Lu Di brought his daughter with him, which greatly surprised Qin Xiaoyu. How could someone who was so focused on his work have the time to bring his daughter?

The little girl had grown taller and even thinner, like a little bean sprout. Actually, Qin Xiaoyu had noticed it the last time they met; the grandparents were spoiling her, which inevitably led to an irregular lifestyle, and it was pitiful.

She still remembered Qin Xiaoyu, but she was shy and called her aunt before sitting down to the side.

"Minister Lu, what brings you out for a stroll?" Qin Xiaoyu didn't know Lu Di's current position, so she could only address him as she did last time.

"I brought my daughter out for a trip. She's been cooped up at home all the time. I heard you were up north, so I thought I'd come and visit." Lu Di's expression turned serious as he spoke, and Qin Xiaoyu led him into the study.

Qin Xiaoyu didn't believe he had done it on a whim; he must have had new work arrangements. Now that A Lei had a new understanding of Lu Di, there was no room for affection in his heart, so he wasn't a rival for her affections.

"Xiao Qin, I heard you acquired two factories in Guangzhou?"

Qin Xiaoyu had always thought Lu Di was an extremely selfless person, but she never expected him to be willing to fight for something.

Lu Di was a little upset about Qin Xiaoyu building a factory in Guangzhou.

"Yes, because there are shops there, and logistics between the north and south aren't very convenient, so we took over two small factories," Qin Xiaoyu explained.

"Xiao Qin, Riyue Apparel is a company I built up from scratch. How can it be located in Guangzhou?"

"That's just a branch factory. My main factory is still in Northeast China, it hasn't changed." Qin Xiaoyu hurriedly explained. Lu Di was right. He didn't ask for anything in return and had done a lot for Riyue Apparel. One should be grateful. Without his initial support, Riyue Apparel wouldn't be where it is today.

“The country is currently giving a lot of preferential policies to several southern cities, and your considerations are reasonable. But I still hope you will prioritize the people of your hometown. The heavy industry is in a slump right now, and the light industry is the same. Your company is the only one doing well, and you still want to leave. Sigh!” Lu Di sighed.

Qin Xiaoyu then realized that he had aged a lot. When they first met, he was just a young man in his thirties, thin but energetic. Now, he looked like a lamp oil that had been burned out, extremely thin, with wrinkles all over his face, looking like he was in his fifties.

“Minister Lu, I understand. I didn’t think this through. You’re right, I do intend to expand southward. But this is the foundation of Riyue Apparel, and I certainly won’t abandon it.” Qin Xiaoyu knew what this promise meant.

The southern economic zone will soon be quite large, and the policy support at that time will be very strong. It would be foolish not to take advantage of it.

We can only take it one step at a time. We must not forget our roots, but we also cannot sacrifice greater interests for the sake of the greater good.

"Xiao Qin, you keep your word. Actually, I've been transferred out and no longer directly manage affairs in this province. It's just that this is my hometown, and I can't let it go. By the way, I submitted your factory's work to the Ministry of Light Industry's competition this time. You should get ready." Lu Di hadn't come empty-handed.

Qin Xiaoyu was so happy she almost jumped for joy. She really did have a plan. She guessed that there were many companies in Guangzhou, making it difficult to secure a spot in the competition. She never expected Lu Di to have prepared one for her.

"You agreed without even asking me?" A Lei was taken aback when he heard that she was going to Beijing to compete.

"Is there a problem?" Qin Xiaoyu asked, dumbfounded.

"Don't you know you're pregnant? Are you going to run north with a big belly? Even if I agreed, the old folks wouldn't." A Lei said resentfully.

“Competing in this event isn’t like the last fashion show. It’s not as strenuous. We only need to prepare three outfits. Just bring a few more people with you. I think this is a rare opportunity.” Qin Xiaoyu wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip by and kept pestering A Lei.

“I knew his arrival wouldn’t bring anything good.” A Lei then blamed Lu Di.

Qin Xiaoyu pleaded and begged, repeatedly assuring A Lei that it wouldn't be hard work, before he finally agreed.

This competition is different from the last fashion show I held in Shanghai. The entries must be both conservative and groundbreaking; they cannot be too trendy, but they must be innovative.

When Qin Xiaoyu sent these requirements to the designer, she found them amusing.

Fortunately, this was Master Liang's forte; he was truly skilled at this type of design. Qin Xiaoyu discussed it with him, and the three designers each created one set, which was just right.

Zhou Yue is still recovering and won't compete with them for it.

That day, Qi Si happened to be taking her to the new store, so she rode in his car without A Lei.

After finishing her business, Qin Xiaoyu said to Qi Si, "Let's go see Zhou Xing."

The thought of leaving him all alone here made Qin Xiaoyu feel sad.

"When I'm home, I'll take a look whenever I feel like it," Qi Si sighed silently.

The two fell silent. The car turned into the cemetery, and Qi Si suddenly changed direction, driving the car in the opposite direction and making a circle before stopping inside.

"What's wrong?" Qin Xiaoyu didn't understand; this was clearly not Zhou Xing's grave.

“I saw A Lei’s car,” Qi Si said softly.

Qin Xiaoyu then understood Qi Si's good intentions and that it was best not to run into him.

They waited quite a while before they could vaguely see Are's Cherokee drive away.

Zhou Xing's tombstone was very clean, and the water stains on the ground looked freshly wiped away. In the photo, he was smiling warmly.

As Qin Xiaoyu crouched down, she smelled a strong odor of alcohol. She remembered that A Lei had brought back a bottle of good wine this time. She had assumed it was for Qi Si, but it turned out it was a gift for Zhou Xing.

What did he say to Zhou Xing? Did he say he was going to be a father? Or did he say he was taking good care of Qin Xiaoyu?

It was almost dark when we left the cemetery.

"Girl, you've married a good man." Qi Si smiled with satisfaction.

"Unfortunately, I didn't do as well as him. I need to work harder." Qin Xiaoyu patted her little belly; this little guy was the best gift for A Lei.

With the competition in mind, Qin Xiaoyu was eager to head south, but she insisted on taking a sleeper train rather than flying.

They turned onto the Du family's property and visited the lady along the way.

When the wife heard that Qin Xiaoyu was pregnant, she was extremely anxious and insisted on going with her.

No matter how reluctant Mrs. Du was, there was nothing she could do.

Qin Xiaoyu took the opportunity to thank her uncle privately.

“I’ll help you, but you won’t help me. If Grandma makes a scene, I’ll be in big trouble,” the uncle said with a laugh.

"Don't worry, leave the old lady with me too. I'll take good care of her and have someone bring her back properly. The old lady is not young, and she needs to have a quality of life. It's boring to keep her locked up all day. Going out for a walk might even improve her health." Qin Xiaoyu had done a health assessment for Old Lady Du. The old lady was in good physical condition, so why not take her to Guangzhou to visit Mrs. Fang?

The younger uncle didn't dare make the decision himself, so he asked his father. To his surprise, Du Chengjun agreed. This time, he didn't dare to take a plane and traveled by soft sleeper train, so he didn't find it too tiring.