Meeting Zhao Xuanyi went smoother than Xu Youyou had imagined.

This former big star, even though she was over fifty and her appearance wasn’t as good as when she was young, still had a mature and intellectual temperament, which makes people marvel at how time couldn’t defeat beauty.

“I indeed have some evidence in my hands.”

Zhao Xuanyi looked at the young girl in front of her. She knew Xu Youyou.

Before the other party found her, Zhao Xuanyi had already heard about this lucky young girl.

At first, it was from Lu Weiyao’s mouth, speaking in a mocking tone about his nephew who followed a young girl around all day, wasting his talent in vain.

Zhao Xuanyi knew that Lu Weiyao had been paying attention to Lu Weizheng’s family all along, and she could even sense his subtle jealousy towards Lu Weizheng from his usual words and actions.

Jealous of what? Jealous that Lu Weizheng can make a name for himself or that he married into the Qin family, or perhaps jealous that he’s always compared to Lu Weizheng and ends up on the losing side?

Probably because of her childhood experiences, Zhao Xuanyi never believed in so-called love.

Even if she became what Lu Weiyao called his first love, it was just that at the time, she had recently entered the entertainment circle and needed a powerful shelter. Being with one man was better than being with countless others.

So she could see people more clearly, able to see through the seemingly deep affection of Lu Weiyao to the hypocrisy, selfishness, and heartlessness behind it all. This man and his father were cut from the same cloth.

On the contrary, the second son of the Lu family, Lu Weizheng, resembled his mother. He truly fulfilled the responsibilities expected of a man.

However, none of this had anything to do with Zhao Xuanyi. She simply wanted revenge, whether it was on Ruan Rourou, Lu Weiyao, or her own father and brother, she wasn’t going to let them off the hook.

But Zhao Xuanyi wasn’t blinded by hatred. She didn’t want to jeopardize herself for the sake of revenge.

So she plotted carefully, taking fifteen years to finally reach the last step, on the brink of ultimate victory.

Considering that she was fifty years old now, she still had another twenty or thirty years to live. She could still go and enjoy a truly happy life. Why should she place all the meaning of her life on these few scumbags?

“But how do you plan to use it?”

Zhao Xuanyi elegantly picked up her coffee, taking a small sip.

Over the years, she has received many benefits from Lu Weiyao. She lacked nothing in terms of money. Once this matter was resolved, Zhao Xuanyi planned to travel the world. However, she hadn’t expected to receive a request from Xu Youyou.

Zhao Xuanyi had already learned the general situation of the entanglement between Lu Haoyu and Xu Youyou from her former friends. Was this little girl’s grudge against the Lu family enough to make her determined to destroy them?

But Zhao Xuanyi is smart in that she wouldn’t explore the reasons behind Xu Youyou’s actions.

As the old saying goes, ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’.

No matter why Xu Youyou wanted to bring down the Lu family, as long as their goals were aligned, they could cooperate. Otherwise, relying solely on the evidence in Zhao Xuanyi’s hands would make it somewhat difficult to completely bring down Lu Haoyu.

Perhaps because Lu Haoyu is young or cautious, Zhao Xuanyi doesn’t have much evidence of his illegal activities in her hands. Even if she were to expose them, at most he would be imprisoned for a couple of years.

What she wanted wasn’t just a temporary setback for Lu Haoyu, but a lifetime of irreparable ruin.

That’s the only way she can seek revenge for her unborn child.

“The Lu family now only has Lu Haoyu left. He’s just like Lu Weiyao emotionally, and I think you understand the best way to deal with those kinds of people.”

Although young, Xu Youyou didn’t feel intimidated at all when facing Zhao Xuanyi. “I also know you don’t want to get involved in these matters, but the longer we wait, the more variables there will be.”

Zhao Xuanyi’s attitude was clear. She didn’t want to ruin her life for the sake of the Lu family. In case Lu Haoyu and the others pushed her too far and they found evidence against her, as someone without any backing, Zhao Xuanyi was very concerned about her personal safety.

After all, once things reached a desperate point, who knows what the people of the Lu family might do?

Xu Youyou said, “If we cooperate, I will do everything in my power to protect your safety. You won’t even need to show up.”

Upon hearing Xu Youyou’s promise, Zhao Xuanyi’s lips curled up, and the two of them delved into the details of their conversation once again.

In the end, Zhao Xuanyi lifted her coffee cup, giving a nod to Xu Youyou as if toasting her. “Then I’ll await your good news.”

