Chapter 7: I'll let you get your way, I'm a dog. Your necklace is at the hillside villa. ...
Zhu's mother had been busy for a while, but the younger generation still hadn't come over to eat. She took off her apron and went into the living room, where she saw three adults standing there dumbfounded, not knowing what they were up to.
She had a slight headache: "What are you two standing there for? Come and eat." When her gaze turned to Wen Qi, she immediately put on a kind smile, "Wen Qi, come and eat too."
Zhu Qingzhi was the first to react. She immediately jumped out, took her mother's arm, and walked towards the dining table in a coquettish manner.
Just then, Mr. Lu brought out the chicken soup that he had been simmering for most of the day. All the dishes on the table were made by the couple themselves, showing how much care they had put into them.
The group took their seats one after another. Lu Yao, with a dark expression, pulled Wen Qi to sit beside him. Zhu's mother noticed this unusual behavior but didn't say anything, which was considered tacit approval.
Zhu Qingzhi hadn't eaten much at noon and was now starving. Since the meal started, she hadn't stopped eating and had been constantly offering compliments.
As her mother served her food, she scolded her playfully, "Even eating can't shut you up." But in reality, she was overjoyed.
Lu Yao weighed the chopsticks in his hand and casually remarked, "If you move back in, you'll have plenty to eat every day." He leaned back, resting one hand on the back of Wen Qi's chair. "Mind your manners; we have guests here."
His voice was cold and flat, devoid of any emotional inflection, a typical expression of his, but anyone could sense the hostility in it.
Zhu Qingzhi stuffed a mouthful of rice into her mouth and pretended not to hear.
Mother Zhu wondered why Lu Yao and Wen Qi, who had always had a good relationship, were now at odds after becoming brothers-in-law. But Wen Qi was someone she had invited, so if she didn't protect him, who would?!
She first picked up a piece of sweet and sour fish with her chopsticks and gently placed it on Wen Qi's bone plate, saying with a smile, "What guest! We're all family!" Then she threw a piece of green vegetable into Lu Yao's bowl, her expression changing, "Eat!"
Mr. Lu started a conversation with Wen Qi about the recent international situation, wanting to hear his opinion on the recent financial crisis at Lu's overseas branch.
Lu Yao didn't participate and wasn't in the mood to eat. Seeing his carefree sister made him lose his appetite completely.
The meal didn't last long. Lu's father and Wen Qi got so engrossed in their conversation that Lu pulled him to the living room. Lu Yao then took Zhu Qingzhi to the backyard to feed the dogs, where Zhu Qingzhi squatted down and played with Xiaobai for quite a while.
Lu Yao stood to the side with one hand in his pocket. Through the floor-to-ceiling window, he could see the activity in the living room. Wen Qi was making tea for Lu's father, her movements fluid and graceful, a sight to behold.
Feeling annoyed, he stopped reading and nudged Zhu Qingzhi's ankle: "What are the plans for tomorrow?"
Zhu Qingzhi glared at him with displeasure, then stood up: "We're going to take promotional photos tomorrow morning."
Zhu Qingzhi had discussed the matter with him regarding Chaoxing, and he had reviewed the contract and offered several suggestions for revision. In the final draft, almost every clause was favorable to Zhu Qingzhi; even if the contract was terminated early, she wouldn't suffer any loss.
He also sent people to investigate Chaoxing's background, but there was nothing special about it. That's precisely why he found it strange.
"I've also inquired about the LR endorsement. To maintain a unified narrative, you are the most suitable spokesperson."
LR is a foreign brand headquartered in the United States. He happened to be in the United States dealing with matters concerning his overseas company, and he made inquiries from various sources, but couldn't find out anything.
Zhu Qingzhi was also aware that Lu's Group had only started to expand into overseas markets in the last five years and did not have much influence abroad, so she had not had much hope of finding out about LR's endorsement.
The reason she told Lu Yao these things was that she felt that since Chaoxing had the ability to connect with LR, the company's development could not possibly be limited to its current scale.
She suspected that the people behind Chaoxing were deliberately hiding their strength, after all, even a top luxury brand like LR could casually throw money at her.
She even suspected that Shang Ya's willingness to let her go so readily was orchestrated by Chao Xing. But what was it about her that Chao Xing saw in her? It couldn't be her as a person, could it?
