Among the three juniors present, two shrank into quails, while Luo Bai stood tall like a crane among quails.
“I believe choosing a marriage partner is my own affair,” she said.
“Hah, I do not quite understand,” Luo Wen said with a hint of sarcasm. “Since it is simply for your older sister’s inheritance, does it make any difference to you who you marry?”
Luo Bai lowered her eyelashes for a moment before replying, “No.”
She had indeed experienced some unprecedented physiological reactions toward Qiu Wu, but that was not her primary reason for choosing the other person.
“I do not wish to be entangled in the affairs of the company and the city state. My personal plans do not include this.”
The several marriage candidates Luo Wen recommended to her were all relatives of high ranking officials within the city states and corporations. If she were to become the wife of one of those individuals, she would need to invest much more energy into participating in matters she found utterly uninteresting.
Luo Wen looked at Luo Bai. Two pairs of similar black pupils reflected each other’s faces, one side doubtful, the other indifferent.
She had never liked this niece from the very beginning.
Back then, after a huge argument with her, her older sister had run off for two years, returning with a child conceived with God knows who. Upon coming back, just to disgust her, the sister spent every day parading around with a baby in a bundle. Later, when the child grew a bit older, she grew too lazy to care for her and forcefully shoved the human into her charge.
Whenever she thought of this child’s origins, she could not help feeling disgusted, yet she could not simply wash her hands of it either, so she packed Luo Bai off to a boarding school out of sight, out of mind.
The only comforting thing was that Luo Bai had not disgraced the Luo family bloodline, inheriting her older sister’s talent for scientific research. Even within the elite crowded Luoda First Campus, she was the most outstanding individual in decades, surpassing even her mother.
On the flip side, compared to her older sister whose emotions were overly abundant, Luo Bai was chillingly indifferent.
Luo Wen remembered it clearly. On the day Luo Hua died in a plane crash without a complete body, the moment she finished wiping away her tears, she met Luo Bai’s deadpan, unruffled gaze.
That fourteen year old girl had looked at her with a kind of bewildered gaze, akin to detached observation.
“You hated Mother, didn’t you? Why are you crying over her death?”
Luo Wen was left utterly speechless.
That was an emotion any human could understand, provided they possessed basic humanity.
Yet Luo Bai did not understand.
She did not understand this child, just as she had never understood her own older sister.
Her sister was already gone, and she had no desire to understand Luo Bai either.
As long as this child could step into her sister’s vacancy and become the scientific pioneer keeping Luocheng ahead of the world, she would not excessively nitpick about anything else.
This time, it was only because the Qiu family was truly unworthy of the Luo family, and rumors within the company about her intentionally suppressing Luo Bai were running rampant again, that she had been forced to intervene.
Now it seemed it had been completely unnecessary. This child was just as stubborn as her older sister.
No one could force her to do anything.
Luo Wen pressed her brow and waved a hand. “In that case, I wish you success. Also, keep an eye on that girl. I do not wish for her to learn anything regarding Luocheng secrets within your scope of responsibility. Understood?”
Luo Bai nodded. “I understand.”
“If there is nothing else, you may return.”
“Mhm.”
Lasting half an hour, this gathering of the Luo family members concluded peacefully.
“Hey, hey, Great Aunt, Great Aunt, wait for me!” Just as Luo Bai was about to get into the car, Luo Cheng chased after her, panting heavily.
Luo Bai turned back. Luo Cheng pressed her palms together in a prayer gesture. “I am begging you, the next time something like this happens, can you notify Chairman Luo first? You directly had me go around arranging betrothals with various families, yet such a massive matter happened and your little aunt did not even know?”
God as her witness, when Luo Wen asked her whether the rumors of Luo Bai’s marriage were true or false, she broke out in a cold sweat.
As a successor, she had long known that the family relationships of the main Luo branch were not entirely normal, but she never expected them to be abnormal to the point of not even notifying elders about arranging a marriage.
Luo Bai nodded. “I understand, but Auntie previously said that if there is anything to discuss, I only need to speak with you, and if it does not concern Luocheng, there is no need to inform her.”
Luo Cheng massaged her forehead and muttered under her breath, “Then at least consider my feelings a bit.”
The car door sprang open, and Luo Bai prepared to get in.
