Shoutout to Alinaza for the commission!
Jiang Se woke up the next day to the sound of a dog barking.
When she woke, her brain wasn’t fully awake yet. The first reaction was that she was dreaming. The next second, when Lu Huaiyan’s low voice came along with the dog barking again, Jiang Se abruptly opened her eyes.
The dog downstairs should be the “dog son” Cen Li had mentioned before that belonged to Lu Huaiyan.
Jiang Se didn’t really remember the name, just remembered it was an especially clingy Samoyed, a birthday gift Han Yin had specially given him for his twenty-third or twenty-fourth birthday.
Lu Huaiyan was sitting in the dining room drinking black tea.
When Jiang Se came downstairs she saw the big snow-white dog lying at his feet wagging its tail.
Hearing her come downstairs, man and dog both looked over.
The son’s reaction was clearly faster than the dad’s, four legs sprang up in a “swish”, hind legs pushed as it was about to rush over to pounce on her.
Unfortunately, it failed before even starting, its neck was firmly pressed down by a big hand.
“Jialuo, you can’t pounce on people.”
Jialuo immediately became obedient after being scolded by Lu Huaiyan, flattened himself back down, dark round eyes always watching Jiang Se.
Very cute.
Jiang Se walked over to pat its head, “It’s called Jialuo?”
Lu Huaiyan gave an “mm”: “Mother gave the name.”
“You let go, I’ll play with it for a bit.”
Seeing she truly wasn’t afraid, Lu Huaiyan pinched Jialuo’s neck then let go: “Be gentle, no pouncing.”
Jialuo gave a “wooo”, front paws promising properly, but next second its dog nature didn’t change. It lifted both front paws to pounce at Jiang Se. Fortunately the force wasn’t big, Jiang Se crouched on the ground letting it chew on her skirt.
She wore a long ankle-length linen skirt, lotus-root-pink hem spread across the floor.
Lu Huaiyan propped his chin with one hand, quietly watched her play with Jialuo for a moment, said: “Aunt lives downstairs, when I’m not here, Jialuo stays with her. If you like Jialuo keeping you company, then why not live here? Or if you want to live in the Linjiang villa, it’s quieter there, also close to the estate in the suburbs. If you get tired of the river view I’ll take you riding in the suburbs.”
Jiang Se’s tone was calm: “No need for such trouble, I’ll just stay at my Little Aunt’s.”
Lu Huaiyan paused slightly, took a sip of black tea, lightly said: “Where? Xinhe Residence?”
He meant the place she had stayed in Beicheng before, also in city center, not far from here.
Jiang Se gave a soft “mm”: “There. Later arrange a car to send me over.”
“That place is close, I’ll send you myself.” Lu Huaiyan put down the teacup and stood up, “Eat breakfast first before leaving.”
Jiang Se didn’t have much luggage, just two suitcases. Lu Huaiyan drove her directly to the apartment.
This apartment of Cen Mingshu’s was a place Jiang Se lived in more than Cen Mingshu herself. Back in university, whenever she didn’t want to return to the Cen house, she would come here.
Cen Mingshu had directly knocked through two secondary bedrooms and made her a room comparable to a master bedroom.
As soon as Lu Huaiyan entered the room he saw an entire wall of Disney princess figurines. He leaned against the doorframe and quietly admired them for quite a while.
“Your Little Aunt bought these for you?”
Following his gaze, Jiang Se said, “Mm, every year on my birthday Little Aunt will buy me a few.”
Hearing her say that, Lu Huaiyan remembered that when she was little she seemed to really like going to Disney. Either she would ask Cen Li to take her, or she’d ask Cen Mingshu.
Her birthday was in June, a bit less than three months away.
Lu Huaiyan asked her: “Is there any Disney you haven’t been to yet?”
Jiang Se froze: “What?”
Lu Huaiyan smiled: “When you were little, didn’t you tell your brother you wanted to play at every Disney in the world? Which one haven’t you gone to? This year for your birthday, change to having another older brother take you.”
There were only six Disney parks in the world, and Jiang Se had long since been to all of them, and not just once.
“All been to. Aren’t you the one who doesn’t like going?”
Before, whenever Cen Li took her to Disney he would ask him if he wanted to go along, but he never joined. In the end it was always Cen Li and Guo Song taking her and Guo Qian.
Lu Huaiyan said: “Is that the same? I didn’t have a little sister before.”
