Chapter 9: The Third Young Master of the Lu Family

Lu Yingchi had indeed recorded Lu Ning’s “thank you” and, with great deliberation, added the audio to the Morning Alarm’s music library.

Qiao Wu didn’t refuse.

So the next day, without her having to call them a second time, the two of them came tumbling down the stairs in less than three minutes, both looking full of energy.

Qiao Wu thought that the Morning Alarm’s playlist could be changed more often in the future.

Last night, she had discussed with the Old Master her intention to change Lu Ning’s school. The Old Master had left the decision to her, so in the past few days, Qiao Wu hadn’t forced Lu Ning to attend school and planned to take her to the hospital instead.

Upon hearing that they were going to see her grandfather, Lu Ning’s face was filled with reluctance.

Although they lived under the same roof, over the years, she had rarely seen her grandfather. Without her parents as intermediaries, she had always felt like an outsider in this family. Moreover, her grandfather had always been busy with work, and during the few times they met, he was mostly scolding her uncles, making the household atmosphere tense. Therefore, Lu Ning was wary of her grandfather and knew it was difficult to communicate with him.

She couldn’t imagine what they would talk about if they really met.

“Lu Yingchi was driven to jump off a building. If I come in last place, wouldn’t I be driven to jump into the sea?”

Qiao Wu found it amusing: “If he really drives you to jump into the sea, I’ll jump in front of you, okay?”

“That sounds quite romantic,” Lu Yingchi chimed in, not one to miss a chance to stir the pot. “Go ahead. Don’t say I’m heartless; I’ll personally take the yacht to retrieve your body.”

“If I die, I’ll come looking for you first,” Lu Ning retorted. “Don’t shake like you did that day; it was embarrassing.”

After breakfast, the two of them, who had been poking at each other’s weak spots, parted ways once again in discord.

Qiao Wu was used to it. Arguing was better than ignoring each other. She first went home to pick up Qiao Zhiyi. She had been wanting to take him for a full-body checkup to better care for his health in the future, and she finally had some free time these past few days.

Sitting in his daughter’s car, Qiao Zhiyi felt a bit out of place. In the past, Xiao Wu had never wanted to drive herself, let alone drive others.

The car ride was quiet.

Lu Ning wasn’t familiar with the Old Butler, so she remained silent.

As for Qiao Wu, she felt a sense of closeness but also unfamiliarity with her father, as they hadn’t communicated much over the years.

Seeing her father sitting very straight, likely feeling unnatural, she initiated a conversation: “If you’re bored at home, you could spend more time with the Old Master.”

Qiao Zhiyi knew his place: “That’s not for me to do.”

“Dad, you’ve worked by the Old Master’s side for many years. Now, beyond the employer-employee relationship, isn’t there at least a simple friendship?”

Qiao Zhiyi had never considered such things: “That’s not proper.”

“How is it not proper? You’re not seeking anything,” Qiao Wu said with a smile. “It’s just about talking and chatting. Don’t be so tense. After work, you have your own life. Try not to see him as your boss, okay?”

As the Housekeeper, her father had either been accompanying the young masters or staying by Lu Jiang’s side, with no personal time and thus few friends. Now that he was retired, he often stayed at home, unsure of what to do.

The Lu Residence was different from ordinary neighborhoods; there was no community square, and it lacked liveliness. So Qiao Wu felt quite sorry for her father being alone.

“Or we could move out and find a place with more people and a community square.”

“Then it would be inconvenient for your work,” Qiao Zhiyi immediately shook his head without thinking. “Don’t worry so much, I have my own ways to enjoy myself, and I’ll consider your words. You should take care of yourself first.”

He added, “Since you’re free today, how about I take you to get your glasses fitted later? It’s not comfortable to keep wearing these.”

Qiao Wu nodded, “Alright.”

Sitting in the back as the host, Lu Ning listened to the gentle exchange between the two in front of her, feeling quite uncomfortable.

She had no parents, and her grandfather only paid lip service to caring for her before handing her over to the housekeeper. Her uncles were all hoping for her death so they could inherit her assets.

She had never experienced the kind of conversation Qiao Wu was having with her father.

She stared at Qiao Wu’s profile, which bore a faint smile, and suddenly recalled the time when this person had ruffled her hair, momentarily lost in thought.

Why did she find Qiao Wu so attractive now, making her want to get close?

It was really annoying.

She didn’t like having her hair ruffled!

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Lu Jiang was sitting on the balcony sunbathing. When his secretary informed him that Qiao Wu was bringing Lu Ning over, he remained silent for a long time.

