Chapter 168: Stalking Returns
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But just as Lu Qi'an did not know why his grandfather treated Madam Li with such special consideration—the old man had never told them, and their investigation into what happened back then had uncovered nothing—he also had no idea what lay behind it.
Thus, only his grandfather and Madam Li knew the truth. Yet both of them kept their mouths firmly shut, and no amount of subtle probing could draw out an answer.
“Still, now that a Li Qixiao has appeared, the Li family must be plotting something again. At a time like this, the last thing we should fear is that they have an agenda. The bigger their scheme, the easier it will be for us to discover what they’re really after!”
“What about the Gao family? Have they made any moves?”
Lu Qi'an shook his head. “Nothing from the Gao family. Lu Corporation, on the other hand, has revealed quite a few hidden snakes and vermin.”
Ever since Lu Corporation missed out on the major project, certain people within the company had begun stirring restlessly.
The clearest sign was that several senior executives had started making sarcastic remarks during meetings, obliquely expressing their doubts about Lu Qi'an taking charge of the corporation.
“There are also a few shareholders with slightly larger stakes. Two of them are genuinely unhappy that we lost the project this time, but the other two have ulterior motives.”
“That won’t cause any trouble, will it?”
“Don’t worry. I have my own plans regarding the project. Lu Corporation won’t suffer any losses.”
Lu Qi'an could speak with such certainty because another important project would be announced in half a month. If Lu Corporation secured the current project, it would not have a hundred percent chance of winning the even more important one later. That was why he had decisively used this major project as bait, hoping to lure all those hidden snakes and vermin into the open.
Qin Miaoyu listened to Lu Qi'an as she helped him sort through the groceries.
She had not paid much attention when everything was still packed in a single bag. Only after taking each item out did she realize that he had bought quite a lot.
“Lu Qi'an, you bought so much. What if we can’t use it all? Are you going to carry it all back again?”
“No. You can just keep it in your refrigerator.”
“I might not even have time to cook it. You should take it home.”
Lu Qi'an turned to look at her. “Then should I come over and cook for you?”
“You’re such a busy man. You still have time to come and cook for me?” Qin Miaoyu teased with a smile.
But Lu Qi'an answered seriously, “I do.”
“You’re serious?” Qin Miaoyu was indeed a little tempted by his excellent cooking, but she still refused. “Forget it. Just leave everything here. I’ll find time to cook it.”
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“Why don’t you let me come over and cook? I’ve been free lately. I originally wanted to spend more time at the old residence with Grandpa, but he clearly doesn’t need me around anymore. Every time I talk to him, the subject inevitably turns to the Li family…”
By the time he finished speaking, the loneliness on Lu Qi'an’s face was unmistakable.
Qin Miaoyu felt sorry for him and could not help softening. “Then come over. It’ll save me some trouble. But I may not be here for dinner every evening.”
“That’s fine. If you don’t come back to eat, I’ll eat by myself, clean everything up for you, and leave afterward.”
Qin Miaoyu suddenly burst out laughing. “Why did I suddenly think of the Snail Girl?”
Lu Qi'an laughed too. “If you’re willing, I wouldn’t mind being your Snail Girl for a while.”
Qin Miaoyu hurriedly shook her head. “Better not. Your precious hands are better suited to signing contracts and handling deals worth tens of millions!”
When Lu Qi'an left Mapleview Residence, the corners of his lips remained curved upward.
Lately, the matters at the company and those concerning Old Master Lu had become tangled together, leaving him rather tense.
Even when he came over that day, the thought that they were already divorced had weighed heavily on him at first.
Yet he had never expected Miaoyu’s attitude to be so far beyond his expectations.
She had allowed him to see hope again.
Perhaps the divorce had merely brought their contractual marriage to an end, while also marking the beginning of something new?
The thought alone lifted his spirits.
However, everything came to an abrupt halt when he sensed that someone seemed to be following him furtively.
He pretended not to notice. Glancing at the things in his hands, he threw them all into a trash can as he passed it.
He had originally intended to take a painting to his grandmother, but it was already late, and it would be inconvenient to make another trip to her place. In the end, the only thing he had brought back was a small box of delicious pastries Qin Miaoyu had specially bought for him to try.
After throwing everything away, Lu Qi'an took out his phone and called Gu Feng.
Gu Feng was completely stunned when he heard what the Young Master Lu on the other end of the phone was saying. But he quickly realized that the Young Master Lu was probably saying it deliberately.
He asked, “You haven’t run into any danger, have you?”
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After receiving a “No,” Gu Feng stopped listening closely to the various things the Young Master Lu was saying to “curse” Mrs. Lu.
Chen Anxin was lying nearby.
Hearing Lu Qi'an’s words over the phone, Chen Anxin could not help asking curiously, “Gu Feng, what are you two up to?”
“It probably has something to do with Mrs. Lu.”
“With Miaoyu? Did something happen recently?”
Chen Anxin usually kept in fairly close contact with Lu Qi'an, so she knew quite a bit about what was going on with him. But Anhe had been making major moves lately, and she had been extremely busy, leaving her no time at all to find out what had been happening with her cousin.
“A lot has happened. Mrs. Lu was followed before, then Mrs. Gao went looking for her, and the two of them got divorced a few days ago.”
Chen Anxin had known for a long time that Lu Qi'an and Qin Miaoyu had divorced, but she had not heard anything about Qin Miaoyu being followed or being confronted by Mrs. Gao.
She was deeply concerned. “Nothing happened to her, did it?”
Only after Gu Feng assured her that she was fine did she relax a little. “That Mrs. Gao is crazy too! Make sure you all keep a close eye on her!”
Gu Feng had joined Lu Corporation around the time of that incident years ago, but he had not yet become the Young Master Lu’s assistant then, so there were some matters he did not know clearly.
Hearing his wife say this, he immediately raised Mrs. Gao’s danger level by several notches and decided to have someone investigate her more thoroughly the next day.
As for Lu Qi'an, he wandered around seemingly aimlessly while talking on the phone. At last, when the person following him disappeared from sight, he gave Gu Feng a few brief instructions before driving home.
Early the next morning, Lu Qi'an drove to the entrance of the residential complex in the same car Uncle Hu had previously used to drive Qin Miaoyu around.
He and Qin Miaoyu had agreed that morning that he would pick her up and drop her off for the next few days. He was worried that the person from the previous day might continue following Miaoyu and endanger her safety.
Qin Miaoyu was startled when she first got into the car.
That was because Lu Qi'an, sitting in the driver’s seat, looked utterly different from his usual self.
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