Chapter 93
Reminded by the system, Qiao Yu came to her senses and saw the video call request on the screen.
After hurriedly connecting the video call, Lu Shangyi's exquisitely made-up face came into view. The woman exuded an air of composure, her bright red lips slightly parted as she asked, "Exams over? What would you like to eat?"
Qiao Yu stared intently at the other woman's slightly tired face, hesitated for a moment, and then politely declined, "No need, no need. Sister Lu, you're so busy, how could I trouble you?" She whispered, "Besides, my mother has been quite strict with me lately."
Lu Shangyi smiled gently upon hearing this, "Alright then."
Qiao Yu was about to speak when a soft knock came from the video. The words she was about to say were quickly cut off, and she said, "Then, Sister Lu, you go ahead and do your work. I'm going to read a book too."
Lu Shangyi nodded, "Get some rest."
Lu Shangyi gently placed her phone on the dark black sandalwood desk, looked up, and asked, "What is it?"
The assistant, holding a folder, said businesslike, "An Yilin called and wanted to invite you to dinner at a hotel near the company." He swallowed hard. "If you don't have time, I'll go and decline now..."
An Yilin had previously made plans with Lu Shangyi, but Lu Shangyi had always declined, citing lack of time.
But the other party was clearly very patient. No matter how many times Lu Shangyi rejected him, he kept calling every now and then. Not to mention Lu Shangyi, even her assistant was getting annoyed for her. She had never seen such an ungrateful person.
However, if she were An Yilin, having finally managed to latch onto a powerful boss, she wouldn't give up so easily.
"No need." Lu Shangyi lowered her head and tidied up the messy files next to her computer. "Go tell him we'll see each other in half an hour."
The assistant was taken aback for a moment, then said, "I'll take care of it right away."
The office door closed gently, and Lu Shangyi stopped what she was doing and instead opened a script shooting progress report belonging to her personal studio. These were all scripts that Qiao Yu had recommended to her all at once. After having all the IPs bought back, Lu Shangyi immediately instructed people to organize a team and start shooting them one after another.
At the same time, she didn't forget to invest heavily in each drama under the name of Qiao Yu.
To outsiders, Qiao Yu is now seen as the biggest investor in these IPs, big or small, and has absolute say in the production team.
Lu Shangyi closed the file and locked it in the safe under the table, then smoothed out the small wrinkles on her clothes. Seeing An Yilin wasn't particularly important, but if she didn't respond after so many attempts, the fish might get away.
Lu Shangyi drove directly into the hotel's underground parking garage, opened the car door, and saw a familiar face.
Aunt Qiao has been feeling incredibly frustrated lately. First, the Lu family ran into trouble, and then Qiao Yu started school. Her secret weapon for keeping the third branch of the family in check slipped through her fingers. How could she not be agitated? She thought things were bad enough, but then Qiao Junhao hooked up with a rich young man who had returned from overseas and landed the hottest project right now, leaving her daughter far behind.
She had tried talking to that young master, but he was unyielding, refusing to budge no matter how much she pleaded. Even promising to marry her daughter to him didn't work. Aunt Qiao was furious and anxious, but helpless.
With the project officially announced, Qiao Junhao's status has risen rapidly, and he has received countless compliments, which has almost driven Qiao's second aunt crazy.
To prevent being completely suppressed by the third wife's family in the future, she had to go around asking people to pull strings to get her daughter into the school. Even if it wasn't as good as Qiao Junhao's, she would be satisfied with just a sinecure.
Although things didn't go smoothly at first, and she encountered setbacks everywhere, just now, a close friend finally revealed to her that Lu Shangyi was meeting with that young master tonight, perhaps to discuss the cooperation. Lu Shangyi's high-profile investment was already common knowledge, so Aunt Qiao immediately took a taxi over without hesitation.
She and Lu Shangyi had little interaction, but Qiao Yu was different. She was Qiao Yu's second aunt, and Lu Shangyi had a good relationship with Qiao Yu. As long as she used Qiao Yu as an emotional bargaining chip, the other party would surely help her out of consideration for Qiao Yu, right?
