Chapter 84

Qiao Yu had never seen such a ruthless woman. One second she was calling her "baby," and the next she was denying their blood relation.

Clutching her chest, tears streaming down her face, Qiao Yu said in utter despair, "Mom, I can't believe you could be so heartless as to abandon your own daughter." She became increasingly exaggerated as she spoke, "I believe you must have been so angry that you said such cruel things to me."

Mrs. Qiao looked at her calmly and serenely, first curving her red lips slightly, then chuckling softly, "You can give it a try."

"Try it and you'll die," Qiao Yu shook her head vehemently, rejecting the other party's suggestion.

Mrs. Qiao ignored her, carefully checked the suppression patch on her body again, and after confirming that there was nothing wrong, she took Qiao Jinghuai's arm and left. Qiao Yu stood there, stunned: "?"

"I think they're like those cowboys who've been drinking too much."

The system usually doesn't laugh unless it really can't help it. However, it only managed half a laugh before Qiao Yu glared at it, and it immediately suppressed its emotions and disappeared. Before leaving, it didn't forget to remind its host, "The scumbag is here."

When Qiao Yu turned around, she saw An Yilin, who appeared to have been dressed up again.

The banquet was already more than halfway through, yet he was impeccably dressed, and his face seemed even more alluring to young girls than when he first arrived.

An Yilin had his men keep a close eye on Qiao Yu for a while. Just as he and Qiao Junhao were enjoying their drinks, one of the men he had arranged suddenly ran over and whispered a few words in his ear. It took him a full three seconds to realize that this was the perfect opportunity he had been dreaming of.

He immediately made an excuse to slip away, and before he even got close, he saw Qiao Yu all alone. She was slender and simply dressed in an evening gown that perfectly accentuated her beautiful neck and shoulder lines. Even when she was sitting quietly and motionless, a hint of charm emanated from her hair.

Such a woman, half innocent and half mature, is even more captivating.

Especially after a few rounds of drinks, when one's thinking and reaction abilities are somewhat dulled and one is acting solely on instinct, such undisguised temptation becomes even more deadly.

An Yilin took a deep breath and straightened his back, trying his best to present himself in the best possible light to his prey. He approached with a gentlemanly gesture, forcing a smile he had practiced countless times in front of the mirror until it was perfect. His voice was husky and magnetic, carrying a deep affection that didn't match his appearance. "Why are you alone?"

He took a step closer, blocking most of the other restless gazes around him. "Aren't you afraid to be alone?"

Without giving Qiao Yu a chance to speak, he finished speaking, "It's okay if you're afraid, I'll be with you."

Qiao Yu stared at him with a complicated expression, but An Yilin felt that she must be touched by his gentlemanly manners and thoughtfulness. His smile deepened, and An Yilin pressed his advantage, "There are too many people here, how about we go for a walk outside?"

As for what might happen in sparsely populated areas, that was already part of An Yilin's plan.

Qiao Yu, of course, wouldn't move easily. She smiled and gazed into the other person's affectionate eyes, and said slowly, "It's too cold outside, you'll catch a cold."

An Yilin was stunned for a moment before he realized what had happened. He slapped his forehead in annoyance and immediately took off his suit jacket. "It was my oversight." He was anxious to put the jacket on Qiao Yu, but just as the jacket was about to touch her, a long, beautiful, fair-skinned hand, like a work of art, suddenly reached out and ripped his suit jacket open.

An Yilin's temper wasn't usually bad, but under the influence of alcohol, he suddenly flew into a rage and turned to argue with the other person, "You have..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the last two words caught in his throat when he saw Ye Yunjian's cold expression and couldn't be uttered.

Ye Yunjian threw the suit jacket in his hand to the ground without any hesitation. Afterwards, he didn't forget to pick up a clean, damp towel from the waiter's tray and carefully wiped his hands clean before slowly raising his eyes to look at the man who was a little shorter than him. "What is it?"

An Yilin couldn't discern any particular emotion from her, but the more he saw her like this, the more frightened he became.

An Yilin's face paled instantly, and she didn't even dare to look the other person in the eye. She could only subconsciously stammer, "N-nothing."