“Ah, one more thing,” Luo Cheng hurriedly added. “That dating partner of yours, her family is currently using the Luo family’s name to do business. Do we need to place any restrictions on them?”
Luo Bai looked puzzled. “The Luo family’s name?”
“In the business world, thirty percent is about appearance, seventy percent is about wealth,” Luo Cheng explained. “The Qiu family has been going around telling everyone that Qiu Wu is together with you, so naturally, people assume they have the Luo family backing them. Who would dare not give them a favorable expression?”
“Is that so?” Luo Bai pondered for a moment. “What they are saying is the truth. Personally, I do not mind, but if this matter begins to affect the company’s operations, I will assist you in resolving it.”
“No, no, I just wanted to let you know. As long as you do not mind, it is fine.” Luo Cheng hurriedly shook her head. The Qiu family’s tiny scale of operation could not even touch a single hair of the Luo family, even if they tried jumping up to clout chase. She had not genuinely wanted to interfere anyway; she was simply afraid Luo Wen would hold her accountable later, so she wanted to pull someone in who could take the blame.
“Mhm. If there is nothing else, I will be leaving first.”
Ever since learning the news of Luo Wen’s anger, Qiu Wu had been in a constant state of anxiety, her mind filled with vivid, tragic scenes of Luo Bai being forced to kneel and subjected to strict family punishments.
With skin that fair and tender, how long would it take for a single stroke of the rule to fade away?
She paced back and forth in the dormitory a hundred times over, until even the normally taciturn Wei Jia could not help asking her what was wrong.
“Nothing, sorry for disturbing you,” Qiu Wu forced a smile. “I am going out for a walk.”
September in Luocheng had yet to cool down. A thin layer of sweat coated Qiu Wu’s forehead as she sat down in the pavilion of the campus park, watching the sparkling ripples on the surface of the nearby lake while nervously opening WeChat.
Still no message from Luo Bai.
Caring about your own girlfriend was completely reasonable and did not count as prying into someone else’s privacy, right?
In the end, she still took the initiative to ask: Did your little aunt do anything to you?
Luo Bai replied very quickly: No.
Qiu Wu breathed a sigh of relief: That is good.
She had projected her own worries onto the situation. A family like the Luo family surely would not resort to beating and scolding like the Qiu family did.
Luo Bai: Do you have time tomorrow afternoon from three to seven? I have formulated a dating plan.
Qiu Wu: Ah?
Wasn’t this topic shifting a bit too fast?
Luo Bai: Tomorrow at four in the afternoon, there is a lecture at the Sector Five Research Institute given by Professor Li Man. She is an expert in mecha development and rarely comes out to share her experience. It is a very rare opportunity.
I probably won’t understand a word of it.
That was Qiu Wu’s immediate thought.
However, she had no intention of declining. Luo Bai actively planning a date had already flattered her immensely. Given the disparity in their conditions, she should normally be the one constantly clinging to the other person.
There was also a more realistic issue.
Qiu Wu: I am free all day tomorrow, but getting from Sector 57 to Sector 5 is at least a six hour drive. The earliest express train ticket is at ten in the morning, so I might not make it in time.
Luo Bai: There is no need to take the express train. I will come pick you up.
Qiu Wu: No need, that is too much trouble!
Even though Luo Bai wasn’t standing in front of her, Qiu Wu still instinctively shook her head.
Rather than letting Luo Bai come pick her up, she would sooner have the Qiu family arrange transport. Qiu Qi would undoubtedly be more than happy to oblige.
Luo Bai: I am the one inviting you, so picking you up is only proper. Wait for me at the school south gate tomorrow at three in the afternoon, is that alright?
Qiu Wu: Alright.
What she said made so much sense that she found herself completely unable to refute it.
Closing her phone, Qiu Wu looked toward the willow branches swaying in the wind, and after a moment, let out a self deprecating chuckle.
Luo Bai was correct. The inviter picking up the invitee was the most normal thing in the world.
Yet in this place, in this social circle, people were divided into distinct ranks. Luo Bai was at the absolute top, while she was at the absolute bottom.
After so much time had passed, she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be treated as an equal human being.
By Sunday afternoon the next day, Qiu Wu was already waiting at the school gate by two thirty. Drawing from her previous experience, she did not apply any makeup and wore her usual outfit of a white T shirt and casual trousers.