Aunt Qiao has placed all her hopes on Lu Shangyi today.
Taking a deep breath, Aunt Qiao carefully touched up her makeup in front of the mirror, and only after confirming that she looked perfect did she open the car door with an air of glamour. To her surprise, she turned her head and saw Lu Shangyi sitting in the back seat, ready to get out. He noticed her gaze and calmly looked up at her. His aura, radiating wealth, made Aunt Qiao's heart flutter instantly. "Hello, Mr. Lu."
She spoke up warmly and proactively, "Mr. Lu, it's so late and you haven't eaten yet? How about I treat you?"
Lu Shangyi stared at her, his expression as if he were pondering her identity.
Aunt Qiao tried to suppress her joy and introduced herself, saying, "Mr. Lu, I am Yu Yu's second aunt. We have met before."
"Yuyu often mentions you to me. She says you're beautiful, very capable, and have such courage at such a young age, able to turn the tide and stabilize the situation in a short time. You're her idol and role model." Aunt Qiao didn't care about Qiao Yu's feelings anymore and showered her with compliments. "She also said that a woman like you is incredibly charming, and she's almost smitten with you, wishing she could marry you!"
She spoke for a while without Lu Shangyi responding, until after she finished speaking, she noticed Lu Shangyi raise her eyelids in surprise, "Really?"
"Of course!" Aunt Qiao was overjoyed; there was hope!
After quickly thinking for a moment, Aunt Qiao hurriedly closed the car door after she got out, then walked beside her, saying, "You know Yuyu, she never lies..."
Lu Shangyi chuckled softly, almost imperceptibly, but Aunt Qiao immediately fell silent as if a pause button had been pressed, looking at her with a hint of nervousness and caution. Fortunately, Lu Shangyi wasn't angry; on the contrary, she seemed to be in a good mood. Aunt Qiao couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She continued, "This month, Yuyu's phone was taken away by my sister-in-law. I don't know if she misses you terribly, but she keeps mentioning your name in front of us all the time."
Aunt Qiao pretended to complain and said, "I'm getting tired of hearing it. I've never seen her care so much about missing someone before, from childhood to adulthood."
Lu Shangyi lowered her eyes. "Anything else?"
Aunt Qiao looked up blankly, and Lu Shangyi tilted her head slightly. "Did she mention other people's names?"
Aunt Qiao hesitated for a moment. This was something she had made up out of nothing, how could she possibly know? However... in order to make it seem more real and to make Lu Shangyi believe it more, she immediately said, "Occasionally mention President Bai as well."
"As you know, President Bai and my sister-in-law have been friends for many years. She often comes to our house to sit and talk about business. She also brings Yuyu some delicious food, so it's only natural that Yuyu remembers her fondly."
Aunt Qiao noticed that after she said those words, Lu Shangyi's aura dropped, and the gentle expression on her face vanished instantly.
She immediately realized she had said the wrong thing, and nervously held her breath, afraid to make a sound. After a few seconds of silence, just when Aunt Qiao thought she was going to fail today, Lu Shangyi surprisingly invited her to have a meal together.
Aunt Qiao nodded in agreement without hesitation.
Following Lu Shangyi up the elevator, she indeed saw the young master who had been ignoring her.
An Yilin was somewhat taken aback when he saw Aunt Qiao behind Lu Shangyi. Of course he remembered her, but because of Qiao Junhao, he didn't want to cause any trouble, so he didn't consider her. Otherwise, he could have made a small profit.
His mind was racing, but he didn't show it on his face. He eagerly called over a waiter to pour water for Lu Shangyi, saying, "Please have a seat, Mr. Lu."
Heaven knows how many times he had asked Lu Shangyi out. Although the Lu family had been quite busy lately, Lu Shangyi wasn't entirely without time. After being repeatedly turned down, he was almost losing his patience, but thankfully, Lu Shangyi finally agreed to meet him today.
I glanced at Aunt Qiao, who was in agitated, and there was an unexpected, insignificant person among them, but it wasn't a big problem.
