Spoiler The Long-awaited Mr Han

Discussion in 'Spoilers' started by kieranfortier, Apr 9, 2019.

  1. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2321 - He suggested appointing a teacher and have the two actors be assistants, but this was rejected by the principal. “Forget it, what has happened has happened,” the principal sighed. Lu Man had only arrived yesterday and already she had given him much headache. He asked his secretary to find out more about Lu Man. At rehearsal, Robert and Hayer smoothly lectured and coached the Chinese team. Wang Yanglin and Lu Man were given the main leads. The American team were finally fired up to take the Chinese seriously. Wu Zilin had left at the end of the day, knowing he had no opportunities at all. Meanwhile, Lu Man had completely forgotten about getting a dress for the mega charity. It would have a theme surrounding ancient civilizations and she only remembered after Wang Yanglin had told her. Left with no choice, she thought of just getting a simple cheongsam from a store. She went back to the hotel first, only to discover Zhuoli had returned as well despite his busy working timetable.


    2322 - “So you really forgot,” he said, and she looked up to him with pitiful eyes. “What am I to do, I completely forgot about having an appropriate dress. It’s too late now, I’m afraid I won’t be able to find one,” she said. Zhuoli said he knew how preoccupied she had been with the rehearsal, and revealed that he had already contracted Qin Zigou to design a dress for her. Though Shi Xiaoya was busy working for Yu Mingshu, he managed to find another stylist for her. “Husband, you’re a god!” Lu Man praised and hugged him, “You think of everything. You thought of me always and this is why I am like this, clumsy and completely forgetting about the party. If you keep doing this, I might end up more and more ditzy because you would clean up everything for me. What if I became a complete waste?” she asked in mock horror. They were interrupted by the arrival of Qin Zigou who was personally delivering the dress. It was a win for him as well, as the other Chinese artistes attending were already being sponsored or endorsing other brands. It was a modernized and elegant hanfu dress, completely matching Lu Man.


    2323 - They set off for the party. The party was a star-studded event and the power couple too had their share of attention on the red carpet. Most of it was because of Zhuoli's rising status in the industry. At the table, they were soon joined by Zhuoling-Xiaoya who informed them about seeing Lin Jinshu and Wang Qianyun outside. The two women immediately saw them and approached without fear or resentment, but Lu Man did not believe the neutral face on Wang Qianyun.


    2324 - "Brother Han, Lu Man, what a coincidence," she greeted, only to be given a cold reception by Zhuoling: "Who's your Brother Han?". Wang Qianyun managed to keep her composure and greeted him Mr. Han, only to be rebuffed by Zhuoling again: "You call me Mr. Han, but him Brother Han? Such a difference in treatment." She said: "I not that familiar with you so..." "Then, is my brother familiar with you? Why have I not hear you mention this person?" he asked, to which Zhuoli laughed coldly: "I am not familiar at all, why should I." Zhuoling nodded and said since they were all unfamiliar, she should not say something that could be misconstrued by other people and harm their reputation. Zhuoli waved a hand to dismiss her, and even Shi Xiaoya chipped in with a sarcastic remark about many people wanting to get close to Han Corp these days.


    2325 - When the other guests who shared the same table arrived, they thought Wang and Lin were also known to the Hans. Zhuoli then said, "See? Already, it's being misunderstood." Compounding the problem was the fact their table were near other prominent Asian and Chinese figures such as Gao Zishan, Dong Qinrong, Wang Yanglin. Some had come over to greet the Hans only to catch the show of animosity against Lin Jinshu and Wang Qianyun. The two women slipped away, not wanting to cause a scene nor to alert the Hans to their plot.
     
  2. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2326-2330

    2326 - Gao and Dong greeted Lu Man, knowing she had the competition event with the New York school soon. They had seen videos of her defeating NYU in China and gave her moral support. Lu Man offered to give them tickets to the New York event and they accepted. As she was sitting down, someone called out Owen's name elsewhere and this caught Zhuoli's attention. "So this is the guy who gave his number to you?" he asked as he looked over and explained to Zhuoling when asked.


    2327 - "That kid doesn't know the meaning of fear. He probably thinks our Han Corp can't do anything to him here," Zhuoling said, and asked if Zhuoli was letting him off. "We shall see about that," Zhuoli said and he called Assistant Zheng about Owen's activities. The assistant was already prepared: "Owen has no direct ties with Han Corp, but through some subsidiaries and production companies, as well as through some brands from the 8 major families. I have sorted it out." Perhaps Owen did not know how far-reaching Han Corps was, a finger in every pie. Annoying one of the 8 families was offending all of them.


    2328 - It was a simple matter for Zhuoli to get things moving so that Owen would lose his endorsements, advertisements and brand promotional events from companies that the 8 families had shares in or had quietly bought out before. Owen who was unaware of this was walking over with a smile to greet Lu Man. Shi Xiaoya thought he looked like a peacock coming to seek death. The two Han couples stood up, and suddenly Owen felt pressured by the taller Han men. Lu Man made the introductions: Owen as a classmate, Zhuoli as her husband. Owen politely greeted Zhuoli and asked if he had come while on business. "No, it was because of her. I would be worried if she came alone, that she would be wronged or bullied," Zhuoli said and Owen laughed, praising them as true loves. Lu Man gave her husband a loving smile, a contrast to the cold, neutral look she had for Owen. Owen wondered if there was something wrong with her. Would she really turn her nose at him, even though she was married?


    2329 - From a distance, Owen could see distinguished guests Bowman (agent) and Lowell (boss of Owen's management company) approaching, and he pushed Lu Man out of his mind thinking they were coming for him. But they walked past him to greet the Hans instead. They knew Han Corp was already planning to make sequels to the fantasy movie sleeper hit that Cao Jingchen had starred in. That movie propelled Cao as a top international actor.


    2330 - Cao had already signed on do the sequels and the world was taking notice of Han Corp muscling in the international film industry with its planned fantasy cinematic universe. Zhuoli said they were starting casting calls soon and said their agency could try for it, he will definitely keep them in the loop. Excitedly, Lowell pulled Owen over, saying he was one of their actors. Zhuoli nodded but said it should be left to the directors to decide. This was enough to appease Lowell, while Owen was a little dazed by his boss's attitude.
     
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    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2331 - Owen followed him when they left the Han table. He asked why his boss was being so polite to the Chinese newcomers. Lowell realized Owen was a fool, and this question alone was enough for Lowell to give him a black mark in his heart. He told him not to underestimate Han Corp who had managed to breakthrough where many others had failed. He did not explain further, as he was giving Owen one last chance to understand. Back at the table, Lu Man was unaware that she had caught the eye of those following the charity dinner's news. Her exquisite looks and the traditional Chinese dress became the talk of the international media and the internet. The charity dinner ended without any incident and soon it was the day of the competition event. Lu Man had enough tickets for the Han family including her parents as well as Gao Zishan and Dong Qinrong. She even bought tickets for the assistants of the Hans.


    2332 - The other Chinese students were nervous before the day of the event. Zhang Xiaoying said they should focus to do what they can do, after all they had managed to get passing grades from Robert and Hayer during their rehearsals. Sun Mengying praised her calmness, only to be outed by Han Leilei who teased about her stressed fingernails. Zhang in return said Han Leilei had gone to the toilet over 10 times, causing Sun to laugh at their childish argument. When the two women glared at her, Sun surrendered cutely.


    2333 - Zhou Li arrived with some hot chocolate. Sitting comfortably, she said she did not expect to get along so well with Zhang after hearing about her feud with Lu Man in the past. Those gossip cannot be true. Han Leilei said the stories were indeed true, only for Zhang to be exasperated for her black history to be revealed. Han Leilei laughed, pleading nervousness as an excuse. She admitted that yes, Zhang Xiaoying was difficult to be with and she was always surrounded by flatterers. But she knew Zhang while arrogant, had never resorted to petty means and did things openly and clearly: never blaming others for her defeats, never taking revenge for them and never felt sorry for herself. She had a temper, but a good person deep down.


    2334 - Han Leilei said there are people who pretend to be your friends but backstab you, even stealing your loved ones. Zhang Xiaoying was not one of those. She might talk shit about you but not harm you. "Are you praising me or harming me?" Zhang asked and they laughed. Lu Man suggested them to rest, but when Guo Hai said he couldn't, she gave him a question about his line and he was able to answer her. She smiled and said it was proof that he had memorized it, and so they should all sleep early to avoid eyebags. Tan Mingxiao said the pressure from their schools to win was immense. Lu Man got up and returned with two bottles of red wine and urged them to relax, as the one with the most pressure was her.


    2335 - She said there was a possibility of victory. She did make it happen once before. They knew she was not bragging but trying to give them relief. "So if we do lose, public opinion will be mostly about me and my arrogance, that I have poor leadership and the last time was just luck. With me at the front, why are you afraid of?" she said. They said they could not let her shoulder everything as the responsibility was shared together. So they must do their best so as not to have any regrets. They must not end up like Howard who cracked under the pressure. They dispersed to sleep... but Lu Man herself was unable to. She went to the balcony and received a video-call from Zhuoli. She admitted that expectations were really high and was afraid of disappointing too many people. He could see she really was a 24 year old woman, someone who had always faced pressure far too great for someone that young.
     
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    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2336-2340

    2336 - Many of her peers would have just graduated college. Zhuoli told her to rest up for the event, and she was able to finally relax and drifted into sleep. She woke up in the morning refreshed, while the rest of the Chinese team went for a jog or did some last minute cramming. Robert and Hayer arrived after the breakfast meal.


