Just as Lu Zhuojin opened the door, Xia Wanzhi held her breath, her eyes quickly scanning the room before locking onto a target. With a swift “swish,” she grabbed the front of her clothes to prevent any exposure and slipped into the wardrobe.
The door to the room opened, and Lu Ruiqian stood outside, handsome and sunny with a smile.
Lu Zhuojin was buttoning up his dark blue shirt: “Come in.”
Lu Ruiqian walked in, peering around curiously: “Uncle, I heard voices inside from outside and thought you… thought there was someone else in the room.”
Lu Zhuojin turned around and saw that the bed was empty. He smiled: “There is someone.”
Xia Wanzhi, hiding in the wardrobe, tightly clutched the corner of her clothes. What was Lu Zhuojin trying to do?
Lu Zhuojin’s lazy voice rang out: “You scared them away. How about compensating me with someone?”
His gaze swept across the room and settled on the wardrobe. She sure knew how to find a hiding spot.
Lu Ruiqian laughed: “How could I scare anyone away? If there really was someone, I’d be overjoyed.”
Lu Zhuojin smiled meaningfully: “Is that so?”
“Wait a moment, I need to find some clothes.”
On the floor were the smoke-gray three-piece suit he had been wearing earlier, each piece tossed aside as if he had undressed while walking.
With that, Lu Zhuojin placed his hand on the wardrobe and pulled the door open.
Sure enough, he saw Xia Wanzhi crouched inside, looking nervous and clutching one of his shirts to cover herself. Her eyes were moist, pleading pitifully as she looked up at him like a little kitten.
Seeing her like this, Lu Zhuojin chuckled. She looked pitifully adorable, soft and cute. He reached out and patted her head.
Leaning close to her ear, he whispered: “Sweetheart, hide well”
He straightened up and turned sideways, looking at Lu Ruiqian, who was standing by the wardrobe door, his view blocked by it. Deliberately, he said: “Ruiqian, help me decide which suit to wear?”
Lu Ruiqian walked over: “Sure.”
Lu Zhuojin took a dark blue striped suit from the hanger and held it in front of Xia Wanzhi, blocking Lu Ruiqian’s view as he approached: “How about this one?”
With that, he took the suit out and closed the wardrobe door.
Crouched inside the wardrobe, Xia Wanzhi broke out in a cold sweat. Lu Zhuojin loved teasing people too much and seemed fearless. Tonight, he had scared her so much that her back was drenched in sweat.
She let out a sigh of relief and slowly sat down on the clothes.
Her relationship with Lu Ruiqian was unavoidable. How was she supposed to live like this from now on…
She felt a mix of sadness, nervousness, and resentment.
Outside, Lu Zhuojin put on the suit and creaked the wardrobe door open again. Seeing Xia Wanzhi crouched on the clothes like a little kitten, her eyes filled with resentment, he smiled. With one hand, he took a dark blue tie and a diamond tie clip from above, while his other hand pinched Xia Wanzhi’s soft, tender cheek. Then, he closed the wardrobe door.
Lu Ruiqian was wandering around the room: “This hotel suite was decorated according to your preferences before you returned, Uncle.”
Lu Zhuojin gave an “mm” of acknowledgment and opened the door: “Let’s go.”
The two closed the door, and their footsteps gradually faded away.
Xia Wanzhi quietly crept out of the wardrobe and cursed loudly: “Lu Zhuojin, you jerk!!”
Her phone dinged with a notification.
Lu Zhuojin’s WeChat profile picture was a pitch-black expanse, zoomed in to reveal faint hints of sky, distant mountains, and clouds, all obscured under a dark curtain.
Blazing Morning Sunlight: “I can hear you. There are surveillance cameras.”
Xia Wanzhi clutched her clothes, looking around until she spotted a surveillance camera overhead. She faced the camera, clasped her hands together, and bowed deeply.
She hoped Lu Zhuojin wouldn’t hold it against her, otherwise her life would become much harder. Those two girls in the restroom had merely mentioned him and were about to get slapped…
She went to the restroom to tidy her dress, zipped it up, and noticed the red marks on her neck had become more visible again. Sighing, she covered them with her hair.
