Chapter 71 Backflip

Qiao Wu went back to playing ball.

Seeing Lu Yingchi standing in the corner looking like he wanted to devour someone, Fei Jingming moved closer: "What's with that expression?"

Lu Yingchi was very irritable, but he couldn't explain why he was irritable. He turned around and poured more wine into his glass, then drank it down in one gulp.

“Someone is pursuing her,” he said viciously.

"..." Fei Jingming genuinely felt that Lu Yingchi might be out of his mind. "Didn't you say this wasn't strange?"

I won't listen, I won't listen, the Bodhisattva is chanting sutras.

Lu Yingchi ignored him and slammed the bottle on the table: "If I catch you, hmph."

"Lu Yingchi," Fei Jingming lowered his voice, "How old is Qiao Wu this year?"

"twenty two."

“Yes, she’s 22, which is the legal marriage age. Even if someone pursues her, it’s none of your business if she wants to date and marry someone,” Fei Jingming said. “Your Lu family isn’t the Heavenly Court; do you have rules prohibiting people from dating?”

It would have been better if he hadn't said anything, because once he did, Lu Yingchi suddenly realized something: "You reminded me."

I'll add a new rule to the family rules tonight.

You are not allowed to date casually.

"Are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

“I heard you.” Lu Yingchi’s lips moved, and looking at the person surrounded by everyone, he said stubbornly, “But I don’t think it will work.”

No one will do.

Fei Jingming raised an eyebrow: "Then who can do it, you?"

"Bullshit!" Lu Yingchi denied instinctively, "I can't either."

But after saying that, he was momentarily confused.

He imagined himself standing next to Qiao Wu, but... Lu Yingchi couldn't accept it.

He had been chasing after and looking up to Qiao Wu for far too long. When they were children, they could still have some common topics to talk about, but in the blink of an eye, she had surpassed him by a great deal.

He felt a bitter taste in his mouth, thinking that he wasn't even worthy of her.

He just wanted her to always be in front of him, even if it meant he had to keep chasing her like this.

Please, please don't let her attention be given to anyone else.

Fei Jingming had never met anyone like this before. He didn't want to talk, and he wouldn't let others talk either. It was impossible to get through to him.

In the end, all I can say is, "I wish you success."

-

After finishing his overtime work at the company, Lu Jinzhi did not go to Jingshui Villa, but returned to the Lu residence.

But the house was unusually quiet. When he returned to his room, he only saw Lu Ning lying on the floor playing with the kitten; the others were nowhere to be seen.

Qiao Wu is supposed to give Lu Yingchi guidance today, but it's already 9 p.m.

"Where is Qiao Wu?" he asked.

"I'm playing with Lu Yingchi and the others in the recreation room." Lu Ning is too young to drink alcohol, so she ran back to play with Wuwu after a short while. "I don't understand the games that adults play."

Lu Jinzhi paused slightly as he untied his tie: "An adult game?"

“Yes.” Lu Ning nodded. “It’s a chaotic scene. Qiao Wu drank a lot of alcohol today, and Lu Xuan even said she doesn’t like the taste of alcohol.”

Lu Jinzhi stopped what he was about to do to change his coat, turned around and walked out again.

Lu Ning peeked out and asked, "Second Uncle, where are you going?"

The only answer she received was a man's flat voice: "Exorcism."

Qiao Wu did drink quite a bit today because she was in a really good mood.

In her previous life, she was busy studying and surviving and didn't have much time to rest. In this life, twelve years were stolen from her, so she didn't experience the most unforgettable and carefree stage of life that everyone should have.

Lu Yingchi's classmates were all very optimistic and positive, which allowed her to steal a little bit of the time she had missed, to the point that she poured almost all her emotions into it.

Infected by everyone's enthusiastic emotions, she also let loose, which was rare for her.

She might indulge herself in getting drunk at home just this once, but when she wakes up the next day, she'll still be herself.

Everyone is now sitting in a circle, bringing out all the games they usually play at school gatherings, and they've even started playing Truth or Dare.

Qiao Wu felt a little dizzy, so he stopped and sat lazily on the single sofa in the corner, listening to them expose each other's shortcomings.

The floor was carpeted, and Lu Yingchi sat on the floor next to her sofa, his big head occasionally rubbing against her elbow as he spun a wine bottle forward.

Every time he brushed against him, he couldn't help but turn his head to take a look. He found that Qiao Wu was leaning against the other armrest and hadn't noticed his movements, so he sat down with more peace of mind.

They got closer and closer.

He only stopped, satisfied, when the hand casually placed to one side lightly touched his hair and earlobe.

