Chapter 96

Qiao Yu was inexplicably labeled an alpha, and no amount of explanation could change her mind.

Now, whenever she opens her mouth, her classmates stare at her silently, their faces practically screaming "You scumbag!"

Qiao Yu felt like her reputation had been ruined. She never dreamed that after Lu Shangyi revealed his identity, the first person to be affected would be her, an ordinary, weak, and innocent high school girl.

After nearly causing the teaching building to collapse from crying, Lu Shangyi finally made a comforting phone call, saying, "I'm sorry."

The woman's cool voice carried a slight smile, "I didn't intend to involve you."

The other person clearly wanted to laugh, but held it in to protect their own feelings. Despite the other person's thoughtfulness, Qiao Yu felt even more wronged and, in a fit of grief, cried out, "Sister, you have to take responsibility!"

She had prepared herself for Lu Shangyi to politely decline, but to her surprise, his voice came through the phone without hesitation: "Okay."

"Wait until your exam is over."

Qiao Yu was stunned for a moment, her subconscious telling her that the responsibility Lu Shangyi had promised might go beyond this. But before she could ask any more questions, a slight noise came from the phone, and then Lu Shangyi ended the call apologetically.

Qiao Yu held her phone, her thoughts drifting involuntarily.

Before her thoughts could even wander, the homeroom teacher strode in. The students who had gathered together quickly returned to their seats and sat obediently. Qiao Yu looked up and heard the homeroom teacher speak solemnly and earnestly: "There are only two weeks left until the college entrance examination. You must not relax in these last ten days or so, understand?"

After a somewhat somber lecture, the homeroom teacher changed the subject, saying, "However, don't put too much pressure on yourselves. A balance between work and rest, and taking a break appropriately, is more conducive to learning."

With the college entrance examination drawing ever closer, the entire senior year of high school was shrouded in an atmosphere of oppression and tension. Even so, Lu Shangyi's affair still caused a huge uproar in various schools, leaving principals and teachers both eager to hear the gossip and worried.

Humans are inherently gossipy creatures. With such a big event happening in the capital, who could remain indifferent?

However, with the senior high school students about to take their exams, they were worried that the students' study habits would be affected, and so in the end, things naturally turned into teachers and students nervously gossiping together, occasionally exchanging the latest news to avoid falling behind.

It's not that they lack willpower and can't resist temptation; it's just that the Lu family has been experiencing one unexpected event after another recently, more unpredictable than a TV drama.

Lu Shenghui's appearance wasn't a secret; those with inside information knew about it that very day, and even those who didn't usually pay attention to such things heard the news over the next two or three days. Everyone expected a fierce, life-or-death struggle within the Lu family, but surprisingly, after Lu Shenghui's brief appearance at the Lu family's company, he wasn't seen again for several days.

The man seemed to have suffered immense torment inside and was determined to rest and recuperate at home.

The scene everyone was expecting—Lu Shenghui swiftly seizing back power in the company—did not happen, leaving everyone with many doubts behind the scenes.

Today, Lu Shangyi finally left the company, and the eyes of the entire capital city instantly focused on her, following her all the way until she stepped into the Lu family's gate. The heavy iron gate slowly closed, completely cutting off all news and movement, preventing even the slightest leak from getting out.

Qiao Yu looked up from her sea of ​​questions and met Meng E's gaze as Meng E adjusted her glasses. "I hope she's alright?"

Qiao Yu frowned, then quickly relaxed her grip. "Don't worry, it won't happen."

She spoke with certainty, and Meng'e paused for a moment before replying, "Yes."

Despite her words, Qiao Yu was still somewhat worried. Lu Shangyi was all alone; in this huge house, only Madam Lu would protect her and stand by her side. But Madam Lu's voice held little weight in front of Lu Yi, and besides, Lu Shenghui, that madman, was utterly unpredictable. What if something suddenly went wrong…?

Stopping her thoughts abruptly, Qiao Yu stared at the test paper and suddenly lost the will to do more practice questions.

"System." Qiao Yu called softly, and after the system responded, she put down her pen. "Keep a close eye on Sister Lu's situation. Tell me immediately if anything seems amiss."

