After arranging the real estate, vehicle, and liquid assets, Lu Nan received a message that Xu Chengzhi had also received the six cases of liquor shipped by air, totaling thirty-six bottles. 

His next step now was to take these bottles and conduct market research. In this regard, Lu Nan could only offer some insights and suggestions since market conditions at home and abroad were different. That said, with a career-driven woman like Wu Li as his wife, Lu Nan believed that Xu Chengzhi would quickly get the hang of things. 

As the saying goes, “The first time is unfamiliar, but the second time is easier.” Since it worked in the past life, this time, with more careful planning, it should go even smoother. Advancing the cooperation slightly doesn’t make much of a difference. 

Lu Nan remained optimistic. 

With everything going smoothly, by evening, she felt even more energized during her boxing class and delivered stronger kicks than usual. 

The coach, holding the kick pad, felt his arms go numb. Seeing the door of the private training room open, he immediately sighed in relief. “Mr. Chen, I’ll take you for the next session. Ms. Lu still has fifteen minutes left—why don’t you warm up first?” 

Lu Nan raised an eyebrow. Good thing it was after work; otherwise, wouldn’t he have been caught by his boss again? 

Chen Xiao adjusted his wrist guards and then said to Lu Nan, “Don’t worry, it’s after work now.” 

Lu Nan chuckled indifferently. Who was worried? It wasn’t the first time she’d been caught writing during work hours anyway. 

“I’ll hold the pads.” Adjusting his wrist guards, Chen Xiao turned to the boxing coach. 

The coach glanced at Lu Nan—there were still more than ten minutes left in the private session. 

Lu Nan nodded. “No problem. Just make up for the lost time in my next session.” Every minute of training cost money, so simply letting it slide was out of the question. She wouldn’t waste the fee she had paid. 

With that, the coach unfastened the straps securing the kick pads to his arms, handed them to Chen Xiao, and left the private training room. 

Chen Xiao slipped his hands through the straps at the back of the pads, secured them, and gave them a firm slap. The sound of leather meeting palm echoed dully. “Is this height okay?” He bent his elbows and held the pads at chest level as he asked Lu Nan. 

It was a bit high. 

Still, Lu Nan used her left leg as a pivot, lifted her knee, rotated her hip, and executed a swift, powerful kick. 

“Again!” Chen Xiao kept his arms firmly in place, signaling with his gaze for Lu Nan to continue. 

Switching between her left and right legs, Lu Nan delivered over twenty more kicks before finally saying, “I’m tired. I’m getting some water.” 

Watching Lu Nan go to the corner of the room to get a water bottle, Chen Xiao subtly rotated his elbow—his arm was still a bit numb from the impact. No wonder the coach had looked so elated when leaving. 

When Lu Nan finished drinking and turned around, Chen Xiao appeared completely unfazed. “Continue?” 

In reality, three walls of the private training room were mirrors, and Lu Nan had seen his silent grimace clearly. 

“Take a seat for a while.” She casually pulled over a yoga mat and turned to ask, “How come you’re free today, Brother Xiao?” 

“The issue with unauthorized goods has basically been resolved. I reported to the regional director this morning, and now we’re just waiting for headquarters to gather all the necessary evidence. After that, they’ll decide on the penalties for the distributors involved and for Xiang Yunfeng,” Chen Xiao said as he unfastened the pads and flexed his fists to get the blood flowing again. 

Lu Nan was curious. “So it really was Director Xiang? What was he after?” 

Chen Xiao pulled over a yoga mat and sat down as well. “Money. Zhou Tian said that Xiang Yunfeng owes quite a bit from gambling.” 

Gambling ruins lives. 

The atmosphere within Yuan Chuan wasn’t great either—both the leaders and salespeople had a strong fondness for mahjong. 

Lu Nan sighed. “When will the official notice be released?” 

“Early next month. The distributors who supplied him will be fined and lose their contract renewal for next year. As for Xiang Yunfeng, the company will fine him, terminate his employment, and issue an industry-wide notice.” 

Lu Nan nodded without a trace of sympathy. “Given the severity of the situation, an industry-wide notice is warranted.” 

“What are you thinking about?” Chen Xiao asked. 

“I’m thinking about how the company plans to deal with Green Trading’s inventory after taking a hard stance against the unauthorized distribution of Harmony. Even if they buy it back, they’ll have to offer a discount.” 

Chen Xiao chuckled. “Are you seriously planning to get involved? What I said before was just casual talk, I wasn’t actually counting on you owing me a favor.” 

Lu Nan responded seriously, “I’m not joking. If you insist that I don’t owe you a favor, then think of it this way—I’m doing this because I see a profitable opportunity.” 

