Lu Zhuojin always used the gentlest tone to do the most extreme things… speaking with tender affection while making you cry and whimper, begging for mercy.
Just like that night, after giving her a gentle smile, Lu Zhuojin gripped her hand and, without hesitation—even with a sense of enjoyment—plunged the knife into the chest of the attempted rapist, blood spurting out.
Lu Ruiqian had also said that this little uncle could smile gently while viciously stabbing someone, then afterward blow on their wound and ask softly, with concern, “Does it hurt? Sorry, I stabbed too hard.”
“No experience, I’ll do better next time.”
She had replied then, “That’s so twisted?”
Lu Zhuojin had sighed softly at the time, “Exactly that twisted.”
He was afraid of this little uncle.
A beautiful etiquette lady in a qipao walked over with a swaying, catwalk-like gait, standing before Lu Zhuojin with a dazzling smile. “Mr. Lu, please make your preparations.”
Lu Zhuojin nodded, then looked at the young couple, Xia Wanzhi and Lu Ruiqian, his throat moving slightly. “Then I wish you a hundred years of happiness and early blessings of children.”
He turned and followed the etiquette lady toward the stage.
The words were spoken with deep meaning, sounding to Xia Wanzhi like sarcasm.
Seeing his little uncle treat Xia Wanzhi so gently, Lu Ruiqian was taken aback, gazing thoughtfully at her. “Zhi Zhi, Little Uncle seems different toward you.”
Xia Wanzhi bit her lip, stammering, “N-no, not really.”
Lu Ruiqian shook his head. “You don’t know Little Uncle…”
“He’s very guarded, suspicious. Especially toward women—he’s harsh, and no woman can get close to him. Business partners have sent many women to his bed, but they’ve all been thrown out. He says they’re dirty. Literally thrown—dumping women on the floor, looking at them like they’re trash.”
Xia Wanzhi: …
But at night, he could be like that? No way…
She whispered, “But he doesn’t seem like…”
Lu Ruiqian also whispered, “Right? Everyone says he looks capable, but actually, he has issues in that area.”
Xia Wanzhi frowned. Issues???? And still managed more than three times? Though she had been dazed at the time, the number on the floor in the morning didn’t lie…
Lu Ruiqian whispered in Xia Wanzhi’s ear, “He had a mental illness before. He caused trouble back then and was sent abroad. Mania and schizophrenia… so no one can really figure out what he’s thinking.”
Xia Wanzhi shuddered. “Then… he… he can still take over as CEO of the Lu Group?”
Lu Ruiqian whispered, “The Lu family is quite complicated internally… There’s a special reason he took over…”
“He signed a gamble agreement with my great-grandfather.”
“The terms of this gamble are quite harsh—the Lu Group’s performance must increase by fifty percent within a year. No one in the Lu family dared to sign it, only him.”
“Privately, some say it’s because he’s crazy, reckless, that he dared to sign such an agreement.”
Xia Wanzhi clutched the hem of her skirt. As a business management student, she knew how cruel gamble agreements could be. No wonder Lu Ruiqian had no complaints about his little uncle taking over as CEO.
The requirements of a gamble agreement, if not met, come with severe penalties. Old Luo ended up owing over a billion because he signed a gamble agreement and failed to meet the terms.
Lu Ruiqian took Xia Wanzhi’s hand. “Zhi Zhi, let me introduce you to my mother.”
Xia Wanzhi felt nervous, biting her red lip.
Lu Ruiqian tapped her nose and smiled. “Don’t worry, my mom is very kind.”
Xia Wanzhi nodded, took a deep breath—she had to face this sooner or later. No need to be afraid.
Lu Ruiqian held her hand as they walked through the crowd of elegantly dressed guests, stopping before a woman who appeared to be in her early thirties. “Mom, this is Xia Wanzhi.”
He Churou, wearing a high-end dark blue gown studded with diamonds, looked at Xia Wanzhi with a gentle smile and handed her a glass of red wine. “So you’re Zhizhi. Ruiqian told me you have excellent grades and that you’re his junior at school.”
Xia Wanzhi accepted the wine softly. “Hello, Auntie.”
He Churou turned to Lu Ruiqian. “Ruiqian, your father was looking for you earlier. He wants to introduce you to some of the uncles you’ll be working with. In situations like this, don’t show any weakness.”
“I’ll take Zhizhi around for a walk.”