The two quickly parted ways, and Xu Youyou returned to the house near A University. She had been flipping through her mother’s diary these past few days, trying to find more clues from it.

If bringing down the Lu family and Lu Haoyu didn’t work, she wouldn’t give up. She’s determined to find a way to save her mother.

“Juanjuan?”

To Xu Youyou’s surprise, as soon as she entered, she saw Lu Chenjun sitting on the sofa. “When did you come over? Why didn’t you let me know?”

Lu Chenjun stood up. “I sent you a message, but you didn’t reply.”

If Xu Youyou didn’t respond soon, Lu Chenjun would have been worried enough to call the police and start looking for her.

Xu Youyou took out her phone and indeed saw several messages from Lu Chenjun half an hour ago. However, at that time, she was driving, and her mind was preoccupied with her mother’s situation, so she didn’t even think to check her phone.

“Ah, sorry.” Xu Youyou showed an apologetic smile. “I’ve been a bit busy these past few days.”

She had considered whether to tell Lu Chenjun, as having one more person meant more strength, and Lu Chenjun was so clever that he might make new discoveries.

But Xu Youyou didn’t dare. She was afraid that if a third person knew her mother’s identity, it might have irreversible consequences for her mother.

Lu Chenjun furrowed his brow slightly, seeming worried about Xu Youyou’s current state. “You’ve lost a lot of weight. Has something happened?”

Just three days after not seeing her, Lu Chenjun clearly noticed that Xu Youyou had lost weight.

In the past, although Xu Youyou was also thin, her complexion was very good, indicating a healthy thinness. But now, Xu Youyou’s complexion was not looking good at all.

“Huh?” Xu Youyou touched her face. “It’s probably because I’ve been busy with the art exhibition these past few days. It’s nothing, I’ll be fine after resting for a bit.”

During this period, Xu Youyou was truly overwhelmed with busyness. The art exhibition had already been scheduled with a set time and location, and she couldn’t just cancel it. Aunt Qin and the others would surely worry. However, her mother’s situation was equally urgent.

Not only was it urgent, but the key issue was not knowing whether what she was doing was right or not.

Could she be going in the wrong direction, wasting time that could be spent saving her mother? Could she end up…… harming her mother instead?

Xu Youyou had hardly slept these past few days, and even when she ate, it was just a few bites here and there. She had completely lost her appetite, so it would be strange if she didn’t lose weight.

Lu Chenjun noticed that Xu Youyou was distracted, but he wasn’t sure what was bothering her. If Xu Youyou could say what it was, she would have done so earlier. But pretending not to know anything was also impossible for him.

Lu Chenjun took a few steps forward and directly lifted Xu Youyou in a princess carry, ignoring her soft exclamation, and gently placed her on the bed in the bedroom. “How long has it been since you had a proper sleep?”

Xu Youyou replied, “……I slept quite well.”

The last few words became increasingly faint. Perhaps she also realized that her statement wasn’t very convincing. Could her dark circles be that noticeable?

“Xiao Lu.” Lu Chenjun met Xu Youyou’s gaze. “No matter what happens, please take care of yourself first, okay? I’ll be worried.”

“Aunt Xu wouldn’t want you to be like this.” Fearing his own influence might not be enough, Lu Chenjun indeed brought in Xu Wenyin as well. He knew that Xiao Lu listened to her mother the most.

Xu Youyou froze, meeting Lu Chenjun’s gaze.

Juanjuan’s pupils were very dark, and the two were very close right now, allowing Xu Youyou to clearly see the worry and a hint of fear in the depths of his eyes. Could Juanjuan also be afraid?

Although the scene should have been ambiguous, Xu Youyou had no thoughts of ambiguity in her mind. She turned her head slightly. “I’m sorry.”

Lu Chenjun let out an almost imperceptible sigh, then reached out and gently patted Xu Youyou’s head. “No need to apologize. I don’t know what happened, but if you need my help, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Xu Youyou blinked and looked at Lu Chenjun, who was close by. For some reason, her mood suddenly improved a little. “Then, can you sleep with me for a while?”

She couldn’t tell anyone about her mother’s situation, but Xu Youyou also knew that if she harmed her health for her mother’s sake, her mother would be very angry.

She was still young, so staying up for a few nights was okay. But once she crossed that line, even the strongest body wouldn’t hold up.

Upon hearing this invitation, Lu Chenjun was stunned for a moment. Of course, he knew Xu Youyou didn’t mean it that way, but……

Lu Chenjun sighed inwardly. This little deer was born to be his nemesis, wasn’t she?

