Chapter 73 Questioning
As soon as it was over, Lu Ming immediately let go of her hand, his gaze still fixed on Wen Xue's direction.
In that instant, Wen Chu felt like an incredibly superfluous outsider. They were reuniting, and she was the bright, inconvenient third wheel.
She lowered her hands, completely at a loss for words.
All they could hear was the crisp sound of high heels clicking on the ground behind them, as they gradually approached.
Wen Xue clapped her hands generously and walked forward, first greeting Lu Mingxiao with a smile: "Uncle Lu, the flight was delayed, so I'm a little late. You won't be angry with me, will you?"
After listening to a piece of music, Lu Mingxiao had already composed himself. He walked over and warmly patted Wen Xue on the shoulder, smiling as he said, "Is that Xiao Xue? I almost didn't recognize you. Your sudden appearance was quite a surprise! You didn't even tell me beforehand!"
"It has indeed been a long time. I heard that Baiyue just won a competition, so I came to congratulate them as soon as I got off the plane. I gave the gift to the lobby manager. Please take a look and see if you like it."
"Hey, you're still as sensible as when you were a kid. How have you been doing abroad lately? You haven't come back to visit in so long!"
"There's nothing I can do, the company is just starting out, so I'm quite busy. That's why I came back to check on things whenever I had a spare moment." Wen Xue said politely, turning her head slightly to glance at Lu Ming with a smug look. Her gaze wasn't particularly aggressive, but it gave the impression that she was looking at her possession.
Lu Ming's expression remained unchanged; he simply looked at her without saying a word. Their eyes met, and Wen Chu even considered stepping aside to make room for the two of them to catch up.
"How long are you staying this time? You're not going back soon, are you?"
"It's not certain yet, maybe a month or two. Now that I'm back, I want to stay longer."
"Alright, alright, your parents are thinking of you, you should spend some time with them! Okay, you young people haven't seen each other for a long time, you must have a lot to talk about, so I won't interrupt. They need to see me over there, just tell Haoxuan if you need anything."
Wen Xue nodded and said, "Please go ahead with your work."
Lu Mingxiao glanced at Lu Ming beside him, feeling a little awkward, since Lu Ming and Wen Chu were still dating.
Wen Xue's attitude remained uncertain and more opinionated, making her difficult to control. No matter what, he leaned more towards Wen Chu, so he didn't want Lu Ming to have any unclear relationship with her. He would emphasize this to Lu Ming again after the banquet.
After Lu Mingxiao left, only the three of them remained on the field, and a suffocating atmosphere filled the air.
Fortunately, Qi Siyan stepped forward and broke the silence: "Sister Wen Xue, it's been a long time. I thought it looked like you when I saw you just now, but I couldn't believe it, so I didn't come up to say hello right away. I didn't expect that you would come back so soon after I returned to the country."
Wen Xue teased gently, "Siyan, it's been so long, how come you've become so handsome?"
The two chatted warmly like old friends, but Wen Chu suddenly felt a strong sense of disconnect. She didn't know if she should be in the sky or on the ground, but she definitely shouldn't be standing here.
Wen Xue possesses all the aura of a white moonlight in a novel. Everyone around her is familiar with her, and even though she hasn't returned for a long time, everyone still sides with her, likes her, and pays attention to her every move. Therefore, she handles interpersonal relationships with ease and grace.
In comparison, she seemed out of place, as if the other person was the original protagonist of this world, and she was an outsider who had been forced in.
She remained silent to the side, and besides Lu Ming, Wen Heng was also silent.
Wen Heng, dressed in a suit, stood to the side with one hand in his suit pocket and the other holding a champagne glass. He must have just caught up with Wen Xue.
Wen Chu exchanged a glance with him. Wen Heng's eyes revealed five parts speechlessness, three parts headache, and two parts concern for her.
Her brother's memory of Lu Ming's confession was also erased. He only remembered that she and Lu Ming were currently in an ambiguous relationship, and that Lu Ming and Wen Xue had a past relationship. So in his eyes, this scene was a complete love triangle and a complete mess.
