Chapter 83

In the end, Meng'e didn't say much, only giving Qiao Yu a look that said, "Good luck to you."

Qiao Yu, rubbing her chin, watched as Tang Shu forcefully pulled her away, realizing she knew far too little about her classmate. Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a soft sigh. Turning her head, she heard the system speak at the opportune moment, "I think I see your future, host."

"...Are you implying that I will become a superior person in the future?" Qiao Yu asked.

The system stared at her with a complicated expression. "No, I'm telling you that birds of a feather flock together. Sooner or later, you'll be just like Tang Shu, completely controlled by your aunties and older sisters."

Qiao Yu shrugged indifferently, "Isn't that normal?"

It would be a miracle if my older sisters and aunts let me ride on their heads and cause trouble.

The system was speechless. After a moment of silence, it changed the subject, "There are so many people today."

There were indeed many, densely packed, a sea of ​​well-dressed elites and exquisitely beautiful women with various styles and heavy makeup, dazzling the eyes and making it impossible to concentrate on anything else. However, some rational people could resist such a fatal temptation and devote themselves wholeheartedly to their work.

For example, Lu Shangyi.

Qiao Yu encountered Lu Shangyi several times, but no matter when she saw her, Lu Shangyi was always elegant and dignified, either speaking eloquently in front of a crowd or listening attentively to her opinions. She always wore a polite and courteous smile, and although she still had a distant air about her, she still unconsciously made people feel a little goodwill towards her.

Such goodwill may be faint, but it is enough to make her seem harmless and to make people take her for granted.

Qiao Yu couldn't help but glance at him a couple more times. Lu Shangyi noticed her gaze and gently turned his head to look at her. The woman's long hair was meticulously styled, combed neatly, yet its texture was black, smooth, and shiny, giving off an air of abstinence and unapproachability.

But her gentle smile added an extra touch of tenderness, making her irresistibly beautiful and captivating.

Have you seen enough?

A emotionless voice suddenly sounded behind her. Qiao Yu turned around reflexively and found only Lu Shenghui. To her future brother-in-law, Qiao Yu naturally smiled amiably and said, "No."

"Your sister is so beautiful and stunning, how could I ever get enough of looking at her?"

Perhaps because the relationship between the two siblings had never been good, Qiao Yu flirted with Lu Shangyi in front of Lu Shenghui without the man's expression changing in the slightest. Qiao Yu even saw a hint of understanding in his eyes, as if he had confirmed her not-so-good reputation.

"..."

Lu Shenghui was too lazy to bother with such trivial matters. Thinking of An Yilin's recent overtures, he put his hands in his pockets and looked down at Qiao Yu with a condescending attitude, "You did a good job last time."

Last time? Qiao Yu thought about it carefully before realizing he was referring to the dinner she had with An Yilin that day. She smiled sheepishly and shamelessly said, "We're practically family, why are you being so polite with me?"

Seeing the slight confusion on Lu Shenghui's face, Qiao Yu cleared her throat, "Anyway, we'll all be family from now on, so why distinguish between you and me?"

"From now on, brother-in-law, your affairs are my affairs. Just give the order, and I will go through fire and water for you!"

She kept calling him "brother-in-law," which made Lu Shenghui's face turn black. A wealthy lady who happened to be passing by cast a surprised glance at her, but after a brief moment of astonishment, she quickly left as if she had discovered a new continent, obviously eager to share this earth-shattering secret with her good friend.

A lot has happened at the company recently, and Lu Shenghui has changed his mind. He doesn't want Lu Shangyi to have anything to do with the Qiao family anymore. But this is just his plan, and he can't openly explain it to Qiao Yu. So, faced with her unreasonable and presumptuous behavior, he can only tell himself: endure.

Controlling his expression, Lu Shenghui casually replied, "Keep it up."

He raised his chin and gestured in Lu Shangyi's direction, then looked down at Qiao Yu, "Why don't you go and keep her company?"

