Chapter 33: I’ll Stay with You

The… Housekeeper?

Had the Lu Family changed their Housekeeper?

The two couldn’t help but glance again at the woman upstairs. She had already sat down and was no longer looking below, her profile elegant, her every movement exuding a charm that drew others in.

Meanwhile, Lu Yingchi and Lu Xuan, the two young masters, had also returned at some point, chatting about something that made the woman across from them laugh repeatedly.

This didn’t seem like a Housekeeper at all—it looked more like a family having a casual conversation.

Wait a minute, wasn’t it said that the Lu brothers didn’t get along?

At every past Lu Family banquet, the brothers had never appeared together, yet today they were all here—just to welcome Lu Jinzhi?

Many who noticed this detail quietly filed it away in their minds. The Lu Family seemed different from the rumors.

The atmosphere of the evening cocktail party reached its peak with Lu Jinzhi’s arrival. Even though Lu Jinzhi disliked socializing, in such a setting, he would still drink a few more glasses and exchange a few more words to uphold the Lu Family’s reputation. When he finally found a moment to look up again, the spot on the second floor was empty.

Lu Yingchi and Lu Xuan had never been particularly interested in this banquet to begin with; they had only come to make an appearance.

Tonight’s affairs were quite busy, and Qiao Wu couldn’t stay seated for long either. She soon went out to arrange for the guests’ departure.

As for Lu Ning, she found herself utterly unable to extract any meaningful conversation from this single-minded person. Feeling defeated, she sat in the tea room for a while before growing restless.

Ever since her Second Uncle arrived, the place had become somewhat noisy.

And for some reason, it seemed like more and more people were coming up to the second floor, some even recognizing her and coming over to greet her.

Lu Ning didn’t like being disturbed and was always ready to slip away.

But since she had promised Zhong Hejing to take this blockhead out to play, she wasn’t about to break her word. So she packed up her gift and asked, “Do you want to stay here, or come out with me?”

Zhong Shixia glanced downstairs. His older siblings were still busy, and compared to strangers, staying with the familiar Lu Ning might be better. So he stood up as well.

Once they left the banquet hall, he asked, “Where are we going?”

“Aren’t you the top of your grade?” Lu Ning said mischievously. “I’m taking you to do homework.”

Zhong Shixia: “…”

Five minutes later, the two arrived at the Repository of Books.

Lu Ning rummaged through the computer for a while and finally pulled out several middle school Olympiad math problem sets.

The books in the Repository weren’t just famous works. To ensure the children in the family studied well, there were plenty of problem sets from first grade all the way to twelfth grade, in various editions. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many books.

Lu Ning felt she had already gone above and beyond as the host.

She placed the thick stack of problem sets in front of Zhong Shixia. “Here, have fun.”

“…”

Zhong Shixia gave her a complicated look, but since this place was much quieter than the previous one, he didn’t refuse. He sat down quietly at the table, picked up a pen and some scratch paper, and started solving problems.

Relieved that she didn’t have to talk to this blockhead anymore, Lu Ning relaxed, picking up the book she hadn’t finished and continuing to read, each of them minding their own business.

She was almost done with *Sophie’s World*. When she turned to the last page, she noticed a sticky note and couldn’t help but pick it up to examine it.

In fact, she didn’t quite understand the book, so she didn’t know what to write if she wanted to leave something behind.

“Hey, have you read this book?” she asked Zhong Shixia, who was buried in solving problems beside her.

The latter looked over and nodded.

“Then do you know where Sophie’s boat went?”

Zhong Shixia recalled the content of the book and then said seriously, “It’s just a symbol and doesn’t actually point to any specific direction. After all, in the book, she only untied the boat’s rope.”

Lu Ning frowned, “What are you mumbling about? I didn’t understand a word.”

Zhong Shixia didn’t expect to have any resonance with someone who had proudly ranked last in the grade for seven consecutive semesters. However, his eyes lit up slightly when he saw the words on the sticky note.

“What’s this?”

“It’s written by my Second Uncle and Qiao Wu,” Lu Ning said. “It’s different from your answer.”

