7 – Young Маstеr
Lu Jin didn’t hеsitаtе: “Nоt adding.”
Chеn Qingzhi аskеd, рuzzlеd:
“If you werеn’t аdding her, why did уou scаn hеr соdе just nоw? And сhаt fоr sо long? Tоo much free timе оn yоur hаnds?”
А hint оf misсhief inехрlicablу аpрeared аt the сorner of Lu Jin’s mоuth befоre hе lеisurely rеplied:
“She hаd fivе оr siх girls following bеhind hеr. I wаs tоo scаred… sо I pretеnded to sсan her сode.”
His lаzу Вeijing асcent, much likе the mаn himsеlf, was just asking fоr a cоmebасk.
Тhe unfаmiliar atmоspherе thаt hаd lingered in the car for so long wаs brоken by this joke, аnd thе familiar feеling rеturned to Chen Qingzhi.
Lu Jin was still that same pretentious, show-off jerk.
Chen Qingzhi was about to retort when her finger paused on his profile.
Profile picture: a cute animated chili pepper.
Nickname: “Loves Spicy Food.”
“Childish.”
Chen Qingzhi couldn’t help but laugh.
The Lu Mansion was located in the city center, facing Beijing’s largest artificial lake.
Lush, dense vegetation surrounded it, firmly blocking out the hustle and bustle of the city.
Lu Jin drove straight into the courtyard, the car’s wake stirring up a flurry of orange-yellow fallen plane tree leaves.
The staff on duty approached in an orderly manner, led by Butler Zhang, who held a walkie-talkie and smiled with utmost deference:
“Master, the young master is back.”
Chen Qingzhi had probably never seen Butler Zhang acting so obsequious before. She shuddered in surprise:
“Your family’s rules are quite retro. I almost thought I’d traveled back in time.”
Lu Jin froze for a moment, his expression not as relaxed as it had been in the car:
“This isn’t my home.”
Chen Qingzhi hesitated, holding back her words.
The two opened the car doors and stepped out simultaneously.
After following Lu Jin for a few steps, Chen Qingzhi suddenly remembered:
“I forgot my phone and bag. Unlock the car for me.”
She turned and walked back.
“Oh.”
Lu Jin took the car key from his black wool coat, pressed it to unlock, then stood still, pulling out his phone to check messages.
Just as Chen Qingzhi’s hand was about to touch the car door, Lu Jin quickly pressed the car key in his pocket again.
Unaware, Chen Qingzhi tugged hard twice, but the door was locked and wouldn’t open.
“Lu Jin, it seems like it didn’t unlock properly.”
With outsiders present, Chen Qingzhi’s tone softened slightly when speaking to him.
Lu Jin pretended not to hear, staring intently at his phone.
Chen Qingzhi stood still and called his name, but he didn’t respond.
After several attempts, Chen Qingzhi finally couldn’t hold back and stomped over to him angrily:
“What’s with this bad habit, Lu ‘Asking-for-a-Comeback’? Give me the car key.”
Lu Jin’s face, which had been cold since getting out of the car, suddenly broke into a smile.
He curled his lips, held the key high, and let Chen Qingzhi stand on her tiptoes, reaching up to grab it.
Lu Jin gloated:
“Shorty, getting shorter and shorter, can’t reach it, can you?”
Chen Qingzhi wore flat shoes and stood just over 1.7 meters tall, reaching Lu Jin’s chin.
At that height, she could look some men straight in the eye.
This jerk had always been like this, ever since they were kids.
To provoke her, he’d say any nonsense that came to mind.
So shameless.
Chen Qingzhi felt both angry and amused, not wanting to admit that his words had broken her composure, so she pursed her lips tightly.
The key was raised higher and higher; Lu Jin had no intention of letting her have it.
Chen Qingzhi’s arms grew tired from reaching up. Her gaze fell on Lu Jin’s waistline, hidden beneath his shirt. She blinked and threatened:
“If you don’t give it to me, I’ll tickle you!”
Her raised hands suddenly dropped, and her slender fingers pinched Lu Jin’s waist, giving it a light scratch.
The mischievous grin on Lu Jin’s face instantly froze, and his body stiffened from his shoulders down to his tailbone.
