Qin Jia glanced at Shen Yushu out of the corner of his eye.
Upon receiving her daughter's "distress" signal, Shen Yushu immediately put on a polite smile.
She looked at Lu Tingzhou and calmly added Qin Jia's words: "We're looking for your second uncle."
Lu Tingzhou lowered his eyes and stepped aside to make way.
Behind him, Lu Jingnian smiled calmly and said, "Tingzhou, they are my guests."
Lu Tingzhou didn't have the habit of prying into other people's privacy, but at this moment, many questions arose in his mind, and he was eager to know the answers.
Why are Qin Jia and Qin Mo's mother together? They seem to have a good relationship. Could it be that she and Qin Mo have gotten to the point of meeting each other's parents?
Furthermore, what are they doing here with his second uncle? His second uncle owns a wedding planning company, and they're here to discuss wedding-related matters?
The more Lu Tingzhou thought about it, the more confused he became. Unconsciously, his originally relaxed brows furrowed, and the lines between his brows were so deep that they could trap a mosquito.
Noticing his nephew's unusual behavior, Lu Jingnian stopped and turned back.
He patted Lu Tingzhou on the shoulder, his tone deep: "Tingzhou, the party should be starting soon. You arrived late and missed the first half, don't miss the second half."
Lu Tingzhou understood the implication in his words and gave a faint "hmm." Clearly, their upcoming conversation concerned private matters that couldn't be disclosed to him.
"I'll grab a coat," he said.
Lu Tingzhou went inside, picked up his suit jacket from the sofa, and strode out.
As they approached the door, Lu Jingnian suddenly remembered something and called out to him, "By the way, if I haven't arrived by the time of the auction, could you do me a favor? Just take that Southern Song Dynasty Longquan celadon mallet-shaped vase, no matter the price."
Lu Tingzhou said calmly, "Okay."
After saying that, he pushed open the door and went out.
The door closed, and the room fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Shen Yushu noticed the steaming tea on the coffee table and realized that Lu Tingzhou had only been there a short time.
She looked at Lu Jingnian and asked politely, "Mr. Lu, am I disturbing you?"
Even if we had truly disturbed them, now that they've left, there's no point in saying anything more. Lu Jingnian knew she was just making small talk, and replied with a smile, "It's alright."
He gestured for them to sit down, then pointed to the tea set on the table, "Would you two like some tea?"
Shen Yushu made a move to pick up the teapot, but Lu Jingnian stopped her, saying, "Guests are welcome, I'll do it."
Lu Jingnian took two new teacups from the tea tray, picked up the teapot, and poured two cups in turn. The fragrant aroma of tea filled the living room, rich and sweet.
"These are Longjing tea leaves that I just picked before the rain. A friend brought them back for me from Jiangnan. They taste great."
"You two should try it."
Shen Yushu picked up her teacup and took a sip, and Qin Jia followed suit.
The tea was sweet and refreshing, with a hint of sunshine and rain, which reminded Qin Jia of the misty forest in his hometown, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
She happily took another sip.
Seeing this, Lu Jingnian smiled happily, "Miss Qin, isn't this tea delicious?"
Qin Jia nodded. "It tastes good."
Lu Jingnian: "If you like it, I'll have someone send you a few cans of tea later."
Qin Jia put down her teacup, looked at the person expectantly, her eyes sparkling, and said, "Thank you."
Lu Jingnian: You're welcome.
Seeing that the topic was about to veer off course, Shen Yushu cut to the chase: "President Lu, we're not here to talk about tea today. I want you to give me an explanation regarding An Jun's matter."
The Lu family wields considerable and deep-rooted power in Yucheng, making them difficult to shake. As the second-in-command of the Lu family, if Lu Jingnian wanted to protect An Jun, within the bounds of the law, An Jun could very well escape unscathed.
Even if she can't escape it, going against the Lu family for her daughter's sake will ultimately hurt both sides as well. However, if she can persuade Lu Jingnian not to interfere, the situation will be different.
Lu Jingnian picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and said gently, "President Shen, An Jun is, after all, my godson. If he really goes to jail, it will be a disgrace to the Lu family. I hope you understand."
The person who was all smiles just moments ago changed his attitude in a matter of minutes. Shen Yushu sneered inwardly, thinking that he was indeed an old fox, his words were so shrewd.