    2337 - The two actors comforted the students about their nervousness, saying they too felt the same before a performance. Soon it was time, and the students were backstage preparing for their turn. Shi Xiaoya arrived to do Lu Man's makeup. The four principals of the Chinese schools had flown over to watch. The Han family also arrived to take their seats. The actors Gao Zishan and Dong Qinrong went to greet the principals. All looked forward to the event and hope for Lu Man to be able to narrow the gap with New York. It was mentioned that Chinese media were overhyping their chances, so much so that Gao was of the opinion that someone was trying to sabotage Lu Man.


    2338 - Their discussion was interrupted by the crowd cheering the arrival of Bobbert (the director of the superhero movie that flopped in China). Fortunately for the Chinese, he was not there as a judge, but as a New York university alumni. The crowd cheered even more when the judges arrived: Chamberlain (critically acclaimed director), highly paid actors Lionel and Zoe and finally, famous stage director Grietz. It seemed that NYU was stung by the fact the event in China had prestigious judges and decided to up the ante. Security had a difficult time controlling the crowd. The tickets Lu Man bought meant Robert, Hayer, the Han family (including Zhuofeng), Gao Zishan and Dong Qinrong were all seated together.


    2339 - The two Han brothers had arranged Zhuofeng a chance to be a secondary director for one of their movies. Later, he would be able to helm a project on his own with Han Corp funding. What he needed now was experience. Meanwhile, the four principals were greeted by Robert and Hayer. They thanked the two actors for their assistance. Seeing how expectant Grandma was, Robert praised Lu Man and said he was going to offer her a guest appearance in Broadway. The Han family was pleased. The event finally began with NYU going first, performing a piece from Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'.


    2340 - It was done very well, and the flaws were not noticeable. This worried the Chinese team backstage, if they are able to secure a draw it would be credit enough. Lu Man said they should not be too overawed, saying that the NYU team seemed overly restrained and too cautious. It was an opening they can exploit, and this boosted the morale of the Chinese. The strict judges echoed Lu Man's opinion who gave the NYU team a passing grade. As the Chinese team waited for their turn, they could see the smiling faces of the NYU students turn sour the moment they were out of sight of the stage. The NYU team complained about the the strict judging, someone said he wanted a win by a larger margin. Another cautioned them about their loose lips, lest those words were passed to the judges and offend them. Seeing them close by, Albert decided to warn the Chinese about that, but Lu Man said they were too busy to overhear them.
     
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    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2341 - Albert threatened that if there was indeed any blowback, they would not let the Chinese off. Lu Man ignored him and he became enraged. Lu Man said the Chinese did not disturb the NYU team, so he should at least do the same for them. Helena and Shana were there to warn him away, but Albert said the Chinese just wanted an excuse when they lose later. Helena and Shana could see the situation was going out of control and decided to get the rest of the NYU team to leave before being caught in Albert's ploy. But a few decided Albert had a good idea, because they felt the Chinese had mentally perturbed the second-tier team during the event in China.


    2342 - The girls of the NYU team left (except for one) and when one of the boys went with them, he was taunted by the rest. Lu Man asked Albert if he was going to leave. "What are you going to do about it?" Albert challenged. Lu Man smiled, saying she didn't need to dirty her hands when dealing with the likes of him. She went near the stage and shouted: "Albert, you are too despicable! Why are you stopping us? Are you so afraid of losing? Even if you win this way, it's too lowly!" Han Leilei caught on and urged the rest of the Chinese team to do the same, surrounding Albert and his cronies, preventing their escape. Thus it was inevitable for the audience and judges to hear their indignation. When the NYU principal heard what was happening, he and the judges went to check. Lu Man alerted the Chinese team and the boys hurriedly backed off so as not to appear that they were blocking the NYU boys. Obviously this meant when Albert and his cronies were leaving, they ran straight into their principal and the judges. The NYU principal demanded to know what was happening.


    2343 - All the while, Lu Man had been calm. But when the principal arrived, she immediately put on an indignant look. She accused Albert and his cronies (deliberately sparing those who had left earlier) of complaining about the judges, because they wanted to crush the Chinese team. Albert was infuriated, because it was just a few minutes ago that Lu Man said she didn't overhear him. He did not have time to defend himself as Lu Man continued: "We were standing here, getting ready to take to the stage. His teammates said he should be careful with his words, and then he saw we were there. He was afraid we would expose him and he threatened us." It was obvious that the NYU team was split in two, Albert's faction and those not with him. Shana could see that Lu Man was drawing the line so that she would not be caught up in the incident and was grateful for that. Lu Man continued to say she and the Chinese team were too busy preparing to pay attention to Albert, and said they were far away when the NYU team was making their own preparations previously.


    2344 - She said they respected the opponents and wanted a fair fight. Also, not to be accused of mind games later. She had told Albert this, but it seemed Albert was suddenly inspired to do those very mind games himself. He would not relent and now their mental prep were disturbed. Things got heated and that's why there was shouting. The other principals directly accused the NYU students of being bullies. Albert was furious that Lu Man had overturned the matter and pinned everything on him and him alone. "Enough!" the principal thundered... only to hear the shutter click of a camera. The event was high profile enough with so many distinguished guests that a throng of reporters were there to cover it. Judge Chamberlain was very disappointed with Albert. He knew the NYU team were not pleased by the strict judging, but he did not expect this sort of shameful behaviour.


    2345 - Because of Albert's character, he would not have won even if he had performed much better. The NYU principal apologized to Lu Man and the Chinese principals, offering to forfeit. But Lu Man said it would not be honorable, and they wanted to participate, win or lose. The Chinese team agreed, saying such a victory would be meaningless and be ridiculed. They wanted the experience of performing on the stage, especially since Lu Man had swept aside Albert and relieved the pressure that had been building in their hearts. The four judges praised this attitude and looked forward to see their performance.
     
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    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2346-2350

    2346 - The judges gave them an additional 15 minutes to prepare. The NYU principal agreed and once more apologized to the Chinese. He also admonished Albert, saying someone confident in his strength should not need to resort to such methods. Albert was ashen, as he was completely shredded without a single piece of physical evidence. Judge Lionel reminded the principal about the reporters. On stage, an intermission singing performance was done to fill the time. Shi Xiaoya who had been backstage and seen the entire affair quietly gave Zhuoling a call, and the reassured Zhuoli did not need to rush backstage. Lu Man ignored the shell-shocked Albert, intending to use the additional15 minutes to the fullest.


    2347 - Albert was busy defending himself from his own teammates. They were furious with him and even the neutral Owen did not let him off, saying any victory they gained now would be seen as suspicious and underhanded. Owen had been watching from the sidelines, not with Albert or Shana, ready to step in to save Lu Man, only for her to yet again solve the problem herself. Albert sneered, saying they could have left with Shana earlier, so why is he now being blamed for their choice? His voice was becoming louder and louder and this was music to the ears of the Chinese team. When it was finally nearing time for their performance, they made a show of sticking to the walls as they passed Albert, as if trying their best to avoid him like the plague.


    2348 - Thanks to Albert, the Chinese team was able to perform at their best. The judges praised them for being able to get back into the mental groove after the backstage incident (without mentioning it specifically). Chamberlain noted that the script had been simplified, and Lu Man admitted that the Chinese team was not strong enough to fully perform the original work. Judge Lionel said not even established actors could easily perform Hamlet. Zoe looked forward to see them perform again in the future, while Grietz praised their organization and pacing. She was in particular impressed by the arrangement and positioning, and asked who did their choreographed. She was surprised when Lu Man said it was by Robert and Hayer. No wonder it was so familiar, Grietz had seen Robert's mannerism in the performance. Wang Yanglin embarrassedly said he thought that was the way it should be acted, not knowing he was picking up on Robert's habits.


    2349 - Grietz laughed, and said he had potential to follow in their footsteps. Upon hearing the names, the emcee said the two Broadway actors were actually in attendance. They stood up to acknowledge it, and Robert commented that effort is more important than talent. They had offered to help and coach the Chinese team because their willingness to learn. They were impressed by the Chinese team's ability to soak up their coaching, and were the perfect students due to their hard work and constant progress. The NYU team watching this backstage were furious, because the two actors were all but endorsing the Chinese team to win. How is this fair?


    2350 - They complained, but their teacher said this was done by Robert and Hayer themselves. And besides, you have the home court advantage in the first place. Do they want to rush out to clamp the mouths of the Broadway actors? The first-team had already disgraced itself with Albert's interference earlier and would not find any sympathy from their principal as it would invite public criticism. The judges scoring went up and the Chinese students could not believe that they had managed to tie against the much favored NYU team. They did not dare to believe their eyes, each wanting to pinch themselves as they added the scores over and over again.
     
    Biakushi, KazenoTsuyoi, Clars and 2 others like this.
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    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2351 - They were delirious and tearful with the achievement. The four principal were ecstatic, not expecting such a result when a beautiful defeat was all they had hoped for. The NYU team could not accept this and complained among themselves. The NYU principal arrived backstage just in time to catch Owen's indignant outburst. Seeing their resentful faces, he asked if they were unhappy with the result. They remained sullen, but the principal challenged them to watch the video recording later and judge for themselves. They complained, saying the Broadway actors surely had influenced the judges with their words. The principal said the two actors have no voting power, do they really think the judges are the sort who would be so easily swayed? What did the actors have to do with the judging of the NYU team's performance? The judges even took into account that we were the hosts and gave us face to avoid a loss.


