Chapter 38: Only Five Hundred Thousand? (Please continue reading)

The briny sea breeze, laced with the low murmur of distant tides, swept through the tranquil paths of the resort.

Lu Qiuyi, carrying a large bag of snacks and drinks she had just raided from the convenience store, walked toward the villa with a light step. Her mind was already occupied with calculating whether to play Landlord or Fried Golden Flower later, determined to win back the sticky notes she had lost to Lin Xiaoyu that afternoon.

She hadn't gone far when a dainty voice suddenly called out from behind her: "Assistant Lu, could we have a word?"

Lu Qiuyi paused, her good mood instantly dimming.

Zhou Shiyan? Why was she like a lingering ghost?

Lu Qiuyi couldn't be bothered to deal with such a spoiled socialite. She only wanted to get back quickly and dive into the intense card game. Pretending not to hear, she picked up her pace.

Zhou Shiyan, who had changed into a taro-purple knit set and was clutching a limited-edition handbag, raised her voice when she saw that Lu Qiuyi was ignoring her: "I saw you the day you went out to buy bags with Brother Jingyue."

Lu Qiuyi raised an eyebrow.

So, that was it.

Because she saw He Jingyue buying her a bag, she had misunderstood their relationship and had been targeting her ever since.

Before Lu Qiuyi could decide on the most effortless way to dismiss her, Zhou Shiyan suddenly let out a laugh: "But you don't actually think that just because Brother Jingyue threw you a scrap of attention, you can start harboring some delusions you shouldn't have, do you?"

Lu Qiuyi stopped in her tracks.

She turned around slowly and, mirroring Zhou Shiyan’s tone, curved her lips into a faint, mocking smile: "Miss Zhou, and in what capacity are you warning me?"

"Why, do you have some... special relationship with our President He? Does a friend’s little sister have the right to be this meddlesome?"

She deliberately emphasized the word "sister."

Zhou Shiyan failed to sting Lu Qiuyi and instead grew frustrated and indignant: "Although we aren't there yet, I still have a higher status than a mere assistant like you!"

"You had better know your place and stop your wishful thinking."

Lu Qiuyi shrugged, looking completely indifferent: "I am thinking wishfully, so what? President He is young, promising, handsome, and wealthy. It’s not a crime to dream, is it?"

"You—" Zhou Shiyan’s face flushed red, seemingly shocked by her brazenness. "You don't even know, do you? The Zhou family is currently discussing a marriage alliance with Mother He."

Zhou Shiyan looked at Lu Qiuyi with a gaze bordering on pity: "I know how it is. Ordinary girls like you always think that having a bit of beauty is enough to act out a Cinderella fairy tale and climb the social ladder. But reality isn't a fairy tale, and the elite circles are not places for someone of your background to covet. For someone like you, the best ending is to find a decent, ordinary person and live an ordinary life."

"Do you know what the He Group represents? Brother Jingyue is the most outstanding successor of the He family's generation. His ambition and vision dictate that his marriage will only ever be a part of a family strategy—a bargaining chip to bolster the group—not some romantic fairy tale game."

Lu Qiuyi watched her quietly. Her face remained expressionless, but inwardly, she wanted to laugh.

This dialogue was incredibly dated.

Seeing her remain silent, Zhou Shiyan assumed she had hit a nerve: "But I am different from you. The Zhou and He families are old friends; Mother He and my mother have been close for years. She has personally said that Brother Jingyue’s wife will only ever be me. The marriage between our two families is inevitable; no matter how scheming you are, it will all be in vain."

She blew on her meticulously manicured nails and slowly pulled a card from her purse, handing it to Lu Qiuyi with the air of one bestowing charity: "There is half a million in here. Take it and stay away from Brother Jingyue. That’s not a small sum for someone like you, is it?"

Lu Qiuyi: ...

She almost couldn't hold back a laugh.

What era of antique drama was this?