Glug glug.

The empty wine bottle spun on the table once more.

The Lu family didn't have any cards for Truth or Dare, so they could only play with bottles; whoever was pointed at lost.

This time, the bottle opening was pointed at Chen Caiwen.

As one of only two girls present, she wasn't made to feel too bad; instead, the others used their phones to draw truth or dare questions for her.

Chen Caiwen pointed to one of them.

"Do you have someone you like?"

There was a moment of silence. Fei Jingming tentatively asked, "Shall we order another one?"

In fact, apart from Lu Yingchi, everyone else could see it to some extent.

But Lu Yingchi was too straightforward, and no one wanted to make the situation too ugly.

"No need." Chen Caiwen took a sip of wine and quickly glanced at Lu Yingchi.

But the other person didn't even look at her; instead, they turned their head and stared at the hand on the side of their face.

Chen Caiwen sighed inwardly, then looked away, finally bringing this unrequited love to a close: "Yes."

No one asked her who she was anymore.

Everyone tacitly continued to the next round.

Qiao Wu, who had been watching them play, raised an eyebrow slightly. Even though she was a little slow after drinking, she could still tell what her younger siblings were thinking. They were too easy to guess.

She glanced at the large golden retriever next to the sofa.

However, due to the blind spot, she couldn't see clearly what Lu Yingchi was doing.

If she meets the right person in college, there's nothing wrong with having a relationship; she's actually looking forward to that day.

Unable to resist her gossipy nature, she straightened up to see Lu Yingchi's reaction, but as she moved her hand, her fingertips suddenly touched something burning hot.

Lu Yingchi, who was sitting on the sofa with his head down, suddenly raised his head and stared at him with wide eyes.

He drank quite a bit today, and his face was flushed from the alcohol; I just touched his face.

Lu Yingchi probably didn't expect to run into her, so his eyes showed some shock and evasion.

Qiao Wu, remembering that there was a girl who was interested in him there, withdrew his hand and said, "Stay away."

I hadn't noticed it before!

Lu Yingchi breathed a sigh of relief and subtly moved a millimeter to the side: "Oh."

After several classmates had finished spinning the bottle once, seeing who was facing the person with the bottle neck, they wisely said, "Let's do it again!"

Sister Qiao is fine with me playing with her; who would dare to pry into her privacy?

Before Fei Jingming could even turn the bottle, Lu Yingchi suddenly leaned forward and pressed down on the bottle opening. He raised his eyebrows and turned back: "Your turn."

Qiao Wu, who was being targeted, hadn't participated in the game, but since the bottle was pointed at her, she didn't mind playing a round and casually said, "Ask away."

No one dared to ask, except for Lu Yingchi, whose eyes darted around: "Who do you think is the person who's been pursuing you?"

Qiao Wu: "..."

She slowly turned her head to look at Lu Yingchi.

The eagerness in this person's eyes couldn't be more obvious.

It was as if if she answered, he would rush up to her and settle the score the next second.

She asked helplessly, "How many drinks should I drink as punishment?"

"Five cups as punishment for not answering." Lu Yingchi frowned. "You can't drink anymore, and you can't even say your name?"

Qiao Wu reached out to pour the wine: "Mm."

Lu Yingchi pressed down on her hand holding the wine, asking with obvious displeasure, "Why?"

"It's disrespectful to people." Qiao Wu made up an excuse casually, "If we don't catch up, we should protect their privacy."

Didn't catch up?!

We can't catch up!

Hahahaha!!!

Lu Yingchi was instantly thrilled.

"Yes, yes, yes." His gloomy mood brightened instantly. "We should save face for others."

Qiao Wu looked at the hand on his wrist and was about to open it when the room fell silent instantly.

The gazes of everyone sitting opposite her became vacant, as if they were looking behind her.

Qiao Wu tilted her head, but suddenly a hand reached out from the side of her face and slapped Lu Yingchi's hand away.

With this movement, the unfastened coat of the person behind her fell to the side of her face, almost covering half of her body, and it seemed that the back of her head touched something.

In the room filled with the aroma of wine, the scent of the person behind me stood out as particularly refreshing.

"Lu Jinzhi?"

Before she could say anything, Lu Yingchi, who had just been slapped, turned around menacingly, his expression freezing when he saw who it was.

What are you doing here?

Lu Jinzhi had never set foot in the family's recreation room; a person like him would disdain such superficial entertainment.

Lu Jinzhi did not answer him.

Instead, he maintained his bent-over posture and looked down at the person in front of him: "How many drinks?"

Before Qiao Wu could react, he subconsciously answered, "Five cups."