After they were seated, the dishes were served quickly. Lu Shangyi didn't touch her chopsticks. The woman's low voice slowly reached their ears, "I'm sorry." Lu Shangyi raised her chin slightly, "I can't do what I promised you before."
An Yilin was stunned, and her head suddenly started buzzing.
His expression immediately changed. Lu Shangyi was incredibly generous; she was truly a rare and tempting prey. Now that she was gone, where else could he find such a delicious prey?
"Mr. Lu, one must be honest and trustworthy." He said emotionally, "I decided to cooperate with you because I believed in your character."
Lu Shangyi's emotionless gaze swept over, and An Yilin froze, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. He immediately lost his composure and hurriedly explained, "I'm sorry, I just can't accept it for the moment."
"Please give me a reason that is convincing enough."
An Yilin was now somewhat desperate. If Lu Shangyi was determined to withdraw her investment, he himself would be powerless to stop her. But right now, Lu Shangyi had clearly thought it through carefully and was determined to withdraw, which was why she agreed to meet with him today.
But now is not the best time to close the net.
If Lu Shangyi withdraws his investment, all his efforts and hard work will be in vain.
An Yilin was extremely agitated, and the expression on his handsome face turned sour.
“The company is short of funds.” Lu Shangyi said emotionlessly, “Therefore, I need to take back the funds used for investment to make up for the company’s financial deficit.”
Aunt Qiao looked left and right, finally understanding what the two meant. Her heart began to pound uncontrollably. Could there really be such a good thing as a windfall? She eagerly but forcefully interjected, "I can."
“If President Lu withdraws his investment, I can take over.” She stared intently at An Yilin with a beaming smile. “I’ve already prepared the money. As long as you nod, Young Master An, I’ll send someone to transfer the funds to you immediately.”
An Yilin subconsciously glanced at Lu Shangyi, who sat calmly and composedly, neither stopping her nor showing any sign of displeasure. After hesitating for a long time, An Yilin could only settle for Aunt Qiao as a second choice, and said very reluctantly, "Alright then."
Even though the collaboration didn't work out, they still had to save face. An Yilin picked up a glass of wine and said, "Then, Mr. Lu, let's collaborate again next time."
After toasting Lu Shangyi, he then toasted Aunt Qiao, saying, "It's been a pleasure working with you."
Aunt Qiao hurriedly clinked glasses with him, her face beaming with joy, "Happy cooperation, happy cooperation."
An Yilin breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the very happy Aunt Qiao, he suddenly felt that this prey was not bad, at least much less troublesome than Lu Shangyi. In his excitement, he couldn't help but drink a couple more cups, until he was somewhat out of it.
Lu Shangyi had achieved her goal. She politely took two steps back, but the woman stopped and turned back. "If you have time, please tell Yuyu for me that I appreciate her concern and care."
Aunt Qiao was taken aback. Just as she was about to ask why, the woman disappeared without turning her head.
An Yilin was already drunk, so someone was sent to take him back to his room. After thinking it over for a while, Aunt Qiao finally dialed Qiao Yu's number: "Hello, Yu Yu, this is your second aunt. How did your exam go?"
Qiao Yu held her phone. "It's alright. What does Second Aunt want to see me about?"
The other party hadn't contacted her for a whole month, so this sudden call today... Qiao Yu's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but ask the system, "Is he going to introduce me to someone again?"
System: "...You wish."
"That's right," Aunt Qiao cleared her throat, "I ran into President Lu on the street today."
"She told me she's been missing you a lot lately, but because she's been busy with work and family matters, she hasn't had time to come see you." Aunt Qiao made up a story without batting an eye. "Although she asked me to keep it a secret, I feel that as your aunt, I can't just watch you two lovers miss each other, so I've decided to tell you the secret quietly."
"Don't you dare tell President Lu that I told you all this, or she'll skin me alive!"
Qiao Yu was skeptical of her words, but the other person spoke with such deep emotion that it didn't seem like she was lying. Touching her nose, Qiao Yu decided to ignore it and believe her for now, since it wouldn't hurt her anyway. "Thank you, Second Aunt."