System: "..." I treated you as my host, and you treated me as a monitor.

Lu Shenghui sat on the leather sofa in the living room. Hearing the approaching sound of high heels, the man lazily flipped through the newspaper in his hand without looking up. Lu Shangyi didn't seem to care either, and sat down on the only empty single sofa with a normal expression. "Father."

Lu Yi's face was tense, and his expression was very displeased. "Shang Yi, your brother is back."

"Yes." Lu Shangyi nodded. "I know."

The other person was momentarily speechless. How could someone as clever as Lu Shangyi not understand her implication? She was clearly playing dumb with her!

His tone became sterner, and Lu Yi, relying on his status and position, didn't mince words with his daughter. "Your brother is safe and sound now, so you should quickly hand over the company's affairs to him." He added, "Your health isn't good..."

He trailed off, then fell silent, before correcting himself a moment later, "Your brother has managed the company for so many years, he has far more experience than you, so..."

“I understand.” Lu Shangyi raised her head, her calm voice interrupting Lu Yi, “I will ask my brother for advice more often in the future.”

With a gentle smile playing on her lips, Lu Shangyi nodded to the other person, "Your daughter will heed your teachings, Father."

Lu Yi: "?" That's clearly not what he meant.

Speechless after Lu Shangyi's few words, Lu Yi suddenly erupted in anger after a moment of silence in the living room. He stood up from the sofa, pointed at Lu Shangyi, and said in a harsh tone, "There is a proper order of seniority. Your brother is the elder. Do you intend to disobey your elder brother and take what rightfully belongs to him?!"

The atmosphere instantly became extremely tense, like an arrow shot from a bow.

Seeing this, Madam Lu quickly stood up to smooth things over, "Don't be angry, Shang Yi didn't mean that."

“But now everyone is eyeing Shang Yi and our family covetously. If we make any rash changes, others might take advantage of the situation to attack us and ruin all your hard work over the years.” Madam Lu gave her daughter a wink, and Lu Shang Yi nodded. “That’s exactly what I mean.”

"Besides, my brother has worked hard for many years, and I want him to take this opportunity to rest for a while." Her expression was so serious that Lu Yi almost believed her.

The two spoke earnestly, one sentence after another, while Lu Shenghui, who had remained silent, couldn't help but chuckle softly. He stared intently at Lu Shangyi, trying to discern any unusual expression on her face, but to no avail. She remained emotionless, her expression calm and gentle, as if she cared nothing for worldly matters.

But the facts are clearly not like that.

Lu Shenghui lazily tossed the newspaper aside, "You've been working hard for months too."

"I heard you haven't had much rest these past few months." Lu Shenghui stared intently at Lu Shangyi. "As your older brother, how can I bear to see you overworked like this?"

"Shang Yi needs to rest," Lu Yi said, his tone very firm. "That's it. Tomorrow, Shang Yi, you and Sheng Hui will go to the company to hand over everything that needs to be handed over. I'll go with you to the company tomorrow to keep an eye on you personally, so that no one else will gossip or spread rumors."

Madam Lu couldn't help but look at her husband, Lu Yi, whose expression was resolute, clearly indicating that there was no room for negotiation.

She couldn't help but look at her daughter again. Her daughter remained calm and composed, just like that night years ago when she was covered in blood after a car accident. Even though she was almost unconscious, she still forced herself to stay conscious and calmly reassure herself that it was okay.

Madam Lu lowered her head slightly and clenched her fists tightly.

A moment later, the three heard her speak, "Then I'll go with you tomorrow too." With a smile, Madam Lu said in a relaxed tone, "Shang Yi has been too tired these days. After this is over, we can take her out to relax for a few days."

After saying that, she took her husband's arm and said, "The two siblings probably still have something to say. Let's go upstairs first."

Lu Yi remained noncommittal, obediently letting his wife lead him away.

As they ascended the steps, Madam Lu suddenly slipped. Startled, she instinctively grabbed the person next to her. Lu Yi felt a sudden, unexpected force strike him, as if he had been hit hard by a stone. He instantly lost his balance and fell backward.