“I think this answer is written very well.”

Zhong Shixia held his pen, “Can I write something?”

“No,” Lu Ning immediately closed the book. “You’ve met my Second Uncle, right? The one who’s like a monkey.”

Although he didn’t understand why someone would call their uncle a monkey, especially such a prominent person, Zhong Shixia showed respect, “I’ve met him.”

“That’s him. He’s very strict,” Lu Ning said. “He doesn’t allow anyone else’s writing to appear in here.”

“But isn’t this two people’s writing?”

“Yes, only he and Qiao Wu can write in it,” Lu Ning pouted. “Isn’t he strange?”

Later, she tried to secretly slip a sticky note inside, but every time she came back, the note was always placed on the table. Who else would do such a thing besides Lu Jinzhi?

“Not strange.”

“Huh?”

Zhong Shixia said calmly, “Uncle Monkey likes Qiao Wu, right?”

“Huh???”

Zhong Shixia, “Only with liking comes privilege.”

In his understanding, liking and disliking are the simplest emotions.

If only a specific person in his world can do a certain thing, then he must like that person.

Just like he only allows his brother to enter his room.

Lu Ning stared at the sticky note in her hand, lost in thought.

She recalled Lu Jinzhi’s attitude towards Qiao Wu. Before going abroad, he had almost no interaction with Qiao Wu.

As for after returning, it didn’t seem like he paid any special attention to Qiao Wu either, unlike Lu Yingchi and Lu Xuan, who were always circling around Qiao Wu.

He was like that with everyone, so it was impossible to tell who had his privilege.

Yesterday, when they coincidentally met at the square and got into the car, he only said to report that they were safe, then dropped her and Qiao Wu off at the parking lot and left.

Lu Ning shook her head, “No way.”

The reason he didn’t allow the sticky note was also because he said her handwriting was ugly.

Zhong Shixia was just expressing his opinion and didn’t intend to persuade her, so he didn’t argue with her.

Not long after, Zhong Hejing called to say it was time to go back. Zhong Shixia packed up the things on the table, “I have to go. Thanks for the hospitality.”

Lu Ning glanced at the densely packed draft paper and thought to herself: What a nerd, he considers this hospitality.

She took Zhong Shixia back, and just as they reached the entrance of the banquet hall, they ran into Lu Jinzhi, who was walking towards them.

Zhong Shixia hadn’t forgotten what his older siblings had said about being polite, and he respected other people’s family culture, so he took the initiative to greet, “Hello, Uncle Monkey.”

Lu Jinzhi didn’t immediately react to being called that.

Lu Ning, “!!!”

She shook her head frantically, “No, no, no, what… what are you talking about?”

“You weren’t supposed to say…”

Lu Ning quickly covered his mouth and kicked him towards the gate: “Just shut up already!”

When she turned back, Lu Jinzhi was looking at her with a faint smile: “It’s only natural to be afraid of me.”

Damn you, Zhong Shixia!

Lu Ning really wanted to sell out Lu Yingchi right then and there, but the thought of having to do her homework under his supervision in the future made her swallow her anger. She muttered a weak excuse: “Don’t take him seriously, he’s a bit slow, and he has an accent. He probably meant to say, ‘Uncle Ray…'”

Lu Jinzhi was genuinely starting to wonder if Lu Ning had some kind of genetic mutation: “Don’t measure other people’s brains by the two ounces of pig head meat on your own.”

“…”

Damn you, Lu Jinzhi!

You’re the monkey! A golden monkey! A big, ugly monkey!

As the banquet was winding down, Lu Jinzhi didn’t want to keep standing around like a welcoming pine tree, so he took a small path back to the main house.

Seeing that he was heading back to the main house, Lu Ning followed him at a distance.

But as she walked, she couldn’t help stealing glances at Lu Jinzhi’s back, her mind replaying what Zhong Shixia had said earlier. It felt… strange.

“Second Uncle,” she called out softly, emboldened by the fact that Lu Jinzhi hadn’t turned around to look at her. “Does Qiao Wu have any privileges with you?”

