Chapter 81 (The Eighty-One Chapter) Have Some Mercy Over Me
“Lu Jinzhi…”
This time, Lu Jiang was only met with the busy tone of the other party hanging up the phone.
His face was grim because he knew his second son's character well, which made him realize that this matter would be difficult to handle.
Should we start with Qiao Wu?
She's very thoughtful in everything she does, so it's impossible that she wouldn't have considered these issues. We haven't heard any news that they're still together, so it shouldn't have reached the point of no return.
Lu Jiang decided to take some time to talk to her.
It might be a bit presumptuous to bring this up now, but the second son will be back the day after tomorrow. We can take this opportunity after dinner tomorrow night to sound out Qiao Wu's opinion.
The next day, Qiao Wu woke up early and went to find Lu Ning first thing.
Lu Ning brought Wuwu along, but because Wuwu is still young and hasn't received all her vaccinations, she needs to get them done here.
She found a pet hospital last night, and today she and Lu Ning will take Wuwu there.
As soon as I entered Lu Ning's room, I was mysteriously pulled to the window and a section of the curtains were pulled down to block the view.
Qiao Wu asked curiously, "What?"
Lu Ning lowered her voice: "Lu Yingchi secretly ordered takeout."
takeout?
What does he want to eat so early in the morning? Besides, the hotel has arranged for a chef to come over every day, so even if there's something he wants to eat, he can just tell the chef.
Caught up in the atmosphere, Qiao Wu also half-covered himself and looked down.
They discovered that someone was lowering a rope down from the window next door, with a small fruit basket attached to it; it was probably something the hotel used to hold fruit, which he had unloaded.
In the courtyard downstairs, after the basket was placed on the ground, a deliveryman diligently put the bag he was carrying inside, then called out, "Mr. Lu! It's all set. Wishing you good health!"
Qiao Wu saw the rope holding the basket tremble, followed by Lu Yingchi's deliberately lowered voice: "I told you not to make a sound!"
"Yes, sir!"
"..."
The sound of a window slamming shut next door conveyed his unspoken anger.
Lu Ning said indignantly, "He secretly gave me extra tutoring."
"That's medicine."
"Medicine? He ate four bowls of rice last night, how could he be sick!"
Qiao Wu didn't know either.
But she noticed that the bag must have been delivered by a certain group.
She drew the curtains closed: "Let's go take a look."
If guests need anything, the hotel will prepare emergency medicines or arrange for a doctor to come to their home. Especially since the owner's family is here, it's impossible for Lu Yingchi to be reduced to ordering medicine from takeout.
What are you doing behind people's backs?
Qiao Wu walked to Lu Yingchi's door and knocked.
A muffled voice came from inside: "I won't eat."
Qiao Wu: "It's me."
Lu Yingchi, who was in the room, suddenly stopped moving. Seeing the mess in front of him, he hurriedly started to tidy up his things: "I don't have to get up early on my day off! Please, let me sleep in, don't bother me!"
Damn, he told the delivery guy to keep quiet.
Did they overhear?
No, Qiao Wu's room isn't in this direction.
Lu Yingchi tidied up noisily, but Qiao Wu at the door didn't give him much time: "Lu Yingchi, I'll count to three."
There was no time to lose. Lu Yingchi hurriedly stuffed all his belongings into the blankets when the door was opened.
That damn habit! He's never leaving a spare key by the door again!
After entering, Qiao Wu put the key aside and smelled a faint fragrance in the air, which masked the smell of ointment. Even when Lu Yingchi opened the window, it was to no avail.
She looked at the person sitting on the edge of the bed.
In the 20-degree weather, he was wrapped tightly in the quilt, as if determined to protect his innocence to the death, his face red from being covered.
“I already said I wanted to sleep,” Lu Yingchi said, sounding quite humiliated. “You’re trespassing.”
Qiao Wu asked casually, "Do you know how difficult it is to clean food stains from hotel bedding?"
“…”
Lu Ning peeked out from behind Qiao Wu: "I saw you using a basket to get takeout, Mr. Lu~"
"..."
Qiao Wu walked to the table, put away the fruit that Lu Yingchi had taken out and arranged haphazardly, and asked, "What happened?"