    2352 - When they asked if the principal really believed the Chinese team was better, he challenged them to watch the videos. Meanwhile, Lu Man thought it was ironic that trophies had been prepared but because it was a draw, nobody would taking it. The event over, it was soon to be the final day of the exchange program. Lu Man would be busy preparing to give a speech as the leader of the Chinese team. The NYU tried to keep the backstage incident quiet but there were too many reporters, and the internet was all over it, decrying what Albert had done. Others praised the Chinese and Lu Man in particular. But there were dissenting voices, saying that she must have been behind the earlier hype about the event. That backstage incident must have been engineered as an excuse for not winning. It is just a tie, what is there to be proud of?


    2353 - Reactions were still mostly positive. After the event, the Chinese team gathered for a victory dinner with Robert and Hayer. They were envious when Robert offered Lu Man a chance to perform on stage. The next day was the closing ceremony of the exchange program. Many attended, including Wang Qianyun and Lin Jinshu who were sitting in a very distant corner and in disguise. Wang Qianyun was staring at Zhuoli who was sitting with the Hans in mid-row. Lin Jinshu's eyes were on Xia Qingwei. Xia's son was being looked after by the aunt-maids at the hotel. "Laugh while you still can," Wang sneered. "Are you certain everything is ready?" Lin asked. "No problems." "And the school?" Wang said the school only checked the workers before the competition event, and she had hired people and paid them off to do certain things.


    2354 - It was Lu Man's turn on the podium. She adjust the microphone and began her speech. BANG! There was an explosive sound from above. All looked up. Zhuoli who had been antsy the entire time immediately rushed forward. Lu Man could see the row of spotlights crackling and flashing. Zhuoli shouted for her as he scrambled past the panicking crowd. There was tremendous CRACK! and the lights went off. Zhuoli and Zhuoling rushed towards the stage, but they could not make it in time. The string of lights snapped and fell. Those in the front row including the Chinese students tried save her. "Get down!" Wang Yanglin and Zhuoli shouted, but Lu Man was frozen and reacted too slowly, only managing to raise her arms around her head as the lights fell on her. The two men immediately lifted the debris off her, Zhuoli shouted frantically for her, but she was already unconscious. The ambulance was called. Xia Qingwei was shaking in Wang Juhuai's arms. Zhuoling immediately called for an investigation. The NYU principal was stunned by this incident, because all this would make as if NYU was maliciously responsible. He swore to Zhuoling and Principal Liu to investigate.


    2355 - He was taken aback when Zhuoling said he would have his own people in the investigation. It involves his brother and sister-in-law, of course they would have to participant. There was no reason to completely trust the school when it had occurred in their premises. The ambulance arrived to take Lu Man and Zhuoli to the hospital. She was bleeding from the back of her head, but it was not a large wound. Just as the ambulance left, Zhuoling's people arrived. The principal was not pleased by Zhuoling taking charge of the scene, but had no reason to stop him when they immediately found that the lights had been sabotaged. At the hospital, the doctor said Lu Man's brain was jarred by the impact, but everything appeared normal and there was no bone damage. Zhuoli exhaled... only for the doctor to continue: the scans are not definitive, as brain damage cannot be easily determined. He can only wait for her to wake up. The rest of the Han family arrived and he updated them. Then he received a call from Zhuoling who said the matter was being handed over to the police, but they should not rely on them completely since the incident was certainly sabotage. Zhuoling told Zhuoli to focus on Lu Man while he handled the investigation for him.
     
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    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2356 - The Hans were shocked that Lu Man had been targeted. Three days passed with Lu Man showing no signs of waking up. Xia Qingwei accompanied her daughter each day, only returning to the hotel with Wang Juhuai at night. She was too distressed to fully care for her young son, luckily they still have the nursemaid to help. Zhuofeng was working with Zhuoling to search for the culprits, while Zhuoli's eyes had turned bloodshot from trying to stay every waking hour with Lu Man. Xia Qingwei could not persuade him to rest. That day, Wang Juhuai received a frantic phone call from the nursemaid, and he turned white. "What is wrong?" Xia asked. Wang told her to remain calm... their son Wang Yijun had been abducted. The nursemaid had taken him out for a walk, and three men accosted her and kidnapped the child. A police report had been made, and they had to go to the station to follow up. Xia Qingwei did not wail, but trembled violently with tears from her eyes.


    2357 - Zhuoli urged them to go, and he would find people to help in the investigation. Wang took his terrified wife away. Wang himself was shaken to the core, but he had to remain strong for Xia Qingwei. First Lu Man and now Yijun, it was a nightmare. At the station, the frantic nursemaid told them what had happened. Yijun loved to play at the park and to have a bit of sun. They were heading back to the hotel when three masked men ambushed them. Two held her off while the third grabbed the child and ran. She had tried to chase after them and shouted for help.


    2358 - But they were too quick, and she couldn't speak English. A passerby who knew Chinese was able to help her to call the police. The police then pulled up camera surveillance and said it looked like a premeditated plan and not something random. Does Mr. Wang have any enemies here? No, only harmless musical rivals. And it was his wife's first time here. They had always been together and had not offended anybody during this visit. Xia suddenly had an awful thought. This cannot be a coincidence. Was it the work of the same person who harmed Lu Man? The police picked up on this and immediately promised to coordinate with the other police precinct handling the school incident. They would be giving the two cases their utmost priority. Still... the couple needed to steel their hearts for the worst...


    2359 - Later, Wang updated Zhuoli. Zhuoli felt Xia Qingwei's theory was plausible, and he in turn called Zhuoling. Han Corp had roots here and had some connections. "Are you suspicious of Wang Qianyun and Lin Jinshu?" Zhuoling asked. This woke up Zhuoli. He had been completely focused on Lu Man, while Wang Juhuai and Xia Qingwei were on Wang Yijun. Thus someone on the outside like Zhuoling and Zhuofeng could see the bigger picture. Zhuoli said it was possible the two women was behind this. Zhuoling noted the encounter during the mega charity dinner, and given their history, Wang Qianyun not trying to plead herself at Zhuoli that time was not believable. She had pined for Zhuoli for over 10 years, she could not have so easily given up on him in a few short months. "It is our fault for not being alert," Zhuoling said. He immediately began to follow on this lead. At the station, Xia Qingwei and Wang Juhuai waited restlessly for news.


    2360 - Wang Juhuai embraced Xia Qingwei helplessly, hating his own powerlessness. At the hospital, Zhuoli suddenly was reminded of Fu Yinxiu. The Wen family had an intelligence network all over China, while Fu did the same overseas (called Thorns). He called up Chu Zhaoyang, because he knew Fu personally. A few minutes later Fu called Zhuoli and promised to help. Hearing this update, Wang Juhuai and Xia Qingwei was a little relieved. Then his steward Wei Zhong called. A letter about Wang Yijun had arrived.
     
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    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2361 - The steward took a photo of it for Wang Juhuai. It was a kidnapper's letter, scolding him for going to the police. "I know you are guessing who I am. If you continue to rely on the police, don't hope to see your son again." There was a demand and on first read, it narrowed down their suspicions. For a time they had suspected Wang Juhuai's own parents, for they had been dissatisfied with his marriage all this while. Now they could add Lin Jinshu to the list and she was more likely because his parents would not want to harm their own grandchild. Threatened by the letter, Wang Juhuai did not dare to inform the police.


    2362 - They went back to the hotel to take the letter and met up with Zhuoling and his investigators (Thorn), who agreed that Lin Jinshu was the prime suspect. The timing of the incidents meant Wang Qianyun and Lin Jinshu were likely to be working together. Then Wang's phone rang with an unknown number. The Thorn people began a trace with their own specialized equipment. The person on the other end used a voice changer. When Wang asked if Lin Jinshu was behind this, the voice brushed it off, and asked if Wang was going to do as the letter had demanded and divorce Xia Qingwei. Wang said there was no one else but Lin Jinshu who wanted this, but again the voice claimed he/she did not know the name, just that there are many people who want this to happen.


    2363 - The voice threatened to make his son disappear if Wang questioned the voice's identity again. Wang tried to ask the reason for the divorce, but backed down and promised when the voice wanted to end the call. The voice sneered, saying the true love between the husband and wife was not as important as the life of the son. Xia was in tears, thinking the culprit really wanted to harm the child. Wang took a deep breath and said since the marriage was registered in China, they had to return for the divorce." Oh, don't even think about delaying tactics. You can go now if you wanted to," the voice said. My son is still with you, how can I leave? "The Han family is still here, you can trust them. I will release your son to them once you have divorced and gotten the certificate. You don't need to come back, you can hear the news of your son's safe return in China." The voice gave him until midnight to take a flight back, failing which, he would never see Wang Yijun again. The call ended, but luckily for the investigators, they had traced the call. The police will be notified, and their personal guards will be going as backup. Xia Qingwei struggled with herself before asking to follow. Yes, it would be allowed, but you have to remain in the car at all times. There is no telling how dangerous it would be.


    2364 - Wang Juhuai and Xia Qingwei promised. They set off, including Han Zhuoling. The police were surprised to find the unexpected help from the secretive and influential Thorn people and were more than happy to have their assistance. Soon they arrived at the location and had it quietly surrounded. By now Wang Juhuai was certain that his parents had nothing to do with it, they were simply not wealthy enough to buy such a villa. The place was observed and soon came sightings of Lin Jinshu, but not of the child. Two Thorn agents infiltrated place, and another operated a small drone to spy on the interior.


