11 – Mаrriаgе?
Тhаt еvеning, little Lu Jin was sеnt dоwnstаirs bу his usuаlly gentle fаthеr to aрologizе tо Сhеn Qingzhi:
“Неy, mу dаd tоld mе to saу sorry. Even thоugh уou рlау thе viоlin reаllу bаdly and hаvе no sеnse of rhythm, tаlking behind уour back wаs… was wrоng of mе.”
Dеspite bеing a very hаndsоmе littlе boy, hе insistеd оn tilting his сhin upward, his аpоlogy tingеd with arrogаnce:
“Тhis is a Spider-Маn аctiоn figurе my grandpа gavе mе. I’ll give it to уou as сomреnsаtion, оkay?”
Littlе Chen Qingzhi stаrеd widе-eyed at this newly moved-in hаndsоme brother, stunned fоr а long moment bеfоre slowly processing his words.
He just said she played badly again!
The little girl suddenly covered her eyes with her hands, unable to hold back, and started crying softly again.
Who does something like this—specifically coming to someone’s door just to tell them they play poorly?
The little master, accustomed to having his way, had no idea the girl downstairs would be so difficult to handle.
“Didn’t I already apologize? Why are you still crying?!”
“Wah… because… because Spider-Man is so ugly. I like Snow White…”
At six or seven years old, children are just beginning to develop their sense of pride.
Little Chen Qingzhi could only come up with a random excuse, looking up at Lu Jin as she earnestly explained.
Under her pitiful gaze, Lu Jin unconsciously reached out with his thumb and roughly wiped away the tears on her face.
Frowning, he said:
“Then stop crying. Next time, I’ll ask my grandpa to bring you Snow White.”
Childhood memories flooded back like a tide.
Chen Qingzhi even felt a bit nostalgic for those innocent years of their youth.
Growing up day by day in childhood, laughter and joy always seemed inseparable from Lu Jin, like vines intricately woven throughout her young world.
As an adult, she longed for the sweetness of those early years.
Most of her life so far had been closely tied to him.
Every smile, every glance, had long been etched into her bones.
So much so that even after nearly five years apart, she could still recognize Lu Jin at a glance just from his handsome profile.
That day was Liang Yilou’s child’s full-month celebration.
As the eldest grandson of the Liang family’s main line, the occasion was naturally grand, with extensive coverage online about the full-month banquet.
There was widespread praise for Liang Yilou and Shi Miaomiao’s marriage, hailed as a match made in heaven that overcame all obstacles.
The higher the buzz around the Liang and Shi families’ lavish celebration, the worse the criticism Chen Qingzhi faced.
As an artist, Chen Qingzhi repeatedly reminded herself that this was part of the job—there was no need to dwell on matters involving a contractual boyfriend.
But that day, while she was making an appearance at a mall for a cosmetics brand, fans of the couple directly held up a memorial photo in the audience and even splashed fake blood onto the stage.
All the past affection had turned into vicious insults.
The brand immediately terminated her contract and replaced her with a rival artist.
Feeling wronged and humiliated, she sought solace in alcohol at the hotel’s buffet restaurant around noon.
That was when she happened to run into Lu Jin.
She took a deep breath and quietly slipped into the restaurant’s emergency exit, hoping to pretend she hadn’t seen him.
But Lu Jin followed right behind her.
He even handed her two tissues:
“This makeup isn’t great quality.”
The man clicked his tongue softly, his tone low:
“Your eye makeup is smudged like a ghost’s. Good thing you’re not endorsing it anymore.”
Chen Qingzhi covered her face with her hands, then let out a soft laugh, sniffling as she said:
“Thanks to your kind words, I’ve already been fired by the brand.”
The man was dressed in a tailored suit, exuding an air of refined elegance and aloofness.He stood right in the sunlight by the safety exit window, squinting at her with a mix of mockery and amusement.
Through the gaps between her fingers, Chen Qingzhi could see his clear, bright eyes.
The corners of his eyes lifted slightly, like the final, delicate stroke of thick ink.
“So you really like Liang Yilou that much?”
Lu Jin suddenly asked out of the blue.
“Huh?”
