Volume One, Chapter 8: Dreaming of Marrying Shang Linyuan

“Hey, did you receive it? Can you speed up the results?”
“It will take two days. Can it be expedited?”
“Extra charge for rush service? How much?”
“Three thousand? Can it be less... Fine, three thousand it is. I’ll transfer it via WeChat. Will it be ready by 10 p.m.? Okay, I’ll wait for your results.”

After hanging up, Lu Mingqi opened his small savings and sighed when he saw the balance inside.

He had emptied all his savings to find his biological father.

Biological father, oh biological father, you must not disappoint us.

Despite the pain in his heart, Lu Mingqi transferred the money.

Once he found his father, what was a little money? Would he ever worry about money again?

Thinking this, his young heart finally felt a little better.

Having finished his business, Lu Mingqi tiptoed to the door and cracked it open a bit.

Lu Xiaoman was sitting at the dining table, sipping rice porridge. Her left hand was wrapped in a plaster cast, hanging weakly over her chest, while her right hand held a porcelain spoon, which she blew on gently before taking a sip.

Under the dim yellow light, a severely injured woman was quietly drinking a bowl of rice porridge alone...

Lu Mingqi captured this scene perfectly in his mind, and his eyes grew moist as he looked at the picture.

Humph, I refuse to believe Father would heartlessly ignore us mother and son.

Lu Mingqi expertly typed the phone number on the card and added: I’m Lu Mingqi, Uncle, please add me.

Previously, at the car accident scene, worried that Mommy might see, he had hastily sent a message directly from the car to Shang Linyuan’s number. Now, he was officially adding him as a friend.

Sure enough, Father’s WeChat was added.

“Ding dong.”

Lu Mingqi sent the photo and typed a message: Uncle, I’m so hungry now. Mommy can’t cook, so we can only drink porridge every day. Sob sob.

After sending the message, he quickly put his smartwatch on silent mode.

As expected, the call came immediately.

“Xiao Qi, this is Shang Linyuan.”

“Uncle, are you coming to save our lives? I knew you wouldn’t ignore Mommy and me,” Lu Mingqi whispered excitedly.

Shang Linyuan: ...

Even if they had porridge for a few days, it wouldn’t be fatal.

Besides, he had someone tailing the two of them. That seafood feast they had at noon probably hadn’t even settled yet.

But he didn’t reveal this: “Open the door in one minute.”

Lu Mingqi was a little confused: “Open which door?”

Then he suddenly understood and cheered: “Uncle, are you coming so soon?”

“It’s not me, it’s something that will save your lives.”

Before he finished speaking, the doorbell rang.

Lu Mingqi quickly hung up and ran to open the door.

When the door opened, the scene before his eyes stunned him.

“Good day, young master.”

About a dozen men dressed in chef uniforms and white tall hats stood neatly at the door, their smiles perfectly alike.

Lu Mingqi hurriedly waved them in.

“Please come in, please come in.”

“Who’s here?” Lu Xiaoman came over upon hearing the voices.

Seeing the chefs carrying one pristine porcelain dish after another, she was stunned.

“Did you... come to the wrong place?”

“No, Mrs. Lu, we were sent here specifically.”

After placing all the dishes, the lead chef politely said goodbye: “We wish Mrs. Lu and young master a pleasant meal. See you next time.”

In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen people left in an orderly manner.

Looking at the table full of steaming delicious food, Lu Xiaoman felt as if she were dreaming.

Lu Mingqi had already returned to reality and clicked his tongue in admiration: “Professionally trained chefs really are different.”

Lu Xiaoman turned to look into her son’s eyes: “Did you order this?”

After saying this, she doubted it herself—how much money did her son really have? This feast must have cost at least five figures.

He couldn’t afford it.

Then who could it be?

A noble, aloof face flashed through her mind but was quickly dismissed.

He was busy with countless affairs and wouldn’t meddle in trivial matters.

“Mommy, it was Uncle who ordered it,” Lu Mingqi volunteered to explain.

Lu Xiaoman blinked, still finding it hard to believe.

Why was Shang Linyuan so good to the two of them?

Could it be...

He discovered something?

“Bang!”

“Bang bang...”

The harsh sound of shattering porcelain echoed from a spacious penthouse over three hundred square meters.

Jindi Coast was located in the heart of Jiang City, with an average housing price of 45,000 per square meter.

Not cheap at all.

The interior was decorated with upscale furnishings, though the clutter spoiled the whole aesthetic.

Chu Yan’s mother, Li Meifeng, rushed in and sighed at the mess.

“Xiao Yan, what are you doing? You broke such a good vase. It must be worth a lot!”

“Stop breaking things. With your temper, who’s going to want you in the future? Why break such expensive stuff? It hurts my heart...”

Li Meifeng snatched the antique jade from her daughter’s hands.

“Money, money, you only care about money. Haven’t I given you enough money all these years?” Chu Yan shouted angrily, panting.

She had been ordered by Shang Linyuan to stay home and not go out, and even her allowance was halved. Who could she vent her anger on?

And that wretched Lu Xiaoman—how come she was the one Shang Linyuan held in his arms?

All these years, whenever she tried to get close to that man, she was ruthlessly pushed away. She had never even held his hand. Why?

“I know, I know, but you don’t need to fight over money. Your brother is going to marry that Li family girl. Our betrothal gift will cost a lot, so we have to save more...”

“You only think about brother. Have you ever thought about me? Am I even your daughter?”

Mentioning that good-for-nothing brother made Chu Yan even angrier.

“Aren’t you doing well now? Mr. Shang treats you well, you’re about to get married. You’ll have a bright future. You should help your brother too.”

Marrying Shang Linyuan?

Chu Yan was stunned for a moment.

She dreamed of marriage, but Shang Linyuan didn’t want to marry her.

Seeing Chu Yan silent, Li Meifeng grew more enthusiastic: “Once you marry Mr. Shang, we’ll all be secure. If he can get your brother a job in the company, maybe even a managerial position overseeing dozens of people, the Li family will definitely look at your brother differently. They’ll be all over him...”

“Enough!” Chu Yan suddenly shouted.

Li Meifeng was stunned by her daughter’s outburst.

“Chu Yan, how can you talk to your mother like that?” Chu Yutang sauntered to the door, full of disdain. “Apologize to Mom quickly. You scared her.”

Looking at her slovenly older brother, Chu Yan’s anger flared up again.

Before she could curse, her phone rang.

“What? That little bastard actually dared to take Linyuan’s hair...”