Jiang Mei looked at her in confusion, then pursed her lips and gently shook her head, "I only saw you once a few days ago."

She was referring to the time she went to see Song Wanzi. At that time, Qiao Yu was so captivated by Lu Shangyi that she abandoned the others and chased after her. From that day on, she remembered Lu Shangyi's appearance vividly. She thought that Lu Shangyi must have some impression of her because of what happened that day.

As an orphan without parents, I had no close blood relatives in the world except for my aunt's family.

Qiao Yu couldn't decipher the meaning on Lu Shangyi's face. She fell silent, carefully pondering the meaning behind Lu Shangyi's words. A subtle sense of vigilance rose in her heart. She glanced at Lu Shangyi, whose expression was as calm as still water, and then at Jiang Mei, who was equally bewildered. She silently comforted herself, thinking that although Jiang Mei was the female lead, it was unlikely that every powerful figure she encountered would be completely infatuated with her.

This isn't a harem novel.

Qiao Yu subtly stepped between the two, blocking their tender and reluctant gazes. "You must be tired today, get some rest. I'll bring you breakfast tomorrow morning, and we can eat together."

Jiang Mei responded softly, and before leaving, she glanced at Lu Shangyi, who was standing with his hands in his pockets.

She stood quietly in the dim light, her face not too blurry, but her slender figure, porcelain-white skin, and deep-set features were undeniably striking. Some people, even just standing there silently, are enough to attract attention.

Lu Shangyi was that kind of person; her noble demeanor was something that no one else could imitate.

Qiao Yu stared at Lu Shangyi, who was resting with her eyes closed, with a resentful look on her face, and said in a wronged tone, "Sister Lu is really lovable."

Upon hearing this, the system couldn't help but comfort her, saying, "Host, there's an old saying that goes, 'If you want to get by, you have to wear a green hat.' Besides, the one who's cuckolding you isn't just anyone; Jiang Mei is the female lead of this world."

Qiao Yu frowned unhappily, "So, according to you, I should prepare a generous gift and personally visit her to thank her?"

"No need for that," the system said. "But if you really want to, I won't stop you."

Qiao Yu immediately threw a punch, waking Lu Shangyi. Her dark eyes, shrouded in shadow, held a captivating allure. Qiao Yu explained dryly, "There are mosquitoes."

Lu Shangyi nodded, looked away, and did not close her eyes again.

The car was eerily quiet, making Qiao Yu feel extremely uncomfortable and tormented. She tried to hold back, but finally couldn't help asking, "Sister Lu, what do you think of my friend?"

A hint of a smile seemed to flicker in Lu Shangyi's eyes. "Very good." She said, "She's very tall, has fair skin, and is very beautiful. I don't think anyone would dislike her."

Qiao Yu was very unhappy, extremely unhappy, even though Lu Shangyi was right. No one dislikes Jiang Mei, who is so gentle and vulnerable and needs protection. A beautiful, strong, and tragic female protagonist possesses many noble qualities, and one of the best of them is—she is very good at attracting the attention of powerful figures.

Thinking about her bumpy road to love, Qiao Yu sneered inwardly, "If I'm the only one who can't find a partner in the end, I'll just steal the female lead away and make all the big shots in the world single with me!"

System: "..." Can you be a little more mature like me?

Qiao Yu insisted on bringing breakfast for Jiang Mei, but she herself slept until the sun was high in the sky. After glancing at the time on her phone, Qiao Yu hurriedly washed up and ran downstairs, where Lu Shangyi was elegantly enjoying breakfast at the long table in the dining room.

A laptop sat on her left, and two iPads on her right. One iPad displayed a dense array of information, while the other played today's financial news through its speaker. Lu Shangyi sat upright, her deliberate manner revealing both good manners and the cold-blooded ruthlessness of capitalism.

Noticing Qiao Yu had stopped out of the corner of her eye, Lu Shangyi shifted her attention from the financial news. "You're up?"

Lu Shangyi seemed to be in a very good mood today; even the corners of her narrow eyes seemed to be tinged with a hint of a smile. Qiao Yu, while bending down to change her shoes, replied, "Get up."

As she changed her shoes and was about to leave, Qiao Yu looked back at Lu Shangyi with a questioning gaze. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that Lu Shangyi seemed to be treating this place as her own resort, behaving more like a master than she, the owner.

After watching Qiao Yu hurriedly get into the car and leave, Lu Shangyi slowly answered the phone, which had been ringing silently for a long time, "Brother."

Lu Shenghui was in a terrible mood. "Are you going to come back on your own, or do you want me to personally bring people over to invite you back?"

Lu Shangyi had been out of his sight for more than 24 hours. Although she always appeared weak and helpless in front of him, Lu Shenghui dared not let his guard down for a moment, thinking of the shares she held. After the car accident, Lu Shangyi unexpectedly gained the pity of Madam Lu, who gave all of her shares to Lu Shangyi, adding up to exactly 5% more than him.