Taking off his coat, Lu Chenjun lay down on Xu Youyou’s right side. The bed was large enough that it didn’t feel crowded.

“Okay, close your eyes. It’s three in the afternoon now. I’ll wake you up at five.”

Hearing Lu Chenjun’s words, Xu Youyou obediently closed her eyes, but one hand still tightly held onto the other large hand as if it would help her sleep better this way.

Soon, the room quieted down, with only the sound of shallow breathing audible.

Xu Youyou and Lu Chenjun, like when they were children, snuggled up together, bringing a sense of comfort to one another.

———pr

Waking up refreshed, Xu Youyou felt much lighter. Seeing that the auntie had already prepared dinner, she picked up a piece of food and put it in Lu Chenjun’s bowl. “Juanjuan, don’t worry, I won’t stay up late anymore in the future!”

Xu Youyou had a new inspiration in her half-dreaming and half-awake state! A better idea!

It was said that to make someone perish, one must first drive it to madness. If Lu Haoyu was inherently righteous, this trick wouldn’t work on him for sure.

But was Lu Haoyu upright? Of course not.

He hadn’t done anything illegal or immoral like Old Master Lu yet, only because it was either too early or he still hadn’t reached that extent. But once pushed to a certain point, Lu Haoyu’s character was probably even more ruthless than Old Master Lu and his father.

Old Master Lu had already been arrested, and negative news about the Lu family had been trending on social media. Besides the Qin and Qing families, others have also intervened.

After all, the pie was only so big. If someone gave up their share, others could have an extra bite.

Moreover, in the past two years when Lu Haoyu was arrogant, he offended quite a few people. Now, seeing the Lu family in decline, there was no shortage of people kicking them when they were down.

In the business world, it was common to talk about the importance of loyalty, but when it came to crucial moments, of course, one’s own interests came first.

Xu Youyou knew that Lu Haoyu wasn’t only worried about the Lu family’s affairs right now, but also involved in a fierce battle between Hua Duo’er and Yao Yunyou. Neither of them was easy to deal with. ‘You trip me up this time, and I’ll hit you back twice as hard next time’ seemed to be their mantra.

All Xu Youyou had to do was add another layer of fuel to the fire.

〖Task completion progress: 97%〗

———pr

Yao Yunyou suddenly received an invitation to play the role of the third female lead in a major foreign film.

They were only waiting for two days, and there would be no extension beyond that.

This was an unexpected delight for Yao Yunyou. Who wouldn’t want to become famous internationally? Even if it was just the third female lead, Yao Yunyou couldn’t care less. She immediately forgot about her conflict with Hua Duo’er and couldn’t wait to leave for abroad that very night.

However, this news also reached Hua Duo’ers ears. Thinking back to how Yao Yunyou had previously disrupted her role, she couldn’t help but worry. If this woman was indeed chosen for the role, wouldn’t Yao Yunyou fly high with pride?

Hua Duo’er quickly devised a plan and used Lu Haoyu to give Yao Yunyou food that would trigger an allergic reaction.

As expected, Yao Yunyou was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, missing out on this opportunity.

Upon waking up, she immediately understood who had caused her harm and also learned that she was already three months pregnant.

When Yao Yunyou was still abroad, Lu Haoyu had always regarded her as his white moonlight and had never even touched her.

The fire set off by this revelation left both Xu Youyou and Zhao Xuanyi stunned.

It completely exceeded their expectations, leaving them unsure of how things would unfold from there on.

Upon learning this news, Lu Haoyu’s slight sense of guilt for inadvertently causing an allergic reaction completely disappeared. He angrily confronted Yao Yunyou, demanding an explanation.

Yao Yunyou was already in a bad mood due to losing her role. Coupled with the news of her pregnancy and the realization that during her time abroad, she had been with multiple men in pursuit of her career. She also knew she had to terminate the pregnancy since it would further disrupt her plans and schedule.

So, upon hearing the questioning, she became even more enraged. If it weren’t for him and Hua Duo’er, would she have to endure this suffering?

Who knows? Maybe she would have been noticed by the director and successfully secured the role of the third female lead!

When people are angry, they tend to lose their rationality. Yao Yunyou confronted Lu Haoyu directly, and as the tension escalated, Lu Haoyu struck her with a powerful slap, knocking her to the ground. It was evident that he had used considerable force.

