Chapter 107: Cooperation

At noon, Qin Miaoyu and her two companions headed together to a nearby restaurant. Unexpectedly, they ran into Chen Anxin there.

Chen Anxin was at the headquarters of the Lu Corporation for a meeting, and during her break, she came out for lunch, not expecting to encounter Qin Miaoyu.

"Miaoyu, it's been so long!" Chen Anxin greeted her warmly.

Qin Miaoyu nodded in return. "Sister Anxin, it's been a while!"

Hearing Qin Miaoyu still address her as "sister," Chen Anxin felt a wave of relief wash over her. After learning that her cousin and Qin Miaoyu had become estranged due to hidden identities, she regretted helping Lu Qi'an conceal the truth at the time.

Since she was alone, she asked if she could join their table.

"Of course, Sister Anxin, please sit."

Pei Yixue stood up and let Chen Anxin take the seat beside Qin Miaoyu, then went to sit across from Xu Xiaoqi.

As they waited for the dishes to arrive, Chen Anxin remarked, "I thought you wouldn’t want to greet me."

Qin Miaoyu denied it. "How could that be? I’m always happy to greet you, Sister Anxin."

"That’s good then. If anyone’s to blame, blame Lu Qi'an; everything was his idea. Whatever our relationship is, it should stay that way. It’s the weekend—we can still go out and shop together."

Qin Miaoyu readily agreed, though whether she would actually go out remained uncertain.

The conversation eventually shifted to what Qin Miaoyu and her friends were currently working on.

After looking at the pictures on Qin Miaoyu’s phone, Chen Anxin felt a pang of regret.

"It’s a pity I’ve already had my wedding; otherwise, I might have asked you to help organize it."

"Sister Anxin, you’re married?"

Qin Miaoyu’s surprise was understandable—Chen Anxin had always been focused solely on work, never dating, never making time for romance.

Now, only a year had passed, and Sister Anxin was already married.

Seeing Qin Miaoyu’s curious expression, Chen Anxin smiled. "Actually, you know the person."

Qin Miaoyu pointed to herself. "I know him?"

She thought carefully, guessing through their mutual acquaintances, but couldn't figure out the answer.

Chen Anxin’s lips curled into a smile. "You keep guessing, but you’ve completely missed the right answer!"

---

Missing the right answer? Qin Miaoyu pondered a bit more and thought of someone—Lu Qi'an’s assistant, Gu Feng.

"Could it really be Gu Feng?"

"It’s him!"

Qin Miaoyu was truly astonished. Previously, Gu Feng and Chen Anxin seemed like polar opposites.

They’d worked together for years, but usually only exchanged brief greetings. If you’d seen them a year or two ago, no one would have imagined they’d end up together, let alone fall in love and marry within a year.

"Congratulations, Sister Anxin and Assistant Gu."

After finishing their meal, the group headed outside. Qin Miaoyu caught sight of Assistant Gu, and her gaze involuntarily shifted to Chen Anxin.

"What’s wrong?" Chen Anxin asked.

Qin Miaoyu gestured with her chin, prompting Chen Anxin to look over and see Assistant Gu.

She walked over quickly, and the two exchanged words, their atmosphere cheerful.

Soon, Chen Anxin returned.

"I have to go—Gu Feng’s here to pick me up."

"Alright, Sister Anxin, goodbye."

"Goodbye. Gu Feng said Lu Qi'an is here too. If you don’t want to run into him, you might want to leave early as well."

With Lu Qi'an transferred to the Lu Corporation headquarters and Chen Anxin still working at Anhe, their contact had lessened, so Chen Anxin didn’t know much about recent events and assumed the two hadn’t seen each other.

"Sister Anxin, don’t worry. We’ve met several times already."

"You have?"

"Yes, we’ve met. Since Assistant Gu is picking you up, Sister Anxin, you should head off. We’ll wander around a bit more."

Since they’d already met and things seemed to be going smoothly, Chen Anxin left with peace of mind.

Her concern was indeed unnecessary; Qin Miaoyu was prepared to run into Lu Qi'an, but didn’t see him after all.

Lu Qi'an, as it happened, was being pestered.

By no one other than the second son of the Li family.

After losing those two business deals, the Li family had few ways left to make money. Following Madam Li’s visit to find Cao Xiuhua, the second son now sought out Lu Qi'an.

---

Yet Lu Qi'an’s attitude was resolute. "The money invested is from the Lu family, but the profits go only to the Li family. Am I supposed to keep this losing deal so you can grow greedier?"

The second Li son responded immediately, "Young Lu, how about this? We’ll change the plan right away—whatever it takes to satisfy the Lu Corporation. Will that work?"

Lu Qi'an’s expression remained indifferent. "Change the plan? With the Li family in its current state, I can’t imagine what suitable plan you could possibly offer."

"Also, President Lu, let me give you some information—a message that’s worth your while!"

Qin Miaoyu had no idea what was happening with Lu Qi'an, but after preparing herself to run into him and then not seeing him, she felt oddly unsettled—a feeling she couldn’t quite explain.

She wandered the streets absent-mindedly. When Xu Xiaoqi and Pei Yixue had their fill of shopping, the group prepared to return to their studio.

What she didn’t expect was someone waiting for her at the base of the office building.

When she was called, Qin Miaoyu was surprised, not immediately recognizing the person.

Until he introduced himself.

"Miss Qin, I am Li Deyong."

Ah, so he was the second son of the Li family.

"Is there something you need?"

Li Deyong glanced at the two people beside Qin Miaoyu, making it clear that what he wished to discuss was not suitable for others to hear.

Recalling her previous conversation with Li Deyong, Qin Miaoyu was curious about what he was up to now. She sent Pei Yixue and Xu Xiaoqi back to the studio, then found a suitable place to talk with Li Deyong.

Li Deyong didn’t state his purpose immediately, but instead asked about her current relationship with Lu Qi'an.

"Miss Qin, how are things between you and Young Lu now?"

"Quite well. Is what you want to say related to this?"

"Miss Qin, when it comes to love, those who are deeply infatuated often lose their heads and fail to recognize a crisis."

Qin Miaoyu took a sip of her coffee, intrigued. "Mr. Li, do you think there’s a crisis between me and Young Lu?"

Li Deyong’s eyes creased in a smile. "Miss Qin, though you were raised in the Qin family in South City, you actually belong to the Liang family. But whether it’s the Qin or the Liang family, you’re not favored by either, correct?"

Qin Miaoyu’s expression grew grave. "Mr. Li, you’ve investigated my affairs so thoroughly?"

"Of course. To ensure a smooth cooperation between us, I had to understand you better!"