After a dizzying sensation, the expected pain did not come, and Lu Yi breathed a sigh of relief before losing consciousness.

Madam Lu screamed, and the entire Lu family was thrown into chaos.

The ambulance arrived quickly and carried the unconscious, blood-covered Lu Yi inside. Lu Shangyi wanted to follow, but was stopped by a stern look from Madam Lu. The next second, Madam Lu grabbed her son's hand, sobbing, "Shenghui, will your father be alright?"

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault for not pulling him back in time."

His mother, her face streaked with tears, was filled with self-reproach. Lu Shenghui was upset and wanted to back away, but he couldn't shake off her hand. He could only be forced to get into the ambulance with her, and with a dark face, he comforted her, "Dad will be alright."

Just before the car door closed, Lu Shenghui saw that Lu Shangyi's face was expressionless, devoid of joy or sorrow, completely calm.

Lu Yi's fall was a big deal, and the system immediately reported the news to Qiao Yu without hesitation: "Host, your future father-in-law has fallen and been hospitalized."

Qiao Yu: "???"

How did you fall?

"He slipped while going up the stairs," the system said. "He's unconscious and looks like he's had a bad fall, but they've already called an ambulance, so he should be taken to the hospital soon."

Not long after that sentence was spoken, the system reported again: "But now there is a sudden traffic jam, and the ambulance cannot leave."

The road had been clear all along, and Lu Shenghui, already annoyed, was now on the verge of losing his temper. Fortunately, the doctor noticed that his aura was off and quickly got out of the car to check on him. Two minutes later, the doctor returned and said, "There has been a car accident ahead. We need to wait for someone to come and clear the road and maintain order."

They waited for a full half hour.

Lu Shenghui stared at the unconscious Lu Yi, his face almost as black as the bottom of a pot.

Mrs. Lu silently wiped away her tears, "What will I do if something happens to your father?"

Ignoring his mother's words, Lu Shenghui's mind was preoccupied with the fact that Lu Yi's accident would greatly affect his ability to seize power. In his agitation, even his own mother's cries became irritating. It wasn't until the sounds stopped abruptly that Lu Shenghui looked up and saw the astonished look in her eyes. Only then did he realize that he had subconsciously shouted out what was on his mind.

The ambulance was so quiet it was almost suffocating. Lu Shenghui pursed his lips tightly, finding his father's fall incredibly strange.

Lu Yi has always been in good health, so why would he suddenly slip and fall?

Seeing the omega beside him with red, swollen eyes from crying, he could only suppress his doubts and ask, trying to control his anger, "When exactly can we get to the hospital?"

The doctors and nurses hesitated, unwilling to make any guarantees. Left with no other option, Lu Shenghui used his phone to contact his connections and had people come to clear the road. This delay meant that almost an hour passed before they arrived at the hospital.

Although he survived after emergency surgery and resuscitation, whether he will wake up remains a question mark.

Sitting beside the hospital bed, radiating a gloomy aura, Lu Shenghui nearly crushed his phone.

It's not that things happened earlier or later, but of all times, an accident had to happen at this critical juncture. Without Lu Yi pulling strings behind the scenes, forcing Lu Shangyi to relinquish her power will be even more difficult. Not only that, because Lu Shenghui used his connections, the news that Lu Yi was lying unconscious in the hospital quickly spread throughout the capital.

Not only did the media give it extensive coverage, but a little-known tabloid also went to great lengths to lavish praise on Lu Shenghui, portraying him as a filial and hardworking man, instantly placing him on a pedestal from which he couldn't escape. Within just a few hours, news of Lu Shenghui dutifully caring for his comatose father in the hospital spread once again.

People love to follow trends, so various media outlets quickly followed suit, practically trying to portray Lu Shenghui as an exceptionally filial son, unparalleled in heaven and earth.

Things have developed to this point, and even if Lu Shenghui wanted to leave the hospital and return to the company, there was nothing he could do.

If he leaves at this critical juncture, others will reverse their attitude and say he is cold-blooded, heartless, unable to distinguish between priorities, and that he disregards his own father's safety and is only interested in seizing power from his sister. But if he doesn't leave, in these short ten days to half a month, Lu Shangyi will have enough time to make ample preparations for her counterattack.

