《From Runaway Bride to Global Queen》 Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Accidentally Fell For It Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Accidentally Fell For It ¡°Slap!¡± In the empty hotel suite, the sound of the high-footed glass shattering on the floor was especially jarring. Qiao Yi stared at Qiao Xin, her surprised eyes diffused with an unmistakable haze, ¡°This wine¡­ did you drug it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Seeing her fall for it, sitting on the ground with legs giving out, eyes vacant, and face flushed, Qiao Xin laughed heartily, ¡°Tomorrow is your grand wedding day, and as your sister, I must give you an impressive gift.¡± ¡°This is nothing; the main show is still to come!¡± Each word, as if squeezed through clenched teeth. The very next second, Qiao Xin clapped her hands lightly. The door was pushed open on cue, a few burly men stepping directly in front of Qiao Xin with an eager reverence, ¡°Miss Qiao, we¡¯ve long been ready, hehehe¡­¡± ¡°Very good!¡± Before her consciousness faded, Qiao Yi faintly heard their conversation. Straining to hold onto her senses, she saw several portly men at the door and asked with trembling and fearful voice, ¡°Sister¡­ why¡­ why are you doing this?¡± Qiao Xin, born from the same mother and grown up together with her, why would she do this to her? Upon hearing this, venom and malice filled Qiao Xin¡¯s eyes as she looked down from above, stomping fiercely on Qiao Yi¡¯s pale face, ¡°Because I hate you! I absolutely loathe you!¡± ¡°Even though I am the rightful Miss of the Qiao Family, throughout all these years, no matter in terms of physique, appearance, academic achievements, or abilities, you have always outshined me, all the glory belongs solely to you! Why?¡± Qiao Xin¡¯s voice was sharp and filled with too much resentment. The more she spoke, the angrier she became, and at last she almost roared, ¡°The marriage agreement between the Qiao and Lu families was set twenty years ago! The chance to marry into the Lu Family should have been mine! It was you! It was you who stole everything that was supposed to be mine!¡± ¡°Now¡­ I want you to taste the pain of falling from the clouds into the abyss!¡± ¡°I want you to be utterly disgraced!¡± After speaking, she threw a final cold look at Qiao Yi, then walked proudly towards the doorway. Qiao Xin left. The vast room was left with only Qiao Yi and a few lecherous scoundrels. Watching them approach with sinister smiles, Qiao Yi didn¡¯t even have the energy to plead for them to spare her, let alone think about running away. As the drug took effect, her vision grew increasingly blurry. Panic, fear, helplessness. Tears uncontrollably streamed down her cheeks as one by one, the obese faces kept enlarging before her eyes until Qiao Yi finally resigned to her fate and closed her eyes. ¡­ When Qiao Yi woke up again, it was already the next morning. The room, filled with an ambiguous scent, brought back all the memories before she fainted, and she suddenly sat up in a panic. ¡°Hiss~¡± The excruciating pain, like being crushed under a wheel, made her gasp sharply. It was real¡­ She had actually¡­ Qiao Yi didn¡¯t love Lu Ming. She agreed to marry him only because of the marriage agreement set between their families years ago, coupled with the fact that she was indeed at a marriageable age, and the elderly at home incessantly urged her on. After all, she and Lu Ming had known each other for many years, almost like family, better to marry this old friend who knew her completely than someone else. Now¡­ Qiao Yi vaguely remembered, someone suddenly burst in last night, and then there were those scoundrels¡¯ dissatisfied curses. As for what happened afterward, she could not clearly recall. Who was the person who violated her last night? Was it those scoundrels? Or¡­ Closing her eyes briefly, Qiao Yi knew she couldn¡¯t dwell on this matter any longer. Because she knew Qiao Xin. To painstakingly stage such a drama, just to ruin her innocence, it hardly seemed worth it. What exciting scenes had Qiao Xin arranged to happen next for her? ¡°Bang!¡± As she was thinking, the room door was suddenly slammed open, producing a heavy collision sound. Qiao Yi suddenly looked up, only to see a group of people rushing in, among them a few familiar faces, and many gossip reporters holding up their cameras. ¡°Miss Qiao, your wedding with Mr. Lu is in just two hours, why aren¡¯t you at the wedding venue preparing, but appear here instead?¡± ¡°Somebody saw you entering this hotel room with a young man last night, may I ask who he is? What is the relationship between you two?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The reporters were bombarding her with questions, and someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, ¡°Look! There are several used condoms in the trash can!¡± Upon these words, the corner where the Qiao and Lu families stood simply turned green. Especially Mrs. Lu. She had never liked Qiao Yi, this second daughter of the Qiao family, always feeling like they were mismatched, and even though Old Mr. Lu insisted, she had reluctantly agreed. Now, look at this. ¡°My son was busy with wedding arrangements all night, and you went behind his back and checked into a room with someone else? Have you no shame?¡± ¡°Our Lu Family will absolutely not accept such an indecent woman!¡± ¡°Since the press is here, I will announce in front of everyone, that the marriage between Lu Qiao and Qiao Lu is hereby called off! The wedding is canceled!¡± In the corner, the faces of Qiao Benqing and his wife were gloomy and ashen. Their daughter, whom they had cherished for years, had actually committed such an indecent act! Family disgrace! It truly is a family disgrace! Suppressing the raging anger in his heart, for the face of the Qiao Family, Qiao Benqing could only grit his teeth and try to mediate, ¡°Mrs. Lu, what exactly happened is still unknown, proposing to cancel the engagement now seems rather premature, doesn¡¯t it?¡± It would be no big deal for him to arrange for someone to come forward and confess to the matter. Just say he kindly sent Qiao Yi to the hotel and then left. There was still room to turn the situation around. ¡°Besides, canceling an engagement is a big decision, shouldn¡¯t Mrs. Lu discuss it with Old Mr. Lu and Mr. Lu first before making a decision?¡± Qiao Benqing spoke gravely. Aristocratic marriages are not as simple as they seem on the surface. The entangled interests involved are simply too numerous. But Mrs. Lu could hardly care about all that now, finally having an opportunity to shut out this annoying girl, Qiao Yi. She certainly wouldn¡¯t foolishly give up! ¡°Can¡¯t I, the mother, decide on my own son¡¯s marriage matters!?¡± ¡°Qiao Yi cheated before her wedding, the facts are right before your eyes, no need to speak in her favor anymore! Anyway¡­¡± Mrs. Lu had only said half of her piece when a tall, upright figure suddenly walked through the door. In an instant, everyone¡¯s gaze was uniformly drawn to him, surprised yet tinged with a hint of schadenfreude, waiting to see the drama unfold. Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Wedding Cancelled Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Wedding Cancelled ¡°The person who checked into the hotel with Qiao Yi last night was me.¡± In front of everyone, Lu Ming enunciated each word distinctly and clearly. What? Him?? How is that possible!? A reporter from the crowd could not hold back and hurriedly asked, ¡°Young Master Lu, you and Miss Qiao are officially engaged, why would you still sneak into a hotel to check in anonymously in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°Who said engaged couples can¡¯t have some special quirks?¡± Lu Ming coldly retorted. With that remark, the reporter was rendered speechless. Now that the person concerned has admitted it, naturally no one felt it appropriate to say much. However, they all felt something was odd. Not just the reporters. Even Qiao Yi herself was half in doubt. Before falling into a deep sleep, she clearly heard a crisp yet very magnetic voice. That voice¡­ it wasn¡¯t Lu Ming¡¯s. But if it wasn¡¯t him, why would he admit it? Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t figure it out and simply chose not to think about it anymore. Scanning the faces with different expressions in front of her, she politely said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave. I need to change my clothes.¡± This issue just passed lightly!? Mrs. Lu was not satisfied! ¡°Mingming, are you hiding some kind of unavoidable difficulties?¡± ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t you go to the wedding venue first to prepare? Yi Yi and I have a few words to say, and then we¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything to you later in detail, please leave for now.¡± Lu Ming was adamant, Mrs. Lu could not say much, and left feeling discontent. Following her, the reporters also left with downcast expressions. Finally, it was Mr. and Mrs. Qiao Benqing. After everyone had left, Qiao Xin, who was hiding all this time in the room across, gritted her teeth and closed the door gap, wondering what exactly was up with Lu Ming? Having a field of green grass as his ceiling was one thing, but he was even hastily taking a green hat to wear. Was he not awake this morning or did he take the wrong medication? Meanwhile, in the spacious presidential suite, Qiao Yi, now changed, walked out of the room and sat opposite Lu Ming on the sofa, ¡°The person from last night, was it really you?¡± Qiao Yi urgently needed a definite answer. However, Lu Ming gave her an ambiguous response, ¡°Whether it was or wasn¡¯t me, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Early this morning, Keke was in a car accident on her way to Capital City, her kidney severely damaged. I¡¯ve checked, and the compatibility results between you two are 99%. I hope you will donate your kidney to her.¡± Donate her kidney? Qiao Yi almost thought she heard wrong. Why would she, a perfectly healthy person, go donate her kidney for no reason? Moreover. A kidney could fetch millions on the black market. Although she wasn¡¯t lacking money, she wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to give away her organs for free! ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°Keke had the accident while she was on her way to my wedding. All of this started because of me; I owe her, and I should repay her!¡± Ha! Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t help but let out a cold laugh. ¡°Since it¡¯s you who owes her, you should be the one to repay her, why come to me?¡± Rolling her eyes, she stood up to leave. But she had only taken a few steps when her wrist was tightly grasped by a pair of strong hands: ¡°Soon you will be Mrs. Lu, you can live a life of luxury in the Lu Family, with everything provided for you. Even without a kidney, you won¡¯t die, but it¡¯s different for Keke! If we can¡¯t find a suitable kidney for her, she might not even survive a week!¡± A week? Lin Ke should just drop dead right now, that would save me the trouble! Coldly shaking off the hands of Lu Ming that held her, Qiao Yi¡¯s lips curved up slightly, her words full of mockery: ¡°If you¡¯re so reluctant to let her go, why not just go with her? I don¡¯t mind being a widow for the rest of my life!¡± After leaving the hotel, Qiao Yi went directly to the wedding venue. Of course, she wasn¡¯t going there to get married. From her recent conversation with Lu Ming, she had already gotten the answer she wanted. Qiao Yi had originally thought that, relying on their childhood friendship, even if Lu Ming didn¡¯t like her, he would at least not treat her too badly, but now¡­ He actually wanted to cruelly take her kidney for another woman? For this, he even dared to publicly accept such a great humiliation. What a terrifying man! ¡­ Outside the Imperial Hotel. Qiao Yi watched from a distance the constant stream of people at the entrance, her lips curling into a cold arc. What ¡®everything provided for her¡¯, what ¡®living in luxury¡¯. She never cared for these! At this moment, there were less than ten minutes left until the start of the wedding. The hotel was filled with guests, but the Qiao and Lu families were anxiously waiting for Qiao Yi and Lu Ming, looking completely flustered. Two minutes before ten. They finally saw the belated Qiao Yi. Seeing her, Qiao Benqing walked up to her first, looking behind at Qiao Yi with a worried expression: ¡°Where¡¯s Lu Ming? Why didn¡¯t he come with you?¡± How can the Qiao Family hold their heads up in the future if the groom is absent on the wedding day? ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry, please take a seat in the guest area,¡± Qiao Yi said with a light smile. Glancing at the burning gazes around him, Qiao Benqing could only nod silently and finally sat down quietly in the first row of the guest seats. Qiao Yi followed closely behind him, walking up to the stage. Looking at the puzzled crowd below, she, like an outsider, took the microphone from the host and said calmly: ¡°Thank you all friends and relatives, and media reporters for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend mine and Lu Ming¡¯s wedding, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell everyone that the wedding between me and Lu Ming is canceled, please return home.¡± What? Canceled!? Most of the guests present were prominent figures from the Capital City, and they had heard some explosive rumors this morning. How come it was Qiao Yi who was caught cheating, but now she¡¯s the one dumping Lu Ming? Among the crowd, Old Mr. Lu was the first to stand up and step forward to Qiao Yi, smiling kindly as always: ¡°Miss Qiao, you must be joking, right? Or did that rascal Lu Ming treat you badly? If you feel wronged, tell Grandpa, I¡¯ll teach him a lesson for you!¡± Old Mr. Lu¡¯s fondness for Qiao Yi was largely due to her family background. This, Qiao Yi knew very well. ¡°Grandpa Lu, Lu Ming hasn¡¯t treated me badly, it¡¯s just that I myself don¡¯t want to marry him,¡± she politely replied. She doesn¡¯t want to? How could such a big decision depend on her whims? Turning to look at Qiao Benqing behind him, who also appeared incredulous, Old Mr. Lu spoke sternly: ¡°In-law, Qiao Yi is still young, she doesn¡¯t understand the consequences, aren¡¯t you going to stop your daughter from being so willfully reckless?¡± Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Getting Beaten Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Getting Beaten ¡°Old Mr. Lu, I¡­¡± ¡°Lu and Qiao families have been partners for decades, surely you wouldn¡¯t want such a trivial matter to affect our relationship, right?¡± In Old Mr. Lu¡¯s simple words, there was a thick hint of threat. Indeed, nothing should disrupt the relationship between the Lu and Qiao families! Qiao Benqing has always doted on Qiao Yi, letting her have her own way in everything, but today¡­ ¡°Yiyi, no matter what, you must marry into the Lu Family, and we can talk about everything else later!¡± It was the first time he spoke to her in such a firm tone. Qiao Yi knew that her father was angry. At the same time, she was even more aware that her destiny was always to prioritize the interests of the family. But¡­ Is it worth sacrificing your own life for the family? At this moment, Qiao Yi suddenly fell silent. Because of her silence, the vast banquet hall also suddenly fell into an eerie quietness. Everyone anxiously awaited Qiao Yi¡¯s response, except for one person. That was Lu Yanchuan. He was the youngest son of Old Mr. Lu, and the younger uncle by relation to Lu Ming, currently sitting in the most cornered position in the room, His chiseled profile under the brilliant chandelier became even more distinct. And those deep, narrow black eyes seemed captivating enough to bewitch one¡¯s soul. From the beginning to the end, his gaze never shifted away from Qiao Yi. Is it her? That woman¡¯s slender waist last night, those eyes clear as spring water, and her moans sounding like copper bells still deeply etched in his heart. Most unforgettable was the smear of bright red he saw on the sheets when he left this morning. Unexpectedly, the woman with whom he had spent the whole night was going to be his nephew¡¯s fianc¨¦e? Interesting. Since the marriage between Lu and Qiao families was inevitable¡­ Lu Yanchuan slowly stood up, walking nonchalantly to the front and meaningfully asked Qiao Yi, ¡°Since you must marry into the Lu family, why not consider marrying me?¡± Qiao Yi knew him. The eminent President of Lu Group, a man so wealthy and powerful in Capital City that he could overshadow others single-handedly, undoubtedly the favored son of heaven, and also the prince charming in the dreams of all high society ladies of Capital City. He wants to marry her? Intuition told her that things weren¡¯t so simple. ¡°Why?¡± Qiao Yi reflexively asked. Hearing this, Lu Yanchuan just lightly chuckled, then leisurely replied, ¡°Because I¡¯m a responsible man.¡± Responsible? Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t understand at all why, just because he was responsible, she would have to marry him? What a joke! There are plenty of responsible men in the world! Without even thinking, Qiao Yi directly refused: ¡°Mr. Lu should stop joking; if this gets out, people will laugh at you for stealing your nephew¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°Why should you care about what others think?¡± .4. Upon hearing that Lu Yanchuan wanted to marry Qiao Yi, the wedding venue instantly erupted. [Oh my god! What did I just hear!?] [Mr. Lu has dominated the business world for over a decade and has never taken any woman seriously! And now he actually wants to marry Miss Qiao? It¡¯s the end for me! My love has ended before it even started!] [Third Young Master Lu is way above Young Master Lu in every aspect! Miss Qiao, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, say yes quickly!] [¡­] The guests have begun to whisper and buzz impatiently. Some felt joy, others sorrow. Qiao Xin sat in the front row, her face pale and her eyes, shimmering with ripples, full of bitterness. She had loved Lu Yanchuan for a full ten years! From youthful naivety to now, she had never stopped imagining the day she would become Lu Yanchuan¡¯s wife. For this, she endured in silence, striving hard, believing that if only she could remove Qiao Yi, all the glory would be hers alone, and then Lu Yanchuan would surely see her worth! But¡­ Despite all her calculations and efforts, she ended up pushing Qiao Yi right into Lu Yanchuan¡¯s arms. No! It can¡¯t be! Forgetting where she was, Qiao Xin suddenly stood up and walked to the stage: ¡°Sister, why hasn¡¯t your husband arrived yet? Is he delayed by something? You should call him.¡± As long as Qiao Yi kept being with Lu Ming, Lu Yanchuan would eventually be hers. Hearing her, Qiao Yi frowned slightly without showing much reaction. Qiao Xin? She hadn¡¯t had the time to demand an explanation from her, and here she was, appearing on her own initiative. Ha! Qiao Yi sneered coldly and slapped Qiao Xin across the face without a word. ¡°Slap!¡± Qiao Yi used all her strength in that slap. Qiao Xin¡¯s originally fair and tender cheek visibly swelled up, and for a moment, she didn¡¯t react, staring at Qiao Yi in shock and anger: ¡°You hit me?¡± ¡°I was only concerned about you, and you actually¡­¡± ¡°Slap!¡± Not letting Qiao Xin finish her sentence, Qiao Yi raised her hand and fiercely slapped her again: ¡°You know exactly why I hit you!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Qiao Xin was at a loss for words. With relatives and friends around, she decided to play the victim, and large tears suddenly rolled down her cheeks: ¡°Yiyi, I know you¡¯ve never liked me, but it¡¯s too much to do this in front of so many people.¡± Qiao Benqing watched from the side. Blood is thicker than water. Although he favored Qiao Yi, he didn¡¯t want to leave an impression of partiality. Stepping between the two sisters, he spoke earnestly: ¡°Yes, Yiyi, Xin Xin is your elder sister, how could you treat her like this? Is there some misunderstanding?¡± ¡°There is no misunderstanding,¡± Qiao Yi replied calmly. She believed that if she made the cause public, her parents would undoubtedly take her side without hesitation. But she couldn¡¯t! She wasn¡¯t foolish enough to broadcast that she had a one-night stand with a stranger! With a cold laugh, Qiao Yi continued solemnly: ¡°I hit her because I felt like hitting her, and I will do so every time I see her, no special reason needed.¡± Since childhood, Qiao Yi excelled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and also learned jujutsu, Taekwondo, Tai Chi. On the other hand, Qiao Xin. Over the past decade, she had only indulged in the luxuries of the Qiao Family¡¯s wealthy lifestyle, with shopping as her biggest pastime; when it comes to fighting, ten of her couldn¡¯t match Qiao Yi. Now¡­ If she got hit, then so be it, as long as Qiao Yi didn¡¯t marry Lu Yanchuan, she could handle anything! The next second, Qiao Xin sniffled, and as if nothing had happened, forced a smile and said: ¡°Today is a joyous day for my sister, let¡¯s not talk about this now, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Mom, Dad, I suppose your son-in-law got held up by something on his way, I¡¯ll go make a call to him.¡± Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Qiao Xin likes Lu Yanchuan Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Qiao Xin likes Lu Yanchuan ¡°` Qiao Xin is so eager to promote her marriage to Lu Ming? If she were sincere, she wouldn¡¯t have spent money hiring those people to disgust her! Then she¡­ Upon careful consideration, Qiao Yi suddenly realized. Qiao Xin likes Lu Yanchuan! The reason she did this was simply because she did not want her to snatch away the man she deeply loves! A glint swiftly flashed across Qiao Yi¡¯s beautiful eyes, the more Qiao Xin liked something, the more she didn¡¯t want her to have it! She wanted to see how Qiao Xin would watch her beloved man being snatched away! Then, she turned her head and met Lu Yanchuan¡¯s deep gaze, smilingly asking: ¡°Did Third Young Master just say he wanted to marry me, was that serious?¡± ¡°Absolutely serious.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Now.¡± Lu Yanchuan always did as he said. He slipped a platinum ring, encrusted with diamonds, off his left ring finger and presented it to Qiao Yi. In front of hundreds of guests present, he slowly got down on one knee: ¡°Yiyi, will you marry me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Qiao Yi readily nodded in agreement. As everyone said, Lu Yanchuan was indeed far superior to Lu Ming. Since both were marrying a man she did not love, why not choose to marry Lu Yanchuan, who was revered by thousands? It annoyed Lu Ming and could infuriate Qiao Xin to death. Two birds with one stone! She stretched her hand to Lu Yanchuan, watching as he put the ring on her, and then coldly glanced at the emcee who didn¡¯t know what to do next, sternly instructing: ¡°You may continue with your job now.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ alright, alright.¡± Receiving the cold hint from Lu Yanchuan, the emcee felt a chill down his spine. He forcibly calmed down and continued with his duty: ¡°The groom has put the ring on the bride, next, the groom may kiss the bride.¡± As the emcee¡¯s voice fell, Lu Yanchuan directly kissed Qiao Yi¡¯s lips. Almost instantly, Qiao Yi¡¯s brain went blank. This man¡­ The faint scent of tobacco between his lips mixed with the DN cologne on him lingered in her breath for a long time, so familiar, just like¡­ The man from last night! ¡°Is it you?¡± Qiao Yi coldly pushed him away, her eyes filled with surprise and caution. Hearing this, Lu Yanchuan smiled with a non-smiling expression, answering indirectly: ¡°The wedding has succeeded, Miss Qiao will be Lu Yanchuan¡¯s wife from now on.¡± Qiao Yi said nothing. She just quietly looked at the handsome face in front of her, her intuition telling her that this man was far from being as simple as he seemed! Even, she felt a strong sense of danger from him. ¡°Since the wedding ceremony is over, I am a bit tired and would like to rest,¡± Qiao Yi said coldly. With those words, she walked straight out of the wedding hall without looking at Lu Yanchuan again. She needed time. She needed to think carefully about what all of this was about! In the resting room. Qiao Yi¡¯s brows remained tightly furrowed, fragments of the previous night continuously swept into her mind¡ªhis voice, his gaze, and his firm chest¡­ It was Lu Yanchuan! ¡°` He had recognized her early on, so was that why he suddenly stepped forward to marry her as his wife? Is it really necessary to involve his own marriage over a one-night stand? Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t understand. Suddenly. The door was fiercely slammed open, and Lu Ming entered hurriedly with fury in his eyes, immediately questioning: ¡°What do you mean by this? To anger me, you actually turned around and married my uncle?¡± Anger him? To anger him by sacrificing her whole life? He does not deserve it! Facing Lu Ming¡¯s bloodshot eyes, Qiao Yi slowly stood up and nearly laughed as she retorted, ¡°Do you think you are that important? If I really wanted to anger you, I could simply marry your father and become your stepmother. Wouldn¡¯t that be even more satisfying?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Lu Ming almost ran out of breath. Originally, whether Qiao Yi married him wasn¡¯t important. What he couldn¡¯t accept was her current identity. She should have been his wife! But now, she had transformed into an elder of his. According to ancestral traditions, during each festival, he would have to bow and pay his respects to Qiao Yi! He couldn¡¯t accept it! Gritting his teeth, Lu Ming forcibly suppressed his anger and said, ¡°Keke is my childhood sweetheart, and now her life is in danger. I was just panicking, which is why I suggested you donate a kidney to her. If you don¡¯t want to, then forget it, I won¡¯t force you. I was just blocked on the road earlier, why didn¡¯t you wait for me? Yiyi, stop messing around, go find grandpa quickly, and clear things up with him! Tell him you agreed to marry my uncle just to spite me, tell him you¡¯ve changed your mind, and I¡¯ll prepare an even grander wedding for you right away.¡± Lu Ming spoke with urgency and haste. He must marry Qiao Yi! Not for any other reason but because she is the most favored daughter of the Qiao Family. Only by marrying Qiao Yi could the Qiao Family firmly stand by his side, and then he could easily take control of the Lu Group. Seeing Qiao Yi silent for a long time, Lu Ming¡¯s demeanor softened a bit: ¡°Yiyi, we¡¯ve known each other for so many years, you should know how I feel about you. Considering our many years of friendship, please don¡¯t be angry with me anymore, come back to me, will you?¡± The more Lu Ming pleaded abjectly, the more Qiao Yi felt that her choice was right. Men like him, full of schemes and willing to trample their own dignity, truly disgust her! ¡°Stop pretending!¡± Qiao Yi coldly smiled, advancing towards Lu Ming and bluntly said, ¡°The reason you chose to marry me is just for the Qiao Family behind me. Everyone knows, why bother putting on an act?¡± The next second, something suddenly came to Qiao Yi. Her smile intensified: ¡°You want the strong support of the Qiao Family, there are actually many ways.¡± ¡°What ways?¡± Lu Ming blurted out instinctively. ¡°Perhaps in the eyes of outsiders, my parents seem to favor me more, but¡­ Qiao Xin is the cherished daughter of the Qiao Family, their first child, and at home, my parents still love her more.¡± Qiao Xin dreams of marrying Lu Yanchuan, and she deliberately thwarted her wishes. If one day she finds out she¡¯s nearly become Lu Yanchuan¡¯s niece-in-law, I wonder what kind of splendid change of expression she would have. Seeing Lu Ming still looking puzzled, Qiao Yi straightforwardly said: ¡°My sister entered the Lu Group for work two years ago, and my father even transferred 30% of the company¡¯s shares to my sister¡¯s name more than twenty years ago, so¡­ What you want, you cannot get from me.¡± At her words, Lu Ming suddenly fell silent. Qiao Xin has 30% of shares in the Lu Group? If he married Qiao Xin¡­ Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Chapter 5 To Marry or Not to Marry Chapter 5: Chapter 5 To Marry or Not to Marry No! That¡¯s not right! The Lu Group is a century-old enterprise, a 30% change in stock shares isn¡¯t a small matter. It wouldn¡¯t go unnoticed! ¡°You¡¯re lying! Mr. Lu is in good health, why would he distribute his assets so early?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t believe me? I¡¯ll make you believe.¡± Qiao Yi took out her phone slowly and decisively dialed a number in front of Lu Ming. As the call connected, an angry shout came from the speaker: ¡°Qiao Yi! Just tell me, what exactly do you want? As long as you¡¯re willing¡­¡± ¡°I want the 30% of Lu Group¡¯s shares under your name.¡± 30% of Lu Group¡¯s shares? Qiao Xin didn¡¯t care at all. If she really became Lu Yanchuan¡¯s wife one day, what couldn¡¯t she have? What are these mere shares! ¡°No problem! I can go with you to transfer the shares any time, but¡­¡± Qiao Yi heard what she wanted to hear, and didn¡¯t care about what Qiao Xin was saying afterward. Hanging up the phone, she raised her eyebrows meaningfully and smiled, ¡°Do you believe it now? Qiao Xin is much more useful than I am. Instead of wasting time with me, you might as well find a way to marry Qiao Xin into the family soon.¡± Lu Ming left. Just moments after he left, Qiao Xin barged in. Her eyes were swollen red, the formerly proud princess was gone, replaced by a wretched and pitiful demeanor. ¡°Was it you who made Lu Ming run to our parents and say he wants to marry me, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Just minutes ago, Lu Ming suddenly declared he wanted to marry her. Qiao Benqing originally disagreed. But then he thought, since Qiao Yi had dumped the young master of Lu Family, he had to give the Lu Family an explanation somehow, and if he married Qiao Xin to them¡­ Adding kinship on top of kinship, is not a bad thing. Qiao Xin did try to resist! But¡­ Marriage is completely at the parents¡¯ command! Once Qiao Benqing made up his mind, unless she ceased to be a daughter of the Qiao Family, there was no room for resistance! ¡°Qiao Yi! After all, we are sisters of the same parents, do you find meaning in doing this?¡± ¡°You know I like Yanchuan, yet you insist on marrying him! That alone is regrettable, but you even try to pair me up with Lu Ming? I am your elder sister! Are you pushing me into a fire pit?¡± ¡°Please go now and make it clear to our parents, and the Lu Family. You marry your Lu Ming, let Yanchuan marry me, and let¡¯s all return to our original places!¡± Qiao Xin went on and on. But Qiao Yi didn¡¯t listen to a single word. She glanced at the time, waved her hand impatiently: ¡°Tonight is my wedding night with Yanchuan, I don¡¯t have time to waste with you, I need to go consummate the marriage!¡± ¡°Hey! Qiao Yi! Qiao Yi! You come back here!¡± No matter how much Qiao Xin shouted and pleaded, Qiao Yi¡¯s steps never faltered. The moment she opened the room door, she suddenly saw Lu Yanchuan standing straight at the door, his eyes containing an indecipherable smile: ¡°So eager for our wedding night?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Qiao Yi had never expected that the words she had just said to provoke Qiao Xin were heard clearly by Lu Yanchuan. This¡­ A blush brushed her cheeks instantaneously; with eyes cast downward, she wished she could find a place to hide in her embarrassment. It took her a long time to finally retort resentfully, ¡°Mr. Lu, eavesdropping on others¡¯ conversations, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s beneath your dignity?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just listening in on my wife¡¯s conversation, it¡¯s merely a matter of caring about you. How can it be beneath my dignity?¡± Lu Yanchuan¡¯s thin lips slightly lifted, his hand reaching to Qiao Yi¡¯s shoulder, not giving her a chance to react, he swiftly whisked her away: ¡°On such a night meant for wedding consummation, isn¡¯t spending it all on talking a waste?¡± ¡°Let go of me¡­¡± Qiao Yi¡¯s and Lu Yanchuan¡¯s disputing voices caught the attention of Qiao Xin inside the room. Without a second thought, she hurried out and the moment she saw Lu Yanchuan, the tears that accumulated in her heart for so long uncontrollably burst forth: ¡°Mr. Lu¡­ Mr. Lu.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Lu Yanchuan asked coldly. ¡°I am¡­¡± Qiao Xin couldn¡¯t accept that Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t remember her. They had met more than once! So much had happened between them! How could he forget so suddenly¡­ ¡°I am Qiao Xin!¡± ¡°Mr. Lu, don¡¯t you remember? Three years ago, I applied for the position of CEO assistant at Lu Group, faced difficulties from the HR manager due to lack of experience, and you stepped in to help me close that chapter.¡± ¡°And last year, when I visited the Lu Family with my parents, I almost fell into the swimming pool, and you were there to save me just in time.¡± ¡°Remember! Last month when you came to Lu Group for a collaborative discussion! I made you a cup of tea, and you even complimented that I brewed it well.¡± Qiao Xin tried hard to remind, hoping to jog Lu Yanchuan¡¯s memory. As a matter of fact, Lu Yanchuan did recall. But it was just a faint impression. The next second, Lu Yanchuan slightly nodded, his words carrying a bit more politeness: ¡°Ah, Miss Qiao, I remember you.