If Lu Nian wanted a grand wedding, he would make it top-notch.

If she preferred a small gathering with friends, he would comply.

Ming Ge understood his concerns, knowing him to be sensitive and meticulous, especially when it came to Lu Nian.

He truly held her in high regard, considering every detail to prevent her from feeling the slightest discomfort.

But this matter was already set in stone and couldn’t be changed.

Outside was pitch black.

He pushed open the door of the bar, still carrying a faint scent of alcohol, and answered the phone in the night breeze.

It was Qiao Li.

“Mr. Qin,” Qiao Li’s voice was very cautious, “Regarding the Lu family’s matter, are you really planning to handle it this way? Mr. Qiao came to me today, handing over the official seal, account, and documents. I…”

“Regarding the Lu family’s affairs, whatever you plan to do next, handle it yourself.”

“If you don’t understand, ask Ming Hong or come to me.”

Qiao Li still found it somewhat unbelievable.

With Ning Sheng’s comprehensive assistance, the Lu family had already shown signs of recovery.

At this time, Qin Si was willingly relinquishing all authority and handing the entire Lu family over to him?

Qin Si’s public image and label outside had always been cold-blooded, ruthless, and cunning.

Qiao Li couldn’t truly believe his words.

There must be some additional reason or a hidden agenda behind his actions.

“I’m going to have a wedding soon.”

“When the time comes for the wedding, you’ll attend as her family,” he said.

Lu Zhihong was already useless.

It was said outside that the Lu family had already fallen under his control.

When a girl got married, he didn’t want Lu Nian to feel wronged, or to invite criticism from outsiders.

By entrusting the management of the Lu family to Qiao Li, it was actually giving it back to Lu Nian.

With a wealthy little brother, she wouldn’t appear so disadvantaged in the eyes of the world, and he himself would feel more secure.

Qiao Li began to understand.

He didn’t know what to say for a while. After a long silence, he said, “I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you for treating Lu Nian so well,” he said, “We’ll remember.”

Qin Si didn’t like hearing him say that.

He was her man, her future husband, and should be the closest person to her in this world.

Qiao Li’s tone made it seem as if it were a matter of course, as if he were thanking Qin Si on Lu Nian’s behalf.

It felt like drawing a line, with him, Zhao Yayuan, and Lu Nian on one side, and him isolated on the other.

Why?

He felt uncomfortable.

Qin Si rarely tolerated other people’s emotions.

If someone made him uncomfortable, he would naturally retaliate.

His voice became colder, “Make it clear, we are getting married. In the future, she is my wife first, then your sister.”

Qiao Li fell silent too.

To be honest, although he had told Lu Nian that Qin Si treated her well because he truly liked her, now that it had come to this point, his feelings were especially complicated.

He was about to be taken away again by another man, from him and Zhao Yayuan.

Qin Si returned to the bar.

“Who was it?”

Seeing that he didn’t seem eager to talk, “Nobody.”

Ming Ge could only keep quiet.

Huang Mao had already left, and the new father had gone back to take care of his child, not having time to drink outside.

“So, after you two get married and Lu Nian finishes her graduate studies, are you planning to have a child?” Ming Ge asked, “You’ve been fond of Huang Mao’s kids lately, feeling like you’re missing a little daughter. Both Rabbit and Lu Nian’s looks are top-notch, so a daughter would surely be beautiful. It would be lively then.”

“No, we’re not planning to.'”

He really didn’t like children, and besides, her health wasn’t good; having a child would probably be torture for her.

Ming Ge chuckled slyly, “Alright, got it.”

Young and just entering the world of lust, demand is definitely high, can’t endure ten months before and after.

“We don’t want them at all.”

Ming Ge, “?”

He sat up slowly, looking at the man’s expression, seemingly not joking.

“In that case, it’s best to discuss it with Lu Nian first,” Ming Ge said.

He remembered what Lu Nian had told him before about children.

She said if they wanted them, they would have them, and if they didn’t, they wouldn’t.

“Then she must really love you,” Ming Ge said. “You know, by not wanting children, you’re basically depriving a woman of the opportunity to be a mother just like that. Just because you don’t want them, how do you know she doesn’t want to experience a normal family?”

Qin Si fell silent, not saying anything for a while.

He glanced at the time; it was time.

The earliest time Lu Nian had allowed him to return; he didn’t want to stay here any longer.

“Boss, it seems something happened on the Zhao family’s side,” he received another call from Ming Hong on the way.

