Chapter 138 I Will Always Be With You

Qin Mu was stunned, his head was buzzing and his mind was blank for a moment.

What did she just say?

Did I hear it wrong?

marry?

"An Xiaoran, say it again." He looked down at the girl in his arms, held her chin with his tiger's mouth, and pinched her face with two fingers.

Meng Anran looked up at the boy's incredulous eyes and repeated what she had just said: "After we deal with Duan Xi, we can get married, okay?"

Qin Mu looked away in a daze. His brain worked for a long time, and the pupils in his eyes gradually regained movement.

He uttered two words indifferently: "Not good."

Meng Anran had never expected Qin Mu to refuse. She stared at his jawline for two seconds, slowly withdrew her gaze, relaxed in his arms and closed her eyes.

She understood what he meant.

Even if Duan Xi is dealt with, Rui Ming still needs to spend energy to make up for the trauma he suffered during this period.

Besides, Ruiming's foundation is still unstable, and such a big change has happened. No one can predict what changes will happen in the future.

He was right not to think about marriage for the time being.

Getting married is not as simple as getting a marriage certificate. You need to formally meet with both sets of parents, and the two families need to sit together to discuss matters such as gifts and weddings. There are many things that need to be prepared.

Emotional matters always affect rational judgment.

Let's wait until everything is settled before making any plans.

Qin Mu's next words confirmed Meng Anran's guess: "An Xiaoran, I know you've been very tired recently. You can rely on me, but you proposed marriage on a whim, and I can't give you an accurate answer. Once you've solved the current troubles, you can calm down and think about whether we can take the next step. If you're still willing to marry me then, I'd be honored."

Of course he wanted to marry her and had been looking forward to this day for a long time.

But she only proposed marriage because she was tired and looking for someone to rely on, so he couldn't give her an answer lightly.

He hoped that An Xiaoran would think that he was the right person after careful consideration and that he was qualified to accompany her throughout her life.

So, no matter how much he wanted to take her to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get the marriage certificate right now, he still didn't want his An Xiaoran to make a decision that she would regret.

"I understand." Meng Anran kissed his jawline and snuggled into his arms, "I'm just... a little tired."

Qin Mu lowered his head and kissed the top of the girl's head, then hugged her tighter. "An Xiaoran, I will always be with you."

I've been waiting for you too.

…

Lu Heng's guess was correct. Wu Ping, who had become a room attendant this morning, came to deliver the message on behalf of Duan Jingyao. Now that Duan Jingyao has graduated from university, Duan Xi ordered him to stay in Hai City.

Duan Jingyao was afraid that if he insisted on returning to Beijing, Duan Xi would become suspicious, so he had no choice but to follow orders and stay by Duan Xi's side to take care of her damaged eardrum.

After returning to Hai City, Duan Jingyao naturally encountered obstacles in his actions. The number of people following him when he went out increased from one to five. The house he lived in was surrounded by surveillance cameras except for his room, and it was hard to say whether there were any eavesdropping devices in the room.

It can be said that he is under house arrest.

Wu Ping's identity was clean; he was just a part-time worker, and no matter how hard Duan Xi tried to investigate, he could not find any clues.

He pretended to be a housekeeper and cleaned the villa where Duan Jingyao was under house arrest, so that he could pass on the news.

"Duan Xi is quite sinister. She planned a cocktail party to lure us there and secretly sowed discord between the Lu and Meng families. If the police really get to the bottom of this, they might not even find her."

In the Jinyu Restaurant, Lu Yi leaned back in his chair, holding a cigarette between his fingers, resting his wrist on the ashtray on the table, and shook out the ashes.

Lu Heng calmly brewed Kung Fu tea. His broad hands gripped the tea bowl as he poured the golden tea into the fairness cup. "Duan Xi knows Lu Zhong and Bai Yujin very well, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to pull off this scheme."

Only by knowing Bai Yujin's whereabouts can they accurately find her and kidnap her. Knowing that Lu Zhong is not good at business and only cares about pretending to be a loving couple can they ensure that after luring Lu Heng to Hai City, Lu Zhong will ban the Meng family as the chairman of the Lu Group.

Even people in the Beijing circle may not be aware of the grievances and hatreds within the Lu family, but Duan Xi seems to have already figured out everyone in the Lu family and is secretly manipulating the game.

Lu Heng didn't like the feeling of being calculated, so even if declaring Lu's bankruptcy could solve all the problems, he would not let Duan Xi get his wish.

Although he and Duan Xi both wanted to bring the Lu family down from the altar, they could not become allies and were enemies from beginning to end.

Because his own brother Duan Jingyao, who should have grown up under his nose, was stolen by Duan Xi at birth and used as a pawn. His heart was filled with hatred and he was deceived for more than ten years.

This account must be settled.

And the calculation must be clear and transparent, so that Duan Xi will bear the consequences he deserves.

Lu Yi took the last puff of his cigarette, pressed the butt into the ashtray, and slowly exhaled white smoke, "We can't delay it too long. Rui Ming can't afford it."

"Don't worry about her." Lu Heng took a sip of hot tea and said in a deep voice: "The connections around her are enough to protect Rui Ming from harm."

Hearing this, Lu Yi curled his lips in disbelief.

But I sighed in my heart.

Outsiders say that he has a bad temper and is a dandy, a madman who does things without considering the consequences.

He acknowledged all these negative labels. He is just a person who pursues excitement and does whatever he wants.

He knew that he had character flaws, but he also believed that he had given all his remaining human kindness to his sister, and he wanted to protect her.

But... I don't know if God wanted him to be a born destroyer. He only knew how to destroy things from childhood to adulthood and didn't know how to care for others, so he couldn't even do such a small thing.

My sister hates him.

From the time he was seventeen to the time she was seventeen, she had always hated him, so when she left the Lu family, she left without any regrets.

Xiao Anran...you really have no conscience.

It was clearly me who helped you develop the character of being able to remain calm and composed in the face of danger, and it was Lu Heng who provided you with the connections you need.

But why is it that in the end we are no match for your good-for-nothing brother?

Lu Heng poured a cup of hot tea and placed it next to Lu Yi, then asked coldly, "Have you found any clues about Bai Yujin?"

Lu Yi came back to his senses and glanced at Lu Heng. He knew that Lu Heng saw through his thoughts and was reminding him that the most urgent thing was to get rid of Duan Xi and bring Duan Jingyao back.

Now, Duan Jingyao is their biological brother.

He picked up the teacup with two fingers and drank the lingering fragrance of the Longjing tea after the rain, playing with the teacup between his slender fingers.

"Not yet. Bai Yujin was taken away from the Wanfu Hotel, which is owned by the Zhao family. The Zhao family has always had a bad relationship with the Lu family and refused to release the surveillance footage. But the police should have already viewed the surveillance footage. Even if I can't find her here, they'll be able to quickly find Bai Yujin's current location."

Lu Heng's expression was calm, his eyes lowered, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. "Go check each of the properties under the Meng family's name."