Volume 1, Chapter 11: Why the Long Face
Su Lingyi, as the “ideal daughter-in-law” cultivated by Mother Lu based on years of secretly probing and gathering information about Lu Yanshu’s preferences, naturally had to be pushed toward Lu Yanshu by any means necessary once he returned to the country.
Over the years, Mother Lu hadn’t been discreet about this endeavor. She assumed that since Lu Yanshu hadn’t objected, it meant he tacitly approved. Little did she know, the real reason was that Lu Yanshu simply hadn’t paid it any mind.
At the position of the Lu family’s head, there was absolutely no need for a business marriage to maintain the family’s legacy.
The moment the previous head of the Lu family died, no one in all of Wangjing could control Lu Yanshu anymore. The position of the Lu family head’s wife was naturally Lu Yanshu’s own decision.
Throughout the years, Lu Yanshu had never been involved in any scandals or gossip. The women who appeared by his side were either business partners or subordinates who conducted themselves properly.
Thus, the position of Lu Yanshu’s wife was a seat that countless young ladies from prestigious families coveted.
Lu Yanshu lowered his gaze once more: “Notify the old estate. I’ll be returning tonight.”
The driver quickly acknowledged.
.
Around eleven in the morning.
After leaving the lecture hall, Jiang Zhiwan headed straight for the dormitory building.
According to the contract, as long as it didn’t interfere with Jiang Zhiwan’s schooling, she was required to reside at the Chinese-style manor.
Jiang Zhiwan had just unzipped her suitcase and set it on the floor when the dormitory door was pushed open.
It was Fu Baozhu, back again.
“Where did you stay last night?” The moment she entered the dorm, Fu Baozhu began her thorough interrogation.
Since things with Lu Yanshu weren’t yet settled, Jiang Zhiwan hadn’t told Fu Baozhu about what had happened these past few days.
But now that Fu Baozhu had asked, Jiang Zhiwan recounted the entire sequence of events in detail.
The more Fu Baozhu listened, the deeper her frown became.
After Jiang Zhiwan finished, Fu Baozhu—sensing that something was off—stared intently at Jiang Zhiwan.
Jiang Zhiwan felt a chill run down her spine under that gaze: “Baozhu, what’s wrong?”
“Something’s off!”
“Very off!”
Jiang Zhiwan blinked: “What’s off about it?”
“How could you trust a stranger so easily?” Fu Baozhu hit the nail on the head.
Truthfully, Jiang Zhiwan herself didn’t understand why she trusted Lu Yanshu so readily.
“It’s probably because Mr. Lu is a good person.”
When they first met, they were complete strangers, yet Lu Yanshu descended like a deity and helped her when she was anxious and helpless.
Then, by sheer chance, he avenged the humiliation she’d suffered at the Bai family banquet.
When coaxing her to sleep, he even arranged for two people to stand guard at the door, worried that her reputation might be compromised by sharing the same room.
Being around Lu Yanshu was comfortable too. Jiang Zhiwan genuinely felt from the bottom of her heart that Mr. Lu was a very good, very gentle person.
Fu Baozhu remained skeptical of Jiang Zhiwan’s words.
But then she thought of the generous compensation Lu Yanshu had offered Jiang Zhiwan—enough to resolve her urgent financial troubles—and ultimately said nothing.
With Fu Baozhu’s help, Jiang Zhiwan packed her luggage much faster.
After setting her suitcase against the wall, Jiang Zhiwan suddenly remembered something.
“Baozhu, there’s still one last exam tomorrow morning. Could you bring that coat for me?”
Expensive coats were delicate, requiring specific conditions for cleaning and storage. Until the owner was found, Fu Baozhu had been keeping the coat at her home.
She just hadn’t expected the owner to be found so quickly.
However, Fu Baozhu clearly had her own ideas. She narrowed her eyes slightly: “No need. In a couple of days, Chi Chen has a collaboration with the Lu Corporation. I’ll have Chi Chen give it to Lu Yanshu then.”
That worked too. With the exam tomorrow, it would be inconvenient for Fu Baozhu to bring the coat over anyway.