She didn’t really hold out much hope.

Lu Yingchi and Lu Xuan were clearly obsessed with Qiao Wu, constantly fighting over her. Today, Lu Xuan had even openly paid for Qiao Wu’s time. Yet, they still acted as tough as male escorts.

As for someone like Lu Jinzhi, who didn’t seem to care, she expected even less of an answer.

Her tiny bit of courage flickered out.

But the next second, a soft “Yes” reached her ears.

Lu Ning’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at his back, which hadn’t even paused in its stride.

Yes?!

Her shock far outweighed her fear, so she quickened her pace and pressed on: “So, do you like Qiao Wu?”

At her young age, Lu Ning’s understanding of “like” was still very simple. Like was like, nothing more, so she asked directly.

But she forgot that the person in front of her was already 27 years old.

Lu Jinzhi stopped and turned to look at her. Under the streetlight, his slightly tipsy eyes seemed even deeper.

“What did you say?”

“I mean…” Lu Ning immediately shrank back, mumbling, “That person earlier said that privileges come from liking someone.”

Lu Jinzhi frowned slightly.

What kind of topics were these kids discussing every day? Didn’t they have enough homework?

But he didn’t like being forced into wearing labels that didn’t belong to him, so he lowered his gaze and said, “I don’t like her.”

“Then why does she have privileges?”

Talking to a fool was indeed exhausting. Worried that he might catch the foolishness, Lu Jinzhi looked away and continued walking, his tone calm: “Because of recognition.”

Recognition of her existence, recognition of her abilities, and recognition of the past they had shared.

That past allowed Qiao Wu to have privileges in his presence.

But that wasn’t the same as liking her. The two couldn’t be conflated.

Strictly speaking, the last time he had seen Qiao Wu was twelve years ago, when she was only ten years old, no matter how clever she was.

Though she was afraid of Lu Jinzhi, Lu Ning never doubted the truth in his words, so she sighed in disappointment: “Oh.”

The melancholy in her voice was too obvious, and Lu Jinzhi couldn’t quite follow her train of thought.

“What else do you want to say?”

Lu Ning pouted, “If you don’t like it, forget it. I’ll save more money and strive harder.”

“Save money?”

“Zhong Hejing, the sister of that boy from earlier, wants to poach Qiao Wu. She said she’d offer her company shares as a bonus.”

Lu Ning indeed thought it would be great if Second Uncle really liked Qiao Wu. After all, Second Uncle was the wealthiest in the family. If he liked her, no one could lure Qiao Wu away with money in the future.

Lu Ning looked down at the ground dejectedly, “Qiao Wu even said she’d consider it.”

Then she saw the tall, slender figure under the streetlight suddenly come to a halt.

Lu Ning: “?”

–

Although the card Lu Xuan gave only had fifty thousand yuan, and it was actually her own money, Qiao Wu still packed her things and agreed to this “business trip.” After all, besides her, there was no one else in the family who could handle this job.

Lu Jinzhi had to work, and Lu Yingchi and Lu Ning had to go to school.

Moreover… she was worried that if someone else went to the show, it might lead to chaos on set.

Early in the morning, when everyone came to the dining room for breakfast, they didn’t see Qiao Wu.

“Where’s Qiao Wu?” Lu Yingchi asked.

The servant replied, “Little Qiao Butler went on a business trip with the Third Young Master. She’ll be back on Thursday. She said you can call her if there’s anything.”

“Hmph,” Lu Yingchi snorted. He wouldn’t call her. “She was bought off with just a card. Why bother calling her? How much was it anyway?”

Fifty thousand.

Lu Jinzhi, who had witnessed the whole thing, thought to himself as he sat on the other side.

Just a few days ago, he had told Xu Zhao not to measure Qiao Wu’s worth with cheap lenses. Today, she was lured away for four days with fifty thousand yuan.

He recalled Lu Ning’s words from the previous day—Zhong Hejing’s offer of shares. She might indeed consider it.

