Old Master Lu, hearing about the two-hundred-thousand-yuan betrothal gift, gave Lu Xueshi a furious dressing down.
He absolutely refused to agree.
“Grandpa, I… I touched Gu Ningning. Her family will accuse me of hooliganism.” Lu Xueshi knelt there, head bowed, looking terrified.
He and Shen Xiuxiu had already communicated.
Shen Xiuxiu was very supportive of him.
Shen’s father was a commander in the Military Region, but he only had his salary, and he still had to pay for Lu’s mother’s medical expenses.
He had no money at all.
And now, being able to get two hundred thousand yuan through Gu Ningning, of course, he had to seize such a good opportunity.
Crucially, the marriage between the Lu Family and the Gu Family could not be annulled.
Old Master Lu was a man who valued loyalty highly.
He would never go back on his word.
“You… you scoundrel!” Old Master Lu gritted his teeth in anger, raising a hand to cover his chest. “How could you do such a stupid thing?”
He raised the cane in his hand and struck Lu Xueshi.
Originally, Lu Xueshi could have dodged it.
But at this moment, he took the blow head-on.
Two hundred thousand yuan, getting hit wasn’t a big deal.
“Grandpa, you can’t just watch me die.” Lu Xueshi panicked. It was a period of severe crackdowns, and the consequences of being accused of hooliganism were very serious.
Moreover, it would ruin his entire life.
Old Master Lu’s hands trembled with anger, and his breathing became rapid: “Scoundrel! Scoundrel!”
Lu Jingchen, who had been watching the drama unfold, quickly pushed open the door and came in to help Old Master Lu: “Grandpa, are you alright?”
He had no affection for this elder brother.
He had been bullied by him since childhood.
He would also be the first to complain.
All the elders in the family disliked him.
As soon as he was old enough, he left home to join the army.
He only returned home after being promoted to regimental commander and transferred back to the capital.
A home devoid of any warmth.
Of course, Old Master Lu treated him well. When he was pushed to the forefront of controversy before, it was Old Master Lu who stepped in to suppress it.
Lu Xueshi, still kneeling, his eyes darkened.
He was very unwilling that he hadn’t been able to make this annoying fellow leave the Lu Family this time.
He could only look for another opportunity.
Right now, getting the two hundred thousand yuan and the villa in Chongwen District was what mattered.
He had to fight for it.
If he didn’t fight, it would benefit Lu Jingchen.
Absolutely not!
“Jingchen, you’re back!” Old Master Lu’s face was a little pale, and seeing his second grandson, his mood eased somewhat.
“Yes, Grandpa.” Lu Jingchen helped Old Master Lu sit down, then gave Lu Xueshi a deep look, a dark, cold glint flashing in his eyes.
“Jingchen, please help Big Brother. Please beg Grandpa to pay the betrothal gift and prevent the Gu Family from suing me.” Lu Xueshi looked up at Lu Jingchen.
He was also testing the waters.
What he did last night wasn’t very meticulous.
Lu Jingchen gave him a cold glance and said nothing.
Thinking of Gu Ningning’s determination to marry him, Lu Jingchen wished he could kill him.
“Jingchen, ignore this dog,” Old Master Lu’s face was pale with anger. “He actually did something worse than a beast.”
“Indeed, worse than a beast, not a man,” Lu Xueshi gritted his teeth and replied, staring at Lu Jingchen.
He felt quite disgusted.
He didn’t get what he wanted, but he felt repulsed.
He hadn’t even touched Gu Ningning, yet Lu Jingchen benefited.
Lu Jingchen clenched his fists tightly.
“Grandpa, I’ll help you back to your bedroom to rest first.” Lu Jingchen still suppressed the urge to kill. This was the person Gu Ningning cared about and was determined to marry, so he could only endure.
The next day, Old Master Lu agreed to the two-hundred-thousand-yuan betrothal gift, the three major items, and the villa in Chongwen District.
Upon hearing the news that morning, Lu Xueshi was overjoyed and immediately went to find Shen Xiuxiu.
This also made Shen Xiuxiu overjoyed: “Really? That’s great! Then if the Gu Family… is also willing to give a hundred thousand as a dowry, we’ll have three hundred thousand! We’ll have three hundred thousand!”
She cared a lot about money.
Too much.
“Brother Xueshi, you’re amazing.” Shen Xiuxiu looked at him with adoration, gripping his hand.
However, a hint of disappointment flickered in her eyes: “But you still have to marry her.”
“Don’t worry, even if I marry her, I won’t touch her.” Lu Xueshi whispered, gently caressing Shen Xiuxiu’s cheek.
“Then she… and Lu Jingchen?” Shen Xiuxiu hesitated.
Her eyes were dark and unreadable.
Mentioning this, Lu Xueshi was furious: “Who knows what that bitch is going crazy about.”
At the street corner, Gu Ningning, meticulously dressed, narrowed her eyes.
It seemed that Lu Xueshi and Shen Xiuxiu had already hooked up a long time ago.
Everything was within their calculations.
Usually, Gu Ningning was always very elegant.
Either a qipao, a blaj, or jeans and a Xiaoqing shirt.
She was spoiled.
The Gu Family had also raised her to be useless.
She only knew how to draw her eyebrows, apply makeup, and dress up.
But today, she was only wearing a pair of blue work pants and a white T-shirt, with a wide-brimmed hat covering most of her small, palm-sized face.
Even if she stood in front of Lu Xueshi and Shen Xiuxiu, they wouldn’t be able to recognize her immediately.
She heard their conversation clearly.
A wave of disgust washed over her.
Since they calculated against her like this, she shouldn’t be blamed for being ruthless.
“Quite a show!” A very low, mocking voice came from beside her.
As the words fell, a large hand grabbed Gu Ningning’s arm, pulling her into the alley.
From the voice, Gu Ningning knew it was Lu Jingchen.
She didn’t struggle, though.
She followed him into the alley.
Then she spoke: “Brother Jingchen, are you so idle? Don’t you need to go to the Military Region?”
“No.” Lu Jingchen looked at her deeply. “Ningning, he’s not a good match.”
“No, I like him.” Gu Ningning looked hurt. “He, he…”
She lowered her eyes, pinching her thigh very hard with her fingers.
Her eyes instantly reddened.
Lu Jingchen gritted his teeth: “He’s deceiving you.”
“It doesn’t matter. After we get married and have children, his heart will return to me.” Gu Ningning said in a muffled voice, her grip tightening, her leg hurting.
Thinking of her tragic death in her previous life, tears fell uncontrollably.
Seeing her like this, Lu Jingchen was at a loss.
His heart felt as if it had been pricked by countless needles, constantly bleeding.
So, she cared about him that much?
“Yesterday, you could have gone to the Public Security Bureau to report me.” Lu Jingchen’s voice was a little low, tinged with annoyance.
He really couldn’t understand her anymore.
Hearing this, Gu Ningning’s body stiffened.
Then she looked at Lu Jingchen with a pleading expression: “No, Brother Jingchen, nothing happened between us yesterday. Yes, nothing happened. You absolutely must not let Brother Xueshi know. If he knows, he’ll abandon me.”
Tears continued to stream down her face.
In her previous life, she reported it.
It became public knowledge.
After all, she was raised pampered and truly arrogant.
She acted without considering the consequences.
Ultimately, she harmed herself and others.
In this life, this matter would only remain a secret between the two of them.
Without proof, and with a day already passed, this hurdle was considered overcome.
By doing this, she not only helped Lu Jingchen but also helped herself.
At this moment, Lu Jingchen felt a dense, throbbing pain engulf him, and he smiled bitterly, nodding: “Okay, nothing happened.”