Chapter 29 Happy Things
The day after Lu Jinzhi returned was a weekend. Except for Lu Xuan, who had to go to the company, everyone else consciously did not get up early and did not want to run into Lu Jinzhi.
We used to not know what to say when we met, let alone now that two years have passed, we have even less in common.
Qiao Wu didn't wake Lu Jinzhi up either. He only wanted to rest before Monday and didn't plan to go to the company.
So only Lu Xuan and she were at the breakfast table that morning.
Qiao Wu took out a card and placed it in front of Lu Xuan.
The latter raised an eyebrow: "What?"
"Aren't you going to participate in a variety show next week?"
The agent sends Lu Xuan's work schedule and itinerary to her email every day. Last night, Qiao Wu saw that he was going to another city to participate in an actor training camp and a variety show to be filmed in seclusion for a month. So she left some money in this card for Lu Xuan to use in case of emergency.
“There’s 100,000 inside,” Qiao Wu said. “Enough for your living expenses for a month.”
He's been staying home these past few days, not going out to fool around anymore, so he hasn't received any money from his sugar daddy yet.
Unexpectedly, the first time was only 100,000.
"One hundred thousand?" Lu Xuan asked incredulously. "What can one hundred thousand yuan do!"
“One hundred thousand yuan is the annual expenses for an average family of several people. What can you do with that? You live and eat with the production crew, and your round-trip airfare is reimbursed. You don’t spend any money.” Qiao Wu didn’t even look up. “Or do you think it’s too much?”
"..."
Lu Xuan quickly picked up the card.
One hundred thousand, thirty days, averaging over three thousand a day...
The hand holding the card trembled slightly.
"They're not even as good as the ducks outside."
What a load of nonsense.
Qiao Wu put down his spoon and asked slowly, "How do you know how much ducks cost outside?"
“Many people are buying…” Lu Xuan started to say, but suddenly stopped.
He turned his head and saw Qiao Wu's ambiguous smile. Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his spine and quickly added, "Of course I didn't. I just heard it from someone."
The entertainment industry is a big melting pot, and there is an invisible food chain. Although his status is not yet at the very top, his money is already there. So since he entered the entertainment industry, many people have been trying to send people to his side.
He paused slightly and said lazily, "They're not even as good-looking as me, why would I spend money to hire someone to sleep with me?"
Although it's true that some people offer it to us for free.
But he's not a rotten cucumber; he has very high standards, okay?
Qiao Wu raised an eyebrow: "As long as they're good-looking, that's enough?"
"Can an average person be as good-looking as me? Do you know how valuable the title of 'King of Looks' is in the entertainment industry?" Lu Xuan waved the card in his hand and clicked his tongue. "Someone like me wouldn't even be qualified to see me for 100,000 yuan. Only you would qualify."
Realizing his words were ambiguous, he frowned: "I didn't say I'm a gigolo."
"Hmm, you said you wanted to find something pretty."
Too lazy to continue this boring topic, Qiao Wu wiped his hands and stood up: "I'm finished eating."
Seeing that the person had really left, Lu Xuan sat there in a daze.
Is she angry?
Why? He didn't actually do that kind of thing!
He frowned for several seconds, then clutched the card and followed them out.
Seeing the person sitting at the table talking to the servant, Lu Xuan walked over and leaned against the edge of the table: "Ten thousand is ten thousand, I didn't say I didn't want it."
Qiao Wu glanced at him, waved for the servant to leave, and continued doing her own thing.
"And it's not just about being good-looking." Lu Xuan wanted to attract the other person's attention, so he leaned forward, unsure of what to say. "Are you angry?"
Qiao Wu sighed silently and looked up: "Why are you angry?"
"Because..." Lu Xuan couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he just subconsciously felt that Qiao Wu would hate this kind of thing.
He thought for a moment, but his gaze unconsciously drifted into the other person's light eyes.
Lu Xuan suddenly felt that these eyes were very beautiful, more beautiful than any other pair he had ever seen in the entertainment industry, especially when they were looking at him, which made him happy.
His gaze shifted and landed on Qiao Wu's face.
I've never seen her so closely before. When did she suddenly grow into such a beautiful adult?
At this moment, Lu Xuan suddenly dared not say with certainty how he would react if such a person appeared in front of him.
Startled by his own thought, Lu Xuan looked away and sat up straight: "How would I know?"
"You think I'm angry because you also realize you made a mistake," Qiao Wu said calmly, unaware of his thoughts. "What's the point of asking me?"