The company's stock price has remained stable for the past two years. Unless he claims to have a terminal illness and has had a child outside of marriage, the stock price will not plummet. Under the current circumstances, he naturally has no way to buy shares from others.

Lu Shenghui's handsome face became somewhat distorted due to his gloomy expression, and his knuckles holding the phone gradually turned white. "Or, let the police escort you back."

Lu Shangyi appeared calm and composed, speaking softly, "My mother has agreed to let me stay at the Qiao family's house for two days."

She lowered her eyes and said, "Go and tell your mother."

The call was disconnected. Lu Shangyi opened the financial news again, her gaze calm.

Qiao Yu rushed as fast as she could but was still five minutes late. After sneaking in through the back door, she quickly handed the breakfast she had paid for with Alipay to Jiang Mei and asked, "Did you rest well yesterday?"

Jiang Mei nodded slightly as she looked at the bread and milk that Qiao Yu had handed her without saying a word. Qiao Yu thought about it and agreed. If a popular omega like Lu Shangyi were to use such a clumsy excuse as "you look familiar" to strike up a conversation with her, she would probably not only sleep very well, but also have ten erotic dreams in a row.

Qiao Yu was unsure whether she should feel sorry for herself first or envy Jiang Mei first.

Last night, Qiao Yu didn't surf the internet, so Meng E read her the messages from Song Wanzi's fans one by one. At first, Qiao Yu was calm as a rock, but when she heard that some fans were already waiting for her outside the school, she finally panicked. Just then, a classmate ran in breathlessly and said, "Qiao Yu, someone is looking for you outside the school."

Qiao Yu's eyes gradually filled with fear. "They've arrived so quickly?"

"How many people are there? Are there many? Did they bring weapons? Is it necessary to call the police?" Qiao Yu paused, "Oh right, did you see any guns?"

The classmate, who had initially looked serious, fell silent as he heard the rest of the story. “It was just a Bugatti Veyron, with only a driver in the front. I don’t know if he was carrying a weapon or a gun, but the man in the car said his surname was Lu.”

Surname Lu? Meng E nudged her. "Yu Yu, it seems your sister Lu's older brother has come to our door."

Lu Shenghui? Qiao Yu's impression of this man was limited to the fact that he seemed to be Jiang Mei's rival in love. Just when Jiang Mei and Song Wanzi were about to get together, Song Wanzi was forced by her family to go on a blind date, and the other party was none other than Lu Shenghui, the head of the Lu family.

Because of this, the two female leads almost missed each other.

Qiao Yu felt relieved. After quickly tidying her clothes, she indeed saw the Bugatti Veyron not far from the school gate. The car window rolled down just as she walked over. To be honest, Lu Shenghui and Lu Shangyi were nothing alike. Lu Shangyi had delicate and deep features and a natural air of heroism, while Lu Shenghui had a bit of a feminine air, making him seem overly effeminate.

However, the only thing these two had in common was their deathly pale skin, which was terrifying even in broad daylight.

Lu Shenghui opened the car door, and Qiao Yu got in without hesitation. "You were looking for me?"

Lu Shenghui narrowed his eyes and stared at her intently, his gloomy gaze like a cold, venomous snake. Qiao Yu trembled slightly with nervousness, but then she heard Lu Shenghui speak in a hoarse voice, "Why didn't you call me just now?"

Qiao Yu looked bewildered. After thinking for a moment, she cautiously asked, "Then... how about you, brother?"

Lu Shenghui remained silent for a long time, ultimately refusing to accept this sudden addition of a younger sister. He tossed a check to Qiao Yu, arms crossed, and said leisurely, "Here's five million. Get out of my sister's sights immediately."

Qiao Yu stared at the flimsy check. Unbelievable, such a melodramatic plot could actually happen to her. Unmoved, she pushed the check back. Lu Shenghui's brow furrowed, his expression turning dangerous. "Don't want it?"

“No,” Qiao Yu shook her head, “it’s not enough.”

"A mere five million to appease a beggar? I've spent more than two million helping my classmate pursue a woman once."

To everyone's surprise, Lu Shenghui wasn't angry. Instead, his tone carried a hint of confusion as he asked, "What kind of woman is so wasteful?"

"..."

The air suddenly became awkward. Qiao Yu said expressionlessly, "Brother, read less of those domineering CEO novels in the future. If you're short on cash, don't try to bribe people with checks."

Lu Shenghui stared at her with a cold smile. His thin lips beneath his high, straight nose were indifferent and ruthless. He was, after all, a madman who struck fear into the hearts of many; his aura was far more frightening than that of a normal person. Qiao Yu's smile gradually faded. She straightened her back and held up her phone. "If I'm not back in the classroom within five minutes, I'll have my friend tell Sister Lu that you're trying to steal her woman."