Chapter 44 [44]
Go to the island
Lu Mingxiao's injuries were not serious, and Luo Qingyue accompanied him to the hospital immediately.
The knife wound was only on the surface of the skin. The doctor disinfected and cleaned it. It should not get wet until it heals. The dressing should be changed regularly every day.
With her heart at ease, Luo Qingyue left the hospital and drove Lu Mingxiao's black SUV.
Lu Mingxiao had an appointment with a client in the afternoon, and she also had tasks to complete, so she needed to go back to the company first.
Lu Mingxiao said that since Lin Qian was someone brought up by Cheng Wang, all subsequent handling matters were entrusted to Cheng Wang.
Luo Qingyue gave a soft "Mmm" and said nothing more. Lu Mingxiao, sitting in the passenger seat, turned his head to look at her and saw that she was frowning and not in a good mood. He suddenly realized something and smiled.
"I'll find you a place to lay low for a while, and once Song Tao forgets that we're in a legitimate relationship, I'll bring you back. What do you think?"
The traffic light turned red, and Luo Qingyue stepped on the brakes and came to a steady stop.
With both hands on the steering wheel, he met Lu Mingxiao's gaze: "Is the key point to avoid the limelight? Rather, we need to figure out exactly how we were exposed."
After speaking, Luo Qingyue reached for her phone in the central storage compartment, but Lu Mingxiao reminded her, "Three cents for every two hundred."
Deducting money is fine, but deducting points is unacceptable. But she was just too curious: "Then you ask for me."
"You can't wait that long?"
Lu Mingxiao said, "I'll be at the company in ten minutes."
Luo Qingyue couldn't hide anything, nor did she want to be burdened by it. She simply couldn't hold back: "I don't want to wait even a second longer."
The traffic light changed from red to green, and Luo Qingyue stepped on the gas.
Lu Mingxiao followed her lead, picked up her phone, opened WeChat, and found Song Tao.
He sent Song Tao a smiling emoji, and Song Tao replied with a mischievous smile.
"Replying instantly, looks like they're not working seriously."
The big boss's focus is always so unique. Luo Qingyue was terrified and hurriedly defended Song Tao.
"Work should be balanced with rest. Besides, he just survived a near-death experience, so he should be allowed to relax a bit."
“‘Have Mr. Lu and I been that obvious?’ I think it’s okay to ask her that.”
Lu Mingxiao asked Luo Qingyue for her opinion and received an affirmative answer. He then pressed the keypad on his phone and sent the message.
Luo Qingyue turned the steering wheel and turned left onto the overpass. She heard Lu Mingxiao say with a smile, "There are no secrets in the world. Song Tao has returned your words exactly as they were."
Luo Qingyue emphasized: "Pay attention to your wording, it's us."
Lu Mingxiao immediately changed his tune and apologized, and Song Tao sent another message.
"I must say, every employee at Mingyue has a keen eye."
Song Tao listed three pieces of evidence, which surprised even Lu Mingxiao himself, and Luo Qingyue immediately perked up her ears.
[Song Tao]: 1. During the Yuanjiang Auto Show and your stay at the Cassia Hotel, you and Mr. Lu hugged at the door of your room. Sister Xu saw it through the peephole. After careful review, we realized that the reason Mr. Lu personally rescued her car after it had a flat tire was because you were there.
[Song Tao]: 2. One morning, He Jiale came to the company and took the same elevator as Boss Lu. Boss Lu was carrying a white lunch bag. He secretly glanced at the logo on the bag and thought it was exactly the same as the one he had helped you get back from the security guard's room once. There was even a stain of the same shape in the upper right corner. He had been secretly observing you for several days and said that you ran to the twentieth floor every day at noon.
[Song Tao]: 3. Finally, it's my judgment that the time you receive the flowers always coincides with the time Mr. Lu is away on business trips. I'm not by your side, so let the bouquets keep you company. Our Mr. Lu seems cold and ruthless, but I didn't expect him to be such a warm-hearted man! From now on, please let me call you "Boss Lady".
After hearing Lu Mingxiao's account, Luo Qingyue really didn't have a temper at all.
"I almost forgot, I was mixed in with a bunch of top students. They are intelligent, and they are all very shrewd."
"They are close to you, so they will pay special attention to you."
Lu Mingxiao comforted her, "Song Tao said she hasn't told anyone else; only a few of them know for now."
"But I took your hand and walked out of the office in front of everyone."
In her haste to get Lu Mingxiao to the hospital, Luo Qingyue didn't think much about it.
"The position of Marketing Center Director is now vacant, why don't you take it?"
Lu Mingxiao joked, "You just issue a series of orders: anyone who talks nonsense, pack their bags and leave."
