Inside the presidential suite on the top floor.
Lu Jingnian hung up the phone, came out of the bedroom, and slowly walked to the living room, where he sat down opposite Shen Yushu.
He picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of tea, and the aroma of the tea was still as rich as ever. It was refreshing to drink, and after one sip, the fragrance lingered in his mouth.
Perhaps because I was feeling unsettled at the moment, the tea inexplicably tasted a bit bitter towards the end.
Lu Jingnian put down his teacup, clasped his hands together and then released them, repeating this several times. He took a deep breath and slowly adjusted his disordered breathing rhythm.
After a while, Lu Jingnian looked up and calmly looked at Shen Yushu across from him. "President Shen, you kindly helped that kid An Jun back then because of me. I will definitely repay you for that favor today."
Shen Yushu patted Qin Jia, who was resting beside her, and asked without changing her expression, "How does President Lu plan to repay this?"
Noticing that Qin Jia was asleep, Lu Jingnian subconsciously lowered his voice and said slowly, "Twelve years, plus fifty million, is that enough?"
Shen Yushu was stunned. "What?"
"I've consulted a lawyer." Lu Jingnian picked up the Bodhi seed bracelet on the sofa, held it in his hand, and slowly rubbed it. "If the evidence is sufficient, he could probably get twelve years in prison."
"In addition, I will compensate your daughter with 50 million. If the subsequent treatment is not enough, I can add more." Lu Jingnian paused. "Our Lu family has a strong medical team. If you need..."
Shen Yushu interrupted him, "No need, thank you for your kindness, Mr. Lu, but my daughter is shy. She has finally gotten used to her current doctor, and changing doctors might be too much for her."
Qin Jia's "problem" was something she didn't want outsiders to know. She didn't want others to treat her as an oddball.
Lu Jingnian: "Okay."
Shen Yushu: "I will submit my daughter's blood test report to the police at a later date."
Lu Jingnian nodded. "I've already contacted the police station, and they'll follow up."
"Also, in a couple of days I will have someone draft a statement severing ties with An Jun. After that, you don't need to have any concerns about the lawsuit; I will not interfere anymore."
Since things had come to this point, Shen Yushu had nothing more to say. She hadn't expected that Lu Jingnian would actually be willing to completely abandon An Jun.
Previously, she had heard that he cherished his godson very much, treating him like his own son, and there were even rumors that An Jun might inherit his property in the future.
Now it seems that Lu Jingnian and An Jun may not have had such a good relationship, or perhaps, for the sake of the Lu family's reputation, he was willing to give up anything.
With the matter resolved, Shen Yushu felt it inappropriate to stay any longer. Just as she was about to say goodbye, she turned around and saw that Qin Jia was still sleeping, so she took the initiative to discuss it with Lu Jingnian.
"Can we stay a little longer?"
Lu Jingnian stood up, his gaze falling on Qin Jia. "It's alright, please feel free."
"I have some personal matters to attend to, so I'll head down now. You can call room service if you need anything."
Shen Yushu nodded. "Thank you."
-
Time ticked by, and the main event of the evening finally began in the banquet hall on the first floor.
The group donation session was about to begin. Qin Mo looked anxiously at the empty seat next to him and then looked towards the door.
His friend at the next table noticed he seemed distracted, called his name softly, and then messaged him: "You look nervous, what's wrong?"
Qin Mo looked down at his phone and quickly typed: [If Ms. Shen doesn't come, I dare not make any rash moves.]
Every major expenditure of the group requires the approval of his mother or father; this is the rule.
A friend suggested: "Call your mom and ask. If she doesn't answer, call your dad."
Qin Mo dared not trouble Qin Zongming, who was on the other side of the ocean and might have just gotten up.
If he makes a phone call, his dad will almost certainly say, "Qin Mo, if you can't even handle this small thing, how can I trust you to take over the company in the future?"
Similar words have become an unforgettable constraint on him throughout his more than twenty years of life.
Just then, a friend's hoarse voice drifted over to his ear: "Qin Mo, they're here."
Qin Mo turned around and saw his mother and sister enter the venue hand in hand. He raised his right hand and waved naturally, signaling them to come over.
After the two women were seated, the host went on stage and announced the start of the donation drive. Below the stage, the crowd began whispering among themselves, discussing how much to donate.
At this point, the host tapped the microphone and said, "Before the representatives come up on stage, I would like to announce a set of figures. Since some of you arrived late and are unaware of the situation, I will repeat them here."
"The outdoor voluntary donation drive saw the participation of 52 kind-hearted individuals, raising a total of 47.7 million yuan. Among them, Ms. Qin Jia from the Qin Group generously donated 5 million yuan, breaking our previous record for voluntary donations."
Upon hearing this, the audience fell silent.
Qin Jia vaguely sensed that many eyes were looking at her. Embarrassed, she lowered her head, picked up the glass on the table, and took a sip of water.
