The pharmaceutical factory's conference room was a battlefield. Senior executives were at each other's throats, shouting over one another.
One faction argued the defective batch couldn't be destroyed. The drugs were too costly—destroying them would trigger an investigation by the regulatory bureau. The fallout wouldn't just be the loss of materials, ingredients, and production costs; it could shake the company's foundation and shatter its market reputation. The damage would be incalculable.
The other side was blunt: the drugs were substandard. They couldn't be labeled, shipped, or sold. No way, not even if it killed them.
The room was chaos, voices clashing like thunder.
Lu Chengwen sat at the table, head in his hands, lost in his own thoughts. Why is everything such a mess?
When it rains, it pours. Every disaster's piling up at once.
This isn't even in the main plot! What is this? Can the system just rewrite the story whenever it feels like it?
No Long Aotian in this mess, right?
And what's with Xu Xuejiao? Why's she suddenly out to ruin me?
The door swung open, and the room snapped to attention. "Good evening, President Xu!"
Lu Chengwen froze. Her? Why's she here?
Xu Xuejiao sat across from him, her smile deceptively sweet. "Brother Chengwen, I've heard about the situation. How do you plan to handle it?"
"Uh…" Lu Chengwen's mind raced.
No way these drugs leave the factory. They've gotta be destroyed Moderated
Xu Xuejiao's heart jolted, her eyes flickering with surprise as she stared at him. Destroy them? That's his real plan?
Got it! I'll push for shipping the drugs, knowing she'll oppose me. She'd never let this batch go out.
If she's annoyed enough, she'll avoid me from now on. I'll make a scene, pull my shares, and we're done! Perfect!
I'm a damn genius.
Grinning slyly, Lu Chengwen strolled over to Xu Xuejiao. "Xuejiao, here's the deal. This batch is too expensive to scrap. Cutting corners on the ingredients was my call. Sure, the drugs might be a bit less effective, but it's herbal medicine—no one's dying from it!"
"Destroying them means alerting the regulatory bureau. We'd have to hold a press conference, and that'd tank the factory. Ninth Pharma's reputation would be toast, stock prices would plummet, sales would crash, and no more profits, right? So, we hush up everyone in the know, push through, and handle this like big shots. Sound good?"
He beamed at her, thinking: Come on, rip into me! Oppose it, quick!
I pull my shares, you take over, and we go our separate ways. Done.
Go cozy up to Long Aotian, be his sidepiece. Let's all move on.
Xu Xuejiao wasn't born yesterday. He's set on destroying the batch but wants me to take the fall for it?
Since when does he have a healer's conscience?
And avoiding me like I'm the plague? What's his deal?
Me, throwing myself at that sleaze Long Aotian? No way.
Her eyes glinted with mischief. "Brother Chengwen, we're on the same page! The factory needs you steering the ship at times like this."
Lu Chengwen's grin froze. He stared at her like she was a stranger. "Xuejiao, did you mishear? I said we ship the drugs, sell them."
"Exactly!" she chirped. "That's what I'm saying!"
Lu Chengwen shook his head, his world crumbling. What the hell?!
Xu Xuejiao, the saintly healer, agreeing to this? This is a cursed move—your kids'll be born without a backbone! Are you brain-dead?
He forced a smile. "Xuejiao, think hard. These are drugs. They're for saving lives. If they're faulty, they'll mess up thousands of patients. You get it, right?" He gave a nervous chuckle.
"Oh, I get it," Xu Xuejiao said, her mind made up.
It was a staring contest, and both were playing chicken. They both knew the drugs couldn't ship, but each wanted the other to say it first. Xu Xuejiao, with the advantage of hearing his thoughts, held all the cards. Lu Chengwen was stumbling blind through the fog.
She leaned back, all ease and confidence. "It's just one batch, no big deal. If it messes someone up, well, their bad luck for getting sick, right, Brother Chengwen? The company's spent a fortune—can't afford the loss. I'm with you! I'll sign off—ship it all within three days!"
The contract landed on the table. Her secretary handed her a pen, and Xu Xuejiao was about to sign.
Lu Chengwen panicked, slamming his hand over the signature line, locking eyes with her.
Her big eyes blinked innocently. "Brother Chengwen, what's wrong?"
He was trembling with fury, utterly disappointed in her. She's not my brother—she's my damn ancestor!
"Have you really thought this through?" he asked.
"Totally!" Xu Xuejiao chirped. "I trust you, Brother Chengwen. Whatever you say, I'm in."
Lu Chengwen's head dropped, his frustration boiling over. He snatched the contract and tore it to shreds.