    2365 - They soon discovered there was a basement, the mostly place the child would be held. The police soon arrived, and the Thorn people apologized for taking the initiative. The police said the child's life was of priority. The Thorn would be taking charge of the actual rescue, the police can do the suppression and the rest. The Thorn agents inside silently stunned two men at the basement with anesthetic needles. Inside was a woman jealously glaring at a baby in a crib. They immediately identified her as Lin Jinshu and silently knocked her out with the dart as well. Once the basement was secured by the two agents, the police was given the go ahead to storm the rest of the villa.
     
  10. crunchberry

    crunchberry Well-Known Member

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    Glad the kidnapping didn't get dragged on! Zhuoli is gonna make sure those two THINGS are ruined.
     
    michoux and xiao_daoist like this.
  11. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2366 - The agents stayed in the basement to protect the child as the police cleaned up above them. Once it was cleared, the agents emerged with the child while dragging the unconscious Lin Jinshu with them. It was indeed Wang Yijun and the parents reunited tearfully with their son. They thanked the agents profusely. Wang Yijun was not harmed by the entire affair, he laughed loudly as the family shared an embrace. In fact, Wang Yijun had been docilely sleeping and not given any excuse to be abused during his captivity. Now that he was back in the arms of his familiar parents, he could act his usual gleeful self. With Lin Jinshu caught, the Thorn agents and Zhuoling turned their attention towards Wang Qianyun.


    2367 - The ordeal over, Wang Juhuai and Xia Qingwei returned to the hotel to feed their son and then went to the hospital to visit the still unconscious Lu Man. They thanked Zhuoli for his connections to Thorn. Her heart still grieving, Xia Qingwei told her sleeping daughter about what had happened.


    2368 - The curious little Wang Yijun caused Qingwei to tell Lu Man that her little brother was worried for her, and everyone was waiting for her to wake up. Wang Yijun bawled when his sister did not respond to his touches. The crying became a tantrum, but they knew he was just trying to provoke her sister into waking up. The most worried was of course Zhuoli, ever since he had that mysterious chat with Lu Man recently; he was frightened that she would really be taken away from him. Eventually Wang Yijun cried himself to sleep.


    2369 - Zhuoli urged his in-laws to rest, but was reminded by them that he himself had not gotten much sleep. Unable to persuade him, they left him to keep vigil over Lu Man. Meanwhile, Wang Qianyun did not know that her aunt Lin Jinshu had been arrested. She called her phone to check in but it was already in police custody. At the time there was nobody who could speak Chinese, and Wang Qianyun was suspicious and alert enough to end the call when the police pretended to take a message. She feared the worst, because there would be no way her aunt would allow another person to access her mobile phone.


    2370 - They had not engaged a middleman for their plot, so she was worried and suspicious. She decided to disguise herself and went to the hotel where Wang Juhuai and Xia Qingwei were staying. She pretended to be an expected guest to have the receptionist call up their room. When Wang Juhuai actually agreed for the 'guest' to come up, Wang Qianyun realized that his son must have been rescued. The gossip from the receptionists confirmed it, they had seen Wang Yijun returned safely. Therefore Lin Jinshu must have already been arrested. And knowing her, Lin would give her up sooner or later in a deal for a reduced sentence.
     
  12. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2371-2375

    2371 - Now filled with fear, Wang Qianyun went back home to hurriedly pack and make a getaway. She went to the airport and hastily bought tickets. But when she presented her passport, the officer said there was a problem and she panicked. She demanded her passport back and climbed over to grab it, but was quickly restrained by airport security. She shouted to cause a scene, claiming discrimination and throwing the security into a bad light as they were being recorded by curious onlookers with their phones. However, the police arrived in time to take charge. "Ms. Wang Qianyun, you are suspected of instigating others to murder and harming someone. Please follow us back to assist in the investigation," the police officer said.


    2372 - Wang Qianyun tried to protest but as expected, the reason she was caught was because Lin Jinshu had given her up, and that Zhuoling already had the evidence. Lin Jinshu in turn had thought she was found so quickly was because Wang Qianyun had betrayed her first. It was a classic case of the police playing one off the other. Besides, both women had no deep love for each other and were prepared in case of betrayal. In the hospital, Lu Man had still yet to wake up. The Han family were already contacting the best specialists, as did the Chu family. Principal Liu and the other students stopped by for a visit before flying home. Now there is only Zhuoli with Lu Man. He held on to her hand, feeling as if her soul was absent.


    2373 - "Manman, are you still there?" he asked. "Are... are you not coming back? You said you were born again. I have always been afraid that you would leave. I have been worried everyday, not knowing when you would disappear just as how you had suddenly appeared in my life. My heart had always felt uneasy since that talk, but I told myself not to think too much about it. You were fine, and you were on the stage for the speech. The doctors said you are fine, the injury is not serious and I felt a little relieved. But it's been three days and you still haven't wake up. It's only a minor injury, why are you still sleeping? I try to tell myself not to be scared, but it's impossible. Are you still here? Tell me! Wake up soon, wake up... wake up fast, okay? Don't scare me any more. Don't leave me alone... We haven't yet a wedding and children. I want to walk with you until we are old, I want to see the two of us with white hair. When we are old, we would walk in the park, hand in hand. Without you, what would I do? Without you, I would be old and lonely, and be just like a walking corpse. Manman, can you bear seeing me like this? During that talk, you said you didn't know whom I married in your last life. I remembered saying I had no idea at all... But now I can tell you for certain that I must have never been married. Because I would not marry anyone else but you. This life or the last, or the next life, the person I marry must be you, only you. You always say that I can solve everything for you, and you are not afraid when I am there. But the you now, I can't solve it. I cant do anything when I see you like this. For the rest of my life, I can't do anything without you."


    2374 - "Manman, can you bear to watch me be alone? If God insists on taking you back, you must be stubborn and not go obediently. No matter what, you must try to stay, alright? If... if you really can't come back... then, take me with you, alright?" Zhuoli was on the verge of collapse. Lu Man's hand twitched, she wanted to tell him that she would stay. She wanted to be with him in this life and the next, always together life after life. She opened her eyes slowly and saw his haggard face, red eyes, unshaven chin and hollow cheeks. Why haven't he noticed her moving fingers yet? She reached out to touch him... only for her hand to pass through him. She sat up in shock, and suddenly she felt she was floating upwards. She could see her body lying on the hospital bed, her hand still in Zhuoli's. Again she tried to touch him but failed. She called out to him, but he couldn't hear her, couldn't see her. She tried to lie down on her body to merge, but nothing happened. Then she saw Zhuoli making a phone call: "Wen Ren, did you manage to find the person from last time?"


    2375 - "I was about to call you. I found the person, and Chu Tian's doctors will be going to the hospital," the phone replied. Lu Man2 wanted to listen more, but suddenly felt herself being pulled into an abyss, which then changed into a blinding light. Suddenly it seemed that the entire place was on fire. The furniture were burning and the room was full of smoke and flames. Lu Man2 could see it all, but not feel anything. Her eyes adjusted and saw she was back in the fire of her last life's final moments. Lu Man2 could see He Zhengbai and Lu Qi, watching as the Lu Man1 of this life struggled in the fire. "Sister, you have been to prison and won't have a future. Your mother is also dead, there is no one here for you in this world. To live on is to suffer anyway," Lu Qi said. Lu Man1 screamed with hatred: "You framed me, threw me in prison and killed my mother. Now you want my life!" "You asked for this. If you don't die, you will expose us. I won't let you ruin everything that we gained," He Zhengbai said. As she hugged him, Lu Qi said Lu Man1 could die without regrets, their father had even prepared an auspicious cemetery plot in the Lu family for her. Lu Man2 could not help but laugh, because in this previous life, Lu Qi and He Zhengbai were so loving but were bitter enemies in the next.
     
  13. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2376-2380

    2376 - Lu Man2 knew what Lu Man1 would be doing next. She had crushed broken glass into her hand to keep herself awake. Lu Man1 then rushed towards Lu Qi. He Zhengbai tried to rescue her, but Lu Man1 held on and dragged Lu Qi into the fire, even biting onto her ear as she did so. "You wanted me to die, you'll die with me!" Lu Man1 said. Lu Qi screamed for He Zhengbai as the flames licked them. He grabbed hold of a chair and raised it high, ready to smash it down on Lu Man1. Lu Man2 did not have memories of this. But seeing this now, there was no way she would allow him to succeed. He Zhengbai and Lu Qi must die! Lu Man1 was focused on maintaining her deathgrip on Lu Qi and biting down on her ear and did not care as He Zhengbai brought the chair down on her again and again. Lu Man2 saw a closet nearby and tried to hit it. When it moved, she was startled, how could she touch it as a spirit? Without hesitation, she used her full strength to push the closet down. In the fires, Lu Man1 could see it bearing down on He Zhengbai.


    2377 - It slammed into the unsuspecting He Zhengbai and and he landed face-first into the flames. He screamed and struggled even as his face was charred. "Neither of you will have a good death!" Lu Man1 screamed. The three of them perished in the sea of fire. Lu Man2 saw how all three of them scorched. She looked around blankly, this was her small home which she stayed with her mother Xia Qingwei. In the new life, they had moved out, but in this previous life, it was the only legacy she had from her mother. Now it was all burning down. Here, she had no family. She had nothing. "I want to go back," Lu Man said as she walked through the fire towards the balcony. "I want to go home! I want to go back!" she shouted at the sky, "They are still waiting for me, send me back!" She floated out of the building and she could see the firemen arriving to extinguish the flames. "I want to go back! Why am I here, let me go back! Let me go back!" But it fell on deaf ears and she collapsed to the ground. She knew everything here. The roads, the shops, the surroundings. Yet, everything was strange and different. No Xia Qingwei, and Han Zhuoli did not know her. Where would she go? She decided to go to Han Corp. She did not visit Xia Qingwei's tombstone because she would be alive and well in the next life. She went to Zhuoli's office, where he was still working. There was no ring on his finger, he was not married. She reached out to touch his face. Zhuoli suddenly looked up from his documents when she touched him.