But Lu Jinzhi had his own scale. As he had once told Lu Jiang, no one’s job was irreplaceable. So if Qiao Wu’s salary exceeded the value of her abilities, he wouldn’t keep her around.

And everyone was free. If she really wanted to leave, he couldn’t stop her.

But the scale in Lu Jinzhi’s mind had been weighing all night, and he still hadn’t precisely calculated how much money would be suitable for Qiao Wu to continue working in the Lu Family.

What factor hadn’t he accounted for?

After breakfast, Lu Yingchi and Lu Ning hurried off for their early classes.

Lu Jinzhi changed his clothes and went to the grand living room. His gaze suddenly caught the code of conduct hanging on the wall. Unlike his previous cursory glance, this time he walked up to it and read it carefully from start to finish.

Including the goals set by the younger ones.

If he remembered correctly, before he went abroad, the house was in chaos, and no one was willing to leave for school at this hour.

Lu Ning had said last night that if she didn’t strive hard, Qiao Wu would leave.

So what Qiao Wu needed to stay in the Lu Family wasn’t just money—there was something else.

And the so-called “striving hard” was the bargaining chip these family members used to keep her.

At this moment, the scale in Lu Jinzhi’s heart suddenly tipped. The problem that had troubled him all night became clear in an instant. He marked a faint question mark on the money side of the scale.

On the other side, Qiao Wu’s work ability now had an additional note—no one else could leave a mark on his books, and no one else called him Lu Jinzhi.

This was Qiao Wu’s added value.

But besides the money he could offer, what other additional chips could he give?

At this moment, the genius once again found himself in an unsolvable predicament.

On the other hand, Qiao Wu had already arrived in the city where the show was being recorded with Lu Xuan.

As they stepped out of the airport, Lu Xuan looked at his several large suitcases, his face darkening: “Where’s my assistant?”

Before boarding the plane, his manager had helped him with the luggage, but after getting off the plane, there was no one around him except Qiao Wu.

Third Young Master Lu had never experienced such hardship in his life.

Qiao Wu, pushing her own suitcase with ease, glanced at him and smiled, “Who told you to bring so many clothes? Young Master, you can’t afford an assistant anymore.”

In the past, Lu Yingchi’s manager and assistant salaries were paid by him, but now his card had been frozen. Given his current work capabilities, the company assigned him a manager who handled more than just him, let alone an assistant.

“Can you manage?” Qiao Wu asked.

Lu Xuan took a deep breath: “Why wouldn’t I?”

“What I mean is…” Qiao Wu pushed her suitcase in front of him and smiled, “If you can manage, are you going to make your financial backer carry the suitcase?”

Instantly, Lu Xuan’s face turned green.

For the first show, he had gotten up early in the morning to have a stylist do his hair and wore a custom-made outfit.

Now, not only did he have to carry his own luggage after getting off the plane, but he also had to carry Qiao Wu’s suitcase.

“Who’s the housekeeper here?” he asked.

“Up to you,” Qiao Wu smiled. “Do you want me to accompany you as a housekeeper or as a friend?”

Lu Xuan’s expression turned strange for a moment: “Friend?”

Qiao Wu suddenly realized: “I forgot, you don’t care.”

She reached out her hand: “I’ll do it myself.”

Before her hand could touch the suitcase, another hand with distinct knuckles rested on the handle.

Lu Xuan stubbornly pushed all the suitcases past her: “Let’s go.”

Qiao Wu paused for a second behind him, then smiled and walked forward, sharing the load: “Let’s do it together, friend.”

It wasn’t that she couldn’t carry her own suitcase; she just wanted to use this opportunity to correct his habits, so he wouldn’t throw all his money at her again to buy her “business trips.”

Lu Xuan was wearing sunglasses, but even with his eyes downcast, he could clearly see the hand that reached out.

It looked so slender and delicate, yet it always managed to grasp people’s hearts precisely.

Friend?

Lu Xuan thought to himself, for so many years, this was the first time he realized that he and Qiao Wu could have such a relationship. It sounded much more comfortable than being called a young master or a housekeeper.