"I am so lucky to have such a good elder as my second aunt."
Her words successfully pleased Aunt Qiao, who couldn't help but say a few more words, "Why would President Lu be willing to withdraw his investment in such a good project that Young Master An has? I feel sorry for her. However, the Lu family's situation is complicated right now, and they must be in dire need of money. I can understand."
"Speaking of which, I have to thank President Lu, otherwise I wouldn't have had this opportunity."
Qiao Yu frowned. "Second Aunt, you've taken over?"
"Yes, how could I miss such a good opportunity? If the project succeeds, your sister Jingjing will never have to be looked down upon by that brat Qiao Junhao again." Aunt Qiao sneered, "Why does Mom only favor him? Isn't Jingjing her own granddaughter?"
"I just can't stand their arrogant and superior attitude!"
Qiao Yu couldn't help but sigh, "Second Aunt, do you think my parents are cut out for business?"
Aunt Qiao didn't understand why she asked that, but she still nodded honestly, "Yes."
"So, are they good at making investments?"
"..." He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Okay."
It's not just good, it's absolutely fantastic. Of the three brothers who came from the same womb, only Qiao Junhao managed to build a successful business. Even though Aunt Qiao is simple-minded, she has to admire his methods and courage.
"If it's such a great project, why do you think my parents were unmoved by it?"
Aunt Qiao: "?"
Qiao Yu stopped there, saying, "I think you could consult my mother, Second Aunt."
Aunt Qiao held the black-screened phone, finding it increasingly strange. She was a very curious person, and she especially liked to get to the bottom of things. However, she was usually proud and disliked bowing her head, so she couldn't bring herself to humbly ask others for advice.
She didn't sleep well at all that night, tossing and turning, her mind filled with questions about why her older brother and sister-in-law didn't invest in An Shao's project.
She thought about it all night, but couldn't figure it out.
After having breakfast, she was finally feeling a bit sleepy when An Yilin's call woke her up. His words were a probing question about when she would transfer the money. Seeing his urgency, Aunt Qiao immediately became alert. "You'll have to wait two more days. I'll transfer it to you as soon as my husband sends it to me."
An Yilin had no doubts, only saying, "Then hurry up, don't keep me waiting too long." He emphasized, "There are many people who want to replace President Lu right now, if we're too late..."
Aunt Qiao understood immediately and became a little anxious. "Don't worry, I'll go and urge my husband right away."
An Yilin was satisfied. "Okay, then I'll wait for you."
Aunt Qiao made a big fuss about it, and with An Yilin's deliberate promotion, Qiao Yu heard that very evening that Aunt Qiao had invested most of her savings. Shaking her head slightly, Qiao Yu muttered to herself, "Greed knows no bounds."
Fortunately, Lu Shangyi withdrew in time.
Qiao Junhao and his second aunt are both trapped, and Qiao Yu guesses that An Yilin's escape is not far off.
But things clearly took a wrong turn. An Yilin stared intently at the leisurely woman in front of him, feeling as if he were in an ice cellar.
The powerful alpha pheromones emanating from the other man easily sent chills down his spine. Even though the door was right behind him, he didn't even have the courage to turn around in front of Ye Yunjian. Trying to calm himself down, An Yilin stepped forward with feigned composure, "May I ask what brings you here, Mr. Ye?"
Ye Yunjian slowly raised his eyelids, drawing out his words, "An Yilin... Ye Linzhao..."
Ye Yunjian chuckled softly, his face beaming as he watched the man whose face had suddenly turned deathly pale. "You went into hiding abroad under an assumed name, which really made it hard for me to find you. But," Ye Yunjian stared at him questioningly, "I didn't go looking for you, so why did you come to me all by yourself?"
An Yilin trembled uncontrollably, and stammered, "President Ye, you've mistaken me for someone else."
"Oh, really?" Ye Yunjian casually flipped through his phone, every movement making An Yilin's heart tremble with fear. An Yilin dared not speak rashly; even after so many years, a deep-seated fear still welled up from the bottom of her bones when facing him.
