Lu Chengwen froze in the car for a moment, his mind racing.
After a brief silence, he said, "Why are you telling me this? This is your family's business secret."
Xu Xuejiao pouted unhappily. "Because I was afraid you'd get mad! You like Leng Qingqiu so much. If we acquire Qianfeng, you might throw a tantrum at me later. Hmph."
"Thanks."
With that, Lu Chengwen hung up.
He had overlooked something.
The Leng family was weakening, and those eyeing Qianfeng's assets weren't limited to just him. The Xu family was likely not the only one—the Chen family might have similar ideas. Add Huo Wendong to the mix…
The situation had completely spiraled out of control.
The Leng family now resembled a defeated feudal state, with all the surrounding powers eager to carve out their share, tearing it apart to claim the largest piece for themselves.
The Xu and Chen families had already begun their maneuvers.
Huo Wendong already held 29% of the shares. If he acquired just over 20% more, Qianfeng Group would truly change hands.
Leng Tianhao had controlled Leng Qingqiu her entire life, assuming his daughter would always obey his commands, confident of his victory.
But once Leng Qingqiu slipped out of his control, he panicked. He urgently needed a shareholder to cooperate with him to stabilize the situation.
What if Leng Tianhao absolutely refused to sell his shares? Could he still maintain control as the largest shareholder?
No. Huo Wendong, Lu Chengwen, and Leng Qingqiu all held significant shares.
If those three collaborated, Leng Tianhao would be marginalized, and he would still lose control of the company.
Even if they didn't cooperate, the four factions would be entangled in chaos—each pushing their own agenda, stirring the pot and further devaluing the stock. The consequences would be disastrous.
At this point, each party held different intelligence, with Leng Tianhao's being the most terrifying.
His daughter was about to join forces with Lu Chengwen… which meant he had no choice but to turn to Huo Wendong.
But Huo Wendong had already bared his fangs, demanding that Leng Tianhao sell him 30% of the shares—at least 25%.
Huo Wendong already held 29%. If Leng Tianhao sold another 25%, his control over Qianfeng would be virtually obliterated, and Huo Wendong, with over 50% ownership, would become the new chairman of Qianfeng Group.
Qianfeng would belong to him.
Xu Xuejiao called again.
"Xuejiao."
"Wow, now that I've tipped you off, your attitude toward me has improved," she teased.
Lu Chengwen sighed. "Is there something you need?"
"I want to discuss business with you."
"Business?"
"Yes. Let's talk in person."
At the same time, Jiang Shihan began receiving a flurry of calls.
Huo Wendong and Leng Tianhao also requested meetings with Lu Chengwen.
Jiang Shihan politely replied that Lu Chengwen's schedule was still uncertain and that she would respond later.
After hanging up, she looked at Lu Chengwen.
Lu Chengwen bit his fingernail.
"See Xu Xuejiao first."
---
The meeting with Xu Xuejiao was anything but formal—they met in the office of the pharmaceutical factory.
"Alright, Xuejiao, what's going on?"
"Sit down first," Xu Xuejiao said.
"Okay."
Xu Xuejiao looked at Lu Chengwen seriously. "Do you like Leng Qingqiu?"
"Huh? I thought we were here to talk business?"
"We are. Do you like her?"
Lu Chengwen sighed in exasperation. "What kind of business talk is this? This is a relationship discussion."
"It's important."
Lu Chengwen said, "No, I don't."
"You spent three years as her lapdog just to devour the Leng family?"
"That's not true!" Lu Chengwen was frustrated. "What exactly do you want to say?"
Xu Xuejiao said, "My dad sent me to negotiate with you. We can cooperate."
"How?"
"You talk to Leng Qingqiu and get her to agree. We'll pool our resources to buy her shares first, but keep it under wraps. Meanwhile, my dad will negotiate with either Leng Tianhao or Huo Wendong to acquire more. Combined, we'd control over 50%, giving us full authority over Qianfeng Group."
Lu Chengwen frowned. "Why didn't he come to me himself?"
Mentioning her father made Xu Xuejiao visibly upset. "You have the nerve to ask? You barged into my house, argued with my dad, and even forced his head down to look at the contract. Who treats an elder like that? How could he possibly negotiate with you? Let you force him to sign another contract?"
Lu Chengwen chuckled. "Okay, fine, I lost my temper last time. But your dad was infuriating! He wouldn't even listen, just kept lecturing me with his eyes closed. I went there offering a guaranteed contract—basically handing money to your family—and all he did was scold me, over and over."
"What did he say?"
"He insisted his precious daughter would never end up with a scumbag like me."
Xu Xuejiao burst out laughing. "And what did you say?"
Lu Chengwen gritted his teeth. "I grabbed his head and told him, 'Xu Xuejiao is mine. I'm taking her home tonight, and I'll bring you a grandson next year.'"
"Really?!" Xu Xuejiao immediately bounced over, grabbing Lu Chengwen's hands and shaking them. "You're so brave!"
Lu Chengwen looked at her. "Really? No! I told him to keep his daughter in check and stop coming to my house to act!"
"I'll kick you to death!"
"Business! Let's talk business!"
Xu Xuejiao pouted. "Anyway, we can work together to take down Qianfeng."
Lu Chengwen fell silent.
"Hey! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Money! Don't you want money?!"
"Of course I want money…" Lu Chengwen hesitated. "But Qingqiu is our friend."