"My sister is very busy, and I'm afraid I'll disturb her if I go over." Qiao Yu blinked and asked innocently, "Isn't Sister Lu currently discussing the Lu family's business with someone? Wouldn't it be inappropriate for an outsider like me to go over?"

That's true. Lu Shenghui fell silent, then weighed the pros and cons, "Go over and serve her some tea and water, it won't take up much time."

Since her brother-in-law had spoken personally, how could Qiao Yu dare to disobey? She took a cup of water and walked over to Lu Shangyi. Amidst the astonished gazes of the others, Qiao Yu obediently handed the hot water to Lu Shangyi. If Lu Shangyi hadn't reached out and taken it, Qiao Yu would have wanted to feed her a couple of sips herself.

However, her obedience clearly did not please the woman; instead, it drew suspicious glances.

Qiao Yu felt a sudden pang of heartache. "It's so hard to be a good person these days."

System: ...Are you sure it's not because you have too many criminal records? That makes the older sister not believe you have any innocent intentions at all?

However, Lu Shangyi only expressed her emotions with her eyes. "Wait for me here, I'll be done soon." The woman elegantly held her water glass, her tone natural, yet unintentionally revealing a hint of intimacy. "I'll come find you after I'm done."

Seeing this, the bystanders immediately tried to leave, but Qiao Yu was even faster, not giving them a chance to say goodbye at all.

Lu Shangyi smiled at the group, a slightly apologetic expression on her face, "I'm sorry."

"No, no, no, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." The group quickly shook their heads in denial, unconsciously glancing at Qiao Yu a few more times, their eyes full of curiosity and inquiry. Taking everything in, Lu Shangyi made no move, only asking, "So, is the Lincheng project decided on this for now?"

"I have no objection."

"Ms. Lu's proposal is the most reasonable and perfect one I have ever seen, and I have no objections."

After receiving unanimous affirmative answers, Lu Shangyi smiled and extended her hand, "Then it will be a pleasure to cooperate with you."

Qiao Yu watched as the woman calmly saw the group off, straightened her clothes slightly, and then turned to her, saying, "Come here."

She gently raised her hand, and Qiao Yu immediately stood up and walked quickly towards her, looking up at her with her head tilted back, "Sister?"

The girl had fair skin, and her two dark eyes were exceptionally clear on her snow-white face. Every part of her exuded trust and dependence. This realization improved Lu Shangyi's mood somewhat, but, "I'll stay away from him in the future."

Although she didn't know who Lu Shangyi was referring to as "ta," it was always better to nod in agreement first.

She was being very earnest in her perfunctory response, but Lu Shangyi knew her too well and saw right through her. After a moment's hesitation, Lu Shangyi changed her mind. Qiao Yu saw her take out her phone and quickly swipe across the screen with her slender fingers, as if giving some kind of instruction.

Qiao Yu couldn't figure out Lu Shangyi's plans, so she stayed quietly beside her without disturbing her.

During this time, Lu Shangyi didn't reveal anything, and Qiao Yu assumed that what she had just given was just some ordinary order, so she didn't take it to heart. Little did she know that just before the banquet was about to officially begin that evening, a slight commotion arose from the crowd in the distance.

Qiao Yu craned her neck. She wasn't very tall, so most of her view was blocked. However, she heard from the people next to her that something seemed to have happened to the Lu family, and it had even made the news.

Qiao Yu quickly focused her attention and listened, "Lu Shenghui is usually so arrogant, I've disliked him for a long time. He deserves what he got for his own actions."

"That's right. It's one thing to bully others by relying on one's power, but to even dare to cross the line of the law." The man said gloatingly, "This time he can't easily escape the punishment of the law, right? No matter how powerful the Lu family is, Lu Shenghui will be severely injured if he doesn't die this time."

"Sigh! So what if Lu Shenghui is in trouble? There's still Lu Shangyi, isn't there?"

