Chapter 72 Wen Xue

Just after lunch on Sunday, Wen Chu had finished eating when there was a knock on the door.

She slowly walked over and opened the door, where she saw Lu Ming in a white suit.

His suit was impeccably tailored, with intricate silver embroidery on the shoulders and sleeves. The morning sunlight dappled his shoulders, giving him a luminous glow.

He stood against the light, which made his features appear softer and his eyes gentler.

Wen Chu was momentarily dazed before silently stepping aside to let the person in.

The other party was accompanied by several other people, who were carrying a lot of things, such as makeup cases.

Wen Chu tilted her head, puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lu Ming glanced down at her ankles, then looked up and said, "Stylist and makeup artist."

Wen Chu grunted, surprised that the other party had gone to such lengths.

Lu Ming turned around again and said to the people behind him, "You can wait here."

“Okay,” the makeup artists and stylists replied.

Wen Chu looked at the man again, puzzled. Lu Ming explained, "Don't we need to practice the dance a little more?"

"Oh." Wen Chu chuckled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "Why are you so eager? Are you so afraid I'll embarrass you at the banquet?"

"You can think that way if you want." Lu Ming glanced at her. "Let's go upstairs."

Wen Chu hadn't changed her clothes yet; she was wearing cartoon pajamas. "Let's go to the third floor. There's a dance studio there. You go and wait for me while I change."

Lu Ming spoke up to stop him, saying, "No need for that. We can change it later, let's hurry."

"Ah, this..." Wen Chu glanced at her elementary school student outfit, then at the other person's well-dressed and dignified appearance, "Well... okay then."

Since the other party didn't find it abrupt, she didn't care.

The dance studio is fully equipped with mirrors, a piano, a record player, and speakers.

Lu Ming first walked to the record player and looked at the vinyl records in the record cabinet. They were all classic tracks, but it was clear that the owner had never listened to them and they were just for decoration.

There happened to be a waltz accompaniment inside, so Lu Ming took it out, placed it on the record player, adjusted the speed, and the beautiful, gentle music began to play.

He walked back to Wen Chu's side and reached out his hand. Wen Chu placed her hand on his and put her other hand on his shoulder.

The other person took her hand and then kept looking down to check if her steps were correct, occasionally offering some guidance on her dance moves. They were teaching her very seriously.

Wen Chu teased, "Are you so afraid I'll step on your foot?"

Lu Ming said expressionlessly, "My feet aren't made of iron."

Wen Chu smiled and said, "I'm already considered to be learning fast, right?" As she spoke, she spun around again under someone's guidance. After they separated, they came close again, and she rarely made any mistakes anymore.

"These are the most basic dance steps. Wen Xue was already very good at ballroom dancing when she was in college." After he finished speaking, he felt a sharp pain in his hand, where his fingernails were deeply embedded in the back of his hand.

Wen Chu's expression vanished instantly. She continued walking, following the other person's movements, and said, "You miss her that much? Then why don't you go find her?"

Lu Ming paused for a moment, then frowned as Wen Chu stomped on his foot again.

Wen Chu glanced down indifferently and said, "This isn't my fault; you were just daydreaming."

Lu Ming clearly felt the power of revenge in that kick. He was in pain for a while, then his brows relaxed, and his body temperature dropped a lot: "I have my responsibilities, and she has her pursuits. Even if I go to her, it won't solve anything."

Even so, you still insist on liking her?

"There's no such thing as persisting or not persisting. Whether you like someone or not is beyond your control. I will continue to like her until I can no longer feel that I like her."

Wen Chu stared at the man's face so closely that she could clearly see the sad expression on his face as he looked heartbroken over another woman.

She nodded: "That's true. If one day I don't like you anymore, I'll tell you."

Lu Ming snapped out of his thoughts, paused for two seconds after hearing this, and then said, "That would be best."

"Don't be sad then," Wen Chu said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

"No, I'll be happy for you."

Who says sincerity is the most touching weapon? It can clearly be a deadly weapon that injures people.

Wen Chu put on a nonchalant smile again: "Just kidding." She stopped, and the hand on the man's shoulder reached inward to hug Lu Ming's neck, suddenly shortening the distance between them.

Lu Ming's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously closed his eyes.

But the expected touch didn't come. Wen Chu stopped just before touching him, her warm breath brushing against the man's cheek as she whispered, "There's no way I could ever not like you."

She widened the distance between them again, released the man's hand, and said to herself, "I think it's about time. You can wait for me this afternoon. I'll change my clothes and go downstairs to get my hair and makeup done."

"I'm really not worthy of your affection."

After Lu Ming finished speaking in a low voice, he turned around and left, going downstairs.

Wen Chu could sense the change in the other person's attitude towards her. The man no longer disliked her, and his attitude changed from being indifferent at the beginning to being kind and persuasive now.

But both of them bothered her, and the latter was even more so.

She took a deep breath, composed herself, and told herself that this was only temporary. The initial assumptions would fade over time, and she just needed to continue instilling her ideas in people as before.

This time she has an extra month, so she just needs to follow the same method as before, and the result shouldn't be too bad.