"*Your* friend, you mean?" Xu Xuejiao immediately protested. "I don't care! I want Qianfeng Group, and you *have* to help me! Once we've taken it, won't Leng Qingqiu be yours anyway? What are you worried about?"
"Don't talk nonsense. With Leng Qingqiu's personality, even if she went bankrupt, she'd rebuild from scratch. She'd never live under someone else's roof, let alone submit to me."
Xu Xuejiao didn't believe a word of it. "From what I see, even if Qianfeng doesn't go bankrupt, she's already itching to be your little wife."
She tugged at Lu Chengwen. "I don't care! You can play around with her, but you're not allowed to marry her!"
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
"If you *must* marry her, she has to be the lesser wife! Hehe, having a pretty little sister serve me sounds nice—making tea, doing laundry, folding clothes… Yeah, just thinking about it gets me excited."
Lu Chengwen pinched her ear. "Listen here. If I *do* marry anyone, *you'll* be the lesser wife. Leng Qingqiu will be my main wife, and you'll be her maid—making tea, doing laundry, folding clothes, washing her feet…"
"Get off! You're hurting me!"
Neither Lu Chengwen, Jiang Shihan, nor Xu Xuejiao knew that Leng Qingqiu was currently in the inner room of the suite.
Leng Qingqiu truly had the run of Dasheng Group.
Over the past three years, she had rarely visited. On the few occasions she did, it was either to use the conference room or attend government-hosted seminars held there.
But whenever Leng Qingqiu stepped into the building, she carried herself with unmatched confidence and authority.
Everyone in the company knew that while the master of this building was untouchable in Snow City, he was also Leng Qingqiu's devoted lapdog.
So in this building, Leng Qingqiu was the undisputed queen.
Lu Chengwen's suite had a private bathroom. After entering, Leng Qingqiu went straight in to shower, as if she were at home.
Midway through, she remembered the time Lu Chengwen, disguised as Long Aotian, had suddenly fallen into her bathtub, flirting with her.
The memory made her face burn and her body grow warm.
Hearing Lu Chengwen enter, she had planned to playfully tease him, maybe even seduce him. If luck was on her side and the seduction worked, she'd become the young madam of the Lu family.
But then Xu Xuejiao walked in right after him, and Leng Qingqiu knew things were more complicated. She hid inside, eavesdropping.
The more she listened, the angrier she became.
Xu Xuejiao—this brat! When Leng Qingqiu was already famous, Xu Xuejiao hadn't even graduated from college! Now she had the audacity to compete for *her* man!
When it came to the acquisition of Qianfeng, Leng Qingqiu was exceptionally calm and rational.
At a time like this, even if it weren't Lu Chengwen—if it were *her* in his place—she wouldn't hesitate for a second.
If you didn't act, someone else would. The business world was a battlefield. If you were defeated, you had no right to complain.
A defeated general could only close their eyes, lift their head, and accept whatever came next.
But Lu Chengwen's hesitation shattered Leng Qingqiu's rationality, replaced by overwhelming emotion.
As a businessman, the fact that he hesitated at all was already significant.
It meant he truly cared about her.
Then she heard Xu Xuejiao suggest she become the lesser wife, and all reason fled. Rage surged through her, and she nearly stormed out to curse the girl to death.
But she didn't dare.
Lu Chengwen was still there. Though he often teased Xu Xuejiao, Leng Qingqiu could tell that, after all their recent interactions, the two had grown close.
The more casually Lu Chengwen treated Xu Xuejiao, the more it showed how comfortable he was around her—how he could let his guard down.
In contrast, Lu Chengwen was never like that with *her*. He was always tense, carefully measuring his words.
Thinking of this, Leng Qingqiu felt she had no advantage over Xu Xuejiao.
In terms of looks, they were evenly matched. But Xu Xuejiao had money and a domineering father backing her—even if it was useless (given how Lu Chengwen had forced him to sign a contract), having support was still better than none.
And what did *she* have?
Right now, apart from her face and figure, she had nothing.
She was like an abandoned orphan.
Xu Xuejiao knew how to act cute, throw tantrums, make Lu Chengwen laugh, and seize every opportunity to flaunt her feminine charm. Her flirtatiousness was enough to make Leng Qingqiu blush just *watching*.
And Lu Chengwen? He ate it up.
Leng Qingqiu sighed. *Lesser wife? If I have to be the lesser wife, I'll make your life hell!*
*You scheming little witch—I'd rather let Chen Mengyun be the main wife than let you have your way.*
But then she heard Lu Chengwen declare *her* the main wife, saying Xu Xuejiao would serve her—making tea, doing laundry, washing her feet…
Her heart melted.
*This bastard…*
*He really does care about me.*
Xu Xuejiao rubbed her ear. "One thing's for sure—we need to take down Qianfeng, fast!"
"No!" Lu Chengwen was even more stubborn than her.
"Are you insane? This is the perfect time! If you help my dad take Qianfeng, I'm yours!" Xu Xuejiao said boldly, though her face reddened.
Lu Chengwen glanced at her. "Who wants you? I've got my darling Qingqiu—long legs, slim waist, way more fun than you!"
"What?! You've already *had* her?!"
"Yep." Lu Chengwen smirked. "It was amazing. Way better than your scrawny arms and legs."
Xu Xuejiao stared at him, then suddenly burst into tears.
Lu Chengwen was taken aback. "Hey… why are you crying?"