    2378 - Could he see or feel her? "Zhuoli..." she whispered. There was a knock on the door, and Assistant Zheng came in. It looked like a coincidence. Zheng said there was a charity dinner, and Zhuoli got up to get ready. The 38-year old Zhuoli looked more mature and had lines on his face. Knowing that he could not see her, Lu Man could not help but look closely at him and followed. Driving the car was still Xiao Chen. Zheng sat up front, and Lu Man sat beside Zhuoli. "Why aren't you married yet?" she asked, as Zhuoli still looked very good. Once more, Zhuoli turned to look at her direction, before turning away. Lu Man felt it was very strange. At the charity venue, Zhuoli ignored the red carpet and used a side entrance. His table was soon joined by the rest of the 8864 group, all of whom were married except for Zhuoli. Nan Jingheng asked why he was still alone, you are still waiting for the one? Zhuoli answered vaguely with a smile: "There must be someone there, waiting for me to meet her. I don't know why, but I am sure there is such a person."


    2379 - "How would you know? Do you know what she looks like?" Qi Chengzhi asked. "I don't know, because I don't know who she is, what she looks like or what's her character. I only know that I would know it is her when I meet her. But I haven't encountered it so far," Zhuoli said. They were skeptical but Zhuoli continued: "As long as we meet, I won't miss it. Those I have met, I am sure it wasn't her." Chu Zhaoyang asked if he planned to wait for 10, 20 or even 30 years, what then? "I don't know. At first I thought I would definitely meet her. I never thought I would have to wait so long. I thought it would be before I turn 40. But today...," Zhuoli felt his heart throb, "...I felt something. It seems that I can't wait for her any longer, but I still will." Nobody knew what he meant, but Lu Man did. For the Lu Man of this life had perished in the fire. Yet he said he would continue to wait... It was the 4th day of Lu Man's coma. Wang Juhuai, Xia Qingwei and their son were just leaving their hotel to visit the hospital when Wang Jugu and Luo Wangyuan came. Luo greeted them as brother and sister-in-law.. Knowing that Wang Qianyun had hired people to harm Lu Man, Xia Qingwei could not help but feel angry at them even though it was their first meeting.


    2380 - Xia Qingwei and Wang Juhuai knew they were coming to plead for their daughter Wang Qianyun. Seeing his cold look, Wang Jugu could help but feel annoyed privately. His own brother had turned his back on him for the sake of an outsider. He refused to help his daughter to keep her job or to approach Zhuoli. And people could see Juhuai had no love for the Wangs, thus the family business was also affected. How calculative of Juhuai to get together with Xia Qingwei and thereby become Han Zhuoli's father-in-law. But Juhuai still did not allow the Wangs to get close to the Hans, he even cut off their parents because of Xia Qingwei! Now Wang Qianyun would be going to prison. Though Lu Man is Juhuai's daugther, there is no blood relation. Wang Jugu had his grudges with him, but suppressed it. He asked to have a private chat in the hotel room. Xia Qingwei kept quiet as she did not want to come in between the brothers. But even if Juhuai decided to help them, she would seek out a lawyer herself to punish Wang Qianyun, even if it would cost her relationship with Juhuai.
     
  14. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2381-2385

    2381 - Juhuai bluntly asked what his brother wanted. Jugu pleaded for leniency for Wang Qianyun, saying she was naive and young, that she would be ruined if she went to jail. Please let her go, I promise to keep a closer eye on her and not allow her to harm Lu Man again. Xia Qingwei bit her lips as she listened, because Wang Qianyun had wanted to kill Lu Man. Now she is still in a coma. She glared accusingly at them, and even Luo felt guilty by it. "Impossible. She must pay for what she had done," Wang Juhuai said. Jugu and Luo Wangyuan stared at him in disbelief. Xia Qingwei was heartened as Juhuai held her hand and smiled at her. Luo Wangyuan was indignant, how could he bear to see his own niece in jail? Juhuai: "Lu Man is my daugther! Before Qianyuan began, why didn't she think of that? She started this, she has to pay the price for breaking the law, what is wrong with that? You want me to let her go, you can ask Lu Man who is still lying on the hospital bed! You can talk to Han Zhuoli, who has stayed beside her without sleep for four days! I will not let Wang Qianyun go, the Han family will not let her go!" Luo said Lu Man was fine and would wake up sooner or later. Didn't the hospital say there were no problems?


    2382 - "Wang Qianyun wanted to kill her! She's not dead, but on the hospital bed. She's in a coma. I don't know when she can wake up... if ever..." Juhuai trailed off, "She is not dead, but that doesn't mean Wang Qianyun is not guilty! She wanted to murder Lu Man, did she needed to be dead for her to be convicted?" Luo insisted that Qianyun could have been unintentional, it could all be an accident. Xia Qingwei had enough: if that's the case, let the judge decide. Luo was stunned but became angry, saying she was not speaking to an outsider. "She is my wife, not an outsider," Juhuai said coldly, and told them not to approach him again. "Are we not family?" Jugu asked anxiously. “Were we ever?” Juhuai said, "You never cared about it in the past. I don't know why you expected me to listen to you." Jugu took a deep breath and said Qianyun was his niece: "You knew she liked Han Zhuoli, but you didn't help and instead blocked her. I know you are afraid of me becoming Han Zhuoli's father-in-law and surpass you. You just don't think I'm better than you. You didn't help Qianyun, but became Zhuoli's father-in-law yourself. Aren't you only good to Lu Man because of Han Zhuoli, aren’t you a hypocrite? Qianyun lost her job, you didn't help her. You only needed to say a few words to the Mex company, but you didn't care. She's your niece! But for Lu Man, you went on her shows and supported her performances. You did everything for someone not blood related, but not for your own relatives. If you had not stopped Qianyun from pursuing Zhuoli, she wouldn't have a grudge with Lu Man! Isn't this all because you never helped her? If she and Zhuoli were together, would she even know who Lu Man is? Lu Man wouldn't be hurt!" Xia Qingwei could not believe his train of logic. Wang Jugu insisted that Juhuai needed to save Wang Qianyun. She's your niece, not an outsider!


    2383 - "Ah," Juhuai laughed, "No wonder Wang Qianyun was so arrogant, so unreasonable and even dared to take a life. With your kind of education, I finally understand. It will be up to the court. Since you think I don't take you as family, then don't come see me any more." Jugu tried to stop him, but Juhuai's bodyguards appeared in a flash to prevent him. Juhuai and Qingwei got into the car and left. In the car, Juhuai asked if Qingwei had doubted him. She honestly said she didn't know, as Jugu was his brother. Juhuai knew she would have sought justice herself if he had helped his brother. "Qingwei, you have to believe me, I would never do anything to disappoint you. No matter what, believe in me, and never think about divorcing me. We are finally together, don't think about this." Qingwei apologized and hugged her arm, glad that he knew what was in her heart. At the hospital, they met with Shen Nuo and Han Xijin who had taken a flight to be there. Zhuoli said the specialists would be arriving that night. Privately, if the doctors still couldn't find a way to help Lu Man, he would have to turn to the person Wenren had found. He did not want the matter of Lu Man being a returner/reincarnator/regressor to be known by others. What if Xia Qingwei thought Lu Man was not her original daughter? That was why he did not intend to tell anyone about the special helper who would be his last resort.


    2384 - It was the 4th day in the world, but for Lu Man, she had stayed as a spirit beside Zhuoli for 10 years. He really did remain single, even Grandma and the rest had given up after he had turned 40. Grandma had given him a beating, but gave up on forcing him. It was enough if he lived well. Now he's 48, and the house felt empty. "I'm just waiting for the day when he can't walk, since I'm already taking care of Zhuofeng and the children," Zhuoling said. In this life, Zhuoling had actually found Shi Xiaoya on his own and married her. He had still married Xia Yixin first, but later discovered her infidelity and the true identity of their son. He had taken revenge on the Xia, and took a long detour before finally finding Shi Xiaoya. They were destined lovers and had children of their own, and they did not look their age at all, still youthful but mature. It would be nice if Lu Man was there too... Zhuoli was the lonely one. Even in a crowded room, he was lonely.


    2385 - On the fifth day, the doctors from Chu Tian and specialists from all over the world sourced by Han Xijin had arrived to study Lu Man's condition. However, they remained stumped by the 8th day, and Han Zhuoli's heart sank. His eyes were red as he asked if it meant she would never wake up. The doctors apologized for their lack of ability. Xia Qingwei sobbed at the injustice of it all: her daughter had worked hard her entire life, had been tortured by her father, and had finally found Zhuoli and a good life, only to suffer this. She had taken care of everyone around her, even Xia Qingwei had another child while she lay on the bed unconscious. She pleaded for God to return her. Haven't Lu Man suffered enough all this while? There are so many people who love her and are waiting for her. Please! Zhuoli was especially affected and his tears rolled as he held Lu Man's hand, because he knew that Lu Man's past life was even harsher. There was imprisonment, death of Xia Qingwei and her own end by fire. If you had given her a rebirth, why are you taking her back now? Haven't she suffered enough?
     
  15. crunchberry

    crunchberry Well-Known Member

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    @rdawv Thanks!
    I think Zhuofeng's love is coming soon.
     