She changed her clothes and came downstairs, only to see Lu Ming sitting upright on the sofa, glancing at his watch but not playing on his phone, as if he was intently waiting for her.

Hearing her come out, he lowered his hand, glanced at her, and seeing that she hadn't changed into high heels yet, he looked away and didn't go up the stairs to help her down as he had done before.

While the makeup artist and stylist were doing Wen Chu's hair and makeup, Lu Ming remained seated, occasionally glancing at his phone, probably replying to work messages. The rest of the time he sat quietly, not using his phone, occasionally glancing at her. The process was boring and tedious, but he remained calm and showed no sign of impatience.

Wen Chu didn't ask him to do that. He could even go out for a walk and come back to pick her up. He could do whatever he wanted, but perhaps in her world, this was considered basic manners.

Looking at him through the mirror, she thought that if Lu Ming wore that outfit and had a big red flower brooch pinned to his chest, he could be a groom for a wedding.

Wen Chu silently withdrew her gaze, not wanting to let her thoughts wander any further.

"Okay, you have such a good foundation. I didn't even have to use my skills much. Just a simple application of foundation and some contouring is enough to make you look beautiful," the makeup artist said sincerely, looking at Wen Chu in the mirror.

"Thank you." Wen Chu grinned. Her hair was slightly curled by the stylist and then carefully pinned up, leaving only two deliberately permed small curls hanging down by her temples to decorate her face, making it appear even smaller, easily covered by one hand.

She glanced at Lu Ming through the mirror again, and their eyes met. She grabbed him and asked, "Am I good-looking? Answer honestly. A liar will never get married."

Faced with such a vicious curse, Lu Ming could only say, "It looks good."

Wen Chu raised her chin: "Looks like you have normal taste."

As the time turned to four in the afternoon, the stylist tied Wen Chu's neck strap, and she stood in front of the man fully dressed, looking more like a black swan that was untouched by any dust, with every beautiful feather as magnificent as could be, making people subconsciously careful to even touch her.

Lu Ming offered her his arm, which Wen Chu gently took, and they went out the door.

Driver Lao Chen was waiting at the door. Lu Ming opened the back door for her, helped her into the car, and then set off for the banquet venue.

Seeing the couple's attire, Old Chen couldn't help but praise, "Young master and young lady are such a perfect match, a truly handsome couple!"

Wen Chu smiled gently, while Lu Ming remained noncommittal.

Both publicly and privately, Wen Chu was the protagonist of this banquet. Many people came to catch a glimpse of her beauty. One group wanted to see what the woman who could help Baiyue win the competition looked like, while another group wanted to see what Lu Ming's girlfriend looked like.

The extended Lincoln was parked in front of the hotel. Lu Ming got out of the car first, attracting the attention of all the guests.

The woman's outstretched hand then intensified the crowd's attention. Lu Ming took her hand and carefully helped her out of the car.

As they entered the banquet hall, even more people warmly greeted them.

Upon hearing the sound, Lu Mingxiao immediately came over and said with a smile, "Xiao Chu is here! Uncle Lu hasn't had a chance to thank you in person for doing Baiyue such a big favor. Because of you, even the director of the Technology Institute is here tonight!"

When Lu Mingxiao learned about the competition, he was both surprised and delighted, and felt that his initial decision was absolutely correct. If Lu Ming hadn't caught up with his opponent, it would have been a huge loss. He was extremely satisfied with his future daughter-in-law, and would talk about her every time he saw his son, already looking forward to enjoying his comfortable retirement.

"Uncle Lu, you're too kind. I'm happy to be able to help you and Lu Ming," Wen Chu said politely.

"Haha, I'd be even happier if you could be my daughter-in-law." Lu Mingxiao laughed heartily.

“Dad.” Lu Ming frowned, interrupting his overstepping words, “I’ll take her over there and say hello to Director Qiu.”

Lu Mingxiao glared at the man secretly, then immediately put on a smile: "Okay, okay, go ahead."

Lu Ming led Wen Chu to an elderly man with a full head of white hair but still a sturdy build, and greeted him respectfully, "Director Qiu."

Director Qiu, with a serious expression, turned around, nodded to Lu Ming, and then his gaze fell on Wen Chu's face, carrying a sense of pressure, with a slight surprise on his face: "You are Wen Chu? So young?"

"Yes, hello, Director Qiu," Wen Chu said modestly.

"You're truly young and promising. Your answers have kept us old folks up for days. We waited for your call for several days but didn't get one, so I had to come and see for myself." Director Qiu's expression softened considerably.

Wen Chu bowed slightly and smiled apologetically, "I'm so sorry, my dad hasn't been feeling well these past few days, and I've been staying by his side to take care of him. I haven't been able to get away. I was thinking of calling you back in a couple of days, but I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Wen Chu used her father as an excuse.

"Oh, it's nothing important. I'm an old man and my time isn't precious. It's no big deal if I wait a long time. Do you have time now? I have a few questions I'd like to ask you."

Wen Chu and Lu Ming exchanged a glance, and then Lu Ming tactfully said, "Then you two chat, I'll go and greet the guests."

