes,’ huh? Don’t care?”

Lu Xuan didn’t respond. Instead, he took out his phone and played a recording.

Lu Yingchi’s voice rang out, firm and clear.

“It’s just Lu Jinzhi, giving you a chance to see the Monkey.”

“It’s just Lu Jinzhi, giving you a chance to see the Monkey.”

“It’s just Lu Jinzhi, giving you a chance to see the Monkey.”

…

It played on loop, over and over.

Lu Yingchi’s eyes widened in shock. “Lu Xuan, are you looking for a fight?!”

Lu Xuan scoffed lightly. “Are you barking again?”

Qiao Wu gently pressed her throbbing temples.

Guo Liyan, sitting in an inconspicuous spot, watched the scene unfold. Seeing Qiao Wu’s amused yet helpless gaze as she looked at the two young masters, a sudden surge of determination welled up inside him.

He wanted to stand taller, to at least have the confidence to make her smile, to have a status that would allow him to appear before her without racking his brains.

Not like before, when even a glance at her made him shrink back.

While the commotion continued, the orderly sounds from downstairs suddenly paused for a moment.

Qiao Wu seemed to sense something and turned her head to look downstairs.

Sure enough, Lu Jinzhi, who had been absent all day, appeared at the entrance of the banquet hall.

Lu Ning leaned over the railing, sticking her head out. “Stop arguing, Monkey, Monkey, Monkey!”

Lu Yingchi and Lu Xuan both froze, then stood up and walked to the railing. Although they weren’t particularly eager to see Lu Jinzhi, since he was here…

Going to the zoo costs money, but now it’s free—might as well take a look.

Lu Xuan scrutinized Lu Jinzhi’s outfit and commented, “Golden Monkey.”

Qiao Wu: “…”

Her gaze lingered on the man at the entrance.

He was wearing a custom-made early autumn suit, with a champagne-colored silk shirt inside, exuding elegance and sophistication. Today, the stylist had combed his hair back, leaving only a few strands loose, giving him a mature yet casually relaxed vibe. Without anyone needing to guide or announce him, he had already become the center of attention in the room.

Xu Zhao stood behind him, holding a glass of wine.

But he didn’t make a grand entrance to the center. Instead, he stayed where he was and took the wine.

The entire room fell silent, all eyes on him.

This young man, who had made a name for himself in the circle over a decade ago, simply stood there, raising his glass. Without uttering a word, he declared to everyone.

He was back.

As everyone else raised their glasses, they suddenly noticed Lu Jinzhi’s glass change direction, gesturing towards a particular spot.

Following his gaze, they saw several people standing by the railing outside a corner tea seat on the second floor.

Two exceptionally handsome young men stood shoulder to shoulder, their hands doing something behind their backs, gently twisting.

Beside them, a young girl in a white dress leaned on the railing, and next to her was a woman who seemed to be leaning casually against the wall. The woman appeared to be holding a cup of tea, her gaze meeting the man at the center of attention across the crowd.

So, was that toast just now… for that woman?

Someone whispered, “That’s Lu Yingchi and Lu Xuan.”

“What about the other one?”

“That seems to be Lu Ning, their eldest brother’s daughter.”

“I mean the one leaning against the wall.”

A clean, low male voice interjected, “That one…”

The two speakers trembled slightly, cautiously turning around to find Lu Jinzhi standing behind them at some point.

The man was much taller than them, his dark eyebrows slightly furrowed. He withdrew his gaze and took a sip of his wine, smiling faintly, “My Housekeeper.”