Chen Xiao wanted to ask how she planned to go about it, but Lu Nan cut him off, saying it was too early to discuss and not worth boasting about. 

She stood up, pushed open the private training room door, and called out, “Coach, let’s stretch.” 

The next day, after the morning meeting, Lu Nan submitted a leave request for Saturday. 

It had already been several days since she told her mother about buying a house. In the meantime, her mother had seemingly forgotten all about their cold war and had called three or four times to get more details. Each time, Lu Nan had dodged the conversation with, “Let’s talk in person when I come home this weekend.” 

She hoped that time had been enough for her mother to cool down. 

A single day off could be approved by the department’s business supervisor—but Lu Nan herself was the business supervisor. 

So, she still had to submit the leave request to Manager Wang, who oversaw the office’s daily operations (while Chen Xiao only handled matters related to classic liquor). 

Manager Wang seemed distracted today, but he quickly approved Lu Nan’s request. 

With the signed leave slip in hand, Lu Nan left his office and headed to Jiang Xiaoyun to have it filed. 

In the hallway, she ran into Chen Xiao and instinctively stepped to the right to make way. 

As they passed each other, Chen Xiao glanced at the leave slip in her hand. 

*** 

Although the leave was for Saturday, it didn’t stop Lu Nan from attending the morning meeting on Friday, showing up briefly at Feixiang, and slipping away after lunch. Even though she had come to terms with the cruel reality that she could no longer be a slacker, she still had to find opportunities to take it easy, right? 

Lu Nan calculated the time needed to drive back and arrived at the entrance of a junior high school just before 4 PM. 

This school follows a boarding system and grants students leave twice a month. On the Fridays when they are dismissed, classes end earlier in the evening. 

Lu Nan focused on the school gate. All the students coming out were in uniforms, making it a bit hard to recognize anyone. “Lu Yang! Over here.” 

“Big Sis? What are you doing here?” Lu Yang, who had just started middle school, wore glasses and carried a noticeably heavy backpack. “Is this your new car?” 

“Yes, it’s new. I took some time off. If I didn’t come back soon, Mom would probably come looking for me in Hailin. Get in.” 

Lu Yang got into the front passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt properly. “You should’ve waited a while before coming back. When I called home last weekend, Mom said you’ve grown wings and told me not to follow your example.” 

Keeping her eyes on the road, Lu Nan focused on the traffic. “Still being all sarcastic? Did she take it out on you?” 

“It wasn’t too bad. I just let it go in one ear and out the other.” Lu Yang only answered his sister’s second question because it was obvious that their mom was angry, so there was no need to say it out loud. Then, he couldn’t help but ask, “Did Dad… remarry?” 

This was something their mother would talk about with her but wouldn’t normally tell her younger brother. So… “When did you find out?” When they stopped at a red light, Lu Nan glanced at her brother. The boy frowned slightly. 

“During the National Holiday. Mom was on the phone in the living room. She thought I was in my room with the door shut and wouldn’t hear her, but she got too loud later on.” 

Lu Nan let out a soft sigh. “He hasn’t remarried, but he did have a child out of wedlock.” Rather than letting her younger brother overthink things, it was better to tell him the truth. Though he didn’t talk much, he was a thoughtful kid. 

Lu Yang lowered his head and responded with a simple “Oh,” as if he didn’t quite know what to say. 

As the traffic light changed, Lu Nan reached out and ruffled her brother’s hair. “It’s fine. If the sky falls, your big sister will hold it up for you. Your job right now is to study hard, got it?” 

Lu Yang pressed his lips together and said hesitantly, “Actually, I can transfer to a public school.” 

Lu Nan immediately understood. “Mom brought up your tuition fees again?” 

“Yeah.” Lu Yang looked a bit embarrassed. “It’s too expensive.” 

I knew it. Lu Nan clenched her jaw slightly. “Let’s not rush this conversation. We’ll sit down and talk it over properly tonight, the three of us.” 

Lu Yang had always trusted his sister, who was ten years older than him, so he changed the subject. “Sis, how long are you staying this time?” 

“I’m leaving on Sunday. I’ll drop you off at school on my way.” 

“That sounds great.” The young boy nodded excitedly, then added, “But if it’s out of your way, don’t worry about it. The bus goes directly there—it’s really convenient.” 

Lu Nan chuckled but also felt a little heartache. “Silly. Picking you up was on the way when I came back, so of course, dropping you off will be on the way too.” 

“Oh, okay.” Lu Yang obediently agreed. 

The commute from Lu Yang’s middle school to their home usually took over an hour by direct bus, but with Lu Nan driving, it was just over twenty minutes. 