Jiang Se reminded him: “You don’t have a little sister now either.”
“Who said I don’t? Aren’t I now a certain miss’ exclusive older brother?” Lu Huaiyan walked in, wanting to pinch her earlobe, then changed to rubbing her head instead, saying, “If you don’t want Disney then change to another place. This year on your birthday I’ll take you out to play for a few days.”
Jiang Se didn’t speak.
“This isn’t urgent, there’s still over three months. Once you’ve decided where you want to go, just tell me, I’ll arrange it in advance.” After saying that, Lu Huaiyan glanced at his watch, “I should go. Tonight are you coming over to my place, or am I coming here?”
Jiang Se paused, then lifted her eyes to glance at him: “If it’s past twelve, then don’t come over.”
Lu Huaiyan lowered his eyes to look at her, then suddenly leaned down and kissed her, laughing as he said: “Will it be like this in the future too, every day, before I go to work you’ll say: if it’s past twelve you’re not allowed to come into the room to disturb me?”
“……”
“I can’t come back at noon. Do you want me to arrange someone to cook for you?”
“No need, I’ll take care of myself.”
There was also a morning meeting today that Old Master Lu would be attending. Knowing he couldn’t delay any longer, Lu Huaiyan nodded and said: “If anything happens, just call me.”
After he left, Jiang Se opened her suitcase and began slowly unpacking. When she pulled open the nightstand drawer, a heavy, rich agarwood scent rushed out.
She paused. Then remembered this was the agarwood Lu Huaiyan had deliberately sent over when she left Beicheng last time, the whole box packed densely. She didn’t take it with her, and hadn’t planned to use it.
Naturally she didn’t plan to use it now either. Her fingertip gently pushed, and the drawer that had just been opened slowly closed again.
After unpacking, Jiang Se went to the bathroom to take a shower. When she came out she realized she’d missed Zheng Huan’s call and quickly picked up her phone to call back.
As soon as the call connected, Zheng Huan said with a laugh: “I almost thought something happened to you, I was just about to call again.”
“Unpacking made me sweat all over, when you called I was in the shower.”
“Luggage? You went back to Beicheng?”
“Mm, just arrived last night.”
Zheng Huan wasn’t surprised: “I guessed you’d go back to Beicheng. I’ll also be going back in a while, we’ll pick a time to meet then.”
She paused, then returned to the main topic: “Remember I told you Tian Xiangyi has a daughter?”
“I remember, that girl is in high school.”
Zheng Huan said: “This little girl talks more than Tian Xiangyi does, and she’s spilled a lot about things at home to her classmates. Guess what she said? She said her cousin is a Beicheng rich heir, and in the future when he inherits the family business he’ll bring her and her mom to live in Beicheng.”
The little girl repeatedly emphasized she had a very wealthy cousin. But the classmates had never seen this cousin appear, naturally they became suspicious.
Teenage girls are simple and sensitive, most can’t stand being doubted by others.
One day she held up a business magazine, pointed at the man on the cover, and swore to the heavens that that was her cousin.
“The man on the cover was Fu Yun?”
“Yes, and the photo in the magazine just happened to be the one you sent me.”
The photo Jiang Se sent Zheng Huan was the one of Fu Yun being interviewed in his study.
By then, Fu Jun had already been dead for over half a year. The grandson was gone, but there was still a younger son. Old Master Fu, out of his grief, pulled himself together and worked to train Fu Yun, and even set up an engagement between Fu Yun and the Cen family.
“The miss talked nonstop about her cousin, and everything matched Fu Yun’s experiences. Most importantly, she said her cousin liked drinking beer from the family brewery, and her mom had to send beer to Beicheng every month. Old Uncle Yu checked and it was indeed the same Tian Xiangyi has been sending two boxes of beer to Beicheng every month for years now. Guess where they’re being sent?” Zheng Huan teased.
Jiang Se: “Where?”
“A hot spring club, named Huaqing Pool. This club belongs to the Wanming Hotel Group, and its owner is someone you know.”
Before Zheng Huan could say the name, Jiang Se already took the words: “Zhu Mingli.”
The Zhu family, like the Han family, also built their fortune through hotels.
The Han family focused on chain business hotels, while the Zhu family focused on developing resorts.
Zhu Mingli was the eldest daughter of the current chairman of the Zhu family, holding a marketing director title in the group, and also running several beauty and wellness clubs. The hot spring club Zheng Huan mentioned was located in the western suburbs of Beicheng.