Director Qiu nodded.

Wen Chu smiled again: "Just ask me anything you want to ask."

They chatted about technical issues for a while, and Director Qiu's expression grew increasingly satisfied: "I didn't expect you to have such a deep understanding of algorithms at such a young age. You're a promising young talent. But aren't you Wen Shiyang's daughter? Why are you working at Baiyue, a subsidiary of the Lu family?"

Wen Chu understood that the other party wanted to ascertain her future work plans so that she could collaborate with her. So she said, "I'm always taken care of at home, so I wanted to go out and gain some experience. I just didn't expect to be seen by you this time."

Director Qiu chuckled and waved his hand, "You don't need to be so modest. With your talent, it was only a matter of time before you were discovered. It's just that I got there first this time."

Wen Chu smiled, flattered, "Director Qiu, you flatter me."

Qi Siyan and Wen Heng arrived together. They had some childhood friendship and had kept in touch over the years, so their relationship was quite good.

They all saw Wen Chu chatting happily with Director Qiu in the banquet center. Seeing the young woman who had come of age and was able to handle things independently and calmly, they couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Wen Heng chuckled softly, his hands in his pockets, and said to Qi Siyan beside him, "I never thought I'd see my sister so accomplished. I was prepared to support her for the rest of her life." There was an undeniable hint of pride in Wen Heng's words.

“Wen Chu is indeed the most attractive girl I’ve ever met,” Qi Siyan echoed, her gaze softening as she looked at the figure that, once set in sight, was impossible to look away from.

Lu Mingxiao delivered a passionate opening speech for the banquet on the stage.

A waltz then began playing in the hall, and many guests who had come in groups took their female companions' hands, hoping to receive good fortune from the Lu family that night.

As previously agreed, Lu Ming took Wen Chu's hand and walked to the center of the banquet hall.

At the same time, the doors to the banquet hall were opened again.

A woman dressed in a simple white evening gown arrived late and walked in with an elegant demeanor.

A few people noticed her movements, and Qi Siyan also looked in the direction of the woman's voice. After seeing who it was, the corners of her mouth curved up imperceptibly.

The woman was very low-key and didn't try to attract attention; she found a corner to stand in as soon as she entered.

Lu Mingxiao saw her while standing on the stage, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Lu Ming and Wen Chu were so engrossed in the music that they didn't notice the commotion at the door.

"Director Qiu is very satisfied with me. What would you do if I were gone?" Wen Chu held Lu Ming's shoulder, keeping pace with him, her skirt swaying gently.

"If 'I'm not with you' happens, it can only be because you broke your promise. If that's the case, then I'll just say I misjudged you and trusted the wrong person."

Wen Chu pursed her lips; this guy really did dislike being threatened, just like always.

"Can't you say something nice to me?"

"No." They turned around and changed their position, so Wen Chu was now facing the main gate.

People always have a natural intuition to catch what is being seen. Wen Chu vaguely felt that there was a gaze in the distance that was always looking in her direction. She turned her head and saw that there was a young, beautiful woman with an extraordinary temperament next to her older brother.

The woman happened to be looking at her too, and when she saw Wen Chu's gaze, she smiled at her.

Wen Chu's body suddenly stiffened, and she blinked twice in disbelief.

After confirming the other person's appearance several times, it felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head, making her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

She had seen that face before; it was in a framed photo above Lu Ming's bedside in his bedroom.

Warm snow.

She actually came back.

Wen Chu's face immediately tensed up, and in her haste, she even stepped on Lu Ming's foot. Lu Ming hissed, frowned in displeasure, and said irritably, "If you're going to jump, then concentrate on jumping. You're just a beginner, why are you getting distracted?"

But Wen Chu had no time to pay attention to the man's complaints.

Lu Ming only realized that Wen Chu's expression was wrong after he finished speaking. He had never seen such a shocked and panicked look on anyone's face before. She was usually fearless and acted like she owned the world. What did she see that made her so nervous?

Just as the dance steps changed, Lu Ming looked in the same direction as Wen Chu and followed her gaze. His slightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and his expression changed from dissatisfaction to surprise.

He took a deep breath, clearly not believing his eyes either.

Wen Chu felt the hand holding her loosen for a moment, as if she wanted to sever ties with her, but out of reason and good manners, she did not do so.

She knew Lu Ming had seen it too.

Their dance steps completely fell apart. The uncoordinated steps nearly caused Wen Chu to fall. Lu Ming steadied her, but his gaze no longer fell on her.

Wen Chu's feelings suddenly became complicated. From the beginning, she was worried that she would run into Wen Xue, but she had been safe and sound for so long that she thought it was just the initial setup, so she gradually relaxed. But she didn't expect that this person would actually appear after more than a month.

And it just so happened that it happened shortly after Lu Minggang was initialized.

The waltz accompaniment gradually faded into the distance, leaving only a buzzing sound in my ears.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they stumbled through their dance, seemingly distracted, only to be met with enthusiastic applause.

Everyone had a smile on their face, whether genuine or not, except for them.