Chen Qingzhi hadn’t processed it yet—her mind was still filled with the embarrassment of her smudged makeup and the awkwardness of running into her ex-boyfriend’s ex.
“Want to piss them off?”
Lu Jin had his hands in his pockets, his affectionate eyes half-smiling, and his suit jacket wrinkled casually with his movements.
Chen Qingzhi felt a bit dazed:
“…What do you mean?”
“If you go with me right now to get married and register, I guarantee it’ll piss off Liang Yilou, Shi Miaomiao, and their whole family. Believe me?”
Lu Jin laughed arrogantly. Seeing Chen Qingzhi shake her head, he insisted:
“Don’t believe me? Try marrying me and you’ll see.”
To say Chen Qingzhi didn’t want revenge would be a lie.
Back when she and Liang Yilou were promoting their fake relationship, Liang Yilou benefited far more than she did. In just half a year, he gained nearly six million followers, directly rising to A-list status.
He publicly admitted to having a child while still married and continued to fake a relationship with another celebrity. In the end, Chen Qingzhi was harshly criticized, while he was praised by many casual fans as “a real man.”
Marrying Lu Jin wasn’t a bad shortcut. Having a current partner who was more impressive and powerful than the ex was the best way to slap them in the face.
Liquid courage emboldened the timid.
Chen Qingzhi’s head was fuzzy, and under Lu Jin’s flickering gaze, she nodded as if possessed:
“Wait for me. I’ll go home and steal my household registration booklet.”
What followed was a dramatic feud among the wealthy families.
The Shi family indeed came knocking—why marry anyone else when you could marry their son-in-law’s ex-girlfriend?
Liang Yilou also frequently questioned him, wondering if he was just toying with Chen Qingzhi.
The Lu residence was in chaos for quite some time.
It was only under the mediation of Old Master Lu that they were able to sit together peacefully at the same table today.
On a misty afternoon, a light rain suddenly began to fall outside the window.
The guests stayed a bit longer at the Lu residence.
Liang Yilou was playing with Chengcheng in the children’s room on the third floor, right above Lu Jin’s bedroom.
No matter how soundproof the mansion was, it couldn’t block out the singing from the toy car or the sound of building blocks hitting the floor.
Lu Jin had been working nonstop for several days and was in the middle of a deep nap when he was repeatedly awakened by the noise.
Frowning and rubbing his temples, his eyes filled with irritation, he dialed the landline in the children’s room.
“Who is it?”
Liang Yilou’s voice on the other end still carried a hint of smugness.
“Oh, it’s me, Lu Jin.”
Lu Jin replied casually.
“What’s up, Young Master?”
Lu Jin chuckled calmly, his voice still tinged with the laziness of someone just waking up:
“Do you have a condom on you?”
Both Chen Qingzhi beside him and Liang Yilou on the other end of the line froze.
“Are you crazy?” Chen Qingzhi mouthed silently.
After a few seconds of silence, Liang Yilou cursed on the other end:
“In broad daylight, with so many guests in the mansion, Lu Jin, how can you have the nerve?”
“I was just asking. If you don’t have one, that’s fine too.”
Lu Jin said lightly before hanging up.
Silence instantly fell upstairs.
Chen Qingzhi jumped up and exclaimed loudly:
“Are you crazy? Why would you ask someone for something like that?”
Lu Jin replied with a straight face:
“To make him and his son quiet down.”
Chen Qingzhi was exasperated. The reason was effective, but it was utterly shameless.She thought for a moment, then said seriously:
“Liang Yilou probably doesn’t have that.”
“How do you know?” Lu Jin asked.
“They’ve been separated for a year. Chengcheng is in the same early education class as Su Qian’s daughter, and she often asks Su Qian to pick up the child.”
Chen Qingzhi wasn’t that magnanimous to easily reconcile with Liang Yilou.
The child was too pitiful—his own mother paid no attention to him, and Liang Yilou was busy filming and often forgot.
Su Qian simply took both children with her.
Lu Jin’s tone was teasing, with a hint of sarcasm:
“Do you two still have lingering feelings? Liang Yilou has already screwed you over like this, and you’re still taking your ex-boyfriend’s child as your godson?”