  16. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2386-2390

    2386 - If she was sent to be with Zhuoli, why was she being taken away now? That evening, Zhuoli urged the others to leave. This was to ensure privacy when Wen Ren's specialist arrived. To other people, it might look like a crazed attempt. But Zhuoli was certainly desperate enough to believe in such strange things. The clock ticked to midnight. It was the 9th day, Lu Man was still asleep. At the exact hour, there was a knock on the door. Zhuoli opened it to receive Wei Wucai who accompanied a strange, young woman: ponytail, plaid unbuttoned shirt over a short-sleeved t-shirt, a pair of jeans. Wei Wucai said this woman was the specialist Wen Ren had found. The girl ignored Zhuoli's questioning look and went to Lu Man directly. She said human souls have the 3 heavenly hun and 7 earthly po (types of souls), "...but the ones in this big sister are missing. Uncle, how long has she been in a coma?" Hearing the girl call him 'uncle' still stung at Zhuoli ('ojisan' in anime tropes).


    2387 - Why did she call Lu Man 'big sister' but him as 'uncle'? Anyways, he told her that it was just entering the 9th day. The girl exhaled: "Then this is the last day. If she doesn't wake up today, if her soul does not return, she will never come back." Zhuoli asked if it was the truth. "I don't lie," the little girl said unhappily and explained that 9 was the supreme number in astrology and numerology. Zhuoli was near hysterical, if that was the case, why did she only come now at the last day? "Because it can only be today, it must be today," she answered, and said how the balance had been upset and her soul was damaged before the rebirth. When provoked by the injury, the soul went back. "Went back where?" Zhuoli demanded. "Back to where it came from. But she passed in the last life, and so now her soul is wandering. If she doesn't return today, she will never come back," the little girl said. Zhuoli asked her to call Lu Man back, but the girl said she had to wait for the 9th hour to the 9th hour on the 9th day (9am-9pm). Zhuoli's doubt increased when she said there was nothing else needed for her to prepare. The sheepish Wei Wucai said she was called Xie Jiling, and had just taken her college entrance examination. "I'm 18," Xie Jiling said. Zhuoli felt she looked childish and asked how they found her. "We didn't find her, she found us," Wei Wucai said. Xie Jiling explained that her family members had to be secluded to train in the mystics arts until they were 18 years of age before being allowed out. Wei Wucai said the Wen and the Xie had always cooperated, each generation the Xie would send one representative to work with the Wen's current leader of the time.


    2388 - This was unbroken until Xie Jiling's uncle who was the representative for the last generation; he disappeared 10 years ago. She was only sent out now after completing her training and becoming an adult. In conjunction, the head of the Wen family (Wen Chengyun) stepped down and so Xie Jiling would serve the young master (Wen Ren). Wen Chengyun was a carefree man who would have abdicated long ago, but he had to wait for the Xie to send over Jiling first. All this while, Xie Jiling's classmates did not know she moonlighted as an exorcist and spiritualist. The Xie was a complete secret except to the Wen family, not even Zhuoli knew about them. Wen Wucai urged him to believe her. Xie Jiling said with confidence that she can do it, she can bring Lu Man back. Zhuoli implored her with reddened eyes. "Relax, since big sister was reborn, it meant she was blessed. If you were unable to find me, that would be the limit of her blessing and she would not return. But you found me, so it must be able to be resolved. I think this sister is blessed with a long life," Xie Jiling said. It was all nearly unbelievable, but Zhuoli had no choice but to trust her.


    2389 - "Don't look at my age, I'm strong," Xie Jiling said very seriously. Just that... it's hard to to be confident with her words when she had such a baby face. Meanwhile, Lu Man had been with Zhuoli for over 50 years. She had always been with him, and saw how he never compromised and had remained single, never married. He was now 95 years old, lying on the bed, weak and drooling. Wrinkles on his face, a thin old man. Not ill, just weakened by old age. This was the only point of comfort for Lu Man, because she couldn't do anything if he was living in pain. What was she to do once Zhuoli passed, where could she go? And what of the Zhuoli in the other life? Here, she watched over him for 50 years. Who is there for that Zhuoli? Filled with melancholy, she touched his face... only to find that she was finally able to feel him. Zhuoli's eyes opened. "It's you," he rasped. "You can see me?" Lu Man asked in surprise. "I have waited for you for so many years," Zhuoli said slowly with tears rolling down, "Where have you been? Why did you only come now?"


    2390 - "I have waited for you, but now I'm old, and you're still so young," he said, breathing with difficulty. Lu Man cried too, "It's because... because I'm already dead. I was dead when you were 38." "No wonder... no wonder..." Zhuoli murmured. He had forgotten many things at his old age, but he still remember that conversation with his friends. Turns out his feeling at that time was true. Lu Man said she had watched over him all this time. Zhuoli was pleasantly surprised, saying he had always felt something around him. "That was me. Sometimes you looked at my direction, many times I thought you could see me," Lu Man smiled. Suddenly Zhuoli gasped for breath, frightening Lu Man. He knew his time was over, but he tried to remain calm even though God played a joke on him by letting him see his destined lover only at his deathbed. "What... what's your name?" he asked. "Lu Man, my name is Lu Man," she cried. "Lu Man..." he gasped, "Lu Man... Manman..." Lu Man cried unabashedly, "Zhuoli..." He was becoming out of breath: "It is too late in this life... the next life, we'll be together. Manman, I will find you in the next life. I won't wait, I will find you. We... must be together..." She nodded repeatedly, because he did indeed found her in the next life, they indeed were together.
     
  17. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    Thank you A.N. for your kind donation. Here's 10 chapters for today.

    2391-2400

    2391 - "Good," Lu Man cried, "I will also find you, I will definitely find you. We will be together in our next life." Zhuoli was able to hold her hand, "Finally...". Then his fingers loosened, losing strength and fell limply. Lu Man cried for him urgently, these past 57 years with him were not enough. "Zhuoli, don't leave me! Zhuoli!" she held onto his hand. With tears in her eyes, she could see Zhuoli had a smile on his face. Even though they only had a brief moment, it was good enough. He did not do her wrong, and they will meet again in the next life, he would find her. "Manman! Manman!" a distant, familiar voice called. Not the old, gasping voice, but the deep and gentle voice that she had known, the warmth under a cold moonlight. "Zhuoli!" she shouted. "Manman!" his voice echoed in her mind, "Come back, Manman, come back." It was getting closer and closer... At the same time in the hospital ward, Xie Jiling was using a pen to draw on Lu Man's palm. Lu Man continued to hear Zhuoli's plea, and she felt a pull. Her body grew lighter and she flew, pulling her away from the old Zhuoli's bed. Then it all turned dark. "Manman!... Didn't you say she's back?" "You have to give her time to wake up," a young female voice said. Lu Man opened her eyes. "Manman!" Zhuoli said. He held her face anxiously, fearing of even blinking, afraid that she would disappear if he did. "Zhuoli!" Lu Man got up suddenly and hugged him. "Zhuoli! Zhuoli! I missed you so much, Zhuoli..." "Me too, me too," he cried, "You finally woke up... you finally woke up..." He kissed away the tears from her eyes...


    2392 - "You are finally back," he said. Lu Man too could not believe it, she had spent 57 years watching him grow old and here he was, same as before all that. What happened? "You're in the hospital. Don't you remember? You were injured, it was not serious but you were in a coma. It has been 9 days," he explained the situation and introduced her to Xie Jiling as someone versed in spiritual matters. Wei Wucai was still there, but he was completely trustworthy, and besides, was someone who was related to the Xie anyway. "Hello big sister, my name is Xie Jiling. I called you back, otherwise you would be lost and wander forever," she said. Zhuoli was fearful, but Xie said her soul was unstable due to unfinished business in the previous life. Now that it was settled, it would not happen again. Zhuoli thanked Xie and Wei Wucai, apologizing for doubting her previously. Xie Jiling didn't mind it, it was normal to for people to think such things were absurd. Lu Man thanked her and Xie Jiling said she could look for her in the future: "But I can guarantee you, nothing like this will happen again in the future."


    2393 - "Your soul is now fixed, you are a person of this world. You won't go through that again, be assured." Before leaving, Xie Jiling gave them a wave: "Goodbye uncle, goodbye sister." "No, you wait a moment," Zhuoli said as he got up. Now that everything was settled, there was one last thing he needed to clarify: "You call her sister, why call me uncle?" Xie Jiling said very innocently: "You are 32, if you had put in a little more effort and got married earlier, you would have given birth to a great daughter like me. So it's no problem to call you uncle." Zhuoli gave her a smile: "No. You... you called her Sister Manman, and me uncle. But we are husband and wife, and it's not appropriate for you to mess up the generation." Wei Wucai almost laugh, because Zhuoli was so piqued that he stuttered. Zhuoli insisted she fix the terms, "...Either you call her aunt, or call me brother." Xie Jiling gazed at them for the longest time, before frowning at Lu Man: "Auntie." They were speechless, Zhuoli especially. Was it that difficult? Was he really that old? Wei Wucai pulled Xie away, leaving them alone. He hugged her once more as he sat beside her on the bed: "You're finally awake. It's nice." She returned the hug. Having experienced the short moment in the last life, she was determined to cherish this one. "You said I was in a coma for 9 days?" "Xie Jiling said today was your last chance, if you did not, you won't be able to come back at all."