Yao Yunyou, already feeling unwell due to the allergic reaction, not only lost the child due to the altercation but was also informed by the doctor that it might be difficult for her to conceive in the future.

Deciding not to have children and being unable to conceive are indeed two separate matters. Unfortunately, this incident was reported by the paparazzi, and they also had some photos of Yao Yunyou attending those sensual parties abroad. This caused her already precarious reputation to plummet even further. The #YaoYunyouGetOutOfEntertainmentCircle became the number one trending topic instantly.

She was finished.

Yao Yunyou clearly realized this fact.

Her acting career was completely over!

Even if she could still land roles, they would likely be for minor characters. No production would cast her as a leading actress again, given her tarnished reputation!

How could Yao Yunyou, who had dreamed of reaching the pinnacle of the entertainment industry since childhood, bear such a blow?

It’s all Hua Duo’er and Lu Haoyu’s fault! It’s all because of them!

———pr

“Pfft——”

Before receiving Qin Yiren’s call, Xu Youyou was already pondering her next steps. The situation with Yao Yunyou had surpassed her previous expectations.

She and Zhao Xuanyi originally just wanted to intensify the conflict between Yao Yunyou and Hua Duo’er, so that Lu Haoyu would have even less energy to deal with other matters. When people have too much on their plate, they tend to make mistakes easily.

Only when he made mistakes could they catch him.

But who could have imagined that this single spark would ignite so many other events?

Whether it’s the paparazzi or the trending topics, Xu Youyou and the others didn’t interfere. It goes to show that what goes around, comes around. In the past, Yao Yunyou had the protection of the Lu family and her director father, which kept many scandals under wraps. But now, with the Lu family’s own troubles, let alone protecting Yao Yunyou, they could barely protect themselves.

However, Xu Youyou and Zhao Xuanyi never anticipated that Yao Yunyou would retaliate so fiercely when enraged.

She…… castrated Lu Haoyu.

That’s right. When Qin Yiren told her that over the phone, Xu Youyou almost doubted if she had heard correctly.

“Aunt Qin, this-, is Yao Yunyou insane?”

Hurting someone like that could lead to prison!

Qin Yiren was also taken aback. “Who knows what she’s thinking? Anyway, Lu Haoyu has been urgently rushed to the hospital. The latest information I have is that full recovery is impossible.”

Xu Youyou responded, “……This is probably the price of ‘deep love’, isn’t it?”

〖Task completion progress: 99%〗

———pr

Both Lu Haoyu and Yao Yunyou can be said to have suffered losses this time.

Yao Yunyou was sentenced for intentional injury, so she naturally refused to let Lu Haoyu go and immediately sued him for causing her miscarriage, which was also punishable.

Seeing Lu Haoyu’s precarious situation, Hua Duo’er naturally wanted to make a final profit. She produced some surveillance footage, including recordings of him coercing Hua Duo’er to act as a stand-in as well as videos of him insisting on having a relationship with Hua Duo’er despite her clear refusal.

Astonishingly, some of those videos were recorded by Lu Haoyu himself.

Who would have thought that without a word, it would turn into something so perverse?

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhao Xuanyi finally brought out all the evidence she had in her possession.

This included evidence of Lu Haoyu’s intimidation and threats to shareholders when he first rose to power to consolidate his position. There were also instances of him hiring people to injure employees. All of these were evidence Zhao Xuanyi had been collecting over the fifteen years she spent in the Lu family.

From Old Master Lu to Lu Haoyu, none of them probably ever imagined that their seemingly secure home and loyal servants had actually betrayed them. Zhao Xuanyi’s patience and cunning truly set her apart.

With multiple charges stacked against him, Lu Haoyu would likely be looking at at least a decade or more in prison, if not longer.

With all three generations of the Lu family either heading to or already in prison, seeing what these three individuals have done, who wouldn’t say they got what they deserved?

Xu Youyou also hadn’t anticipated that everything would unfold so smoothly, as if fate itself was lending a hand, but more so it seemed like the wheels of justice grinding inexorably on.

After all, these crimes were committed by them. No one forced the trio to commit them.

〖Task completion progress: 100%〗

〖A-level task 《The Longing^[1]Youyou of My Heart》 has been completed. A total of 1,874 points have been obtained after calculation〗

〖Number 5874 has been detected in forced dormant status. Emergency Plan C initiated. Undergoing automatic upgrade〗

〖Now successfully upgraded to Level A. Power source has been restored to 100%〗

〖Beep—— Dormancy has been lifted〗