After saying that, he lifted his two frozen legs and ran away, not even caring about Qiao Yu.

Ye Yunjian stared indifferently at his fleeing figure, the curve of her lips hardening. After a moment, she suddenly narrowed her eyes, feeling that the other person's back looked somewhat familiar, but before she could grasp that fleeting inspiration, An Yilin disappeared into the crowd.

With a hint of regret, Ye Yunjian turned her gaze away and waved to someone in the distance. Immediately, someone ran over. She leaned down and whispered a few instructions in the person's ear. The person nodded and quickly retreated, disappearing into the crowd.

After all the unimportant people had left, Ye Yunjian looked back and said, "I take things from all sorts of people, and I'm not afraid of them being unclean."

Her sharp gaze swept over Qiao Yu, finally lingering as she approached, clutching the damp towel in her hand, her tone carrying a dangerous undertone: "Where did he touch you just now?"

Qiao Yu immediately perked up and quickly shook her head, "No, he didn't touch me."

She was met with a suspicious gaze from Ye Yunjian. Qiao Yu inwardly cried out her innocence and quickly raised her hands, "I swear, if I'm lying, may I be struck by lightning!"

Just then, a bolt of lightning struck the sky, and the bright light illuminated Qiao Yu's sincere face.

Ye Yunjian raised an eyebrow with a half-smile, his expression conveying a sense of "I'll just quietly watch you spout nonsense."

Qiao Yu: "..." She was truly wronged!

Why is it that no one believes the truth anymore?

She swallowed hard and said sincerely, "There must have been other men making the same oath just now, and we just happened to be at the same time."

Ye Yunjian was too lazy to speak and approached her directly. Qiao Yu trembled all over and quickly lowered her hand that was raised to swear, pleading in a soft voice, "Aunt Ye, I..." She had just started to speak when she saw Ye Yunjian grab her wrist and carefully and gently wipe her hand.

Qiao Yu stared at her in astonishment, while Ye Yunjian lowered her eyes with a half-smile, "What? What do you think I want to do?"

"No." Qiao Yu blinked and shook her head. However, just as she relaxed her guard, she felt a slight pain in her fingertip and instinctively cried out. When she looked up, Ye Yunjian smiled and lowered his head, "I didn't use any force."

"..." Indeed, you shouldn't mess with cunning women.

An Yilin glanced back a few times with lingering fear. The woman who once terrified him now had a gentle face. Where was the bloodthirsty, ruthless woman from back then? This woman seemed like a complete stranger to him, as if he were meeting her for the first time.

An Yilin unconsciously pursed her lips into a straight line, and took a deep breath to barely suppress the fear in her heart.

Just as he relaxed, Ye Yunjian suddenly glanced into the crowd, and An Yilin's heart, which had just settled, jumped again. He quickly held his breath and, using the crowd as cover, hurriedly left the second floor.

Only when he had completely escaped far away and could no longer see Ye Yunjian's figure did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Ye Yunjian stared innocently at An Yilin's back on the fourth floor, a faint smile on his lips, revealing nothing of his true thoughts.

Qiao Yu glanced thoughtfully in the direction of Ye Yunjian's gaze, but before she could finish her thought, Ye Yunjian moved, quickly interrupting her. Casually tossing the damp towel aside, Ye Yunjian remained motionless, his eyes fixed intently on Qiao Yu's.

Those black pupils were like an unfathomable ancient well, calm and still, yet unexpectedly unsettling.

A moment later, the imposing aura in Ye Yunjian's eyes vanished completely, replaced by the gentle and approachable demeanor of an elder. "Take a break these few days?"

Qiao Yu thought for a moment. Apart from reading and keeping an eye on the Lu family's activities, she really didn't have anything else to do, so she nodded and said, "Okay."

"That's perfect." Ye Yunjian raised his hand to smooth the stray hairs beside his cheek. "Come with me to a charity gala tomorrow night."

As Qiao Yu hesitated, Ye Yunjian tilted her head and said, "Song Wanzi should be going too." She smiled slightly, "You're not agreeing... could it be that you already agreed to her before I did?" After a pause, she pressed on, "Or are you planning to refuse me and go with her instead?"