“I didn’t do it.” Lu Xuan frowned. “I’m very clean-living.”
"Then I hope you always keep a clean record." Qiao Wu rested his chin on his hand and looked towards the door. "You're going to be late."
Lu Xuan reluctantly straightened up, and just as he was about to turn around, he turned back again, worried. He walked around to the opposite side of Qiao Wu, put his hands on the table and leaned over: "I've thought about it. Closed training won't cost any money. Just give me 50,000."
Qiao Wu was somewhat surprised and couldn't help but tease, "Is it that I can't even see you if it's not for 100,000?"
“That’s someone else. You only need to spend 50,000.” Lu Xuan tossed the card in front of her, his peach blossom eyes slightly raised. “Not only can you watch, but you can also bring back first place. Would that satisfy your sugar daddy?”
No wonder he always calls himself the "King of Looks" in the entertainment industry; he is indeed very attractive.
But Qiao Wu showed no mercy: "If we don't get it back, your living expenses will be 25,000 next month."
Lu Xuan: "..."
Yan Wang's life has once again suffered a Waterloo.
However, it was certain that Qiao Wu was no longer angry. Lu Xuan put the remaining 50,000 yuan in the card into his pocket, and when he turned around, he caught a glimpse of someone standing at the elevator door, and his movements paused slightly.
Two years later, Lu Jinzhi has become even more repulsive than before, and he still dresses so provocatively at home.
He put on sunglasses: "You enjoy eavesdropping on other people's conversations so much?"
People who have nothing are fearless.
Lu Jinzhi couldn't stop Qiao Wu from using his card.
Lu Jinzhi said calmly, "You have a megaphone in your mouth, yet you're afraid of people hearing it?"
Not only is her appearance unpleasant, but her mouth is even more so.
"What right does someone who uses arsenic as lipstick have to criticize me?"
Lu Jinzhi chuckled, his words carrying a hidden meaning: "It seems you intend to walk out of the Lu family gate today."
Thinking of the cars in the garage, many of which were bought when he was a minor, Lu Xuan's expression changed, and he quickly walked out the door.
Qiao Wu hadn't participated in the brothers' conversation until now, when he finally spoke up: "Should we have the kitchen prepare breakfast?"
"Hmm." Although he said that, Lu Jinzhi remained seated and did not move.
The two of them were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't even hear the elevator doors open.
Or perhaps they were just too focused on looking at each other.
"Did you give him money?" he asked.
Qiao Wu did not deny it: "He never thought of keeping money on him before."
The card was stopped too abruptly, otherwise I would have really starved to death.
"So you spent 50,000 to become his..." Lu Jinzhi didn't quite understand the term, but he had heard it before, "sugar daddy?"
It's used on people who keep mistresses.
If he heard correctly, Lu Xuan was indeed trying to please Qiao Wu, and even went so far as to emphasize that he was morally upright.
50,000 yuan…
"You've misunderstood." Qiao Wu felt that the other person's gaze had become somewhat unpredictable. "It was just a joke. I was just giving him some living expenses to keep his behavior in check. You know he's always been easy to coax."
“No misunderstanding,” Lu Jinzhi said calmly. “Although it is indeed very cheap, you wouldn’t be so indiscriminate in your eating.”
They just didn't realize for a moment that a word with an ambiguous meaning had suddenly appeared between the two of them, whose conversations had initially revolved around snacks and toys.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Wu really didn't know whether to thank Lu Jinzhi for his trust or feel sorry for Lu Xuan's importance in his brother's heart.
"Does it cost money to restrain his behavior?" Lu Jinzhi asked.
Qiao Wu chuckled as he thought of something: "After all, in his eyes I'm just an insignificant working person, my words carry no weight, so I have to exchange something for it."
Lu Xuan only agreed to come home because she coaxed and tricked him into it.
"Insignificant?"
Lu Jinzhi repeated the word and smiled.
"Good."
There are advantages to being a silly dog.
After Lu Jinzhi went to the restaurant for breakfast, Qiao Wu went to take another look around the banquet venue.
The main house of the Lu residence is a private living area, and outside guests are not allowed to enter, so there is a special banquet hall.
When she returned, Lu Jinzhi was no longer downstairs. Because Lu Yingchi did not want to see Lu Jinzhi, he also asked the maid to send breakfast to his room.
Only Lu Ning hasn't made a move yet.