It's already incredibly difficult to shake her now, and it will be virtually impossible to bring her down.

Lu Shenghui was so annoyed he felt like he was about to explode.

Compared to Lu Shenghui, Lu Shangyi had it much easier. The company operated smoothly, and her absence had no impact on the business. She even had more time to discuss business deals and collaborations. When others saw her engrossed in her work, they would sincerely praise her for her hard work.

Qiao Yu listened to the system's report with satisfaction, "Luckily, I'm quick-witted and have a fast reaction time."

It was she and the system who used morality to confine Lu Shenghui in the hospital. Knowing that Lu Shangyi was busy, she made a small contribution. Staring at the balance in her card, Qiao Yu felt a pang of heartache, "When I get married in the future, I must ask for a lot more dowry."

Upon hearing this, the system immediately felt a pang of sympathy for the unlucky fellow for a second.

Lu Yi remained unconscious for a full week before regaining consciousness. However, although he was awake, he could only move his eyes; he couldn't even speak. Upon seeing this, Madam Lu was so shocked that she fainted on the spot and lay in bed for a full day before waking up.

Lu Shenghui had to take care of his father and soothe his mother's emotions, keeping him extremely busy almost every day.

He originally wanted to call Jiang Mei back, but with less than a week until the college entrance exam, he couldn't bother her with something like this. Lu Shenghui was so angry he almost vomited blood. Fortunately, he still had money. After hiring two high-end caregivers to take care of his parents, he could finally sit down and take a good rest.

Lu Shenghui glanced at the clock on the wall and stood up. "Mom, I'm going back to the company first."

Mrs. Lu nodded. "Be careful on the road."

Lu Shenghui, too lazy to say anything, opened the door directly. He hadn't taken two steps when he overheard a woman's hushed voice, "Poor Mrs. Lu. When she was young, her daughter was in a car accident and almost outlived her, and now, in middle age, her husband is paralyzed and will be bedridden for the rest of his life. Sigh, do you think something might happen to her son too?"

"Who knows? But... it's unlikely, right?"

"Not necessarily."

Lu Shenghui immediately stopped and looked back coldly. The women, noticing his murderous gaze, quickly scattered.

Lu Shenghui's expression turned even colder. Leaving the hospital, he took a taxi directly to the Lu Corporation's building. As soon as he entered the lobby, the receptionist greeted him, "Mr. Lu is currently receiving VIP guests. Please wait a moment, I will be there for you shortly..."

He pushed the front desk aside, saying, "No need." He wanted to see what kind of VIP it was.

The elevator reached the top floor, where Lu Shenghui saw a radiant woman in the reception room. Song Wanzi sat on the sofa with a beaming smile, her posture relaxed and casual. "How about it? Want to send your old man to be my old man's roommate?"

"That institution provides excellent service, with five or six meals a day and one-on-one care, so you'll never go hungry or cold."

Lu Shangyi didn't react much to this, "How have you been, Uncle and Aunt?"

"It's great." Song Wanzi smiled brightly, propping her cheeks up. "We have no worries about food or clothing. All we do every day is eat, sleep, fish, and play cards. How could it not be great?"

Lu Shangyi finally turned around, her slightly raised eyebrows carrying a hint of approval, "It's a bit faster than I expected."

Song Wanzi couldn't help but chuckle softly, "That's why I say you're amazing... Oh, the young master is here?"

Caught eavesdropping, Lu Shenghui strode over, his tall frame exuding an aggressive aura. The woman, however, simply smiled nonchalantly, "How are Father and Mother? Has Mother calmed down?"

Song Wanzi truly admired Lu Shangyi. She was terrified of Lu Shenghui, fearing he might suddenly pull out some weapon. But Lu Shangyi seemed completely unafraid, as if she wouldn't even flinch if she saw Lu Shenghui holding a nuclear bomb.

Song Wanzi silently compared herself to Lu Shangyi and confirmed that she was truly no match for this woman. If this were a different dynasty or background, Lu Shangyi would definitely be a brave and resourceful female war goddess.