Two of the three corners belong to his family; they're both his flesh and blood, so he can't say anything about them.
Overall, in his eyes, Wen Chu was definitely not very upright and was at a disadvantage.
Wen Chu wanted to return his smile with one that didn't mind, but found that she really couldn't manage a smile.
What exactly is the system doing?
Now that Wen Xue is back, if the two of them are truly in love, they could probably get married after just a few words. What else can she do?
She was in a state of confusion, and then suddenly realized that from the very beginning, wasn't she supposed to be the second female lead, a scheming and domineering woman who would steal her sister's boyfriend without a care in the world?
The system didn't immediately throw this hellish situation at her—probably because of the newbie protection period. Now that we're in the third stage, the newbie protection period is long over, so is the difficulty level starting to increase?
Wen Chu took deep breaths frantically, trying to calm herself. She felt pain all over her body; her feet ached from wearing high heels, Wen Xue's appearance gave her a headache, and her heart ached a little too.
But she didn't say anything, and the other person took the initiative to talk to her.
After catching up with Qi Siyan, Wen Xue finally turned her attention to her: "Xiao Chu, I really didn't expect you to have learned to dance the waltz. Before, when Mom and Dad asked you to learn to dance with me, you always refused. And I'm quite surprised to see you in a setting like this."
Wen Chu silently comforted herself, thinking that the situation might not be too bad. If the other person came back, wouldn't they just leave again? Since they were going to leave, there was probably no way to rekindle their old feelings.
But considering the way Wen Xue looked at Lu Ming just now, it was obvious that something was wrong. Clearly, it was more likely that Wen Xue would come back to reconcile with Lu Ming, which was also more in line with the nature of this melodramatic world.
Given her understanding of this world and this shady system, it's impossible for her not to cause trouble.
She moved her lips, wanting to reply to Wen Xue, when a harsh female voice, filled with intense anger, rang in her ears: "Why did you suddenly come back? Didn't you say you weren't planning to return to the country for the time being? Why didn't you tell me you were coming back in advance?"
Wen Chu was stunned for two seconds before realizing that it was her who was speaking.
Damn, what did she just say? This system is already acting up!
Suddenly, she felt her body being taken under control, and she became arrogant, raising her head and chin, taking a few steps forward.
Faced with her terrible attitude, Wen Xue seemed to be used to it and showed no emotional fluctuation. She only said, "I came back this time for two reasons: first, I really wanted to come back and see you all, and second, I have something to discuss with Lu Ming."
Wen Chu was even more furious upon hearing this: "You're saying all that nice stuff, but you're really just coming back to steal Brother Lu from me, aren't you?"
Wen Chu caught a glimpse of surprise in Lu Ming's eyes out of the corner of her eye. He must be quite shocked that she had suddenly become so sullen again. Wen Chu felt utterly disgusted by this, her toes curling in frustration.
Lu Ming moved his lips as if to tell her to shut up, but Wen Xue didn't intend to argue with her. She just glanced at her helplessly, then turned to Lu Ming and smiled faintly: "Lu Ming, long time no see. How have you been lately?"
Lu Ming looked at the person, his eyes trembling, and after a long while he finally said, "It's fine."
"That's good." Wen Xue nodded slowly, then asked gently, "Did you teach Xiao Chu the waltz?"
Although there was no blame in her tone, it made everyone around her feel a tightness in their chests, as if they could smell the gunpowder.
Qi Siyan watched this scene with a calm and collected demeanor, occasionally glancing at Lu Ming's expression.
Lu Ming did not deny it: "Yes."
Wen Xue's expression didn't change much, and she still smiled: "I knew it. After all this time, she still listens to you so much."
"So? What do you want from me?" Lu Ming asked in a low voice.
Wen Xue looked around and said, "After the banquet, let's sit down and I'll tell you slowly."
"I want to know right now."
Wen Xue hesitated for a moment, then finally relented and said frankly, "Alright, since there are no outsiders here, I'll just be direct. My company is facing some problems. The chips we need for production have been compromised, and the supply is insufficient in the short term. However, I urgently need to deliver my products. I did some research beforehand and found that Baiyue's chips also meet our needs. My partner and I discussed it and wanted to discuss a collaboration with you. I hope you can help me; this is really important to me."
