Chapter 41 My Butler is Very Expensive

With the mansion on the mountaintop, the Zero Ring Road became even more lively at night. Almost everyone recognized Lu Yingchi's car; ever since he got his driver's license, this young master had enjoyed driving all sorts of cars here.

So when Lu Yingchi's car entered the mountain foot, the surrounding young people noticed it almost instantly and swarmed around it.

Qin Tianrui, who was sitting in the other car, glanced at the rearview mirror after hearing this and asked, "What's going on?"

The person next to him poked his head out and raised his voice: "Lu Yingchi's car."

"Lu Yingchi?"

Qin Tianrui immediately unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

His brother kept saying that the Lu brothers had behaved themselves, using that as a way to spur him on. They've only been behaving themselves for a few days and he can't stand it anymore? He's nothing special.

Seeing that the people who had originally surrounded him were now fawning over Lu Yingchi, Qin Tianrui felt even more resentful.

The black SUV stopped in front of the crowd. Lu Yingchi did not get out of the car, but simply rolled down the window and rested his elbows on the outside.

"Young Master Lu." Someone approached with a smile, "Finally have time to come out and have some fun today?"

Lu Yingchi felt the other person looked familiar, but couldn't recall their name. He didn't care about it and casually gestured with his index finger to make them step back: "Don't block my view."

Realizing he was looking in the rearview mirror, the others tactfully stepped back, but didn't stop talking: "Who was that beautiful woman who came with you last time? I haven't seen her since."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yingchi's gaze lingered on him for only two seconds before he coldly uttered four words: "None of your business."

"..."

After a month's absence, he returns still the same formidable figure.

"Shall we run a couple of laps together?" someone else chimed in, agreeing with his suggestion.

Although there is no competition, there are generally unspoken rules: whoever finishes in the shortest time wins.

However, such rules are almost non-existent for Lu Yingchi, because regardless of winning or losing, as long as he is happy, he likes to pay for others' meals, just for the sake of having fun.

But Lu Yingchi wasn't in the mood today; he kept looking behind him.

Why aren't they here yet? Weren't we supposed to leave together? She's moving at a snail's pace; how is she supposed to keep up with him?

He took out his phone to make a call when another roguish voice interrupted: "Lu Yingchi."

Lu Yingchi raised his eyes and glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye.

"Don't show your face in front of me, or I'll settle all the old scores with you."

Is this the guy who caused trouble for Guo Liyan at the Lu family's house last time?

Although he wasn't very close to Guo Liyan, Guo Liyan was still someone he had invited. Qin Tianrui bullying his guest on his turf was clearly aimed at him.

"Trying to vent your anger for someone else, huh?" Qin Tianrui was also angry about this. Someone had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, causing him to get beaten up when he got back. He sneered, "Weren't you already being treated like a dog? You still dare to bark like that? Aren't you afraid your master won't give you any bones?"

The people around them silently retreated; they couldn't afford to offend either of these two young masters.

In the past, Lu Yingchi would have already jumped out of the car and shown Qin Tianrui who the dog was by now, but he didn't today.

Qiao Wu could come at any time, and if he sees it then, the reward will be gone.

The last time he came to the Zero Ring Road, Qiao Wu was climbing the mountain behind him, so he didn't get to see what she looked like when she appeared. But judging from the reactions of the people, she attracted a lot of attention that day and is still on people's minds.

Moreover, his other cheek was swollen; if Qin Tianrui saw it, he'd probably be furious.

Lu Yingchi sneered: "Looks like your brother's belt didn't fasten you properly, you'll bite anyone you can get your hands on."

These words made Qin Tianrui feel the pain in his back, and he gritted his teeth.

"A match?" he said. "Whoever loses has to kneel down and call me 'father'."

Lu Yingchi: "Who cares about you, you bastard."

"You son of a bitch..."

A car behind them honked, interrupting their conversation.

Everyone turned around and saw a familiar car.

If Lu Yingchi is memorable because of his high profile, then the car behind him is simply unforgettable because the owner's appearance is so stunning.

"Young Master Lu! He's with you!"

The car behind didn't stop; it honked its horn and drove into the crowd, with everyone making way.

Qiao Wu parked her car to Lu Yingchi's right. She rolled down the window, ignoring everyone's astonishment, and glanced at Qin Tianrui below. She smiled and said, "Mr. Qin, it's been a long time."