    2394 - She told him about her out of body experience, that she actually saw him beside her hospital bed. Then she was pulled away into the past, where she saw how she saw her past self's last struggle with Lu Qi and He Zhengbai. She could not touch them, but managed to push a closet onto He Zhengbai. Perhaps her soul went back so that she could help her past self achieve vengeance. Zhuoli said the past 9 days was the worst memory for him. She apologized for being so late. "As long as you came back," he said. Lu Man said perhaps it was not a disaster, but a way for her to avenge herself. Zhuoli asked what happened next, did you just stay there for the next 6 days? "6 days? I wasn't there for 6 days, I was there for 60 years," she said. After the fire, she thought of him. "Did you find me?" his eyes lit up.


    2395 - "Yes. You were 38 at the time. You couldn't see me, but I was with you all the time," she said. "Was I... single?" Zhuoli asked nervously. He did not want Lu Man to see him living well and be hurt by that. "What about you, what do you hope it would be?" she asked with a smile. He'd rather remain single than for his past self to be married with children. She confirmed it: he remained single, always waiting for someone. You met many women, but not the one you were waiting for. Your friends asked how you would know, you said would have a feeling. You did say maybe you shouldn't wait any longer. You didn't know it then, but that was the day I died. But you continued to wait, and I watched over you. Zhuoling and Zhuofeng had children and grandchildren, but you were always alone. You insisted on being alone. I was with you until you were 95. I didn't need to eat or sleep, so I was with you. Then you opened your eyes and you saw me. You said you finally waited long enough and asked about me. I told you I was dead, you asked for my name. You said we must be together in the next life, you will come to me. You called me Manman, just like in this life. Then you..." she trailed off, "...Seeing me was your final wish. So at the end, you had a serene expression." It was strange for Zhuoli to hear all this. She wondered aloud about their first meeting. They were at neighboring hotel rooms, and he saved her. She had often wondered, what was so special about her for him to favor her. There are others better and prettier. "I don't know why," he said softly, "When I saw you, I know it had to be you. It had nothing to do with ability or beauty. It had to be you. It turns out... we are already destined," he laughed. "It's nice to see you again," she hugged him. He wondered if each day represented a decade in the spirit world. They shared an intimate kiss. Zhuoli said he has to inform the family about her condition. But really, they could not bear to part after that traumatic experience.


    2396 - Thus he got into bed with her, so that she could hug him and be by his side as he called the family one by one. First was Xia Qingwei. Next were the elders, then his parents, Zhuoling and Zhuofeng. They were all in the same hotel, but he wanted to tell them personally. And so they all rushed out together to go to the hospital, where Lu Man and Zhuoli were still talking. It had been 9 days for him, a lifetime for her. Hearing the noise approaching the door, she wanted to push him out of the bed. "But it's been awhile," he whined. But he knew he could be wrongfully blamed by the elders for being pushy when she had just barely recovered, and so he got out of bed. In fact, grandma tactfully decided to knock on the door first. "It's not locked," he said.


    2397 - The family members came in. Xia Qingwei was the most relieved, saying how scared she had been. Lu Man too shed tears, after all she had lost her mother in the previous life. She apologized for worrying them. They were all relieved and glad that she had woken up. Shen Nuo suggested for her to get some rest, but Lu Man said she had been sleeping for many days and felt energetic. This depressed Zhuoli, for he was eager to rid of them so that he could spend time with her. His face blackened at their lack of tact as they stayed to chat with her. Instead, Lu Man asked if he's going to nap next door. He was really looking worn out from his bedside vigil.


    2398 - Grandma also urged him to go next door to sleep, but he refused and deliberately lay down beside Lu Man on the bed. He sulked as he rubbed his face on her waist, saying he was not going to leave her now that she had woken up. Shen Nuo said he was making it embarrassing for them to talk to Lu Man with him being so clingy, but he didn't care. In the end, they wanted to leave after a few more words. Grandma sighed, saying life was unpredictable, it was indeed a test. She decided to hurry up with the wedding. Don't leave things up to fate and be full of regret later. This opened Zhuoli's eyes and he agreed enthusiastically. They had already been preparing for the wedding this month anyway. The banquet hall at Sheng Yue, the guest list and invitation cards. And Zhuoli's suit.


    2399 - "Good, we will fill those cards and send them out when we get back," Grandma said, "Now we should go. You two can carry on." Lu Man blushed but Grandma said there's no need to be shy, just look at Zhuoli scolding us. They left, leaving them alone again. Lu Man asked about being discharged, and so Zhuoli informed the doctors. She was to stay another day for observation. Now truly assured that she was fine and they were now alone, Zhuoli's hands began to roam around her neck and ears and face. She urged him to rest, and joined him in trying to get some sleep. Zhuoli though kept opening his eyes, and this made her awake too. Each was worried for the other, afraid of being apart while they slept.


    2400 - Zhuoli didn't want to worry her any more and so he decided to sleep. It took some kissing on the eyes, but he eventually drifted into sleep. She was happy just to snuggle in his arms. Later that day Shen Nuo and Xia Qingwei returned with some food, they quietly urged her not to move around and wake him up. And so Zhuoli was able to sleep the entire time, only waking up the next morning fully refreshed. Some meals later were enough for him to recover fully. Lu Man was discharged that day, everyone was eager to be away from the place that had so many unpleasant things happen.
     
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  18. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2401-2405

    2401 - The entire family would be flying back the next day. Lin Jinshu and Wang Qianyun would not be able to escape their prison sentence. Wang Jugu still harbored hope of persuading Juhuai, but if he chased after him, there would be nobody handling Qianyun's case. Lu Man didn't care about them as long as there was a final result. Back in their home, they updated Principal Liu and Han Leilei. After a rest, they went directly to T-City to thank Wen Ren. Wei Wucai was already at the airport to receive them. Speaking of which, Wei Wucai's hobby was Lego, he had a house specially for his collection. That was why his car was also full of Lego. He drove them to the Lanshan Courtyard of the Wen family, a place where the locals knew better than to intrude with its guards and powerful influence.


    2402 - Honestly speaking the Wen family is not a secret organization. It's well known in China, just that the details of its activities were vague. The foot of the mountain below the courtyard was even a famous and beautiful tourist attraction. There was no need for the Wen family to hide, everyone knew the reputation of their Thorn agents. Come in if you got the guts. Zhuoli asked if Xie Jiling was present. Wei Wucai said she was for the time being. The car drove smoothly up into the Wen territory and into the compound itself. Lu Man noticed the other cars parked there had no branding, Wei Wucai said they were all modified with weapons, bulletproof and were able to handle any pursuits.


    2403 - The main building itself was built according to ancient architecture. Stepping into the compound was like stepping into another world, back to the past. They walked a while before seeing Wen Ren and Fang Jiaran. It would be their first meeting with Lu Man, but they already knew of her due to her celebrity status. Fang was Wen Ren's wife and mother of two sons, yet still had a baby face and felt young. One smile from her was enough for Lu Man to feel friendly towards her. Zhuoli asked about their sons, Wen Ren said they were training. He was not about to let them off training even with guests around. They led them through the building and into a beautiful garden landscape. Fang could see Lu Man really liked the place and offered to give her a tour later. Soon, they reached the main hall.


    2404 - They sat down and tea were served. The green tea were handpicked, and Wen Ren said they could pick some themselves later. Lu Man was not an avid tea drinker but it was indeed delicious. "Sister," Xie Jieling greeted as she arrived with Wei Wucai. Lu Man was very happy to see her. Zhuoli coughed and looked expectantly at Xie Jiling. She was about to greet him, but then suddenly changed her mind: "Aunt" to Lu Man, "Uncle" to Zhuoli. Zhuoli was annoyed, but Lu Man too, how did she get to be called an aunt just because of him? Still, she laughed. Xie asked after her wellbeing, Lu Man said she's fine with no problems. Xie said she was right, and Wen Ren confirmed that Xie had always been 100% confident of her words. Zhuoli said they came to give their thanks, as well as to send wedding invitations. He also gave one to Wei Wucai. Wen Ren looked at the date and said they were all free on the day, and said it would be lively.


    2405 - Lu Man and Zhuoli spent the day there before returning to City B. The wedding preparations were already in full swing. Their dresses were already ready. Final arrangements for the venue were being negotiated. The wedding invitations were handwritten by Zhuoli and Lu Man. Lu Man included her friends and those who had helped her such as Sun Yiwu, Robert and Hayer. She couldn't perform on Broadway due to the incident, but they were more than happy to attend the wedding. Everything proceeded smoothly. Lu Man returned to school and delivered the invites to Zheng Yuan, Han Leilei, Pan Xue and Zhang Xiaoying who was surprised. "I thought things between us have gotten better, or not?" Lu Man teased taking it back. Zhang snatched it and tsundered, "I just didn't expect you to invite me. Well, I'll go." Lu Qi spied on this and her heart clutched. She could see Lu Man and Zhuoli in such a loving relationship, in contrast to her and He Zhengbai. He Zhengbai was openly playing outside, telling the entire world that they were divorced. The marriage certificate in her hands was worthless. It took all of her pleading and convincing that she would play along for the He family to let her out of their house.
     
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  19. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2406-2410

    2406 - She was ok with He Zhengbai fooling around outside, but she would never actually give him a divorce. The He was willing to accept this at face value, because they could expose how she had tricked her own mother in order to escape from Lu Qiyuan's wrath. Rather, they would be even more suspicious of her had she readily agreed to divorce He Zhengbai. Each was holding on to some chips against the other, and so there was an uneasy compromise. She was allowed out, but He Zhengbai never seen her ever since. She would never have the grand wedding of her dreams. Lu Man too never had one, and this made Lu Qi thought they were on the same level. No longer, for Lu Man was going to have a wedding. When did Lu Man become more happier than her? Before, she had nothing. Lu Qi was the envied one. Now Lu Man was the one with everything, while Lu Qi lost it all. The mother is in jail, the father disowned her. She was married, but it was a sham marriage.