Just as she was being stopped by someone else asking for her WeChat, a white sports car glided up silently in front of them.
The car door lowered, and Luo Bai looked at her calmly. “How much longer do you need? Parking is not allowed here for long.”
Qiu Wu: “Right away!”
Why did she suddenly feel like she was being caught cheating?
The few freshman girls looked at her, then at Luo Bai, and finally focused their gazes on Luo Bai’s uniquely styled sports car, which looked exorbitantly expensive just by its appearance.
Their expressions instantly turned meaningful. Tactfully putting away their phones, they dropped a casual “Have a happy life, Senior!” and scampered off in a flurry of pattering footsteps.
Qiu Wu silently climbed into the passenger seat, habitually reaching out to pull the seatbelt, only to grab empty air.
Eh?
She turned her head to look and could not find it. The car’s center console was as complex as a spaceship in a science fiction movie, while everything else was minimalist to the point of being practically bare.
Luo Bai had already started the vehicle, her peripheral vision sweeping over. “Looking for something?”
“The seatbelt. Is it not needed?” Qiu Wu only then noticed that Luo Bai was not wearing one either. The woman was dressed similarly to their first meeting, clad entirely in white, save for the absence of the Weike insignia on her jacket.
Does she only own clothes like this?
“Not needed. The safety protection of this car is sufficient, and moreover,” Luo Bai shifted gears and pressed a button. Qiu Wu felt a slight jolt beneath her as the scenery outside the window slowly drifted downward. “At this car’s speed, a seatbelt would not play much of a role.”
Qiu Wu blinked, only then realizing the car was ascending.
“A flying car! They have already been implemented?!” Her mouth fell open as she stared in disbelief at the increasingly vast expanse outside the window.
“Mhm. Currently, there are three hundred in the first batch. Once the aerial routes are perfected, mass production will follow, which can drastically cut down urban transit time.”
While they were talking, the car had already climbed to a sufficient altitude. Luo Bai gently pushed the control stick, and the car surged forward with a sharp roar that tore through the air.
“Ah!” Qiu Wu let out a short gasp. Her entire body was pressed firmly back into the soft seat by the sudden G force, while a gentle cushion of airflow wrapped around her, keeping her posture steady. This should have been the safety mechanism Luo Bai had mentioned.
It was highly advanced, though unfortunately it could protect the body while offering zero protection to the psyche.
The cloud layer abruptly loomed close, only to be shattered and flung away out of sight in the blink of an eye. The speed of this vehicle probably exceeded the combined speed of every car she had ever ridden in.
Qiu Wu gripped the armrests tightly, her heart pounding wildly and her ears ringing.
Vaguely, Luo Bai’s voice drifted over, “Hoh.”
Discarding all politeness, she yelled incoherently, “You! What did you say?!”
Then, she watched with her own eyes as Luo Bai casually let go of the steering wheel and control stick, reaching out with her slender, white gloved hands to cover her ears.
She did not know what material those gloves were made of. They were as snug and soft as cotton, yet capable of completely blocking out temperature transfer. A trace of chilliness lingered by Qiu Wu’s ears as she stared blankly at Luo Bai’s flawless, serene face, watching the woman’s light colored lips part slightly.
Amidst the extreme terror of imminent destruction, she heard the chiming of bells from heaven.
“Do not shout. Take a deep breath, and exhale slowly.”
Her body chose obedience faster than her brain. She took a massive gulp of air and slowly breathed it out.
The ringing in her ears rapidly receded, and her frantically hammering heart finally settled down somewhat.
Luo Bai withdrew her hands. “I apologize. It was my oversight. I did not consider that you would need time to adapt to the driving environment of a flying car.”
“No problem.” Qiu Wu pinched her burning earlobes, her heartbeat still slightly elevated. “I am much better now.”
“Mhm.” Luo Bai lightly rested her hands on the steering wheel, shifted her gaze back ahead, and lowered the autopilot speed. “I am somewhat curious. Why did those three people bless you just now?”
“Ah?” Qiu Wu blinked for a moment before realizing Luo Bai was talking about those freshman girls. Her brain had not completely recovered from the tension yet, so she blurted out, “They probably mistakenly thought I managed to find a very wealthy sugar daddy.”