Chapter 61: I Have Someone I Want to Marry

The next morning, Jiang Se was woken by a burst of barking.

Her brain was still foggy upon waking, her first thought being that she was dreaming. But the next second, when Lu Huaiyan’s low voice mixed with the barking reached her ears again, Jiang Se’s eyes snapped open.

The dog downstairs must be the “dog son” of Lu Huaiyan’s that Cen Li had mentioned a few times before.

Jiang Se couldn’t quite recall its name, only that it was an exceptionally clingy Samoyed, a birthday gift from Han Yin to Lu Huaiyan when he turned twenty-three or twenty-four.

Lu Huaiyan was sitting in the dining room, sipping black tea.

As Jiang Se came downstairs, she saw the snow-white dog wagging its tail, sprawled at Lu Huaiyan’s feet.

At the sound of her footsteps, both man and dog turned to look at her.

The son’s reaction was clearly faster than the father’s. The dog’s four legs shot up, and with a push of its hind legs, it lunged toward her.

Unfortunately, before it could complete the pounce, a large hand firmly pressed down on its neck.

“Garo, no pouncing.”

Scolded by Lu Huaiyan, Garo immediately cowered, obediently lying back down, its glossy black eyes fixed on Jiang Se.

Adorable.

Jiang Se walked over and patted its head. “Its name is Garo?”

Lu Huaiyan hummed in affirmation. “My mother named it.”

“Let go of it. I’ll play with him for a bit.”

Seeing that she wasn’t afraid, Lu Huaiyan pinched Garo’s neck and released it. “Be gentle, no pouncing.”

Garo let out a small “awoo,” promising with its front paws but failing to resist its playful nature. It lifted both front paws and pounced on Jiang Se. Thankfully, it wasn’t too forceful. Jiang Se crouched on the floor, letting it playfully tug at her skirt.

She was wearing an ankle-length linen skirt, its lotus-root pink hem spreading across the floor.

Lu Huaiyan propped his chin on one hand, quietly watching her play with Garo for a moment before saying, “Auntie lives downstairs. When I’m not around, Garo stays with her. If you like playing with Garo, why not stay here? Or would you prefer the villa by the river? It’s quieter there, closer to the estate in the suburbs. If you get tired of the river view, I’ll take you horseback riding in the countryside.”

Jiang Se’s tone was calm. “No need for the trouble. I’ll stay at my aunt’s place.”

Lu Huaiyan’s expression paused briefly. He took a sip of tea and said lightly, “Where? Xinhe Mansion?”

He was referring to the place she’d stayed in Beicheng last time, also in the city center, not far from here.

Jiang Se nodded. “Yes, there. Arrange a car to take me there later.”

“It’s close. I’ll take you myself.” Lu Huaiyan set down his teacup and stood. “Finish breakfast first.”

Jiang Se didn’t have much luggage—just two suitcases. Lu Huaiyan drove her directly to the apartment.

Jiang Se had spent more time in Cen Mingshu’s apartment than Cen Mingshu herself. During university, when she didn’t want to return to the Cen family, she’d come here.

Cen Mingshu had knocked through two secondary bedrooms to create a room for her that rivaled the master suite.

As soon as Lu Huaiyan entered the room, he noticed an entire wall of Disney princess figurines. He leaned against the doorframe, quietly admiring them for a while.

“Your aunt bought these for you?”

Jiang Se followed his gaze. “Yeah, every birthday, she gets me a few.”

Her mention of this jogged Lu Huaiyan’s memory. As a child, she loved going to Disneyland, always asking either Cen Li or Cen Mingshu to take her.

Her birthday was in June, about three months away.

Lu Huaiyan asked, “Any Disneylands you haven’t been to?”

Jiang Se blinked. “What?”

He smiled. “Didn’t you tell your brother when you were little that you wanted to visit every Disneyland in the world? Which ones haven’t you been to? This year for your birthday, let a different brother take you.”

There were only six Disneylands worldwide, and Jiang Se had already visited them all—more than once.

“I’ve been to all of them. Don’t you dislike going?”

