Chapter 3 My Marriage to Her Was Not Just a Business Arrangement
After Jiang Qingying left, the atmosphere in the car quickly turned sour.
Qi Xin was used to Lu Jinyuan's silence, but today the car was more lively with more people in it. What surprised him the most was what he had just heard.
A marriage alliance?
Why has he never heard his boss mention this before?
Qi Xin glanced at Lu Jinyuan, who was working with his head down, through the rearview mirror in the car, hoping to secretly observe him, but he was caught before he could finish.
Qi Xin awkwardly looked away, then heard him ask, "How is Lu Yichuan's work at the group?"
Lu Yichuan is Lu Jinyuan's cousin. His father, Lu Yunsong, who is also Lu Jinyuan's uncle, is a high-ranking executive in the group and owns 15% of the shares.
Lu Yichuan was the kind of playboy who had been playing around since childhood. After getting a degree abroad, he joined the Lu Group as a cashier in the finance department.
“Idleness, lateness, and early departures are to be expected,” Qi Xin replied.
Lu Jinyuan hummed in agreement.
Qi Xin continued to report, "Regarding the proposals made at this morning's meeting, Lu Yunsong, together with other shareholders of the group, proposed to oppose them, and the current percentage has exceeded 40%."
Lu Jinyuan seemed to have known the outcome all along. He closed his eyes briefly and said in a deep voice, "I understand."
After pondering for a moment, Qi Xin decided to ask, "President Lu, aren't you in a hurry?"
“Things are not easy to begin with, and there’s no use in being anxious.” Lu Jinyuan’s eyes deepened. In fact, Lu Yunsong’s obstruction was a problem, but the bigger problem was with Old Master Lu. Lu Qicheng had indeed put him in a position of power, but he had not completely relinquished power. So Lu Jinyuan only saw the high position, but in reality, he had no real power over many things.
"Go back to the old house," Lu Jinyuan instructed.
Lu Jinyuan drove back to the Lu residence, and as soon as the car entered the gate, someone came to serve him.
"Young Master." The butler bowed slightly.
Lu Jinyuan nodded and greeted him gently, "Uncle Qi."
Uncle Qi is an elder in the family; several generations of his family have worked for the Lu family, including his son Qi Xin.
Where is Grandpa?
"The old lady is in the study too." Uncle Qi followed him into the room. "Are you having dinner at home tonight? Miss Shen is arriving by plane tonight, and someone has already been sent to pick her up."
Lu Jinyuan thought for a moment, "We'll see."
Uncle Qi nodded, then pulled his son back from following him upstairs, whispering, "Don't go up there. They're probably not talking about work."
Qi Xin glanced at Lu Jinyuan's retreating figure and asked his father, "About the childhood betrothal?"
"Isn't it obvious that the old man called Miss Shen back from her overseas tour?"
Qi Xin thought of Jiang Qingying, his brows furrowing slightly. "It's over, the Lu family is about to change."
As soon as the words were spoken, the two people downstairs heard the sound of breaking glass coming from the study upstairs, followed by a heavy thud on the table.
"You've gone too far!"
Lu Qicheng is old, but he takes good care of himself and still has a strong voice when he gets angry.
"Kneel down!" Lu Qicheng shouted.
Lu Jinyuan's expression remained unchanged as he knelt ramrod straight in front of the desk. Seeing this, Su Xi wanted to say a few words to calm things down, "Why are you so agitated? Calm down and listen to what Jinyuan has to say, okay?"
"You don't need to plead for him. I think he's already in charge of the Lu family and he's gotten too big for his britches."
After calming down a bit, she pointed at Lu Jinyuan and asked again, "Say it again, who are you going to marry?"
“Jiang Qingying.” Lu Jinyuan looked up at him, his eyes resolute and determined, and repeated, “Grandpa, I plan to form a marriage alliance with the Jiang family.”
Lu Qicheng closed his eyes, took a deep breath, picked up a book from the table and threw it at Lu Jinyuan, "How am I supposed to explain this to Shu Yun, how am I supposed to explain this to her parents?"
"Grandpa, that was a promise you made yourself, why impose it on me?"
“Jin Yuan!” Su Xi interrupted him, walked up to him, patted the back of his head a few times, and said kindly, “Don’t say such things.”
Lu Jinyuan composed himself and smiled at her: "Grandma, I understand. I have other things to talk to Grandpa about."
Su Xi understood what he meant and asked him, "Are you staying home for dinner tonight?"
Lu Jinyuan glanced at Lu Qicheng, who was still angry. It was just his back, but judging from his posture, he probably wouldn't stay.
Su Xi smiled helplessly, "Grandma made dumplings this afternoon, I'll pack some for you to take home and eat."
Lu Jinyuan squeezed her hand and smiled, "Thank you, Grandma."