Just then, Fu Baozhu’s phone rang.
It was Chi Chen. He was already downstairs at the dormitory, ready to take Fu Baozhu out for lunch.
After a brief exchange, Fu Baozhu hung up and turned to invite Jiang Zhiwan along.
Jiang Zhiwan declined.
Partly because she didn’t want to intrude on Fu Baozhu and Chi Chen’s private time.
The other reason was that before she left this morning, the housekeeper had told her someone would be sent to deliver lunch to Jiang Zhiwan.
Unable to refuse the housekeeper’s warm hospitality, Jiang Zhiwan had no choice but to agree.
Fu Baozhu didn’t press further and headed out the door.
Downstairs at the dormitory.
A modified black G-Wagon was parked by the roadside, drawing the attention of many passersby.
In the driver’s seat, Chi Chen lounged lazily against the backrest, one hand resting on the steering wheel while the other tugged at the neatly arranged tie at his collar.
A few strands of stiff black hair fell loose, draping over brows that looked fierce and menacing.
Beneath those brows, sharp eyes like a wild wolf’s remained fixed on the dormitory exit.
The moment he spotted the person he’d been waiting for, the fierce look in Chi Chen’s eyes softened instantly.
He got out of the car quickly and opened the passenger door before Fu Baozhu even reached him.
After Fu Baozhu sat down, she did nothing but wait for Chi Chen to buckle her seatbelt.
It wasn’t until Chi Chen had finished fastening her seatbelt that Fu Baozhu realized he was just standing there, not moving.
She shot him a look that said, “What are you doing?”
“Why the long face?” Chi Chen asked.
Fu Baozhu: “I don’t have one.”
Chi Chen said nothing, but clearly didn’t believe her.
This little brat before him was someone he had raised bit by bit with his own hands—there was no one in the world who understood Fu Baozhu better than Chi Chen did, not even Fu Baozhu herself.
He was highly attuned to everything about her. Any hint of happiness or sadness, Chi Chen only needed a single glance to read it all, almost to the point of being a conditioned reflex.
Seeing that she couldn’t hide it from Chi Chen, Fu Baozhu had no choice but to briefly share what was weighing on her mind.
After she finished speaking, Chi Chen still just stood there quietly looking at her.
Fu Baozhu: “…”
“Come on, give me some kind of reaction. At least make a sound.”
Chi Chen obediently gave a response: “Squeak—”
Fu Baozhu was speechless again.
This wasn’t the right place to talk, so she told Chi Chen to get in the car and said they’d continue once they reached the private dining room.
Considering she had an exam that afternoon, the place Chi Chen took Fu Baozhu to eat wasn’t far from the school.
While waiting for the food to be served, Fu Baozhu switched to a different way of framing the question.
“Say, hypothetically—if we hadn’t known each other since childhood.”
“When we first met, you just happened to help me out of kindness.”
“Then, the second time we met was the day I came to work under you. Knowing I was in a tough spot, you specially offered me generous pay.”
“Put yourself in that situation—what would you have been thinking at the time?”
Chi Chen, who had clawed his way up from the bottom rungs of society, had seen far too much of the dark side of humanity and the coldness of the world.
Getting to where he was now was inseparable from the selfish, ruthless genes that ran in his blood.
He was a pure businessman—if someone held no value to him whatsoever, he wouldn’t give them a second glance.
But Fu Baozhu was the exception.
He never brushed her off, and he genuinely tried to put himself in the hypothetical she’d laid out.
“There’s only one possibility.”
Fu Baozhu leaned in curiously: “What possibility?”
Chi Chen’s expression turned serious, and word by word, he mouthed three words silently with his lips.
“Want.”
“To.”
“Fuck.”
“You.”
Fu Baozhu saw it crystal clear, and her cheeks flushed so red they were nearly dripping blood.
You bastard!
What the hell goes through his head all day?!
She knew Chi Chen could be crude with his words sometimes, but she never expected him to be this crude.
Fu Baozhu didn’t hold back—she kicked him directly in the shin, where the pain was most acute.
Chi Chen winced, his brow furrowing as he let out a pained “Hiss—”