    2407 - Lu Man had everything Lu Qi wanted. After class, Lu Qi sought her out, impatiently telling Lu Man's friends to give them privacy. Zheng Yuan and the others were disdainful of Lu Qi. She was at the top of every list of disrepute, her career was in ruins and nobody cared about her. Lu Man said they could stay. Lu Qi insisted it was for sisterly talk, not for outsiders. "They are my friends, not outsiders. Compared to them, you're the outsider," Lu Man said. When Lu Qi insisted on their blood relations, Lu Man turned to leave. Lu Qi hurriedly stopped her. She knew she was being humiliated but she took a deep breath and complained about not getting a wedding invitation. It wouldn't be nice if the news said your own sister was absent. Yes, my reputation is bad, but you have more to lose for disregarding our relations. They would say you have forgotten our sisterhood since you have risen high with a good marriage and good career.


    2408 - Lu Man rolled her eyes: "Who doesn't know our relationship isn't good? Everyone knew how you treated me. The netizens knew I have no contact with you. No matter how I cut ties with you, they will understand it. If I invited you, they will say I am trying to be sensationalist instead. But, what do I care for the opinion of others? You said it yourself. I married well to Han Zhuoli. He treats me well, so does his mother-in-law, as if I have two mothers. Yes, my career is rising smoothly. Since everything is going well for me, why should I care about you? I don't care what others say, my husband is so powerful that I can do what I want, work how I want. I don't need to worry about any loss of popularity, I still can find work. So why should I care for their opinions? Why should I care about you? I would be dead because of you, why should I invite you to my wedding? You don't deserve it. You want to meet people at my wedding, don't even think about it. I won't give you this chance, and the people I invite have good eyes anyway. Don't dream of it." Lu Qi was indignant, "Lu Man, I am still your sister!" But Lu Man gave her no face: "You never treated me as one. Your mother was a mistress and your parents heaped misery on us. Now you still dare to come to me for benefits? Do you think I'm too stupid, or you are?" Her friends laughed. "Since you are so thick-skinned, go ask your father for forgiveness. You two had deep affection, much stronger and different than me and you. You should beg your father instead of me," Lu Man suggested. Lu Qi actually considered it for a brief second, much to the bemusement of Lu Man's friends. She quickly brushed it aside, instead saying: why say it like this, my father is your father too... "My father is Wang Juhuai," Lu Man said.


    2409 - Lu Qi was sarcastic, saying she was pandering to Wang Juhuai to the extent of not recognizing her real father. Lu Man challenged her to repeat it for others to hear. Yes, there would be some keyboard warriors who agree with you, but they would be scum like you. Lu Qi was furious at being scolded, but Lu Man once more said she shouldn't waste her time, it would be better for her to look for Lu Qiyuan. Lu Qi asked if she was inviting him to the wedding. "I have a father, why should I ask him?" Lu Man laughed. So you're really getting Wang Juhuai to walk you down the aisle? Lu Man knew she was fishing for an excuse to see Lu Qiyuan, and so she said directly: "Yes. You got it. Go tell Lu Qiyuan now, see if you can get anything out of him." Lu Qi stiffened as her thoughts were again exposed. Now she was becoming fearful. Really, nothing seem to escape her eyes. She fled without saying goodbye. Lu Man's friends were astounded at this sudden change of attitude. Why did she run away as if she was being chased? "Maybe she's really afraid," Han Leilei smiled.


    2410 - Lu Qi probably thought Lu Man had an all-seeing eye. Han Leilei though was a little worried, what if Lu Qi really reconciled with Lu Qiyuan? Would they team up to continue bother Lu Man? But Lu Man was not worried, because she knew Jiang Yujie was beside Lu Qiyuan. She had him wrapped around her fingers. Lu Man wanted Lu Qi to experience the feeling of being plotted against by a stepmother and for her to be rejected by her father. The entire Lu company knew about Jiang Yujie because of Xia Qingyan's tantrum. But now Lu Qiyuan was divorced. Though he had yet to marry Jiang Yujie, the company knew they were a thing. Besides, she knew how to kept things separate between private and public and so she did not suffer from strange looks in the company. She was indeed competent and did her work well, and Lu Qiyuan's trust in her grew more and more, handing more important tasks to her. The shady things were still done by himself, but some related transactions that he thought would be safe inevitably came to her attention. She gathered more clues as she became his trusted person. He was also comforted by the fact that she was not in a rush for marriage. From the moment he had divorced Xia Qingyan and she ended up in prison, Lu Qiyuan had been a target for much criticism.
     
  20. rdawv

    rdawv The Ancient of Lore

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    2411-2415

    2411 - Lu Qiyuan was accused of abandoning his wife as soon as she landed in trouble. At first, he did not receive that much criticism, after all he was betrayed by Lu Qi and Xia Qingyan. However, he himself did not have a good reputation after harming Xia Qingwei and Lu Man. Thus people applauded and called it karma. Lu Man would not let him off too. Xia Qingyan is in prison, but Lu Qiyuan was still fine outside. Thus she had mustered internet opinion against him: Xia Qingyan had been married to him for 20 years, why did she plot against him now? Could it be because Lu Qiyuan had wronged her first? This was the situation when Jiang Yujie deferred on marriage: "Xia Qingyan was obviously the wrongful party, but you would be blamed if we get married now. I can wait until this is all blown over... I think just getting a certificate is enough. A wedding ceremony would remind you too much of what had happened. Your company's business might get affected by the rumours, so it's better to be low-key." Lu Qiyuan was touched, such a good woman to think of him first! Jiang nervously asked if he was upset because she was meddling in his affairs.


    2412 - "It's only my opinion, I don't mean to make decisions for you and interfere..." she said anxiously. Lu Qiyuan hugged her, saying that was silly talk. Are you not afraid that I would look for another woman? He completely fell for her white lotus act, still unaware that she was only doing this to find the evidence that can set her brother free. Lu Qiyuan assured her that they will get their marriage done later as she had suggested. In truth, he was already thinking of putting it off, but the fact that Jiang suggested the delay pleased him. His trust in her grew more and she was able to handle a lot of the company affairs. Lu Qi was completely oblivious to the extent of her control. Jiang Yujie was smarter than Xia Qingyan: Xia barged into Lu Qiyuan's life, but Jiang also around his work.


    2413 - Thus when Lu Qi came to visit him at the office, Jiang was there to intercept her. The rest of the company knew Lu Qi and Lu Qiyuan had an acrimonious fallout, but they were still father and daughter. Yes, he had thrown aside Lu Man, but he had raised Lu Qi for more than 20 years. That was why the front desk allowed her to go up, who knows if they really reconciled later? However, she was stopped by Jiang who softly and politely said he was in a meeting. Lu Qi was furious and called her a bitch, but Jiang maintained a professional outlook despite Lu Qi's rudeness and asked her to wait. Lu Qi scolded her, saying she was a white lotus woman. Jiang approached her and coldly whispered into Lu Qi's ear: "You yourself joined an outsider to harm your father, and now you dare to come reconcile? Why? To ask him for help? Why isn't your husband Mr. He and his family helping you? Or are they trying to harm him again? If I'm you, I wouldn't be so thick-faced. Yes, I seduced your father, but I did not betray my own family member."


    2414 - "Unlike you, in order to marry He Zhengbai, you even tricked your own mother. What happened then? The He family used you and no longer needed you?" Jiang said, for Lu Qi had no qualifications to sneer on her. Lu Qi pushed at her angrily. There wasn't much force, but Jiang fell onto the ground and hit her elbow. Out came the tears and cry of pain. Lu Qiyuan had heard the commotion and saw how Lu Qi had pushed Jiang down, and rushed to protect her. Jiang was not pretending to be in pain for she had deliberately hit her own elbow. When Jiang said she was only telling Lu Qi to wait as he was busy, Lu Qiyuan became furious. He demanded to know how Lu Qi was allowed in. Jiang anxiously said Lu Qi must be worried about their relationship, please don't blame her, it's quite difficult to accept after all... Lu Qi became angry at the act but Lu Qiyuan scolded her for having the face to see him after what she had done. Jiang wanted to know what Lu Qi was planning and advised for them to discuss in the privacy of his office. Lu Qi felt her about-turn to be strange, while Lu Qiyuan thought Jiang was trying to help them reconcile for his sake. Lu Qi realized what she was up to, and when Jiang was entering the office with them, she said that: this is a family affair, who are you to be in here?


    2415 - Lu Qi snorted: "You are just an assistant, what makes you eligible to participate? You may be my father's lover, but why should we discuss with you?" Jiang put on a blank, shocked face, and this was enough for Lu Qiyuan to defend her: "Yujie is my fiancee and we will get married soon, she is not an outsider. She's the reason you are able to get in here at all." He asked Lu Qi to get to the point or to get lost, to which she which she complained. But Lu Qiyuan was blunt, saying she and Xia Qingyan had plotted against him, how does she still have the face to call him father? He does not dare to have a blood-sucking daughter like her. She had helped outsiders to swindle his wealth, he had finally starting to recover from it and now she's back for more? Lu Qiyuan actually hated Lu Qi more, at least Lu Man had not sought his money. In fact, Lu Man never really went after his wealth. Lu Qi pleaded ignorance, saying it was all of her mother's own doing out of love for her. And besides, she wasn't there to get anything from him, but to tell him something.
     
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