Seeing that there was no way to argue, Lu Yingchi reluctantly pulled back the covers.
Besides the long string of ointments and bottles behind him, there was also the peeling color on his entire body.
Qiao Wu was stunned for a moment.
It wasn't blushing, it just turned black.
"How ridiculous!" Lu Ning scoffed as she sang, "Zhang Fei with the black face~ chattering away~"
Lu Yingchi's face darkened even more after being thoroughly mocked. He grabbed a cushion from the side and threw it at the man, yelling, "Get the hell out of here!"
Lu Ning chuckled to herself, clutching her pillow, and repeatedly mocked the man: "A real man is fearless in the sunlight."
Lu Yingchi was even more frustrated.
One day, I was actually mocked by that little girl, Lu Ning!
Ah, so he was indeed prescient.
Qiao Wu saw that he looked completely dejected and didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Did you get sunburned?"
“…Hmm.” Lu Yingchi put all the medicines on the table, and there was even a mirror.
To be honest, although he is tall, he has never really suffered much hardship before. Whether he goes out to play or does anything else, someone will always provide him with full protection.
But yesterday he stubbornly refused Lu Xuan, and the group went to the sea and were exposed to the scorching sun on the beach. The little crispy chicken couldn't take it anymore.
It was red yesterday, but today it's starting to look dark.
My shoulders and the back of my neck are especially sore when I shower.
If this got out, Lu Xuan and Lu Ning would definitely laugh at him, so he didn't even call the hotel staff and ordered takeout himself, spending all his savings.
That's fucking ridiculous.
He's going to file a complaint against the delivery guy who can't understand human language!
Qiao Wu found it amusing but didn't feel sorry for him.
She picked up the medicines, looked at the instructions, selected a few suitable and soothing ones, and put them down. Then she looked at the listless Lu Yingchi and asked, "Have you learned your lesson?"
Lu Yingchi held the medicine silently, rubbing it all over his body as if venting his anger.
She was heartbroken when she was slapped and bumped her head last time, but now she's just standing by and watching.
Ah, the human heart.
"Why bother arguing with Shen Yan?" Qiao Wu sat down next to him. "Did he offend you?"
Lu Yingchi didn't mince words: "He's not good enough for you."
Qiao Wu took a second to react, then asked in bewilderment, "What's going on here?"
"Let's not talk about him for now," she asked. "Even if it's not Shen Yan, I'll have other friends coming over in the future. Do you have to compete with everyone every time? You're so skinny, how can you withstand the sun so much? What if they're doing something else?"
She paused, then said gently, "Lu Yingchi, can't I have my own life?"
Lu Yingchi froze, his lowered eyes showing a moment of blankness.
"Is keeping me constantly by your side what you've always wanted?" Qiao Wu's tone lowered slightly. "Have you ever considered my feelings?"
She had always tried to think and consider things from other people's perspectives.
But after listening to Lu Jinzhi's words that day, I realized that this seemed wrong, because it would also make others prioritize themselves.
But she actually had some feelings too.
Hearing Qiao Wu's voice turn cold, Lu Yingchi panicked: "That's not what I meant!"
"So what do you mean?"
"I……"
Lu Yingchi was so anxious that he paced back and forth, but he couldn't express his thoughts.
He just felt that Qiao Wu was the best, and he wanted to prove that he was better than others. How could someone who couldn't even compare to him be worthy of her?
And he... is still chasing.
Lu Yingchi rubbed his hair in frustration, looking even more dejected.
Seeing that he was about to wring himself out like a mop, Qiao Wu softened his tone: "Next time, can you think about the consequences before you do something?"
She sighed: "And Lu Yingchi, there's something you need to know."
Lu Yingchi looked up at her.
Qiao Wu stood up and quietly looked back: "I am Qiao Wu first, and only then your friend."
At that moment, Lu Yingchi was staring into her eyes, feeling as if he had been struck by lightning from head to toe, and he couldn't help but tremble.
It was also the first time he clearly realized that without that employment relationship, what he was doing would be a burden for anyone.
She is my Qiao Wu.