The next second, the hand that was hovering in mid-air on the back of her hand moved. It placed one hand on the back of her sofa and pressed its body down further.

Qiao Wu then realized that what had touched the back of her head was his tie. She had to move her body to the side, but when she turned her head, she saw Lu Jinzhi's hand next to her ear.

Lu Jinzhi took a clean glass from the table and poured it back, then the second, the third... the fifth, and then poured the wine in.

Amidst everyone's still stunned gazes, he downed all five glasses of wine.

He straightened up only after the last empty cup landed on the table, and slowly said to Qiao Wu, "I came to find you."

"She's just playing games with us," Lu Yingchi said with dissatisfaction. "What time is it? We'll talk about work tomorrow. Are you some kind of skinflint?"

Lu Jinzhi rolled his troublesome and restless head away like a ball, and said emotionlessly, "I'll skin you alive."

"?"

Lu Yingchi, whose credit card was suspended and who was stripped of his right to be a father, had been displeased with Lu Jinzhi for a long time. Taking advantage of his drunkenness, he rolled up his sleeves and stood up: "Lu Jinzhi, don't think I'm afraid of you. I'm going to have a father-father duel with you right now!"

"I have no interest in competing with Lu Jiang for jobs." Lu Jinzhi pressed down on his shoulder, then turned to ask Qiao Wu, "Still want to play?"

Qiao Wu finally regained some of his senses.

If she says she wants to continue playing now, Lu Jinzhi will definitely sit down and play with her without hesitation.

The scene was so beautiful that she almost dared not look at it.

Since she didn't have much to do right now, she stood up and said, "You guys play first, we're going to talk about something."

Lu Jinzhi then let go of her hand, nodded to the group of dumbfounded young people, and walked downstairs with Qiao Wu.

"Damn." Lu Yingchi shrugged. "Isn't this monkey supposed to just sit in an office all the time? He's got such a strong physique!"

I massaged his shoulders until they hurt!

Several classmates asked curiously, "Lu Yingchi, who is that person...?"

“Lu Jinzhi, never heard of him?” Lu Yingchi frowned. “Didn’t you find him when you were researching? He’s a rare species in my family. If you’re interested, give me 50 yuan for a ticket next time, and I’ll let you see him once a week.”

"..."

nerve.

Of course I've found it.

As a role model for the younger generation of entrepreneurs, Lu Jinzhi is practically a god-like figure.

But looking at online pictures is nothing like looking at real people!

"Rare species?"

Lu Yingchi pointed to his head: "There's something wrong with him. He's not a normal person."

"Isn't he a genius?"

“So he’s not a normal person,” Lu Yingchi said matter-of-factly. “Only those people outside treat him like a god, wanting to see him all the time. In reality, he’s incredibly cunning. All he does is work and read. I suspect he’s become a psychopath.”

"Hiss!" Chen Caiwen's hands trembled with excitement. "A refined scoundrel, a sophisticated schemer, and incredibly handsome!"

Everyone watched her silently.

Chen Caiwen: "The standard for domineering CEOs, even more exciting now."

Everyone: "???"

Girl, what are you doing?! You didn't have this expression just now!

Lu Yingchi looked at her warily: "The word 'domineering CEO' is forbidden in my house. You can't mention it."

"Why?"

"Qiao Wu doesn't like it."

"I think she's fine," Fei Jingming said, stroking his chin. "Your brother even drank with her."

"What do you know?"

Lu Yingchi confidently stated, "It's definitely about getting Qiao Wu to work for him. Lu Jinzhi is a shrewd man; if he wants someone to work for him, he'll have to offer them a little something—just a few drinks. Qiao Wu is with him..."

He was about to say that it was the same when they were kids, and they weren't very familiar with each other.

But remembering that Lu Jinzhi had made a special phone call to him in the village last time, he paused for a moment.

"Anyway, Qiao Wu doesn't like him. My family has a guide to avoiding pitfalls when dealing with domineering CEOs, and every single one of them points to him, which explains everything."

He was quite certain that Qiao Wu had a lot of opinions about Lu Jinzhi.

The crowd was puzzled but impressed.

Meanwhile, after going downstairs, Qiao Wu and Lu Jinzhi walked back to the main house together.

Qiao Wu adjusted his collar: "Why did you come here?"

Lu Jinzhi said slowly and deliberately, "Let's hear how you show me respect."

Qiao Wu: "..."

Did you hear it back then?

Then a soft laugh came from beside her: "I won't deny it."

What are you denying? Are you saying you can't win her over?