"...Of course not!"

"No way!" Qiao Yu's eyelids twitched uncontrollably twice. "This is the first time I've heard of a charity gala tomorrow."

Fearing Ye Yunjian might say something else, she quickly nodded in agreement, "Then I'll come to see you tomorrow night?"

"No need, I'll come to your house to pick you up." Ye Yunjian was finally satisfied. "I'll have someone deliver the dress to you in the morning, and I'll be there promptly at six o'clock tonight."

After the two made their appointment, Ye Yunjian's mood improved considerably. She somehow managed to slip two candies into her purse, and seeing Qiao Yu's good behavior, she generously gave them all to her, saying, "Try them, they taste pretty good."

Qiao Yu reached out and took it. Ye Yunjian stared at it for a while, then suddenly said out of the blue, "You don't need to worry about her."

Qiao Yu looked up blankly. Ye Yunjian casually toyed with the slender wine glass in his hand. "After all that has happened, she might be the one who benefits in the end." Smiling, he lowered his head and said softly, "She's not as fragile as you think."

She immediately realized that the other person was talking about Lu Shangyi. A subtle feeling washed over her; Qiao Yu knew the other person was trying to comfort her, but…

Unable to suppress a laugh, Ye Yunjian stared at her with a puzzled look.

Trying to calm herself down, Qiao Yu's mood improved. "I know. Sister Lu and Aunt Ye are both gentle and strong people."

Ye Yunjian's gaze softened for a moment, and she stared silently at the smiling girl for a long time without speaking. Just when Qiao Yu thought she wouldn't continue the topic, the woman beside her seemed to sigh, "I'm not gentle."

Qiao Yu blinked, but Ye Yunjian didn't want to continue the topic. He casually chatted about other random things and shifted the focus away from the subject.

Lu Shangyi had been gone for almost an hour. During that time, Qiao Yu sent her several messages, but she hadn't replied at all, seemingly preoccupied with something else. Qiao Yu, unwilling to give up, sent several more messages to Jiang Mei, but Jiang Mei, like Lu Shangyi, seemed to have accidentally lost her phone and remained silent.

Pinching her brow, Qiao Yu sat on a high stool, resting her chin on her hand, looking a little anxious.

The news online was making headlines. Besides Lu Shenghui, the person most affected and discussed the most was Lu Shangyi, followed by Jiang Mei. Some netizens never hesitated to speculate about others with the worst possible malice, and Qiao Yu grew angry as she read on.

With a stiff expression, she spent a fortune to delete all online information related to Lu Shangyi and Jiang Mei. To prevent the two from being hurt by online gossip afterward, she even reluctantly spent a huge sum of money to have major platforms restrict the appearance of their names.

Anyone else who wants to continue the discussion will be restricted from speaking, whether by using initials or separators.

Although she knew that doing so would cause even more heated discussions, Qiao Yu didn't care.

Everything has its good and bad sides. All she needs to do is try her best to protect the people she cares about from getting hurt.

Song Wanzi and Lu Shangyi had always had a good relationship, and Lu Shangyi had helped her a lot over the years. So, the first thing she did after the incident was to have her agent find a way to reduce the amount of attention related to Lu Shangyi. This could involve spending money to remove headlines or hiring online trolls to confuse the public, in any case, ensuring that Lu Shangyi was not attacked.

However, before they could finish speaking, the agent hurriedly replied, "Wanzi, someone has already taken the lead in doing these things."

Song Wanzi raised an eyebrow after hearing this, initially not paying much attention, "Uncle Lu, Aunt Lu?"

However, the agent denied it outright, saying, "No, it seems the Lu family has no intention of making a move. I heard from my friend that the Lu family hasn't made a single move. Since they went home, the Lu family's doors have been tightly closed, as if they've resigned themselves to their fate."

Song Wanzi frowned slightly; this was not like Lu Yi's style.

After a moment of contemplation, he thought, "Who was ahead of us?"

The agent hesitated slightly, and after Song Wanzi asked again, she stammered, "It's Miss Qiao."