She is Qiao Wu.
These are two completely different meanings.
"Do you hate me?" he asked.
Qiao Wu smoothed the hair on his head: "I won't hate you."
Lu Yingchi's eyes lit up for a moment, then he heard her say, "You are the younger brother, so you have the right to make mistakes with me."
The brightened eyes blinked as if they couldn't understand.
younger brother?
The last time Qiao Wu mentioned that he was the younger brother was when he told the villagers in Heqian Village that he was sick.
This is the second time.
Lu Yingchi had never taken this title seriously before, because he had never called Qiao Wu "sister." In his eyes, Qiao Wu was just Qiao Wu, not one of these complicated family members.
What did you do to get her involved with the Lu family?!
But Qiao Wu always treated him like a younger brother.
Before he could even savor the moment, Lu Ning objected: "What about me!"
“Wasn’t I the younger sister at the hot pot restaurant that day too!” Lu Ning pointed at herself and the dazed Lu Yingchi, “The generations are all mixed up!”
There's no blood relation between them, and Qiao Wu doesn't even want to ask if you thought about this issue when you asked me to be Wuwu's mother and your second uncle to be her father.
"You call your name, he calls his, each to their own." She turned the dim-witted little head away. "Take a look at your uncle to see where the medicine needs to be applied. I'm going to get Wuwu and head out."
"oh."
Watching Qiao Wu's figure disappear through the door, Lu Yingchi felt a little depressed.
Last time, she personally applied the medicine; this time, it's Lu Ning who's doing it.
"What are you doing, brother?" Lu Ning pointed at his shoulder. "You put it on your ears."
"..."
Lu Yingchi, disregarding his sentimentality, grabbed her ear and said, "Shut up, you hear? I don't care about your sister! You'd better copy the 'Family Song' a hundred times today!"
"If you don't care, you don't care! Why are you hitting me!" Lu Ning struggled, covering her ears. "You'll behave once we get home and you use the lie detector robot!"
Lu Yingchi smacked her on the head: "What kind of brat is calling me 'sister'?"
"My sister is so great! She's so amazing, knows so much, and is such a good person." Lu Ning whimpered, holding her head, and was quite smug. "She takes me out to play, buys me clothes, talks to me, and teaches me to read. Nobody else does that. I even have a little secret with her."
Hehe, she and Qiao Wu even took a bath together.
The little girl got excited talking to herself, shaking her head and swaying her body.
Lu Yingchi, however, was taken aback.
How come it sounds like I'm actually quite tempted?
In his mind, older brothers and sisters should be like Lu Jinzhi and Lu Xuan.
At worst, he'd be like Qin Lian. Lu Jinzhi was slightly better; at least he wouldn't use his belt to whip someone.
Thinking of this, Lu Yingchi's expression immediately turned cold and hard.
It wasn't because Lu Jin was a good person, but because he was worried about his belt.
His mouth is far more damaging than a belt.
Just then, a shadow flashed past the doorway.
Lu Xuan is getting ready to join the crew today, so he plans to tell Qiao Wu and also let the others know that he's here, so they won't treat him like he's invisible again.
When he wandered over to Lu Yingchi's room, he noticed the door was open and glanced at it casually before his gaze suddenly stopped.
"Hey." He leaned against the doorway, sizing up the Black and White Impermanence figures inside, and said lazily, "Isn't this a real man?"
Lu Yingchi: "..."
Grass!
Who would envy someone who has older brothers or sisters?
Your mouth is so foul!
When Qiao Wu returned with the cat, the room was incredibly noisy. She glanced into the room and raised an eyebrow slightly.
Lu Yingchi lay face down on the bed, while Lu Xuan used his knees to brace against his back, and Lu Ning sat on Lu Yingchi's feet to prevent him from struggling.
While applying the medicine, Lu Xuan secretly slapped someone's back repeatedly.
Although Lu Xuan is not as tall as Lu Yingchi, he is quite strong because he exercises every day to maintain his figure.
Lu Yingchi was so angry that his face turned red, but he still couldn't break free: "Lu Xuan, let me go, I want to fight you one-on-one!"
"Whose father am I following?"