“What?”

To be honest, the Zhao family’s affairs were still not very relevant to them now, but Lu Nian had been concerned because of Zhao Yayuan and Qiao Li.

“Zhao’s wife, that woman named Su something, seems to have left alone these past few days, went to Haicheng, probably wanting to find Lu Zhihong again.”

“But what more can Lu Zhihong do for them now? That old man knows it well,” Ming Hong said.

On this end of the phone, the man’s handsome brows furrowed momentarily before smoothing out, a faint smile playing at the corners of his eyes and lips.

“Makes sense,” Ming Hong said.

The Zhao family had been in chaos recently.

Zhao Yayuan returned home and met with Zhao Tingyuan.

Surprisingly, his demeanor was much calmer than expected.

With just one sentence, he invalidated all of Zhao Tingyuan’s prepared explanations.

He said, “Brother, I don’t blame you.”

“You’re my brother,” Zhao Yayuan said. “You’ve been taking care of me since I was little, always protecting and doting on me. Our Zhao family has never had a tradition of siblings harming each other, and everyone in the family knows that.”

He spoke calmly and logically.

“Brother, there’s one more thing, did you know?” Zhao Yayuan said. “The little maid who came to our house last year, her real name is Su Xiaoqin.”

Zhao Tingyuan froze in place.

“I already know,” Zhao Yayuan said.

The information provided by Fang Deng was comprehensive, including everything about Su Xiaoqin, her connection with Lu Zhihong, and the materials factory…

“How many more people like this are there in our family?” he said. “When did our family’s oddities start?”

“I won’t tell Mom and Dad,” he had lost a lot of weight, his brows and eyes completely darkened, “I hope, Brother, you can also wake up and make a decision for yourself.”

That night, the light in Zhao Tingyuan’s bedroom stayed on for a long time.

Because of pressure and anger, the man’s handsome and gentle demeanor had long disappeared, revealing the ferocity beneath.

The door slammed shut heavily.

Su Qingyou went to the baby’s room; her face was also pale, bathed in the dim light.

“Xiu Yi,” she gently kissed the baby’s cheek, feeling the presence of a mother, Zhao Xiuyi grinned with his little mouth, his cheeks rosy, his grape-like eyes.

This was her and Zhao Tingyuan’s son.

She slowly straightened up, a shadow casting over her gentle face.

As long as that person no longer exists, all of this can temporarily come to an end.

Qin Si arrived home right on time.

He had been thinking a lot on the way back.

But now, even the wedding wasn’t finalized yet.

He didn’t want to think about children anymore either.

When he got back home, Lu Nian had already finished washing up and getting ready.

She excitedly said, “I’ve finished all my drawings. I told you, as soon as you leave, my efficiency immediately goes up.”

She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly, and kissed him on the cheek, to which he responded cooperatively.

As they cuddled, he finished his shower and came out with wet black hair.

Lu Nian nuzzled into his neck, catching a whiff of a faint, pleasant scent, like shower gel but not quite.

“Tomorrow, we’ve arranged to have dinner with Qiao Li,” Lu Nian said. “Let’s sleep early tonight.”

His fingers paused for a moment, and his thin lips pursed habitually.

He replied indifferently, “If you want to go, then go.”

He wouldn’t interfere too much.

That might annoy her.

He had been considering how to make her like him more.

He had never been good at pleasing others since he was young, nor had he ever imagined that one day he would let go of all dignity and exhaust all efforts just to win someone’s favor a little more.

If she liked him more, she wouldn’t leave him again.

She would agree to his proposal and be with him forever.

“What do you mean?” Lu Nian was lying on top of him, pinching his waist. “You’re not going?”

Could he go?

The man’s handsome brows and eyes remained calm and indifferent. “You can go.”

“Behave yourself when you go,” Lu Nian pinched him with her small feet. “Don’t get jealous easily.”

She was worried that Yayuan would also be there, and they might end up in another fight.

Her feet were caught by him, and he couldn’t resist.

While Lu Nian was having fun, he couldn’t help it. “Understand now?”

His long lashes trembled suddenly. “…”

“Do you like this?”

“Don’t say anything, okay?”

“… Say you like it, want it,” the girl’s soft voice, like a coaxing lure, was gentle and sweet, seemingly tempting, yet innocent.

The curtains were drawn, leaving only the two of them.

The beauty lay beside him, her clear face like jade.

Lu Nian felt that time was too short; it seemed like she could never get enough of him like this.