Huo Junyang was taken aback for a moment, but finally smiled and said, "I'll do whatever you say!"

Not only did she decide where to have breakfast.

She even decides what to eat.

Lu Ran ordered fried dough sticks and soy milk, and also specially ordered a crab roe shumai.

She remembered that time when Huo Junyang ate five crab roe shumai in one go when he had breakfast at the Lu family's house.

She secretly kept it in mind.

Huo Junyang was a little surprised, but he smiled happily at her. When the shumai was served, he ate it with great relish.

"This...it's definitely not as good as what we make at home," Lu Ran said softly.

Huo Junyang, his mouth full of food, mumbled, "Mmm, delicious!"

Lu Ran looked up at him, unsure of what to do with her little hands.

Despite knowing each other for so long, and despite their relationship gradually becoming clearer.

But a girl will always feel uneasy in front of someone she likes, afraid of losing her composure.

Huo Junyang also put a shumai on her plate and broke a youtiao in half, giving each of them half.

"Don't just look at me, you eat too!"

Lu Ran smiled slightly, then said gently after a while, "Brother Junyang, have you... never suspected me?"

"Doubt you?" Huo Junyang was taken aback by her question.

“Hmm.” Lu Ran’s expression gradually became serious. “Because I… I am, after all, Lu Ming’s daughter.”

"Mr. and Mrs. Huo are so smart, wouldn't they think I was putting on an act in front of them and was actually in cahoots with Lu Ming?"

Huo Junyang put down his chopsticks and quietly looked at her.

The girl's sadness, melancholy, and sensitivity were like an invisible hand plucking at his heartstrings.

"Ranran, why do you think that way?" he asked softly. "Is it just because you and Lu Ming are father and daughter?"

Lu Ran nodded vigorously.

"But you yourself said that you never considered him your father."

“Brother Junyang…”

"Don't worry," Huo Junyang chuckled. "My parents have weathered half a lifetime of ups and downs; do you think they can't tell if someone's acting or not? Don't overthink it. The most important thing right now is to cure your mother's illness, and then..."

Huo Junyang took her small hand and placed it in his palm. "Then you can entrust the rest of your life to me with peace of mind. I will protect you!"

Lu Ran felt a lump in her throat, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

"Hey, little girl, you can't cry while eating!" Huo Junyang gently wiped her tears with a tissue. "It's one of the rules at the Huo family dinner table, you have to remember it!"

"Um……"

"Also, my parents like dignified and quiet girls—well, it seems you fit the bill perfectly!"

Lu Ran stopped crying and smiled, then picked up the soy milk and took a sip.

At this moment, Huo Junyang received a message from his father, which contained only a brief sentence: "Analyze the data."

Then there's a whole bunch of reports.

Huo Junyang almost spat out the fried dough stick he had just chewed, and slumped onto the table, groaning in pain.

"Dad, am I still your son? These past few days, the eldest son has been in a bad mood because of Xiaoyouzi. You can't bear to use him, so you're tormenting me instead?!"

"Heavens above!"

This whole operation left Lu Ran stunned.

Although Huo Junyang is usually quite unreliable, he's at least a normal person, but today...

"Junyang, what happened? Is it serious?"

Huo Junyang turned his head and forced a bitter smile at her.

"It's not serious, it's just... my dad investigated Lu Ming, and while he was investigating, he also thoroughly investigated several companies under his name! Now I have all the data reports, and I need to analyze them quickly."

Lu Ran leaned over to take a look out of curiosity.

These companies are all under Lu Ming's name, but they are all publicly listed to cover up his true intentions.

And the real company...

Lu Ran bit her lip and whispered to him, "Brother Junyang, you won't find anything by just investigating these things. Actually, Lu Ming is a cunning man with multiple burrows. He owns a company called Chenming Construction Company, which is his real money-making tool."

"Chen Ming?"

"Um!"

Ever since Lu Ming started using Lu Ran as a substitute for Xiao Youzi, Lu Ran has had many opportunities to run into him.

From that moment on, Lu Ran also kept a close eye on Lu Ming's actions, and that's how she learned about the existence of the shell company "Chenming"!

“This company is actually a fraud company,” Lu Ran whispered. “I overheard him on the phone telling his subordinates to bring more people and stuff… Later I found out that their company’s business was to commit fraud using the internet and telephone.”

Huo Junyang nodded. So, Lu Ming is different from ordinary swindlers.

He has detailed and meticulous plans, and he has the trump card to win over clients.

It's practically a scam system!

As Lu Ran spoke of these things, her small hands trembled slightly again.

"Ranran, please continue." Huo Junyang warmed her cold little hand against his heart. "And then? What did he do with this company?"

“Brother Junyang…” Lu Ran lowered her head, then raised her eyes again, her eyes showing a different kind of determination.

Do you remember the infamous AM Tower collapse plan?

Huo Junyang was taken aback, but immediately nodded.

Although this AM Building is neither in Jiangzhou nor Yangcheng, it is in a city that is similar to both Jiangzhou and Yangcheng.

And the company that built the AM Building is none other than Chenming!

"The AM Building collapsed when it was only half-built," Lu Ran said softly. "It was because Lu Ming cut corners, used inferior materials, and tried to cheat us with substandard cement and steel bars!"

“But this incident caused a huge uproar back then,” Huo Junyang frowned, “and now, Lu Ming can still swagger around the house in slippers without a care in the world…”

“Yes, he’s fine.” Lu Ran looked into his eyes. “Because he found a scapegoat, someone else went to jail for him, but the company was also affected, so he set his sights on me.”

"Ranran..."

“But I won’t let him succeed!” Lu Ran’s eyes shone with determination. “My mother taught me from a young age that I should never do anything to wrong others! So, I will not let Xiaoyouzi down.”

Huo Junyang felt a surge of emotion and felt even more pity for her.

*

He quickly told his father and older brother about it.

While the father and his two sons were studying how to deploy troops in the study, Jiang Can was taking a walk in the yard with Lin Yuqing.

There are many flowers in the yard, and they are blooming beautifully in this season, each with its own unique charm.

Lin Yuqing touched the dewdrops on the petals; the cool, refreshing feeling was incredibly pleasant.

Only then did a rare smile appear on her face.

"Sister Yuqing, isn't my back garden better?"

"Yes, you've taken good care of these flowers." Lin Yuqing smiled gently, but a hint of sadness flashed across her face.

"What's wrong?"

“Can Can, do you think… now that our daughter is all grown up, she really doesn’t need her mother to take care of her anymore?” Lin Yuqing’s voice trembled slightly. “I don’t know what Xiao Youzi has been doing lately. She’s never home. Even when she sees us, she just says hello.”

"Can Can, do you think... something might have happened to her?"