Yesterday, Lu Xuan was furious when his attempt to befriend her was rejected. Now that he finally had a chance, he was determined to get his revenge. He slapped her again, making her already sunburnt shoulder even redder. He said leisurely, "Do you know how expensive this thing is? I'm being generous by giving it to you. Talk to your brother properly."
As an artist, he is extremely concerned about his appearance, so he always carefully selects the skincare and repair products he uses, which are indeed more effective than the medicines that Lu Yingchi buys haphazardly.
But they keep bringing up what I said yesterday: "A real man isn't afraid of pain?"
Lu Ning chimed in, "Exactly."
Qiao Wu chuckled, "They're already slaughtering the New Year's pig?"
The three people inside paused for a moment and looked at her.
"Hmm." Lu Xuan pressed down on the large head. "Which part do you want?"
"Leave one leg," Qiao Wu said with a smile to Lu Ning. "Let's go."
Lu Ning quickly climbed off her uncle's lap and jumped off the bed: "You guys play by yourselves."
Just as Lu Yingchi was about to turn the tables and take control, Lu Xuan, with remarkable foresight, released him and stood up: "Qiao Wu."
Qiao Wu put the cat carrier containing Wuwu on Lu Ning's back and looked up: "Hmm?"
Lu Xuan said casually, "I'm leaving soon too."
You won't see me when you come back!
"Have a safe journey, we'll be waiting for you to come home for the New Year." Qiao Wu smiled. "Teacher Lu."
Lu Xuan pursed his lips slightly downwards, then curled them up gently again.
Teacher Lu, your voice is really beautiful.
The hotel has cars available, but they're mostly for business trips. Since it was just a matter of taking the cat to get a vaccination, Qiao Wu didn't have to put in much effort. He simply asked the hotel for a small electric scooter and set off with Lu Ning.
The weather here is quite nice. As long as we don't get scorched by the sun like those two idiots, it's very comfortable to enjoy the breeze. We can also take Lu Ning for a stroll in the surrounding streets.
The hotel was huge; it took the two of them a while to get around it by bike.
When they arrived at the hotel entrance, Qiao Wu suddenly slammed on the brakes.
Lu Ning hugged her waist tightly: "What's wrong?"
A car with the Lu family logo was parked at the entrance; it was provided by the hotel for the Lu family. There shouldn't be anyone outside at this hour.
"Who is this..." Before he could finish speaking, Qiao Wu raised his voice slightly when he saw the person getting out of the back seat, "Lu Jinzhi?"
Recently, Lu Jinzhi has been informing her of his plans in advance for everything he does. In his words, he's giving her advance notice so that he'll be ready to have dinner with her anytime she feels like it.
So according to Lu Jinzhi's original schedule, he should have been busy until this afternoon and then take a flight tomorrow morning.
It's a whole day earlier now, and she hasn't heard him mention it at all.
Lu Ning struggled to move her head, which was confined inside the helmet, and saw her second uncle walking over.
She immediately pulled her head back in.
Qiao Wu asked, "Why are you here at this time?"
Since he was on vacation, Lu Jinzhi dressed casually in a light-colored shirt and light-colored trousers, with an irregular necklace adorning his exposed collarbone. Sometimes he was even more particular than Lu Xuan, who was an artist.
"I finished my work ahead of schedule." Lu Jinzhi glanced at Lu Ning, who was peeking out from behind with a cat carrier on her back. "Going to get a shot?"
"Um."
Let's go together.
"This car can only carry two people."
Upon hearing this, Lu Ning hugged Qiao Wu's waist even tighter, as if afraid that her second uncle would twist her off.
But this was clearly no challenge for Lu Jinzhi: "Hmm, I'll ride another one."
The driver of the Bentley, who had been waiting behind him for a long time, quietly rolled up the rear window and said very considerately, "Mr. Lu, I will have someone bring you a car right away, and the hotel butler will take your luggage and put it away."
"Hard."
Knowing she couldn't argue with him, Qiao Wu didn't refuse. She looked herself up and down and asked, "You can recognize me?"
She was wearing a helmet and dressed very casually.
Lu Jinzhi smiled and tapped her helmet lightly with his finger: "Guess why I only like you."