¡± Leaving just that brief remark, he was about to leave with Qiao Yi again. He remembers her? Nothing more? ¡°Mr. Lu, Mr. Lu¡­¡± Qiao Xin rushed forward in three quick steps, blocking their path. Lu Yanchuan was the most valued figure in the Lu Family, his words, perhaps could influence the Lu Family¡¯s decisions! Thinking so, she summoned the courage and said: ¡°Mr. Lu, you must have heard about the marriage between Lu Ming and me. You know, Lu Ming used to be my brother-in-law, now he¡­¡± ¡°I think, Mingming fits you quite well.¡± What kind of cunning plan was Lu Ming devising? Lu Yanchuan, who had been shrewd in the business world for many years, could not be ignorant of it. That boy, possesses a venom and ruthlessness unusual for his age. And Qiao Xin¡­ When Lu Yanchuan woke up and saw Qiao Yi, he thought she was like the other scheming women outside, trying every possible way to get into his bed, which would then lead to lengthy entanglements. But after some investigation, he realized that it was all orchestrated by her sister, Qiao Xin. Indeed, the two of them were truly a perfect match. ¡°Just now, I have proposed to our grandfather to expedite your and Mingming¡¯s wedding; tomorrow seems like a good day, why not just tomorrow?¡± Lu Yanchuan said with a smile. Tomorrow? Is Lu Yanchuan going to hold a wedding for her and Lu Ming tomorrow? For a moment, Qiao Xin couldn¡¯t believe her ears: ¡°The matter of my own marriage, I don¡¯t need others to intervene! I don¡¯t like Lu Ming! I will not marry him!¡± ¡°Whether you will marry or not, is it really up to you to decide?¡± Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Clarify Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Clarify Qiao Xin sat on the sofa in pain and despair. She had always known her parents were partial, but she never thought they would be so blatantly biased! Just now, Qiao Benqing and Zhang Wenjing had come to tell her that her wedding with Lu Ming was set for three days later. Their tone was firm, with no intention of discussing it with her at all! Wasn¡¯t she Qiao Xin, their biological daughter? No matter how angrily or reluctantly Qiao Xin felt, the reality now laid before her eyes: marrying Lu Ming was her only choice. ¡°Impossible! I can¡¯t just accept my fate like this! Qiao Yi, I won¡¯t let you continue to be so smug!¡± Both daughters of the Qiao Family were married into the Lu Family, and although there was a generational gap, this was hardly an issue in such large families. Because of these two marriages, the Qiao Family¡¯s stock prices had been rising for several days, soaring red. Qiao Yi had stayed with the Lu Family for two days before returning to the Qiao Family. It wasn¡¯t because she suffered any discomfort at the Lu Family, but because the atmosphere there was just too odd and awkward. Qiao Yi was now sure that the man from that night was Lu Yanchuan, but it was exactly for this reason that she felt even more unable to face Lu Yanchuan. Every time Qiao Yi sat down to eat with Lu Yanchuan, she felt incredibly uncomfortable. Moreover, with Old Mr. Lu¡¯s strange comments, she found it unbearable. So, Qiao Yi took the opportunity when Lu Yanchuan and Old Mr. Lu were not at home to sneak back to the Qiao Family. Zhang Wenjing took Qiao Yi¡¯s hand and sat down on the sofa. Every glance at Qiao Yi made her sigh, and another glance would bring tears to her eyes. ¡°Mom, if you have something to say, please just say it. Don¡¯t cry, okay?¡± Zhang Wenjing glared at Qiao Yi annoyedly but held back her tears. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about whether you¡¯re being treated well at the Lu Family. If they treat you badly, you must come back and tell me!¡± Qiao Yi felt extremely helpless. She understood why Zhang Wenjing was acting like this. The relationship between the Qiao and Lu families couldn¡¯t be damaged. The best solution was to solidify the alliance with a marriage. Qiao Yi had to choose someone from the Lu Family to marry, and if it hadn¡¯t been for the last-minute switch to Lu Yanchuan, she would have had to marry Lu Ming no matter how unwilling she was. This was the conclusion Zhang Wenjing had reached regarding the marriage alliance. In her heart, the pampered and cherished Qiao Yi should marry someone she liked and live a good life. Not to trade her entire life for a marriage alliance. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t cry. I haven¡¯t been treated poorly at the Lu Family. Lu Yanchuan is very kind to me, Grandpa Lu is also very kind, you really don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± The incident where Qiao Xin drugged her was something Qiao Yi had no intention of telling Qiao Benqing and Zhang Wenjing. Firstly, because Lu Yanchuan had saved her in the end, and secondly, she had no concrete evidence. She could easily be counter-accused by Qiao Xin. Qiao Yi would not do something that was not worth the risk. Seeing that Qiao Yi¡¯s words were sincere, Zhang Wenjing felt much better. Although she knew that, given the relationship between the Qiao and Lu families, even if Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t like Qiao Yi, he wouldn¡¯t treat her poorly. However, she didn¡¯t want her daughter to be unhappy. With her worries halved, Zhang Wenjing inquired why Qiao Yi had come back home. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I just hadn¡¯t been home for several days after the wedding, and I missed home a little.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good for you to stay home for a few days. Your father is planning to host a reception in the next few days. You can help entertain the guests at home, and then you can go back after the reception ends.¡± The pre-wedding party was held the day before Qiao Xin¡¯s wedding. Qiao Yi was more than happy to see the expression of Qiao Xin reaping what she sowed, so she naturally agreed. During dinner, Qiao Xin noticed Qiao Yi at the table and her face immediately soured. ¡°How come, you¡¯ve only been married into the Lu Family for a few days and you¡¯re back already?¡± Due to the presence of her parents, Qiao Xin didn¡¯t say anything too harsh, but she sat down next to Qiao Yi with a sarcastic tone. ¡°Don¡¯t you like me coming home to see you guys? Yanchuan actually didn¡¯t want me to come back. But I missed mom and dad, so I¡¯m here for a few days before I have to return.¡± Lu Yanchuan really didn¡¯t care whether she came home or not. In fact, since the wedding, they had barely seen each other. There might be some issue with the Lu family company; Lu Yanchuan has been leaving early and returning late these past few days, and they don¡¯t sleep together at night. However, she couldn¡¯t tell Qiao Xin this, or else who knows how she would be mocked. Qiao Xin, looking at Qiao Yi¡¯s sweet expression, became infuriated. She should have been Mrs. Lu, Third Young Master¡¯s wife! How dare Qiao Yi steal her place and then flaunt it in front of her! ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± Qiao Xin dropped her chopsticks and left. Zhang Wenjing gave Qiao Xin a puzzled look, not understanding why she was upset. It was Qiao Benqing, however, who cast contemplative glances back and forth between Qiao Xin and Qiao Yi. The two days passed in a flash, and the day of the Qiao Family hosting the party quickly approached. During these two days, Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t make a single phone call. Qiao Yi enjoyed the peace and even hoped that they could continue living quietly and stably like this. But it was Grandpa Lu who had called several times asking Qiao Yi when she would return, although she had been brushing him off. The Qiao Family has always been a well-respected family in Capital City, and now with two marriages connecting them to the Lu Family, they are doubly related by blood. Although this party was just a small gathering hosted by Qiao Benqing, everyone of note in Capital City attended without fail. Especially when Lu Yanchuan appeared, it caused quite a stir. Qiao Yi was changing clothes in the room when she heard Zhang Wenjing urging her outside. ¡°Yiyi! Yanchuan is here, waiting for you downstairs. Hurry up!¡± What? Lu Yanchuan is here? Wasn¡¯t he busy with the company¡¯s affairs? How does he have the time to come look for her at the Qiao Family¡¯s place? Qiao Yi finished changing into her party dress and descended the stairs, spotting Lu Yanchuan amidst the crowd at a glance. This man, standing there, was naturally the center of attention. Lu Yanchuan seemed to sense Qiao Yi¡¯s gaze and turned his head to look at her. Their eyes met, and for a moment, Qiao Yi¡¯s cheeks flushed as she unconsciously turned away from the lust-filled gaze of his eyes. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Lu Yanchuan shook off the several business partners clinging to him and strode to the bottom of the staircase, waiting for Qiao Yi to come down. Qiao Yi¡¯s heartbeat quickened under Lu Yanchuan¡¯s gaze. ¡°If I don¡¯t come to pick you up personally, do you plan to not return to the Lu Family at all? Huh?¡± Qiao Yi felt inexplicably guilty at his pointed ¡°huh?¡± but then became annoyed. ¡°Mr. Lu, I think we should clear some things up between us. Although we have some¡­ memories from before, it does not affect the purely contractual nature of our marriage. I won¡¯t cling to the position of Mrs. Lu indefinitely, whenever you find someone you like, we can divorce at any time.¡± ¡°Of course, I also hope you won¡¯t use this marriage, which only exists in name, to restrict my freedom.¡± Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Rotting Peach Blossom Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Rotting Peach Blossom ¡°Finished speaking?¡± Qiao Yi had said a lot, but Lu Yanchuan seemed as if he hadn¡¯t heard a word, just staring straight at Qiao Yi. ¡°You, what do you mean? Have you been listening to me?¡± Qiao Yi frowned, not liking this man¡¯s arrogant attitude. Lu Yanchuan caught sight of Qiao Yi¡¯s knitted eyebrows and suddenly curved the corners of his lips, reaching out to pull Qiao Yi from the stairs to his side. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just about playing our own games without interfering with each other after marriage? I got it.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? How is that what I meant!¡± Qiao Yi exclaimed in shock, almost twisting her ankle, but thankfully Lu Yanchuan reached out to steady her. ¡°A lady shouldn¡¯t yell and scream at a banquet. According to what Miss Qiao said, you should still try to be a good Mrs. Lu in public.¡± Lu Yanchuan¡¯s large hand encircled Qiao Yi¡¯s waist, its scorching heat making it impossible for Qiao Yi to ignore. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Qiao Yi lowered her voice and growled softly, both hands struggling to pry Lu Yanchuan¡¯s hand away. But no matter how hard Qiao Yi struggled, Lu Yanchuan¡¯s hand seemed to be welded there, unmoving. Through the fabric, Lu Yanchuan could almost feel the softness of the slender waist beneath his palm. Unable to break free and seeing that Lu Yanchuan was behaving like a gentleman, just holding her without any further action, Qiao Yi let him lead her into the crowd. All along the way, the sounds of sincere or insincere congratulations were non-stop, and Qiao Yi¡¯s face was about to stiffen from smiling. Turning to look at the man beside her, he had a stern face and not even a hint of a smile. This was what people in the Capital City expected of Third Young Master Lu, not the owner of the wandering hand at her waist! Qiao Yi cursed Lu Yanchuan¡¯s rogue behavior in her heart as they walked towards Qiao Benqing. ¡°Father-in-law.¡± Hearing the voice at his side, Qiao Benqing turned around, and upon seeing that it was Lu Yanchuan greeting him, he hurriedly turned towards him. ¡°Yanchuan is here, Yiyi really is¡­ She just ran back saying she missed her mother. Don¡¯t make trouble today. Later, go home properly with Yanchuan.¡± Qiao Yi pursed her lips, reluctantly agreeing. Watching her back of the head carrying reluctance, a hint of a smile finally appeared on Lu Yanchuan¡¯s face. ¡°Yiyi has never been away from her parents; of course, she would miss home. It¡¯s only right to come back and stay for a few days.¡± Lu Yanchuan¡¯s considerate words made Qiao Benqing feel even more favorably towards him, and the initial awkwardness about the abrupt change of groom subsided, as he and Lu Yanchuan together greeted the guests. Qiao Yi watched as Lu Yanchuan integrated himself as if he wasn¡¯t an outsider, standing next to Qiao Benqing with even more presence than herself, the Qiao Family¡¯s second daughter! The more Lu Yanchuan behaves like this, the more doubts and unease arose in Qiao Yi¡¯s heart. Just for that accidental one-night stand between them, is it worth for Lu Yanchuan to go to such lengths? Or is Lu Yanchuan really such a responsible person? ¡°Because I¡¯m a man with a sense of responsibility.¡± For some reason, Qiao Yi suddenly remembered this phrase said by Lu Yanchuan. Looking towards Lu Yanchuan again and catching his gaze, Qiao Yi swiftly turned her head away, taking a sip of wine to hide her embarrassment. Hopefully, Lu Yanchuan is truly as responsible as he claims to be. Qiao Xin stood on the second floor, watching the two people exchanging tender glances below, almost crushing the handrail! Qiao Yi! She will not let her off! ¡°Xinxin, why are you still here? The guests have all arrived downstairs, hurry down,¡± Zhang Wenjing¡¯s voice came from behind, and Qiao Xin hurriedly composed her emotions and face. When she turned around, she had already put on a smile. ¡°Mom, I was just standing here to get some fresh air. You know I really dislike the smell of alcohol down there.¡± Qiao Xin, arm in arm with Zhang Wenjing, coquettishly pouted, receiving a gentle tap on her forehead from Zhang Wenjing. ¡°Alright, hurry down now,¡± Zhang Wenjing withdrew her hand, leaving Qiao Xin to descend the stairs by herself. Qiao Xin clenched her empty embrace, a fleeting look of dissatisfaction crossing her face before she finally stepped forward to follow. The banquet passed by amid a sea of insincere flattery and clinking glasses. Qiao Xin and Qiao Yi both stood behind Qiao Benqing, who was relishing the endless compliments, feeling an indescribable delight in his heart. Although these flatteries were common in the past, now that both his daughters were married into the Lu Family, the bond between the Qiao Family and the Lu Family would only grow stronger. Prosperity was within reach! Just as the reception was drawing to a close, Qiao Yi¡¯s feet felt like they were breaking. She called an auntie to help her to the resting room. As they turned past a pillar and hadn¡¯t yet ascended the staircase, they were suddenly surrounded by a group of people. ¡°So you are Miss Qiao, Qiao Yi?¡± The leader, a girl, held her chin high with arrogance, scrutinized Qiao Yi from top to bottom, and snorted disdainfully. ¡°I really don¡¯t see what¡¯s so good about you. You had such an embarrassing scandal right before your big wedding day, yet you still managed to ensnare Third Young Master Lu¡¯s affection!¡± Is this¡­ one of Lu Yanchuan¡¯s unwanted suitors? Having never experienced something like this, Qiao Yi was momentarily stunned, not only surprised but also slightly amused. She never thought she would face a day when she¡¯d be cornered with threats; it was always her leading her underlings to corner others. ¡°So, what is it? What exactly do you want to say by stopping me here?¡± Qiao Yi, though finding these people laughable, felt a severe pain in her feet. Under normal circumstances, she might have entertained them, but now, Qiao Yi had no intention of entangling with them. ¡°If you have nothing important, I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± Having said that, Qiao Yi tried to walk past them, tiptoeing forward with difficulty. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished speaking, and you want to leave? Stop right there!¡± A sudden force tugged on her arm, Qiao Yi lost her balance, and with a startled cry, she fell backward. The auntie couldn¡¯t catch her, and Qiao Yi closed her eyes, crying out in her heart, knowing the fall was inevitable! After what seemed an eternity, the expected pain and ridicule did not come. Instead, there were soft gasps around her. Qiao Yi opened her eyes slightly, and from behind the light, she could only see a man catching her. Lu Yanchuan! ¡°Are you injured?¡± Qiao Yi was half-craddled in Lu Yanchuan¡¯s arms, his deep, mellow voice close to her ear. She uncomfortably shifted her body and was just about to say she was fine when a sharp pain from her ankle made her cry out involuntarily. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Is it your foot that¡¯s injured?¡± Lu Yanchuan¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, seeing Qiao Yi¡¯s expression of pain, which did not seem faked. He immediately bent down to pick her up and quickly headed towards Qiao Yi¡¯s room upstairs. Behind them, a few girls looked at each other, their faces pale. With Lu Yanchuan showing such concern for Qiao Yi, could it be that their relationship was very good? They had offended Qiao Yi, and while several families combined would not fear the Qiao Family¡¯s revenge, the Lu Family was not one they could afford to provoke! Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Chapter 8: The Princess Carry Chapter 8: Chapter 8: The Princess Carry ¡°Lu Yanchuan, I¡¯m fine, please put me down.¡± Qiao Yi tapped forcefully on Lu Yanchuan¡¯s arm several times, but he seemed insensible, his hands steadily carrying her upstairs to the room. If she couldn¡¯t break free, she might as well lie down and enjoy it. Qiao Yi found herself a comfortable position, making sure her legs weren¡¯t pinched by Lu Yanchuan¡¯s arms. Lu Yanchuan felt a warm touch shifting back and forth on his arm. He wanted to warn the little woman not to wriggle around, but seeing her pouting and looking dissatisfied, Lu Yanchuan curled his lips into a smile. ¡°Ah!¡± The steady hands beneath her suddenly loosened, and the abrupt sensation of losing support made Qiao Yi subconsciously grab hold of what she thought was the most secure thing beside her. Lu Yanchuan was indifferent to the woman clinging onto him, shifting from a princess carry to a face-to-face hold like one would carry a child. Qiao Yi, feeling both annoyed and embarrassed, struggled to jump down, but Lu Yanchuan certainly wouldn¡¯t let her get her way, forcibly carrying her into the room by holding her thighs. ¡°That¡¯s enough! I¡¯ve arrived! You can go out now!¡± Looking at the furious Qiao Yi, Lu Yanchuan suddenly thought of the pets posted by some female employees in the company¡¯s group chat. She looked like a fluffy, anger-puffed kitten. ¡°Your foot is sprained. Rest at home for a couple of days and I¡¯ll come to pick you up.¡± Having escorted her back to her room, Lu Yanchuan reverted to that noble and proud Mr. Lu, acting as if none of what just happened was his doing. ¡°Lu Yanchuan, I¡¯m being very serious in telling you that I only married you considering our families¡¯ interests. I don¡¯t want you to meddle in my affairs like this in the future.¡± ¡°Miss Qiao, no matter what you¡¯re thinking, right now you¡¯re the Lu Family¡¯s daughter-in-law, my wife. As long as we are not divorced, you should remember this firmly.¡± Lu Yanchuan¡¯s face darkened, his intense gaze almost too much for Qiao Yi to bear, yet she still bit her lip and refused to back down. After a long while, there was a knock at Qiao Yi¡¯s door. ¡°Yiyi, mom heard from the auntie that you sprained your foot, how bad is it?¡± Zhao Wenjing entered with a medical kit, unsurprised to see Lu Yanchuan there, and even greeted him with a smile. The auntie had told her everything just now, saying how Lu Yanchuan protected Qiao Yi, even personally carrying her back to her room! But why did both of them seem unhappy? Zhao Wenjing looked from Qiao Yi to Lu Yanchuan. Was it because of those provoking young ladies downstairs? ¡°Yanchuan, it seems that Yiyi¡¯s dad was looking for you just now, perhaps you should see him first. I¡¯ll take care of Yiyi here.¡± Lu Yanchuan gave Qiao Yi a deep look, nodded to Zhao Wenjing, and left the room. Once Lu Yanchuan was gone, Zhao Wenjing came over and started applying medicine to Qiao Yi¡¯s injury. ¡°Yiyi, you seem to be unhappy with Yanchuan. Is it because of those girls earlier? You well know how popular Yanchuan is in Capital City, why bother getting upset with him over such insignificant people?¡± ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not about that, sigh, even if I told you, you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Qiao Yi looked helpless, and Zhao Wenjing pouted, intentionally pressing down on Qiao Yi¡¯s instep, applying the medicine amidst her screams. ¡°Talk it out with Yanchuan later, you¡¯re married now, a grown woman; you can¡¯t afford to be so capricious!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, fine, with a son-in-law comes forgetting your daughter! Go on, I¡¯ll lie down by myself for a while.¡± Qiao Yi pushed Zhao Wenjing out, then hobbled back to the bed, lying down with her body resting, but her thoughts drifting far away. Lu Yanchuan was too dangerous; she couldn¡¯t fathom his thoughts, let alone guess why he would be willing to marry her. Qiao Yi tossed and turned restlessly, while downstairs was already in an uproar. The day Lu Yanchuan and Qiao Yi got married, many of those present had attended the wedding and heard their conversation. It was originally thought that the marriage between the Qiao and Lu Families was merely a simple business alliance, but seeing Mr. Lu¡¯s attitude, it was clear he had taken a serious liking to the Second Miss Qiao! For a time, all the guests present had their own thoughts, and even Qiao Benqing himself was unclear about the true nature of the relationship between Lu Yanchuan and Qiao Yi. After helping Qiao Benqing see off all the guests, Lu Yanchuan waited until only the Qiao Family members were left before he took his leave. ¡°Wait! Mr. Lu, wait!¡± ¡°Lu Yanchuan! Stop right there!¡± The sharp voice of the woman behind made Lu Yanchuan involuntarily frown, stopping his pace and turning around¡ªit was Qiao Xin who had followed. Lu Yanchuan did not speak, just silently looking at her, waiting for her to begin. Qiao Xin forced a smile. ¡°Won¡¯t you even talk to me? Do you like Qiao Yi so much that you¡¯re unwilling to speak with me?¡± ¡°What is it.¡± Lu Yanchuan¡¯s voice was full of impatience, and Qiao Xin seemed to have taken a blow, her face instantly turning pale. ¡°I have liked you for so many years¡­¡± ¡°Miss Qiao, I don¡¯t wish to waste time.¡± Lu Yanchuan¡¯s voice was cold as ice. After he spoke, he did not glance at Qiao Xin again, and turned to leave. Qiao Xin staggered back, tripping over something underfoot, and fell straight down. ¡°Ah!¡± Hearing the cry from behind, Lu Yanchuan pretended not to hear, got into the car, ordered the driver to drive away, and totally ignored Qiao Xin nearby who couldn¡¯t get up while holding her hand. Qiao Xin¡¯s eyes were venomous, her palms scraped by pebbles on the ground, and she was in severe pain from the fall, but the anger and jealousy in her heart almost made her forget the pain on her body. The scene of Lu Yanchuan carrying Qiao Yi upstairs was played over and over again in Qiao Xin¡¯s mind. Qiao Xin clenched the cloth over her chest, as if she was clenching Qiao Yi, the force so strong that the fabric nearly tore. Qiao Yi! Qiao Yi! I want you to suffer a terrible fate! Curled up in the covers, Qiao Yi sneezed twice fiercely. The room was filled with the smell of medicinal alcohol, which made Qiao Yi nauseous. She thought she would not be able to sleep, but soon after lying down, she fell asleep. ¡°Yiyi, wake up!¡± Zhao Wenjing pushed open Qiao Yi¡¯s room and dug her out of the messy covers. ¡°Mom, what are you doing so early in the morning?¡± Qiao Yi grumbled discontentedly, her body kept sliding down. Zhao Wenjing rolled her eyes dramatically and pinched Qiao Yi¡¯s face several times. ¡°Sleeping like a pig! Get up quickly, Yanchuan has called a family doctor for you, and he¡¯s already waiting downstairs for you. Wash up and come downstairs quickly.¡± Lu Yanchuan is so considerate? Qiao Yi suddenly sat up, ignoring Zhao Wenjing¡¯s nagging, hopped out of bed and skipped into the bathroom. Yun Yi sat in the Qiao Family¡¯s living room, covertly glancing around. Yesterday, Lu Yanchuan actually took the time to attend a trivial banquet at the Qiao Family¡¯s place, and it was said that he did some things he wouldn¡¯t normally do. Today, Yun Yi was somewhat impatient, volunteering to see for himself who was so special that they could move Lu Yanchuan¡¯s stony heart. Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Not Marrying Unless Its You Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Not Marrying Unless It¡¯s You Qiao Yi hopped onto the stairs and glanced downstairs, only to spot a handsome man seated on the sofa¡ªa very cultured one at that. Today was Qiao Xin¡¯s wedding. Although the ceremony was set for noon, Qiao Xin had been sent off to the venue early in the morning, leaving only Zhao Wenjing and Qiao Yi at home. Initially, Zhao Wenjing was worried Qiao Yi would feel awkward seeing Lu Ming marry Qiao Xin, but Qiao Yi herself didn¡¯t see it that way and was even somewhat looking forward to it. With her spirits high, Qiao Yi laboriously jumped down from the upper floor. ¡°Are you the personal doctor sent by Lu Yanchuan? It¡¯s just a sprained ankle, it¡¯ll heal in a couple of days. You can go back.¡± Lu Yanchuan¡¯s kind intention had been so sudden that she didn¡¯t have the guts to accept it. ¡°Miss Qiao, please let me examine it; otherwise, I won¡¯t have a way to explain to Mr. Lu when I go back.¡± His words were indisputable. After thinking it over, Qiao Yi agreed and sat down on the sofa. ¡°Just have a quick look then.¡± Considering he was a professional in this field, she didn¡¯t want to accept Lu Yanchuan¡¯s kindness, but she also shouldn¡¯t make it difficult for the doctor. Ever since Qiao Yi came downstairs, Yun Qing had been sizing up Second Miss Qiao, but despite looking her over, he found her to be just a bit prettier and didn¡¯t notice anything else particularly striking about her. Could Qiao Yi possess some inner qualities he had yet to detect? When it came to his profession, Yun Qing immediately became serious. After thoroughly checking Qiao Yi¡¯s sprained ankle and determining the severity of the injury, Yun Qing took out a tube of ointment from his box. ¡°This ointment is specifically for treating sprains. Just apply it to the affected area before going to sleep each night.¡± The tube of ointment he handed her didn¡¯t even have a brand on it¡ªa plain, small tube that looked like it was only good for a few uses. ¡°Thank you.¡± Qiao Yi asked the auntie to take the ointment away, but when she turned around, she saw Yun Qing still staring at her. ¡°Is there anything else, Dr. Yun?¡± Why were the individuals sent by Lu Yanchuan so strange? What kind of doctor fixates on their patient like this? Uncomfortable under his gaze, Qiao Yi¡¯s expression naturally wasn¡¯t very pleasant. Yun Qing really wanted to ask Qiao Yi just how she came to be involved with Lu Yanchuan, to the point where he would publicly help her out and take her as his wife. However, the words reached his lips but were swallowed back down. ¡°Miss Qiao, you should pay attention to resting your injury. If you sprain it again, it could be more serious.¡± In the end, Yun Qing only said this much before he gathered his medical kit and left. Qiao Yi was utterly baffled, but Zhao Wenjing stood at the top of the stairs, her face filled with satisfaction. ¡°Yiyi, I think Yanchuan treats you quite well. Why don¡¯t you go back to the Lu Family for the next few days? It doesn¡¯t look good for you to always be staying at home.¡± Qiao Yi was very puzzled. Just yesterday, Lu Yanchuan had only attended a banquet, and somehow it seemed like he had completely won over her parents? When she first came back, her parents were still worried whether the Lu Family wasn¡¯t treating her well. How come they were suddenly so eager to send her away? ¡°Mom, let¡¯s not talk about this for now. Let¡¯s hurry and get ready for the wedding!¡± Vaguely steering away from the subject, Zhao Wenjing pat her but did not continue the conversation. Qiao Xin¡¯s wedding was being held at the same hotel as Qiao Yi¡¯s and even the venue and the master of ceremonies were the same. It¡¯s unclear whether this was the Qiao Family¡¯s idea or the Lu Family¡¯s. Qiao Yi looked at the wedding venue, decorated so similarly to her own wedding, and couldn¡¯t help but feel everything here was incredibly mocking. She truly had no idea what kind of mood Qiao Xin was in. Qiao Xin wasn¡¯t in any kind of mood; she was practically fuming with anger, even wanting to just walk away! In the dressing room, Lu Ming was chatting on his cell phone with someone, his face unable to hide his smiles. Who could he be talking to? Was this the man she was about to marry? A sense of bitterness and desolation surged in Qiao Xin¡¯s heart. Today was her wedding day! It was bad enough to marry a man she did not love, and worse yet, this man clearly did not care for her either! ¡°Mr. Lu, Miss Qiao, the wedding is about to start, all the guests have arrived.¡± The wedding MC knocked on the door, prompting Qiao Xin to gather her thoughts and respond, yet Lu Ming was reluctant to put down his phone, only lifting his head after being urged several times. ¡°Lu Ming, if you don¡¯t want to marry me, we can call off today¡¯s wedding. I won¡¯t marry into the Lu Family just for the sake of it!¡± Qiao Xin couldn¡¯t help but speak out, her suspicions already raised by the look on Lu Ming¡¯s face as he checked his phone, suspicions she had yet to openly confront! Startled by Qiao Xin¡¯s gaze, Lu Ming forced a smile and approached to adjust her veil. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I want to marry you? Just now, there was news from the company that a project under my supervision was successfully completed, which is why I exchanged a few more celebratory words with them. I apologize for my carelessness and neglecting you.¡± Lu Ming tenderly apologized, and Qiao Xin, half-believing and half-doubtful, ultimately chose to trust his words. Marrying Lu Ming was imperative, and no matter what the future held, today she absolutely could not let Qiao Yi and Lu Yanchuan sneer at her! The MC continued to hurry them outside, and the two inside resumed their false warmth, proceeding to the venue under the MC¡¯s lead. The wedding march began to play inside the venue, and Qiao Yi was eagerly gazing at Qiao Xin¡¯s face when suddenly someone appeared beside her. Lu Yanchuan? Why wasn¡¯t he sitting in the Lu Family¡¯s area but instead coming over here? Seemingly discerning Qiao Yi¡¯s thoughts, Lu Yanchuan curved his lips slightly, intentionally leaning closer to Qiao Yi. ¡°You are my wife, the bride of the Lu Family. Shouldn¡¯t I sit beside you?¡± Okay, Qiao Yi had no response to that reasoning and rolled her eyes, ignoring him. After speaking, Lu Yanchuan himself was taken aback. Was this kind of teasing something he would say? Qiao Yi, engrossed in the bustle, did not notice the depth and inquiry in the eyes of the man behind her. All she thought about was that it was good for Lu Yanchuan to have come over so that Qiao Xin could clearly see Lu Yanchuan would rather chase after her than give Qiao Xin even a glance! ¡°The groom will now place the ring on the bride¡¯s finger.¡± Qiao Yi heard the MC¡¯s announcement and subconsciously looked down at her own hand. On the ring finger of her left hand was a ring that was obviously a size too large. This was the ring that Lu Yanchuan had taken off his hand and put on hers on their wedding day. Qiao Yi had intended to return it to him after the wedding but had never found the right opportunity. But now, she oddly didn¡¯t feel like returning it to Lu Yanchuan anymore. ¡°Where is the ring from our wedding day?¡± Lu Yanchuan next to her timely asked the question, and Qiao Yi was taken aback for a moment, mocking herself inwardly before slipping off the ring and placing it in Lu Yanchuan¡¯s hand. ¡°I should have returned it to you earlier, just never found the right moment.¡± Lu Yanchuan took the ring and placed it back on his hand. ¡°This is a men¡¯s ring. After the wedding is over, I¡¯ll take you to pick out a new one.¡± Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: Chapter 10 The Ring Chapter 10: Chapter 10 The Ring Qiao Yi suddenly turned her head to look at Lu Yanchuan. The lights at the scene weren¡¯t very bright. Although she was close, Qiao Yi still couldn¡¯t make out the expression on Lu Yanchuan¡¯s face. ¡°You¡­¡± Suddenly, a burst of cheers erupted from the venue, and Qiao Yi¡¯s words were blocked before she could speak them. Over there, Qiao Xin and Lu Ming kissed briefly like dragonflies skimming the water surface, then comfortably let go of each other. Qiao Yi didn¡¯t see Qiao Xin¡¯s expression change, which somewhat disappointed her, but soon she had no time to feel disappointed. The wedding was over, and what followed was a banquet, with nothing involving the newlyweds. Qiao Yi, with her mobility issues, had planned to wait until everyone left before leaving herself, but Lu Yanchuan, sitting next to her, simply picked her up and started walking out as soon as the wedding ceremony ended. ¡°Father-in-law, mother-in-law, I¡¯ll take Yiyi back first.