Back when Cen Li took her to Disneyland, he’d always ask Lu Huaiyan if he wanted to join, but Lu Huaiyan never did. In the end, it was always Cen Li, Guo Song, Jiang Se, and Guo Qian.

Lu Huaiyan said, “Is it the same? I didn’t have a little sister back then.”

Jiang Se reminded him, “You don’t have one now either.”

“Who says I don’t? Haven’t I become a certain young lady’s exclusive brother?” Lu Huaiyan stepped forward, reaching to tug her earlobe but switching to ruffling her hair instead. “If you don’t want Disneyland, pick somewhere else. This year, I’ll take you out for a few days for your birthday.”

Jiang Se didn’t respond.

“No rush. You’ve got over three months. Let me know when you decide, and I’ll arrange it.” Lu Huaiyan glanced at his watch. “I have to go. Tonight, do you come to my place, or should I come here?”

Jiang Se paused, glancing at him. “Don’t come after midnight.”

Lu Huaiyan looked down at her, then suddenly leaned in to kiss her lightly, chuckling. “Will it always be like this? Every day before I go to work, you’ll tell me, ‘Don’t come in after midnight and disturb me’?”

“…”

“I can’t come back at noon. Should I arrange someone to cook for you?”

“No need. I’ll manage.”

The morning meeting today included Old Master Lu, so Lu Huaiyan knew he couldn’t linger. He nodded and said, “Call me if anything comes up.”

After he left, Jiang Se opened her suitcase to unpack slowly. When she pulled open the bedside drawer, a rich scent of agarwood hit her.

She froze, remembering this was the agarwood Lu Huaiyan had sent her the last time she left Beicheng. A dense bundle of it—she hadn’t taken it or used it.

She still had no intention of using it now. Her fingers lightly pushed the drawer, and the door, barely open for a moment, slowly closed.

After unpacking, Jiang Se took a shower. When she came out, she realized she’d missed a call from Zheng Huan and quickly called back.

As soon as the call connected, Zheng Huan laughed. “I was about to call again, thinking something happened to you.”

“I got sweaty unpacking and was in the shower when you called.”

“Unpacking? You’re back in Beicheng?”

“Yeah, got here last night.”

Zheng Huan wasn’t surprised. “Figured you’d go back to Beicheng. I’ll be back in a bit too. Let’s pick a time to meet up.”

She paused, getting to the point. “Remember I told you Tian Xiangyi has a daughter?”

“Yeah, the girl in high school.”

Zheng Huan continued, “This girl’s chattier than Tian Xiangyi. She’s spilled a lot about her family to her classmates. Guess what she said? She said her cousin is a rich heir in Beicheng, and once he inherits the family business, he’ll bring her and her mom to live there.”

The girl kept bragging about her wealthy cousin, but since her classmates had never seen him, they started doubting her.

Teenage girls are sensitive and can’t stand being questioned. One day, she brought a business magazine to school, pointed at the man on the cover, and swore it was her cousin.

“The man on the cover was Fu Yun?”

“Yeah, the photo was the one you sent me.”

The photo Jiang Se had sent Zheng Huan was of Fu Yun being interviewed in his study.

At that time, Fu Jun had been dead for over half a year. Though his grandson was gone, Old Master Fu still had a younger son. He pulled himself together, focused on grooming Fu Yun, and arranged an engagement with the Cen family.

“She blabbed a lot about her cousin, and it all matches Fu Yun’s background. Most importantly, she said her cousin loves the beer from their family’s brewery, and her mom sends two crates to Beicheng every month. Guess where they’re sent?” Zheng Huan teased.

Jiang Se asked, “Where?”

“A hot spring club called Huaqing Pool. It’s part of the Wanming Hotel Group, owned by someone you know well.”

Before Zheng Huan could say the name, Jiang Se cut in, “Zhu Mingli.”

The Zhu family, like the Han family, had made their fortune in hotels.

The Han family focused on chain business hotels, while the Zhu family specialized in resorts.

Zhu Mingli was the eldest daughter of the Zhu family’s current chairman. She held the title of marketing director in the group and also ran a few beauty and wellness clubs. The hot spring club Zheng Huan mentioned was in Beicheng’s western suburbs.