Lu Ning seems to have the most regular schedule at home lately. Even if she doesn't have classes on weekends, she'll get up to have breakfast before going back. Qiao Wu called her, but she hung up immediately.
What happened?
She brought breakfast to Lu Ning's floor and knocked on the door: "Lu Ning?"
There was no sound inside.
The phone hung up immediately, indicating that he was awake. Qiao Wu frowned: "I'll worry if you don't make a sound. Should I call security?"
This time, there was finally a sound from inside the door; Lu Ning must have run to the door: "No!"
"What's wrong?" Qiao Wu asked.
"Nothing, I'll be down in a bit." Lu Ning's voice sounded off. "Don't come in."
"Do you need any help?"
"No need! You should go!"
The child hadn't been this stressed in a long time, so Qiao Wu didn't push him too hard: "I'll leave breakfast at the door, remember to pick it up, and here's the reward for reporting your second uncle."
After hearing no sound from outside the door, Lu Ning, who was hiding behind it, waited for several minutes before gently opening the door.
Seeing a plate placed by the door, she opened the door a little wider, lay on the carpet, hooked her fingers around the edge of the plate, and slowly pulled it inside.
The plate was a bit too big, so she could only see the breakfast and not the so-called reward. So she had to stretch her head out again to try and find what she wanted.
Instead of the reward, I saw a pair of long legs.
She stiffened, and looking up from those long legs, she saw Qiao Wu leaning against the opposite wall with his eyes downcast.
She gently placed her arm around her, watching her furtive movements with a smile.
Qiao Wu breathed a sigh of relief; the fact that he was still thinking about the reward meant that nothing serious had happened.
Lu Ning was startled and quickly crawled back to try to close the door.
Qiao Wu didn't stop him, and leaned against the wall, he said slowly, "If you shut it down now, you won't get the reward."
"You're lying to me." Lu Ning hid by the door. "There was no reward at all."
She could see the plates; there was nothing but breakfast.
"Didn't you lie to me first?" Qiao Wu stepped forward, squatted down by the door, and picked up the plate. "Children who lie don't get rewards."
Seeing that Lu Ning was still hiding behind the door but showed no intention of closing it, Qiao Wu asked gently, "May I come in?"
"If I said no, would you refuse to come in?" Lu Ning asked in a muffled voice.
"I'm afraid not," Qiao Wu answered honestly, "because I'm worried about you."
There was no more sound from behind the door.
Qiao Wu tried pushing the door forward, and Lu Ning didn't resist, she just moved to the side.
The door opened smoothly, but the curtains in the room were all tightly closed, and the lights were off. Only a few small nightlights for children to prevent falls were dimly lit, allowing one to make out the outline of a person.
This room used to belong to Lu Ning's parents. When she was born, they didn't want her to sleep in a separate room because she was still young, so this room was gradually converted into a dual-purpose children's room.
She has lived here ever since her parents passed away, but she is a loner and doesn't allow anyone into her room, so the furnishings have never changed, and several nightlights have broken but no one has come to fix them.
Qiao Wu didn't turn on the light. Instead, he placed the plate on the table and looked back at the huddle huddled behind the door.
Lu Ning did develop relatively late, and she is still not very tall. She is thin and small, and looks pitiful, especially compared to such a large room.
The bed was a jumbled mess of bulges and lumps. Qiao Wu glanced at it and asked in a low voice, "Can you tell me what happened?"
Lu Ning said in a muffled voice, "It's nothing."
"Why are you crying if nothing's wrong?" Qiao Wu walked up to her, squatted down, and rubbed her head. "Does it hurt?"
These words instantly brought Lu Ning back to when Qiao Wu first returned to China and visited her school. He looked at her wound in the same way and said to her with a smile, "How can there be a wound that doesn't hurt?"
The tears she had held back for so long finally broke down at this moment, and she couldn't stop them no matter what she did. She opened her mouth and breathed heavily, not wanting to cry too loudly.
Qiao Wu didn't urge her, but leaned down and hugged the child in her arms, slowly stroking the back of her head.
The darkness amplified Lu Ning's tension and fear. She clung tightly to Qiao Wu's clothes and cried for a while before sobbing, "I'm bleeding, a lot of blood."
"What?"
“I thought I was going to die,” Lu Ning said, her head bowed. “I searched online, but there were all sorts of conflicting opinions. I spent 4,000 yuan consulting a doctor online, and the doctor said it was my period.”
Because the place was unusual, she didn't want anyone to see her or call her family doctor, so she had to search online.
Later, she searched for information about menstruation, but Qiao Wu arrived before she could finish reading it.