Su Xi nodded and turned to leave.
"Speak," Lu Qicheng turned around, his eyes sharp and his expression serious. "What are you planning?"
Lu Jinyuan met his gaze without the slightest fear. "I know that your reluctance to relinquish complete power is a form of protection, but Grandpa, I have to face this alone."
"So confident? Don't underestimate the capabilities of those monsters and freaks in the group."
“I have it.” Lu Jinyuan’s eyes became even more determined.
"So you're going to use marriage?"
"This is just one step." Lu Jinyuan went on to explain the next steps, and soon Lu Qicheng's eyes showed signs of wavering.
He continued to push the pace, "Actually, the group has already started to decline, but it's not obvious yet. This is all thanks to Lu Yunsong, so we must get rid of him."
Lu Qicheng looked at him with more praise. Having managed the group for many years, how could he not know these things? However, during his tenure, he had been fighting against Lu Yunsong and his father, who was also his younger brother Lu Qize, for many years.
After years of effort, Lu Qize has stepped down, but Lu Yunsong is still here, and there will be his son, and even more people in the future.
Therefore, he was suspicious and hesitant. He first sent Lu Jinyuan abroad to develop his career, and then when he returned, he was unwilling to hand over all the real power to Lu Jinyuan. This was both a way of protecting and checking him.
Seeing Lu Jinyuan's confident demeanor, Lu Qicheng suddenly smiled: "You think you can marry that girl from the Jiang family so easily?"
Lu Qicheng had met Jiang Qingying in person years ago and admired her greatly because her courage was clearly different from that of other people her age; she was one of the few younger people who were not afraid of him.
Lu Jinyuan was one of them, and the other was Jiang Qingying.
Thinking about it this way, these two people are indeed very similar and a good match.
"Would the Jiang family marry off their beloved daughter for business interests?" Lu Qicheng asked again.
Lu Jinyuan lowered his eyes and calmly replied, "My marriage to her is not just a business arrangement. I've also reached an age where I need to settle down, and Jiang Qingying is suitable in every way."
Lu Qicheng raised his hand, gesturing for him to stand up, "You certainly know how to plan for yourself."
Lu Jinyuan remained noncommittal.
Lu Jinyuan left the study and saw Shen Shuyun, who had just returned, at the corner of the stairs, followed by a maid who was helping her with her luggage.
Shen Shuyun's eyes reddened slightly, her lips moved, and she suppressed a trembling voice: "Can we talk for a bit?"
Lu Jinyuan glanced at her and nodded: "Okay."
Shen Shuyun instructed the maid behind her, "Put the luggage in the room."
The two then walked to the back garden and stopped. After a moment of silence, Shen Shuyun spoke first: "I heard everything just now. You want to form a marriage alliance with the Jiang family."
"Yes." Lu Jinyuan looked at the flowers and plants in front of him, his eyes showing no emotion in the face of her questioning.
Faced with his one-word reply, Shen Shuyun felt a chill in her heart. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth: "We've been engaged for a long time, you can't do this!"
"But you should know very well that it was just a promise Grandpa made casually."
“Then you should also know very well that no one can change Grandpa’s decisions.” Shen Shuyun grasped at the last straw.
Lu Jinyuan turned to look at her and said calmly, "He will agree."
"On what grounds?"
“Because he’s a businessman.” Lu Jinyuan smiled and continued, “Businessmen are driven by profit and put profit above all else. Do you think Grandpa would choose the interests of the entire family over a verbal promise?”
Shen Shuyun sneered, tears finally streaming down her face. "So I lost because I didn't have a wealthy and powerful family background."
Lu Jinyuan: "I'm sorry."
"She doesn't even like you, yet you're so willing to marry her?"
"But I have never expressed romantic feelings for you."
Shen Shuyun took a step forward, leaned closer to him, and looked up to question him: "Anyone with a wealthy family is fine, but not me?"
Faced with a question whose answer was obvious, Lu Jinyuan felt there was no need to reply further. "I have to go now."
After speaking, he turned and left, leaving Shen Shuyun alone.
Shen Shuyun collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. She had loved Lu Jinyuan deeply, ever since she was a child, from the very first moment she saw him.
But now she has no confidence to fight for it. She lost both her parents when she was young. Her parents and Lu Qicheng's only son were comrades in the army, but a mission killed them both. With no relatives or friends and nowhere to turn, she was found by Lu Qicheng and has been raised by him ever since.
To put it nicely, the Lu family treated her like family. To put it bluntly, she was just an outsider being raised in the Lu family.
Therefore, when it comes to family interests, no matter how much Lu Qicheng loves her, he will not stop Lu Jinyuan from marrying into the Jiang family. She is just a dependent, and at this time, she has no choice but to pretend to be sensible and agree.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