"Lu Shangyi? You mean that delicate, sickly EGA?" Someone scoffed, their tone full of disdain. "Since when has EGA been able to handle things on her own? She should just go home and rest."

Qiao Yu subconsciously looked at Lu Shangyi beside her, but the other party's expression did not change at all, as if she was not the one who had just been talked about.

The conversation continued: "And I think Lu Shenghui's illegitimate daughter is quite remarkable. Although she's still young, she's only been back in the Lu family for a short time, yet her demeanor has changed dramatically. When I saw her today, I almost didn't recognize her."

"No matter how much she changes, she's still just a high school student. How could she possibly compete with Lu Shangyi? Even if Lu Shangyi is weak now, she was once a universally recognized genius. Compared to her, Jiang Mei's foundation is still too weak."

Of course, there were also those with ill intentions: "The Lu family is finally going to be in chaos."

If the Lu family falls into chaos, they will have an opportunity to take advantage of it.

Qiao Yu knew this would happen sooner or later, but what was wrong with Lu Shenghui? He was perfectly fine just now.

She took out her phone to search, but Lu Shangyi reached out and gently pressed her screen. "I'm going back first." Her deep eyes held a hint of assertiveness. "Go back to your parents and don't wander off."

The banquet was a mixed bag, and she was really worried. Although Bai Yiyu and Ye Yunjian would help keep an eye on things, handing Qiao Yu over to those people would be like throwing a lamb to the slaughter, with absolutely no safety.

The child she longs for might belong to someone else someday.

Qiao Yu hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "Then Jiang Mei will also leave with you?"

"What, you're reluctant to part with me?" Lu Shangyi lowered her eyes, her delicate eyelashes trembling slightly, which, combined with her perfectly applied eye makeup, made her appear exceptionally cold. She quickly shook her head like a rattle-drum, denying it outright, "I'm worried that you'll be lonely on your way back, sister."

Lu Shangyi gave her a deep look, her expression a mixture of amusement and unease. "Is that so?"

"Of course."

Lu Shenghui's incident happened so suddenly that not only did Lu Shenghui, Lu Shangyi, and Jiang Mei leave one after another, but even Old Master Lu and Madam Lu took their leave. Fortunately, Old Master Zhao expressed his understanding and did not hold it against them. He even expressed his concern and comfort, although it did not have much effect.

The news arrived with a bang, giving no one any time to prepare. In just half an hour, Lu Shenghui's story had dominated the headlines of all social media platforms. Radio stations, broadcasting stations, and various forums spread the word extremely quickly, and even spending money couldn't suppress it.

The atmosphere at the Lu family home was extremely tense. Everyone sat at the dining table in silence, making the already low-pressure atmosphere even more suffocating.

After a deathly silence, Lu Yi suddenly threw his teacup at Lu Shenghui, spilling tea onto Lu Shenghui's expensive suit fabric. His sudden action startled everyone. Jiang Mei instinctively turned her head, but instead of looking at Lu Shenghui, she looked at Lu Shangyi.

Lu Yi was furious. "Look at the mess you've made!"

"I've warned you to tone it down before, but you didn't listen, and look what happened?!" His voice rose higher and higher. "What will people think of the Lu family now? What will they think of Lu Yi?!"

"I, Lu Yi, am an upright and honest man, and have lived a life of integrity. Now, in my old age, I have raised such a son?!"

Seeing that he was about to grab another teacup, Madam Lu quickly stopped him, "Calm down first. Getting angry now won't help. The most important thing right now is to think of a way to minimize the losses."

"What other options are there? Is there any other way besides arresting him?"

Madam Lu fell silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "Anyway, he'll only be locked up for a few years before being released. Once this matter has died down, we can secretly work on it and rescue Sheng Hui when no one is paying attention."

Seeing the man glare at her, Madam Lu remained calm. "What else can we do?"

If things hadn't escalated, they would have had many options. But now that almost the entire country knows, if they resort to force to rescue people, it will inevitably attract even more attention. And if the higher-ups notice, things will become even more complicated.