Qin Tianrui's face turned ashen.

He's a total jerk, Lu Yingchi is just a jerk!

Who brings a butler when going out at a nightclub?!

However, Qin Tianrui tried to see the Lu brothers make a fool of themselves twice, but failed each time because of Qiao Wu's appearance.

Even he is now having some doubts about life. He doesn't have a conflict with the Lu brothers, but with Qiao Wu.

"What are you talking about?" Qiao Wu asked.

"He didn't say anything, just a dog barking." Lu Yingchi rolled up his left window. "Shall we go?"

Qiao Wu nodded casually: "Mm."

Lu Yingchi, who had no interest in running with others, was now quite enthusiastic. He pointed to the timer at the starting line and said, "If I win, I'm going to drink here tonight!"

Fearing that Qiao Wu would refuse, he added, "You said you could drink if you had your own people with you."

Qiao Wu didn't intend to refuse him; even if he didn't win, she could let him drink, since she was there for him anyway.

So she raised an eyebrow: "Be careful."

Staff at the starting point will provide real-time updates on the track to prevent anyone from blocking the way and delaying others, so you'll need to wait a few more minutes at the starting point.

While waiting, Qiao Wu glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that Qin Tianrui, who had been ignored, had already gotten into the car in a huff.

She took out her phone and called Qin Lian.

The call connected quickly: "Qiao Wu?"

"President Qin, your brother is on the Zero Ring Road," Qiao Wu said directly. "He had some unpleasantness with Lu Yingchi."

"They've made their move?"

"No." Qiao Wu withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "I'm just giving you a heads-up. If anything unexpected happens, I might have to take over."

Qin Lian understood the implication in her words, but he wasn't angry. He had originally intended to ask Qiao Wu for help.

"Don't worry, I won't show up tonight," Qin Lian said. "If anything goes wrong, just go for it, I'll cover for you."

Qiao Wu was relieved to hear this.

She didn't want anything to actually happen, but Qin Tianrui clearly didn't seem like a docile person.

"Miss Qiao." The staff member knocked on the car window. "Young Master Lu said that you can leave first, so you can depart in two minutes. Please pay attention to the countdown timer."

Qiao Wu nodded: "Thank you for your hard work."

Although Qiao Wu got her driver's license earlier than Lu Yingchi, he actually only saw her driving after she returned to China.

She usually drives a low-key business car. She only drove this SUV once when she came to the Zero Ring Road, but she was blinded by anger that time. In addition, Qiao Wu had another person in the car. In fact, she drove very smoothly in the second half.

This was the only time she came specifically to run laps.

As autumn arrived, she wore a dark green windbreaker, her hair was tied up, and she took off her glasses. She shed her usual business-like intellect and became full of wildness, which complemented her car perfectly.

He specifically wanted to see the moment she burst out of the starting line, and sure enough, it was even cooler than he had imagined.

Her usually gentle and calm expression turned almost cold in that instant, and her gaze became resolute. At that moment, Lu Yingchi's blood boiled.

So this is what it feels like to run laps with someone you like!

After Qiao Wu's car left, his countdown began to appear on the countdown timer.

Suppressing his surging emotions, Lu Yingchi gripped the steering wheel tightly.

As the cars in the circle departed one after another, many people cheered and surged toward the elevator to the top of the mountain.

Some people don't drive, but they enjoy watching the excitement. They are now looking forward to seeing what it looks like when everyone on this circumnavigation reaches the finish line.

But just as everyone reached the top of the mountain, they suddenly saw two people, one big and one small, walk out of the VIP elevator next to them.

The man was dressed in a suit and tie, with a cool and aloof demeanor, and was incomparably handsome.

The child beside him had a ponytail and was wearing a private school uniform; his bright eyes were constantly observing his surroundings.

Who brought their child here? Minors aren't allowed here!

Someone whispered, "That looks like Lu Jinzhi."

Although few people have the opportunity to meet Lu Jinzhi, the media has been keeping a close eye on him ever since he joined the Lu Group, watching him go abroad and return to China.

His appearance is no secret in the industry; in fact, more people know him than Lu Yingchi and Lu Xuan.

It's Lu Jinzhi. Then it's alright.

The rich always have privileges.

Wait a minute, why is Lu Jinzhi here?!