After hanging up, Jiang Se started flipping through the purchase list Mo Jichen had sent her. There were several familiar names, but Zhu Mingli’s wasn’t among them.

Last September, when Jiang Se left Beicheng, Zhu Mingli, knowing Guo Qian was close to Jiang Se, still pulled Guo Qian into a WeChat group to watch them mock Jiang Se.

Guo Qian had a fiery temper and was always on Jiang Se’s side.

How could Zhu Mingli not guess that those words would reach Jiang Se’s ears?

How had Zhu Mingli mocked her back then?

A cuckoo taking over the magpie’s nest.

Besides occupying Cen Yu’s “nest,” whose else had she taken?

Fu Yun’s current engagement partner was Zhu Mingli.

The “accident” on New Year’s Eve hadn’t just victimized Jiang Se but also Cen Yu, who was dragged into the mess.

At the time, Old Master Fu had intended to continue the engagement with the Cen family.

Jiang Se’s gaze settled on a painting on the wall, her eyes gradually turning cold.

The kidnapping case from seven years ago—she’d repeatedly wondered why Ji Yunyi’s student’s wife was at the oil painting institute that day.

But she’d forgotten to question someone else: herself.

Why had she gone to the oil painting institute?

Because one of her oil paintings at the Bode Exhibition Hall had been accidentally damaged, and the principal asked if she could bring another by Monday.

The oil painting institute was closed on weekends, but she had a dedicated studio there, so naturally, she went at that time.

She and Zhu Mingli were in the same graduating class that year.

Zhu Mingli also had a piece in the exhibition hall—a traditional ink painting.

Everyone in their circle knew Old Master Fu loved calligraphy and ink arts. Fu Jun was skilled in calligraphy, and Fu Yun excelled in traditional Chinese painting.

Ink painting and Chinese painting.

Jiang Se blinked slowly, picked up her phone, and sent Guo Qian a WeChat message: [You said Zhu Mingli has a photo she treasures. Can you get it?]

—

March in Beicheng was still chilly, the morning breeze lacking winter’s bite but still cold.

When Lu Huaiyan entered the meeting room and saw Old Master Lu wearing only a thin cashmere sweater, he asked Zhou Qing to fetch a coat and draped it over the old man’s shoulders himself.

Old Master Lu grumbled that he was fussing but was secretly pleased.

After the morning meeting, he called Lu Huaiyan into his office to discuss Lu Jinzhong, his tone unusually gentle.

“I know your father crossed a line this time, but Ah Yan, he’s still your father. You don’t need to be so ruthless.” Lu Xingqiu coughed lightly, sighing. “You have to leave me some face to meet your grandmother. She dotes on your father the most, and among the younger generation, she dotes on you.”

Lu Huaiyan calmly poured him a cup of hot tea, saying gently, “Don’t worry. Isn’t he busy with the Sun family on a new project? I’m just adding a bit of resistance to their project to make him focus on what matters.”

Lu Jinzhong’s power in the Lu family had been stripped, and no one in the family dared help him for fear of offending Lu Huaiyan.

Desperate, Lu Jinzhong kept seeking external allies, hoping to make a comeback.

This time, he’d somehow sweet-talked the Sun family into being his bridge.

Lu Xingqiu only needed that assurance. As long as it wasn’t too extreme, he could turn a blind eye.

Taking a sip of tea, he cleared his throat and said, “Tomorrow, Mia’s coming. If you have time, come back to the old residence for dinner to play host. When you were in the UK, her grandmother treated you better than her own grandson. You should repay kindness.”

Guan Jiayi had stayed in Beicheng for a month during the New Year, accompanying Old Master Lu to countless Peking operas.

The girl had a genuinely good personality—innocent, cheerful, and completely devoted to Ah Yan.

In the past, when Lu Xingqiu picked girls for Lu Huaiyan, he subconsciously leaned toward poised, steady types who could be the lady of the house. Now, he thought someone like Guan Jiayi, a simple, radiant “little sun,” might suit Ah Yan’s personality better.