Lu Yi remained silent for a moment, presumably because he couldn't think of a better solution at the moment.

The table fell silent again. Lu Shenghui slowly wiped the water off his suit and asked the most crucial question: "How did outsiders find out about what I did?"

As he spoke, his gaze visibly swept towards Lu Shangyi, the implication clear. He didn't try to hide his movement, and Lu Yi followed suit, frowning, clearly suspicious.

"It was a reporter's account that broke the news." Jiang Mei said softly, holding her phone. "This reporter has a lot of followers, and he often exposes the affairs of rich young masters and heiresses to uphold justice for ordinary people, so his traffic has always been very high."

Jiang Mei calmly said, "This time, it was because the submitter deliberately added the father's name to the exposé that it attracted the reporter's attention."

Jiang Mei placed her phone in the center of the table, struggling to control her trembling fingers and trying to appear calm. Lu Yi and Lu Shenghui stared intently at her. She instinctively held her breath until, after about ten seconds, Lu Shenghui finally looked away and took the phone from the table.

Lu Yi then shifted his gaze, "Is that so?"

Lu Shenghui's expression remained unchanged; he simply said, "It's just a personal grudge."

Was it necessary to escalate this much of a personal grudge? Lu Yi clearly didn't believe it, but Lu Shenghui had no intention of explaining. He inhaled and exhaled, ultimately unable to do anything about the other party. "Come with me."

The father and son quickly left the restaurant. Jiang Mei turned her head and said, "Auntie."

Lu Shangyi nodded slightly, "Go back to your room and rest first, then come down for dinner."

Qiao Yu stared at her phone for a long time before finally understanding what had happened. She reached for a handful of sunflower seeds from her friend, but before she could even open her mouth to crack them open, she immediately received a disapproving look from Mrs. Qiao. Silently putting the sunflower seeds back, Qiao Yu chuckled awkwardly twice and picked up her phone again to play.

Mrs. Qiao finally looked away from her, but her beautiful brows furrowed slightly, as if she was seriously thinking about something.

Lu Shenghui's affair came too suddenly and was too suspicious; she couldn't believe there wasn't a mastermind behind it. But who could it be? An outsider? Or someone from the Lu family? Over the years, Lu Shenghui had made many enemies, a wide-ranging group, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact person in a short time.

However, this did not prevent her from thinking about the future of the Lu family.

After this incident, Lu Shenghui is definitely no longer able to hold his current position. Therefore, the crucial question becomes whether Lu Yi or Lu Shangyi will take over after he steps down.

As for Lu Shenghui's daughter, who was still in her final year of high school, Mrs. Qiao didn't even consider her.

She might become very powerful in the future, but right now, various parties are eyeing the Lu family covetously. If we rashly push a young woman who has just come of age into power, let alone the board of directors, it would be difficult to persuade even ordinary people. But it's unrealistic to let Lu Yi go back. Not only has he officially announced his abdication, but even if he wanted to go back, those shrewd people wouldn't agree.

Therefore, there is only one option now.

Replace Lu Shenghui with Lu Shangyi.

Lu Shangyi is just a non-threatening EVA, and those shrewd people would probably be happy to control a puppet.

Mrs. Qiao couldn't even imagine how much personal benefit such an excellent and obedient puppet could bring them.

Madam Qiao pinched the bridge of her nose with her finger and closed her eyes briefly. After all, things weren't settled yet. Uncertainties could change at any time, and strictly speaking, what the Lu family would ultimately become was not really their concern.

Even if Lu Shangyi eventually takes over Lu Shenghui's position, the Qiao family will continue as before and will not be affected in the slightest.

Just as Mrs. Qiao had composed herself, she heard her daughter cheerfully ask, "Mom, do you want to help your future daughter-in-law?"

Mrs. Qiao turned her head expressionlessly: "When did I have a daughter?"

Qiao Yu: "?"

Author's Note: Mrs. Qiao: She decided to become childless on the spot.