Lu Chengwen couldn't wait to bolt. He made his excuses and fled the Chen family estate like his life depended on it.
Walking down the garden path outside, he turned to Zhao Gang, voice tense. "What's the deal?"
Zhao Gang's face was grim, glancing around nervously. "Get in the car first."
Lu Chengwen's gut twisted. This is serious.
At that moment, Xu Xuejiao got the same news. Furious, she stormed out after him, catching up to Lu Chengwen and Zhao Gang.
Zhao Gang clammed up, eyeing her warily.
Lu Chengwen, still clueless, grinned. "Hey, Xuejiao, chasing me down so fast? Something up?"
Xu Xuejiao's face was ice-cold, but her thoughts were sharper: This guy's a master at playing dumb. Embezzling funds for subpar ingredients, messing up an entire batch of medicine, and now acting like he knows nothing.
She forced a smile, sharp as a blade. "Brother Chengwen, no big issues at the pharmaceutical factory recently, right?"
"Uh…" Lu Chengwen caught Zhao Gang's frantic eye signals and quickly added, "Nope, all good. If anything comes up, I'll handle it."
Why's she out here? Where's Long Aotian? Weren't they supposed to be sipping tea, bonding over medical talk by now?
Why's the heroine chasing me? Why's Long Aotian's harem girl clinging to me?
The factory issue's gotta be huge. I need to fix it, fast!
Xu Xuejiao froze. From his reaction, it seemed he genuinely didn't know the specifics about the factory. Maybe he didn't pocket the money?
She softened, smiling. "Brother Chengwen, it's been over a year since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"
"Huh? Has it? Haha, time flies, doesn't it? The wheels of history roll over our fleeting youth—"
Xu Xuejiao nearly gagged. This guy's getting more insufferable by the minute. She forced another smile, opening her arms. "Hug?"
Lu Chengwen's head was spinning. I'm crawling with problems, and I don't even know where to start.
Twice today, I've ruined Long Aotian's plans—he's definitely got me on his hit list.
Leng Qingqiu's inexplicably hell-bent on this engagement, and I need to shut that down before I'm tangled up with that beast Long Aotian.
Now Xu Xuejiao, another heroine, is going off-script, acting all weird and clingy.
But the factory's the priority—medicine's no joke. A screw-up there's a catastrophe!
And now this little vixen wants a hug? What's with the hugging? Who's she playing?
Just then, he spotted Chen Mohuan and Long Aotian stepping out. Long Aotian's eyes locked onto his, burning with hostility.
Lu Chengwen's lips twitched. Here we go again. I'm screwed.
Long Aotian's gaze narrowed. This guy, ruining my plans again.
Lu Chengwen forced calm. "Hug? What hug?" He raised his voice. "Yo, Brother Long! Perfect timing! Xuejiao was a bit heated earlier, but she's actually super impressed with your skills. You two should hit a café, talk medicine—you'll have tons in common. I've got stuff to handle, so I'm out. Catch you later!"
He turned to run, thinking:
I've done all I can for you two. Hope you have a kid soon—just leave me alone!
You're meant to be together. I'm just a pile of trash, okay?
Gotta go now, or Long Aotian's gonna pick a fight.
Xu Xuejiao glanced at Long Aotian, sneered, and grabbed Lu Chengwen's sleeve. "Brother Lu, don't go! Since we were kids, you always hugged me goodbye, didn't you?"
Lu Chengwen's eyes widened, staring at the lolita in shock. Her stunning face, those bright, gem-like eyes sparkled with innocence—but he saw a glint of triumph, cunning, ruthlessness, even malice.
She's doing this on purpose!
Xu Xuejiao was absolutely deliberate. Lu Chengwen's thoughts, which she'd overheard, had infuriated her. He was so sure she'd fall into Long Aotian's arms—why?
Now she was fired up. Oh, you're scared of Long Aotian? Fine, I'll mess with you, make you squirm!
Lu Chengwen's eyes burned with suspicion and shock. He slowly pushed her hand away, thinking:
This little devil's trying to sabotage me!
She knows I'm terrified of Long Aotian. She's doing this on purpose—absolutely on purpose!
Xu Xuejiao nearly laughed out loud, playing up her pitiful, adorable act, but her eyes screamed: That's right, I'm doing it on purpose. Didn't expect you to be scared of someone, huh? This is fun—I'm gonna terrify you.
Oh, you're sweating?
Long Aotian and Chen Mohuan approached, Long Aotian smirking coldly. "Hugging every time you part? Young Master Lu's quite the charmer."