An hour later, standing at the door of his room with the key card, he laughed in frustration: “Friend, may I ask why my room is different from yours?”

Third Young Master always stayed in the top suites of hotels, and this was the first time he had seen a standard room.

No wonder the hotel staff only helped Qiao Wu with her luggage and not him!

Qiao Wu replied naturally: “My room was booked with my own money, yours was booked by the show’s production team, of course, they’re different.”

Without a second thought, Lu Xuan turned around and pushed the luggage he had struggled with back.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to your room!”

He knew Qiao Wu’s room must have more than one bedroom!

“I won’t sleep well here,” he said without looking back. “If I don’t sleep well, I won’t perform well, and if I don’t perform well, I can’t win any awards for you.”

What kind of twisted logic was that?

“Then what about after I leave?” Qiao Wu spread her hands. “I won’t be paying for your room anymore, so you’ll have to come down and stay here eventually.”

Lu Xuan didn’t respond, just kept pressing the elevator button.

Knowing that he was struggling to accept this sudden change, Qiao Wu sighed silently and, unable to bear it, followed him.

She knew that with the Lu Family’s wealth, Lu Xuan didn’t have to endure such hardships, but she was worried.

Lu Xuan was already 23 years old. A pampered young master who had never faced adversity wouldn’t understand the struggles of life. Any unexpected challenge could easily crush him. If he wanted to become an outstanding actor, he would need to face even more difficulties.

This was just the beginning.

In her dream, Lu Xuan couldn’t endure any hardship, so he achieved nothing in the entertainment industry. Later, he was tricked into a scandal while drunk, tarnishing his reputation and bringing negative attention to the Lu Family. After that, he had a complete falling out with Lu Jinzhi and was trampled into the mud, unable to recover. Unable to accept this downfall, he ended his own life.

Lu Xuan indeed had many shortcomings, but at his core, he was just a sensitive young man who cried in secret when he felt wronged.

Qiao Wu hoped he could grow into a capable adult.

She stepped forward, intending to block the elevator for Lu Xuan.

Just then, the elevator arrived, and the doors opened to reveal someone standing inside.

The man, upon seeing Qiao Wu, smiled with just the right amount of warmth. “Butler Qiao, what a coincidence.”

Qiao Wu nodded slightly. “President Qin.”

In a foul mood, Lu Xuan glanced between the two, then pushed his luggage forward, forcing Qin Lian into the corner.

“Do you know each other?” Lu Xuan asked.

Qiao Wu replied, “We met briefly last night.”

“Oh.”

So they weren’t friends.

Qin Lian found the situation amusing. Here was a butler, yet it was the young master of the Lu Family who was handling the luggage.

He asked, “What are you two up to?”

Lu Xuan knew Qin Lian—businessmen were always scheming, especially Qin Lian’s younger brother, who was no saint either.

So he answered before Qiao Wu could, “Work.”

Qiao Wu nodded in agreement.

Noticing Lu Xuan’s wariness towards him, Qin Lian didn’t press further but silently observed instead.

Then he saw Lu Xuan extend his hand towards Qiao Wu: “Room key.”

Qiao Wu handed him a room key.

Lu Xuan added, “We’ll talk about you leaving later. Anyway, I’ll be staying with you these few days.”

Qin Lian raised an eyebrow in surprise.

When the elevator arrived, he stepped out first.

After some thought, he still felt something was off.

Although he didn’t have much interaction with the two playboys, Lu Xuan and Lu Yingchi, before Lu Jinzhi went abroad, he often competed or collaborated with Lu Jinzhi, sometimes as allies, but more often as rivals.

Lu Jinzhi wasn’t the type to have friends.

From what he knew, after Lu Jinzhi took control, everyone in the Lu Family should be under his management, including the Housekeeper.

Given Lu Jinzhi’s picky nature, no one could reach such a position without his approval. So, this situation was intriguing enough to make Qin Lian curious about Lu Jinzhi’s reaction.

He sent a message to Lu Jinzhi.

“Has the Lu Family become so strapped that the Housekeeper needs to share a room with the master?”