“I’ve only been at Mingyue for less than five months, and you really dare to dream.”
As the car entered the Mingyue Park, Luo Qingyue remained silent for a moment before letting go. "Forget it, if you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. There's no need to hide it; it'll actually make things easier."
Of course, this also means that she needs to work even harder to do her job well.
There will definitely be negative comments, but should we let them shake her relationship with Lu Mingxiao?
No way! This is the boyfriend I finally managed to snag! And he'll protect her, won't he?
——
Lin Qian's departure left the marketing center leaderless.
After careful consideration by Lu Mingxiao and Cheng Wang, the new director position was filled by Xu Jie.
Luo Qingyue was undoubtedly the happiest one.
Firstly, Xu Jie was the first person she got to know when she came to Mingyue.
Secondly, they won't resort to verbal abuse or implement policies that make things difficult for them, unlike Lin Qian.
Xu Jie advocates persuading people with reason, avoiding arbitrary decisions and one-man rule, and encouraging people to raise any questions.
With everyone brainstorming, the work atmosphere became much more relaxed than before. Of course, she wouldn't be lenient if tasks weren't completed on time; in this regard, she was terribly serious, displaying the authority of a director.
As for Luo Qingyue, she will continue to devote herself wholeheartedly to the project.
I sometimes procrastinate and often feel like I'm going to go bald, but I always manage to finish my work before the deadline.
The work was completed to a very high standard, and both the client and the manager were very satisfied. I'm also becoming more and more proficient at my job.
At the same time, her relationship with Lu Mingxiao is also steadily warming up.
In the blink of an eye, early winter has arrived, but it's not yet the coldest time of the year.
That evening, Lu Mingxiao returned from his business trip, and Luo Qingyue, as usual, went to the airport to pick him up. This was a ritual unique to them, one that had never changed. Every time, Lu Mingxiao would first take her back to Guanjiangyue, and then walk back to Xingguang Shuixie himself.
After not seeing each other for three days, the two hugged and kissed in the car for a while before Luo Qingyue started the car and drove out of the underground parking lot.
Tomorrow is the weekend, and Luo Qingyue shared her plans: "Now is the perfect time to soak in hot springs. I've booked a private hot spring guesthouse in Lanshan. You can enjoy the mountain scenery while lying by the pool, and it's very quiet at night so no one will bother you. I'll take you there to relax."
In the past, Lu Mingxiao was surrounded by work, and his whole being operated mechanically.
After getting together with Luo Qingyue, I tried to allocate my time to entertainment and life outside of work, and it seems to be going quite well.
He began to realize he was tired, and he knew that when he was exhausted, he needed to slow down and recharge.
However, most of the time, it was Luo Qingyue who took him out to eat, drink, and have fun, and she thoughtfully made plans for him. He just had to follow along.
Luo Qingyue's words were all for his sake.
Lu Mingxiao agreed without hesitation, showing great anticipation for the hot spring trip.
Lanshan is about an hour's drive from Dongchuan High-tech Zone.
The next day, Luo Qingyue slept until noon, and Lu Mingxiao came over early to prepare lunch for her.
They didn't bring any suitcases for their two-day, one-night trip.
All clothes and toiletries were placed in the black backpack that Lu Mingxiao brought, so they were traveling light.
They set off at 2 PM. Lu Mingxiao drove the black SUV, and Luo Qingyue sat in the passenger seat.
The weather was originally overcast and rainy, but just five minutes after we set off, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds.
Sunlight streamed in through the car window, making it very warm. Luo Qingyue squinted and couldn't help but yawn.
With cheerful music playing in the car and her loved one beside her, Luo Qingyue felt extremely happy.
She began to fantasize about drinking red wine and soaking in a hot spring with Lu Mingxiao, sleeping in each other's arms at night, intimately close.
Two days ago, Lü Shuyi asked her what stage her relationship with Lu Mingxiao had progressed to.
Luo Qingyue sent her a kissing emoji, and Lü Shuyi was shocked: "You two are always going to each other's houses, I thought you'd hit a home run, but it turns out you're still just infatuation?"
"It's not particularly pure either."
Luo Qingyue defended herself, "When he kissed me, I touched his chest and abdominal muscles, and they felt pretty good."
Lu Shuyi grinned mischievously: "We can explore further down."
She had considered it before.
Just kissing her is enough to exhaust her; if she were to release all her energy, it would be unbearable.
She hadn't been prepared before and had been mentally preparing herself for a while, so maybe she could try it tonight. She specially booked a double room.
A faint smile appeared on Luo Qingyue's lips.
However, before the car had even left the city, the phone rang inside the car.
