Chapter 145: The Bachelor Party

Xia Yun, never one to worry about damaging her son’s image, spoke of Lu Qi’an’s past while picking out clothes for Qin Miaoyu.

Watching the joyful expression on Qin Miaoyu’s face, Xia Yun, who had lived decades longer, could naturally tell that there were still feelings between the two. She just couldn't fathom how things had reached this point; judging by Qi’an’s tone, it sounded like they were headed for divorce. As a mother, she couldn't interfere in other matters, so she could only try to share some amusing stories from her son’s childhood, hoping to ease the tension between them.

Recalling what her son had said earlier about her father-in-law approaching his wife, Xia Yun’s expression soured. She had never realized before that the old man enjoyed meddling in the affairs of the younger generation. Fu Ling had always maintained a distant relationship with the old man; even if he hadn’t been satisfied with her family background, he wouldn't have dared to interfere in her life. But as for her son, he had been raised largely by his grandfather, and their bond was much deeper. Did the old man think that gave him the right to meddle in his grandson’s life at will?

After dining with Lu’s parents, Qin Miaoyu decided to put the matter behind her. The studio’s latest project was nearing completion. The client, a socialite from Jingcheng, was hosting a bachelorette party the night before her wedding and had invited Qin Miaoyu, Xu Xiaoqi, and Pei Yixue.

Qin Miaoyu initially didn't want to go, but the client was acquaintances with Pei Yixue, who loved such events and insisted that Qin and Xu join her. Xu Xiaoqi, unlike the reluctant Qin Miaoyu, even brought the studio’s business cards to the party.

Pei Yixue laughed, "Xiaoqi, are you here to party or to talk business? You even brought business cards!"

Qin Miaoyu was momentarily stunned by Xu’s move, but she quickly realized the logic. A bachelorette party would naturally be attended by people of similar age and background—potential target clients for their studio. Having a card meant they wouldn't miss a chance to network.

The party was held at a hillside villa, and Pei Yixue drove them there. The client, the eldest daughter of the An family in Jingcheng, greeted them warmly. "You’re here! I’ve invited many friends; let me introduce you. Some of them have already seen the wedding designs and love them!"

Xu Xiaoqi shot a triumphant look at Qin Miaoyu and Pei Yixue. Miss An, seeing her smile, looked puzzled. Qin Miaoyu explained, "Xiaoqi guessed you might want to introduce us to friends, so she came prepared with business cards. We didn't want your kindness to go to waste!"

Miss An covered her mouth and giggled, "That’s perfect!"

With Miss An making introductions and Xu Xiaoqi handling the networking, Qin Miaoyu and Pei Yixue didn't have much to worry about. They only needed to chat briefly whenever Xu brought someone over, spending most of their time happily sitting in a corner, eating and talking. However, after Pei Yixue went off to greet some acquaintances, Qin Miaoyu was left alone.

Just as she reached for her phone, someone approached with a glass. "Miss Qin? Shall we toast?"

Qin Miaoyu looked up. The person knew her surname, so he must have been one of the people Miss An had introduced earlier, though she hadn't paid close attention and couldn't recall his name. She raised her glass, clinked it against his, and took a light sip.

The man clearly noticed she didn't recognize him and said with a gentle smile, "Miss Qin, I am An Qian’s older brother, An You."

Qin Miaoyu remembered. No wonder she hadn't made an impression; when An Qian had introduced her brother, he had been sitting in a corner and had only raised his glass from a distance. The area was dim, so she hadn't seen his face clearly.

She had wondered a moment ago why she had no recollection of such a striking man. "I am Qin Miaoyu, nice to meet you."

An You took the opportunity to sit in the seat one space away from her. "Why aren't you joining the others?"

"I’m not very good at these things and am not used to them. I prefer just watching."

An You said gently, "I’m not used to it either. An Qian insisted I come to her bachelorette party, so I only greeted you from the corner earlier."

In truth, An You wasn't being entirely honest. An Qian was his younger sister, but she acted like an elder, especially now that she was getting married; she was worried about her brother’s love life and had dragged him here to see if he might find someone he liked.

Qin Miaoyu didn't notice the phrasing, just smiling and saying, "No wonder. I couldn't see your face clearly when Miss An introduced you, so I didn't know how to address you."

An You set down his glass. "You and An Qian are about the same age; you can call me brother. I heard your studio is handling An Qian’s wedding. She showed me the renderings you provided; they look very good."