Wen Xue's tone was neither humble nor arrogant, but full of sincerity, and also contained a woman's vulnerability and pleading. Coupled with her beautiful face, not to mention Lu Ming, even Wen Chu's heart would soften upon hearing it.
Lu Ming remained unmoved and continued in a distant tone, "Then you should contact the project manager first and explain your cooperation needs."
Wen Xue's eyes flickered for a moment, then she nodded, not angry at the man's lack of sentimentality and businesslike attitude: "Okay. I'll go back and prepare, and I'll go to your place tomorrow."
"But besides this, I really wanted to come back and apologize to you in person. I don't want us to continue this cold war. I'm really sorry. I was really busy last month and couldn't get away to go back to China. I did neglect your feelings during that time. I know you're still angry with me. I apologize to you. Can we make up?" Wen Xue reached out to touch Lu Ming's arm.
Lu Ming raised his hand, subtly avoiding the woman's touch, and his tone softened somewhat: "I'm not angry, and I'm not giving you the silent treatment."
Wen Xue stared blankly at her empty hand for a moment, seemingly not expecting the other person to avoid her. She had no choice but to awkwardly withdraw her hand, her gaze shifting back and forth between Lu Ming and Wen Chu's faces, revealing a hint of hesitation and disbelief: "I heard... you and Wen Chu are together?"
“Yes, we’re together! You’ve been gone for three years, are you expecting him to wait for you forever?” “Wen Chu” triggered the conversation again as soon as it heard the sensitive word, just like a human-machine interface.
She pinched her hand, wishing she could glue her mouth shut with superglue.
Embarrassment made her dizzy.
Wen Heng stood aside and silently rubbed his forehead. He was helpless in this matter and couldn't say a word. He could only let the three of them solve it themselves. He didn't want to waste his life watching a love triangle. Before leaving, he kindly pulled Qi Siyan, who looked to be caught in a dilemma, not knowing whether to leave or stay: "Siyan, let's go somewhere else to talk. Let them stay here."
Qi Siyan glanced at the atmosphere between the three of them again, nodded and said, "Okay."
"What kind of answer do you want to hear?" Lu Ming countered, "Is it 'yes' or 'no'? If you're just asking casually, I don't think I need to explain too much to you."
“I…” Wen Xue paused, “If you really fall in love with Xiao Chu, I won’t say anything, after all, she really likes you. I also respect your choice.”
Upon hearing this, "Wen Chu" rushed towards Wen Xue again, shoving her regardless of whether anyone was watching, and angrily questioned, "Can you stop pretending to be so innocent and magnanimous? Do you need to respect my business with him? What's it to you? What project cooperation? I think you're just looking for an excuse to get closer to Brother Lu! Otherwise, why don't you ask Mom and Dad first? Can't your family solve it for you? Why bother Brother Lu!"
Wen Chu was drenched in sweat. At that moment, she really wanted to cover her face and pretend she didn't recognize herself.
"Brother Lu" on the left, "Brother Lu" on the right, what exactly are you trying to do, you deadbeat?
The gloom in my heart was swept away, and now only social anxiety and embarrassment remained.
Wen Xue staggered backward from the push. Lu Ming moved quickly, clearly surprised by her actions. He immediately stepped forward, grabbed her wrist, pulled her to his side, gave her a slightly reproachful look, and whispered to stop her, "Wen Chu, don't do that."
Wen Chu shook off his hand, looking aggrieved, and said, "What are you doing? Do you even remember who your current girlfriend is?"
Wen Xue wasn't angry, but looked at her younger sister with helplessness: "Xiao Chu, I really have run into a problem. I've considered Kemin's chips, but they're not a good match for my product. You should learn to be more mature. Besides, if I hadn't gone abroad, how would you and Lu Ming have had this opportunity..."
She hesitated, then looked at Lu Ming again, wanting an answer: "As your good friend and Wen Chu's sister, shouldn't I have the right to know about you two? Are you really together?"