Her thoughts drifted to Lu Zhuojin’s WeChat name: “Gleaming Moonlight, Blazing Sunlight.”
This pervert had a poetic side.
After making sure she was properly dressed and touching up her makeup, she finally stepped out.
Quietly slipping out of the room, she headed downstairs toward the banquet hall.
By the time she arrived, Lu Zhuojin was already standing elegantly on stage, dressed in a custom-made, high-end dark blue suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He looked every bit the intellectual, refined elite—cool, slightly languid, yet radiating an undeniable presence.
He caught sight of Xia Wanzhi sneaking in through the back door, and the corner of his mouth twitched upward briefly before he composed himself.
Speaking with seasoned confidence, he continued, “The Lu Group will accelerate its mergers and acquisitions and strengthen cooperation with the government. Moving forward, we will focus on expanding into healthcare, artificial intelligence, and finance. Everyone here today represents our current and future partners, and I hope that after I take office, we can work closely together.”
“The Lu Group will undergo internal reforms. As a century-old enterprise, it has inherited a fine cultural legacy, but it has also accumulated outdated practices that hinder its development. Through internal reforms, we will revitalize the aging aspects of the Lu Group and upgrade the entire corporation…”
At the mention of reforms, whispers broke out among the audience.
Lu Zhuojin smiled, his gaze sweeping across the room. Some immediately fell silent, their expressions turning awkward.
Xia Wanzhi understood. In family-run enterprises like the Lu Group, the family could be an asset, but over time, it could also become a burden.
There had to be someone capable of holding everything together; otherwise, the company would splinter apart.
The Lu family patriarch, who hadn’t made a public appearance in a long time, now stood on stage, supported by an attendant. He solemnly handed the Lu Group’s letter of appointment as president to Lu Zhuojin.
Warm applause erupted.
Lu Ruiqian stood in the front row, accompanying the patriarch. His gaze also settled on Xia Wanzhi, and he smiled at her, mouthing the words, “Wait for me.”
Xia Wanzhi’s phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number, but the caller ID showed it was from a police station. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought of the person she had killed. Could it be… had they traced it back to her?
Anxious and uneasy, she quietly retreated to the small garden outside. While answering the call, she paced restlessly, her steps erratic and troubled.
“Is this Xia Wanzhi?”
Xia Wanzhi: “Yes, this is she. Who is this?”
The caller: “I’m an officer from the Xikou Street Police Station.”
Xia Wanzhi’s heart raced: “Wh-what’s the matter?”
The officer: “Three people have turned themselves in. One of the charges they confessed to is robbing you. I’m calling to verify.”
Xia Wanzhi’s breathing grew tight: “Three… people? Robbing… me?”
The officer: “That’s right. One of them was injured—stabbed in the chest. He said he was stabbed during the robbery but didn’t see who did it.”
Xia Wanzhi: “Is… is he badly hurt? Is… is he alive?”
The officer paused for two seconds: “The injury is serious, but it’s not life-threatening. Young lady, it wasn’t you, was it? But he said he was stabbed by two men during the robbery.”
Xia Wanzhi forced a dry laugh: “How could it be me…”
Police Officer: “The technique looks quite practiced, a swift, ruthless, and precise stab, and it seems deliberately aimed at a non-lethal area. It doesn’t look like you, either.”
“Did you lose anything?”
Xia Wanzhi: “Uh, I lost a phone.”
The officer hummed in acknowledgment: “Probably won’t get it back. They said anything not valuable was thrown away.”
“Nothing else missing?”
Xia Wanzhi: “They turned themselves in? What will happen to them?”
The officer chuckled: “Turning themselves in, interesting, right? They brought up their recent crimes one by one, confessed to everything. With multiple charges combined, they’ll probably be locked up for a long time. It’s like someone outside wants them dead, and they’re hiding in prison to save their lives.”
“Oh, and one more important thing… That’s actually why I called.”