Hearing the phrase “show any weakness,” Xia Wanzhi subtly clenched her fingers.
She could sense Lu Ruiqian’s mother was being gentle yet distant, and her heart sank a little.
Lu Ruiqian smiled at Xia Wanzhi. “I’ll go take care of things then.”
Xia Wanzhi nodded.
Only after Lu Ruiqian had left did He Churou speak leisurely. “Zhizhi, is it? Ruiqian told me you two are planning to get married.”
“As his mother, of course I’m happy.”
Xia Wanzhi replied softly, “Auntie, I… will take good care of Ruiqian…”
He Churou observed Xia Wanzhi slowly and gently, as if assessing her. “But the Lu family has many rules.”
“There are certain expectations. I wonder if you can accept them?”
Xia Wanzhi whispered, “I… I’ll do my best.”
“Ordinary girls might think marrying into a wealthy family means they can rest easy. In reality, marrying into a family like ours is often less likely to bring happiness compared to marrying someone of your own social standing.”
Xia Wanzhi said quietly, “Auntie, I’m not with Ruiqian because he’s wealthy. I… truly like him. Throughout our relationship, I’ve never spent his money.”
He Churou gently placed her fingers on the diamond necklace around Xia Wanzhi’s neck. The cold touch made Xia Wanzhi shiver, and her heart grew even colder. This necklace was a gift from Lu Ruiqian—even if she hadn’t spent a single cent of her own, in the other’s eyes, it still meant she was materialistic.
He Churou’s voice was calm, carrying a gentle smile. “I know. But a person’s background is part of who they are—it can’t be separated. Isn’t that right?”
“Family background is just like a person’s kindness or intelligence. You might think it’s external, but it’s not—it’s actually internal. Family background is directly linked to a person’s temperament, culture, perspective, and manners. Zhizhi, don’t you agree?”
Xia Wanzhi whispered, “Yes, Auntie.”
He Churou continued, “Ruiqian has a childhood friend. You didn’t know that, did you?”
“She’s from a family of equal social standing. Ah, children’s matters—we can’t control them. I just don’t want you to realize you’re incompatible only after you’re married. Many things should be understood while you’re still dating.”
Xia Wanzhi’s face paled. “He… has a childhood friend?”
He Churou smiled, leaving it at that. “Don’t dwell on it.”
“Earlier, I mentioned the Lu family has many rules.”
“If you marry into the Lu family, we’re willing to provide a dowry. However, once the dowry is given, you should no longer meet with your parents. We hope you won’t be distracted by their care in their old age—your main focus should be on raising children and taking care of your husband.”
“After marriage, you’ll need to have three children. If there are no boys, there’s no upper limit—the Lu family can afford it. Since you’ve just graduated, there’s no need for you to work.”
“Since you’ve chosen this path, you must learn to treat your husband as your career.”
“Zhizhi, I know this is hard to accept, but I’m saying this for your own good.”
He Churou’s tone was gentle, yet every word felt like a knife piercing Xia Wanzhi’s heart. The married life she had envisioned was not like this… Though there were no harsh words, Xia Wanzhi’s eyes welled up with tears.
From a distance, Lu Ruiqian saw He Churou gently smoothing Xia Wanzhi’s hair and felt pleased. He had always known his mother was easy to get along with, and his girlfriend had a good temperament—there shouldn’t be any problems.
He Churou continued, “The Lu family has other rules. For example, we must all live together in the Lu family mansion. A daughter-in-law cannot wake up later than her mother-in-law—by the way, I’m used to waking up at five-thirty. Men in the Lu family don’t take care of children; that’s all left to the women. Men must focus on their careers.”
She glanced at Xia Wanzhi’s expression and smiled. “Think about it first. Can you accept these things? Zhizhi, the Lu family welcomes you.”
“And I hope you can be a good daughter-in-law and take good care of Ruiqian.”
Immediately after, she grabbed Xia Wanzhi’s wrist. Before Xia Wanzhi could understand what was happening, the red wine in her hand was poured all over He Churou’s luxurious gown. He Churou gasped, “Oh dear~”
Half the people at the venue turned to look.
Xia Wanzhi froze, cold sweat trickling down. “Auntie… why…”
He Churou smiled gently at Xia Wanzhi. “Zhizhi, it’s fine. You didn’t mean to spill the red wine on me—it was just an accident. Auntie won’t blame you.”