She, the "undercover villain," wasn't even acting this professionally, yet this "official fiancée" had stolen the entire show.

Her gaze fell on the card, and then she slowly looked up, her eyes filled with genuine confusion: "Only half a million?"

An assistant’s monthly salary was more than that.

Zhou Shiyan frowned: "What?"

"Looking at your posture and your whole demeanor, Miss Zhou, I assumed you would at least start with five million."

Lu Qiuyi clicked her tongue and counted on her fingers, "Nowadays, even top-tier celebrities make over two million in a single day. You, a true heiress, are trying to brush someone off with just half a million?"

Zhou Shiyan was humiliated by this reaction and flew into a rage: "What kind of expression is that?"

"Is it not obvious enough?" Lu Qiuyi reached out, plucked the card from her fingertips, and toyed with it casually. "I mean, with such a small amount, I’d find it a hassle to even bend down to pick it up if I dropped it. How could you bring yourself to offer it?"

"In your eyes, is He Jingyue only worth half a million? Or is the Zhou family’s cash flow so tight that you’re on the verge of bankruptcy? Do you need me to crowdfund some help for you?"

"What nonsense are you spewing!" Zhou Shiyan was so angry her face turned pale.

"I don't care," Lu Qiuyi patted the card back into her hand with clear disdain. "If you really want me to stay away from him, fine. Show some sincerity."

She pretended to ponder for a moment before naming a figure: "Fifty billion. No discounts. Well, Miss Zhou, can you afford that?"

Zhou Shiyan: !!!

She couldn't believe her ears.

Was this woman crazy with poverty? Did she have any concept of what fifty billion meant?

"No money?" Lu Qiuyi looked at her stunned silence and shook her head with regret. "If you don't have the money, then don't play this 'throwing money at people' game. With such a meager amount, you’d better keep it to buy yourself a few new bags. Don't bring it out and embarrass yourself."

Finished, she couldn't be bothered to look at Zhou Shiyan’s pale and furious face again. She picked up her bag of snacks, turned around, and walked away with a flourish.

"What’s so great about being a lowly assistant!" Zhou Shiyan screamed uncontrollably at her back. "I’m telling you, no matter what schemes you play, you can't destroy the relationship between our two families! Just you wait!"

The sea breeze carried Zhou Shiyan’s frantic, desperate voice, but Lu Qiuyi didn't even bother to turn back.

Too lazy to pick up half a million?

Where did a little assistant get the nerve?

She must be faking it—stubbornly saving face even at the cost of her own dignity!

Zhou Shiyan stared at the receding figure, trembling with rage, desperately trying to console herself.

Lu Qiuyi delivered the snacks to Lin Xiaoyu and the others’ room, making an excuse that her stomach was still a bit upset and she couldn't join them for cards.

Back in her quiet room, she threw herself into the soft sofa, propped her arms behind her, and tilted her head back to stare at the uniquely designed chandelier on the ceiling.

Winning the argument against Zhou Shiyan didn't actually feel as satisfying as she had imagined.

Zhou Shiyan had said a lot of nonsense, but one sentence had pierced her heart: *He Jingyue’s marriage will only ever be a part of a family strategy—a bargaining chip to bolster the group.*

From the moment she transmigrated into the book as "Lu Qiuyi," this had already been the written script.

He Jingyue was a man who was calm, rational, ambitious, and forever prioritized interests above all else.

Marrying Zhou Shiyan aligned with the He family’s interests and would provide tangible hardware technical support for the "Zhiyu" project.

It was, indeed, the choice that maximized his interests.

So, as an undercover agent sent by the Lu family, what could she possibly change, no matter how hard she tried?

Lu Qiuyi sighed, feeling an inexplicable sense of frustration.

The task of ruining the marriage alliance weighed on her heart like a mountain.

Just then, the phone she had tossed onto the sofa suddenly lit up, vibrating with a low buzz.