“It’s been almost half a month since I came to the hospital,” he sighed deeply. “Those unfilial sons of mine, not one has come to see me. They must all be wishing for my early death.”

“The young masters are all busy with their own affairs, and your health is still good.”

“Busy with their own affairs? You mean the one who takes a bunch of men and women out on a yacht to an island to get drunk in the middle of the night? Or the one who idles around in the entertainment industry all day?”

The secretary dared not respond.

Lu Jiang’s eyes dimmed, “Have I been that bad to them?”

So bad that Qiao Wu had to inform him in advance when bringing someone over, worried that he might not control his emotions well.

There was a knock on the hospital room door, and the secretary went to open it.

Lu Jiang looked up, first seeing the elegant and noble Qiao Wu, and then Lu Ning half-hidden behind her.

Lu Jiang narrowed his eyes slightly.

The environment shapes the person; his children were all raised in luxury, and no matter how unruly they were, they still carried the inherent grace of a noble family.

But Qiao Wu was different.

Although Qiao Wu had also grown up in the Lu family, Lu Jiang knew well how her back had bent under the weight of the world in those past years. She always carried a hint of the petty, unrefined demeanor of a commoner.

Yet, at this moment, in his eyes, Qiao Wu walked with a calm and unhurried pace, exuding an air of elegance and nobility.

Compared to her, the rebellious granddaughter behind her seemed even more unruly.

It was as if Qiao Wu was the one truly nurtured and cultivated by education and wealth.

Lu Jiang’s eyes showed a mix of confusion and dissatisfaction.

He didn’t want the children of the Lu family to be one after another unrefined and unworthy.

“What are you cowering for?” Lu Jiang frowned. “Come here, what school did you say you wanted to go to?”

Lu Ning had no choice but to step out from behind Qiao Wu, feeling her scalp tingle under his gaze, too afraid to say anything, she whispered, “Grandfather.”

She wasn’t exaggerating; being at the bottom of the class was absolutely unacceptable in her grandfather’s eyes, or perhaps in the entire Lu family, only her second uncle, Lu Jinzhi, was scolded less frequently.

So what was the point of coming here?

She had said she didn’t want to change schools.

Suddenly, she heard a soft chuckle from behind, “It’s me.”

Lu Ning turned around and saw Qiao Wu naturally placing the insulated lunch box she had brought on the table, taking the initiative to steer the conversation: “Old Master, I feel that the school isn’t suitable for Young Miss, and the classmates around her aren’t worth befriending. So, I wanted to ask you to consider transferring her to another school.”

Lu Jiang’s tone softened a bit, but not by much: “Wasn’t it her who insisted on going there in the first place?”

“She was so young back then, she couldn’t have foreseen the kind of people she would encounter,” Qiao Wu said as she ladled out the soup and handed it to Lu Jiang. “You don’t know how furious Fourth Young Master was when he heard she was being isolated by her classmates during the parent-teacher meeting yesterday.”

In just a short sentence, there was a lot of information.

Lu Jiang’s attention was indeed diverted: “Your uncle went to the parent-teacher meeting for you?”

The discord among the children in the family was his biggest concern, but now, the fourth son was actually showing concern for his niece?

Lu Ning nodded.

“What did he say?”

What did he say?

Lu Ning thought about it and suddenly realized that apart from the fight, Lu Yingchi hadn’t said much of anything nice.

But she still had a bit of conscience and couldn’t say that Lu Yingchi had gotten into a fight.

So she muttered, “He said I’m not very bright and told me to eat more walnuts to boost my brain.”

“He dares to say you’re not bright,” Lu Jiang sneered. “But he did eat a lot of walnuts.”

After a pause, thinking that family harmony required some positive words, he stiffly added, “Isn’t that a form of caring for you?”

Lu Ning: “…”

She swallowed her anger and chose to vent a little frustration: “Then, Grandfather, you should also drink more hot… soup.”

Lu Jiang, sipping the soup, felt comforted and completely missed the sarcasm in his granddaughter’s words.

He had been alone in the hospital for too long, and his mindset had been worn down. Recalling what Qiao Wu had said about the children having many hidden flaws and being isolated at school for so long that they had to involve lawyers, he found himself being a bit more patient.

“Tell me, what’s going on with your classmates?”

Lu Ning instinctively glanced at Qiao Wu, only to see her smiling encouragingly at her, as if urging her on.

It was the first time she had seen such a look.

She could voice her grievances to her grandfather and uncle.

That’s what Qiao Wu had said.

Lu Ning pursed her lips, hesitated, and then nodded slightly.