¡± Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t even bother to consult with Qiao Yi; he just bypassed the crowd and left. Qiao Yi hadn¡¯t even reacted before she was already carried out of the venue. ¡°Lu Yanchuan, can you please consult with me next time before you do something?¡± Having been carried like this numerous times, Qiao Yi was still somewhat uncomfortable, but she forced herself to calm down and negotiated firmly with Lu Yanchuan. Lu Yanchuan just looked down at her briefly but didn¡¯t say a word. Qiao Yi was so irritated by his attitude that she couldn¡¯t break free from his embrace and simply rolled her eyes and found a comfortable position in his arms to rest with eyes closed. Anyway, since someone was carrying her, she didn¡¯t need to walk herself. If Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t mind the burden, then let him carry her forever! Lu Yanchuan walked very steadily, not at all like he was struggling, even managing to adjust when Qiao Yi slid down a bit. Being carried by him, Qiao Yi felt like an emotionless sack. ¡°Go to Xingbai.¡± Qiao Yi was stuffed into Lu Yanchuan¡¯s car. From the venue to the parking lot, carrying her such a long distance, Lu Yanchuan was neither red-faced nor out of breath. Even after putting her down, his clothes were still neat. Some not-so-pleasant memories surfaced, and Qiao Yi snorted through her nose, turning her head towards the window, but her cheeks were slightly flushed. Lu Yanchuan¡¯s assistant, Ma Yu, driving in front, glanced back once in the rearview mirror then shrank his neck and started the car without looking elsewhere. Xingbai was located in the eastern commercial district of the city, a commercial development planned by the Lu Family. The wedding hotel was in the southern outskirts, and the eastern commercial district was within the second ring road. It would take over an hour to drive there if there was no traffic. Qiao Yi looked at the fast-moving street scene outside the window and soon fell asleep. As the car turned a corner, Qiao Yi¡¯s body fell directly onto Lu Yanchuan¡¯s. In her dreams, the little lady, perhaps dreaming of something delicious, murmured twice with her rosy little mouth and found a comfortable position on Lu Yanchuan¡¯s body to sleep soundly. Lu Yanchuan moved his hand placed beside him, and Ma Yu, catching the gaze of his boss from the rearview mirror, very perceptively switched the car¡¯s air conditioning to warm air. When Qiao Yi woke up, she found herself lying in an unfamiliar bedroom. The cold decorative style of the bedroom made it clear it was likely Lu Yanchuan¡¯s. Where had Lu Yanchuan brought her? Lu Yanchuan¡¯s bedroom in the Lu Mansion wasn¡¯t like this. Qiao Yi sat up, and through the thick curtains, she could see it was still light outside. How long had she slept? She hadn¡¯t even called her mom and dad; they must be worried. Qiao Yi turned on the bedside lamp, but was drawn to a small box on the bedside table. A ring? Did Lu Yanchuan buy her a ring? Qiao Yi opened the box and inside was a small, delicate ring. She tried it on her finger and it fit perfectly. Suddenly, she felt strange and, as if her hand were burning, quickly put the ring back in the box and returned it to where it originally was. After getting out of bed, Qiao Yi discovered that at some point, her feet had been medicated and were now wrapped in two loops of gauze. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re awake. I just made chicken soup. Would you like me to bring it to your room, or will you come down to eat?¡± As Qiao Yi just pushed open the bedroom door, she saw an auntie holding a vacuum cleaner walking out of the next room. ¡°Hello, this is¡­¡± ¡°This is Emperor Garden. It¡¯s closest to the company, so Third Young Master often stays here. You¡¯ll get used to it once you come here more often.¡± The auntie put down the vacuum cleaner to assist Qiao Yi, her gaze falling on her hand with some surprise. ¡°Madam, aren¡¯t you wearing the ring? Third Young Master specifically had it delivered for you, didn¡¯t you see it? I¡¯ll go get it for you.¡± ¡°No, no need, I don¡¯t like wearing rings.¡± Qiao Yi stopped her and let her continue cleaning the house, and she slowly walked downstairs. She knew about Emperor Garden. It was inhabited by senior white-collar workers from nearby office buildings. Though not particularly luxurious, the single-layer single-unit design was very convenient. Qiao Yi hopped into the kitchen, instantly feeling hungry from the rich scent of chicken soup. She just checked the time; it was already past five in the afternoon. She had slept for more than six hours, and her last meal was in the morning, no wonder she was hungry. ¡°Madam, Third Young Master said he¡¯ll be back for dinner in the evening. Have some chicken soup for now to hold you over. Let me know what you¡¯d like for dinner and I¡¯ll go buy groceries.¡± This auntie, surnamed Li, was specially sent by Old Mr. Lu to take care of Lu Yanchuan. ¡°I¡¯m not picky, I¡¯ll eat anything.¡± Qiao Yi settled on the couch, turned on the TV and instinctively looked at the table, only to find that it was covered with various snacks. Were these prepared by Lu Yanchuan? Qiao Yi rubbed her nose, always feeling that Lu Yanchuan couldn¡¯t possibly be such a thoughtful person. Of course, Lu Yanchuan was not that thoughtful. The mastermind behind all this was currently sprawled comfortably on the sofa in Lu Yanchuan¡¯s office. ¡°Did you really do what I said? I didn¡¯t see it coming. Could it be that you¡¯ve really taken a liking to that girl?¡± Han Zizhen looked up at Lu Yanchuan¡¯s face, and after a long look realized Lu Yanchuan wasn¡¯t listening to him, and swiftly got up. ¡°I heard from Yun Qing, Second Miss Qiao is a real beauty. If your heart sways because of a beauty, brother, I¡¯ll fully support you!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Han Zizhen seemed like he hadn¡¯t heard Lu Yanchuan¡¯s caution, pacing around the office with his arms crossed, turning back to say something else to Lu Yanchuan, when suddenly a file folder flew towards him. ¡°Are you trying to kill me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just fulfilling a husband¡¯s duties. I used the suggestions you gave, keep the rest of the nonsense to yourself.¡± Han Zizhen pouted, rubbing his handsome face that had been painfully smacked, but quickly put on a serious expression and sat across Lu Yanchuan. ¡°The matter you asked me to look into, I¡¯ve found out about it. There¡¯s indeed a harbor development project in Tian City, but it¡¯s still in the planning stage and likely won¡¯t open for tender till next year. How did you know about this project?¡± Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Car Accident Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Car Accident ¡°` Tian City borders Capital City and is one of the most important port cities in the north of China. Since the last century, Tian City has undergone rapid development, and after decades of expansion, there are very few large projects left in Tian City that count as significant. Han Zizhen had been puzzled for quite a while. Ever since Lu Yanchuan asked him to investigate the upcoming development projects in Binhai District of Tian City, he had wanted to ask questions. ¡°Half a month ago, a ship belonging to the Lu Group encountered problems at Tian City¡¯s port. Due to an issue with the port¡¯s sluice gates, seawater backflowed and flipped the entire ship into the sea. Although it wasn¡¯t carrying any valuable cargo, Lu Group couldn¡¯t find suitable replacements for a while and the losses far exceeded the value of the cargo on that ship.¡± Lu Yanchuan pointed to the folder he had just used to hit Han Zizhen, instructing him to look at the report inside. ¡°I remember the Lu Group wasn¡¯t too involved in shipping. Why did they put such important cargo on a sea voyage this time?¡± Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t answer his question directly but continued to speak on his own. ¡°After the report was submitted, I felt something was wrong with this port. An old port that has been in use for decades and now this accident has occurred, it definitely needs repairs, and I also know that this port is actually a privately owned one.¡± Han Zizhen read through the report and said, ¡°So, the Lu Group plans to participate in the bidding for this project?¡± Finally, Lu Yanchuan revealed a meaningful smile and shook his head at Han Zizhen¡¯s surprised gaze. ¡°Lu Group won¡¯t compete.¡± ¡°Then you¡­¡± Lu Yanchuan¡¯s attention had already returned to the documents in his hands, leaving Han Zizhen scratching his head in confusion. The most annoying kind of person is the one who doesn¡¯t finish what they¡¯re saying! Han Zizhen couldn¡¯t sit still and was about to leave, his hand already on the doorknob, when he suddenly heard Lu Yanchuan from behind him. ¡°Go back and tell Uncle Han that the Han Family must not touch this project.¡± Han Zizhen¡¯s expression finally turned serious, he turned around to see Lu Yanchuan still sitting there handling documents, as if the words just spoken were not his own. Lu Yanchuan never spoke untruths, Han Zizhen knew this, and hence couldn¡¯t fathom what Lu Yanchuan¡¯s actual intentions were. ¡°I¡¯ll pass the message to the old man, but if he doesn¡¯t listen, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Thinking of something, Lu Yanchuan¡¯s expression suddenly stiffened as he looked up seriously at Han Zizhen. ¡°This project is off-limits for both your family and the Lu Group.¡± It was rare for Han Zizhen to see such a serious Lu Yanchuan, and it felt like a stone was pressing on his heart, so he nodded forcefully. ¡°I understand.¡± Qiao Benqing was telling Qiao Xin the same thing, but what he said was the exact opposite of Lu Yanchuan. ¡°Xinxin, it¡¯s been three years since you joined the company. This time, the Tian City project is a must-win for the Qiao Family. News of this project hasn¡¯t been leaked yet, so you have plenty of time to prepare. Think of this as a test from Dad. Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Qiao Xin, clutching the documents in her hand, agreed very promptly, but once she left the office, her face instantly fell. What test was he talking about? She had been doing miscellaneous work ever since she joined the company three years ago. How was she the Qiao Family¡¯s young mistress? She was clearly just here for hard labor! Now they even wanted her to prepare for a project that wasn¡¯t settled, her father was clearly making things difficult for her! If Qiao Yi had taken over this project, their father would have assigned the best assistants to her and definitely wouldn¡¯t want her to suffer hardship! With a heart full of reluctance, Qiao Xin returned to her car, and her face turned even uglier at the sight of the document bag next to her. Thinking of spending her supposed wedding night with Lu Ming from the Lu Family later that evening, Qiao Xin felt even more upset. ¡°Xinxin, something came up at work, and I won¡¯t be returning home tonight. I am really sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, you deal with your company matters first, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Qiao Xin could only wish that Lu Ming would stay at the company forever so she could have some peace. Turning the car stereo up to the maximum, she stepped on the accelerator and the car shot forward. Qiao Yi had watched TV at home for several hours, Aunt Li had finished cooking, but Lu Yanchuan still hadn¡¯t returned. ¡°Madam, if you are hungry, please eat first. I can make something fresh for the Third Young Master when he gets back.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no trouble, I¡¯m not hungry now, let¡¯s wait for him.¡± The snacks prepared on the table were all her favorites, Qiao Yi had been snacking all afternoon and wasn¡¯t hungry at all. Aunt Li took Qiao Yi¡¯s words to mean waiting for Lu Yanchuan to have dinner together, and after smilingly acknowledging it, she slipped into the kitchen, pulled out her phone, and sent a message to someone. When the clock struck ten, Aunt Li said Lu Yanchuan wouldn¡¯t be coming back for dinner and told Qiao Yi not to wait and eat instead. Qiao Yi thought it made sense; although she wasn¡¯t hungry, Aunt Li had gone to the trouble of cooking, so it would not be polite to dismiss her efforts. With Aunt Li¡¯s help, Qiao Yi sat down at the dining table, but just as she picked up her chopsticks, her phone rang. The call was from Zhao Wenjing; it was late, why hadn¡¯t her mother gone to bed yet? ¡°Yiyi! Come to the Central Hospital quickly! Your sister has been in a car accident!¡± By the time Qiao Yi hurriedly arrived at the hospital, Qiao Xin had already been transferred back to the general ward, where Zhao Wenjing and Qiao Benqing were present, with Lu Ming also there. ¡°Mom, how is sister doing?¡± Qiao Yi deeply loathed Qiao Xin for targeting her, but after more than twenty years as sisters, seeing Qiao Xin lying there between life and death, she couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat sad. ¡°There is no danger to her life. The doctor diagnosed it as a mild concussion, and she should be fine once she wakes up tomorrow.¡± Although Zhao Wenjing wasn¡¯t very fond of her elder daughter, she was still her own child, and couldn¡¯t help feeling pained by the accident. ¡°How did it happen? Was it a car accident?¡± ¡°It happened when she was getting off the freeway; someone deliberately rear-ended her. The driver responsible is being resuscitated and suspected of drunk driving.¡± Lu Yanchuan and Ma Yu walked in as Ma Yu explained to Qiao Yi. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I went home and Aunt Li told me you had left.¡± The booklet that Han Zizhen gave stated that a husband shouldn¡¯t allow his wife to walk alone at night. Qiao Yi nodded uncomfortably and made room for Lu Yanchuan. Ma Yu had already communicated with the police. The room fell silent, with only the machines next to the hospital bed beeping. ¡°Mom, Dad, we¡¯re here to watch over her; you two should head back first.¡± Seeing Zhao Wenjing yawn, Qiao Yi persuaded them to go home and herself moved a chair to sit by the hospital bed. ¡°I¡¯ll have Ma Yu watch over her, your foot hasn¡¯t healed yet.¡± The smell of the hospital wasn¡¯t pleasant, and Lu Yanchuan had been frowning ever since he entered. ¡°She¡¯s still my sister after all; I¡¯ll wait until she wakes up before leaving.¡± ¡°` Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Awakened Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Awakened Lu Ming was constantly on his phone in the hospital room, chatting with someone unknown. Qiao Yi probably knew who he was talking to, but since she no longer had any relationship with Lu Ming, she let him do as he pleased. Seeing that Qiao Yi truly did not want to leave, Lu Yanchuan had Ma Yu transfer Qiao Xin to the VIP ward, which had a resting area. At night, only Qiao Yi and Qiao Xin were left in the room. Qiao Yi lay on the narrow, hard bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She should hate Qiao Xin, but when it really came to returning tit for tat, Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. It wasn¡¯t that she had a martyr complex, but she simply could not believe that the person who had stepped on her face that night could be her own sister. Her mind was a mess, Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t figure it out and didn¡¯t want to think further, turning her back on Qiao Xin. When dawn broke, Qiao Yi woke up; Qiao Xin was still asleep on the bed, since things like concussions are fine once you wake up. Propping her chin, Qiao Yi sat up; the sunlight gradually became plentiful, just as Qiao Yi was about to fall asleep again, Qiao Xin finally let out some weak moans. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Qiao Yi pressed the bedside bell, and soon, a group of doctors and nurses rushed in. Qiao Xin, just awake, was still confused, vaguely hearing Qiao Yi¡¯s voice and thinking she had heard wrong. Qiao Yi must utterly hate her by now, she would rather wish her dead, how could she possibly be by her bedside. It didn¡¯t take long after they arrived in America for Qiao Benqing and Zhao Wenjing to reach the hospital. Qiao Yi had messaged them that Qiao Xin had awoken, and they immediately came over. Doctors were still performing basic checks on Qiao Xin in the room as Qiao Yi and her parents sat down on the chairs waiting. ¡°As long as the person is awake, there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems. The rest is just resting and recuperating.¡± ¡°You had a tough night last night. There are caretakers during the day, you should go back and rest.¡± Zhao Wenjing saw the redness in Qiao Yi¡¯s eyes and felt both distressed and relieved. ¡°I do nothing all day. You and dad should rest more, you definitely didn¡¯t sleep well last night. Now that sister is fine, you no longer need to worry.¡± As Qiao Yi spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but yawn, making Zhao Wenjing even more distressed. ¡°Family of the patient, please come in.¡± The hospital room was opened, and a young nurse stepped out and called the three of them in. ¡°The patient had only a minor concussion, requiring hospital observation for three days. During these three days, some post-concussion symptoms like headaches and nausea may appear, which are normal.¡± After giving some precautions, the doctor left, leaving the Qiao family of four in the room, where the atmosphere suddenly became awkward. Qiao Xin watched from her bed as Qiao Yi and Zhao Wenjing held hands, with Qiao Benqing standing right behind them, looking happy and united¡ªa sight that seemed very glaring to her. It was always like this! When she was young, she thought her parents were just too busy, which was why they were colder to her, but only after her sister spoke up did Qiao Xin realize it wasn¡¯t that her parents were too busy, they simply didn¡¯t like her because she almost caused her mother¡¯s death! ¡°Xinxin, how do you feel? Is there anything specific you want to eat? I¡¯ll go buy it for you.¡± ¡°Yes, Xinxin, the person who hit you, Yanchuan has already sent people to handle it; just focus on recovering.¡± Qiao Benqing spoke and glanced at Qiao Yi. He was surprised that Lu Yanchuan could come last night! I never expected Lu Yanchuan to care so much about Qiao Yi. Qiao Benqing was preoccupied, Zhao Wenjing was persuading Qiao Yi to go back and rest, and no one in the hospital room seemed to care about Qiao Xin lying on the bed. Qiao Xin had had enough of their pretense, acting as though they cared about her. Who were they trying to fool! ¡°Enough! All of you, go back. There¡¯s a caretaker here to look after me!¡± Qiao Xin¡¯s sudden outburst left everyone stunned. Zhao Wenjing¡¯s face darkened, and she looked displeased at Qiao Xin. ¡°Why are you losing your temper? Last night you had an emergency and hurriedly called us to the hospital, your sister came all the way here while her leg injury hadn¡¯t healed to take care of you all night, and now you are making us deal with your mood!¡± ¡°Mom, my sister must be feeling unwell due to complications, you and dad go back first, I¡¯m enough here.¡± Qiao Yi pushed Zhao Wenjing out, Qiao Benqing looked at his pale eldest daughter on the bed, said to rest well and left with her. Everyone in the room went out, and Qiao Xin suddenly, like a madwoman, swept all the items from the bedside table onto the floor. Qiao Yi had sent Qiao Benqing and Zhao Wenjing away and just reached the door when she heard the noises of Qiao Xin smashing things inside, she frowned and pushed the door open. ¡°What are you doing back here! Are you here to mock me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to mock you, if you weren¡¯t my sister, you should be in jail by now.¡± Qiao Yi went back to her bed, called the caretaker to clean up the mess in the room. ¡°Who needs your false goodwill! If you dare, go ahead and report me! You, a slut that everyone has used, who would believe you¡­¡± ¡°Slap!¡± Qiao Xin looked dazedly at Qiao Yi, seemingly unable to believe that Qiao Yi had actually hit her. Qiao Yi¡¯s hand felt numb, she clenched it lightly, and slapped Qiao Xin on the other cheek. ¡°Since childhood, mom and dad have favored me a bit more, I cared about you so I always treated you nicely, gave you everything you liked, all the best, yet what I got in return was your ruthless sabotage!¡± ¡°Qiao Xin, do you have a heart, are you even human!¡± Qiao Xin looked at the red-eyed Qiao Yi, even somewhat afraid to meet her gaze. ¡°It was clearly you who¡­¡± ¡°Qiao Xin, I want you to remember, whether our parents were biased or not, I never owed you anything, I told dad I didn¡¯t want to join the company just to ensure your smooth entry, I declined dad¡¯s idea of transferring his shares to me just so that you could have more assets.¡± ¡°Qiao Xin, if you have even a little bit of conscience, you should reflect on how I¡¯ve treated you over the years and how you¡¯ve treated me!¡± After Qiao Yi finished speaking, she turned around and left, afraid that if she stayed she would end up fighting with Qiao Xin. ¡°You, why are you here?¡± As Qiao Yi opened the door, she saw Lu Yanchuan standing there and quickly wiped the tears from her face. ¡°I came to bring you food, I¡¯m also here to take you home.¡± Lu Yanchuan was holding a pink rabbit lunch box, which clearly didn¡¯t suit his demeanor, from his expression, he probably didn¡¯t like the lunch box much either. Qiao Yi¡¯s mood immediately brightened, she took the lunch box from Lu Yanchuan¡¯s hands and hugged it to her chest. ¡°Mr. Lu, please take me back to my house. I¡¯ll keep the lunch box.¡± Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Chapter 13 What Are You Going to Do? Chapter 13: Chapter 13 What Are You Going to Do? Lu Yanchuan glanced at his empty hands and then at Qiao Yi¡¯s slightly staggering figure before following her. ¡°Dad asked us to come home for lunch. Are you going home to wait or going to wait at my company?¡± So, there¡¯s no chance for her to refuse, huh. Qiao Yi tightened her grip on the lunch box in her arms and suddenly smiled at Lu Yanchuan. ¡°Please, Third Young Master¡­ take me home!¡± Lu Yanchuan had to admit one thing, that Qiao Yi was really beautiful. Back in the day, Zhao Wenjing was famously beautiful when she was young and has maintained herself well. Even among the circles of distinguished ladies, she stands out. Otherwise, Qiao Benqing wouldn¡¯t have devoted himself to Zhao Wenjing for so many years. In Qiao Yi¡¯s eyes and brows, there was a trace of Zhao Wenjing¡¯s features, but unlike Zhao Wenjing¡¯s delicate gentleness, she had a rare heroic spirit. Lu Yanchuan followed her, and Jiang Mian, holding the lunch box in the car, looked extremely well-behaved, not at all like someone who could get into a fight. But thinking about the information he had people find, she had been the school¡¯s dominant figure since she was young. Indeed, appearances can be deceiving. In the end, Qiao Yi didn¡¯t return to the Qiao Family but was taken by Lu Yanchuan to the Emperor Garden. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up at noon.¡± Qiao Yi heard it but pretended not to, planning to ignore Lu Yanchuan. This man is too domineering, giving no freedom to others! The freedom-seeking Qiao Yi, after waiting for Lu Yanchuan¡¯s car to leave, sneakily slipped out of the residential area. ¡°Wenwen! I¡¯ve missed you!¡± Han Lewen, Qiao Yi¡¯s childhood friend and best friend from school. Qiao Yi¡¯s limping appearance made Han Lewen laugh for half an hour until Han Lewen finally stopped laughing and then looked at her resentfully. ¡°I got married and you didn¡¯t come¡­¡± ¡°Big sister, I was abroad at the time. Who knew you would get married so hastily?¡± Han Lewen rolled her eyes and pushed Qiao Yi away but, thinking of her being unwell, pulled her back again. ¡°Tell me, what kind of person is your husband?¡± ¡°You should know him, he¡¯s the Third Young Master of the Lu Family, Lu Yanchuan.¡± ¡°What! Lu Yanchuan! How did you end up marrying him!¡± Han Lewen suddenly jumped up, and Qiao Yi who was leaning on her shoulder fell over, rubbing her sore cheeks in pain. ¡°Calm down, it¡¯s just Lu Yanchuan, what¡¯s the big deal!¡± I slept with him before we got married! Qiao Yi dared not say this out loud, fearing Han Lewen would scream. Han Lewen inspected Qiao Yi up and down several times, and then flopped back lazily. ¡°You must be really sick to marry Lu Yanchuan.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all tears when spoken about, let¡¯s not mention it. Sister, I can¡¯t move much today, so today you have the chance to take care of me. Take me out for a beauty treatment!¡± After Qiao Yi left the Emperor Garden, Lu Yanchuan was immediately informed and followed Qiao Yi to the Han Family. Lu Yanchuan sat in the car, watching Qiao Yi walk step by step into the Han Family. Lu Yanchuan¡¯s face showed neither joy nor anger, and Ma Yu looked several times in the rearview mirror, unable to discern what his master was thinking. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll come back at noon to pick someone up from the Han Family.¡± Ma Yu sighed in relief; as long as the master spoke up, it¡¯s best not to make him guess. Qiao Yi spent the morning playing at Han Lewen¡¯s place, waiting for Han Lewen to make her a cake, when she heard her cellphone ring. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°I¡¯m downstairs, you have ten minutes.¡± The voice on the phone made Qiao Yi sit up abruptly. What did Lu Yanchuan say? He¡¯s downstairs, he really came to pick her up? But she¡¯s not at Emperor Garden right now! ¡°I¡¯m downstairs at Han Family¡¯s place.¡± Qiao Yi was even more surprised, she got up from the sofa and went to the window to look down, and indeed she saw the black Phaeton parked outside the Han Family¡¯s gate. Did this man install a tracking device on her? Why is he everywhere she goes! Qiao Yi¡¯s head ached, but with Lu Yanchuan¡¯s stance, he probably wouldn¡¯t leave unless she went down; she really got to know Lu Yanchuan¡¯s character! ¡°The cake will be ready soon, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come back when I¡¯m free in the next few days, I have to go now!¡± Qiao Yi hurriedly ran outside, Han Lewen glanced down through the window and saw Qiao Yi getting into the car outside, then suddenly started smiling knowingly. ¡°Lu Yanchuan, what exactly are you trying to do!¡± Once in the car, Qiao Yi glared at Lu Yanchuan with displeasure, fury unhidden in her big eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve already made things clear to you, do you want me to say it again?¡± Lu Yanchuan¡¯s long legs were crossed, with a file resting on them. Qiao Yi¡¯s words were completely ignored by Lu Yanchuan, like punching into cotton, not only did it not relieve her frustration, but it almost even hurt her back. ¡°Dad asked me to bring you back for dinner.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Qiao Yi turned her head, but Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t speak anymore, focused entirely on the documents on his legs. This man should just marry his documents. Qiao Yi snorted coldly, since it was Old Mr. Lu¡¯s request, she had no choice but to go back. Just thinking about Old Mr. Lu¡¯s attitude made Qiao Yi uneasy. When they reached Lu Mansion, Qiao Yi realized it wasn¡¯t just her and Lu Yanchuan who were called back, but also Lu Yanchuan¡¯s two brothers and their children were all called back for dinner. The old house was crowded with people, livelier than usual. Qiao Yi didn¡¯t expect Qiao Xin to also be brought over, the bandage still on her head, sitting quietly on the side, seemingly lost in thought. ¡°What bad luck, married two, and both are invalids, are they placed in front to disgust whom!¡± A sarcastic female voice came, Qiao Yi looked over, it was Lu Ming¡¯s mom, Lu Family¡¯s second wife, whom Qiao Yi used to call Aunt Lu, now she should call her Second Sister-in-law. Aunt to Sister-in-law, Qiao Yi hesitated for a long time, still couldn¡¯t manage to change the title she¡¯d been using for over a decade. ¡°I told you to marry early, now look, you brought back such a useless one, making us a laughingstock!¡± ¡°Mom, please say less.¡± Lu Ming waved his hand impatiently and left Wang Zhen to go to his own room in the old house. Wang Zhen, angered by Lu Ming¡¯s attitude, had no one to vent on but glared sideways at the seated Qiao Xin. Contrary to Qiao Yi¡¯s expectation, Qiao Xin endured Wang Zhen¡¯s provocation without showing any sign of anger. Qiao Yi was astounded, thinking Qiao Xin must have been stunned by her slaps, showing no reaction at all. While she was thinking, she saw Qiao Xin slowly raising her head, giving her a cold look. Qiao Yi¡¯s face changed instantly, Qiao Xin had thoroughly resented her, their relationship could never go back. ¡°Yiyi, how did you end up twisting your foot after going back, come let me look at it, you look like you¡¯ve lost weight!¡± Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Major Supplement Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Major Supplement Qiao Yi slowly walked over and sat down next to Old Mr. Lu. The man she used to call Grandpa now had to be addressed as Father-in-law, a feeling that was really¡­ ¡°This stinker, Yanchuan, I told him to take good care of you, and look what you¡¯ve become. Wait until he comes down later; see if I don¡¯t give him a good talking-to!¡± Ever since she was young, Qiao Yi was watched over as she grew up by Old Mr. Lu. He had liked this little girl from before, and now that she had become his own daughter-in-law, of course, he cherished her even more. Qiao Xin had been sitting in the corner the whole time, clenching her fists in unwillingness and anger as she watched Qiao Yi, whose hand was intimately held by Old Mr. Lu. The two slaps from Qiao Yi had thoroughly awoken her, and also gave Qiao Xin a way to put Qiao Yi to death! As long as that night¡¯s incident was known to Lu Yanchuan, she wanted to see if he would still want a woman who had been played with! It was a pity that she forgot to have someone gather evidence that evening! Qiao Xin¡¯s eyes, filled with venom, were fixed on Qiao Yi. Qiao Yi noticed her gaze but didn¡¯t take it to heart. Every weekend at noon, Old Mr. Lu would call the Lu Family back for a meal. Qiao Yi didn¡¯t know about this custom before, but today Old Mr. Lu explained it to her himself, and only then did she understand why Lu Yanchuan insisted on bringing her back. Why couldn¡¯t Yanchuan explain such a simple matter properly? He had to make her unhappy! The meal went by without any thrills. After eating, Qiao Xin was sent away by Lu Ming. Wang Zhen looked very unhappy but didn¡¯t say anything more in front of Old Mr. Lu. Qiao Yi was kept behind by Old Mr. Lu under the pretext that she was too thin and needed nourishment, personally instructing the kitchen to stew a nutritious soup for her. Looking at the bowl of thick chicken soup shimmering with oil, Qiao Yi felt that drinking this was asking for trouble. After she sweet-talked Old Mr. Lu into going out to play chess with old friends, she carried the soup bowl straight to the study and placed the bowl on Lu Yanchuan¡¯s desk. ¡°This is a nutritious soup personally ordered by Father. I can¡¯t finish it, so you can¡¯t disappoint Father¡¯s intention!¡± Lu Yanchuan found Qiao Yi¡¯s commanding attitude amusing but didn¡¯t laugh. After admiring her for a moment, he took the bowl from the desk and drank it without another word. Seeing Lu Yanchuan¡¯s action, Qiao Yi¡¯s eyes lit up. She seemed to have found a way to deal with the old gentleman! ¡°Father, Yiyi¡¯s health is fine; there¡¯s no need to keep nourishing her three meals a day.¡± That day, as Lu Yanchuan returned home, he smelled a familiar scent that instantly made his stomach uncomfortable. Indeed, when he found Old Mr. Lu in the kitchen, he was directing the auntie to add goji berries and astragalus to the chicken soup. Even good things, if consumed for three days straight, were enough to make one nauseated. Moreover, Lu Yanchuan had a nosebleed all morning at the company today, which he really couldn¡¯t bear any longer. Old Mr. Lu¡¯s eyes narrowed as he hustled Lu Yanchuan out. ¡°You¡¯re strong and healthy, you don¡¯t need to drink it. Look how thin Yiyi has become! If you don¡¯t nourish her properly now, how will she give me a big chubby grandson later?¡± I don¡¯t know how to get a big chubby grandson, but if you keep drinking like this, your handsome son might be gone. Lu Yanchuan¡¯s nose felt cold, as if something was flowing out of his nose again. ¡°Yo, why is there a nosebleed again? Is it because the air is too dry? Xiao Zhang, go turn on the humidifier!¡± Leaning on the staircase, Qiao Yi almost burst into laughter watching the commotion below. She was mindful of Old Mr. Lu¡¯s kindness towards her, but this kind of affection was a bit too enthusiastic for her to handle. When Lu Yanchuan came upstairs, Qiao Yi had already regained her composure. She demurely smiled at Lu Yanchuan and then turned to head back to her own room. Before Qiao Yi could run away, she was suddenly grabbed by the collar and pulled into Lu Yanchuan¡¯s room. ¡°What are you doing¡­mmph¡­¡± The domineering and scorching kisses rained down like a deluge, Qiao Yi clutched Lu Yanchuan¡¯s shirt over his chest tightly, as if to push him away, yet as if to yearn for more. ¡°Let¡­let me go¡­¡± Qiao Yi moaned softly, then quickly covered her mouth, not believing she could make such a sound. ¡°This is to punish you for messing around.