"President Lu, I could turn a blind eye to your godson taking a salary at Zhenyuan and not doing any work," Shen Yushu said, her voice slightly choked with emotion. "But now, he has poisoned my daughter, causing brain damage. She's constantly laughing like a fool, and sometimes she doesn't even remember me, her mother…"
Qin Jia listened silently, feeling a pang of unease. At first, she didn't recognize anyone, but that was because she didn't have time to process the information; she was clever enough!
Lu Jingnian silently observed Qin Jia's reaction.
The little girl didn't react much when her mother called her stupid; it seems she was really traumatized.
Shen Yushu continued her efforts, taking out the test report from her bag and handing it to Lu Jingnian, "An Jun did a great job, it's written here in black and white."
"Mr. Lu is a reasonable person. I believe that after reading this, you will definitely change your mind."
Lu Jingnian took the report and began to read it, his expression growing increasingly grim as he read on. He gripped the paper tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.
The lawyer argued that An Jun had administered a sexually stimulating drug, the effect of which was moderate and did not cause serious consequences, making the incident relatively minor. The lawyer had no reason to lie; clearly, it was An Jun who was not telling the truth.
The police didn't find any poison, so it's highly likely he used a trick—he secretly bought two doses, and the one the police found was the less effective one.
Lu Jingnian hated being lied to more than anything in his life. He suppressed his anger, picked up his phone, walked to the window, and made a call.
"Xiao Liu, have someone check An Jun's shopping records and social interactions over the past two years to see if he has purchased any contraband through clandestine means."
"Call me back within twenty minutes, whether you found it or not."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Jingnian composed himself and sat back down. He glanced at his watch and said, "I ordered some snacks. Would you two like to stay and have some?"
Just as Shen Yushu was about to decline, she suddenly heard Qin Jia say, "Do you have matcha flavor?"
She looked up and saw Lu Jingnian across from her pause for a moment, his tense face softening instantly, and he said in a gentle tone, "I'll have the chef hurry up and make some more."
Qin Jia: "Thank you, you're so kind."
Looking at the little girl's carefree smile, Lu Jingnian's heart suddenly softened, and the next second, a strange thought suddenly popped into his mind.
I wish she were his goddaughter.
He thought about it for no reason.
-
At the same time, inside the hotel banquet hall, the host was proceeding with the program step by step.
After the wonderful performances, the highly anticipated auction began.
In addition to the two donations, a small, pleasant auction was held in the latter half of the dinner. A total of five items were auctioned, with buyers freely bidding and the highest bidder winning.
On stage, the host passionately announced: "Next up is our first item, 'Drinking Alone Under the Moon' by the master of traditional Chinese painting, Wen Ruxu. The starting price is 350,000 yuan. We invite all interested parties to bid enthusiastically."
The gavel fell, and the auction began.
Bidding from the audience was constant, and after several rounds of bidding, the painting "Drinking Alone Under the Moon" was finally sold for 1.58 million.
The host then began to introduce the second item in the collection, which was a jade necklace.
Lu Tingzhou glanced at the introduction image, silently took out his phone, opened a news app, and browsed the latest industry news.
After scrolling through a few messages, Lu Tingzhou suddenly heard the sound of a chair being pulled out beside him. Without looking up, he continued staring at his phone and said calmly, "Secretary Lin, call me when Qingci arrives."
Secretary Lin's mind was filled with the gossip he had just heard from the restroom. It took him a few beats to react before he hurriedly said, "Okay."
After the second item was auctioned off, the host began introducing the third item.
Lu Tingzhou was lost in his own world, oblivious to what the people on stage were saying. Suddenly, a few scattered words, like a bolt of lightning, cleaved his world in two.
"Mr. Qin, number 12, has offered 3.2 million. Are there any higher bids?"
"3.2 million once, 3.2 million twice, 3.2 million..."
Just as the gavel was about to fall, Lu Tingzhou, as if under a spell, raised the number plate in his hand and casually said, "3.5 million."
"3.5 million! Mr. Lu, number 5, has bid 3.5 million. Is there anyone bidding higher?"
Qin Mo raised his paddle, "3.85 million."
Lu Tingzhou then pressed him, "3.75 million."
In this back-and-forth manner, the price of the third item was quickly raised to 4.2 million.