"Did you know Wen Qi before?" Lu Yao asked, puzzled.
Zhu Qingzhi shook her head, she really had no recollection of it.
It was windy at night, so they didn't stay in the yard for long before going back inside.
Mr. Lu had just finished talking with Wen Qi and was in a good mood. He was writing down Wen Qi's thoughts in his notebook when Wen Qi got up to say goodbye.
Today he was wearing a black fitted turtleneck sweater with a minimalist design that perfectly accentuated his figure. The sleeves were rolled up, revealing a section of his slender forearm, and his every move exuded a lazy and elegant charm.
Zhu Qingzhi met his gaze, and a wave of shame washed over her as she felt caught red-handed. However, Wen Qi's gaze swept over her lightly, and he didn't seem to want to talk to her.
Well, she's seen a lot in her life, so there's nothing to panic about. She just nodded politely and didn't say anything to cause trouble.
Lu Yao didn't even nod, and turned to go upstairs.
Therefore, compared to the behavior of the brother and sister, it seemed that Lu's father was the one who was most reluctant to part with Wen Qi.
Wen Qi drove himself here today. He had some drinks at the dinner table, and afterwards, he was kept chatting by Mr. Lu. He didn't have time to notify his assistant to pick him up, so Mr. Lu offered to have Uncle Zhao take him home.
Wen Qi did not refuse and gave the address as "Half-Mountain Villa".
Upon hearing this, Mr. Lu and Mrs. Zhu were both taken aback.
That was a house that Wen Qi bought before the wedding. A while ago, Zhu Qingzhi's name was added to the deed as the marital home. But he had been living in a large apartment in the city before, and that marital home had been empty. Why did he move back to live there now?
However, this was a matter of personal privacy, so neither of them asked any further questions. Besides, the girl had just arrived home; who would want to send her out?
Zhu Qingzhi continued to pretend to be mute.
Just before getting into the car, Wen Qi suddenly turned around and glanced at Zhu Qingzhi: "Remember to go back and get your things."
Things? What things? She packed up and took everything with her. And buddy, what are you trying to do by talking about these things in our house?!
Zhu Qingzhi pretended to be calm, deliberately ignoring the looks her parents were giving her, wanting an explanation. She decided to play deaf and pretend she didn't know he was talking to her.
Zhu's mother nudged her shoulder, signaling with her eyes that not responding was impolite and disrespectful. Helpless, she could only return an awkward yet polite smile.
Wen Qi tapped his chest again, as if to kindly remind him, "Your necklace is on the bedside table."
...No, well, never mind, she's not going to say anything more.
Zhu's mother almost fell into Zhu Qingzhi's arms.
Even if it's an arranged marriage, they are still legally married. If they develop feelings for each other, it's common for an arranged marriage to turn into a marriage. She and Lu's father are the most prominent example.
That's why she invited Wen Qi over for dinner today—she wanted the young couple to meet and reconnect.
Who knew that this brat came back yesterday? Not only did she not go home, but she also stayed with Wen Qi. Staying with her is one thing, but she doesn't even know how to put her things away properly, and she was even pointed out by Wen Qi. How can she keep her here?
Zhu's mother grabbed Zhu Qingzhi's arm, her eyes almost twice their normal size, trying to get an explanation from her, but the girl refused to speak and only laughed.
Zhu's mother closed her eyes, pushed Zhu Qingzhi forward a step, and asked cautiously, "Will you be living in the villa on the hillside from now on?"
Wen Qi nodded, and Uncle Zhao understood. He turned around, got into the driver's seat, parked the car back in the garage, and then drove out the Maybach that Wen Qi had brought.
"Qingzhi, drive your car back. It will save Uncle Zhao the trouble of making the trip back and forth."
Mr. Lu gestured for Uncle Zhao to give the car keys to Zhu Qingzhi, patted Wen Qi on the shoulder, and paused meaningfully, "Luckily, Lu Yao isn't here."
...
Has anyone even asked for her opinion?! It's a movie for five people, why can't she have a name?
Zhu Qingzhi didn't go to pick her up; her mother did it for her, even pushing her into the driver's seat and nagging in her ear, "You came back last night? Why didn't you go home?"