Hands on the table, head bowed, he growled, "Report to the regulatory bureau. This batch gets destroyed immediately. Request their supervision."
"Launch a full internal investigation. Every department reviews their processes. Investigate the ingredient procurement team, revoke their licenses, and turn them over to the authorities."
Xu Xuejiao smiled, victorious.
Zhao Gang was losing it. "Young Master, this batch is worth over 600 million! Six hundred million! Think it over—you and President Xu both agreed—"
"Get out!" Lu Chengwen unleashed his rage on Zhao Gang, deliberately loud for the room to hear. "Since when does a security captain meddle in company decisions? Can't I enforce some damn discipline?"
"These are drugs! Medicine for saving lives!" he roared. "Listen up: if anyone dares let a single box, a single pill, leave this factory, I'll rip their head off and kick it like a ball!"
"And from now on, anyone who even thinks about cutting corners on ingredients—I'll personally send them to prison for life! Six hundred million, six billion, sixty billion—I don't care. Not a speck of this trash leaves our factory!"
He glared at Xu Xuejiao. "What do you think, President Xu?"
She smiled, this time with genuine warmth. He's changed since we were kids.
All those stories about him being a ruthless thug—are they even true?
And that outburst? Kinda dashing.
"Brother Chengwen, like I said, you call the shots. I'm with you."
Lu Chengwen caught her triumphant look and it clicked. She knew from the start I wouldn't let this batch ship!
She's heard my reputation—lawless, greedy scum—yet she played me like this?
Something's off. Something's definitely off!
Xu Xuejiao stood, smiling. "Brother Chengwen, my birthday's next week. You're invited to my party. As for this mess, it's all yours." She sauntered out.
She was at ease now. Lu Chengwen was an open book—she had no worries about him causing trouble at the factory. He didn't have it in him.
In her car, Xu Xuejiao's mind was restless. When I played along with shipping the drugs, the disappointment in his eyes—like he was the saint and I was Snow Capital's worst villain.
But damn, he owned me with that outburst.
The memory of Lu Chengwen, flustered and outmaneuvered, fighting tooth and nail only to crumble under her pressure—it was too much fun. She giggled.
Her secretary team exchanged glances. The head secretary ventured, "President Xu, what's up?"
"Nothing." Xu Xuejiao straightened, resuming her cool demeanor, but the image of Lu Chengwen's defeated expression was too vivid. She burst out laughing again.
_
Evening, City Lights Flickering On
Leng Qingqiu was distracted all day. Lu Chengwen was an enigma. Why can I suddenly hear his thoughts?
How did he predict Long Aotian's moves so accurately?
He's terrified of Long Aotian, but they've never met!
Among everyone there, only I knew Long Aotian's skills were exceptional. How did Lu Chengwen sense his danger?
Too many mysteries. Was his three years of chasing me, claiming to love me—all a lie?
Did he back off just because Long Aotian showed up?
Her secretary poked her head in. "President Leng, heading out?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah." Leng Qingqiu snapped back to reality. "Let's go."
Something felt off. Something was… missing.
For three years, every evening at this hour, a certain shameless suitor would be waiting at her office door, dressed in a garish suit, clutching flowers, spouting cringe-inducing sweet talk. Every day, she'd endured his harassment, his fake flattery, humiliated in her own building.
But today, the doorway was empty, and her heart felt oddly hollow.
Her heels echoed coldly in the hallway. A secretary muttered, "Why's it so quiet today?"
Another blurted, "Young Master Lu's not here!"
"Right! Usually, he's at the door, talking nonstop."
Leng Qingqiu shot them a look. "Got nothing better to do?"
They shut up, following her silently to the elevator. She felt uneasy. I've always wanted him gone, prayed he'd vanish from the world. Now he's gone, and I'm… what?
At the entrance, the girl who always collected the discarded flowers stood waiting. Seeing Leng Qingqiu empty-handed, she glanced behind her, searching for Lu Chengwen. Nothing.
Leng Qingqiu met her gaze. "He didn't come today."
In her car, her irritation grew. Without Lu Chengwen, her life felt… off. The restlessness gnawed at her until she grabbed her phone. "Lu Chengwen? I need to see you."
His end was noisy. "What? Speak up, I can't hear!"
A girl's voice cut through. "Young Master Lu, drink with me!"
"Hey, hold on, I'm on a call. President Leng, I'm kinda busy. Let's talk later!" Beep.
Leng Qingqiu was livid. "Find Lu Chengwen's location," she told her driver. "We're going to him."