“Linda was kind to me, and I’ll naturally be kind to her,” Lu Huaiyan said evenly. “But what does my relationship with Linda have to do with Mia? You liking Mia is your business, not mine.”

Lu Xingqiu slammed his teacup on the table. “Do you know she gave up a spot at the Royal Ballet to come to Beicheng Ballet Academy alone?”

Lu Huaiyan’s expression didn’t change. “All the more reason you shouldn’t give her any hope.”

Lu Xingqiu said, “When I was your age, your second uncle was already crawling. What? You think you’re still a young lad with plenty of youth to burn?”

Lu Huaiyan smiled lightly. “You had two kids in three years, but didn’t you wait until you were almost twenty-six to marry? Plenty of people liked you back then, but why did it have to be Grandmother? She was about to marry someone else, but you dug in with a hoe, got her pregnant, and forced her to marry you.”

“Forced her to marry me? Your grandmother already had me in her heart. Besides, is my situation the same as yours?” Lu Xingqiu fumed. “I waited because I loved your grandmother. You, you little wolf, don’t even have someone you like, planning to drag it out until you’re old and gray? Aren’t you afraid people will say you’re an old cow eating young grass?”

“Who says I don’t have someone I like?” Lu Huaiyan rubbed his brow. “Didn’t I tell you last time? I have someone I want to marry. Stop trying to pair me up.”

Lu Xingqiu snorted. He’d raised this wolf himself and knew his tricks.

“No one’s even seen a shadow of this person. You think I’ll believe your nonsense?” He waved Lu Huaiyan off impatiently. “Get out, get out! You’re giving me a headache! You can skip tomorrow’s dinner, but don’t you dare miss the one when the Guan brothers come in a few days!”

Lu Huaiyan didn’t rush out. He replaced the old man’s tea with a fresh cup and said, “Shaoting’s coming to discuss our families’ collaboration, so of course I’ll be there. Since Mia’s decided to join Beicheng Ballet Academy, it’s for her career. If you need someone to watch Peking opera with you, I’ll find you company. Don’t bother her. Even if she offers to accompany you out of respect, as an elder, you shouldn’t hinder her future.”

Lu Xingqiu: “…” This wolf!

—

That evening, Lu Huaiyan skipped a social engagement and arrived at Jiang Se’s place before ten. When she opened the door, she’d just showered, her wet hair draped over her shoulders.

“The housekeeper sent your things over this afternoon. I put them in the closet.”

Lu Huaiyan hummed. “Why didn’t you dry your hair? No hairdryer here?”

“There is. I was about to get it.”

The hairdryer was in the bathroom. Jiang Se had just pulled it out when he snatched it from her hand. The man scooped her up and headed toward the shower. “Shower with me first?”

His words were phrased as a question, but his actions left no room for negotiation.

He fooled around with her in the shower for nearly an hour. By the time they got out, the water dripping from her hair was like a string of broken pearls, falling endlessly.

Lu Huaiyan had two new bite marks on his shoulder. As he dried her hair, he pulled open his bathrobe to show her handiwork. “Was that bite because it felt too good or because you were mad?”

Jiang Se’s eyes still held a trace of lingering passion, her gaze misty as she looked up at him.

Their eyes locked for a few seconds.

Lu Huaiyan said, “Looks like both. Felt good and mad.”

“…”

Jiang Se had no energy to respond. After drying her hair, she picked up the nightgown he’d stripped off her at the sink and returned to the bedroom.

On the bed were several documents. Lu Huaiyan glanced at them as he climbed in, his brow slightly raised. “Planning to turn your family’s bar liquor into a drink for the market?”

Jiang Se nodded, gathering the documents and slipping them back into a folder. “I’m meeting Sister Xu Zhou tomorrow to finalize it.”

Lu Huaiyan pulled her into his arms, playing with her fingers as he said casually, “Need my help?”

“No.” Jiang Se leaned against his chest, her eyes on his well-defined hand. “Do you remember Zhu Mingli chasing you before?”

Lu Huaiyan’s fingers paused, and he said evenly, “What? You want to settle old scores about her chasing me?”

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