Did they bring their whole family here for a vacation? This mansion doesn't look like an autumn outing camp at all.

Jiang Yuan, the owner of Zero Ring Line, had been waiting at the entrance of the mansion. As soon as she saw Lu Jinzhi walk out of the elevator, she immediately came up to him and said, "President Lu, it's been a long time."

Jiang Yuan's businesses are not limited to Linghuan Line; he owns many high-end restaurants. So while his assets are small, his network of connections is unmatched by many.

"Hmm." Lu Jinzhi seemed oblivious to the eager gazes around him. "Let's find a quiet place."

He paused, then added, "It has a good view."

“Let’s go to the terrace, where no one will bother us,” Jiang Yuan said. “We can see everything that’s happening outside. What would you like to drink? I’ll get it for you from my wine cellar.”

Lu Ning secretly raised her head.

At home, Qiao Wu wouldn't let her drink alcohol, but there's probably nothing else to drink in a place like this, even fruit wine would be fine.

This place is so cool!

"Whatever." Lu Jinzhi glanced to his side. "Give her some milk."

Lu Ning: "..."

Jiang Yuan couldn't control her expression: "And this is..."

Lu Jinzhi did not answer.

However, Lu Ning didn't expect her second uncle to do things like introduce others, so she whispered to herself, "Lu Ning."

Also surnamed Lu?

Jiang Yuan didn't quite react.

Until Lu Jinzhi casually added, "Niece."

"So this is your little princess! I've never seen her before." Jiang Yuan said in surprise. "If you look closely, she does look quite like the young master. What kind of milk would you like? Uncle will have someone prepare it for you."

We'll squeeze it out for you right away.

“I’ll drink juice,” Lu Ning said stubbornly.

"OK."

Jiang Yuan led the people onto the terrace, feeling a sense of unease.

He has a wide network of connections and information, so he knows that the Lu brothers are at odds and are only superficially united, and they almost never appear together.

But today, Lu Jinzhi and Lu Yingchi arrived one after the other, and Lu Jinzhi even asked for this seat. It's obvious that he came to see Lu Yingchi, and he even brought this little one with him. This is quite intriguing.

Could it be that... since Old Master Lu fell ill, the Lu brothers have already started fighting openly?

Before leaving, he couldn't help but look back one last time. Lu Jinzhi sat down on the sofa, and the child next to him looked around and found a place furthest away from him to lie down.

Sure enough, they didn't seem to know each other very well.

After everyone left, Lu Jinzhi glanced at the girl who was leaning on the back of the sofa, looking around curiously, and called out, "Lu Ning."

The little girl turned around in confusion.

His second uncle sat with an elegant posture, his dark eyes slightly lowered as he looked down at him.

His words were still as harsh as ever: "You really are a reflection of yourself."

Lu Ning: "?"

Her condescending second uncle said, "His voice isn't even as good as a chicken's."

"..."

She glanced at the height from the terrace to the ground floor and wondered if it would be illegal for a minor to throw her second uncle off from there; the legal channel hadn't mentioned it.

"No one dares to strangle you," Lu Jinzhi said calmly. "Your surname, Lu, is your source of confidence."

Lu Ning was stunned.

Qiao Wu had said this to her as well.

But now my second uncle is saying the same thing. Does that mean... he'll support her too?

She nodded blankly, "Oh."

Two seconds later, she said, "Then I want to drink iced juice."

Lu Jinzhi glanced at her, as if he were laughing: "You're promising."

Soon, Jiang Yuan personally brought out the wine and juice, separating them from the crowd. Actually, the noise here was still tolerable.

Jiang Yuan poured the wine into the decanter and, seeing Lu Jinzhi looking at the finish line below, said, "One lap takes quite a while. If you want to watch, we have a broadcast here."

Drones monitor each event, making it easy to see road conditions and detect accidents immediately.

The terrace has a huge projection screen, specially for VIPs, which can be turned on to watch.

The only thing visible in the footage is the road conditions on the mountain, with cars speeding along the road at different times, kicking up dust.

“Fourth Young Master is in the second car,” Jiang Yuan said. “I’ll switch you to a better camera position.”

Lu Jinzhi: "Which car is Qiao Wu in?"

Jiang Yuan paused, thinking she had misheard.

But the other party didn't seem to have any intention of changing their mind.

In that instant, Jiang Yuan had a sudden realization: no wonder Qiao Wu was able to get his phone number last time; it turned out this person had given it to him.

“The first one.” Jiang Yuan immediately adjusted the position of the drone specifically for filming the first vehicle.

Because it was the first vehicle, the view ahead was fairly clear. However, the vehicle was covered in yellow sand, and there was some distance between us, so we couldn't see the people inside very clearly, although we could still make out their outlines.

In fact, anyone would only be drawn to the scene; the person inside the car has become one with the car body, and that car is her.

Qiao Wu, who was around ten years old, was not like this.

This is 22-year-old Qiao Wu.

Lu Jinzhi's gaze followed the traces left by the yellow sand, then turned to the blurry figure inside, and a slight smile curved his lips.

Lu Jinzhi is a lazy bum who enjoys life and prioritizes comfort. He also dislikes being dirty, so he has never been very interested in participating in these sports himself, but that doesn't stop him from watching.

No man could resist the sight before him, drawn by the wildness and freedom of the car rushing forward.

This is something that Qiao Wu didn't have before.

As the first person to set off, Qiao Wu was naturally the first to reach the finish line.

After she got out of the car, some people around her couldn't resist opening champagne. The aroma of alcohol filled the air, and her still-unsettled cerebral cortex was once again stimulated to another level.

Even though she didn't know the people around her, it didn't stop her from sharing the joy of reaching the finish line with them.

She stood in the crowd, her face beaming with a clear and bright smile, high-fiving anyone who reached out to her.

At this moment, Lu Jinzhi was no longer looking at the drone, but leaning back on the sofa, his gaze fixed on the center of the crowd.

"That's pretty cool," Jiang Yuan said. "Last time Hu Zhuo and his gang caused trouble, when I went in, she was the one in control of everything. Who is she?"

Lu Jinzhi did not look away, but said only, "Qiao Wu."

Jiang Yuan gave him a strange look, thinking to herself, "I know her name is Qiao Wu. I just wanted to ask about your relationship."

But in reality, he wasn't very brave.

After reaching the finish line, Qiao Wu did not leave immediately. She opened her car door wide, sat up and looked up at the large screen next to the finish line. From there, she could see the live status of every car behind her, and each car had its own number. She found Lu Yingchi's car.

Just as reckless as him, she was indeed a bit faster than him in terms of the time it took to pull away.

But she didn't care about winning or losing; instead, she waved to the waiter standing next to the finish line.

After saying a few words with her head down, she suddenly heard gasps of surprise from the crowd around her.

Qiao Wu looked up and saw a black car suddenly darting out from behind Lu Yingchi, who was driving normally. The car was going very fast and rushed straight up from behind Lu Yingchi.

Lu Yingchi noticed it too, so he quickly slammed on the brakes. At this moment, if he turned randomly, something bad would happen.

He narrowly missed the other car, which had already sped past him.

"Holy crap, who's that guy? He's so strong!"

"That's too dangerous! The lane markings are so tight!"

"It looks like Young Master Qin..."

With a bang, everyone's conversation was interrupted. They looked towards the source of the sound and saw the beautiful woman who had gotten into the car coldly slam the door shut and get out.

She stared at the screen in silence until the car on the big screen started moving again. Only then did she walk to the finish line, lower her eyes, and gently squeeze her wrist.

Qin Tianrui felt extremely pleased with himself for overtaking Lu Yingchi's car.

He started behind Lu Yingchi, holding his breath and pressing the accelerator, and actually saw the rear of Lu Yingchi's car.

It seems that Lu Yingchi is not as aggressive in driving his four-wheeled vehicle as before. Seeing that he was about to reach the finish line, the road was not as steep as before, and there were speed bumps on both sides, so he stepped on the gas and sped up behind Lu Yingchi.

He crossed the finish line, but didn't get off the bus.

Given Lu Yingchi's temper, he'll definitely start a fight with him when he gets here. He's not stupid enough to make a move here.

But the next second someone knocked on his car window, and when he turned around, it was Qiao Wu.

Qin Tianrui frowned: "What are you doing?"

Qiao Wu put his hands together and said, "Get down."

Her expression was unreadable; she remained calm, likely having witnessed the earlier scene and coming to defend Lu Yingchi.

Qin Tianrui didn't think too much about it. Today wasn't at the Lu family's house, and his brother wasn't there either. He had just overtaken another car normally, so what grand principles could Qiao Wu possibly have to say?

So he opened the car door.

But as soon as the car door opened a crack, Qiao Wu, who had been standing lazily with his hands draped over his arm, suddenly grabbed his wrist as he opened the car door.

Qin Tianrui was startled and before he could react, he was swiftly pulled off the car. Before his legs even touched the ground and he was prepared, he lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Those who had previously seen Qiao Wu and Lu Yingchi come together and deal with Hu Zhuo and Hong Cheng's people all retreated in fear and dared not interfere.

Qin Tianrui had no chance to resist at all. After being dragged to the ground, his mouth was full of yellow dirt.

The next second, one of his hands was tied behind his back, a foot was placed on his back, and the other person grabbed his clothes with their other hand, forcing him to lift his upper body.

From his perspective, all he could see was Qiao Wu's cold gaze as he leaned down.

"Qin Tianrui." Qiao Wu called him by his full name for the first time, without a trace of a smile. A chill ran through the room. Her voice was so low yet so clear, "So eager to die?"

"Qiao Wu!" Qin Tianrui was horrified to discover that she had completely restrained him and he couldn't move at all.

Where did she get such strength?!

"You're just a butler, if you dare touch me, my brother won't let you get away with it!"

But Qiao Wu not only didn't let go of him, he actually pressed down harder.

The grip on his hand loosened, and before Qin Tianrui even touched the ground, he was slapped in the face, making him see stars.

"Your brother?" Qiao Wu pressed his fingertips against his forehead. "Is this all you're good for? You can't say anything else besides your brother, can you? No matter how much money your brother spends, he only raises you into this useless piece of trash. Just step on the gas and be done with it. Then you can go tell the King of Hell that your brother has come and ask him to let you come back. How about that?"

When Lu Yingchi arrived at the finish line, he realized that something was wrong. He knew whose car it was and that they had come to settle scores with Qin Tianrui.

But to everyone's surprise, Qin Tianrui was already on the ground, pinned down by Qiao Wu's knee.

Lu Yingchi's anger froze instantly.

Was Qiao Wu avenging him? Did Qiao Wu actually make a move?

Last time they only slapped Hu Zhuo and his gang once, but now they've actually knocked them down?!

He coughed lightly, and when he saw the symmetrical handprints on Qin Tianrui's two sides, he didn't even feel the pain in his own face anymore. He walked up to him and asked in a sarcastic tone, "Oh dear, Young Master Qin, what happened?"

The people around: "..."

Could you please press down the corners of your mouth a little?

Throughout Qin Tianrui's life, no one except his brother has ever dared to touch a single hair on his head.

He was trembling with rage: "Security guards, where the hell are the security guards?!"

Qiao Wu glanced around and said, "Let's see who dares to come up."

In front of everyone, she pressed her knee against Qin Tianrui's back, held his hand down with one hand, and took out her phone to make a call with the other.

The other end answered within seconds.

Qiao Wu turned on speakerphone and said to the other end, "President Qin, I hit your brother."

Qin Lian, on the other side, was somewhat surprised, but upon reflection, it made perfect sense.

He nodded and said, "Well done, thank you for your hard work."

Qin Tianrui: "!!!"

Qiao Wu hung up the phone and slapped Qin Tianrui again, making his other cheek symmetrical.

"Did you hear that?" she said coldly. "Even if I bury you right here today, your brother will cover for me."

Lu Jinzhi, who had a panoramic view of the entire scene from the terrace, remained silent for a long time.

"President Lu," Jiang Yuan said, a little apprehensive, "should we do something about it?"

Lu Jinzhi then smiled: "Isn't someone in charge now?"

"?"

Then Jiang Yuan saw Lu Jinzhi take out his phone, find the blacklist, unblock Qin Lian, and make a call.

Qin Lian's tone was not good: "What's the matter?"

Lu Jinzhi's voice was gentle, even very polite.

"The Qin family is so strapped for cash that they can't afford to hire anyone. Do you need my butler to help you discipline your wayward younger brother?"

Qin Lian's head throbbed from the mockery: "Lu Jinzhi, are you having another princess episode?"

"Settle the bill," Lu Jinzhi said slowly. "Hitting people hurts your hands."

He glanced at Qiao Wu, his smile deepening, and added gently, "My butler is very expensive."