¡± Lu Yanchuan gasped unsteadily, Qiao Yi could feel the burning heat emanating from his body, scorching her into a frenzy of panic. Qiao Yi was held tightly, and it took a long time before Lu Yanchuan restrained himself and let her go. ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°If you want to continue, you can stay!¡± Qiao Yi wrapped her arms around herself and ran out in a flurry, Lu Yanchuan irritably pulled open his collar and dove into the bathroom. He is a normal man, drinking such tonic soups three times a day without a way to release the fire is bound to drive a person crazy! Qiao Yi kept blushing all the way back to her own room. Old Mr. Lu brought another bowl of soup. This time, he didn¡¯t see Lu Yanchuan and instead placed the soup on the table for Qiao Yi. ¡°Drink this soup well, and when you¡¯ve recovered, you can give me a couple of grandkids while you¡¯re still young! With your foot still injured, you can¡¯t live with Yanchuan, so you better take your medicine and nurture your health!¡± Old Mr. Lu prattled on, watching Qiao Yi drink the soup. Qiao Yi really wanted to push the soup to Lu Yanchuan but, remembering his beast-like behavior just now, she felt a tremor in her heart, and decided it was better to obediently drink it herself. She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed when Lu Yanchuan¡¯s room door finally opened, and he left for the hospital without eating, carrying a chill with him. He looked so pained; it made Qiao Yi feel a twinge of guilt toward Lu Yanchuan for the first time. Living in the Lu Family was quite nice except for occasionally dealing with Old Mr. Lu pushing them to have children, and a bunch of inexplicable herbal tonics; it could almost be called paradise. Happy times are always fleeting, and in a blink of an eye, the day for Qiao Xin to be discharged from the hospital arrived. Qiao Yi was reluctant to meet Qiao Xin but, thinking Zhao Wenjing and Qiao Benqing might grow suspicious, she went to the hospital anyway. She didn¡¯t know how Qiao Xin managed it, but when Qiao Yi arrived at the hospital, she saw Lu Ming being extremely attentive, following her around, and carrying things for her. ¡°Sister, Ah Ming and I have discussed it, and we plan to move and live in the old house for a while. Only you are there to accompany Grandpa every day, and it¡¯s really too lonely.¡± Qiao Yi really wanted to laugh in her face; wasn¡¯t she herself the loneliest one in the old house? Old Mr. Lu had quite a few old friends, and every afternoon they would all disappear! ¡°Of course, that¡¯s great. Us sisters living together can take care of each other.¡± Qiao Yi agreed generously, even making a call in front of Zhao Wenjing and Qiao Benqing to arrange rooms for the two people at the old house. After Qiao Yi hung up, she saw everyone looking at her and explained with a raised smiling face. ¡°Granddad doesn¡¯t pay much attention to these matters now, and since I am free anyway, helping him manage things is also a way of showing filial piety.¡± Chapter 15 - Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Sleep in My Room Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Sleep in My Room Zhao Wenjing was somewhat surprised upon hearing Qiao Yi¡¯s words. She knew that Qiao Yi had grown up under the watchful eye of Old Mr. Lu and, given the close relationship between the two families, Old Mr. Lu would definitely take extra care of Qiao Yi. However, she hadn¡¯t expected that Old Mr. Lu would so readily entrust Qiao Yi with the housekeeping affairs. For families like the Qiao and Lu, management of the family business is essential, but maintaining relations and emotional ties with other families is even more important. Now, Qiao Yi was taking such a long-breathed role in the Lu Family; could it be that Old Mr. Lu truly valued her this much, to leave all these matters in her hands? Of course not. Although Old Mr. Lu had such intentions, Qiao Yi¡¯s ankle injury had just healed two days ago, and as a new bride of the Lu Family, it seemed improper for her to take over these duties so hastily. But these words could not be mentioned here; facing the astonished gazes of everyone in the room, Qiao Yi maintained an elegant and reserved smile. ¡°Since your father-in-law values you so much, you must get along well with Yanchuan and not cause trouble like you used to.¡± Zhao Wenjing was extremely pleased, but her happiness was inevitably followed by some worries. Qiao Yi spoke to Zhao Wenjing while quietly observing Qiao Xin¡¯s expression, and sure enough, she saw Qiao Xin looking as if she had swallowed a fly, her face no longer carrying the ease it had before. Qiao Yi hummed softly through her nose and, holding onto Zhao Wenjing¡¯s hand, was the first to leave the ward. Though humiliated by Qiao Yi¡¯s show of authority, Qiao Xin still moved into the Lu Mansion without delay, and at dinner that evening, two new faces appeared at the table¡ªQiao Xin and Lu Ming. Qiao Yi saw the bowl of chicken soup next to her, unchanged as always, and sipped it disconsolately, spoonful by spoonful. ¡°Today, I had them add ginseng to the soup. Try it and see how it tastes.¡± Old Mr. Lu looked at Qiao Yi with a smile. Taking a deep breath, Qiao Yi downed the chicken soup and wiped her mouth, praising Old Mr. Lu lavishly. Qiao Xin sat across from them, witnessing firsthand how drastically different Old Mr. Lu¡¯s attitudes were toward the two of them. Across from her, Qiao Yi was laughing and chatting with Old Mr. Lu, and Yanchuan occasionally chimed in. That was a picture of a happy family of three, whereas she and Lu Ming were merely sitting there like two spare parts. While Qiao Xin watched Qiao Yi, the latter was naturally also aware of her, and although not intentionally neglecting Qiao Xin, seeing her discomfort, Qiao Yi took pleasure in the situation. ¡°Grandpa, you can¡¯t be so biased, Qiao¡­ Auntie just twisted her ankle and needs nourishment, but Xinxin was in a car accident. You shouldn¡¯t play favorites.¡± Qiao Xin didn¡¯t speak, but it was Lu Ming who couldn¡¯t conceal his dissatisfaction with Old Mr. Lu¡¯s indifferent attitude towards him and Qiao Xin, and he took the initiative to speak out. Old Mr. Lu seemed to suddenly remember that there were two more people in the house, glancing at Qiao Xin and then at Lu Ming, and snorting through his nose. ¡°What, you can¡¯t pour chicken soup for your wife from the kitchen? Do I need to personally serve it to her?¡± Lu Ming¡¯s face stiffened, he wanted to argue, but Old Mr. Lu had already turned away, no longer paying him any heed. Qiao Yi kept her head down and continued eating, as the stares of Lu Ming and Qiao Xin settled on her, as if she were the reason Old Mr. Lu was ignoring them. The meal was tense, greatly affecting the appetite. Qiao Yi went upstairs after eating only half her meal; she really couldn¡¯t be bothered to watch Qiao Xin sucking up to Old Mr. Lu. ¡°Father said you didn¡¯t eat much tonight and asked me to bring this up to you.¡± After playing with her phone in her room for a while, Lu Yanchuan came in carrying a tray. ¡°Oh, thank him for me.¡± Qiao Yi acknowledged, eyes fixed on the mobile game interface without moving. After a long while without hearing the door, Qiao Yi looked up to see Lu Yanchuan sitting on the sofa, looking at her. Qiao Yi felt a tingling on her scalp under his gaze and uneasily crawled out of bed. ¡°What else do you want?¡± ¡°Sleep in my room tonight.¡± Qiao Yi almost spewed out blood! How could Lu Yanchuan say such a thing with a straight face? ¡°What do you want to do!¡± Involuntarily, Qiao Yi scooted back, staring at Lu Yanchuan warily as if he were some kind of lecherous ghost. Lu Yanchuan frowned in displeasure, stood up looking down at Qiao Yi who was also staring back, hugging her blanket. After a long stalemate, it was Lu Yanchuan who was first to retreat. ¡°Since you want us to play the part of a married couple, we have to do it convincingly. Once your foot is healed, sleep in my room.¡± Qiao Yi relaxed, realizing that was what he meant, she had thought¡­ Seeing the hint of red on Qiao Yi¡¯s face, the displeasure in Lu Yanchuan¡¯s heart seemed to dissipate in an instant, and he huffed and left. As soon as Lu Yanchuan left, Qiao Xin entered the room and saw the dinner plate on the table, her face turning frightfully cold. ¡°You must be very pleased with yourself, seducing your brother-in-law, now strutting around here at the Lu Family!¡± ¡°Brother-in-law? Are you out of your mind? My current brother-in-law is just downstairs, I wonder who I¡¯ve seduced?¡± Qiao Yi sat cross-legged on the bed, the earlier embarrassment gone from her face, leaving only mockery. The annoyance on Qiao Xin¡¯s face flickered and then calmed again. ¡°You know very well who I¡¯m talking about, don¡¯t think you can be so smug forever, Lu Yanchuan will be mine sooner or later!¡± Qiao Yi didn¡¯t even know what to say to her, she must have damaged her brain in that car accident, otherwise, why would she act and talk so mindlessly now? ¡°Seduced your brother-in-law¡­ Lu Yanchuan will be mine sooner or later!¡± Qiao Xin stared at the smartphone in Qiao Yi¡¯s hand, her face a mix of panic and embarrassment. ¡°You recorded it! Delete that!¡± Qiao Xin lunged at Qiao Yi, but Qiao Yi swiftly dodged. ¡°You dare to come in my room and provoke me, why wouldn¡¯t I record it? Keep talking, be assured, I¡¯ll record everything you say.¡± Qiao Xin screamed in rage and frantically lunged at Qiao Yi to snatch the phone from her hand. Unable to combat a reckless lunatic, Qiao Yi¡¯s grip loosened, and the phone landed in Qiao Xin¡¯s hand. Qiao Xin snatched the phone and flung it to the ground, smashing it to pieces. Qiao Yi watched indifferently as Qiao Xin lost her composure. After Qiao Xin smashed the phone, she got off the bed and suddenly grabbed Qiao Xin by the throat, slamming her violently against the wall. ¡°Have you had enough? I¡¯ve been tolerating you over and over again because you¡¯re my sister. Our blood relation won¡¯t make me put up with you forever, if you keep this up, don¡¯t blame me for not holding back.¡± The hand on her throat felt as if it was made of iron; no matter how hard Qiao Xin tried, she couldn¡¯t push Qiao Yi away, forced to tilt her head back and look at her. Qiao Yi¡¯s tone was chilling, Qiao Xin couldn¡¯t help but shiver when she met her emotionless gaze. ¡°What are you trying to do!¡± Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Unruly Sleeping Positions Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Unruly Sleeping Positions ¡°What am I supposed to do? You set traps for me everywhere, and now you ask me what I¡¯m going to do?¡± Qiao Yi¡¯s grip tightened gradually, Qiao Xin¡¯s face turned purple under her hands, and she looked like she was about to suffocate when Qiao Yi suddenly let go, and Qiao Xin collapsed to the floor. ¡°Qiao Xin, this is the last time I warn you, stop bothering me.¡± Qiao Yi dropped those words, taking the meal that Lu Yanchuan brought and left the room. Qiao Xin sat on the floor coughing violently and trembling all over. The words Qiao Yi had just said echoed in her ears again and again, like little hammers striking her heart one after another. ¡°Xinxin? What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you so pale?¡± Qiao Xin didn¡¯t come back for quite a while after she said she was going upstairs to see Qiao Yi. Lu Ming followed to check on her, and not seeing Qiao Yi, he found Qiao Xin sitting on the floor with a horrific expression. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I might have had low blood sugar just now. I¡¯ll be okay after sitting for a bit.¡± Qiao Xin avoided Lu Ming¡¯s hand which he extended to help her up and got up by herself to sit on the bed. A shadow passed quickly through Lu Ming¡¯s eyes but was soon replaced with concern as he sat beside Qiao Xin, asking if she needed to see a doctor. Qiao Xin still hadn¡¯t recovered from the fright Qiao Yi gave her, and Lu Ming¡¯s pestering made her want to erupt with anger, but she forcefully suppressed it. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Didn¡¯t grandpa say he wanted to move some flowers in the yard? Go and help him.¡± Seeing that Qiao Xin really didn¡¯t want to talk, Lu Ming didn¡¯t linger and left the room after agreeing. Suddenly, Lu Ming¡¯s phone rang. He checked it and his face changed immediately; he hurried back to his own room. Qiao Yi took the meal to the kitchen, ate a few bites, then asked the maid to clean up. She knew she had to sleep in Lu Yanchuan¡¯s room tonight; even if he didn¡¯t say it, it was clear in her heart. She always tried to deceive herself. The thought of sharing a bed with Lu Yanchuan that night made Qiao Yi feel all the hairs on her body stand on end. Qiao Yi scratched her head irritably, paced around the living room a few times, and then walked toward Lu Yanchuan¡¯s room with a face as if she was bravely going off to war. Lu Yanchuan, hearing the noise at the door, slightly curved his lips and then continued to lower his gaze to the documents. Qiao Yi hovered outside Lu Yanchuan¡¯s door for a good ten minutes, unable to take that final step. ¡°Qiao Yi! Qiao Yi! You¡¯re the best!¡± After psyching herself up, Qiao Yi gritted her teeth and pushed the door open. Lu Yanchuan¡¯s room had always been decorated in a cool style, with only three colors: black, white, and gray, just like him. The person outside finally walked in, Lu Yanchuan lifted his eyes to give her a glance without making a sound, waiting until Qiao Yi moved haltingly to the side of the bed, then suddenly put down the documents in his hand and looked at Qiao Yi. ¡°Who¡¯s showering first, you or me?¡± Qiao Yi was like a startled rabbit, nowhere near as cold as she had been with Qiao Xin. ¡°You-you-you go first!¡± It¡¯s just showering, why say it in such a suggestive tone? It¡¯s really scary! After Lu Yanchuan entered the bathroom, Qiao Yi finally took a deep breath and quickly walked over to sit by the bed. Why is it that every time she sees Lu Yanchuan, her own presence seems to shrink by three points? Were she and Lu Yanchuan naturally at odds? As Qiao Yi pondered, Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t take long before coming out of the bathroom. ¡°Your clothes! Where are they?¡± Seeing a handsome man fresh out of the shower late at night was truly an overwhelming experience. Qiao Yi instantly covered her eyes, while Lu Yanchuan gave her a baffled glare. If you¡¯re going to cover your eyes, then cover them properly. What¡¯s with the big gap between the fingers? Qiao Yi, feeling slighted, dropped her hand and openly admired Lu Yanchuan¡¯s nearly perfect figure. In a room with a man and a woman, the one who is undressed always has to concede first. Perhaps it was Qiao Yi¡¯s gaze that was too fiery, Lu Yanchuan took off the towel from around his waist and draped it over his body, blocking Qiao Yi¡¯s view. ¡°Go take a shower, and then sleep.¡± Why did he cover up so quickly, she hadn¡¯t even had her fill of looking! Qiao Yi rubbed her face and walked into the bathroom, and it wasn¡¯t until the shower water drenched her that she realized she hadn¡¯t brought anything with her! ¡°I¡­¡± Standing under the shower, water pouring over her head again and again, she just opened her mouth to ask Lu Yanchuan to help her fetch something, but then she immediately negated the idea herself. This was¡­ awkward¡­ Suddenly, there was a knock on the bathroom door, and Qiao Yi, startled, turned off the water and embraced herself tightly. ¡°Third Madam, the Third Young Master asked me to bring you toiletries. I¡¯ve placed them outside the door.¡± Thank goodness, it¡¯s the auntie from home¡­ By the time Qiao Yi finally walked out of the bathroom, Lu Yanchuan had already turned off the lights and gone to bed, leaving only a small night light on for Qiao Yi. Qiao Yi tiptoed to turn off the light and climbed into bed. She thought she would definitely be sleepless all night tonight. This thought had only circled in Qiao Yi¡¯s mind for a moment before she fell asleep. In the middle of the night, Lu Yanchuan was awakened by a kick. His thigh was bearing a delicate little foot, and its owner was almost sprawled across the entire bed. Qiao Yi¡¯s blanket was thrown under the bed by herself, and her own blanket was now wrapped around Qiao Yi. How had he not noticed that Qiao Yi¡¯s sleeping posture was so¡­ free-spirited? Lu Yanchuan pressed his temples with a headache, moved away Qiao Yi¡¯s foot, and pulled at his own blanket. Somehow, Qiao Yi had wrapped the blanket so tightly around her that Lu Yanchuan tugged several times and it didn¡¯t budge. Lu Yanchuan resigned himself to picking up Qiao Yi¡¯s blanket, and in the blink of an eye, Qiao Yi had already rolled over to his spot. Due to Qiao Yi¡¯s ungraceful sleeping position, her pajama pants were rolled up on her thigh, and a small part of the hem of her shirt had flipped up, revealing a little bit of her white belly. It looked more like the pets that female employees often posted in the company group chat. When Qiao Yi woke up the next day, it was already past ten in the morning, she had an extremely restful sleep, something she hadn¡¯t done in over half a month. There was only her sleeping on the big bed, with two blankets pressed underneath her; by that time, Lu Yanchuan had long since gone to the company. ¡°Yiyi, are you up yet?¡± The voice of Old Mr. Lu rang out from outside the door, and Qiao Yi hurriedly scrambled off the bed, barefoot to open the door for Old Mr. Lu. ¡°Dad, were you looking for me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just came up to ask if you were hungry.¡± Old Mr. Lu seemed quite pleased with Qiao Yi¡¯s disheveled appearance, and Qiao Yi¡¯s face heated up, not knowing how to explain to Old Mr. Lu. ¡°Sis certainly did get a good sleep, Grandpa was thinking about sis and specifically told the kitchen to keep your meal warm!¡± Qiao Xin appeared from behind Old Mr. Lu, with a sarcastic remark. Qiao Yi didn¡¯t want to deal with her, but she couldn¡¯t refuse Old Mr. Lu¡¯s kindness. ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t you say Uncle Sun was coming to play chess at home today? You should go and get ready; I¡¯ll be right down!¡± Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: Chapter 17 A Room Chapter 17: Chapter 17 A Room Qiao Yi was called back to the Qiao Family by Qiao Benqing, saying that there was something he needed to discuss with her. Qiao Yi never interfered with the businesses of Qiao Group, and for some reason, Qiao Benqing suddenly wanted to discuss official business with her this time. Not just Qiao Yi, but Qiao Xin was also called back. As soon as the two arrived home, they were called straight into the study, where Qiao Benqing gave each of them a document to read. Qiao Xin read it carefully, while Qiao Yi flipped through it casually before tossing it aside. ¡°Father, if there¡¯s something you need to say, please do. Why the urgent call for me to return?¡± Qiao Xin withdrew a bit of her attention from the document, turning to look at Qiao Benqing along with her. ¡°This is the latest development plan issued by Tian City. This development plan includes not only the redevelopment of an old seaport but also the makeover of the Binhai old town area. I had previously received information about the old seaport¡¯s development, but I did not expect that this time the project would also include the old town area.¡± Qiao Benqing had discussed this with Qiao Xin, but it was the first time Qiao Yi had heard of it. However, whether it was the first time hearing it or not made no difference to Qiao Yi. She flipped impatiently through the document in her hand, quickly saying after Qiao Benqing had finished speaking. ¡°Dad, haven¡¯t we agreed that I don¡¯t need to join the company before I¡¯m twenty-five? You can¡¯t go back on your word!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about you joining the company, but another matter that I need you to handle.¡± As long as it wasn¡¯t about joining the company, everything was negotiable. Qiao Yi looked curiously at another document in Qiao Benqing¡¯s hand, ¡°Then why did you call me back? What is it that you want me to do?¡± ¡°This time, you will represent Qiao Family at the Tian City bidding.¡± ¡°Dad! I was the one who undertook this project firsthand. How can you let Qiao Yi take part in the bidding!¡± Qiao Xin suddenly stood up. She was unwilling to toil away in the company, but she was even more reluctant to allow Qiao Yi to reap the benefits and effortlessly score the success that should belong to her! This was unfair! Qiao Benqing frowned at Qiao Xin, his mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but his words took a turn at the last moment. ¡°Of course, you still have your task. This quarter, the contract between Qiao Family and Lu Group is expiring, and this project has always been managed by Lu Ming. This time, you take care of the liaison with Lu Ming.¡± Qiao Benqing made the final decision, leaving Qiao Xin with no choice but to comply. ¡°Dad, I¡­¡± ¡°Xinxin, you have to understand that the cooperation between Qiao Family and Lu Group is very important. Do not let down dad¡¯s expectations of you.¡± Qiao Xin bit her lip and nodded, but as she turned and walked out, she glared viciously at Qiao Yi. Qiao Yi naturally returned the glare without backing down, and as their gazes crossed, it was filled with thunder and lightning. ¡°Yiyi, there are some details about this bid that you need to remember.¡± With the conversation going this far, Qiao Yi naturally had no choice but to accept, sitting next to Qiao Benqing with a resigned expression, waiting for his instructions. ¡°In this bidding, you must give it your all, but you absolutely must not succeed.¡± ¡°Not succeed?¡± What kind of requirement was this? Bidding has always been about succeeding at all costs, she had never heard of aiming to put in effort but fail. Qiao Benqing had anticipated Qiao Yi¡¯s question and prepared a response. ¡°The reason I didn¡¯t let Xinxin go is precisely for this reason. If we let her give it a try, we would have a sixty percent chance of securing this project. However, the Qiao Group cannot take on this project; not only can we not take it, but we must also not appear too eager, and must instead give the impression that our Qiao Group has exerted all our effort but regrettably missed out.¡± Qiao Yi almost immediately understood what was meant and tentatively asked, ¡°Does this mean there is a problem with the project for the old port district redevelopment?¡± Qiao Benqing nodded but did not specify what the problem was. Qiao Yi realized that this kind of thing was not suitable for Qiao Xin. She simply couldn¡¯t keep things to herself, and if this were entrusted to her, it might ruin everything. ¡°Also, don¡¯t let Yanchuan know about this.¡± Confused, Qiao Yi still agreed and after having dinner with Zhao Wenjing and Qiao Benqing at the Qiao Family¡¯s house, she returned to the Lu Family¡¯s. ¡°Mr. Lu, Tian City has already issued the redevelopment plan for the old port district. Shouldn¡¯t we also start preparing our bid?¡± Ma Yu pulled out the invitation from the email, but Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t even glance at it, leaving Ma Yu unsure of what he was thinking. ¡°This noon, Ms. Qiao called her wife back home. When the lady came back, she had a copy of the plan. It¡¯s very likely that the lady will be the one going to the bidding¡­ What do you think we should do¡­¡± ¡°The Qiao Family has already given up this bid. Keep an eye on the moves in Tian City; we must not allow any chaos before the bidding.¡± Lu Yanchuan¡¯s words confused Ma Yu. Why did allowing Qiao Yi to participate in the auction mean giving up? However, there was always a reason for the boss¡¯s decisions, not something his assistant could fully grasp. The auction in Tian City would take place in just ten days. Even though Qiao Benqing had given the task to Qiao Yi, he still had Qiao Xin accompany them to Tian City, claiming it was to assist Qiao Yi with the bidding. Only Qiao Yi knew that Qiao Benqing did this to better distract others, concealing his intentions to give up the bid. Qiao Yi and Qiao Xin left for Tian City two days early, accompanied by Lu Ming and Lu Yanchuan. Old Mr. Lu was overjoyed to learn that Qiao Yi would be traveling with Yanchuan. It was only when Qiao Yi opened her suitcase at the hotel that she realized what Old Mr. Lu had packed for her. A whole ten cans of nourishing soup was one thing, but what on earth was that box of colorful stuff! Face flushed, Qiao Yi stuffed the items into a corner of her suitcase and glared up at Lu Yanchuan. ¡°Are we supposed to live together even though we¡¯re on a business trip?¡± Over the past few days, she had been able to deal calmly with Yanchuan, but the thought of the two of them staying in the same room still enraged her. Even though they weren¡¯t at the old house anymore, why did Yanchuan only book one room for both of them? ¡°Qiao Xin and Lu Ming are just next door; do you want them to discover the nature of our relationship?¡± Qiao Yi¡¯s eyes widened. Yanchuan¡¯s words seemed to make some sense, but she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was off. No! There was no relationship between them at all! Nothing at all! Holding back a smile, Yanchuan packed up his things and, without waiting for Qiao Yi to finish her indignant packing, he pulled her out the door. ¡°It¡¯s time to go for lunch.¡± Qiao Yi screamed in protest, trying to shrug off Yanchuan¡¯s hand. She opened the door, and to her surprise, saw Lu Ming and Qiao Xin also coming out from the next door, apparently also heading out to lunch. ¡°What a coincidence! Shall we go together?¡± Upon seeing Qiao Xin, Qiao Yi instantly turned into a sweet, compliant darling, lovingly clinging to Yanchuan¡¯s arm with a blissful smile. ¡°Did I just see you and Mr. Lu having a little tiff, Yiyi?¡± ¡°Not at all. Just some playful affection between husband and wife, you and your husband have those moments too, right?¡± Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Chapter 18 You Did That on Purpose Chapter 18: Chapter 18 You Did That on Purpose Lu Yanchuan glanced at the human-shaped ornament that had suddenly appeared on his arm and didn¡¯t deny Qiao Yi¡¯s words. Qiao Yi let out a sigh of relief. Although Lu Yanchuan wasn¡¯t the best of people, he was reliable when it really mattered. Qiao Xin could practically burst with anger from the look in her eyes, and Qiao Yi felt that if looks could kill, she would have been hacked to pieces by now. However, unfortunately for Qiao Xin, all she could do was glare at her. Qiao Yi, holding on to Lu Yanchuan¡¯s arm, strutted past Qiao Xin. But as soon as she entered the elevator, Qiao Yi quickly shook off Lu Yanchuan¡¯s hand, as if he was carrying some sort of virus. ¡°Thanks for playing along just now; consider it a debt I owe you.¡± With her back turned to Lu Yanchuan, he simply hummed noncommittally. Qiao Yi took it as agreement and, as soon as the elevator stopped, she bolted out without looking back. Lu Yanchuan looked at the ten-floor indicator on the elevator and then at Qiao Yi, who didn¡¯t look back. He gave up on the idea of calling her back and continued down in the elevator by himself. Qiao Yi felt she must have a problem; she wasn¡¯t paying attention to where she was going at all, and now she found herself wandering in the hotel, unable to find her way out. It took quite some effort to reach the first floor through the fire escape, and by the time Qiao Yi got to the restaurant, Lu Yanchuan had already ordered and started his meal. Grinding her teeth and fuming, Qiao Yi sat opposite Lu Yanchuan. No sooner had she sat down than the waiters began serving her food. Was Lu Yanchuan being kindhearted? Had he actually ordered her meal for her? Lu Yanchuan, who sat opposite her, was still dressed in that austere black suit, but because of the meal, he had placed his jacket on the chair next to him. Without his tie and with the top button of his shirt undone, it added an unexpectedly sexy touch to his appearance. His sleeves were rolled up over his forearms, and even his manner of eating was noble, making him look distinguished just by sitting there. Qiao Yi really wanted to know how he could pretend so well and so naturally! This was purely her own pettiness. Lu Yanchuan noticed Qiao Yi¡¯s discreet glances and subtly turned himself, offering her an even more perfect view. Qiao Yi didn¡¯t want to admit she was being seduced by this man, so she became annoyed once more. She angrily devoured a steak with her fork and then left Lu Yanchuan to go back to her room alone. Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t care that she was running away. He finished his meal leisurely and by the time he got back to his room, it was pitch black. Qiao Yi hadn¡¯t even left a small night light for him. Under the hazy moonlight, he could barely make out a small bulge on the bed. Lu Yanchuan¡¯s gaze darkened slightly, and he lay down next to Qiao Yi. The bidding event was just two days away. Early in the morning, Lu Yanchuan left the hotel, claiming to be inspecting the Lu Group¡¯s branch office in Tian City. Qiao Yi had nothing to do, so she lounged around the hotel until noon before reluctantly getting up for lunch. Tian City is rather unique among many northern cities, rich in cultural heritage and traditional features. Thus, after eating, Qiao Yi went shopping in the city center. Qiao Yi was accompanied to the event with the Qiao sisters by one of Qiao Benqing¡¯s assistants, who hurriedly called her back when she knew Qiao Yi was out shopping. ¡°Second Miss, we are here for the auction. Even if you give up on the final outcome, you still need to put up an appearance. Do you want everyone to see that the Qiao Family has given up?¡± The assistant was earnest and well-meaning, but Qiao Yi just curled her lip and rolled her eyes. ¡°Mr. Feng, you worry too much. My sister is overly enthusiastic about preparing for the bid. With her around, no one will care about what I do.¡± Qiao Yi tossed off a sentence and ran away, leaving Mr. Feng pounding his thigh in frustration. It was clear that the second Miss¡¯s business talents far surpassed those of the eldest Miss. Why, then, did Ms. Qiao insist on keeping the second Miss out of the company and instead relentlessly groom the elder daughter? Qiao Yi knew the answer to this question; in fact, she was the one who had orchestrated the whole thing. Qiao Benqing had been busy with work when Qiao Xin was born and couldn¡¯t provide enough company. Thus, Qiao Benqing always felt a sense of guilt towards Qiao Xin. Knowing this, Qiao Yi had always given way to Qiao Xin, but Qiao Xin had been nothing but a disappointment to her. After wandering outside for an afternoon, Qiao Yi returned to the hotel laden with bags. While Qiao Xin focused on gathering bid information, Lu Yanchuan and Lu Ming inspected the companies, Qiao Yi was seriously splurging on shopping. For two whole days, until the day of the bidding conference, the group of four met again. ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve really taken it easy this time. Just a bit of shopping and you¡¯re done? It¡¯s impressive how you still remember that today is the bidding conference!¡± The four stood in the elevator, with Qiao Yi and Qiao Xin naturally side by side. Qiao Xin glanced at the new dress on Qiao Yi¡¯s body, her dissatisfaction and disdain evident as she rolled her eyes. Qiao Yi pushed her sunglasses up, treating Qiao Xin¡¯s comment as if it were nothing more than a fart in her ear, completely ignoring her. Qiao Xin, refusing to let it go, suddenly stepped forward as if to leave the elevator with Qiao Yi ¨C intent, in reality, on tripping her. Without a sideward glance, Qiao Yi lifted her foot and stamped down hard. ¡°Ah!¡± Qiao Xin screamed as she stumbled out of the elevator, the skin from her calf to the top of her foot pierced by Qiao Yi¡¯s sharp high heels, blood flowing out immediately. ¡°Oh dear, I am terribly sorry, sister. I didn¡¯t see your foot somehow found its way under mine, so sorry indeed.¡± Qiao Yi stepped back, flicked her skirt, and lifted her sunglasses slightly to glance down. Though her words apologized, her face showed no hint of remorse; instead, it was full of mockery. ¡°You! You did it on purpose!¡± Faced with Qiao Xin¡¯s roar, Qiao Yi laughed. ¡°I did it on purpose? Right, I intentionally let you stick your foot under mine, intentionally let you trip me. My wish to fall hasn¡¯t come true yet, what a disappointment indeed.¡± Qiao Yi¡¯s mocking tone irritated even Lu Ming, who was crouching down to check on Qiao Xin¡¯s injury, causing him to look at her surprisingly. ¡°Sister, if you¡¯re hurt, why not have your brother-in-law take you to the hospital? If there¡¯s no serious problem, then stand up. Sitting here like this is an embarrassing spectacle.¡± Qiao Yi straightened up and walked over to Lu Yanchuan, linking her arm through his, as if the person who had just behaved so bizarrely wasn¡¯t her. Qiao Xin trembled with fury, her face turning green as she pushed Lu Ming¡¯s hand away and struggled to stand, watching the retreating figures of Qiao Yi and Lu Yanchuan go side by side. Lu Ming, brushed aside, showed a fleeting grimace, but still wore a concerned expression as he helped Qiao Xin. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of blood on your leg. Let¡¯s take care of it first, be careful about an infection.¡± Qiao Xin took a few rapid breaths and finally nodded her head, allowing Lu Ming to support her toward the medical room. Chapter 19 - Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Bidding Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Bidding Qiao Yi felt the occasional glances from Lu Yanchuan landing on her. Feeling uncomfortable, she turned her head and glared at him. ¡°Do you think I was too harsh on Qiao Xin?¡± Lu Yanchuan¡¯s mind was still dwelling on how Qiao Yi¡¯s little demeanor just now was somewhat tantalizing, when unexpectedly, the little woman next to him angrily questioned him. Receiving Lu Yanchuan¡¯s somewhat puzzled gaze, Qiao Yi felt a bit more at ease. ¡°Your grudges with her have nothing to do with me.¡± The implication was whether he was harsh or not, it didn¡¯t matter to her. Qiao Yi withdrew her gaze and looked out the window, and the two of them fell silent for the rest of the journey. Tian City¡¯s geographical location is advantageous, plus its long history, making it a city that can¡¯t be overlooked, whether politically, economically, or geographically. Since Tian City¡¯s development in the North has spanned decades, in recent years, the Tian City government has rarely opened new official projects. This time, the redevelopment of the old harbor district is the first in five years. Scarcity breeds value, and as soon as the project news went out, there were no fewer than ten companies from Capital City alone coming in for the bid, not to mention, the national companies coming to the bidding meeting totaled over fifty. The Qiao Family and Lu Family stood out among them, drawing innumerable gazes upon the two figures who entered the venue together. Could it be that the Qiao Family and Lu Group are joining forces? That was the thought running through most people¡¯s minds. But upon seeing the two people return to their respective seats, like complete strangers, their thoughts began to waver. If the Qiao Family and Lu Family joined forces, others wouldn¡¯t stand a chance, but now it seemed like there was still hope. Before the bid submissions, this was their last chance to modify the terms. People from well-acquainted enterprises gathered together, whispering, and from time to time glancing over at Lu Yanchuan and Qiao Yi. Qiao Yi, sitting there bored playing with her phone, ignored Mr. Feng who kept nagging her to review the documents. She was just going through the motions; why bother? However, Mr. Feng made a good point ¨C she still needed to keep up appearances in front of others, to avoid showing that the Qiao Family had given up. ¡°President, we¡¯ve obtained the bids from Longjia and Tengxin. However, their attitudes are ambiguous ¨C doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯ll compete fiercely.¡± Ma Yu¡¯s words drew Lu Yanchuan¡¯s attention back from Qiao Yi. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely, even though the representatives from those companies aren¡¯t the chairmen, they are the high-level executives. They won¡¯t give up on the project that easily.¡± Ma Yu followed his gaze to look at the representatives of those two companies, seeing only two dark heads and couldn¡¯t figure out how Lu Yanchuan identified them. Lu Yanchuan, not wanting to deal with this assistant with questionable intellect, handed over the bid documents to Ma Yu and started to rest with his eyes closed. There were not a few who acted like him, yet not many could relax completely as he did. Qiao Xin, having treated her wounds, eventually made it to the bidding venue. After signing in, she didn¡¯t go to the Qiao Family¡¯s seat, but instead found a spot to sit in towards the back. ¡°Xinxin, why are you sitting here?¡± ¡°There are too many people inside, I¡¯ll sit here for a while to avoid bumping my foot.¡± Qiao Xin answered expressionlessly, and Lu Ming, sensing her perfunctory tone, reminded himself over and over not to get angry, and sat next to her with a forced smile. ¡°I¡¯ll keep you company here then.¡± Qiao Xin gave him an impatient, frowning glance but said nothing more. As the time for bidding approached, the venue gradually quieted down, everyone waiting for the host to announce the start of the meeting. Qiao Yi turned her head to look back and saw Qiao Xin sitting at the rear, puzzled. Since when could she stay so composed? Several leaders went on stage to give their speeches, and Qiao Yi, listening from below, began to feel sleepy, slowly dozing off in her chair. Qiao Xin, keeping watch over Qiao Yi¡¯s movements, saw her fall asleep and silently approached from behind. Seeing that Mr. Feng, on the other side of Qiao Yi, was completely unaware of her presence, Qiao Xin reached over to swap the bidding document next to Qiao Yi with another one swiftly. Seeing that Qiao Yi was oblivious, Qiao Xin retreated back to her original seat. As soon as she sat down, Qiao Xin saw Lu Ming beside her looking at the bidding document in her hand. Qiao Xin offered no explanation to Lu Ming about why she swapped the bidding documents, and surprisingly, Lu Ming didn¡¯t ask either, only giving a few extra glances before returning to his oblivious demeanor. His reaction puzzled Qiao Xin, but him being taciturn was for the best; with him being sensible, he might be of some help to her. The speeches went on for nearly an hour before they concluded. Qiao Yi was awakened by Mr. Feng, rubbing her eyes only to realize it was time for the bidding. The envelope for the bid documents was well-sealed. As soon as Qiao Yi took the envelope, her complexion seemed off. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mr. Feng, listening to the names on stage and keeping an eye on Qiao Yi, saw her change in complexion and quickly turned to ask. ¡°Nothing, let¡¯s go.¡± The bid document in her hand was definitely problematic ¨C it wasn¡¯t the same envelope as her bid document. However, Qiao Yi didn¡¯t know who had swapped her bid. Her gaze swept across the faces of representatives from several companies nearby, finding no suspicious person, and walked up to the stage as if nothing had happened to submit the bid book in her hand. After descending from the stage, Qiao Yi brushed past Lu Yanchuan, neither giving the other a second glance, as if they didn¡¯t know each other at all. ¡°Did you and Mr. Lu have a fight?¡± Back at the seat, Mr. Feng couldn¡¯t help but ask. Qiao Yi gave him a sidelong glance ¨C such a gossip for a grown man. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why did you two act like strangers, not even greeting each other?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to greet for? We have to go back to the hotel together later. There will be plenty of time for greetings.¡± Mr. Feng was at a loss for words due to Qiao Yi¡¯s response and closed his mouth. After the bidding ended, the bid-calling session began, and unrelated people like Mr. Feng were cleared out, and Qiao Xin also returned to sit next to Qiao Yi. ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of Mr. Lu. This time, I¡¯ll show you the gap between us can¡¯t be bridged by mere parental favoritism.¡± Qiao Xin whispered threatening words in Qiao Yi¡¯s ear with a smile. Qiao Yi turned her head sharply to face her, a guess emerging in her mind. ¡°The bid book, you swapped it!¡± Qiao Xin was extremely satisfied with Qiao Yi¡¯s reaction. Her smiling face needn¡¯t be feigned as she arrogantly tilted her head, looking down on Qiao Yi with her chin. ¡°So what if I did. Do you think your bid document is perfect just because Mr. Feng is helping you? Such garbage, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not embarrassed bringing out something that would disgrace the Qiao Family.¡± Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Winning the Bid Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Winning the Bid Qiao Yi simply wanted to crack open Qiao Xin¡¯s head and see if it¡¯s filled with water! She had put so much effort into perfecting a bid that was flawless in its generosity, only for it to be swapped by Qiao Xin! That document on the stage¡­ ¡°Exactly, the one you sent up is the bid I prepared! This project, I am determined to win it!¡± It¡¯s over, completely over now! Qiao Yi¡¯s face turned an iron shade of blue, she glared at Qiao Xin and then anxiously looked towards the auctioneer on the stage. She had thought that the bid document was sent by a competitor of the Qiao Family, intending to muddy the waters. Since the Qiao Family didn¡¯t want the project this time, Qiao Yi went with the flow and submitted the document. But now that she heard it was made by Qiao Xin, she didn¡¯t need to think to know that this bid document would definitely stand out, greatly increasing the chances of the Qiao Family winning the project. This was not what she wanted at all! It was like a death sentence! Full of anxiety, Qiao Yi watched Qiao Xin, who, thinking her pride was hurt by being overshadowed, wore a cold face. She had no idea that their little dispute had ruined a grand scheme! The bidding announcement was fast-paced, and in no time it was the Qiao Family¡¯s turn. Qiao Yi held her forehead, feeling a growing heaviness in her heart with each word the auctioneer spoke. This was indeed a very competitive bid; Qiao Xin must have put in a lot of effort. The gloomy faces of the representatives of the other enterprises spoke to the quality of the bid. But Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t bring herself to smile! Next up after the Qiao Family was the Lu Group. After hearing just a couple of sentences, Qiao Yi¡¯s heart sank completely. The Lu Group¡¯s bid was identical to the one swapped by Qiao Xin; only those especially sensitive to industry changes could not tell that it was full of fluff! The Lu Group was also giving up, it seemed! Qiao Yi looked up towards Lu Yanchuan, meeting his gaze. His dark eyes carried an indescribable emotion, which weighed even more on her already heavy heart. Lu Yanchuan had known her intentions all along! There must be a big problem with this project, and someone was going to use it to set a trap; both Qiao Benqing and Lu Yanchuan knew why, only Qiao Xin, like a fool, had walked right into it! ¡°It seems Mr. Lu isn¡¯t too fond of you either. Knowing you¡¯re representing the Qiao Family in the bidding, he still made the bid so perfect, with no intention of going easy on you at all.¡± Qiao Xin continued to jeer beside her, and hearing her words, Qiao Yi suddenly felt sad, even beginning to doubt whether her initial decision to refuse working at the company had been right. Although she hoped that Qiao Benqing would compensate Qiao Xin with the company, letting Qiao Xin continue like this would lead to the destruction of the Qiao Family! Qiao Yi was in utter disarray, pulling out her phone to send a message to Mr. Feng, hoping there was still some way to remedy the situation. The bidding ended, and during the intermission, the organizers took time to filter the submissions. Qiao Xin could hardly contain her triumph; the worse Qiao Yi looked, the happier she felt, even feeling an urge to burst into song. ¡°You knew all along, didn¡¯t you?¡± Lu Yanchuan came over, and Qiao Yi, pulling him aside, questioned him in a low voice. ¡°What do you think?¡± Lu Yanchuan neither confirmed nor denied, simply curving his lips faintly. Qiao Yi¡¯s heart turned to ice, and she began to think about how to change the situation. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, Mr. Lu, but it seems this project will likely end up in the hands of the Qiao Family. I¡¯m really looking forward to another competitive opportunity with you next time.¡± Qiao Xin suddenly interjected between the two men, tilting her chin up as she looked at Lu Yanchuan, waiting for his praise. Lu Yanchuan glanced at Qiao Xin, then at Qiao Yi, and suddenly asked, ¡°Was that proposal done by her?¡± The question was directed at Qiao Yi, but Qiao Xin grew even more smug. Not waiting for Qiao Yi to reply, she took the initiative to speak. ¡°Of course, my sister has never even been to the company. How could Dad possibly entrust her with such a task? Mr. Lu, just take a look at the proposal she worked on, it¡¯s utterly nonsensical!¡± Qiao Xin flaunted the proposal she had switched with Qiao Yi and handed it to Lu Yanchuan. Lu Yanchuan opened the document pouch, took a brief look at the proposal, and then looked at Qiao Yi with a somewhat strange expression. ¡°Is this one the work you did?¡± Qiao Yi nodded helplessly. She didn¡¯t even have the desire to call Qiao Xin stupid anymore. Lu Yanchuan meticulously read through that proposal once over and then put it into his briefcase, showing no intention of giving it back to Qiao Yi. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°What!¡± Qiao Xin screamed in disbelief, her smugness blending with astonishment to contort her face hideously. ¡°You actually say she did a good job on such a proposal! You! You!¡± ¡°There are still some flaws in this proposal. I¡¯ll help you fix them when we return.¡± Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t even spare Qiao Xin a glance, and went back to his seat as soon as the host announced the end of the break. Qiao Xin was about to explode with rage! The proposal that dazzled everyone on stage was her work! Why did Lu Yanchuan only have eyes for the useless wretch Qiao Yi! Qiao Yi¡¯s expression had already returned to normal. Since she could no longer change the situation, all she could consider now was how to remedy it. There was no need for Qiao Yi to think about the remedial actions, she had already told Qiao Benqing everything, and it was now his matter to handle. Qiao Yi glanced at Qiao Xin again and heaved a deep sigh. The host began announcing the bidding results, and under the gaze of Qiao Yi, who was in utter despair, and an extremely nervous Qiao Xin, the Qiao Family unsurprisingly won the project. Each compliment, whether genuine or insincere, made Qiao Yi feel even more choked up. But she had to greet them with a smile, even pretending to be very honored, unable to let anyone see how sick to her stomach she really was! The bidding meeting ended smoothly, and there was a small-scale banquet the following evening, which was a celebration party. Qiao Xin was eager to try, while Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t even bring herself to think about it! ¡°You go to the celebration party. I¡¯m not feeling well.¡± ¡°Is it your body that¡¯s not feeling well, or is it your heart? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hide your credit from you, I will report it truthfully to Father!¡± Qiao Xin made a show of trying to grab Qiao Yi¡¯s hand but was impatiently shrugged off by her. Since it was a parking lot here with hardly anyone around, and the bidding meeting was over, there was no need to keep things from Qiao Xin anymore as per Qiao Benqing¡¯s instructions. Qiao Yi twisted her wrist, suddenly grabbed Qiao Xin¡¯s collar, pulled her close, and whispered in her ear, ¡°I don¡¯t want to communicate with an idiot like you anymore. Dad said that the Qiao Family doesn¡¯t want this project. Now that you¡¯ve taken it upon yourself to grab this hot potato, prepare yourself to explain it to Dad!¡± After releasing the stunned Qiao Xin, Qiao Yi patted her cheek twice, turned around, and got into Lu Yanchuan¡¯s car. Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: Chapter 21 The Shameless Chapter 21: Chapter 21 The Shameless Qiao Yi sat in the car with a cold expression on her face. Qiao Benqing had already replied to her. He was driven mad by Qiao Xin¡¯s unauthorized actions and told Qiao Yi to keep an eye on Qiao Xin and not to let slip a single word about the matter. Qiao Yi informed Qiao Benqing that Lu Yanchuan had long calculated that the Qiao Family would give up on this project. It took a while before Qiao Benqing replied, giving Qiao Yi the go-ahead to seek Lu Yanchuan¡¯s help. She originally thought this was just a simple development project, but she hadn¡¯t expected it to involve so many other issues. After suffering a headache for a while, Qiao Yi put the matter aside. After all, her dad was still bearing the burden in the company, so there was no way it would trouble her. Lu Yanchuan watched the changes in Qiao Yi¡¯s emotions and found it amusing. Such a significant matter was at hand, and yet this young lady seemed to be completely carefree. Qiao Yi leaned back and soon fell asleep, possibly because the weather was too hot, as she had been feeling sleepy recently. The car took a turn, and Qiao Yi, unable to keep her balance, fell onto Lu Yanchuan. Ma Yu¡¯s lips quivered as he was about to apologize, but in the rearview mirror, not only did his boss not seem unhappy, but there also seemed to be a hint of¡­ approval in his eyes? It must be his eyes playing tricks on him; his boss couldn¡¯t possibly be that kind of person¡­ Qiao Yi slept till they reached the hotel and groggily returned to her room, where she threw herself onto the bed and continued to sleep. It seemed like someone was making a phone call in her dream, which woke Qiao Yi up from her sleep. Rubbing her eyes, Qiao Yi climbed out of bed. It was already dark outside; she had slept for a very long time. As she regained her clarity, Qiao Yi realized it wasn¡¯t a phone call in her dream, but rather Lu Yanchuan making a call outside her door, which hadn¡¯t been properly closed, allowing her to overhear. Qiao Yi didn¡¯t want to eavesdrop on Lu Yanchuan¡¯s call, but the content of his conversation made her change her mind, and she sat up on the bed to listen intently. ¡°Longjia can be ruled out. Contact Tengxin to see if they have any interest in meddling with this project.¡± ¡°I know that the project is with the Qiao Family. I¡¯ll communicate with the Qiao Family; you just need to focus on convincing the people from Tengxin. That will be enough.¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it.¡± Longjia? Tengxin? Qiao Yi knew of these two companies; they were founded by a pair of brothers specializing in the real estate market. In just ten years, they had firmly established their footing in the industry. Although they couldn¡¯t compare to the longstanding groups like the Qiao and Lu Families, they were still well-known enterprises domestically. Was Lu Yanchuan¡¯s target these two companies this time? Lu Yanchuan hung up the call and heard the mutterings of Qiao Yi from inside the bedroom. The little woman didn¡¯t even know to keep her voice down; Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t know what to make of it. ¡°The CEOs of Longjia and Tengxin are biological brothers, and what very few people know is that these two brothers actually belong to Capital City¡¯s Sun Family.¡± Qiao Yi was stunned. When had Lu Yanchuan come in? He discovered her eavesdropping! Lu Yanchuan, seemingly oblivious to Qiao Yi¡¯s shock, turned on the light and found the bid document for Qiao Yi from his briefcase and handed it to her. ¡°Take a look, I¡¯ve made some modifications.¡± Qiao Yi dumbly received the bid document. The parts she hadn¡¯t noticed herself were all pointed out by Lu Yanchuan. If they went with Lu Yanchuan¡¯s proposed revisions, this bid document would be considered a perfect template for an intentional loss, making it seem like Qiao Family had given its all yet failed, which would be a pity. ¡°Why don¡¯t you and Dad want this project? I¡¯ve studied the project proposal and didn¡¯t find any problems.¡± This was the doubt that had been bothering Qiao Yi. Such a great project was rare in Tian City; why didn¡¯t the Qiao and Lu Families want it? ¡°Geology. The old seaport in Binhai District is not suitable for constructing a port. The geotechnical conditions within ten kilometers around it are too loose, failing to meet the requirements for building a seaport. To construct a port there, one must artificially change the geology, which would be like pouring money into a bottomless pit.¡± Now she understood, everything became clear. After the Lu Family¡¯s cargo ship capsized, Lu Yanchuan took it upon himself to investigate. Although it seemed that the incident was due to the aging of the port, Lu Yanchuan¡¯s line of inquiry was different, and eventually, he uncovered the hidden issue. Because the loose sandy layer was buried very deep, the government¡¯s exploration team did not detect this situation and proceeded with planning the tender directly. Lu Yanchuan could exploit this loophole to set a trap with the project. ¡°So you plan to use this project to drag the Sun Family down?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Lu Yanchuan¡¯s frankness surprised Qiao Yi. Before she could ask further, she heard Lu Yanchuan continue. ¡°You can relay what I said verbatim to your father-in-law. The Qiao Family shouldn¡¯t get involved with the project. Look for an excuse to transfer it out as soon as possible. Once construction begins, it will be too late to transfer.¡± Qiao Yi nodded her head and quickly took out her phone to send a message to Qiao Benqing. It wasn¡¯t until after Qiao Yi put down her phone that it occurred to her: Why did Lu Yanchuan take the risk of the news leaking and ask her to pass the message to Qiao Benqing? Seeing the confusion on Qiao Yi¡¯s face, Lu Yanchuan spoke up proactively. ¡°I plan to collaborate with your father and take over the old seaport project.¡± ¡°But you said the project was a bottomless pit, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not about remaking it but changing the direction to develop a submarine tunnel.¡± Qiao Yi finally realized where the difference between herself and Lu Yanchuan lay¡ªit was his audacity! A good project was in question, and he intended to use it to deceive people, and then reclaim it afterward to work on another project! Without guessing, it was clear that once Lu Yanchuan¡¯s plan was completed, both the Lu and Qiao families would reap a windfall! ¡°This matter should be discussed with my dad, not me; it¡¯s useless to tell me. I don¡¯t handle company affairs.¡± Qiao Yi briefly became agitated then calmed down. Lu Yanchuan was surprised by Qiao Yi¡¯s composure and found himself somewhat admiring her. ¡°This cooperation will be credited to you, let¡¯s call it my dowry to you.¡± Qiao Yi¡¯s face flushed, she glared at Lu Yanchuan annoyedly, pushed past him, and walked out. The warmth on Qiao Yi¡¯s face lingered long after she left the room. The more she thought about Lu Yanchuan¡¯s words, the hotter her cheeks felt. She had said it before; they were only a couple in name! Why does Lu Yanchuan always say these nonsensical things? Qiao Yi fled in panic, but Lu Yanchuan¡¯s smile faded as he sat on the sofa, lost in thought for a moment before picking up his phone to make a call. ¡°Hello, Xiyu, it¡¯s me.¡± When Qiao Yi arrived at the restaurant and pushed the door to enter, she happened to run into Qiao Xin and Lu Ming, who had just finished dining. What bad timing! Qiao Yi wanted to pretend she didn¡¯t see them and walk past the two, but Qiao Xin was unlikely to just let her go. Suddenly stepping forward, she grabbed Qiao Yi¡¯s wrist and dragged her towards a more secluded area. ¡°Tell me! Was it intentional, what you did at today¡¯s bidding session?¡± Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Happiness is Dead Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Happiness is Dead Qiao Yi shook off her hand, but Qiao Xin¡¯s grip was too tight, she couldn¡¯t shake it off, and simply let her hold on. Hearing Qiao Xin¡¯s accusation, Qiao Yi just found it amusing. ¡°What do you mean I did it on purpose? Was it me who made you switch the proposals? Or was it me who made you steal the spotlight from me? At least use your brain when you speak, don¡¯t let people think the Qiao Family¡¯s young miss is an idiot!¡± ¡°You!¡± Qiao Xin raised her hand to slap Qiao Yi, but Qiao Yi lightly dodged it by turning her head. ¡°Getting furious and resorting to violence? Think about the gap between us before you act. I really don¡¯t understand why you always have to do such stupid things.¡± Taking advantage of Qiao Xin¡¯s extreme anger, Qiao Yi suddenly shook off her hand, retrieving her own wrist that was painfully pinched. This woman is really crazy, her wrist even turned blue from the pinch! ¡°How dare you say you didn¡¯t do it on purpose! If it hadn¡¯t been for your intentional concealing from me, not telling me Dad¡¯s real intentions, why would I have changed the proposal! If it wasn¡¯t for¡­¡± ¡°Stop! You¡¯re an adult, how can you be less reasonable than a child in speaking?¡± Qiao Yi directly interrupted Qiao Xin¡¯s accusation, impatiently pushed her aside, wanting to walk past her. ¡°Instead of bothering me, you might as well think about how to explain to Dad, I need to go to eat and have no time to be entangled with you.¡± ¡°Qiao Yi! I am your sister! Ah!¡± The savage look on Qiao Yi¡¯s face was unmistakable, and Qiao Xin¡¯s face was slapped so hard that one side of it swelled up in minutes, showing how much force Qiao Yi exerted. ¡°Qiao Xin, this is my last warning to you! Stop mentioning the word ¡®sister¡¯ in front of me, the sister I remember died the night you plotted against me! You should have known, the moment you acted, there was no sisterhood between us anymore!¡± It had been almost a month, and Qiao Yi never dared to think back to that night. She didn¡¯t know what she would have gone through if Lu Yanchuan hadn¡¯t shown up, she didn¡¯t dare to think about it, and had carefully avoided the topic this whole month. But today, Qiao Xin¡¯s pestering made Qiao Yi unable to hold back anymore, her whole body trembling, her eyes red with rage staring at Qiao Xin, her voice shrill from anger. ¡°When you drugged me, did you think about being my sister? When you brought a group of people to rape me, did you think about being my sister? I will never forgive you, never in my life!¡± Qiao Xin, her limbs cold, leaned against the glass window, not even having the courage to look directly at Qiao Yi. Qiao Yi¡¯s icy gaze seemed to carry a murderous intent, harshly cutting into her flesh, making her whole body stiffen unable to move. ¡°I¡¯ve said all I could, cope with it yourself.¡± Qiao Yi dropped a sentence and turned around to leave. Not far, Lu Ming had been keeping an eye on the situation, and only when Qiao Yi left did he run over to help Qiao Xin up from the ground. ¡°Your face¡­? Did Qiao Yi hit you? But you are her sister, how could she do this to you!¡± Lu Ming felt indignant for Qiao Xin, but she impatiently pushed him away. ¡°This is between us, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Lu Ming looked displeased, but still clenched his teeth and followed Qiao Xin. ¡°I am concerned about you, after all, we¡¯re married, I can¡¯t just watch you being bullied.¡± ¡°Then I really thank you.¡± Qiao Xin said expressionlessly, speeding up her steps to walk ahead. Lu Ming wanted to catch up and say more, but suddenly his phone rang from his pocket. ¡°Ming, I will be back in the country in a month, do you miss me?¡± The handset emitted a delicate and naive voice, and Lu Ming¡¯s face immediately softened, his response gentle, ¡°Of course, I miss you the most. Take care of yourself overseas. I¡¯ll pick you up when you return.¡± Qiao Yi was so angered by Qiao Xin that she forgot about dinner until she reached her room door and remembered. However, she was too lazy to go downstairs for dinner and drank two canisters of chicken soup brought by Old Mr. Lu, cuddling with a pillow on the sofa in a daze. When Lu Yanchuan returned from outside, what he saw was a little dazed lump on the sofa. ¡°Eat less before bed, it¡¯s not good for your health.¡± Qiao Yi twitched her nose and her gaze landed on Lu Yanchuan¡¯s hand, her eyes instantly lighting up. ¡°It¡¯s spicy hot pot!¡± The food box in his hand was snatched away, and Lu Yanchuan frowned as he looked at the messy, greasy things on the table, opening his mouth as if he wanted to stop Qiao Yi from eating these unhealthy foods. However, seeing Qiao Yi munching away like a little mouse, her cheeks bulging, made Lu Yanchuan¡¯s heart melt, and he sat down silently across from her. Happiness is having a hot bowl of spicy hot pot when you¡¯re hungry at night! Qiao Yi was blissfully happy now, a big bowl of spicy hot pot had entered her stomach, making her lie on the sofa unable to move. After taking a shower, Lu Yanchuan came out to see Qiao Yi in such a disheveled state, hooked his lips in a smile, walked over to close the lid of the spicy hot pot box, and kicked Qiao Yi¡¯s legs lightly with his foot. ¡°Are you dead?¡± Qiao Yi didn¡¯t even open her eyes, just wiggled her little feet to show she¡¯s still alive. ¡°Go to the gym for a walk.¡± Qiao Yi opened her eyes slightly, tilting her head back to look up at Lu Yanchuan standing above her. The more time Qiao Yi spent with this man, the more she felt he was like an old cadre! Needing to drink hot water, sleep on time, meals must have balanced nutrition without snacks; hot pot like this probably never appeared in Lu Yanchuan¡¯s life! Although he was five, six, seven, eight years older than her, he was still not quite thirty years old, yet living like Old Mr. Lu! Qiao Yi closed her eyes pretending to sleep, while Lu Yanchuan quietly stood beside her for a while, then suddenly picked her up amidst her screams. ¡°You! You! Put me down!¡± Qiao Yi screamed and hit Lu Yanchuan¡¯s arms, but Lu Yanchuan seemed unfazed and carried her into the gym, propping her onto the treadmill. ¡°Walk for ten minutes, then go shower and sleep.¡± Qiao Yi was about to cry! ¡°I don¡¯t want you to control me! Why are you treating me like this!¡± Barefoot, Qiao Yi ran out, but in a twist, she was picked up by Lu Yanchuan and placed back on the treadmill, which he turned on for a slow walk. Unable to escape, Qiao Yi mournfully watched her feet on the treadmill, looking like mortal enemies. Glancing at Lu Yanchuan really admiring his patience, he watched her walk for ten minutes before letting her down from the treadmill! Lu Yanchuan then went to sleep, his daily routine so precise it made one¡¯s scalp tingle! If it were Qiao Yi, she probably couldn¡¯t stick to it for three days! Teary-eyed, Qiao Yi stood under the shower and pointed at the showerhead as she angrily cursed. ¡°Pervert!¡± Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: Chapter 23: No Need to Go to the Office Anymore Chapter 23: Chapter 23: No Need to Go to the Office Anymore The Tian City bidding meeting ended, and after the celebration banquet, Qiao Yi and her group returned to Capital City. As soon as Qiao Yi and Qiao Xin landed, they were picked up by Qiao Benqing and taken back to the Qiao Family home. Lu Yanchuan did not object, saying he would come to pick up Qiao Yi in the evening before leaving, but Lu Ming wanted to go with Qiao Xin to the Qiao Family home, only to have his request rejected by Qiao Benqing with an excuse. Sitting in the back seat, Qiao Benqing had Qiao Xin sitting next to him, rigid all over. Qiao Yi, not wanting to sit with Qiao Xin, tossed the driver to the passenger seat and drove home herself. All the way, Qiao Benqing did not utter a word. In contrast, Qiao Yi asked a few questions about Zhao Wenjing and hence exchanged a few words with Qiao Benqing. Qiao Xin was extremely nervous, while Qiao Yi didn¡¯t have any psychological burden at all; she immediately took the gifts she brought back for Zhao Wenjing to find her upon getting out of the car. ¡°Come to the study with me.¡± Qiao Xin was about to leave too, but was called back by Qiao Benqing. Reluctantly, she shuffled her steps and followed him into the study. Zhao Wenjing looked a bit worriedly at Qiao Xin, but was dragged back to the room by Qiao Yi. ¡°Mom, look, this is the specialty from Tian City that I queued for a long time to buy! And I also bought you clothes and shoes, try them quickly!¡± Qiao Benqing entered the study and sat down behind the desk, waiting for Qiao Xin to come in and close the door. Suppressing his anger, he instructed her to sit beside him. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the bidding meeting. Was it you who switched the bidding documents, helping the Qiao Family secure this project?¡± Qiao Xin¡¯s heart thumped nervously, and she nodded, biting her lip. Qiao Benqing, who already knew the process, was just asking symbolically. Seeing Qiao Xin honestly admit it, some of his anger dissipated. ¡°This time, the fault is not entirely yours. However, why did you secretly switch the bidding documents that Yiyi prepared?¡± Qiao Benqing did not reveal his true thoughts to Qiao Xin; she could understand the reasons herself¡ªit was merely out of fear that she couldn¡¯t control her emotions and give the game away. This error was not entirely on Qiao Xin; both Qiao Benqing and Qiao Yi also bore some responsibility. However, no matter the reason, switching the bidding documents last minute is absolutely intolerable! ¡°I¡­ I reviewed Qiao Yi¡¯s bidding document and felt that it wouldn¡¯t win the project, so I switched it on my own.¡± There was nothing to deny now, the fact was right before her, and it was her who brought it up. There was no connection to Qiao Yi at all. Now that Qiao Benqing asked, her honest response might, at most, be criticized for trying to steal the limelight. If she dared to hide it or shirk the responsibility, then Qiao Benqing¡¯s fury would be more than she could bear! After hearing Qiao Xin¡¯s words, Qiao Benqing sighed, looking somewhat disappointed. ¡°You are impulsive and not steady. I thought placing you in a basic position for a few years could temper your personality, but it seems you haven¡¯t changed. Well, don¡¯t go to the company these few days, take a good rest for a while.