Lu Shenghui had no intention of answering Lu Shangyi's question. He glanced at Song Wanzi, finding her an eyesore, and turned his head away, indicating, "Let's talk over there."

Song Wanzi pursed her lips and shrugged. "Then I'll be going now."

Before leaving, she earnestly told Lu Shangyi, "I think you can consider it. Maybe they can become like-minded friends."

Although Song Wanzi was smiling when she said this, the smile clearly didn't reach her eyes. Her charming and affectionate eyes were icy cold, devoid of any human emotion or warmth, so indifferent that it almost sent chills down one's spine. But in the blink of an eye, those beautiful eyes regained their warmth. "Bye-bye."

After watching Song Wanzi leave, Lu Shangyi pulled out a chair and sat down, then called someone in to refill her tea. She dawdled, and Lu Shenghui lost his patience first, but just before he could speak, Lu Shangyi interrupted with a smile, "My sister is about to take her exams, are you sure you want to tell me this at this time?"

Lu Shenghui's eyes turned cold.

Lu Shangyi didn't seem to mind at all. "I know you don't care about her, but," she smiled slightly, "she does care about her."

For a moment, memories slowly unfolded, and Lu Shenghui, who had been lost in thought for a moment, quickly regained his senses. He stared at Lu Shangyi without moving, as if trying to bore holes through her. "What do you know?"

Lu Shangyi tilted her head slightly. "Not many."

But the next second, "all I knew was about her recent situation."

A powerful wave of pheromones swept over her instantly. Lu Shangyi calmly raised her head, not even her eyelashes trembling.

After a silent standoff, Lu Shenghui was the first to give in. The man gave a cold snort, turned and left decisively without saying a word. Lu Shangyi slowly stroked the warm teacup, the smile on her lips gradually fading.

The series of misfortunes that befell the Lu family made everyone even more eager for this battle between the dragon and the phoenix. However, Lu Yi had been sober for several days, but the two heirs remained silent. Not to mention the expected bloodshed, the two of them had not even shown their faces.

Everyone was incredibly curious, practically wanting to eavesdrop on the Lu family's gate every day to get firsthand information, but that was obviously unrealistic.

So the group had no choice but to shift their attention to the upcoming college entrance examination. Perhaps Lu Shenghui was waiting for Jiang Mei to get good results, and then he could use that as a pretext to force Lu Shangyi to give up her position. That would be much more reasonable and justifiable.

Qiao Yu suddenly realized that the college entrance examination was attracting more attention. She asked Bai Yiyu with a blank look, but Bai Yiyu just patted her head and said, "Don't think nonsense."

Qiao Yu frowned and muttered to the system, "Something big must have happened these past few days that I don't know about."

Seeing her inner thoughts, Bai Yiyu chuckled, "I'll tell you everything after the exam." Then she changed the subject, "But if you don't go and rest now, your mother will be coming over soon."

Mentioning Madam Qiao, Qiao Yu immediately scurried away faster than a rabbit. She'd been terrified of Madam Qiao lately; despite her seemingly gentle and weak appearance, she could effortlessly subdue people, leaving them with no room for complaint or resentment.

Qiao Yu silently felt sorry for her elderly father, and then decisively closed her eyes.

The college entrance exam period was both tough and easy, but Qiao Yu found it quite relaxing overall, and the questions weren't difficult. On the day the exam ended, she almost jumped for joy. If she hadn't been mindful of her omega image, she would have acted arrogantly on the spot.

Even if she wanted to be arrogant, she probably wouldn't have the chance. In the blink of an eye, a classmate she didn't know curiously gathered around and asked with a sincere look, "Are you really an omega?"

"You're not an alpha?"

"You're not secretly pretending to be an omega like that guy, are you?"

Qiao Yu: "..." was speechless.

After trying to convince her no matter what she said, she finally gave up and nodded, "Yes, that's right, I am actually an alpha."

The surroundings suddenly fell silent, and even the students who had been asking questions stepped aside. Qiao Yu subconsciously turned her head and saw Ye Yunjian, who seemed to be looking at her with a hint of expectation.

"...???"