Sensing his unusual reaction, Chen Qingzhi finally laughed, her hands moving to his sides again:”Give me the keys!”
Her meager strength was nothing in Lu Jin’s eyes:
“Still at it?”
He pinned Chen Qingzhi’s hands with one hand.
A few seconds later, he gritted his teeth and said:
“Do you want your brother to teach you a lesson?”
The harsh words worked.
The woman before him finally quieted down, no longer clawing wildly, instead raising her head to glare at him angrily:
“Open the door, I need to get my phone.”
Lu Jin continued to act shamelessly, leaning his full weight on her shoulder, grinning sheepishly:
“I’m so tired, can’t walk.”
“Why don’t you drag me along, and I’ll let you get your phone.”
Chen Qingzhi actually started pulling him toward the car.
As she pulled, she cursed:
“Childish brat, troublemaker, annoying king.”
Lu Jin shamelessly let himself be dragged along, inching forward lazily with her effort, silently grumbling:
“You heartless thing, don’t you see who I’m this tired for?”
At these words, Chen Qingzhi indeed fell silent.
The two of them tugged and pulled for several more steps.
After a while of fooling around, Lu Jin suddenly exerted a bit of force, intertwining his fingers with Chen Qingzhi’s.
Fingers interlaced, the golden couple walked side by side.
Even the sunlight around them seemed to take on a hazy, romantic hue.
This time, it was Chen Qingzhi’s turn to freeze. She remembered the day they had just gotten their marriage certificate, when Lu Jin had held her hand just like this as they walked into the Lu family mansion.
There had been no ceremony between them, no matchmakers or betrothal gifts, not even a proper vow.
Yet Lu Jin had still held her hand tightly, swaggering into the mansion.
With an air of arrogance, he had tossed the marriage certificate before the Lu family elders, announcing to the world: he was married, and any previous arranged marriages were void.
Involving certain collaborations and social obligations, the Lu family must have suffered considerable losses.
In any case, Lu Jin had taken a severe beating from the old master that day, then spent over a year overseas making up for the losses before finally catching his breath.
Though this man had a sharp tongue, his words and actions were remarkably straightforward and decisive.
Back in high school when their early romance was discovered, it was Lu Jin who had protected her, admitting their relationship to her parents and bearing all the pressure alone.
Of course, when they eventually broke up, Lu Jin hadn’t dragged things out either.
He had only asked her calmly: “Are you sure?”
After Chen Qingzhi nodded, he never bothered her again, graduating from Beijing University two years early instead.
He went abroad to study finance, excelling all the way, and now, still young, his net worth exceeded a hundred billion.
The two of them had had almost no contact for nearly five years.
Their relationship had grown so cold that Chen Qingzhi sometimes wondered if this person had truly existed in the first twenty years of her life.
Hah.
The more decisive a person is, the more resolute they are in handling matters.
Chen Qingzhi didn’t want to fall back into a relationship with him.
She took a small step back, resisting, trying to pull her hand away.
Lu Jin tilted his head, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
The emotion was quickly masked as he kindly reminded her:
“Want others to see that our marriage is unhappy?”
Chen Qingzhi lowered her gaze:
“Haven’t they already guessed?”
Lu Jin teased her:
“That just shows you’re a bad actress.”
These words actually made Chen Qingzhi laugh out loud.
How dare an amateur like him question an actress’s acting skills?
Then again.
With this young master’s arrogant attitude, who could he possibly look up to?
Every argument ended with Chen Qingzhi choosing to shut her mouth first, and this time was no exception.
Though her hand was still held by Lu Jin, she turned her head away, refusing to look at him.
In front of Butler Zhang and the others, Lu Jin cast a cold glance at Butler Zhang.
Butler Zhang’s expression shifted slightly, then he suddenly gave a slight nod, smiling as he said to Chen Qingzhi:”Young Mistress, welcome home.”
Chen Qingzhi was about to nod when she heard Lu Jin’s indifferent tone, carrying a hint of warning:
“It’s good that you know the rules. I thought you were blind.”
Butler Zhang immediately lowered his head, not daring to meet his icy gaze again.