"No," Lu Ming finally denied.
Wen Chu's heart sank.
"Then why do outsiders say..."
“I don’t need to explain to you.” Lu Ming interrupted her, then grabbed Wen Chu’s arm. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take her to the inner hall first.”
Wen Chu's feet were already sore from standing for so long, and Lu Ming's pulling her along with his big strides put even more pressure on them. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep up with him despite the pain, but she finally regained control of her body.
She let out a heavy sigh; if she continued acting like this, she might as well not live anymore.
They walked to a place where there were no guests, and Lu Ming finally let go of her, frowning as he whispered to her, "Many of the guests who are here tonight are very important, so don't cause trouble."
Wen Chu leaned against the wall, stretched her ankles, and glanced at him sideways: "Did you deliberately find a secluded place to criticize me?"
Lu Ming said helplessly, "She's still your sister, and you haven't seen her for so long. You should treat her better. Don't always be confrontational because of me. She's not as bad as you think."
Wen Chu had just been forced to play the role of cannon fodder in public, and she was already holding back her anger. When she heard Lu Ming's words defending Wen Xue, she felt even more bitter and angry.
She is not a saint after all; she cannot remain indifferent and emotionally stable in the face of everything.
She scoffed coldly, "So you're defending her now? I was rude to her just now and made her feel bad, and you're heartbroken? So you couldn't help but come and warn me privately? Tell me not to give her any more attitude?"
Lu Ming frowned even more deeply: "Can you please stop making malicious assumptions about others?"
"What malice did I have? Wasn't her purpose in coming back you? You were so cold just now, probably because you couldn't reminisce with her in front of everyone, especially since you were still my boyfriend. But actually, you were probably overjoyed to see her suddenly come back to you, asking for your help, apologizing, and wanting to get back together with you, right? I bet if she talked to you a few more times, you wouldn't be able to resist going after her."
Wen Chu's eyes flickered, her tone quick and sharp: "You pulled me here, what else do you want to say? Are you going to say that our self-deceiving relationship is coming to an end? That you still love her? That I should stay far away from you two? And not do anything to affect you?"
Lu Ming stared at her in silence.
Silence at such times is tantamount to acquiescence after one's thoughts have been guessed.
Wen Chu felt as if her heart was being squeezed tightly by a hand.
Lu Ming lowered his eyes and took a deep breath, and as expected, he did not argue: "Wen Chu, I told you before, the person I like is her. My feelings for you are just a responsibility. Before I explain things clearly to Uncle Wen and let the outside world know that we have broken up, I will not do anything inappropriate with her. This is the only guarantee I can give you."
After Wen Chu finished speaking, her face suddenly calmed down, and her expressionless eyes stared at the person silently for a few seconds.
The blood vessels on both sides of the neck were already taut, forming a single line.
In a few seconds, the things that happened between her and Lu Ming in the past, the words they said, flashed through her mind. It was clearly only a short time ago, but it felt like a long time had passed, so long that she felt completely unfamiliar with the person in front of her.
A tremendous sense of loss washed over her like a tidal wave, like the oxygen deprivation before drowning. Wen Chu lowered her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and concealed the mist that was gradually rising in her eyes.
Don't let the past affect you.
This is simply a task she has to face and overcome.
What the other person said is not important.
She composed herself and raised her head again, the somber atmosphere around her suddenly becoming aggressive.
She took a few steps closer to him, stopping just centimeters away. Her chest heaving, she said, word by word, "Let me tell you, Lu Ming, as long as you exist in this world, the only person you can love is me. Nothing you say will make a difference."
Lu Ming felt that the other party had really gone crazy. He couldn't explain it to anyone. He wanted to step back and create some distance, but Wen Chu forcefully grabbed his tie, pulled him back in front of her, and unexpectedly bit him hard on the lips.
The metallic taste of blood immediately spread in his mouth.
Wen Chu turned and left, leaving Lu Ming standing there in astonishment, wiping his mouth, which was still bleeding from the bite and throbbing slightly.
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Author's note: Writing this made my head spin [melted].
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