The water has a faint fruity aroma.
But wasn't she drinking water? How come it tastes like citrus?
Qin Jia lowered her eyes and was surprised to find that she had picked up the wrong glass and accidentally drunk champagne.
Afraid that Qin Mo and Shen Yushu would be unhappy if they saw this, she quickly put down the cup, pushed it away, and pretended that nothing had happened.
Looking up again, she met Qin Mo's gaze and smiled guiltily, "Why are you looking at me?"
Qin Mo said with envy, "Sis, you donate five million so casually, that's so generous!"
Qin Jia honestly replied, "That was money given to me by my mother. I don't have that much money of my own."
Qin Mo turned to Shen Yushu and asked, "Mom, when are you going to give me some too?"
Shen Yushu raised an eyebrow. "I give it to you one minute, and you take it to subsidize the company the next, without even a sound. Xiao Mo, I'm not trying to criticize you, but don't be so good-natured. Be assertive when necessary, and ask for the money you deserve right away."
"With so many people here, see if any of your business partners are among them, and then you can casually mention them."
Qin Mo nodded. "I've already received three million. It will arrive in my account tomorrow."
Shen Yushu affirmed, "Keep it up!"
Qin Mo: "Mm."
During the casual conversation, the first representative went on stage and donated 5.5 million yuan on behalf of his company.
Following closely behind, the second, the third... no one donated less than five million, as if no one wanted to be outdone by a single person.
The people who went on stage were all incredibly excited, and the donation amount kept rising. In just over ten minutes, the amount had reached 32 million.
This number exceeded the Qin family's original budget. Qin Mo secretly glanced at his mother and asked, "Mom, the number has reached 3200. How much should we donate?"
Shen Yushu remained calm and composed, picked up her wine glass, took a sip, and said indifferently, "One hand."
One hand? Fifty million?!
Qin Mo looked at the person in surprise. He never expected his mother to be so generous tonight.
Not long after, it was their table's turn, and Qin Mo, representing the Qin Group, took the stage.
The host smiled slightly and praised the audience: "As we all know, the Qin Group's businesses are spread all over the country, including but not limited to clothing, jewelry, hotels, wine, etc. For example, the Perfume champagne we are drinking tonight comes from the Qin family's winery."
Then, he looked at Qin Mo and changed the subject, "So here's the question, Mr. Qin, how much money will you donate on behalf of our Qin Group tonight?"
Just as Qin Mo was about to speak, the host suddenly pointed the microphone at the audience, "Would you like to guess?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion erupted from the audience. Some said forty million, some said fifty million, and some even said sixty million, which seemed to have a hint of "settling a personal score."
Qin Mo calmly raised one hand, brought it to the microphone, and said, "Fifty million."
"Fifty million?!" The host exclaimed in surprise. "Wow, the Qin Group has donated fifty million. The companies that come up next are going to be under pressure."
Qin Mo quickly stepped off the stage, causing the people at the nearby tables to become extremely anxious, each regretting their earlier heckling. Shen Yushu always donated 30 million yuan to every major event she attended, but who knew she would do something so unexpected tonight.
To avoid losing face, the families following the Qin family each donated fifty million. Finally, it was the Lu Group's turn. Lu Tingzhou stood up, preparing to go on stage, when he was suddenly pulled back.
He turned around, looked at his second uncle sitting in the seat, bent down slightly, and asked, "Uncle, would you like to add more?"
Eighty million is more than enough. Adding the money from the celadon, it has already exceeded one hundred million.
Adding more is unnecessary.
Lu Jingnian cleared his throat and lowered his voice: "Same as them, fifty million."
Lu Tingzhou was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Okay."
When Lu Tingzhou went on stage and announced the amount, the audience was shocked. They never expected that the biggest spender would be so conservative tonight.
Lu Tingzhou returned to his seat and asked Lu Jingnian, puzzled, "Uncle, why did you suddenly change your mind?"
Lu Jingnian fiddled with the beads, thinking about the 50 million yuan compensation that would be transferred away tomorrow. He was silent for two seconds, then said, "Everyone else is donating 5,000 yuan. I don't want to be special."
Lu Tingzhou said thoughtfully, "Alright."
-
After the donation ended, the host called on the families who donated 50 million to come up on stage to receive their awards.
After the representatives came on stage, he raised his voice and continued: "We also have three beautiful ladies, Xu Shuang, Luo Shiqing, and Qin Jia. Please come up on stage and join us in witnessing tonight's glorious moment!"
When her name was suddenly called, Qin Jia was a little confused. She wondered if it was because she had been drinking, but her head was inexplicably dizzy and she could see double.
Afraid that Shen Yushu would notice something was wrong, she secretly pinched her thigh and stood up silently.
Shen Yushu: "Jiajia, can you do it?"
"I can," Qin Jia replied.