Secretary Lin, standing to the side, suddenly felt dizzy.
Looking at the familiar cursive script on the stage, he wondered if the boss had lost his mind, spending 4.2 million to buy a piece of calligraphy written by his own uncle. Why bother?
Is he just throwing money away, or is he simply looking for trouble?
Secretary Lin squinted and looked back.
Mr. Qin, number 12, is...
Qin Mo?!
Seeing the young master of the Qin family, Secretary Lin finally understood why Lu Tingzhou had been so frantically trying to snatch the calligraphy. It turned out the boss was blinded by jealousy and was trying to steal it from someone else!
Should he tell him that Qin Mo is actually Qin Jia's younger brother and that they are not dating?
On the other side.
After several rounds of bidding, Qin Mo began to doubt himself. He glanced at his friend at the next table, then typed: [Do you think Lu Tingzhou is targeting me? Should I continue bidding?]
Your friend replied: "Lu Tingzhou isn't close to you, so he has no reason to target you. He probably really likes that calligraphy and painting. Stop pursuing him and wait for another opportunity."
Qin Mo sighed: [Alright.]
"Congratulations to Mr. Lu on your successful bid. Now let's look at the introduction of the fourth item. Please look at the big screen."
The fourth item was brought to the stage by the staff. It was a celadon mallet-shaped vase made in Longquan kiln during the Southern Song Dynasty. It was still well preserved after a thousand years.
Qin Mo thought his mother would like it, so he actively raised his paddle and bid. There were many bidders for this collectible, and soon the price reached 5 million.
Qin Mo raised the price to 5 million, and just when everyone thought the deal would go through, Lu Tingzhou raised his paddle and calmly announced a shocking price.
"12 million."
Qin Mo glanced at the budget his mother had given him and weakly raised the price: "14 million."
Lu Tingzhou immediately raised the price to 24 million. Qin Mo looked at her friend heartbrokenly and tapped her phone screen: "Does he have a problem with me?"
Friend: "..."
"24 million! Mr. Lu, number 5, has bid 24 million! Is there a higher bid? Mr. Qin, number 12, are you going to bid?"
Qin Mo put down the number plate, unwilling to say another digit. He'd spent 24 million on a porcelain vase; he wouldn't be sleeping tonight.
"24 million! Sold!"
The sound of the gavel echoed throughout the venue. Secretary Lin felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. He wondered how his boss would handle the situation now that he had offended his future brother-in-law so hastily.
Before the final round of bidding began, Secretary Lin quickly pulled Lu Tingzhou aside and whispered, "Mr. Lu, Mr. Lu, I have something to tell you."
Lu Tingzhou swiped open his phone. "Is it important?"
"Very important!"
Lu Tingzhou: "Go ahead."
Secretary Lin lowered her voice, "Qin Mo is Miss Qin Jia's younger brother; they are siblings."
Lu Tingzhou's finger, which was swiping the screen, suddenly stopped. He stood there, stunned, and slowly raised his eyes to look at the secretary beside him. "Where did you hear that from?"
His eyes clearly said that he didn't believe it.
Secretary Lin omitted the location of the restroom, cleared her throat, and said, "Qin Mo's mother said it on the lawn in front of everyone. She said that Miss Qin is her eldest daughter."
"Many people saw it, it's true. If you had come a few minutes earlier, you would have witnessed it too."
"I swear it's real!"
Lu Tingzhou listened and gave a faint "hmm".
Secretary Lin was stunned. He looked at Lu Tingzhou for a long time but couldn't see any pleasure on his face.
What? He just went on a buying spree, snatching Qin Mo's items from the auction. Wasn't it out of jealousy? Or is he overthinking it?
Amidst their suspicions, the final auction began. This time, Qin Mo made another bid, but Lu Tingzhou didn't follow suit, which put Secretary Lin at ease, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems he was right.
The boss must be secretly overjoyed!
The auction ended, the lights in the audience area were turned off, and darkness returned to the area.
In the dim light where no one was watching, Lu Tingzhou unconsciously curled the corners of his lips, and the vexation in his heart was swept away.
Qin Mo was equally happy.
His friend sitting next to him congratulated him on his successful bid and added a comment: "See, I wasn't wrong. Lu Tingzhou wasn't targeting you."
Qin Mo, holding her phone, replied happily: "You're right, I was being petty."