Qiao Wu's eyelids twitched: "Lu Jinzhi!"
There are children here!
But Lu Jinzhi merely glanced behind him casually and asked with a smile, "Did you hear that?"
Lu Ning shook her head vigorously, and very sensibly covered her helmet with her hand.
Don't go against your benefactors who provide you with food and clothing.
Her second uncle said he couldn't hear her, so she couldn't hear him.
Moreover, she knew that her second uncle liked Qiao Wu, so why did Qiao Wu react so strongly?
Three minutes later, a hotel employee rode over on a small electric scooter, watching with a dreamy expression as Mr. Lu and Ms. Qiao rode away with the little girl.
As expected, the rich don't follow the usual path.
There are many people riding electric scooters in the coastal city, and there are also dedicated non-motorized vehicle lanes on the coastal road for vacations. There aren't many people, so Lu Jinzhi kept a distance of not too close and not too far from the two of them.
Qiao Wu wanted to glance at it every now and then.
She had seen Lu Jinzhi drive cars and boats, but she had never seen him ride an electric scooter.
But if you turn your head occasionally, all you see is a black helmet.
It feels so weird.
But it made her want to laugh.
After finally arriving at the pet hospital, Lu Ning jumped out of the car first.
Qiao Wu parked his car and turned around, just in time to see Lu Jinzhi also taking off his helmet.
She rarely saw Lu Jinzhi looking disheveled. The last time was in Heqian Village, but he was just a little tired from driving for too long. But now, unlike when he was sailing and the wind was blowing on him, his usually neat hair was all messed up, and his face had faint red marks from the helmet.
He lowered his eyes as he placed his helmet, his expression somewhat indifferent, yet conveying a sense of approachable warmth.
Lu Jinzhi is quite a novel character.
Lu Jinzhi, having put his things away, turned around and saw her scrutinizing him. He raised an eyebrow: "What?"
Qiao Wu frankly said, "I'm curious what exactly your burden is."
If you're going to call him refined, he can also sit on a dusty, grimy hood.
If you're going to call him a shrewd individual, he's perfectly capable of handling a small electric scooter.
He can lift a burden high, and he can also throw it down with ease.
Lu Jinzhi walked around the electric scooter, staring intently at her as he had when he got off earlier: "I always thought the answer to this question was obvious."
"you……"
"Hello." Lu Ning, who had been sandwiched between the two and struggling with her helmet for a long time, tilted her head back and tried her best to stand on tiptoe to make her presence known. "Can someone take a look at me? Can someone help me take off my helmet?"
What's going on? She seems to suddenly empathize with Lu Xuan.
Lu Jinzhi lowered his eyes and gently separated her head from the helmet as if pulling a radish, saying lightly, "You've improved."
My second uncle actually said I've improved?!
Lu Ning straightened her back even more: "Have I become smarter?"
"No." Lu Jinzhi glanced at her frizzy hair and flicked her forehead. "She used to be just a ball."
"?"
Lu Jinzhi: "Now it's a glowing ball."
"???"
She will never forgive him! Even buying Wuwu a 20-yuan can of jars isn't enough!
Lu Ning stormed into the hospital, carrying her cat carrier, in a fit of rage.
Qiao Wu felt that even Lu Jinzhi had become childish. She glanced at him lightly and followed him.
Lu Jinzhi originally wanted to follow, but just before entering the door, he received a call from Lu Jiang. He paused and stopped outside the door.
As soon as the call connected, Lu Jiang on the other end asked in an unfriendly tone, "You came early?"
"Um."
Lu Jiang, who hadn't yet found a chance to talk to Qiao Wu, was speechless.
"Where's Xiaowu?" Lu Jiang asked, suppressing his anger. "Did you go out with her?"
"Hmm," Lu Jinzhi said calmly, "I won't be going back anytime soon."
This means he won't let Qiao Wu attend the dinner party that evening.
He came so early because he had planned it all out.
Lu Jiang was furious at his indifferent attitude: "They came for her."
"Wasn't she going to visit you?" Lu Jinzhi scoffed. "What does it have to do with her?"