Qin Jia walked onto the stage, and the host brought up her donation of five million again, jokingly saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Qin is beautiful inside and out. Although she unintentionally raised the threshold for donations, I think everyone in the audience doesn't mind, right?"
The woman in the center of the stage was fair-skinned and beautiful, wearing a gorgeous evening gown. The spotlight shone on her, making her look like a celestial being descended to earth. The men and women in the audience were completely mesmerized, forgetting all about what had happened in the past.
The host said a few more polite words, and then the hostesses came up with bouquets and trophies to present awards to the people on stage one by one.
After the awards ceremony, there was a group photo. Qin Jia is 172 cm tall, and with her 8 cm high heels, she was taller than several men behind her, blocking their view.
The host coughed, but didn't point it out. He quietly adjusted her position, and in the end, she was placed between two tall men—Lu Tingzhou and Qin Mo.
"One, two, three, eggplant."
"Excellent, one more!"
After taking a group photo on stage, the audience gradually dispersed.
During a break from taking photos, Shen Yushu reminded Qin Mo, "It's too late. We'll rest at the hotel tonight. I'll check you in and send you the room number later."
Qin Mo gave an OK sign.
A few minutes later, after the group photo was taken, Qin Jia's dizziness worsened. She shook her head and almost couldn't stand up.
She quickly grabbed her younger brother beside her, saying, "I'm a little dizzy, can you help me?"
A strong arm came across, and Qin Jia took the man's arm and followed him off the stage.
As soon as she stepped off the stage, a very magnetic male voice rang out above her: "Miss Qin, are you alright?"
Qin Jia looked up and met a pair of gentle, peach-blossom eyes, instantly clearing her mind.
This is Lu Tingzhou, not Qin Mo!
She's with the wrong person!
"I...I'm fine." Qin Jia quickly withdrew her hand. "Sorry, I mistook you for someone else."
After saying that, she lifted her skirt and ran back, panting as she sat down and took a big gulp of water to calm her nerves.
As her heart pounded, a blush crept onto her cheeks without her even realizing it.
Qin Jia lowered her eyes, looked at the glass of champagne on the table, and sighed dejectedly.
She drank the wrong drink again!
Fearing she would embarrass herself again when the alcohol took effect, she decided to go to the bathroom to wash her face and sober up.
Qin Jia put her phone in her bag, picked up her handbag, and prepared to leave. Qin Mo came over and asked her, "Sis, did you just grab the wrong person?"
"Hmm, I misread it." Qin Jia pursed her lips and whispered, "Has the room number been released yet?"
Qin Mo: "I'll send you a WeChat message when I'm out. The door has a combination lock; you'll just need to enter the numbers."
Qin Jia: "Understood."
The two walked out side by side.
Slightly tipsy, Qin Jia felt unsteady on her feet. As she approached the restroom, she had a sudden inspiration and said, "Xiao Mo, I left my shawl over on the lawn, on the sofa chair I was sitting on. Could you go and get it for me?"
"I'll wait for you here."
Qin Mo readily agreed, repeatedly instructing, "You wait for me here, don't wander off."
Qin Jia nodded. "Okay."
After Qin Mo left, she quickly went into the bathroom, turned on the sink tap, and scooped up a handful of water to wash her face.
Before leaving the house, Shen Yushu helped her apply light makeup. Now, after rinsing it repeatedly with water, the makeup was successfully washed away.
After washing her face, she grabbed a few tissues, folded them, wet them with water, and used them to wipe the water off her face.
After finishing these tasks, Qin Jia walked out of the restroom.
She stood at the door for a short while when the familiar dizziness returned, reminding her of the day she first arrived in the human world. She had also experienced a dizzy spell, fell from a tree, and lost her original koala identity.
Qin Jia felt increasingly depressed. She took her bag and walked towards a breezy spot, trying to cheer herself up.
As I walked, a fresh woody scent wafted over from somewhere, like the smell of leaves.
Qin Jia followed the scent and bumped into something without realizing it. She looked up dizzily, and dark shadows flickered in front of her, like the swaying shadows of trees in the wind.
It turned out that she had bumped into a tree.
Qin Jia reached out to hug the tree, pressing his body against the trunk, and his uneasy heart gradually calmed down.
Ah, that feels so good.
Indeed, she was born to belong to nature.
She thought to herself.
At this moment, the "tree" she was hugging tried to move, but was instead entangled even more tightly.
Lu Tingzhou lowered his eyes and stared intently at Qin Jia, his feelings incredibly complex.
At the banquet hall, she avoided him like the plague, running away as if she had seen a venomous snake. Now, however, she rushed up to him without a care and hugged him tightly.
What exactly is she doing?
Lu Tingzhou stood there, pondering based on his emotional experience, and finally came to a conclusion—
She must be pursuing him.
How could he not see through such a little trick as "feigning indifference to lure the enemy"?
As Lu Tingzhou thought about it, his handsome thin lips curved slightly, and a faint smile appeared between his eyebrows and eyes.