After hanging up, Jiang Se began flipping through the purchase lists Mo Jichen had sent over. Quite a few familiar names, just not Zhu Mingli.
On the day she left Beicheng last September, even though she knew Guo Qian was close to her, Zhu Mingli still insisted on pulling Guo Qian into the group chat, letting her watch how they mocked Jiang Se.
Guo Qian’s temper had always been explosive, and she always breathed through the same nostril as her.
How could Zhu Mingli not guess those words would reach her ears?
Back then, how did Zhu Mingli mock her?
A cuckoo occupying a magpie’s nest.
Besides occupying Cen Yu’s nest, whose else did this cuckoo occupy?
Fu Yun’s current marriage partner was Zhu Mingli.
The “accident” on New Year’s Eve, the victims weren’t only her, but also Cen Yu, who got a body full of stink.
And at that time, Old Master Fu originally wanted to continue the marriage alliance with the Cen family.
Jiang Se lifted her eyes to look at a painting on the wall, her gaze gradually turning cold.
The kidnapping case seven years ago, she had repeatedly pondered why Ji Yunyi’s student’s wife would appear at the Oil Painting Institute that day.
But she forgot to ponder another person, herself.
Why did she go to the Oil Painting Institute at that time?
Because her oil painting displayed in the Bode Exhibition Hall was accidentally damaged by someone, the principal asked if she could deliver another one on Monday.
The Oil Painting Institute was closed on weekends, but she had her own studio there, so naturally she chose to go at that time.
She and Zhu Mingli were in the same year, both graduated that year.
Zhu Mingli also had a piece displayed in the exhibition hall, an ink painting.
Everyone in this circle knew Old Master Fu loved painting and calligraphy, liked playing with words and ink, Fu Jun had beautiful handwriting, and Fu Yun was skilled in traditional painting.
Ink painting and traditional painting.
Jiang Se slowly blinked, picked up her phone, and sent Guo Qian a WeChat: 【You said Zhu Mingli has a very treasured photo, can you get it?】
—
Early March in Beicheng was warm then cold again. The morning wind had lost some of winter’s harshness, but was still cold.
Lu Huaiyan entered the meeting room and saw Old Master Lu wearing only a thin cashmere sweater, so he told Zhou Qing to fetch a coat, and personally draped it over the old man.
Old Master Lu complained that he was being fussy, but inwardly he enjoyed it.
Right after the morning meeting ended, when he called Lu Huaiyan into the office to talk about Lu Jinzhong, his tone also became much gentler.
“I know this time your dad did something inhuman, but Ah Yan, he’s still your father, there’s no need to be so absolute.” Lu Xingqiu lightly coughed twice, shook his head, and sighed, “You have to at least let me save some face when I see your grandmother. Your grandmother spoils your father the most, and among the younger generation, she spoils you the most.”
Lu Huaiyan quietly poured him a cup of hot tea, gently saying: “Don’t worry, isn’t he busy lately with the Sun family, working together on a new project? I’m giving their new project a bit of resistance, just so he’ll put his energy where it should be.”
Lu Jinzhong’s power in the Lu family had been emptied. Afraid of offending Lu Huaiyan, no one in the Lu family ever dared to help him.
Lu Jinzhong could only keep searching for outside support, wanting to make a comeback.
Who knows what kind of big cake he painted for the Sun family this time, coaxing them into willingly becoming his bridge to cross the river.
What Lu Xingqiu wanted was just that one sentence, as long as he didn’t go too far, he could close one eye.
Lifting the cup to take a sip of tea, he cleared his throat again and said: “Mia is coming tomorrow. If you have time, come back to the old house for a meal to show hospitality. When you were in England, her grandmother treated you better than her own grandson. One must know to repay kindness.”
Guan Jiayi accompanied her older brother last time for New Year’s greetings and stayed in Beicheng for a whole month, accompanying Old Master Lu through countless Peking Opera performances.
The little girl’s personality was really good: naive, cheerful, and with her whole heart placed on Ah Yan.
In the past, when Lu Xingqiu looked for girls for Lu Huaiyan, he subconsciously chose the dignified, steady type, the ones suited to be the mistress of the household. Now he felt that with Ah Yan’s personality, a little sun like Guan Jiayi, pure and bright, might suit him even better.