They arrived home before five. 

Lu Yang unlocked the door with his key. Hearing the noise, their mother walked out of the kitchen while speaking, “You’re home early today. Did you get a ride from a classmate’s family?” 

As she finished her sentence, she finally noticed her daughter standing behind her son. 

Her expression changed. At first, she seemed unsure of what to say. After opening her mouth a few times without speaking, she finally said stiffly, “You didn’t say which day you’d be back in advance. I didn’t make your food.” 

“It’s fine, I usually don’t eat rice at night. Just a few bites of vegetables are enough.” 

“What’s wrong with you? Skipping meals all the time. Losing weight, losing weight—what’s the point? I’m telling you; health is the most important! Starving yourself to lose weight will only cause other problems!” Upon hearing Lu Nan’s response, Mother Lu became displeased. “If rice isn’t enough, I’ll heat up a multigrain bun for you. Want one?” 

Although she didn’t feel like eating, Lu Nan knew that refusing the bun would only irritate her mother. What her mother was offering wasn’t just a bun—it was an olive branch. A subtle one, but after years of experience, she could read between the lines. 

So Lu Nan replied, “Okay.” 

Lu Yang, who had already changed his shoes, gave his older sister a look that said, Good luck, and then said, “Mom, I’m going to do my homework now.” 

“The bone broth is heating up, and I’ll just stir-fry a couple of dishes. It’ll only take about ten minutes, so stop pretending to be busy. Go to the balcony with your sister and bring in the laundry and bedding,” Mother Lu said without turning around. 

And so, the siblings got to work. 

On the balcony, Lu Nan saw that the bedding drying in the sun was hers. It carried the warm scent of sunlight. 

During dinner, Mother Lu seemed like she wanted to say something multiple times, but seeing her children focused on eating, she decided to wait until after the meal. 

When they finished, Lu Nan stood up to clear the dishes, but Mother Lu slapped her hand away. “Lu Yang, put the dishes in the sink and wash them with hot water. Lu Nan, come with me.” Clearly, she couldn’t wait to have this conversation. 

But Lu Nan said, “We’ll clean up the table later. My brother should come to the living room too. He’s part of the family, and he’s not a little kid anymore—he can listen.” 

Lu Yang glanced at his mother, then at his sister, and finally decided to follow his sister’s lead. 

Mother Lu vaguely felt like her authority in the family was being challenged. But the change in her daughter was undeniable—she carried a presence that she couldn’t quite grasp. What was so important that she was making such a big deal out of it? 

The three of them sat in the living room. 

It was a three-seater sofa. Lu Nan and Mother Lu each took a side, while little man Lu Yang sat in the middle. 

After a few minutes of silence, Mother Lu was the first to speak. “Go ahead. What’s this sudden need for the household registration book about?” 

Got you. Lu Nan stood up, walked over to a single-seater sofa, and took out her bag. She unzipped it and first pulled out the household registration book. “I’ve already used it. I brought it back this time to return it to Grandma.” Then, she took out three real estate ownership certificates, spread them open, and placed them on the coffee table. 

The red covers with gold embossed lettering stood out strikingly. 

Mother Lu had been trying to keep a serious expression, but the moment she saw three certificates, she lost her composure. 

She turned to look at Lu Nan, her face full of confusion and disbelief. She immediately grabbed the three certificates and flipped through them quickly—independent ownership, owner: Lu Nan, all located in Lily Garden, XX Street, XX District, Hailin City… 

“What’s this about? Did you win the lottery?” That was Mother Lu’s first reaction. 

Lu Nan smiled but didn’t respond. Instead, she pulled out a car key and a vehicle purchase tax receipt from her bag. 

Mother Lu’s forehead twitched. She turned to her son and asked, “Didn’t you two take a taxi home? Your sister drove back?” 

Lu Yang nodded. 

Receiving confirmation, Mother Lu took a deep breath before snapping at Lu Nan, “How dare you drive back yourself? You got your license years ago but never touched a car, and you just went ahead and drove on the highway alone?!” 

Harsh words, but wasn’t there concern hidden in them? 

Because of that, Lu Nan told herself: See, she doesn’t actually not love you. She just prioritizes resentment over love. 

Lu Nan rubbed her nose and placed the car key on the table. “I drove slowly and steadily.” 

“You’d better have!” Mother Lu said. “Anything else? Just take it all out at once.” 

“That’s it. Nothing more.” Seeing that her mother’s assumptions were at least coming from a place of goodwill, Lu Nan decided to cut to the chase. “I didn’t win the lottery. I made money from stocks.”