“It’s fine if you don’t want to go home, but why did you go home with Wen Qi? Now, your father and I can’t keep you here even if we want to.”
"No wonder your brother and Wen Qi didn't get along today. He didn't even see you off. So there was something going on behind the scenes."
Even if this happens, it won't stop you from keeping me here! It's just that the Wen family will lose face, and there's no need for that. She's already accepted a business marriage, so how can she not be given basic respect?
She can definitely do it!
When Wen Qi sat in the passenger seat, the windshield wipers were rhythmically swishing across the clean car window. Zhu Qingzhi was gripping the steering wheel, her eyes filled with a determined look, as if she were about to join the Party.
He approached, raised his hand and turned off the windshield wipers. The screeching stopped abruptly, and a small patch of warm light from the courtyard shone into the dimly lit car.
"What are you thinking about?" Most of his face was hidden in shadow, his voice was cold and clear, with a faint smell of alcohol.
What could she be thinking? Of course, she was wondering why you were talking nonsense! Zhu Qingzhi revealed a smile that looked like she wanted to kill someone, and stepped on the gas.
The distance from the Lu residence to the hillside villa wasn't far; the navigation showed it would only take twenty-two minutes. However, she wasn't familiar with the route and wasn't used to driving this car, so it was almost eleven o'clock when she arrived at the hillside villa.
A floor lamp was left on in the living room, and you could tell that the magazines on the coffee table were newly replaced. The roses in the vase were the same color, but the variety had changed; they were Juliet pink roses.
Zhu Qingzhi wasn't stupid. Over the years, she had many suitors in the industry. To win someone's heart, you have to cater to their preferences. Usually, they would send her pink roses as a gesture of goodwill.
Is Wen Qi the same? Or is this just his gentlemanly behavior?
After all, she was willing to accompany him back to their marital home that night for the sake of appearances, and knowing her preferences a little, changing to a bouquet of pink roses wouldn't be too difficult.
Just then, Wen Qi's phone suddenly rang. He glanced at it, and a shadow visibly fell over his usually indifferent expression. He didn't reply, and the action of pressing the mute button was so practiced it was almost infuriating.
The atmosphere was oppressive. As the phone screen flickered on and off, he exuded an increasingly strong aura that kept strangers at bay.
Someone kept calling him, just like in a spy drama, the enemy was relentlessly probing our comrades.
Suddenly, the roar of a car engine came from outside the door, and two beams of light slanted through the French windows, illuminating the living room.
The phone call came late at night, and a car was coming to pick him up. There must have been an emergency at the company that required his attention, but Wen Qi seemed very resistant to such disturbances.
Oh, maybe she's in the room and it's inconvenient for her to say.
Thinking of this, Zhu Qingzhi spoke first, expressing her gratitude to the Wen family for handling the gossip news today, and then naturally made the request to get some rest early.
Wen Qi nodded, told her to rest well, and then picked up his coat from the sofa and went outside.
A few gusts of cold wind blew in as the door opened. Zhu Qingzhi glanced over and saw a young man in a suit and tie, carrying a briefcase in one hand and a folder in the other, waiting by the car.
Her gaze didn't linger long; she turned and went upstairs before even closing the door.
But Xiao Ao, the assistant waiting outside, was a different story. The president didn't reply to messages or answer calls, and his face was so gloomy when he left.
He was initially worried because someone had interfered with the Haicheng land reclamation project, which was about to be taken down.
Looking back now, it wasn't about business at all, but about personal matters! And that woman looked a bit like the female celebrity on the LED screen of the building across from our company.
My God! What's going on?! The CEO brought someone home, doesn't that count as marital infidelity?!
Ignoring his shocked expression, Wen Qi took the folder from his hand, got into the car, made a phone call, and then, seeing that Xiao Ao was still standing there in a daze without even looking up, simply knocked on the car window to remind him.
Xiao Ao took a breath and quickly climbed into the passenger seat.
The Wen Group's board of directors held an emergency meeting. When Wen Qi arrived, all the board members were present.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Qingzhi [shrugs]: ? ? ? ?
Wen Qi [Sunglasses]: Hmm. (Pretends to loosen his tie)
Brother [shrugs]: You look down on me? Do you think I'd let you succeed again?
Author (winking): [Dog head holding a rose]
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