She glanced at the car's infotainment screen; it was a call from someone named "Uncle Song".
Lu Mingxiao pressed the answer button on the steering wheel and heard Uncle Song's anxious voice.
“Xiao, your dad was pruning the loquat tree when he twisted his back while moving the ladder.”
“I told him to take him to the medical station for an X-ray, but he wouldn’t listen and wouldn’t let me talk to you. You should come and take a look right away. Half an hour has passed, and he’s still lying on the sofa and can’t get up.”
Luo Qingyue had heard Lu Mingxiao say that.
After his mother passed away, his father lived alone on an island called "Xinglan Island".
The fact that Uncle Song described the incident in such detail confirms that he was his father's neighbor.
Lu Mingxiao frowned slightly and replied with an "okay".
Uncle Song hung up the phone, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Xiaoyue, I—"
Before she could finish speaking, Luo Qingyue interrupted, "You don't need to apologize to me. Soaking in the hot spring is nothing compared to your uncle's health."
Although there would be regrets, she wasn't an unreasonable person. After a pause, she continued, "Don't worry, I'll go with you. I won't feel at ease if you're alone."
Her gentle words brought Lu Mingxiao great comfort.
He responded, turned around at the intersection, and drove towards the dock.
They arrived half an hour later, and Lu Mingxiao took Luo Qingyue aboard his private yacht.
Inside the cockpit, Lu Mingxiao turned the steering wheel. The yacht sped across the sea, white spray splashing against the windshield.
There was more than one island nearby. Luo Qingyue kept her gaze straight ahead. Soon, Lu Mingxiao slowed down the speed of the yacht until it came to a stop in front of the wooden platform at the foot of the cliff.
Lu Mingxiao was the first to step onto the platform and secure the yacht.
He then stepped onto the yacht with one foot and reached out to pull Luo Qingyue up.
Luo Qingyue wore a pink wool coat today, and the sea breeze felt damp and cold on her face.
She hadn't tied her hair up, so it flew around as she walked. Lu Mingxiao, wearing a black coat, saw this and hugged her tightly, holding her hand in his to warm it.
Worried about Lao Lu's condition, they quickened their pace.
Continuing up the slope past the banyan tree, Lu Mingxiao pushed open the door to the two-story building at the end and entered.
The loquat tree is an evergreen tree.
Scattered throughout the courtyard were branches pruned from the old road and fallen leaves.
The ladder leaned against the wall, placed neatly; it must have been Old Lu's masterpiece, achieved despite his back pain.
Lu Mingxiao reminded Luo Qingyue to be careful before entering the house.
Old Lu lay face down on the sofa, his head down, with his usual plaster on the coffee table.
Hearing footsteps, he wasn't surprised at all: "Old Song, didn't I tell you to go back and play mahjong? I've already put on the plaster. It won't be better today, but it will be better tomorrow. You don't need to worry anymore."
Before the other party could say anything, Lao Lu added, "By the way, you absolutely mustn't tell my Xiao."
Lu Mingxiao's face was grim as he stared intently at his father, "Dad, I already know."
"..."
The familiar voice sent a chill down Lao Lu's spine.
He endured the pain and turned his head to the side. Lu Mingxiao's gaze was so sharp that it made him gasp for breath.
Huh? There's another girl here.
Lao Lu quickly shifted his attention to Luo Qingyue beside him.
His daughter-in-law, whom he had only heard of but never seen in person, appeared before him. What a beautiful and charming girl!
With a fixed gaze upon her, Luo Qingyue waved to Lao Lu: "Hello, Uncle, I'm Xiaoyue, here with Axiao to visit you."
The guests had come from afar, and Lao Lu was so excited that he wanted to sit up from the sofa.
Even the slightest movement sent a wave of pain through his back, penetrating to his very bones and spreading throughout his body, causing him to let out a wail.
Lu Mingxiao had told Lao Lu that he would do the physical work such as changing light bulbs and pruning branches, or if he couldn't, he could hire someone else.
Clearly, now is not the time to hold people accountable, but Lao Lu couldn't help but complain: "That Song Qingyang, I told him not to say anything, but he still insisted on betraying me. I'm never talking to him again."
Song Qingyang was Song Bo's original name.
Instead of answering the question, he continued to blame others. Lu Mingxiao said coldly, "If the plaster had worked, you wouldn't be in so much pain that you couldn't get up. I'll go next door to borrow a wheelchair. You must go to the medical station; there's no room for negotiation."
[Author's Note]
In the blink of an eye, Xiaoyue'er has been at Mingyue for half a year.
It's been half a year, isn't it time to...? [Evil grin][Evil grin][Evil grin]
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