Lu Jiang took a deep breath: "Lu Jinzhi, you're not a child anymore, how can you be so willful? This family has only had a few days of peace! You're only thinking about yourself, have you thought about your brother and your niece? Have you thought about how they'll accept this?"
Lu Jinzhi didn't want to talk to people who were emotional, and was about to hang up when he heard Lu Jiang say, "And Xiao Wu, all of this is what she has worked so hard to build up. Have you thought about her?"
Lu Jinzhi's expression softened slightly: "So?"
Lu Jiang's rising anger was interrupted at this moment: "What so?"
"She built it up, so?" Lu Jinzhi said calmly, "How they accept it is their business. It's not Qiao Wu's fault. She has done everything she could. Why should she take on all this for them? She should use that time to talk to your two sons."
“There’s one more thing you’ve got wrong. What you should be worried about isn’t the consequences of me being with her, but the consequences of us not being together.”
Lu Jinzhi looked at the two helmets, one black and one white, standing side by side not far away and smiled: "I was the one who liked her first, I was the one who pursued her, I was the one who used any means necessary and showed no remorse. If she doesn't want to be with me, the situation will be even worse."
Lu Jiang: "...?"
You want to use force on someone?!
For a moment, he didn't know which possibility to worry about. Had he been watching the legal channel at home for nothing all these days?!
"Lu Jinzhi, if you dare to do anything reckless, I'll be the first to call the police and have you arrested!"
Lu Jinzhi: "Whatever."
He knew Lu Jiang's style of doing things. The reason he came so early was that he didn't want Qiao Wu and Shen Yan to finish their meal.
Secondly, knowing that Lu Jiang couldn't do anything to him, and now that his return time was confirmed, he would definitely find Qiao Wu to resolve the issue before then.
His tone was languid and confident: "Don't bother her, it's hard to win someone over."
Having said all he needed to say, Lu Jinzhi didn't want to hear any more nonsense, so he simply hung up the phone.
This time, I also blocked his father.
Only after doing all this did he turn around and go into the pet store.
Qiao Wu and Lu Ning were sitting in a row of chairs. When he came back, they looked up and said, "It's over. We need to observe for twenty minutes."
"Hmm." Lu Jinzhi sat down beside her. "What are the plans for later?"
"It's not decided yet." Qiao Wu rubbed the kitten's head and asked with a smile, "What do you think?"
As if he had grasped some information, Lu Jinzhi suddenly raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her: "I'll decide?"
Qiao Wu looked down at the kitten, but was thinking about what he had overheard at the door earlier.
She didn't intend to eavesdrop on Lu Jinzhi's phone call; she just thought of asking him later if he wanted to add his name to the guardian list, since Lu Ning was a minor and the hospital would only contact the guardian, and Lu Jinzhi had also breastfed Wuwu for a period of time.
But when I got to the door, I heard my own name, so I couldn't help but listen to the whole thing.
How bad would things be if she didn't agree to be with Lu Jinzhi?
What if... you agree?
She looked up, and instead of answering, asked, "Am I hard to pursue?"
After being overheard on the phone, Lu Jinzhi remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled and said, "Difficult, isn't it?"
"I'm always thinking about how I can make you love me the way I love you."
But he couldn't perceive himself.
Put yourself in his shoes; it's very difficult for someone like him to fall in love. By the time he realizes it, he's already imprisoned in a cage along with many other uncontrollable thoughts.
He wanted her to know his feelings, but at the same time he was hiding them, worried that she would be scared.
But no matter what, he couldn't let go.
He couldn't bear to see Qiao Wu love him with such difficulty, yet he also longed for Qiao Wu to love him in the same way.
So it's very difficult.
The fact that this phone call was overheard was a bad thing for him, but it might not necessarily be a bad thing either.
However, he quickly found the optimal solution.
He tilted his head slightly and whispered in her ear, "Waaah, do you want to have some pity on me?"
Lu Ning, who had already huddled under the row of chairs with her cat, was trembling with fear.
What's going on? Do they really think she doesn't exist?!
She seemed to have trouble understanding her second uncle and Qiao Wu's conversation.
How terrifying.
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