That was a psychological trauma I could never forget.
He's so pathetic. Ye Yunjian's smile widened. "Are you afraid of me?"
An Yilin subconsciously shook his head in denial, but then he saw the woman's smile deepen. "It really is you."
An Yilin was struck dumb, speechless for a long time.
Ye Yunjian slowly crossed her legs, propping her cheeks up with a carefree expression. "It's one thing for you to run up to me and act recklessly..." The smile on her face didn't reach her eyes, and her half-smiling expression almost scared An Yilin to death on the spot.
"You dare to steal the woman I like?"
Ye Yunjian chuckled, "Ye Linzhao, are you really that tired of living?"
An Yilin's stiff brain immediately started working at lightning speed. In just a second, he reacted, "Yuyu...?" Before he could finish speaking, the other party's sharp eyes shot over, and he hurriedly changed his words, "You misunderstand, Miss Qiao and I are just friends, I absolutely have no such thoughts about her."
Ye Yunjian just looked at him and smiled, while An Yilin broke out in a cold sweat, feeling like his face was about to freeze from forcing a smile. "Really."
After a few deathly silences, An Yilin lowered her head helplessly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"I just wanted to earn more money and visit you while I was at it."
He said urgently, "I have absolutely no other thoughts besides this."
Ye Yunjian remained unmoved, her eyes so sharp they dared not look directly at anyone. "You make money by cheating and swindling?"
An Yilin pursed her lips and apologized again, "I'm sorry."
“I will never do it again.” He took a deep breath. “I will leave immediately and will never appear in front of you again in this lifetime.”
He tried to leave after he finished speaking, but was stopped. "Did I say you could leave?"
An Yilin was startled and turned to look at Ye Yunjian in a daze. Ye Yunjian lowered his eyelashes and examined his fingers with a rather pleasant expression. "Besides Yuyu's parents, everyone else in the Qiao family has fallen into your trap?"
An Yilin didn't know what Ye Yunjian was planning, so she could only nod obediently. But the other party was not satisfied, "Where is the old lady?"
The woman slowly raised her eyes. "Doesn't the old lady still have savings?"
An Yilin's pupils contracted. "You mean...?"
Ye Yunjian met his eyes silently, and An Yilin shuddered, quickly lowering his head. "I understand." After a moment, he hesitated before raising his head again. "But I don't understand, you clearly have feelings for Miss Qiao, so why..."
"Arrange for her to come out for me," Ye Yunjian interrupted him, showing no intention of replying.
An Yilin shut her mouth and had no choice but to call Qiao Yu to arrange a meeting.
Qiao Yu looked puzzled. She frowned and thought for a moment, "Is he still not satisfied? Does he want to take something else from me?"
After a long, incredulous silence, he said, "Alright then."
Since that's the case, then don't blame her for being impolite. An Yilin has been swindling people in the capital for so long, she must have accumulated quite a bit of money by now. With a bright smile, Qiao Yu agreed to An Yilin, "I'll come out as soon as I'm ready."
An Yilin was immediately relieved and quickly turned to report to Ye Yunjian, "She agreed."
"But I still don't understand, why don't you ask her out yourself?"
Ye Yunjian glanced at him expressionlessly. An Yilin, realizing he had spoken out of turn again, quickly stepped aside to make way for Ye Yunjian, who was getting up. Ye Yunjian picked up his bag, his high heels clicking loudly on the marble floor. "If you behave, I'll let your mother off this time."
She turned around and smiled gently, looking kind and approachable, but An Yilin felt a chill run down her spine in an instant.
Qiao Yu had already planned to squeeze a hefty sum out of An Yilin, but when she arrived at the private room, she was met with Ye Yunjian, whom she hadn't seen in a long time. She was immediately speechless: "???"
This is outrageous!
Ye Yunjian raised his eyebrows slightly when he saw her standing there dumbfounded at the door. "What, are you disappointed to see it's me?"
Author's Note:
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