“Linda was good to me, so naturally I will also be good to her.” Lu Huaiyan’s expression was calm. “But what does my friendship with Linda have to do with Mia? Your liking Mia is your business, nothing to do with me.”
Old Master Lu slammed the tea cup onto the table. “Do you know she gave up staying with the Royal Ballet for you, choosing instead to come alone, all by herself, to the Beicheng Ballet Academy?”
Lu Huaiyan’s expression did not change: “Which is why you should not give her even the slightest hope.”
Lu Xingqiu said: “When I was your age, your second uncle could already walk. What, you still think you’re a young lad with endless youth to waste?”
Lu Huaiyan chuckled lightly: “Didn’t you have two kids in three years, yet still didn’t marry until nearly twenty-six? Back then many people liked you. Why did you insist on grandmother? Grandmother was about to marry someone else, and you dug up her wall with a hoe, making grandmother pregnant so she had no choice but to marry you.”
“What do you mean no choice? Your grandmother already had me in her heart. And besides, how can your grandmother and I be like you?” Lu Xingqiu was furious. “I didn’t marry because I liked your grandmother. You, this little wolf cub, don’t even have someone you like. You want to drag it out until you’re old? Aren’t you afraid people will say you’re an old cow eating young grass?”
“Who said I have no one I like?” Lu Huaiyan rubbed his brow and said, “Didn’t I already tell you last time? I have someone I want to marry. Stop messing with blind matchups.”
Lu Xingqiu snorted. This wolf cub was raised by him, how could he not know his methods.
“Not even a shadow of that person. You think I’d believe your nonsense?” he waved his hand at Lu Huaiyan, annoyed, “Go go, seeing you makes me upset! You don’t have to come to tomorrow’s meal, but in a few days when the Guan brothers come, don’t you dare be absent!”
Lu Huaiyan didn’t rush to leave. He replaced the old tea with a fresh cup and said: “Shaoting and the others are coming to discuss cooperation between the two families. Of course I won’t be absent. Since Mia decided to come to the Beicheng Ballet Academy, naturally it’s for her career. If you need someone to accompany you for Peking Opera, I’ll find someone suitable for you. As for her, don’t disturb her. Even if she wants to accompany you out of junior courtesy, you as an elder shouldn’t delay her future.”
Lu Xingqiu: “……” This wolf cub!
—
That night, Lu Huaiyan declined a social engagement. Before ten o’clock, he arrived at Jiang Se’s place. When Jiang Se opened the door for him, she had just finished showering, her hair wet and hanging over her shoulders.
“Butler already sent your things over this afternoon, I put them in the cloakroom.”
Lu Huaiyan gave an “mm”: “Why didn’t you blow-dry your hair, your Little Aunt doesn’t have a hairdryer here?”
“She has, I was just about to go look.”
The hairdryer was in the bathroom, Jiang Se had just taken it out when he snatched it from her hand, the man directly picked her up and walked toward the shower, “Keep me company for a bath first?”
He asked with his mouth, but his actions didn’t have a single bit of asking for her opinion.
She was messed around with by him in the shower for almost an hour. When she came out, the water in her hair was like broken beads on a string, constantly falling down.
Lu Huaiyan’s shoulder had two new bite marks. While blow-drying her hair, he lifted the bathrobe to show her her masterpiece: “Was it too good so you had to bite, or were you too angry so you bit?”
Jiang Se’s eyes still had remnants of the haze of passion, when she lifted her gaze at him, her eyes were still misted.
Their gazes tangled for a few seconds.
Lu Huaiyan said: “Looks like it’s both, both good and angry.”
“……”
Jiang Se didn’t have energy to bother with him, after drying her hair, she picked up the nightdress he stripped off her onto the vanity and went back to the bedroom.
There were a few documents on the bed. When Lu Huaiyan got on the bed he glanced at them, his brow lifted slightly, saying: “Planning to turn the drinks from your bar into bottled beverages to put on the market?”
Jiang Se gave an “mm”, gathered those documents and put them back into the file bag, “I’m meeting Sister Xu Zhou tomorrow to finalize it.”
Lu Huaiyan pulled her into his arms, playing with her fingers as he said lightly: “Want me to help?”
“No need.” Jiang Se leaned against his chest, lowering her gaze to his long-fingered hand, saying, “Do you remember before that Zhu Mingli chased you?”
Lu Huaiyan’s movements paused, his expression calm: “What? You want to settle old scores about her chasing me?”