Lu Chengwen's mouth twitched. Before he could explain, Zhao Gang stepped forward, bellowing, "Yeah, a hug! So what? You're just a—"
Lu Chengwen yanked him back. Don't make this worse! Together, we're not even a match for him. He forced a laugh. "Xuejiao's joking. No such thing!"
"No such thing?" Xu Xuejiao pouted. "It started when I was eight, at a family banquet. You tricked me into a corner for hugs and kisses. You even made me undress so you could 'check' me, saying you wanted to be a doctor. I was so scared, I almost believed you…"
Long Aotian's fists clenched, his glare sharpening.
Lu Chengwen squinted at Xu Xuejiao, realizing she'd pinpointed his weakness. With her angelic lolita face and those innocent eyes, no one would suspect the dark, cunning performance she was putting on.
I've got a shot to change my fate, and I'm not letting this little gremlin ruin it!
Are Long Aotian and his girlfriends my eternal curse?
Xu Xuejiao was scheming too: He knows Long Aotian well, and they've got bad blood. Perfect. Two scumbags—one a lawless thug, the other sabotaging a dying man's treatment. Let them tear each other apart. I'll enjoy the show.
Lu Chengwen wiped his brow, forcing a smile. "I don't remember kid stuff."
"Then let's hug today!" Xu Xuejiao stepped closer, whispering, "No hug, no leaving."
Lu Chengwen's eyes narrowed, seething. "You've got guts."
With every ounce of restraint, he managed an awkward smile and gave her a quick, light hug. But Xu Xuejiao threw her arms around him in a bear hug, squealing, "Oh, Brother Chengwen, you're so naughty, taking advantage of me again!"
Lu Chengwen shoved her off, on the verge of exploding. Long Aotian steadied her, glaring. "What's your deal, Young Master Lu?"
Lu Chengwen's mind blanked. Oh, crap!
He forced another smile. "No deal! Just a cramp. Uh, you guys chat—I've got trouble at the factory. Gotta run!"
He practically sprinted away, Zhao Gang pointing at Long Aotian. "You wait, punk!" Then he chased after Lu Chengwen.
Long Aotian didn't pursue, distracted by the beauty beside him. "Xuejiao, you okay? Did he hurt you? Don't worry, I won't let him off."
"Oh, really?" Xu Xuejiao's face turned cold as she stepped back. "He's the Lu family's heir. Not someone you can touch. You?"
Long Aotian laughed. "The four great families? Mere ants in my eyes."
A chill flashed in Xu Xuejiao's eyes. "Ants, huh?"
Realizing his misstep, he stammered, "No, I meant—"
"Goodbye." Xu Xuejiao strode to her car, ripping off her uniform. Her assistant team swarmed, draping a black trench coat over her. In an instant, the sweet lolita transformed into a cold, haughty queen—a pint-sized Leng Qingqiu.
_
In the car, Lu Chengwen was trembling, slamming the armrest. "Damn it, I almost died back there!"
Zhao Gang raised the partition to block the driver. "Don't worry, Young Master! I'll get some guys to take out Long Aotian, make him pay!"
"Shut it!" Lu Chengwen growled. "It's that Xu Xuejiao—she's trying to get me killed!"
Zhao Gang grinned. "Young Master, she was all over you! Throwing herself into your arms! Don't worry, I'll help you win over the Xu family's medical prodigy. Their resources will be ours—"
"Shut up!" Lu Chengwen was ready to lose it. "Listen: no messing with Long Aotian, and no ideas about Xu Xuejiao. That girl's out to ruin me!"
"Hey, isn't that perfect?" Zhao Gang smirked. "You two can play each other—it's all the same!"
Lu Chengwen glared, ready to snap, but stopped. Zhao Gang was just a loyal thug, clueless about the bigger picture. Yelling was pointless. He sighed. "What's up with the factory?"
Unbeknownst to him, Xu Xuejiao was in her own car, earpiece in, listening to their conversation. That hug? She'd planted a bug.
Her face was frost, eyes sharp. Her team watched nervously, silent.
Zhao Gang said, "That bastard Zhang from the regulatory department's a real piece of work. The young master cut costs by swapping out some rare ingredients in this batch. It's just herbal medicine—no one's dying from it."
"But Zhang wrote a resignation letter and threatened to blow the whistle. Can you believe this guy? I say we slap our label on and ship it. It's herbal stuff—won't kill anyone. Zhang's just after money. Toss him ten or twenty million to shut him up. If he doesn't play ball, we make him disappear. Problem solved—"
"Enough," Lu Chengwen cut in, lowering the partition. "Driver, speed up. To the factory."
Xu Xuejiao removed her earpiece, her gaze icy. Lu Chengwen, you dare pull something this despicable? Don't blame me for showing no mercy.
The Lu family might scare others, but not me.
Her lips curled into a sly smile.