Qiao Wu: "..."
She was stunned for a long time, a rare occurrence, feeling both bewildered and heartbroken.
"And then?" she asked softly, "Why did you cry?"
"I don't know." Lu Ning wiped her eyes and pointed to the messy bed. "I want to wash the clothes and sheets first."
But she has never washed her own clothes, let alone her bed sheets.
There were no laundry tools in the bathroom, so she didn't know what to do and didn't want to tell anyone else.
"It's okay, it's normal. It means you've grown up," Qiao Wu said gently. "I'm just like you."
Lu Ning whispered, "The doctor already said that."
The doctor she found for 4,000 yuan was quite reliable. He used a lot of professional terminology, which made her realize, even in her dazed state, that she didn't have cancer.
But she was confused and didn't know what to do.
All I could think of was washing myself clean and getting rid of the dirt so no one could see it.
"I'll shower with you in a bit," Qiao Wu said. "Should I turn on the light?"
Perhaps because she had someone to share her fears with, Lu Ning's emotions were much more stable now, and she wasn't as panicked. She nodded.
Qiao Wu then turned on the lights, but not all of them, so as to give Lu Ning a sense of security.
When she turned around, she saw Lu Ning wrapped in a thick bath towel around her lower body, her hair wet, clearly having just taken a shower.
Her family is all men, and their relationship was already strained in the past. Now that she's grown up, she's not aware of these things, so naturally no one would prepare these things for her.
Qiao Wu did not leave, but instead called the servants to bring all the necessary items.
The Lu residence is far from the city center, so for emergencies, many items are stored in the warehouse in new condition.
Hearing the maid come up, Lu Ning hid in the bathroom again.
Qiao Wu didn't let anyone in, but carried the things in himself. Only then did he realize that Lu Ning had been fussing for a long time. Unable to find a basin, she threw all the bed sheets into the bathtub, and the bathroom was a mess.
Noticing her gaze, Lu Ning, hiding behind the door, whispered, "I haven't had time to wash yet."
"It's okay." Qiao Wu opened the box in his hand. "Here, let me teach you how to use it."
Lu Ning found it online, but she was too embarrassed to look at it, let alone undress for Qiao Wu to see.
But to her surprise, Qiao Wu took off his clothes right in front of her the next second.
Lu Ning's eyes widened.
How could this be?!
"Don't be afraid." Qiao Wu chuckled when he saw her in a daze. "Didn't I tell you, we're the same?"
Stunned by Qiao Wu's generous actions, Lu Ning even forgot what she had been worried about. She subconsciously took a few steps forward, and her wrist was gently covered by that slightly cool hand.
"I'm sorry," she heard Qiao Wu say.
Lu Ning's mind was a little muddled: "What?"
"It was my oversight."
Qiao Wu had only been back for a short time, and he had to divide his energy into several parts each day, so he didn't notice that a special child was going through a special period.
"I'm telling you to be so scared all by yourself."
Lu Ning lowered her head and blinked: "It's not your fault, it's my own fault for not studying hard enough."
She had a physiology and hygiene class in the first year of junior high school, but the school environment was not good at that time, and there was no separation between boys and girls, so the teacher did not explain it in detail. She was not a serious listener and was annoyed by the chatter of the students. She did not hear what the teacher was saying.
Lu Ning then endured the most unbearable ten minutes of her life.
Even after I had cleaned myself up and put on clean clothes, the redness on my face hadn't gone down.
Qiao Wu, already dressed, stood before her again without changing his expression.
"I'm not lying to you, am I?" Qiao Wu pinched her cheek. "Actually, it's not a strange or difficult thing, and you don't need to be afraid or shy."
"……Um."
Considering that the child hadn't yet realized what was happening, Qiao Wu kept her word and didn't send all of her clothes to the maid for washing.
In fact, the maids working at the Lu residence have all undergone professional training. Each person's clothes are handled by a different person and are washed separately according to their level of personal care.
Moreover, the clothes worn by the family members are generally not cheap, and apart from special fabrics, most of the clothes that can be washed are hand-washed.
Even so, Qiao Wu had the maid bring up a new basin and squatted in the bathroom to teach Lu Ning how to wash her personal clothes.
Lu Ning found this experience very novel.
It wasn't the act of washing clothes that she found novel, but rather the presence of someone to talk to and enter her private space.
Watching Qiao Wu's skillful movements, she couldn't imagine that Qiao Wu had been just like her in the past.