¡± Qiao Xin didn¡¯t care about going to the company or not; after all, she was a daughter of the Qiao Family. Even if she knew nothing, she still had a share in the family assets. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Qiao Benqing waved his hand, signaling Qiao Xin to leave and also asked her to call Qiao Yi in. Qiao Yi was trying on clothes with Zhao Wenjing, and hearing from Qiao Xin that Qiao Benqing was calling her, she quickly went to the study. Entering the study, she saw Qiao Benqing with his eyes closed, leaning on the chair in a very dejected manner. ¡°Dad¡­.¡± ¡°Sit down.¡± Qiao Yi looked at Qiao Benqing worriedly. His mood was only low for a moment, and soon he regained composure, sitting straight up and looking at Qiao Yi. ¡°Yiyi, aren¡¯t you planning to join the company yet? With your sister like this, how can I be at ease in the future!¡± ¡°Dad, you are only in your forties this year, you still have decades ahead, and if things get worse, there is still your younger brother. Let him come back in a couple of years, and then you can teach him well.¡± Speaking of her younger brother, both Qiao Yi and Qiao Benqing couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Dad can still manage the company, but seeing your sister like this, it¡¯s inevitable to worry a bit more.¡± Having done something like changing the documents, Qiao Benqing had already dismissed any expectations for Qiao Xin in the company. But after all, she is his eldest daughter, and Qiao Benqing still hopes that she will get better. ¡°How about letting her join Lu Group? Maybe being in a different company might help her improve?¡± Qiao Yi¡¯s suggestion tempted Qiao Benqing a bit, he thought for a while and then said, ¡°Let her stay at home for a while, I¡¯ll consider it.¡± After talking with Qiao Benqing for a while, Qiao Yi remembered what Lu Yanchuan had said, and mentioned the problematic project in Tian City to Qiao Benqing. ¡°Yanchuan said, we should act on this project sooner and it would be best to leave it to Longjia and Tengxin, these two companies.¡± Qiao Yi had mentioned it once over the phone before, but it was not clear, just enough for Qiao Benqing to take note of it. This time, Qiao Benqing perked up, carefully asked about Lu Yanchuan¡¯s thoughts. Upon knowing that Lu Yanchuan intended to share the profits with Qiao Family, the clouds that had been looming over Qiao Benqing¡¯s head these past few days finally cleared. ¡°Great, that¡¯s fantastic!¡± Qiao Benqing couldn¡¯t sit still, pacing around the study several times before calming down. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this, not even your mom and Xinxin, do you understand?¡± Qiao Yi nodded, seeing Qiao Benqing¡¯s reaction, he probably already knew some of it, just not as clearly as Yanchuan did. ¡°With Yanchuan cooperating with Qiao Family this time, it¡¯s all thanks to you, Yiyi. I notice you don¡¯t seem very enthusiastic about Yanchuan. No matter the reason for your marriage initially, now that you are husband and wife, you should get along well. If not loving, at least be respectful to each other.¡± Qiao Benqing spoke sincerely¡ªafter all, he and Zhao Wenjing also got together for a business marriage, and now after more than twenty years, they were still loving. Although Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t choose someone she liked, Qiao Benqing still hoped she could live a happier life within the limited choices. Qiao Yi felt a sourness in her nose, and gently hugged Qiao Benqing. ¡°I¡¯ll live well, Dad, no need to worry.¡± ¡°Have you two finished talking? Dinner is ready, come down quickly to eat.¡± Zhao Wenjing¡¯s voice sounded outside the study, and Qiao Yi walked downstairs arm in arm with Qiao Benqing. There was the sound of an engine outside the door, and just as Qiao Yi sat down at the dining table, she heard the aunt greeting Lu Yanchuan. ¡°How come you arrived so early?¡± ¡°I mentioned this afternoon that I would come pick you up to go home tonight.¡± Lu Yanchuan nonchalantly took a seat next to Qiao Yi, causing Zhao Wenjing and Qiao Benqing to laugh together, prompting the aunt to add another set of chopsticks and bowl. Qiao Yi secretly rolled her eyes, thinking he came to freeload a meal, why make up so many excuses! Lu Yanchuan¡¯s unspoken bitterness. He was supposed to have dinner at the Lu Mansion tonight, but Old Mr. Lu, seeing only him returning without Qiao Yi, immediately sent him back out, not even allowing him to eat, stating that he didn¡¯t need to come back without bringing Qiao Yi. Literally gained a daughter-in-law and forgot his son! Chapter 24 - Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Ruffian Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Ruffian Qiao Yi was woken up by a series of phone calls, and as she sleepily opened her eyes to reach for the phone, an arm across her waist snapped her back to the bed. Huh? What¡¯s going on? Qiao Yi wasn¡¯t fully awake yet and had to use her not-so-sharp mind to figure out what was happening! She, she, she! When did she roll into Lu Yanchuan¡¯s arms! The owner of the arm around her waist was none other than Lu Yanchuan! Qiao Yi stiffened her neck as if her joints were rusted, slowly turning her head to see Lu Yanchuan, who was lying beside her and had seemingly opened his eyes at some point. ¡°You¡­I¡­¡± Lu Yanchuan squinted and slightly furrowed his brow, his arm tightened and pulled her back into his embrace. ¡°Sleep well.¡± Sleep what sleep! Qiao Yi kicked her legs and struggled out of Lu Yanchuan¡¯s embrace. Outside, the sky had already turned slightly white, and in a few hours, Lu Yanchuan would have to get up and go to work; now was the prime time to be sleeping soundly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lu Yanchuan sat up impatiently, and it was then that Qiao Yi noticed he wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes! He was only wearing a pair of shorts, and Qiao Yi subconsciously swallowed, then quickly turned away as if shocked by electricity. ¡°You! Why aren¡¯t you wearing clothes?¡± ¡°I am sleeping in my own bed.¡± Lu Yanchuan, now thoroughly woken up by Qiao Yi, looked at her and found the situation amusing, like a flustered rabbit. While Qiao Yi was turned away, he reached out and pulled her back into his arms again. ¡°You rolled into my arms and hugged me all night, and now you suddenly feel shy?¡± Qiao Yi really wanted to tear Lu Yanchuan¡¯s mouth apart! What is this man talking about! Saying she hugged him all night! It was clearly Lu Yanchuan who was holding her! Lu Yanchuan watched all the changes in Qiao Yi¡¯s expression, his eyes filled with laughter and even a warmth he didn¡¯t recognize. Since he was woken up by Qiao Yi¡¯s kicking at midnight, every night after Qiao Yi fell asleep, Lu Yanchuan would hold her in his arms. Initially, it was just to help her sleep more peacefully, but later he got used to it and would probably feel uncomfortable without this human pillow some nights. ¡°You hug me to sleep, don¡¯t you plan on taking responsibility?¡± Qiao Yi turned around abruptly, extremely surprised, staring at Lu Yanchuan, unable to believe he could say something so shameless! Lu Yanchuan remained unfazed, his gaze audaciously lingering on Qiao Yi¡¯s body. Following Lu Yanchuan¡¯s gaze, Qiao Yi¡¯s eyes landed on her slightly disheveled collar, and her face instantly flushed red! ¡°Like what you see?¡± Qiao Yi, clenching her back teeth, sinisterly squeezed out the words, expecting Lu Yanchuan to back off, but he instead looked her up even more brazenly, changing her position to get a better view. ¡°Not bad, maybe you should ask Auntie to make you more papaya milkshakes.¡± ¡­ Qiao Yi, holding her blanket, ran into the room next door. Lu Yanchuan is just a shameless rogue! Everyone out there says how ruthless, cunning, and vicious the Third Young Master Lu is, but all Qiao Yi has seen so far is his bad taste and rascality! Qiao Yi fiercely pounded the blanket as if the lump underneath her was Lu Yanchuan¡¯s handsome face. ¡°Ding ding ding¡ª¡± Qiao Yi¡¯s phone rang again, this time from the doorway. ¡°Your phone.¡± Qiao Yi leapt up, snatched the phone from Lu Yanchuan¡¯s hand, and slammed the door shut with a bang. Outside, Lu Yanchuan touched his nose, wondering if he had teased her a little too harshly. ¡°My darling, why did it take you so long to answer my call? Don¡¯t you love me anymore?¡± When Qiao Yi got back to bed, the call had already disconnected, and despite her chagrin, she couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly when she saw the missed call notification. She dialed back, and the call was picked up after just one ring. Qiao Yi held the phone away from her ear to avoid Feng Siyu¡¯s piercing scream. Once Feng Siyu finally calmed down, Qiao Yi brought the phone back. ¡°My darling, you really don¡¯t love me anymore after getting married, I¡¯m so heartbroken!¡± ¡°Stop it, you know exactly what kind of marriage I¡¯m in; get to the point, I need to sleep.¡± Qiao Yi ruthlessly cut off Feng Siyu¡¯s wailing, who muttered a bit before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m coming back to the country. I will arrive tomorrow at eleven in the noon. Remember to pick me up!¡± Qiao Yi sat up straight in surprise and asked, ¡°You¡¯re coming back? Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± ¡°You know, the training base I went to was fully enclosed. I only got released this afternoon. As soon as I was free, I heard you¡¯d gotten married. I tried calling you, but you didn¡¯t answer!¡± Feng Siyu started a lengthy rant, but Qiao Yi felt warmed by his words. ¡°Alright, alright, go to sleep. As long as you¡¯re fine and still up for bickering with me, I can rest easy. To think I still wanted to comfort you.¡± Feng Siyu grunted a few times and decisively ended the call. Qiao Yi was genuinely happy; she and Feng Siyu had been classmates since elementary school, the Qiao Family and the Feng Family were good friends, just not as intimately involved as with the Lu Family. They had played together since childhood, and Qiao Yi¡¯s affection for him was even deeper than for her own sister Qiao Xin. This time Feng Siyu had gone abroad to participate in a program, only to find out it was a closed training camp, and he had only just been released. He had missed her wedding entirely over these three months. But for a marriage of convenience like hers, his attendance hardly mattered. Qiao Yi laid back onto the bed, and somehow Lu Yanchuan¡¯s smirking face popped into her mind. High attractiveness certainly had its perks; if it were anyone else making that expression, it would definitely be creepy. Qiao Yi buried her head in the blanket, her mind a cluttered mess, and somehow, she drifted back off to sleep, bottom up. After Qiao Yi fell asleep again, the door to her room silently opened. Lu Yanchuan walked in, saw the figure on the bed, and with a curl of his lips, picked her up and returned to his own room. In the morning, Qiao Yi was jolted awake by her alarm, and as she rubbed her eyes sitting up in bed, she realized she was inexplicably back in Lu Yanchuan¡¯s room. Could she be sleepwalking? Unable to figure it out, she shook off the confusion. Glancing at the time and seeing it was running short, Qiao Yi hurriedly got ready, grabbed her keys, and dashed out. She rushed to catch her flight and managed to arrive at the airport just before the agreed time. As soon as Qiao Yi got out of the car, she heard a voice excitedly calling her from not too far. ¡°Qiao Qiao! Darling, I¡¯m over here!¡± Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Everyone Else is a Light Bulb Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Everyone Else is a Light Bulb Not far away, a woman in a red long dress, her face tightly wrapped in a mask and sunglasses, was frantically waving at her. And a tall man beside her was pulling her suitcase, seeing Feng Siyu almost jumping up, he quickly pulled her and hurried towards Qiao Yi. ¡°Yuanyuan baby! I¡¯ve missed you so much¡­¡± ¡°Get in the car first, let¡¯s go quickly!¡± The tall man snatched the car keys from Qiao Yi¡¯s hand, stuffed the two hugging women into the back seat together, and then drove off from the airport quickly. ¡°Who would have thought, just three months apart and little Tingting has grown more capable, she even knows how to touch me all over now!¡± The man is Feng Siyu¡¯s agent and fianc¨¦, driving with a straight face, completely ignoring Qiao Yi¡¯s dissatisfaction in the back seat. Feng Siyu covered her mouth and laughed heartily, Qiao Yi looked at her and pounced to tangle together with her. It wasn¡¯t until the two had enough fun that they embraced each other like conjoined twins and sprawled together on the back seat. ¡°How long can you stay this time?¡± ¡°About a month of vacation or so, you have no idea, I was so tired this time¡­¡± Qiao Yi hugged Feng Siyu with sympathy, kissing her cheek and comforting her quietly, which made Gu Ting, the driver in front, frustrated. After so many years, whenever these two got together, they made everyone feel like they were the couple and everyone else was a third wheel. Go to ????????????????????.co Qiao Yi teased Gu Ting with a glance and poked Feng Siyu with her finger. ¡°This won¡¯t do, you haven¡¯t trained her well!¡± Feng Siyu boldly told her to look, not at all embarrassed by the teasing. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you to train your Mr. Lu well and then bring him to me to see!¡± Qiao Yi rolled her eyes and lay down on Feng Siyu¡¯s bouncy thigh. ¡°Let¡¯s forget about him; I¡¯m afraid before I can train him well, I¡¯ll be the one dying by his hands.¡± Feng Siyu bent down to come closer, and Qiao Yi quickly put up her hand to block, but Feng Siyu slapped away her little paw. ¡°I¡¯m asking you something important, does Mr. Lu treat you well? I heard he¡¯s very formidable, known as the Great White Shark in the business world!¡± Feng Siyu was somewhat worried about Qiao Yi, as the rumors about Lu Yanchuan were not so kind. Qiao Yi, with her eyes closed, seemed lost in thought and did not answer Feng Siyu. Feng Siyu thought Lu Yanchuan wasn¡¯t treating her well, quickly helping Qiao Yi to sit up. ¡°Qiao Qiao, if you¡¯ve suffered any grievances, you must tell me!¡± Qiao Yi felt a slight warmth in her heart, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lu Yanchuan treats me quite well, not quite like the rumors say.¡± Feng Siyu wanted to make sure numerous times that Qiao Yi wasn¡¯t lying to her, and then she could relax. ¡°As long as you feel it¡¯s okay, that¡¯s fine. If he dares to bully you, I definitely won¡¯t let him off!¡± ¡°You better worry about yourself first. There¡¯s a charity event tonight that you need to attend, and you have four hours to eat, sleep, and get over jet lag.¡± Feng Siyu let out a tragic cry and collapsed on Qiao Yi¡¯s shoulder, pretending to be dead. Qiao Yi was about to tease her when her own phone rang. She took out her phone to look, and it was a call from Lu Yanchuan. ¡°Where are you now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there something you need?¡± The tone of Lu Yanchuan on the other end of the phone was as annoying as ever, Qiao Yi wrinkled her nose and asked back irritably. ¡°` ¡°There¡¯s a charity gala tonight, where are you now? I¡¯ll come pick you up.¡± Qiao Yi instinctively glanced at Feng Siyu¡ªshe had just mentioned attending the charity gala, and now Lu Yanchuan was calling about the same event. What a coincidence? As soon as Lu Yanchuan got Qiao Yi¡¯s location, he hung up the phone, then turned around just to see Feng Siyu looking at Qiao Yi with a peculiar expression, while quietly making strange noises. ¡°What are you making noises for!¡± ¡°Alas, a young woman¡¯s heart is so difficult to keep¡ªyour husband calls once, and you¡¯re ready to ditch your precious treasure!¡± Feng Siyu teased her until she blushed, provoking Qiao Yi to pinch her several times before letting her go. The car stopped at the Feng Family¡¯s villa. It wasn¡¯t too far from the Qiao Family¡¯s house. Qiao Yi had simply told Lu Yanchuan she was at home and asked him to pick her up there. ¡°You go back and get some rest. I¡¯ll probably also attend the charity gala tonight, so I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Feng Siyu and Qiao Yi reluctantly parted ways under Gu Ting¡¯s ruthless intervention. Qiao Yi drove back to the Qiao Family to wait for Lu Yanchuan to pick her up. ¡°Why are you back at this time? Have you eaten yet?¡± Zhao Wenjing was about to leave the house and was surprised to see Qiao Yi returning. ¡°Yuanyuan came back, so I just had dinner with her. Yanchuan will come to pick me up later.¡± There is nowhere more comfortable than being at home! Qiao Yi slumped on the couch and shook her feet at Zhao Wenjing as a response to her question. Zhao Wenjing tapped Qiao Yi on the forehead and then left with her bag; her girlfriends were still waiting for her. Qiao Yi, who had collapsed on the couch, fell asleep shortly after, and by the time she woke up, she was already lying in Lu Yanchuan¡¯s car. ¡°Ah!¡± Qiao Yi sat up suddenly, but bumped her forehead against the car¡¯s roof and fell back into the seat. Lu Yanchuan suppressed his laughter, waiting for her to recover a bit before speaking. ¡°I saw you were sleeping soundly, so I didn¡¯t wake you up. I was planning to wake you when we arrived.¡± Qiao Yi looked at Lu Yanchuan through the rearview mirror resentfully. Just because she was sleeping soundly didn¡¯t mean he had to take her out! It took Qiao Yi a while to overcome the pain, and her forehead was now quite red¡ªa clear sign of just how hard she had hit it. Shortly after, the car stopped in front of a private club. Qiao Yi and Lu Yanchuan got out, only then did she realize that this club was actually owned by Lu Yanchuan¡¯s sister. Qiao Yi¡¯s gaze fell on the parking space next to them, and her expression changed subtly. ¡°I¡¯ve selected the evening gown you¡¯ll need for tonight.¡± Lu Yanchuan explained, and Qiao Yi didn¡¯t really mind, except that she saw Lu Ming¡¯s car parked there. Was Lu Ming here? Or had he come with Qiao Xin? Qiao Yi really didn¡¯t want to see Qiao Xin, but now that she was here, she didn¡¯t want to be the one backing out. Lu Yanchuan could swipe his face for entry at the club, bringing Qiao Yi directly to the top-floor office. Qiao Yi had met Lu Yanchuan¡¯s sister before, who was actually his cousin¡ªthe daughter of Old Mr. Lu¡¯s elder brother. When Old Mr. Lu was young, he had been married for several years without having children, so he adopted his brother¡¯s one-month-old daughter as his own. Less than a year after the girl joined their family, Old Madam Lu became pregnant with Lu Yanchuan¡¯s eldest brother. After that, they had three more sons, which made Old Mr. Lu very fond of his nominal daughter and actual niece. As soon as the elevator opened, Qiao Yi heard a gentle voice tinged with laughter. ¡°You little rascal, if I hadn¡¯t called you to come over today, you probably wouldn¡¯t have planned to visit, right?¡± ¡°` Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Lu Yanchuans Eldest Sister Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Lu Yanchuan¡¯s Eldest Sister Stepping out of the elevator, this entire floor was Lu Xiaohua¡¯s office, and Lu Xiaohua was sitting right behind the desk facing the elevator. Without even turning around, Lu Xiaohua knew Lu Yanchuan was coming, which greatly surprised Qiao Yi. Could Lu Xiaohua predict the future? ¡°This level is mostly just me and two assistants. Only Yanchuan usually comes up here, you can also come by often when you¡¯re free.¡± Seeing Qiao Yi¡¯s confusion, Lu Xiaohua explained while pouring water for the two of them. ¡°Is this Qiao Yi? You¡¯re really beautiful! My place is a bit messy, just find somewhere to sit, I¡¯ll be done here soon.¡± Lu Xiaohua glanced over, hurriedly gestured for them to sit, and then turned back to continue working on the mannequin¡­ with scraps of fabric on it. Qiao Yi curiously looked around, the office space was large but stuffed full, and the areas on both sides were exhibition rooms enclosed by glass, displaying various bizarre clothes. After waiting a while, Lu Xiaohua finally finished with the piece of clothing she was handling and stood up stretching mightily. Only then did Qiao Yi see what Lu Xiaohua was working on ¨C a Gothic Lolita costume, though it looked a bit odd with only half of it dressed on the mannequin. ¡°Big sister, I brought Yiyi here for tonight¡¯s charity gala, hoping you could help pick out a couple of dresses.¡± Lu Yanchuan stood up and followed Lu Xiaohua into the only room that was not made of glass walls, with Qiao Yi following closely behind. The three entered the room, which looked more like a sitting room, albeit there was also a bed placed to the side. ¡°What kind of gown does Yiyi like? I¡¯ll show you some downstairs.¡± Go to ????????????????????.co The three sat for a while before Lu Xiaohua led them down the stairs from there. If Lu Xiaohua¡¯s office had just surprised Qiao Yi, this floor left her speechless. The entire floor, aside from a few load-bearing walls, was completely open, divided into about a dozen workshops with glass partitions, with several people actively working inside and out. ¡°Qiao Deng, bring over the designs of the new gowns from this quarter.¡± Lu Xiaohua walked to one of the glass doors and called inside; a bearded man looked up, responded, and quickly fetched a few design books for Lu Xiaohua. ¡°Take a look, see if there¡¯s anything you like.¡± Holding four or five heavy books, Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at Lu Yanchuan, but then heard Lu Xiaohua laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t look at him. He¡¯s the last one who likes to pick clothes; I have to personally choose and send them to him. He¡¯s quite fussy.¡± Lu Xiaohua took Qiao Yi to a bench nearby and started flipping through the top book, explaining the features of each gown and some tips for regular dressing. Soon, the two were enthusiastically discussing. Lu Yanchuan deeply realized he shouldn¡¯t have brought Qiao Yi here today, or rather, he should never have let Qiao Yi meet Lu Xiaohua in the first place. Who could tell him why these two could discuss the color of just one dress for ten minutes and even ask for his opinion? Lu Yanchuan would rather go back to work on his documents than stay and be tormented by two women. When Qiao Yi and Lu Xiaohua were both completely satisfied, Lu Yanchuan was sitting nearby having just finished a telephone conference. ¡°Ready to go?¡± ¡°Not yet, big sister is taking me to do makeup and try on clothes, you go ahead if you¡¯ve got things to do, big sister will take me later.¡± With big sister, who needs a husband? Qiao Yi decisively abandoned Lu Yanchuan, led by Lu Xiaohua to the dressing rooms downstairs. So it¡¯s said that enemies often cross each other¡¯s paths. Qiao Yi, chatting and laughing with Lu Xiaohua, stepped out of the elevator, and right there in front of them were Qiao Xin, Lu Ming, and Wang Zhen. ¡°Why are there so many people today? You don¡¯t even see this many people when we go to dad¡¯s place to eat.¡± Wang Zhen really looks down on these two daughters of the Qiao Family. Originally, it was already settled that Qiao Yi was to marry Lu Ming due to the union between the two families. But what Qiao Yi did before the wedding, and then marrying Yanchuan, whom she had always disliked, on the wedding day itself, dramatically dropped Wang Zhen¡¯s impression of her. Wang Zhen thought that it was all settled once Qiao Yi married Yanchuan, but unexpectedly, Lu Ming then went on to marry Qiao Yi¡¯s sister! Now, both sisters had ended up marrying uncle and nephew, and she had heard plenty of gossip about it lately! Because of these matters, Wang Zhen disdained Qiao Yi and Qiao Xin even more, and today, when she went out to pick clothes with Qiao Xin, did not show her any kindness. If it hadn¡¯t been for Lu Ming continuously mediating, she would have not tolerated Qiao Xin long ago! But just Qiao Xin alone wasn¡¯t enough, now Qiao Yi also appeared, both sisters coming together to disgust her! Qiao Yi didn¡¯t know where Wang Zhen¡¯s malice towards her stemmed from, but she did not want to cause trouble at Lu Xiaohua¡¯s place, so she followed Lu Xiaohua, ignoring Wang Zhen¡¯s snide remarks. She did not want to cause trouble, but that did not mean Wang Zhen was willing to let her go, stepping sideways to block Qiao Yi¡¯s path. Qiao Yi looked at Wang Zhen in front of her, frowning with impatience. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°I just want to know what kind of family education does Qiao Family have, where one after another insists on clinging onto others?¡± ¡°Little Sister-in-law, this is my studio. If you want to choose clothes, go downstairs; if not, then please leave quickly.¡± Lu Xiaohua pulled Qiao Yi behind her, looking at Wang Zhen expressionlessly. Qiao Yi glanced quietly and felt that Lu Xiaohua¡¯s stern face looked exactly like Yanchuan. Wang Zhen never expected that the usually non-confrontational Lu Xiaohua would stand up for a newly married sister-in-law, which did not fit her usual style at all! Lu Xiaohua ignored whatever Wang Zhen was thinking, seeing that she did not respond, then led Qiao Yi around her. But before they could get away, they were stopped by someone else. ¡°Aunt, hello, I am Lu Ming¡¯s wife, Qiao Xin. Are you going to try on clothes? Could you please take me with you?¡± Qiao Xin¡¯s smile was proper, warm but not overly ingratiating. However, Lu Xiaohua didn¡¯t seem to like her much, looking back at Qiao Yi and seeing that Qiao Yi had no reaction, she then nodded. ¡°Follow if you want to.¡± Qiao Xin smiled gently and came over to link arms with Qiao Yi. ¡°You¡¯re also attending the Capital City charity gala tonight, right? We could go together.¡± So that was her plan! Qiao Yi finally understood Qiao Xin¡¯s intention; she just wanted to cling to her to get close to Yanchuan! But was Yanchuan someone she could approach just because she wanted to? Qiao Yi gripped Qiao Xin¡¯s hand in return, also looking very happy. ¡°Sure, we can share Yanchuan¡¯s car tonight!¡± Chapter 27 - Chapter 27: Chapter 27 This Outfit Looks Bad Chapter 27: Chapter 27 This Outfit Looks Bad Lu Xiaohua looked at Qiao Yi and Qiao Xin with suspicion, as they appeared very close and intimate. She had heard before that their relationship wasn¡¯t that good, and now they suddenly seemed like loving sisters. Qiao Yi noticed Lu Xiaohua looking at her and made a face at Lu Xiaohua, who instantly got the hint. This guy must be up to no good, probably just waiting for a chance to prank Qiao Xin. One¡¯s her younger sibling, the other her niece by marriage, Lu Xiaohua didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment to take Qiao Yi¡¯s side and took her to try on the evening gowns. Three women make a drama; four women can destroy the world. What was supposed to be a simple dress fitting turned into an open yet covert struggle once Wang Zhen joined, leaving Lu Ming, who accompanied them, utterly confused. To say they got along well was an understatement, as every word and sentence was charged with tension. To say they couldn¡¯t bear each other also didn¡¯t fit, as they still managed to sit together and discuss clothes. The world of women is indeed incomprehensible. As dusk approached, the women finally left the dressing room, satisfied with their hearts. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up; the banquet is about to start.¡± The biggest difference between men and women lies here. Qiao Yi spent the whole afternoon trying on gowns, doing her makeup, and styling her hair until she was all set. Meanwhile, Lu Yanchuan just changed into a simple outfit and was ready to go. He even scrutinized Qiao Yi¡¯s carefully chosen pink, tight-fitting, long dress with a critical eye, as if to say she spent all afternoon for just this? Go to ????????????????????.co Qiao Yi felt the implication behind Lu Yanchuan¡¯s gaze and got furious. Suppressing her anger, Qiao Yi deliberately sashayed up to Lu Yanchuan with a snake-like twist of her waist, stretched an arm to rest on Lu Yanchuan¡¯s shoulder, leaning in as if to snuggle into his embrace. ¡°Yanchuan~ Does my dress look good?¡± Even Lu Xiaohua felt a shiver hearing that voice, curious whether her brother, who had always been immune to women since childhood, could resist such an approach. Lu Yanchuan did not disappoint Lu Xiaohua¡¯s expectations, successfully resisting Qiao Yi¡¯s charm, and even discontentedly pulled up the fabric at the chest of Qiao Yi¡¯s dress. ¡°Dressed in such little clothing, not afraid of catching a cold?¡± Qiao Yi nearly spat blood; all this time Lu Yanchuan was looking at how little clothes she wore! Qiao Yi was infuriated, utterly dead with frustration! Insiders are often confused, while onlookers see the game clearly. Lu Xiaohua stood by with disbelief in her eyes. She knew Lu Yanchuan all too well. This man lacked any sense of concern for strangers! Let alone strangers, even amongst the Lu Family aside from Old Mr. Lu and Old Madam Lu, she was probably the only one who could have a proper conversation with Lu Yanchuan. The rest were like mice in front of a cat. And now he¡¯s concerned about her catching a cold? Lu Xiaohua could guarantee that if it were any woman other than Qiao Yi standing in front of Lu Yanchuan, even if that woman stripped naked, he probably wouldn¡¯t spare her a glance! However, saying she might catch a cold was a bit insincere. Although it wasn¡¯t the peak of summer yet, wearing an evening dress definitely wouldn¡¯t cause one to feel cold. Suddenly, Lu Xiaohua thought of something, noticed Qiao Yi¡¯s perfect figure outlined by the evening dress, then looked at her brother¡¯s gloomy face, and a sly aunt-like smile appeared on her face. ¡°Lu Yanchuan, are you deliberately picking a fight?¡± The bandeau dress was almost pulled up to the collarbone by Lu Yanchuan! Qiao Yi smacked away Lu Yanchuan¡¯s paws angrily, pulling her neckline back to where it was supposed to be. Lu Yanchuan furrowed his brows at the sight. ¡°This dress looks ugly, go change it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t change it! If I think this dress looks good, then it looks good; it¡¯s none of your business!¡± Qiao Yi rolled her eyes, but the next moment her vision suddenly went dark. It wasn¡¯t until Qiao Yi struggled out of the clothes pulled down over her head that she realized Lu Yanchuan had taken off his coat to drape it over her. ¡°What on earth are you doing, Lu Yanchuan!¡± Qiao Yi got angry; not only did Lu Yanchuan never say anything nice, but he now even dared to grope around. Did he really think she was such a pushover that she wouldn¡¯t get mad! Lu Xiaohua, seeing Qiao Yi seemed really annoyed by Lu Yanchuan, was about to try and mediate, only to see Lu Yanchuan calmly and deliberately helping Qiao Yi put on the coat and even took the trouble to fasten the buttons for her. ¡°This piece of clothing looks unattractive; don¡¯t wear it again.¡± ¡°If you like it, just wear it at home; not outside.¡± Qiao Yi looked at her dress, now securely covered, and then at Lu Yanchuan¡¯s relaxed face, seeming to understand something. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Sister, why are you so slow? Didn¡¯t we agree to go to the venue together? I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time!¡± Qiao Xin¡¯s voice interrupted what Qiao Yi was about to say. Qiao Yi looked towards the elevator, displeased, only to see Qiao Xin swaying her hips as she walked over. She was no longer wearing the gown she had initially chosen, but a nearly translucent dress which, under the flickering lights, made it crystal clear what kind of underwear she was wearing. Instinctively, Qiao Yi went to block Lu Yanchuan¡¯s line of sight, but before she could act, Lu Yanchuan had already turned away. ¡°Ah, brother-in-law is here too. Earlier Yiyi said that she wanted to ride with you to the banquet. I think it¡¯s about time; shall we go?¡± Qiao Xin seemed not to notice that Lu Yanchuan had turned away, bypassing Qiao Yi and walking straight to Lu Yanchuan¡¯s side intending to link arms with him. Qiao Yi didn¡¯t expect her to remember that matter; wasn¡¯t it enough that she made a scene the whole afternoon? Now she¡¯s wearing such a revealing outfit in front of Yanchuan, has she no shame! ¡°It is indeed time to go; Yanchuan, let¡¯s go.¡± Qiao Yi stepped ahead and took Lu Yanchuan¡¯s arm first, and Lu Yanchuan followed her, standing beside her without glancing aside, heading out together. Qiao Xin stamped her feet, ignoring Lu Xiaohua still there and immediately chased after them. ¡°Sister, you walk so fast; wait for me¡­ouch!¡± Qiao Xin hastened her steps, almost catching up to Lu Yanchuan, when her eyes rolled and she leaned onto him. ¡°Sister, how could you be so careless? If you had fallen, that would have been bad.¡± Qiao Xin opened her eyes, only to meet Qiao Yi¡¯s eyes, which were filled with mirth. It was Qiao Yi who had caught her! And Lu Yanchuan had already moved several steps away! The smile on Qiao Xin¡¯s face was terribly ugly; Qiao Yi looked at her with unrestrained eyes, almost setting her ablaze! Qiao Yi sneered inwardly, after all, she was the eldest daughter who had been painstakingly raised by her father for over twenty years; how did it come to be that she was just a fool who only knew how to seduce men! ¡°Sister, if your clothes or shoes are uncomfortable, you should go change them quickly. It¡¯s still okay to fall down here at big sister¡¯s place, but if you fall like that at the banquet, that would be interesting.