Hearing him praise the design, Qin Miaoyu’s joy was evident. "You are too kind, An. It’s really Miss An’s own taste that shines through; our design was based entirely on her requirements."

An You laughed. "How did we end up complimenting each other?"

"It does seem that way," Qin Miaoyu laughed as well.

An You was a good conversationalist, and just like his appearance, he was refined and gentle. Qin Miaoyu felt quite comfortable chatting with him.

Not far away, Yang Linxue was internally screaming for help. He had only come because he liked a lively atmosphere, but why did he have to witness such a lethal situation? That was his Brother Lu’s wife! If Brother Lu found out that he and his wife were on the outs, but someone else was chatting happily with her, wouldn't he be furious?

Yang Linxue cursed inwardly, but he had no choice but to relay the news to Lu Qi’an. As he typed, he screamed in his heart: Brother Lu, if you don't get over here, you’re going to lose your wife!

Qin Miaoyu hadn't met Yang Linxue many times, so she didn't recognize him, only feeling that the man nearby seemed to be watching her. An You noticed Yang Linxue’s gaze and, seeing that Qin Miaoyu didn't seem to know him, shifted slightly to block Yang’s view.

Qin Miaoyu said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Is he someone you don't know?"

Qin Miaoyu searched her memory and said, "I don't know him."

An You looked back, finding Yang Linxue’s face familiar but unable to place him. Yang Linxue saw them looking at him, immediately averted his gaze, and went back to texting Lu Qi’an. However, he received no reply.

By the time the party ended, Qin Miaoyu and An You had already exchanged WeChat contacts. On the way back, Pei Yixue drove, not forgetting to tease Qin Miaoyu.

"Your romantic prospects are looking good! A high-quality handsome man came your way so quickly!"

Pei Yixue had intended to return to Qin Miaoyu after greeting her friends, but she hadn't expected to find her sitting with a handsome man—and the eldest son of the An family at that. In their social circle, he was considered an elite young man; his appearance, temperament, and education were all top-tier.

Qin Miaoyu replied helplessly, "We just met and became friends, why bring romance into this?"

Pei Yixue wanted to say something, but remembering Qin Miaoyu was still a married woman, she swallowed it and just laughed, "I’m just joking."

Changing the subject, she asked Xu Xiaoqi, "How was the harvest tonight? How many cards did you hand out?"

Xu Xiaoqi grinned, "Miss An is such a gem! We handed out half of the stack! There are already a few people interested in following up!"

Qin Miaoyu was pleasantly surprised and patted Xu’s shoulder. "Not bad, Xu Xiaoqi! With you around, we won't have to worry about the studio's orders!"

Xu Xiaoqi lifted her chin proudly. "Of course! We’ll make the studio bigger and more famous. Maybe one day we’ll be fully booked three months in advance!"

Pei Yixue asked curiously, "Why only three months?"

Xu Xiaoqi laughed, "I don't know which two people said earlier that opening a studio was just for fun and that we shouldn't overbook it. If we were booked for half a year or a year, wouldn't you two have no time to rest?"

Pei Yixue nodded in agreement. "That makes sense!"

Qin Miaoyu and Xu Xiaoqi looked at each other and burst into laughter.

It was nearly midnight when Lu Qi’an finally saw Yang Linxue’s messages. Recently, the Lu Corporation had a new project, and he had been busy all day. He had assumed Yang was just asking him out to play again, but when he saw the content, he sat up straight and read the messages one by one.

Yang Linxue had provided a play-by-play, sending many messages about how happily Qin Miaoyu and An You were chatting and what they were doing. Lu Qi’an felt a sourness in his heart, but he kept reading. Just from Yang’s words, he could piece together the image of them getting along famously.

He knew Miaoyu; if she didn't think An You was a good person, she would never have chatted with him for so long! Yan Chao hadn't made him feel much of a threat before, as Yan Chao was too childish, and while Qin Miaoyu might like a touch of playfulness in others, she would never be interested in someone who was over 80% childish.

But An You... they were both in Jingcheng, so they naturally knew each other. It was precisely because he knew An You that Lu Qi’an felt such a sense of crisis. An You’s looks were no worse than his, and he was equally capable. The only difference was his family background, which was slightly inferior to his own—but that was the one thing Miaoyu cared about the least!

So, if Miaoyu really had a good impression of An You, he wouldn't even be surprised...

As Lu Qi’an thought this, his expression grew increasingly grim.