"Not giving definitive answers to unknown questions isn't exactly wrong," Qiao Wu said.

Because the two were walking in sync, and she didn't really want to think, she just followed Lu Jinzhi's rhythm. But as she walked, she felt something was off.

Thinking that Lu Jinzhi had come to see her and probably had something to say, she didn't say anything until she arrived at the wine cellar with Lu Jinzhi.

Seeing him approach the bar, Qiao Wu raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Lu Ning is still with her cat." Since Lu Jinzhi had promised to let people into the room, he wouldn't go back on his word.

But he doesn't want to go back so soon.

He laughed and said, "I'll make up for interrupting your fun."

Qiao Wu sat down on the bar stool in front of the bar: "How do we fix it?"

"A private cocktail, would you like some?"

The two had drunk together a few times after they grew up, but Qiao Wu had never heard of Lu Jinzhi being able to mix drinks.

She pointed to the table: "Give it a try."

Seeing him take out the cups and wine, Qiao Wu realized the trick: there was no need to fetch the wine; Lu Jinzhi had already prepared to bring her over.

"What if I don't come with you?" she said with amusement.

Lu Jinzhi straightened the cup: "I'm not so fragile that I'll give up just because I hear someone say they can't win someone over."

He opened the bottle, his eyelids slightly raised: "Opportunity favors the prepared mind."

Qiao Wu was too lazy to argue with him: "When did you learn how to mix drinks?"

"I didn't learn it," Lu Jinzhi said. "I was just looking for a flavor I like."

After joining the company, he inevitably had to attend social events, so he didn't like drinking much. To get used to it, he mixed many flavors that he liked and drank a little every night, which eventually became a habit.

He handed the cup to her: "Want to try some?"

Qiao Wu picked it up and smelled it. She couldn't smell any difference, but after taking a sip, she could taste a faint sweetness. The alcohol flavor wasn't too strong, making it suitable for drinking while chatting, just like drinking tea, which was her favorite flavor.

"Are you talented at everything you do?" she asked curiously.

"Not necessarily." Lu Jinzhi poured himself a glass as well. "You can get rejected even when you're pursuing someone."

"..."

Qiao Wu chuckled: "Is this never going to end?"

"Yes." Lu Jinzhi readily admitted, and smiled, "It's not over yet."

Qiao Wu rested his elbow on the table, propped his chin up, and asked with interest, "What if you really can't win her over?"

Lu Jinzhi paused in his drinking motion. He lowered his eyelashes, his gaze enveloping the drunken woman before him, taking in all the differences in her appearance compared to the past. He chuckled, "Since you've known me, is there anything I've wanted to do that I haven't been able to do?"

No, there really isn't.

Qiao Wu was provoked by his confident tone: "Then you may be about to encounter the first one."

"I won't give definite answers to unknown questions." Lu Jinzhi clinked his glass against hers, seemingly unconcerned about the rejection. "You said it."

The wine was so smooth that Qiao Wu finished the glass before she knew it. As soon as she put down the glass, she noticed that Lu Jinzhi was staring at her intently.

That kind of look you're giving is impolite.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

Lu Jinzhi replaced her cup with another one: "It seems you're quite happy today."

"You can tell?"

“Hmm,” Lu Jinzhi said, “You didn’t like the taste of alcohol before.”

When his older brother was still alive, he would occasionally come over to play with a few younger relatives after finishing his social engagements.

Lu Ning wasn't born yet at that time. Qiao Wu was the only girl in the family, so her older brother naturally took extra care of her.

However, Qiao Wu disliked the smell of alcohol, so whenever her older brother drank, she would sit far away.

"As I grew up, I realized that alcohol can be a good thing sometimes; it's an emotional trigger." Qiao Wu also admitted, "I am indeed very happy today."

Perhaps she had kept many things from the past hidden in her heart, or perhaps she had been alone for too long, or maybe she had drunk too much today.

With someone here to talk to her, and the only one who knew her secret, Qiao Wu felt much less guarded.

“Lu Jinzhi, I envy them,” she said softly.

Lu Jinzhi stopped what he was doing and looked into her eyes: "What are you envious of?"

"I have friends, I have dreams, and I have youth."

That's why she valued the Lu family and Zhong Hejing more than she had imagined.

She doesn't have many friends.

She cherishes it.

At this moment, Lu Jinzhi suddenly had a very novel feeling. He suddenly remembered that at the village entrance, Qiao Wu had asked him, "Will you have a hard time?" At that time, because it was too dark, he could not understand the emotion, but now he seemed to understand it.

"Will it be very hard?"

He brought the question back to him.