¡± Chapter 28 - Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Kissing My Own Husband Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Kissing My Own Husband Qiao Yi pushed Qiao Xin away, walked over, and delicately latched onto Lu Yanchuan¡¯s arm, joining Lu Xiaohua in the elevator. Qiao Xin stood there, nearly gritting her teeth to dust! Qiao Xin was too audacious! If it wasn¡¯t for her, it would be Qiao Xin, not Qiao Yi, being sheltered in Lu Yanchuan¡¯s embrace! Just after being cursed by Qiao Xin, Qiao Yi parted ways with Lu Xiaohua, but she quickly stepped aside from Lu Yanchuan, though she didn¡¯t take off his coat to return it to him. They reached the parking lot one after another, and suddenly urgent footsteps followed from behind. Qiao Yi turned around only to find that it was Qiao Xin who had caught up again. Looks like she¡¯s dead set on bothering her today! Qiao Yi glanced at Lu Yanchuan, who still maintained his stoic, expressionless demeanor, not sparing a glance toward Qiao Xin. As the three reached the side of Lu Yanchuan¡¯s car, Qiao Xin forcefully squeezed past Qiao Yi and seated herself in the passenger seat, beaming through the window at Lu Yanchuan. Those eyes were dripping with affection, making Qiao Yi want to punch her right in the eye. Using such a gaze on someone else¡¯s husband, does Qiao Xin have no shame left at all! Qiao Yi just stood her ground watching Lu Yanchuan, waiting to see what he would do. Lu Yanchuan walked towards the driver-side door, but upon seeing Qiao Xin seated in the passenger seat, he changed direction, instead opening and seated himself in the rear passenger-side seat. Qiao Yi almost laughed out loud, seeing Qiao Xin¡¯s expression turn ugly in an instant, finding it immensely satisfying. Go to ????????????????????.co But¡­ with Lu Yanchuan hiding in the back seat, was he really going to make her drive in her eight-centimeter high heels? Just as Qiao Yi was hesitating, the window on the rear seat slowly rolled down, and Lu Yanchuan looked towards her impatiently. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting in?¡± Qiao Yi looked towards the driver¡¯s seat and then at Lu Yanchuan in the back, considering whether to voice her concerns. However, Lu Yanchuan seemingly read her thoughts and, without explaining anything, rolled up the window again. Qiao Yi thought that Lu Yanchuan really was going to let her drive, she pouted and walked to the driver¡¯s seat to pull open the door. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gotten in? You plan to drive wearing high heels?¡± Qiao Yi was stunned, and once again, footsteps echoed through the empty parking lot. ¡°Third Madam, please get in the car. I¡¯ll take Third Young Master and madam to the venue.¡± Turns out Lu Yanchuan had arranged for someone, and he hadn¡¯t even informed her, leaving her confused. Qiao Yi got into the car and sat next to Lu Yanchuan. In the rearview mirror, she could see Qiao Xin¡¯s displeased face constantly watching her and Lu Yanchuan. Let her watch; it¡¯s not like she¡¯s losing a piece of flesh by doing so! ¡°Yanchuan, I saw a beautiful bag yesterday, can you go shopping with me tomorrow?¡± Lu Yanchuan was wrapped up thinking about work matters when suddenly a warm body leaned against his arm followed by Qiao Yi¡¯s soft coquettish voice. In the rearview mirror, Qiao Xin¡¯s eyes turned fierce and furious, glaring at Qiao Yi, as if she wished she was the one cuddling next to Lu Yanchuan and acting spoiled! Lu Yanchuan was about to respond when he felt a small hand press against his ribs, poking his waist forcefully. With a blissfully cute expression, Qiao Yi¡¯s actions were far from cute¡ªrather, they were filled with threatening implications. ¡°How about it, Yanchuan~¡± That call nearly numbed half of Lu Yanchuan¡¯s body, particularly the arm that Qiao Yi was holding, pressed against her, making him almost not want to pull away. So it¡¯s true that once you¡¯ve had a taste, you can¡¯t forget it. After years of abstinence, has he really become so susceptible to temptation? ¡°Fine.¡± Seeing that Qiao Yi was about to continue, Lu Yanchuan hurriedly replied. There¡¯s still Lu Xiaohua¡¯s driver in the car! He didn¡¯t want other people to hear Qiao Yi¡¯s voice. Lu Yanchuan regarded this as a possessiveness towards his wife, but of course, only he himself knew his true thoughts. Qiao Xin was almost driven mad by the two behind her. She never knew that Qiao Yi could be so manipulative¡ªasking Lu Yanchuan to fetch her water, complaining of shoulder pain and having Lu Yanchuan massage her. There was never a moment of peace! What made her even angrier was that Lu Yanchuan was actually willing to comply with her, doing whatever she asked him to do, making Qiao Xin want to tear Qiao Yi¡¯s face off! It was all because of her pretty face; if it wasn¡¯t for that, Lu Yanchuan wouldn¡¯t even give her a second glance! Qiao Xin cursed Qiao Yi with the most venomous words in her heart, and eventually, she simply closed her eyes to avoid the infuriating scenes. Qiao Yi was closely watching Qiao Xin¡¯s actions, and seeing her face turn livid with anger, she silently laughed. ¡°My fee isn¡¯t cheap, are you prepared to pay for it?¡± Just as Qiao Yi was feeling smug, Lu Yanchuan¡¯s voice suddenly sounded very low next to her ear. The warmth close to her ear made Qiao Yi¡¯s body suddenly stiffen, and as she abruptly turned her head, she faced Lu Yanchuan. Their soft lips brushed against each other, and Qiao Yi¡¯s eyes widened, shocked and forgetting to pull away. Lu Yanchuan noticed her round eyes and for the first time discovered that her pupils were not pure black, but had a hint of grey-blue, which could only be seen from a very close distance. Qiao Xin, choosing neither earlier nor later, thought that Qiao Yi had finally calmed down when there was no more commotion behind, and so she opened her eyes to see what the two were doing. But who could have expected that the moment she opened her eyes, she saw the two kissing! ¡°What are you doing!¡± Qiao Xin erupted in a scream, startling the driver who was seriously driving without looking aside, almost causing him to drive onto the curb. Qiao Yi snapped back to reality, feeling as if she had been caught red-handed and was about to retreat, but Lu Yanchuan had already held the back of her head, giving her lips a firm peck before letting her go. ¡°Next time you want something, just tell me directly.¡± Him! Does he have no shame! Qiao Xin felt like she was about to explode, glaring furiously at Qiao Yi, as if a wife who had just seen her husband entangled with a mistress in front of her, shocked and heartbroken. Lu Yanchuan couldn¡¯t care less about Qiao Xin at this point. If it weren¡¯t for Qiao Yi agreeing to leave with her today, Lu Yanchuan would have sent her away long ago. Qiao Yi stared blankly at the hint of red on Lu Yanchuan¡¯s lips, hesitating whether or not to wipe it off for him. Qiao Xin was outrageously angry, not just the driver, but the two in the back also ignoring her! This is too much! ¡°Are you two going too far!¡± ¡°Sister, my legally wedded husband and I are kissing in our own car, do we still need your permission?¡± The word ¡°kiss¡± was spoken by Qiao Yi with extreme ambiguity, and she even licked her lips as if she was still longing for more. Lu Yanchuan was right beside her, seriously considering whether he should often engage in such activities with Qiao Yi. Chapter 29 - Chapter 29: Chapter 29 Yun Luoluo Chapter 29: Chapter 29 Yun Luoluo Qiao Xin was provoked by the words ¡°lawful husband¡± and pointed at Qiao Yi, unable to utter a word. ¡°Big sister, you should sit tight. When we get off the elevated road, if you¡¯re not stable, don¡¯t topple over onto me!¡± Qiao Xin was so infuriated she couldn¡¯t respond, and just as she was about to curse, the car jolted, and her seatbelt pulled her back onto the seat, slamming her heavily into it. ¡°See, I told you to sit properly, sister. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Qiao Yi appeased Qiao Xin with good intentions, but the more she spoke, the angrier Qiao Xin got, wishing she would just shut up forever! Lu Ming saw the displeased expression on Qiao Xin¡¯s face when she got out of Lu Yanchuan¡¯s car, especially when he saw that Lu Yanchuan was also in the car and Qiao Xin was wearing such a gown, it made his blood rush to his head. Luckily, Qiao Yi followed right after, getting out of the car, which eased his mind a bit. However, he still couldn¡¯t hide his mockery as he approached them, and pulled Qiao Xin behind him with a swift hand. ¡°While the young uncle is still on his honeymoon and has the energy, he should really spend it with his newly-wed wife, and not always set his sights on someone else¡¯s wife!¡± Qiao Xin really disliked hearing Lu Ming say that; she wished Lu Yanchuan¡¯s attention was on her, hoping that Qiao Yi and Lu Ming would get back together soon! Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t even spare Lu Ming a glance, as if there was just a gust of air beside him, waiting until Qiao Yi had straightened her dress before heading to the venue together. Qiao Xin wanted to catch up and walk with Lu Yanchuan, but her arm was tightly held by Lu Ming, forcing her to restrain herself. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your current situation! I don¡¯t care what you do in the old house, but if you cause trouble outside, I¡¯ll move out of the old house when we get back, and you¡¯ll never get to live there in this lifetime!¡± Go to ????????????????????.co Lu Ming accurately targeted Qiao Xin¡¯s weak spot ¨C Lu Yanchuan. Sure enough, upon hearing this, Qiao Xin immediately subdued, though still reluctantly, she no longer clung to Lu Yanchuan or Qiao Yi like before. Lu Yanchuan noticed Qiao Xin¡¯s dress and frowned again. ¡°At such an important gala, how could you wear something like this! Do you intend to disgrace yourself?¡± Qiao Xin bit her lip without revealing why she didn¡¯t change her dress, and she and Lu Ming locked in a stare-off, until finally Lu Ming couldn¡¯t outlast her and had to take off his jacket and put it on her. Today¡¯s charity gala was officially organized by the Capital City, and all proceeds from the auctioned items would be donated to charity projects. In the afternoon, Qiao Yi asked Lu Yanchuan if there was anything special to be aware of at the charity gala, to which Lu Yanchuan simply replied with two words, ¡°Anything goes!¡± What does ¡°Anything goes¡± mean! Can you really be casual at such an official event! Qiao Yi, arm-in-arm with Lu Yanchuan, entered the venue, and when she checked the guest list earlier, she saw the names Qiao Benqing and Zhao Wenjing, as well as Feng Siyu¡¯s, and she started looking for them upon entry. Qiao Benqing and Zhao Wenjing were easy to spot; they were always in one of the clusters of people together, and Qiao Yi could see them without specifically searching. It was just unknown if Feng Siyu had already arrived. Feng Siyu attended the gala not as the second young miss of the Feng Family but in the role of a popstar singer. A singer, such a status didn¡¯t really count for much in the eyes of the people at this venue. ¡°It¡¯s good you have a conscience, finding me first when you arrived. Wouldn¡¯t you introduce me?¡± Qiao Yi¡¯s shoulder was suddenly tapped. When she turned her head, she didn¡¯t see anyone, but upon looking to the other side, she finally saw that the person who tapped her shoulder was none other than Feng Siyu, the very person she had been searching for. Today, Feng Siyu¡¯s outfit was intellectual and simple, which was completely opposite to her typically bold style. Feng Siyu used her eyes to inquire about the identity of Lu Yanchuan, who was standing behind Qiao Yi. Actually, she already had a guess, but Feng Siyun stubbornly refused to greet him herself and insisted that Qiao Yi introduce him. ¡°This is Lu Yanchuan, Third Young Master Lu.¡± ¡°This is Feng Siyu, my best friend.¡± Feng Siyu reached out her hand, and Lu Yanchuan glanced at her and then at Qiao Yi, finally extending his hand to lightly touch hers as a form of handshake and greeting. Qiao Yi caught this detail and shared a knowing look with Feng Siyu, then smiled like a sly fox. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to Yuanyuan; you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± After saying this, Qiao Yi pulled Feng Siyu away, and they disappeared into the crowd before noticing that they had left Gu Ting behind. Inexplicably, the two of them felt a sense of shared sympathy. ¡°Wow, my dear, you are quite lucky to have found such a handsome husband!¡± Although she and Lu Yanchuan were nominally husband and wife, Qiao Yi was still very pleased to hear someone compliment her husband¡¯s good looks. After chatting with Feng Siyu for a while, Qiao Yi heard a small gasp of surprise coming from the entrance as if some remarkable person had arrived. When she and Lu Yanchuan had entered earlier, these people did not show such a loss of composure. Qiao Yi pulled Feng Siyu closer to see who it was. It was a very beautiful woman, whose beauty made others feel unworthy. Watching her walk in from outside, Qiao Yi felt as if she was witnessing a goddess descending to earth. When one woman can captivate another to the point of being unable to look away, it shows the immense charm of the person. Qiao Yi thought about this as she and Feng Siyu discussed the woman¡¯s identity. ¡°Do you know her? I know more about the young prodigals of the Capital City, but how come I have never heard of such a stunning beauty before?¡± Feng Siyu stared at the woman¡¯s back, frowning as if thinking about something. Suddenly, Feng Siyu slapped her thigh and exclaimed in surprise, causing Qiao Yi to wince in pain. ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± ¡°Who? There shouldn¡¯t be many people that you know but I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that one, the one who was supposed to get engaged to Third Young Master Lu a few years ago, but it didn¡¯t happen!¡± Feng Siyu pulled Qiao Yi back to the corner they were in before, and whispered a reminder, looking at Qiao Yi who still seemed to not recall, Feng Siyu urgently said, ¡°Yun Luoluo! That Yun Luoluo! The one you always said was pretentious!¡± Before Qiao Yi¡¯s eyes appeared an image of a petite and gentle girl, who in her memories was always crying, definitely not displaying the poised and elegant demeanor of now! ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken? Could Yun Luoluo really be this beautiful?¡± Qiao Yi was somewhat skeptical whether Feng Siyu had mistaken someone else as people don¡¯t usually change so tremendously in just a few years! ¡°I¡¯m not wrong! Remember the tattoo on her shoulder? I saw that tattoo!¡± Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Status and Identity Can Change Everything Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Status and Identity Can Change Everything Feng Siyu¡¯s words reminded Qiao Yi of the past events. As a child, Qiao Yi was practically a terror at school, fighting and dominating the whole school, with hardly anyone able to control her. Moreover, since she had decent grades, teachers turned a blind eye and didn¡¯t bother much with her. Due to the Qiao Family, Qiao Yi had always been in a prestigious school, surrounded by classmates who were wealthy second-generations and children of officials, and Yun Luoluo was naturally among them. However, unlike Qiao Yi and her unruly peers, Yun Luoluo was seen as a model student at school, not only excelling academically but also being very gentle in nature. Yet, this kind of gentleness seemed particularly irksome in the eyes of Qiao Yi and her crowd. Out of respect for the Yun Family, none dared to openly bully Yun Luoluo, but the private exclusion and isolation never stopped. At that time, Qiao Yi was solely focused on dominating the entire school through force and paid little attention to a timid Yun Luoluo. Although she looked down upon her, she never targeted her directly. Although the two knew each other, they were always from two different worlds. After high school, Yun Luoluo was sent abroad by her family. It had only been five or six years, and Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t believe Yun Luoluo had changed so much. If it weren¡¯t for Feng Siyu pointing out Yun Luoluo today, Qiao Yi probably wouldn¡¯t even remember who she was if Yun Luoluo had come over to greet her. ¡°Do you remember now? Back then, she was cornered by two hooligans, and it was you who helped her get away. Didn¡¯t you both get hurt? But the scar on Yun Luoluo¡¯s shoulder stayed, so afterwards she got a tattoo to cover it, remember?¡± Of course, Qiao Yi remembered that incident. When she found out Yun Luoluo had gotten a tattoo over a scar, she immediately felt she couldn¡¯t be outdone and also clamored for a tattoo. Go to ????????????????????.co As a result, Qiao Benqing cut off her allowance for a month, and that put an end to those thoughts. ¡°Of course I remember! If it wasn¡¯t for that incident, my dad wouldn¡¯t have cut off my allowance for a month!¡± Now, thinking back on it, Qiao Yi was still indignant. Qiao Benqing taking away her allowance had made her lose face as the boss at school, and made her followers laugh at her! Feng Siyu was laughing so hard, she held her stomach. Thinking back on the days when Qiao Yi was so commanding, she thought how silly yet blissful those times were. Now, those former followers still had to greet Qiao Yi respectfully as Ms. Qiao, but they were no longer the young fellows who would follow her orders to beat someone up with a stick. Ultimately, family status and position change everything. As Qiao Yi and Feng Siyu talked, they both became somewhat melancholic. Neither of them noticed the very Yun Luoluo they had been discussing was walking toward them. ¡°Long time no see! Do you still remember me, Ms. Qiao?¡± Qiao Yi looked up and saw Yun Luoluo standing opposite her, holding a glass of champagne and greeting her with a smile. ¡°I heard Siyu is now a famous international star. Before the event ends, you must leave me a few autographs, I have quite a few friends who are fans of yours!¡± Yun Luoluo was warm and generous, not showing a trace of awkwardness. Qiao Yi relaxed, started chatting with Yun Luoluo, and to her surprise, Yun Luoluo still remembered clearly about the old times at school, even mentioning the incident where they both escaped from the hooligans. ¡°I still remember, Uncle Qiao purposely cut off your allowance that month to prevent you from getting a tattoo. Your followers¡¯ wallets suffered greatly.¡± Qiao Yi laughed awkwardly. As the boss, not having any allowance meant her followers were incompetent, and how could Qiao Yi¡¯s followers be incompetent! ¡°It¡¯s all just foolishness from our younger days. Looking back now, I find it quite adorably silly.¡± Anyone would feel embarrassed having their dark history brought up in public, and Qiao Yi could practically sense a three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment being excavated with a toe, especially since the person digging up her dark history was another main character in it. ¡°I just returned to the country a few days ago. I heard that Yiyi is already married?¡± When it came to the topic of marriage, Yun Luoluo was extremely gossipy, curiously looking at Qiao Yi, wanting to know what kind of man could make the once adamant Qiao Yi, who vowed never to marry, fall. Upon hearing this, Qiao Yi instinctively glanced in Lu Yanchuan¡¯s direction, only to meet his gaze looking her way. ¡°Third Young Master Lu, did you really marry this big devil?¡± Yun Luoluo followed Qiao Yi¡¯s gaze and also saw Lu Yanchuan standing on the second floor. Some people just stand there and attract everyone¡¯s eyes, as if they were born to be the center of attention. Lu Yanchuan was one of those people. Qiao Yi awkwardly averted her gaze and nodded slightly. ¡°Yeah, we are indeed married.¡± Only the marriage was hasty and helpless, and even quite melodramatic, to the point that she couldn¡¯t shake it off now. Seeing that Qiao Yi didn¡¯t really want to talk about this matter, Yun Luoluo tactfully changed the subject to the charity auction happening that evening. ¡°These charity events happen several times a year, and there are even times when they¡¯re broadcasted live, but there probably won¡¯t be a broadcast this year.¡± Feng Siyu was all too familiar with these charity events. Because she not only attended the charity events in Capital City, but she knew about charity events all over the country. This was another perk of being a celebrity; she didn¡¯t have to figure out how to get an invitation to such events. Although she didn¡¯t actually want to attend any of them. ¡°When it¡¯s about time, they¡¯ll start the charity auction, which is the highlight of the evening. Getting these entrepreneurs to shell out money is the main purpose of these charity events.¡± Feng Siyu curled her lip, finding such a virtuous act somewhat distasteful. If you want to donate money, just donate directly. If you want to contribute supplies, then contribute directly, but setting up a charity auction, selling all sorts of random, worthless things for sky-high prices, and acting like you did some kind of incredible charity work. ¡°And yet, here you are, attending. Sooner or later, you¡¯ll have to shell out money.¡± ¡°I heard that today¡¯s auction will feature some unique items. I don¡¯t know what they are that makes it so secretive.¡± Yun Luoluo seemed eager to try, as if she was ready to bid already. Qiao Yi and Feng Siyu exchanged glances and shook their heads together. ¡°What does Mr. Lu think about the Tian City project? Such a big piece of cake, all falling into Qiao Family¡¯s hands, I really don¡¯t know how capable the Qiao Family is, being so greedy without fearing they¡¯ll burst.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, I still think Mr. Lu¡¯s bid was better, how come it was snatched away by the Qiao Family!¡± ¡°Yeah, the Qiao Family and the Lu Family are old family friends, how could they eat meat without sparing a sip of soup for the Lu Family!¡± A crowd surrounded Lu Yanchuan; it seemed like they were communicating with each other, but all attention was focused on him. Such estranging words were said, but Lu Yanchuan¡¯s expression remained unchanged, standing there with a glass of champagne, it was unclear where he was looking. Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Are You Crazy? Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Are You Crazy? A group had been talking for quite a while but noticed no response from Lu Yanchuan. Following Lu Yanchuan¡¯s gaze, they saw several girls sitting in a corner of the sofa, huddled together discussing something. Someone recognized Qiao Yi among the girls and immediately understood Lu Yanchuan¡¯s thoughts. He had now married the most cherished daughter of the Qiao Family, and given how fond Qiao Benqing was of Qiao Yi, it was very likely that the Qiao Family¡¯s future would be in Qiao Yi¡¯s hands. By marrying Qiao Yi, Lu Yanchuan nearly had the entire Qiao Family in his grasp, so of course, he wouldn¡¯t care how much benefit the Qiao Family would gain. Possibly he was even contemplating how to help the Qiao Family secure more profits at this very moment! They were only half right; indeed, Lu Yanchuan was thinking about something that could earn the Qiao Family profits, but it surely wasn¡¯t about helping them. Instead, he didn¡¯t want the Qiao Family to fall into a trap. While they were talking, Qiao Benqing approached. Having just spoken ill of him behind his back, they weren¡¯t shameless enough to greet him calmly right after, so they all found excuses to leave. The crowd that had just been gathered suddenly dwindled to only Qiao Benqing and Lu Yanchuan. ¡°Today is a good opportunity to release the news that Qiao Family intends to sell the Tian City project. I believe there will be interested parties very soon.¡± Qiao Benqing nodded his head; he had already had people working on it. Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t need to say it; he would seize the opportunity himself. ¡°Yiyi has some thoughts about your marriage. If you don¡¯t have any fondness for this marriage either, after Old Mr. Lu calms down, you two should separate.¡± Qiao Benqing indeed still cared for Qiao Yi. A marriage alliance between the Lu Family and Qiao Family with Qiao Xin and Lu Ming was sufficient. If Qiao Yi truly didn¡¯t like Lu Yanchuan, Qiao Benqing still hoped she could choose her own path. Qiao Yi had given up a lot for the sake of her sister and brother; she couldn¡¯t be denied her last bit of freedom and the right to pursue happiness. Lu Yanchuan shifted his gaze back to Qiao Benqing. Go to ????????????????????.co ¡°I will not divorce Qiao Yi.¡± Qiao Benqing furrowed his brows, looking at Lu Yanchuan, puzzled as to why he would say that. Lu Yanchuan seemed to think of something, his lips curving into a slight arc. ¡°Yiyi is wonderful, I won¡¯t divorce her.¡± At his words, Qiao Benqing was stunned before regaining his senses a while later, his look towards Lu Yanchuan now contained a hint of satisfaction. ¡°Although the Qiao Family and Lu Family are close, the Qiao Family cannot compare to the profound heritage of the Lu Family. But even so, I won¡¯t allow anyone from the Lu Family to bully my daughter. If you truly have feelings for Yiyi, then protect her within the Lu Family, and don¡¯t let her suffer any grievances.¡± After saying this, Qiao Benqing walked away, and Lu Yanchuan returned his gaze to Qiao Yi downstairs, then suddenly smiled helplessly. Who would bully her? She¡¯s the one who bullies others. Qiao Yi, unaware that her father had completely ¡®sold¡¯ her out, was excitedly discussing with Yun Luoluo and Feng Siyu about where they could go shopping tomorrow. ¡°I used to love going shopping the most, but now I can¡¯t even step out properly within the country. As soon as I go out, I¡¯m besieged, and every trip feels like sneaking around like a thief. It¡¯s so frustrating!¡± This was Feng Siyu¡¯s deepest grievance; now other than attending events, she was confined to her home, literally unable to step outside! Because as soon as she¡¯d leave, fans would block her door, waiting to track her itinerary. ¡°If you want to shop, why not find time to travel abroad for a change? Go and see those world wonders. I¡¯ve always wanted to go!¡± Feng Siyu expressed her yearning, and it was a wonder how a singer always fancied traveling. Several times, she was caught on her way to travel and brought back to attend to her engagements by Gu Ting. ¡°I¡¯m really envious of you, being able to do a job you like, that¡¯s so great. I was forced by my dad to study financial economics, and now after graduation, I¡¯m back in the country. It won¡¯t be many days before I start living a miserable nine-to-five life!¡± Yun Luoluo pouted and put on a pitiful act, causing Qiao Yi and Feng Siyu to laugh for a good while. As the group chattered and laughed, they didn¡¯t notice Qiao Xin standing near a column not too far away. ¡°Sister, what are you doing here? I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time. Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to her?¡± Qiao Xin, who was two years older than Qiao Yi and though they attended the same school, they were in different grades, so Qiao Xin did not know Yun Luoluo. ¡°Hello, my name is Yun Luoluo, an old classmate of Qiao Yi¡¯s.¡± ¡°Very old, from elementary school right up until high school.¡± Qiao Xin shook hands with Yun Luoluo awkwardly. As a child, she was the opposite of Qiao Yi ¡ª her academic performance was not great at school, and because of her personality, she was often bullied, always having to rely on her younger sister Qiao Yi to stand up for her. Most of Qiao Yi¡¯s fights at school were because of Qiao Xin, especially after Qiao Xin fell for Lu Yanchuan. Feng Siyu quietly nudged Qiao Yi¡¯s arm, making faces at her; only after receiving a glare from Qiao Yi did he settle down. ¡°You¡¯re too young to drink, you should have a soft drink. I¡¯ll take care of this champagne and such.¡± Qiao Xin reached out to take the cup from Qiao Yi¡¯s hand, but as Qiao Yi looked at her smiling face, she subconsciously thought of the day before her wedding when she had been the one to step over Qiao Xin with a smile. ¡°Ah! Qiao Yi! What are you doing! Have you lost your mind!¡± Qiao Xin screamed as she was squarely doused with a cup of alcohol by Qiao Yi, completely taken aback by the splash. Qiao Yi didn¡¯t even know how she ended up splashing the drink ¡ª was it perhaps because Qiao Xin¡¯s face just made her want to take action watching her drink? ¡°I haven¡¯t even agreed, why are you grabbing my cup? You¡¯re soaked in alcohol, go change!¡± Qiao Yi quickly stepped forward and grabbed Qiao Xin¡¯s arm before she could speak again, her tone containing an implied threat. Where would Qiao Xin be willing to take this threat, she was ready to make a scene there and then. ¡°Lu Yanchuan is watching right over there, if you make a scene, what do you think he¡¯ll think of you?¡± Qiao Yi¡¯s words instantly calmed Qiao Xin down, who was then assisted by Qiao Yi towards the resting room. ¡°I¡¯ll take my sister to change clothes first, you guys keep talking.¡± The two left the venue together and once in the resting room, Qiao Xin shook off Qiao Yi¡¯s hand and started yelling at her, pointing at her nose. ¡°Qiao Yi, are you sick or something? Splashing me with alcohol for no reason! Do you still care about the Qiao family¡¯s reputation?¡± ¡°Today you know it feels bad to be doused in alcohol, but did you ever consider how I felt when you hurt me back then? Have you ever thought about how much face you¡¯d lose for the Qiao family? Lecturing me? You don¡¯t have the right!¡± Qiao Yi slapped away Qiao Xin¡¯s hand and glanced at her before turning to leave. Suddenly, the sound of swishing air reached her ears; Qiao Yi twitched her ears, and before Qiao Xin¡¯s hand could reach her, she stepped aside to dodge and grabbed Qiao Xin¡¯s hand, pressing her to the ground. A sharp pain flashed through Qiao Yi¡¯s hand, and she looked down to see the syringe in Qiao Xin¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡­¡± Chapter 32 - Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Qiao Yi Runs Into Trouble Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Qiao Yi Runs Into Trouble Qiao Xin rubbed her shoulders as she climbed up from the ground, kicking Qiao Yi¡¯s body several times with her foot. She knew Qiao Yi was not easy to deal with, but luckily she had come prepared, using a sedative to knock Qiao Yi out. Qiao Xin looked at Qiao Yi lying on the ground and stepped on Qiao Yi¡¯s face with her foot, a sick pleasure showing on her face. No matter how arrogant she was, now she was trampled underfoot! Qiao Xin kicked and beat Qiao Yi until she was too tired to lift her hands, then took out her phone and made a call. ¡°Come over, room 3501.¡± After making the call, Qiao Xin left the room, only to return shortly after. She was carrying a black bag, taking out things one by one. Syringes, a bunch of white powder, and a bottle of clear liquid. Qiao Xin placed all these items next to Qiao Yi, and after arranging everything, she still felt uneasy. She turned around and messed up the items in the room, as if someone had gone crazy in there. After setting everything up, there was a knock on the door. Qiao Xin cautiously walked to the door and peeked before opening it. ¡°Why are you so slow? If someone finds out!¡± Qiao Xin displeasedly pulled the person outside the door into the room, and it was none other than Lu Ming. Go to ????????????????????.co Lu Ming was startled by everything in the room as he entered. He then saw Qiao Yi on the ground and the items on the table next to her and turned pale with shock. ¡°Drugs! Drugs, drugs, drugs¡­¡± ¡°Why are you so surprised, it¡¯s all fake? I only want Qiao Yi¡¯s reputation ruined. Work quickly according to my instructions. Whether you want to pretend or really go through with it, you must play your part well before the person I found arrives!¡± Lu Ming looked at the twisted expression on Qiao Xin¡¯s face, then at Qiao Yi lying on the ground, struggling internally. ¡°This isn¡¯t too good, is it? If I do this, your dad won¡¯t let me off the hook!¡± ¡°Do you still want those shares or not? I promise you, as soon as I marry Lu Yanchuan, I¡¯ll sign the share transfer document immediately. If you keep hesitating, I¡¯ll give the transfer to Lu Yanchuan instead!¡± Qiao Xin was burning with impatience, wishing she were a man so she could deal with Qiao Yi herself! Lu Ming¡¯s hesitation completely vanished upon hearing the word ¡®shares.¡¯ Although doing this would almost completely destroy Qiao Yi, after all, Qiao Yi still had the Qiao Family, and without those thirty percent of shares, he would have no status in the Lu Family! Seeing that Lu Ming had made up his mind, Qiao Xin turned and left, as it was no longer appropriate for her to stay here. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lu Ming said softly, bending down to pick up Qiao Yi from the ground and placing her on the bed. Feng Siyu and Yun Luoluo waited a long time without seeing Qiao Yi return. They asked the waiter who had left with Qiao Yi and Qiao Xin, and he said that the two had taken the elevator and got a room card and then asked him to leave; he didn¡¯t know where the two had gone. ¡°Nothing should have happened at the venue, right?