"Didn't you also grow up in the Lu family?"
Lu Ning asked curiously, "I've never seen your mother, so who taught you that?"
Although she had never taken a sex education class, she knew from a young age that boys and girls were different. Surely it wasn't the old housekeeper who taught her that?
Of course not. By the time the body in this world entered puberty, its relationship with Qiao Zhiyi was already very strained.
"Same as you," Qiao Wu laughed. "I found it myself."
Lu Ning said "Oh," and then added, "But you definitely won't cry."
She admitted that Qiao Wu was indeed very capable.
Such a capable person can do anything very well, and is very calm. They are not afraid or ashamed, and would never be as pathetic as her, lying on the carpet and crying.
"Why not?" Qiao Wu said softly, "I was a child back then too."
She wasn't always this capable. Before she came into this world, she also learned how to grow up on her own, imitating the actions of others, and taking steps forward, sometimes deeply, sometimes shallowly.
I feel like crying when I'm wronged, and I feel pain when I'm hurt.
It's just that nobody's saying it.
Perhaps she just has a better sense of direction than Lu Ning, knowing what she wants to do in the future, so she studies hard and isn't too afraid when faced with this situation.
I feel panicked, uneasy, and at a loss, clumsily trying to figure out how to handle the situation.
She smiled and said, "When I first came here, I felt like I couldn't walk anymore."
Lu Ning wholeheartedly agreed: "Right, that's what I think too."
"Yeah, but I'll still be happy."
"Why?"
Qiao Wu paused for a second, then lowered his eyes and said, "Maybe it's because it means I've grown up, and growing up means I can do more things I want to do."
It allows her to comfort herself that she is no longer a child, and it gives her the courage to take on more responsibilities, hardships, and the future.
Lu Ning muttered, "That's why I said you're better than me."
Anyway, she won't think that much about it.
"no the same."
“What’s different?”
“Because you have many people around you who will help you.” Qiao Wu raised his eyes. “I’ve told you before, besides me you have family, uncles and grandfathers. If you have any worries or fears, you can tell them. They will definitely stand by your side. That’s your right.”
She added, "If you have something happy to share, you can try telling them. They will be happy to listen to your sharing."
“You don’t have to work so hard.” Qiao Wu’s eyes were filled with a gentle smile. “So next time, don’t cry alone in your room.”
In the past, Lu Ning might have argued back, but her family wouldn't have taken her side.
But recently she's lost her composure again.
Because during this period of time, Lu Yingchi and the others haven't done anything to her.
I didn't get punished for making so many mistakes in my homework, but I was forced to eat a lot of walnuts.
So you can believe what Qiao Wu said, right?
Lu Ning nodded: "Oh."
Qiao Wu helped Lu Ning wash the clothes, then sat in front of the computer with her to read through all the little tips she had found online. Finally, they even planned to take the bed sheets and duvet covers to the maid to wash because they were too big.
Before leaving, he added, "I'll have someone replace the broken nightlight for you."
Lu Ning was lying on the bed adjusting to her new phase when she heard this and was stunned for a moment before remembering that the nightlight in her room had been broken for a long time.
After Qiao Wu left, she jumped up again and opened all the curtains in the room, instantly making the whole room bright and comfortable.
Lu Ning dressed the doll in the clothes Qiao Wu had given her, then carried the doll around the large room before running back to the window.
I couldn't resist jumping around a couple of times.
hey-hey!
Suddenly, she saw Lu Yingchi returning from the horse farm downstairs through the window, and she immediately turned around to look for her schoolbag.
She's in such a good mood right now that she can write two more exam papers.
Moreover, Qiao Wu said she could find her family, so she immediately grabbed her schoolbag and set off. Today, she could reluctantly eat an extra bowl of walnuts that Lu Yingchi had cracked open.
Lu Yingchi only came downstairs after hearing that Lu Jinzhi was not at home. With nothing else to do, he went to the horse farm to take the princess for a walk.
He had just stepped into the main house with his hands in his pockets when he saw Lu Ning rushing out of the elevator with her schoolbag in her arms.
Upon seeing him, Lu Ning raised her hand high, her eyebrows dancing with excitement: "Lu Yingchi, I have something happy to share with you."
Who wants to hear your happy stories?
If you're unhappy, I might be willing to listen a little.
But Lu Yingchi, still half-sitting on the sofa, said, "Speak."
Lu Ning walked up to him and said triumphantly, "I got my period today!"
Lu Yingchi: "..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