Seeing that there wouldn’t be any major conflicts here, Qiao Wu took her father for a medical check-up.

The check-up took quite some time, so while waiting for the results, she had her father return to the ward to rest and chat with the Old Master. This way, the atmosphere wouldn’t be too awkward with her father around.

The results came back quickly, and there were no serious issues—just some old ailments from overworking in the past. He just needed to take better care of himself from now on.

Qiao Wu breathed a sigh of relief; at least her father wouldn’t end up depressed as in her dream.

She took the report back, only to find Lu Ning pacing back and forth outside the ward instead of being inside.

She walked over: “Did you have a fight?”

Lu Ning shook her head. Not only had there been no fight, but today could even be considered the most harmonious day she had spent with her grandfather.

But…

“When are we going home?” she asked in a low voice.

“We’ll go back soon. What’s wrong?”

Lu Ning said with a straight face: “Lu Xuan is here.”

Compared to Lu Yingchi, she disliked this third uncle even more.

Lu Yingchi might not be the brightest, but at least he could hold his own in an argument.

But Lu Xuan seemed to have a lot of schemes up his sleeve.

Qiao Wu was taken aback.

Lu Xuan?

Lu Xuan was a year older than her and had grown up alongside her in the truest sense, being the Third Young Master of the Lu Family.

However, in the past, “Qiao Wu” had secretly encouraged Lu Xuan to give up his inheritance rights to the conglomerate and bravely pursue his dreams in the entertainment industry, which had caused Lu Jiang to fly into a rage. As a result, the father and son had not spoken for nearly a year.

According to the plot in the dream, after entering the entertainment industry, Lu Xuan had been tainted by the corrupt environment. Under “her” indulgence, he had dabbled in everything and eventually became a target of widespread online criticism, ultimately being disowned by Lu Jiang.

Now, Lu Xuan had been in the entertainment industry for over a year.

Qiao Wu pressed her temples and walked forward to knock on the door. After a moment, the secretary opened it, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Her eyes immediately fell on the man sitting on the sofa directly facing the door.

People in the entertainment industry are meticulously groomed from head to toe. He wore a wine-red V-neck shirt adorned with sunglasses and a single deep blue earring in his ear. His lips were slightly tinted with a vibrant hue, and he lounged lazily on the sofa, looking up at the sound of movement.

Upon seeing the visitor, Lu Xuan’s dark eyes flickered slightly, and it took him a moment to find a sense of familiarity amidst the initial surprise.

He raised an eyebrow, enunciating each word slowly: “Qiao… Wu?”

Everyone in the room turned to look. Lu Jiang’s expression was not pleasant: “You came at the right time. Let the doctor prepare.”

Qiao Zhiyi quickly asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Lu Jiang glanced at the young man on the sofa: “Not now, but it’s hard to say later.”

Lu Xuan chuckled briefly, straightening up from his slouched position: “What do you mean by that? I just came to see you.”

“To see if I’m dead yet, right?”

Lu Xuan shrugged lazily: “If that’s what you think, I can’t help it.”

After saying this, he stood up and walked over to Qiao Wu, leaning down slightly to scrutinize her from head to toe: “I feel like you went abroad and got a facelift or something.”

Otherwise, why did she look so pleasing to the eye everywhere?

Before Qiao Wu could respond, he pressed his sunglasses against her forehead: “Perfect, there’s something I need you to do.”

It definitely wasn’t anything good.

Qiao Wu pushed his hand away and asked calmly, “Didn’t you come to see your father?”

“Oh.” Lu Xuan’s eyes curved into a smile, looking like a Prodigy, “I’ve seen him.”

Behind him, Lu Jiang was fuming: “Did you even sit down for a minute?”

“One look and you still don’t get it?” Lu Xuan didn’t turn back, slamming the door shut as he walked out, “Not even a second glance.”

Qiao Wu: “…”

Lu Xuan put on his sunglasses: “Come with me.”

“Don’t go!” Lu Ning, who was guarding the door, grabbed Qiao Wu’s hand, “You brought me here, so you have to take me home too!”

“Don’t worry.” Qiao Wu held her hand in return, gently patting the back of her hand to reassure her, then looked back at Lu Xuan, “What is it?”

Her attitude was neither subservient nor arrogant.

Lu Xuan seemed to notice the little girl beside him for the first time. He glanced down at their clasped hands, still smiling, though there was no warmth in his eyes: “Your attitude towards me today is quite interesting.”

His eyes were obscured by the sunglasses, making his expression hard to read: “If I’m not mistaken, you’re now siding with this little brat…”

“Openly betraying me?”