¡± ¡°My heart has been racing. Qiao Xin and Yiyi have always been at odds; they wouldn¡¯t have started fighting, would they?¡± Feng Siyu¡¯s speculation received a roll of the eyes from Yun Luoluo. ¡°Even if they did get into a fight, you should be worried about Qiao Xin, not Yiyi. She might have been chatting with someone she knows. She¡¯ll be back for the auction in a little while.¡± Upon hearing this, Feng Siyu had no choice but to sit back down with Yun Luoluo and continue to wait for Qiao Yi¡¯s return. However, Qiao Yi did not return. Instead, many people in the venue were walking in one direction, especially some media personnel who were rushing towards the elevator with their cameras in tow. ¡°What¡¯s going on with them? Is some big shot about to show up? Why are they all so excited?¡± Feng Siyu looked puzzled in that direction, not seeing any remarkable figure, but saw Gu Ting walking towards her with a darkened face. ¡°It¡¯s bad, Qiao Yi is in trouble!¡± ¡°In trouble? What happened?¡± Feng Siyu looked at Gu Ting, nervous and puzzled, hands sweating with tension. Gu Ting nodded at Yun Luoluo, handed a cellphone to Feng Siyu, and pulled her to walk in the opposite direction of the crowd. As Feng Siyu walked, she checked the phone, and what caught her eye was the trending search that had just come out that evening. ¡°Second Miss Qiao meets privately with a man, both seen in a room doing¡­¡± ¡°Keep your voice down, this hot search has just come out. You were with Qiao Yi just now ¨C where has she gone to now?¡± Feng Siyu felt a chill in her limbs. As a celebrity, she understood all too well the power of public opinion and rumors, not to mention news that combines both gossip and criminal activity! The media would surely swarm over like flies drawn to a scent! ¡°Yiyi went with Qiao Xin, they left a while ago, probably to the lounge. Let¡¯s check the lounge first!¡± Gu Ting took Feng Siyu and ran through the fire exit, all the way to the third floor to the room mentioned by the waiter. There was already a crowd gathered outside the room, mostly reporters, who were persistently knocking on the door. Seeing this, Feng Siyu rushed forward, and Gu Ting couldn¡¯t catch her. She watched as Feng Siyu dashed into the crowd, and quickly followed after. ¡°What are you all doing gathered here? Don¡¯t you know this is the lounge? Or do you want to break the rules of the charity event?¡± Feng Siyu, protected by Gu Ting, made her way to the room¡¯s entrance, standing in front of the door like a protective mother hen. Moments ago, there was only a wealthy young lady, and now a popular star had appeared! The reporters on the scene were almost all stirred up, their cameras aimed at Feng Siyu, shouting their questions. ¡°Miss Feng! Why are you defending a rich young lady who has breached the stock price law? Is it because you want the support of the Qiao Family?¡± ¡°Miss Feng, are you aware of Miss Qiao¡¯s illegal activities, or have you participated in them yourself, fearing exposure and thus defending Miss Qiao?¡± ¡°Miss Feng! Please answer my question directly!¡± With Gu Ting standing firmly in front of her, not letting anyone touch Feng Siyu, she looked at the frantic reporters without saying a word. The commotion in the crowd grew bigger and bigger, and the corridor was almost completely blocked. Qiao Benqing, who heard the news and rushed over, was stopped outside and couldn¡¯t get in. Sweat dripped down Gu Ting¡¯s forehead, Feng Siyu looked at him with heartache, and with a cold face turned to the reporters surrounding her, lifting up the cellphone that she had been holding tightly. ¡°Just now, I¡¯ve recorded every word said by the reporters from each of your media outlets. Before the investigation is clear, you¡¯ve made rash judgments, and I will contact Ms. Qiao to pursue your legal responsibilities.¡± No one expected Feng Siyu to play this move. The people close to Feng Siyu suddenly quieted down, and they didn¡¯t dare to resist even when being pushed by those behind them. ¡°Now, does anyone else have questions?¡± Chapter 33 - Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Reversal Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Reversal ¡°Miss Feng, although we can¡¯t produce evidence to prove Miss Qiao did these things, can you produce evidence to prove Miss Qiao didn¡¯t do these things?¡± Someone in the crowd raised their voice and asked, reigniting the emotions of the crowd once again. Gu Ting was nearly unable to hold back the frenzied crowd, and Feng Siyu¡¯s face was extraordinarily grim, her mind racing on how to resolve the pressing dilemma. Feng Siyu, of course, believed in Qiao Yi, but she dared not risk Qiao Yi¡¯s safety on her belief. Qiao Yi had just left with Qiao Xin, and if Qiao Xin had used some sort of trickery on Qiao Yi, it would be very difficult for Qiao Yi to escape by herself! Someone was already shouting for Feng Siyu to open the room door, claiming truth would be evident upon inspection. Feng Siyu and Gu Ting stubbornly refused to let them pass, but at that moment, Feng Siyu¡¯s cell phone went off. She glanced at it, and when she looked up again, she relented, stopping her resistance, and nudged Gu Ting¡¯s back to silently step aside. Gu Ting was still puzzled, but Feng Siyu shoved the phone into his hand, then pulled him out through a side entrance swiftly. The door was violently broken open by rabid reporters, and upon opening it, one could hear the ambiguous moans and heavy breaths inside. The first reporter to rush in almost had green eyes, his camera capturing every detail in the room steady as a rock. When he saw the scattered white powder and syringes on the table, he almost let out an ecstatic scream. Huge news! Absolutely huge! The reporter seemed to have foreseen himself reaching the pinnacle of his career with this news, hesitating no more, as he ran towards the deepest bedroom door. Go to ????????????????????.co ¡°Ah!!¡± ¡°Who are you people! Get out!¡± The two people huddled on the bed rapidly split apart upon the loud sound of the door being kicked open, with the man only managing to snatch a pillow to cover his vital parts, while the woman on the bed screamed, shrinking into the covers. Lu Ming¡¯s eyes were red as he glared at the room full of reporters who had barged in. He still hadn¡¯t fully realized what was going on. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to just lift Qiao Yi from the floor onto the bed? How could so many people have barged in so inexplicably? It didn¡¯t matter that Lu Ming couldn¡¯t figure it out; the reporters had enough to explode the news. ¡°Mr. Lu Ming, why are you having a private meeting with the Second Miss Qiao during the charity event?¡± ¡°Mr. Lu, it was said the person who was originally supposed to marry Miss Qiao was you, but in the end, Mr. Lu Yanchuan took that place. Are you doing this today as a deliberate act of revenge?¡± ¡°Mr. Lu! Have you actually been with Miss Qiao all along, and the marriage was merely a sham?¡± Lu Ming¡¯s head and ears were filled with these sharp questions. Some people even tried to grab him; he only managed to evade by grabbing a chair and holding it in front of him as a shield. Not only Lu Ming was under siege, but so was the person on the bed. Several reporters yanked at the corners of the blanket, trying to pull it away, while the person wrapped tightly in the blanket staunchly refused to show their face. The more the two on the bed struggled, the more excited the reporters became, their questions growing sharper. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Why is it so noisy?¡± Suddenly, the crowd was strongly parted, and a dozen black-suited bodyguards stormed into the room, forcibly clearing a path through the people with their presence. ¡°Isn¡¯t the charity auction about to start? Why is everyone gathered in the lounge instead of attending the auction?¡± Hearing this voice, everyone turned towards the entrance. Qiao Yi stood there in a red dress, with a bright, beautiful smile, walking in between the black-suited bodyguards as confidently and dazzlingly as on the red carpet at Fashion Week. ¡°Miss Qiao! How, how are you here!¡± Someone in the crowd recognized Qiao Yi and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in surprise. ¡°` ¡°Why am I not supposed to be here?¡± Qiao Yi retorted and walked all the way in, only to be shocked and cover her mouth when she saw the mess on and under the bed. ¡°Oh my God, what, what happened here!¡± Qiao Yi glanced at the lump on the bed and then at Lu Ming standing on the floor, as if she understood something, she pointed at Lu Ming and started scolding him. ¡°You¡¯re already married to my sister! How dare you betray her at this time! I¡¯m going to see who this slut is who seduced my sister¡¯s husband!¡± After cursing Lu Ming, Qiao Yi called two bodyguards over to the bed, her face filled with righteous indignation, pointing at the person on the bed and ordering the bodyguards to lift the blanket. ¡°Drag her out! Let everyone see who this slut really is! How dare she do such a shameless thing!¡± ¡°Wow¡ª¡± The crowd was shocked once again, including Lu Ming himself. The person on the bed, naked and with her arms crossed over her chest, was none other than Qiao Yi¡¯s sister, Qiao Xin! Qiao Xin, suddenly exposed by the pulled blanket, screamed and frantically grabbed a pillow to cover herself, then pulled the blood-stained sheets to wrap around her. ¡°How, how could this¡­¡± Qiao Yi looked totally stunned, pointing at Qiao Xin on the bed and unable to speak for a long time. ¡°This, this, this!¡± ¡°Get out! All of you, get out!¡± Finally, Qiao Xin on the bed broke down and screamed. But from Qiao Yi to the reporters in the room, not a single person intended to leave. Who would have thought that such a big news story would take so many twists and turns! It started with Second Miss Qiao being accused of drug use, cheating on her husband with her own ex-fianc¨¦, who is her husband¡¯s nephew. Then Second Miss Qiao entered from outside, accusing her brother-in-law of cheating and seeking to catch the lovers in the act. In the end, the mistress caught turned out to be none other than the Qiao family¡¯s eldest miss! A group of reporters looked at each other, completely unsure how to report today¡¯s story. Qiao Xin and Lu Ming are legally married after all, their being together doesn¡¯t concern anyone else at all. ¡°Qiao Yi! It¡¯s you! It¡¯s you who ruined me!¡± Qiao Xin looked up at Qiao Yi with hatred, but Qiao Yi fearlessly met her gaze, her lips curling into a playful smile. ¡°Sister, when you speak, you need evidence. How can you accuse me without proof? Besides, even if your tryst with your brother-in-law was disrupted, you shouldn¡¯t blame me, right? I did all this for your own good, out of fear that you might be cheated on!¡± Qiao Yi¡¯s face was full of innocence, but Qiao Xin didn¡¯t believe a word! It was supposed to be Qiao Yi and Lu Ming who were caught in the act, not her! Why has it turned out this way! ¡°The auction is about to start downstairs, time to go.¡± Qiao Yi was reveling in Qiao Xin¡¯s displeased expression when suddenly a coat was draped over her. She turned her head and saw Lu Yanchuan looking down at her. Just one look, and suddenly Qiao Yi¡¯s heartbeat became erratic. ¡°` Chapter 34 - Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Why Are You So Good to Me? Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Why Are You So Good to Me? The reporters in the room were all chased out after Qiao Benqing rushed in with his people. Lu Ming had taken the opportunity to get dressed, and now sat on the sofa outside with a steel-grey expression on his face. After Qiao Xin finished dressing inside, she walked out with her legs in an awkward stance, not daring to look at Qiao Benqing at all. Qiao Yi and Lu Yanchuan stood together at the doorway, their expressions surprisingly uniform with a mix of indifference and a hint of mockery, like outsiders watching a play. ¡°Speak, what exactly happened!¡± Qiao Benqing¡¯s eyes bore into Qiao Xin, knowing that no matter the outcome today, the Qiao Family¡¯s reputation would definitely be ruined! Tears never stopped in Qiao Xin¡¯s eyes. Hearing Qiao Benqing¡¯s question, she abruptly looked up at Qiao Yi as if about to unleash a tirade. Qiao Yi spoke before Qiao Xin had the chance to. ¡°Dad, that question should be mine to ask. I¡¯d like to know why I and my sister would fall unconscious after entering the resting room, and if it wasn¡¯t for Yanchuan coming to look for me, the person caught in bed today might not have been my sister, right?¡± Qiao Yi boldly showed the needle marks on her arm to Qiao Benqing. Qiao Xin hadn¡¯t expected Qiao Yi to expose the matter so directly, suddenly becoming somewhat guilty and hastily began to make excuses. ¡°What are you talking about nonsense? How could I possibly do something to you? I am¡­¡± ¡°Why are you nervous? I didn¡¯t say it was you who did this to me.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ????????????????????.co With just an insouciante remark, Qiao Yi pushed back Qiao Xin¡¯s attempt, as Qiao Xin clenched her lip, her eyes almost ready to tear Qiao Yi apart. Seeing Qiao Yi¡¯s injury, Qiao Benqing immediately became anxious. ¡°How did this happen? Xinxin, is it really you trying to harm your sister!¡± ¡°Dad, how could I possibly do such a thing! What benefit would there be for me in doing such a thing! Moreover, it¡¯s clearly me who got hurt; why would you suspect me?¡± Qiao Xin seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown, her disheveled appearance like that of a crazed ghost. This appearance of hers, on the contrary, made Qiao Benqing dismiss his suspicions. Indeed, Qiao Xin had no reason to harm Qiao Yi, and moreover, Qiao Yi was unharmed, while the person caught with Lu Ming was Qiao Xin herself, why would she be so foolish to set herself up! Thinking this, Qiao Benqing looked towards Qiao Yi again. ¡°Yiyi, could it be a misunderstanding on your part?¡± Qiao Yi had no intention of taking down Qiao Xin just with this insufficient evidence, but she knew that once the seeds of suspicion are sown, they will eventually take root and grow. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m mistaken. But sister and brother-in-law are really irresistible to each other. And oh, you should find a way to explain these things sooner, sister, or there might be a big problem!¡± Qiao Yi raised her eyebrows and used her chin to nudged towards the table, where there were still some syringes and white powdery substances. Many reporters had just noticed these items, and if they got out, there would be no shortage of wild speculation. ¡°This, this is glucose, I have some hypoglycemia, I will explain it publicly.¡± Qiao Xin now understood what it meant to shoot herself in the foot, there were many things she couldn¡¯t say in front of Qiao Benqing, and could only take all the responsibility upon herself. ¡°Dad, the auction has started, we better go down first, let sister and brother-in-law deal with it themselves.¡± Qiao Yi walked over and linked her arm with Qiao Benqing¡¯s, pulling him up to leave the room. Before exiting, Qiao Yi turned back for a glance, meeting Qiao Xin¡¯s eyes filled with hatred. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± Qiao Yi silently said a word, then, holding Qiao Benqing¡¯s arm, left the room. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m going to use the restroom first, you go ahead and take your seat.¡± Qiao Yi suddenly stopped in her tracks after walking with Qiao Benqing for a bit, said a few words to him, and then hurried off. Lu Yanchuan was a step behind her, gave Qiao Benqing a hasty greeting, and followed after her. Qiao Benqing was left utterly confused by the two of them, shook his head, and went on to the auction venue on his own. In a state of fluster, Qiao Yi pushed open the emergency exit door forcefully, entered the stairwell, and finally took a deep breath. Her body had been drenched in sweat, leaning against the wall like a fish out of water, breathing hard and greedily. Lu Yanchuan quickly caught up to her, saw the state she was in, bent down, and carried her out. ¡°Put me down¡­¡± Lu Yanchuan ignored her words. Qiao Yi pounded on him without any effect, helplessly letting him carry her not knowing where he intended to take her. ¡°Damn that Qiao Xin, I have no idea what kind of drug she used on me¡­¡± Qiao Yi¡¯s face rested against Lu Yanchuan¡¯s shoulder, listening to her own heartbeat pounding like drums and Lu Yanchuan¡¯s steady and calm breathing. Heaven knows the relief and gratitude she felt when she woke up to see Lu Yanchuan. Especially after seeing the inexplicably trending topics about her online, Qiao Yi didn¡¯t dare to imagine what would have become of her if Lu Yanchuan hadn¡¯t shown up in time to knock out Qiao Xin and Lu Ming. Lu Yanchuan had saved her twice already¡­ ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ just a bit hot. Put me down please, I¡¯m okay.¡± Qiao Yi pushed at Lu Yanchuan¡¯s arms, but he still held her steadily. Her weight was not an issue for Lu Yanchuan. They went up to the hotel¡¯s presidential suite, where Lu Yanchuan set her down in the bathtub following Qiao Yi¡¯s wishes, then he left the room. Qiao Yi, feeling weak in arms and legs, gave up the attempt to undress and turned on the shower directly, the cold water spraying out making her shiver all over. The water suddenly stopped, and looking up in confusion, Qiao Yi saw Lu Yanchuan standing expressionlessly above her, having just turned off the faucet. ¡°Change into clean clothes, I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± Lu Yanchuan placed a paper bag on the nearby shelf and was about to leave, but his clothes were suddenly pulled by someone. ¡°Are you being so good to me because of what happened that day? When you said you would take responsibility, you weren¡¯t joking, were you?¡± Qiao Yi¡¯s tone was uncharacteristically serious. She thought long and hard but couldn¡¯t figure out why Lu Yanchuan, a man like him, would be so lenient with her because of a marriage that seemed like a child¡¯s play. The outside world¡¯s rumors about Lu Yanchuan were anything but kind: cold-blooded, ruthless, that was him; viciously scheming, that also was him; cunning and sinister, etc., all could be synonyms for Lu Yanchuan. The words caring and attentive, however, would definitely not be associated with Lu Yanchuan. Yet, the Lu Yanchuan before her was entirely different from his public persona. Although not to the extent of being overly attentive, his manner could already be considered very considerate, even indulgent. Qiao Yi had always thought it was because they were married, Lu Yanchuan had to take Old Mr. Lu into account. That is until today, when she woke up in Lu Yanchuan¡¯s arms, Qiao Yi saw the sincere concern in Lu Yanchuan¡¯s eyes. Lu Yanchuan was genuinely worried about her. Chapter 35 - Chapter 35: Chapter 35 We Have Nothing Chapter 35: Chapter 35 We Have Nothing The bathroom was quiet, only the faint sound of running water persisted tirelessly. Qiao Yi¡¯s eyes gradually reddened, while Lu Yanchuan across from her furrowed his brows tightly, only speaking after a long while. ¡°I¡¯ve said before, I¡¯m a responsible person.¡± ¡°So you married me not because of an arranged marriage?¡± Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t quite describe the mixture of feelings inside her¡ªshe felt a bit relieved, a bit bitter, and a bit sad all at once, which only made her unsure of how to express herself. Seeing that Lu Yanchuan only furrowed his brows without speaking, Qiao Yi suddenly felt relieved. ¡°You go ahead, I¡¯ll go stay with Yuanyuan at her place later. Don¡¯t keep dad waiting anxiously.¡± Qiao Yi sank into the water, not wanting to talk anymore. It took a while before she couldn¡¯t hold on and emerged from the water, only to find that Lu Yanchuan had already left. Qiao Yi left before the auction ended, while Lu Yanchuan stayed at the venue to discuss some matters with Qiao Benqing. Qiao Yi slipped away by herself. No, not just Qiao Yi, but also Feng Siyu and a driver named Gu Ting. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay at your place tonight.¡± Feng Siyu did not object. After all, the two of them had spent plenty of nights together since they were young. But now Qiao Yi was married; didn¡¯t she need to inform her husband? It seemed as though Feng Siyu had guessed her thoughts, and Qiao Yi, embarrassed and angry, pinched Feng Siyu¡¯s arm. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ????????????????????.co ¡°Don¡¯t you dare think nonsense, there¡¯s nothing between Lu Yanchuan and me¡­¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk, such a stubborn duck, come clean, how did you get that red mark on your neck? Don¡¯t tell me you were bitten by a mosquito. Was the mosquito¡¯s last name Lu?¡± Qiao Yi quickly covered her neck, and her entire face turned red as she glared at Feng Siyu, unable to speak out of embarrassment and annoyance. Feng Siyu laughed until she was out of breath, and it was only after a while that she regained her composure, wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes, and leaned on Qiao Yi, mysteriously asking. ¡°Come on, tell me, what exactly happened today? Everything seems like it was all arranged by you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Thinking back to today¡¯s events, Feng Siyu was extremely frightened. She couldn¡¯t imagine what she would do if it had really been Qiao Yi in that room. The expression on Qiao Yi¡¯s face also faded, and there were some things she couldn¡¯t say to Qiao Benqing, but she could tell Feng Siyu. ¡°Today was indeed no accident, it was all plotted by Qiao Xin. If it hadn¡¯t been for Lu Yanchuan¡¯s arrival, the reporters bursting in would¡¯ve caught me and Lu Ming together, and there were also some items in the room that Qiao Xin had specially prepared for me, just to ruin me.¡± ¡°Qiao Xin injected me with a sedative. If it weren¡¯t for Lu Yanchuan realizing that Qiao Xin and I had been gone for a long time without returning and coming to find me¡ªcoincidentally encountering Lu Ming sent by Qiao Xin¡ªthe plan would have succeeded.¡± Though it wasn¡¯t Qiao Yi¡¯s idea to put Qiao Xin and Lu Ming together, she was thoroughly satisfied with Lu Yanchuan¡¯s way of handling it. ¡°And those reporters, they were all pre-arranged by Qiao Xin. Even if I hadn¡¯t splashed her with that wine today, Qiao Xin would probably have found some excuse to take me away.¡± Feng Siyu¡¯s mouth fell open in shock. Qiao Xin and Qiao Yi were siblings¡ªhow could she do this to Qiao Yi! ¡°She¡¯s shot herself in the foot, but why didn¡¯t you tell Uncle Qiao about this!¡± ¡°The moment this gets out, it will definitely affect the Qiao Family¡¯s reputation. No matter what the reason, my dad would never publicize the issue. At most, there would be some reprimands. Besides, I haven¡¯t suffered any substantial harm. On the contrary, Qiao Xin has made herself utterly miserable.¡± ¡°In this situation, my dad might not stay angry with Qiao Xin, and he might even cover up the whole incident. Instead of reacting now, I might as well bide my time until I gather enough evidence to expose Qiao Xin¡¯s true face in one fell swoop!¡± Qiao Yi clenched her fists. Seeing her like this, Feng Siyu also felt relieved. As long as Qiao Yi wasn¡¯t overly merciful, everything should be fine. No one would be happy about what happened, and the car fell silent, with all three losing the desire to talk. ¡°Beep beep beep¡ª¡± Qiao Yi¡¯s phone started ringing, it was a message from Lu Yanchuan asking where she went. After reading the message, Qiao Yi turned off her phone and tossed it aside. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to reply to the message?¡± ¡°Why should I reply to him? I already told you I¡¯m going to stay at your place tonight, it¡¯s none of his business.¡± Since Qiao Yi herself had no intention of dealing with Lu Yanchuan, Feng Siyu said nothing further. Changing the topic, he started to talk to Qiao Yi about his next appointment. ¡°She didn¡¯t answer the phone?¡± Qiao Benqing was so angry his stomach ached, both of his grown daughters were causing him nothing but worries! ¡°Yiyi said she was going to stay with friends tonight; they probably left early.¡± Lu Yanchuan didn¡¯t seem to care too much. He often stayed late at the office and didn¡¯t go home, and going out with friends was perfectly normal. Even though Lu Yanchuan said that, Qiao Benqing was still dissatisfied and insisted that Qiao Yi come back. With such an important event today, Qiao Xin had already made a fool of herself, and Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t just leave as well. What would people think of the Qiao Family! Qiao Benqing used his phone to call Qiao Yi, but the call was met with a message that her phone was turned off. Qiao Yi was unaware of Qiao Benqing looking for her, but even if she did know, she wouldn¡¯t return now. Because Feng Siyu had already goaded Gu Ting to drive them into the famous entertainment district of Capital City. In the car, Qiao Yi changed out of her gown into clothes from Feng Siyu, put on his sunglasses, and the three of them merged into the crowd on the street after parking the car. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve missed this. Ever since graduating from college, I haven¡¯t had such free and happy times.¡± Qiao Yi was holding a beer in one hand and a skewer in the other, eating in a very forthright manner. Feng Siyu was no less enthusiastic, the two eating as boisterously as old men, with only Gu Ting sipping a drink elegantly. Giggling, eating, and drinking, it didn¡¯t take long for Qiao Yi to start seeing double. She grabbed Feng Siyu, who wanted to drink more, and they stumbled toward the car with the help of Gu Ting. ¡°Hey, look at these beauties. Why don¡¯t you hang out with us, brothers, before you go?¡± While Gu Ting went to bring the car, a few shady-looking thugs surrounded the two drunk girls. Seeing no one paying attention, the leader reached to grab Qiao Yi¡¯s arm. ¡°Who are you guys? Where¡¯s Gu Ting? Where did he run off to?¡± Qiao Yi squinted at the strange men and swatted away the hand reaching for her, still aware enough to help Feng Siyu as they tried to walk away together. ¡°Don¡¯t leave, forget about whatever Gu Ting. But I, your brother Zhao, am more than willing to keep you company, haha!¡± Chapter 36 - Chapter 36: Chapter 36 Drunk Chapter 36: Chapter 36 Drunk A greasy, blackened hand reached for Qiao Yi¡¯s face, her vision blurred and subconsciously trying to dodge, but Feng Siyu, who was standing unsteadily beside her, pulled on her arm making it impossible for her to avoid. Under normal circumstances, Qiao Yi wouldn¡¯t care about a few petty thugs. But now, she couldn¡¯t even keep her body upright, let alone fight back, so she could only watch helplessly as the hand drew nearer and nearer. Just as the hand was about to touch Qiao Yi¡¯s face, the chubby guy who reached out suddenly screamed, flying backward and hitting two people before falling down. Qiao Yi tried hard to keep her eyes open; she could only see that the person in front was handsome and seemed a bit familiar. With her brain feeling like mush, it took Qiao Yi a while to belatedly realize who the man in front of her was. ¡°Lu Yanchuan¡­ you came¡­ hehe¡­¡± Qiao Yi grinned oddly, Lu Yanchuan just about to say something, but the thugs he kicked away had already gotten up and charged towards him, roaring. A flash of impatience swept through Lu Yanchuan¡¯s eyes; turning around, he performed a sweeping kick, sending the fastest runner flying back, and seizing the moment when the others were still unreactive, he knocked out the remaining few with one punch each. They say a serious man is the most charming, but a man fighting is charming too, only the drunk Qiao Yi couldn¡¯t appreciate it. The few thugs lay on the ground, holding their arms and howling in pain, while Lu Yanchuan took out his phone to call the cops, then came over to check on Qiao Yi. Qiao Yi was just swaying there, not injured. But she was so drunk, it was hard to tell how much she had imbibed. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ????????????????????.co Gu Ting finally came back by car, seeing the thugs scattered on the ground, and Lu Yanchuan standing by Qiao Yi with a dark expression, he immediately understood what had happened. He thought that with so many people around at the night market, no incidents would occur, and he was just going to get the car, which would only take a few minutes. But who would have thought that such an incident would occur in such a crowded place! Luckily Lu Yanchuan appeared just in time, otherwise, Gu Ting couldn¡¯t even imagine what might have happened! If something terrible had really occurred, Gu Ting would have lived in regret for the rest of his life. ¡°Thank you.¡± Gu Ting bowed deeply and earnestly to Lu Yanchuan, who frowned, glanced at him, pushed Feng Siyu aside, took Qiao Yi in his arms, and walked away. ¡°Leave these people to you; I¡¯ve already called the police.¡± With the Gu Family¡¯s capabilities, handling these thugs was easy, there was no need for Lu Yanchuan to stay; taking Qiao Yi back to sober up was the priority. Lu Yanchuan carried her all the way to his car, and Ma Yu was surprised to see Qiao Yi being carried by Lu Yanchuan. He had a feeling that such surprises would not be scarce in the future. ¡°Go to Ting City.¡± Ting City Gardens, one of the most luxurious and high-end residential areas in the Capital City, known for its elegant environment and top-notch security. The community is located in the most luxurious area of Capital City, covers a large area, but only houses twenty residences ¨C all are detached villas, maintaining tranquility amid the bustling city. Developed by an unknown company, even the Lu Family couldn¡¯t secure a house in Ting City Gardens; only the most powerful, influential, and wealthy people live here. I heard that this area was originally planned to be developed into a private vacation resort, but the government did not approve, and after two years of back and forth, it had to be changed into a villa district. As the car drove into Ting City Gardens, it felt like entering a mini jungle, with only a road wide enough for vehicles to pass side by side, and tall greenery on both sides, walking here is just like walking in a forest. Beyond these trees, you can vaguely see some villas nestled in the woods. Each villa has a private road in front of its door, with a security scanner at the connection to the main road that determines whether the car can enter the premises of this household. Of course, if you want to get out of the car and enter the password, that¡¯s also not impossible. Lu Yanchuan¡¯s house is located near the middle; it took a while driving before turning onto the exclusive road of the villa. Qiao Yi was fidgeting uncomfortably in Lu Yanchuan¡¯s arms, clutching at his clothes and mumbling something incomprehensible. Lu Yanchuan looked up unhappily; Ma Yu caught the signal from his boss from the rearview mirror and was instantly speechless. He was already driving the car as fast as he could, and yet he¡¯s still being accused of slow driving! You do it if you¡¯re so capable! If not, stop complaining! Ma Yu only dared to think this to himself lightly because he felt that Lu Yanchuan could tell what he was thinking just from the back of his head. Finally, they arrived in front of the villa; Lu Yanchuan helped Qiao Yi out of the car, and she seemed to completely let herself go, immediately pushing away Lu Yanchuan and running into the yard. In the large yard, Qiao Yi ran around twice, then unexpectedly ran back to Lu Yanchuan¡¯s side, gasping for breath and stretching out her arms wanting to be held. ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Ma Yu covered his mouth, anxiously avoiding Lu Yanchuan¡¯s deadly glare. Lu Yanchuan bent down and without a single sign of displeasure picked up Qiao Yi, already deciding that she would never be allowed to touch a drop of alcohol again without him by her side. Qiao Yi fussed until she finally fell asleep, refusing to sleep alone, insisting on sleeping only if Lu Yanchuan held her. Lu Yanchuan always felt himself to be someone who dislikes disturbances, yet being tossed around by Qiao Yi tonight, aside from feeling resigned, surprisingly he felt not a bit of annoyance, truly astonishing. Even Lu Yanchuan himself was taken aback. Qiao Yi slept all the way to noon the next day, and upon awakening, her head was pounding painfully. Her memory stopped at the image from last night of her and Feng Siyu angrily cursing at Qiao Xin, what happened after? Qiao Yi sat dazedly on the bed, already dressed in pajamas, even her underwear had been changed! She had seen all the rooms she had slept in before and none matched the room she was now in, nor any room in any house she knew! Had she been kidnapped? What about Feng Siyu? Gu Ting? Had they been kidnapped too? When Lu Yanchuan entered the room, he saw Qiao Yi disheveled and bewildered, clutching the pillow, looking as though she had just woken up, yet still in a dream. Qiao Yi stiffly raised her head to look at Lu Yanchuan, seeing him in homewear and opened her mouth to ask, ¡°Yesterday, did you bring me home?¡± This was a blatantly brainless question; Lu Yanchuan, who never dignifies fools with a response, dropped a sentence and turned to leave. ¡°Your clothes are in the dressing room, car keys at the doorway.¡±