Qiao Wu was stunned for a moment.

But her confused mind didn't allow her to recall too many similar fragments. After thinking about it seriously, she shook her head: "Not really."

The exact same answer.

Lu Jinzhi felt he should feel happy about this resonance, but he couldn't feel any joy.

Because he knew very well how he got through that period of time.

"Actually, I already have a lot."

Qiao Wu is not a greedy person. She knows that she now has resources that she could never have imagined in the past, so she will not keep herself trapped in the past for too long, otherwise she will only be able to stop moving forward.

"I just feel a little regretful occasionally," she said.

After saying that, she felt she had been too pretentious, so she pretended to hide her embarrassment by drinking the wine in one gulp.

He then tried to salvage the situation by saying, "But I'm fine."

After she finished speaking, she noticed that Lu Jinzhi hadn't said a word, so she couldn't help but look up at him.

Because he was standing behind the bar, the lighting was a little dimmer. He was leaning on the counter with one hand and holding ice tongs in the other. His eyes no longer held the faint smile he usually did, but were quite serious.

He just stared at her without blinking.

What are you thinking about?

These words seemed to pull Lu Jinzhi out of his previous state. He used tongs to pick up an ice cube and put it in the glass, the ice making a pleasant sound as it collided with the glass.

The darkness in his eyes was replaced by a smile: "I want to kiss you."

"..."

Qiao Wu had never seen anything like this before.

All those chaotic thoughts from before were blasted away by that one sentence, leaving not a trace.

She had drunk too much tonight, and waves of heat were rising within her. Qiao Wu felt she couldn't drink anymore. She put down her glass and stood up: "Are you planning to just give up and not care how many points you lose, huh?"

Seeing this, Lu Jinzhi also put down his things and walked out of the bar to walk alongside her: "Things will turn into their opposites when they reach an extreme."

Qiao Wu said irritably, "Don't seduce yourself."

Lu Jinzhi smiled almost imperceptibly: "You're right."

Qiao Wu shivered from the cold wind and didn't hear what he said: "Huh?"

Then she saw Lu Jinzhi take off his coat.

No way, it's not going to be given to her, is it?

It was quite awkward.

Seeing that he actually raised his hand, Qiao Wu instinctively tried to dodge.

But Lu Jinzhi didn't give her a chance at all, and surrounded her from front to back.

Qiao Wu: "..."

Seriously, what kind of kind person would put their coat on a girl like that?!

She was more shocked than embarrassed.

Lu Jinzhi didn't think he had done anything outrageous. He had just anticipated that Qiao Wu would refuse, so he wrapped her hands around his.

He even tied a knot in her sleeve behind her back.

Qiao Wu took a deep breath, even forgetting that the way he was tying his sleeves looked like he was hugging her, and asked with a straight face, "Do you think this is romantic?"

"This way you won't struggle." Lu Jinzhi fastened his sleeves, glancing sideways at her not-so-happy expression, somewhat bewildered. "Romantic in the cold?"

Qiao Wu was too lazy to talk to him.

She now feels that wearing clothes is no longer ambiguous at all.

She looks like a rice dumpling.

Lu Jinzhi deserved to freeze!

"Aren't you going to let go?" She glanced at Lu Jinzhi's hands, which were still loosely clasped at his sides.

Lu Jinzhi said with a hint of regret, "I've already discovered it."

He let go of her hand, but didn't immediately move the distance between them: "You're right, I did encounter the first thing I couldn't do."

"What's up?"

You finally realize that what you've been doing is inhuman?

She was suddenly gently touched on the top of her head. Just like that day when he had gone too far, Lu Jinzhi moved his thumb from the top of her head forward and pressed on her brow, gently stroking it as if to soothe her.

"It breaks my heart," he said softly.

But he couldn't bring her back to her eighteen-year-old self.

Qiao Wu was stunned for a moment.

She knew what Lu Jinzhi was talking about.

Just then, voices came from afar, indicating that Lu Yingchi and the others had finished. Qiao Wu took a step back, moving away from his touch.

Lu Jinzhi clicked his tongue softly.

The two arrived at the elevator. Qiao Wu had drunk too much that day, and thinking that Lu Ning would be there that night, she decided not to go to Lu Jinzhi's place to see the cat, so she pressed the button for her own floor.

Lu Jinzhi glanced at it but didn't say anything.

The elevator stopped on his floor, but he didn't rush to get out.

Looking down at her clothes, Qiao Wu suddenly realized: "Clothes..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Jinzhi suddenly turned his head and asked quite naturally, "The kitten can do backflips now, shall we go take a look?"

"?"