After saying that, she immediately explained, "It must have been Mrs. Qiao who asked Miss Qiao to do this, right? After all, Mrs. Qiao and Miss Lu had a fairly pleasant working relationship before, and they still have collaborative projects. If something happens to Miss Lu, Mrs. Qiao's work will also be affected..."

Song Wanzi remained silent, while her manager became increasingly hesitant to speak, eventually unable to continue.

After a deathly silence, the manager nervously swallowed. "Wanzi, are you still listening?"

"Yes." Song Wanzi's voice came softly from the phone. "I understand. You can go ahead and do your work. That's all."

She ended the call after speaking. The manager held the phone, feeling uneasy and worried. Her artist had only been romantically linked to two people in all her years in the industry: Qiao Yu and Jiang Mei. But now, one of them had just encountered trouble in her family, and the other was immediately spending money at all costs to smooth things over.

What should we do?

Will Wanzi's two rumored boyfriends eventually get together happily with her, without getting involved with her?

The agent sat down on the sofa, her mind racing. The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. While her artist was often mocked by rivals and haters for being single for so long, those were minor issues. Nothing was as hurtful as this.

Qiao Yu sneezed violently, sniffed, and looked around suspiciously.

Which adorable person who loves someone but can't have them is missing her?

However, after looking around, she didn't see any suitors. Instead, she heard the faint whispers of the wealthy ladies around her: "My nanny said that she heard from her friend who works as a nanny at the Wang family next to the Lu family that the police have arrived at the Lu family's place."

"Wow, I heard they sent a whole three carloads of people."

"Is this really that outrageous? That doesn't make sense. Lu Yi is so concerned about his reputation, how could he allow someone to take his son away?"

"I don't know the details, but Lu Shenghui definitely got into the police car. I think, given Lu Yi's personality, he's probably just putting on a show for us and the public, pretending to submit to the law to reduce the attention on the matter, and then quietly using his connections to get Lu Shenghui out once everyone has forgotten about it."

"Then Lu Shenghui will have to stay inside for several months, right? During those months, who will handle the company's affairs in Lu Shenghui's place?"

"Who else could it be? Lu Shangyi, of course."

"Besides Lu Shangyi, who else in the Lu family can take her place?"

Qiao Yu was overjoyed and felt much more relaxed. With Lu Shangyi's intelligence and skills, she was sure she could handle this small situation. The current situation was favorable to her. Even if a small number of people recommended Jiang Mei, Jiang Mei and Lu Shangyi had a good relationship, and the aunt and niece would not become enemies.

Even if Lu Shangyi ultimately gives up such a good opportunity and chooses to support Jiang Mei instead, Qiao Yu will support all of Lu Shangyi's decisions.

I just don't know what the aunt and niece are thinking now.

After a brief period of liveliness, the Lu family home fell silent again. Lu Shangyi and the rest of the Lu family stood at the door watching Lu Shenghui being escorted into the police car, their expressions revealing a hint of worry and concern. However, even this did not bring Lu Yi any joy.

Seeing his son leave in the police car, Lu Yi was both angry and furious, wishing that anyone present would be arrested in Lu Shenghui's place.

Thinking that getting him out might not be easy, he was upset and his attitude towards the three women was also unfriendly. He stormed off, and Madam Lu gave her daughter and Jiang Mei a reassuring look before quickly chasing after him.

Jiang Mei watched Madam Lu's retreating figure for a moment and then said, "Aunt, I think my current task is to prepare seriously for the college entrance examination."

She had spent quite a while in the Lu family, so she knew almost everything she should and shouldn't know. She knew what people outside were saying about her and Lu Shangyi, but Lu Shangyi treated her very well. She didn't want to compete, nor would she. She had no interest in those things.

Lu Shangyi turned around, her eyes showing no emotion.

Meeting the other person's calm gaze for a moment, Jiang Mei mustered her courage and spoke boldly, "...but there is something I want to ask of my aunt."

"I would like to ask my aunt to help me go to Yuyu's house to act as a matchmaker."

“I like Yuyu, and I want to get engaged to her.”

Author's Note: