Chapter 44 (Second Update)

The charity forum started at 2 p.m., and Qiao Wu arrived in the morning and had lunch at the hotel.

Thinking that it was Young Master Lu's first time participating in a group activity, I took this opportunity to call him and ask how he felt.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other end didn't sound very good; it was drowsy and impatient, giving Young Master Lu a full stack of buffs.

"Not there yet?"

Lu Yingchi gets angry just thinking about it.

"We have to leave from school for the morning assembly, and the bus ride is so crowded and stuffy, it's like being in a stroller," he complained. "We can't even stretch our legs to sleep, and it's already dark when we get to our destination."

I don't know how those people next to me can sit still. It's only a two-day weekend, and they'll spend half of it on the bus. Wouldn't it be better to just rent a hotel room and sleep in?

"I'll come find you when I get there."

Qiao Wu was somewhat surprised.

Lu Yingchi was forced to study back then. Although the school he attended wasn't top-tier, it was still a first-tier university. He went on an autumn outing with his classmates, and they were all young people who had just entered university. How could they feel bored?

"You didn't get angry with anyone, did you?" she asked.

"I'd like to," Lu Yingchi said, glancing at the people who were practically 800 meters away from him. "But they don't even acknowledge me."

Forget about acknowledging them; he suspected these classmates had been given a drug to make them mute. They were so young yet had no voice at all. The whole bus was deathly silent, so quiet that he suspected his voice echoed in the bus, and that people around him could hear him talking on the phone.

The atmosphere made him drowsy, but he couldn't fall asleep because his head kept hitting the window.

Lu Yingchi couldn't understand why he had to be so stupid as to listen to Qiao Wu. Even if he didn't be friends with these people, his world wouldn't fall apart.

That's fucking ridiculous.

After listening, Qiao Wu understood.

"Young Master Lu, don't you want to think about what kind of image you had in your classmates' eyes before?"

Hearing some comforting sounds from Qiao Wu on the phone improved Lu Yingchi's mood a bit, and he hummed softly, "Tall, rich, and handsome."

Fei Jingming, who was standing to the side, shuddered.

I almost burst out laughing.

Lu Yingchi looked at him strangely. What was wrong with him? He was afraid of saying such things. What kind of courage did he have?

Who is Hu Zhuo?

Lu Yingchi: "Idiot."

"So what kind of person were you when you used to hang out with them?"

"..." Lu Yingchi sat up straight, laughing in exasperation, "Are you insulting me indirectly?"

"Birds of a feather flock together, don't you think?" Qiao Wu reminded him. "Don't look so sullen, it's normal for others to be afraid of you."

But considering Lu Yingchi's personality and the unpredictability of the situation, she didn't make any absolute statements: "If you really don't find it fun, come find me. I'll send you the hotel address in a bit."

Lu Yingchi gave a curt "hmm" without any emotion.

After hanging up the phone, he suddenly turned his head and looked at Fei Jingming, who had almost moved his body onto other classmates, with a deep gaze.

Fei Jingming felt a little uneasy under the gaze. Had he been caught chuckling to himself?

Lu Yingchi raised his chin: "Fei Jingming?"

"W-What's wrong?"

The other students on the bus immediately became alert and furtively looked back.

If Lu Yingchi gets into a conflict with the class monitor, everyone will definitely help the class monitor. There's strength in numbers, so they should be able to subdue Lu Yingchi.

"Stop stuttering." Lu Yingchi rested his hand on the back of the chair in front of him, leaning to one side in a slightly irritated manner. "I've thought about it for a long time, and I really don't remember anyone like you, nor have I ever talked to you much."

Fei Jingming immediately explained, "No!"

"Am I pricking you with needles, why are you hiding so far away?"

Honestly, Fei Jingming pointed to his long legs and said, "Aren't you uncomfortable sitting with such long legs? I'll give you some space."

"..."

Lu Yingchi glanced down, his expression becoming even stranger: "Then why are you trembling when I'm talking to you?"

It's hard to say about Fei Jingming. If he were afraid of him, wouldn't the young master have already lost his temper on the spot?

Receiving no reply, Lu Yingchi said with a dark face, "Since I didn't provoke you, but you still don't like me, then blame it on the fact that I'm too outstanding for you to be worthy of."

“But!” he raised his voice slightly, “if you look at me with that intimidating gaze you give Hu Zhuo, I’ll definitely beat you up.”

Because the car was too quiet, and Fei Jingming was sitting right next to Lu Yingchi, and the young master wasn't trying to hide his phone call, he probably overheard some of the conversation.

He had a vague feeling that something was wrong; Lu Yingchi seemed to be different from what they had imagined.

However, it was clear that Lu Yingchi did not intend to discuss it with him, but rather to express his own opinion, because the young master sat back down and glared at him: "Sit properly, I didn't pay the class fees for two people."

Fei Jingming glanced at his posture and thought for a moment: "Shall we switch seats?"

His leg is closer to the aisle, so at least Lu Yingchi will feel more comfortable stretching his legs there.

Lu Yingchi glanced at it and really wanted to change it, but he was worried that the person would turn around and say that he was scared.

"There's no need."

"I get a little carsick, so sitting by the window helps," Fei Jingming said.

“You said it yourself,” Lu Yingchi warned again, just to be on the safe side. “If anyone tells you I forced you, I’ll beat you up.”

Fei Jingming almost laughed again: "I understand."

"Then sit here," the person next to Fei Jingming said in a low voice. "This is the aisle, so you can stretch your legs."

It can extend to the front of the car from any position.

Lu Yingchi really didn't want to stay here for several hours, so he simply stood up and said, "Consider this as something I bought for you, give me your payment QR code."

"No need, no need, it's just one seat." The man immediately stood up, picked up his bag, and said, "Please come over."

"Don't use formal terms," ​​Lu Yingchi frowned. "Are you mocking me?"

"No, no."

Lu Yingchi finally switched places with him and was finally able to feel more comfortable.

He crossed his long legs and thought of another question, asking Fei Jingming next to him, "Then what's his name?"

"Ye Liang".

"Hmm." Lu Yingchi walked past the class monitor in the middle, snapped his fingers in front of the boy, and said, "Ye Liang, thanks."

"You're welcome."

We stopped at a service area for a few minutes to allow everyone to use the restroom.

Lu Yingchi was too lazy to get out of the car. He sat in his seat and opened the address Qiao Wu had given him to see how far away it was and when he could get there.

Then a bottle of water appeared in front of him, and he looked up to see Fei Jingming.

"I see you didn't bring a bag, so I'll offer you some water." Fei Jingming sat down next to him. After all, he was the class monitor. After the initial fear of not knowing him, he found that Lu Yingchi wasn't so scary, so he quickly calmed down.

"My attitude was wrong today, please don't take it to heart."

Lu Yingchi stared at the bottle of water for two seconds before taking it.

In his circle, there's never the concept of offering drinks; it's usually about inviting you to drink and letting you splurge. They'll just throw a credit card at you and let you spend it however you want.

He opened the water bottle and took two sips.

Seeing this, Fei Jingming said, "We don't mean you any harm. We're just a little unfamiliar with you. It was the same when we didn't know each other during military training."

Lu Yingchi did not participate in the military training. He obtained a certificate from his own hospital and never showed his face.

He glanced at the classmates outside the car who had been sealed away as soon as they got off, then pointed to himself: "Are they afraid to speak because I'm in the car?"

"Ahem." Fei Jingming scratched his head. "Part of the reason, but it shouldn't be the whole reason."

"That's it." Lu Yingchi couldn't understand it. He wasn't a demon, and he hadn't done anything to the person, yet they were so scared that they were trembling and dared not make a sound.

“Let them talk,” he said viciously. “If they don’t, I’ll beat them up.”

Fei Jingming: "..."

Although the words were a bit rough, Fei Jingming roughly understood what Lu Yingchi meant.

So after everyone got on the bus, he sent a message to the class's Youth League secretary, then stood up and clapped his hands: "Classmates, today is our first group trip since entering university. We may not have this opportunity again in the future, so everyone, don't be shy, have fun however you like!"

"As per our previous activity plan, the branch secretary specially rented a sound system from the activity center. On the way to the scenic spot, the performers can participate in a lucky draw for prize blind boxes. Everyone is actively participating! Let me set the example for you!"

Lu Yingchi stared in disbelief at the speaker placed in front of him. Was this how they played on an autumn outing?

How tacky!

Moreover, Fei Jingming was indeed too confident in himself; his singing was really awful.

But he endured it for the sake of that bottle of water.

This kind of activity might seem a bit old-fashioned to everyone, but since it's everyone's first time out and having this kind of experience, everyone is eager to participate and have some fun.

Furthermore, the atmosphere in the car had been tense because of fear of Lu Yingchi, but now that someone had spoken up and Lu Yingchi didn't seem to say anything, everyone became bolder and started to try to participate.

The class monitor was a small girl carrying a large backpack full of blind boxes wrapped in gift paper. She would hand one out to anyone who performed.

Lu Yingchi watched as Fei Jingming quickly opened the blind box in his hand; it was a rather cute little figurine.

He has plenty of these figurines in his room, including limited editions.

Noticing his gaze, Fei Jingming turned his head and asked, "Do you want to give it a try?"

"No."

Embarrassing.

"Maybe after you try it, people won't be so afraid of you anymore."

Lu Yingchi's eyes showed suspicion.

Fei Jingming seized the opportunity: "I'll have the Youth League secretary give you the microphone."

Before Lu Yingchi could react, the microphone was already in his hand, and the car fell silent again.

For a fleeting moment, he gripped the microphone and wanted to shove it at Fei Jingming.

But Fei Jingming was really helpful and asked him, "I've connected via Bluetooth, do you want some accompaniment?"

Lu Yingchi thought for two seconds, then simply stood up with the microphone and walked to the front of the car. He picked up the phone next to them that was playing the accompaniment music, tapped it a few times, but didn't play it. Instead, he glanced at everyone and said, "I'll just say one thing: Hu Zhuo and I are not on the same side. Don't make baseless accusations."

No one dared to utter a sound, but Lu Yingchi's accompaniment had already begun.

For the fourth young master, who has been living a carefree life for so many years, singing a song is not a difficult task.

He casually sang a bit along, as a way of repaying Fei Jingming for the bottle of water, and then cut off the accompaniment.

Damn, it's different from being in a bar or KTV. It feels like I'm being watched like a monkey.

He's not Lu Jinzhi.

As soon as the microphone was shoved into Fei Jingming's arms, people below started clapping.

"Lu Yingchi, you sing so well!" Fei Jingming said in a daze.

Someone below shouted, "One more song!"

Then the other students joined in the commotion.

Unlike his previous cronies, this time the cheers were genuine and heartfelt.

The class monitor quickly shoved a blind box into his hand, his face flushed with excitement: "Lu Yingchi, you're amazing! You're practically a professional singer!"

Lu Yingchi was stunned for a moment.

When others praised him for being amazing, they expected him to pay for it; now, when people praise him for being amazing, they expect him to receive a prize.

He turned the small blind box in his hand and suddenly understood the fun of the transformation.

"Do you know Lu Xuan?" he asked.

"Huh?" The others were somewhat confused.

Suddenly, someone raised their phone and pointed at the screen: "You're not talking about that really handsome trainee who was officially announced in the actor training camp these past few days, are you?"

Lu Yingchi squinted at it.

So this show has started airing. Qiao Wu even went to film it. He's going to see what kind of garbage Lu Xuan can put on.

“It’s him,” Lu Yingchi said arrogantly. “If I debut, he won’t stand a chance.”

Everyone crowded around to see what the student looked like, but suddenly they noticed that Lu Yingchi and this Lu Xuan looked strangely similar.

Perhaps because they saw that Lu Yingchi was performing just like everyone else, people didn't feel that deep distance from him. He was just a pure college student, so there was no sense of distance or distance between them.

So some people asked out of curiosity, "What's your relationship?"

It would be quite presumptuous for an ordinary person to ask such a question, but this is Lu Yingchi.

Let alone having a relationship with a minor actor, they would believe it even if he were brothers with a top star.

Lu Yingchi leaned back in the chair next to his classmate, unpacking a blind box as he said, "By blood, he's five years older than me."

"..."

He's five years older than me, he's only 23!

Wait a minute, so Lu Xuan is Lu Yingchi's older brother?!

“Biologically speaking,” Lu Yingchi laughed maliciously, “he’s a stupid dog.”

He added, "His acting is terrible, don't vote for him."

The classmate whispered in defense: "Actually, I think he acted pretty well in the trailer."

“Impossible.” Lu Yingchi said without hesitation, “You haven’t seen the TV series he acted in? I’ll post it in the class group later, and you can all take a look.”

No, are you really blood brothers?

The blind box has been opened; it contains a dog pendant.

But Lu Yingchi never carries a bag; he always only has a car key on him.

He stared at the pendant for a few seconds, then stuffed it into his pocket, intending to give it to Qiao Wu when he saw her. She often went out to work these days, so she could hang it on her bag.

Thinking of this, he lowered his head and sent a message to Qiao Wu.

"I'm participating in a reality show called 'Transformation,' I'll come find you later."

Qiao Wu, who had just finished eating, couldn't help but laugh when he saw the message.

Guo Liyan, who had already started working, asked upon seeing this, "What's wrong?"

He rarely saw Qiao Wu smile so softly and kindly; it was as if his whole being was covered by a gentle filter.

"Lu Yingchi," Qiao Wu said with a smile, "went on an autumn outing with his classmates and even won a prize."

Guo Liyan was actually quite curious. Qiao Wu had said she was the Lu family's housekeeper, but she didn't act like a superior to subordinate when interacting with the Lu family members.

Lu Yingchi would call her to share his experiences when he went out, which seemed like he was reporting to her.

"How long have you known Chairman Qiao and Lu Yingchi?" he asked.

Qiao Wu: "Eighteen years."

Guo Liyan was startled.

Does that mean Lu Yingchi and Lu Yingchi were born together?

"Book him a room later," Qiao Wu said. "He should be coming over tonight."

"Isn't this an autumn outing?"

"He can't stay still."

The school's autumn outing was funded by class funds, so they wouldn't book executive suites for them. Besides, Lu Yingchi is very energetic. Knowing that she's here, he'll definitely be eager to come and share the experience with her after everyone else has rested, and then go back early the next day.

Guo Liyan nodded: "Okay."

Hearing the indulgence in Qiao Wu's voice, he suddenly felt quite envious of Lu Yingchi.

As the two walked out of the restaurant, they bumped into a familiar person.

The person who came in paused for a moment when they saw Qiao Wu, then stopped and called out with a slight frown, "Sister."

Qiao Wu raised an eyebrow slightly.

The last time I met Zhong Min, we barely exchanged a few words. He's changed quite a bit lately; he even calls her "sister" now.

She asked, "Are you alone?"

"She's been taking care of her health lately, so she can't travel too much."

"Okay." Qiao Wu turned slightly to the side. "Enjoy your meal."

But Zhong Min didn't leave. He came to the charity forum alone, which was also his first time participating in the company's activities on his own. He would stay here for a few more days to follow up on the charity projects. As a newcomer to the company, he also needed to establish a good public image.

Before he came, his sister said that Qiao Wu was attending the Lu family event this time, and Qiao Wu is now the chairman of the Lu family foundation.

Although they were only a few years apart in age, Qiao Wu seemed much more composed and calm than him.

Zhong Min gently rubbed his side, then suddenly stretched out his hand: "Please give me your guidance."

Qiao Wu smiled and shook hands with him: "See you this afternoon."

After returning to his seat, Lu Yingchi remembered that his classmates had said Lu Xuan's program had aired, so he quickly opened the video app.

It was indeed a popular program, with an advertisement right on the opening screen. Lu Xuan's face was prominently displayed in the center. Compared to the others, he was reasonably good-looking, and he vaguely inherited some of Lu Xuan's good looks.

Lu Yingchi first sent Lu Ning a link: "Homework paused, come see the joke."

It was the weekend, and Lu Ning was bored at home, so she quickly replied with an OK emoji.

"I've never met a classmate whose brother is a celebrity before," said the classmate next to me. "I'll have to get a membership and see for myself."

Lu Yingchi stopped him and handed him his phone: "Take a look."

The student looked bewildered: "Huh?"

Lu Yingchi was very objective: "His acting skills are not worth 25."

"..."

The main reason is that Lu Yingchi felt there was a high probability that Lu Xuan would return in less than a month, which would be a waste of his membership.

The pilot episode was very short, just a brief introduction to each trainee. The production team is good at creating hype, knowing who has the most buzz and who has the most viewers, so they focus the camera on that person more. Not long after, we saw Lu Xuan in the pilot episode.

Lu Yingchi specifically turned on the bullet comments.

Who is this handsome guy? He's so good-looking!

Ha, no taste.

[Can't I tell if his acting is good or bad? I'll vote for him!]

Being a "face-value enthusiast" is superficial!

[Wake up, everyone! Is there anyone who doesn't know Lu Xuan? The third young master of the Lu Group, his acting is terrible, he acts like a diva, and his character is awful. Don't be fooled by his face.]

Lu Yingchi narrowed his eyes slightly.

[Go search it up, there's a lot of dirt on him. He's not a big star, but he's a big name. He's a rich second-generation who doesn't know how to behave, just because he's rich and powerful. I heard he's even keeping a minor celebrity as a mistress.]

[He's just trying to gild his own image, isn't he? There's definitely something fishy going on. Didn't you see his resume? He has no actual work to show for it.]

There were significantly more comments here, with all sorts of opinions.

Ye Liang noticed that Lu Yingchi's expression wasn't good: "They're all haters. They'll criticize anything without considering the facts. Don't worry about them."

"Is this the kind of circle Lu Xuan works in?" Lu Yingchi turned off the comments in annoyance. "It's one thing to criticize Lu Xuan's acting skills, but what kind of nonsense is that?"

He frowned and clarified: "Lu Xuan does not keep any celebrities as mistresses. He is still a virgin! He is very narcissistic and doesn't care about people who are not as good-looking as him."

Ye Liang: "...?"

After a while, Lu Yingchi said again, "What's with the diva-like behavior? He's always been a diva, why would he need to act like that?"

"It's not that he doesn't have any works. The TV series I posted in the class group is one of his works. You guys can check it out."

Ye Liang thought to himself: Who was that person who just called his brother a dog? And said he wasn't even worth 25.

After turning off the bullet comments, the screen became clean.

After the students' information was played in the video, interviews with their relatives and friends were shown.

Ye Liang's attention was instantly drawn to that face, so beautiful it seemed unreal under the light, and he murmured, "Is this also part of your family? Your sister?"

"No." Lu Yingchi glanced at the screen, patiently read on, and then changed his tune, "They are from my family."

Then he roughly pulled off Lu Xuan's underwear.

“But actually, her relationship with Lu Xuan is just so-so,” he said. “She went on the show entirely because Lu Xuan gave her money, a card, to buy her four days of service.”

Ye Liang: "Is this something you can tell me?"

"What's there to hide? He dares to do it in front of me, why would he be afraid of me saying anything?" Lu Yingchi didn't care and was quite serious. "She's closer to me. I'm going to see her tonight, you know? She just sent me her address."

Yes, yes, yes.

Then the assistant director's voice came on screen: "So you two are childhood sweethearts. What kind of person do you think he is?"

Childhood sweethearts?

What nonsense are you spouting?

Did this director not learn Chinese well? Is this how you use the word "childhood sweetheart"?

"He is a clumsy person, clumsy to the point of being naive."

Lu Yingchi's expression was somewhat distorted.

“It’s because of money,” he said. “This is to save face for Lu Xuan. Lu Xuan is naive? He’s just naive and stupid.”

Ye Liang: "Hmm."

On the screen, Qiao Wu smiled gently: "I will always have a bias towards him."

This time, even without Lu Yingchi saying anything, Ye Liang could sense the tension from the veins on the hand gripping the phone. He spoke first: "It's just about money. You're going to see her tonight, right?"

Lu Yingchi's mind was filled with the word "bias".

Whom will you always favor?

That bastard Lu Xuan, he doesn't even deserve to be called one!