Chapter 53

Lu Chengwen never expected that a girl could actually go this far.

Snatching bamboo shoots!

Tears came streaming down, like a faucet, gushing out.

She called him "Dad" with just a word, making Lu Guanghong's heart bloom with joy, so excited he didn't know what to do with himself;

When she heard about the engagement, she immediately knelt down and kowtowed, without the slightest hesitation.

At this point, Lu Chengwen felt like he was Chen Shiming in a play.

I can't have really slept through it and forgotten her, right!?

Xu Xuejiao was coaxed by Lu's mother, who, to comfort the hurt little girl, took off her family heirloom bracelet.

"Xuejiao, no matter what, I, as a mother, am responsible for not managing Chengwen well."

"Mom, don't say that."

Lu's mother was immediately overjoyed: "Ah! Good child! Don't worry, from now on, I'll treat you like my own daughter. Actually, your Uncle Lu and I always wanted a girl, but we ended up with two little devils."

"Mom and Dad are blessed people, and Brother Lu is actually very ambitious."

"Hmph! What's the use of being ambitious? He treats you so badly, it makes me angry just to hear it! Here, this bracelet was given to me by my mother-in-law, and now I'm giving it to you..."

"No, Mom, I can't accept it, it's too valuable."

"Take it! It's from Mom." Lu's mother's happiness was almost spilling out of her eyes.

Lu Chengwen was immediately anxious: "Mom, a red envelope would be enough. This is the bracelet my grandmother gave you."

"I want to!" Lu's mother glared at Lu Chengwen and turned to Xu Xuejiao: "Keep it, this is my heartfelt gift. The Lu family is not an irresponsible family; we will give you a proper status."

"Thank you, Mom!"

After much cajoling, Lu Chengwen was already in despair.

No! I can't give up! I have to fight her to the end!

I don't believe I'll be defeated by a little girl.

The two walked into the courtyard and looked around to make sure no one was there.

Lu Chengwen watched Xu Xuejiao happily fiddle with the bracelet, then put on a stern face and held out his hand: "Give it here."

"What!?"

"The bracelet! Don't pretend you don't know. Is this something you should keep? How can you be so shameless?"

"This is from Mom, you have no right to ask for it."

"Don't call me 'Mom'! Do you even deserve to call me 'Mom'? Give me the bracelet!"

Lu Chengwen glared: "Are you giving it or not?"

"Are you bullying me again?"

"Don't play that card!" Lu Chengwen said: "I see through you. Your heart is so wicked! How can you keep calling me 'Dad' and 'Mom' without feeling embarrassed?"

"Not at all, Dad and Mom are very nice to me!"

"That's because you're lying! I warn you, the next time you see them, tell me the truth, or I won't let you off! Give me the bracelet!"

"You're being mean to me again!?"

"I'm telling you, Xu Xuejiao, my patience has limits. Don't push me! If I get pushed too far, I'll slap you to death!"

Lu Chengwen made a threatening gesture as if he were about to hit her.

Xu Xuejiao wasn't afraid of him at all. She had already figured out Lu Chengwen.

No matter how bad or mean this guy was, it was all an act, a scare tactic. He wouldn't dare hit her.

But she suddenly saw Lu's father and mother walking over from behind Lu Chengwen.

She quickly said: "Don't always bully me, I'll go tell Dad and Mom!"

"Hey! Dad and Mom? Are you Dad? They're my Dad and Mom! Are you giving it or not? I'll hit you!"

Lu's mother heard: "Old Lu, is Chengwen bullying Xuejiao again?"

Lu's father gritted his teeth: "This brat!"

Seeing them approaching, Xu Xuejiao suddenly clapped her hands, making a loud noise.

Then she covered her face, looking as if she had been slapped.

Lu Chengwen was taken aback. Xu Xuejiao pitifully handed over the bracelet: "Brother Chengwen, don't hit me. I'll give you the bracelet back. Actually, I didn't dare to keep it, but I didn't want to be impolite to the elders..."

Lu Chengwen narrowed his eyes, snatched the bracelet, and smirked: "You know your place. I'll tell you, in the future..."

Lu's father grabbed Lu Chengwen by the hair from behind and started beating him.

Xu Xuejiao snuggled into Lu's mother's arms and cried again.

...

In the car.

Lu Chengwen's hair was a mess, his face had a bright red handprint, and he pouted as he started the car, looking aggrieved.

Xu Xuejiao sat in the back, whistling and playing with her new bracelet: "Brother Chengwen, I found out I look really good with this bracelet! Look, doesn't it match my skin tone?"

Lu Chengwen glanced at her in the rearview mirror: "Get lost!"

...

Long Aotian sat on a cushion, practicing his martial arts to heal his injuries.

After a long time, he exhaled a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.

Hua Xueni asked nervously: "Young Master, how do you feel?"

Long Aotian's eyes were fierce: "What do you think?"

Hua Xueni shook his head: "I don't know, that's why I'm asking you."

Long Aotian said gloomily: "That damn Iron Lump King, once I recover my original strength, I'll break every bone in his body and turn him into a piece of trash!"

Hua Xueni said: "Young Master, Lu Chengwen can't be left alive."

"You're right."

Long Aotian said: "This bastard dared to impersonate me, causing me to be beaten like this!"

"Fairly speaking, Young Master, the one who beat you was Iron Lump King, not Lu Chengwen. You were the one who swapped faces with him and got beaten."

Long Aotian looked at Hua Xueni: "Are you blaming me?"

"That's exactly what I think!"

Long Aotian was about to sit up to argue but immediately winced in pain.

"Please don't move, Young Master. I'll go kill Iron Lump King to avenge you!"

"No." Long Aotian said: "The main issue is Lu Chengwen. This guy has managed to make Leng Qingqiu and Xu Xuejiao care so much about him, he's a real menace!"

"Then what do you mean, Young Master?"

"Killing him is easy, but I need Leng Qingqiu and Xu Xuejiao. I must get them."

Long Aotian said: "Has Shi Yin arrived yet?"

"Today."

"Good! With Shi Yin and that woman working together, I'll make Lu Chengwen lose everything and become a piece of trash in front of Leng Qingqiu and Xu Xuejiao. Then I'll appear as a great hero and win their hearts."

Long Aotian, sweating profusely, grinned: "Xue Ni, remember, capturing a city is secondary, capturing the heart is primary. Killing is secondary, winning the heart is primary. Once these two women are won over, killing Lu Chengwen will be like killing a dog!"

Hua Xueni said seriously: "Young Master, you've already made things very complicated. If you keep going, I'm afraid you'll be beaten to death next time."

"Who the hell dares to beat me... Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch..."

...

Iron Lump King received a call from the strategist, smiling.

"Strategist, I've taken care of everything. The money has been transferred to the Young Master's company, and the person who was opposing the Young Master has been beaten into a wimp by me."

The strategist was silent for a long time: "Come back immediately, right now, no stopping."

"What's wrong? I can stay here and protect the Young Master in secret."

"No need. I don't want to waste words. Just come back, immediately, right now."

"Is something wrong?"

The strategist took a deep breath: "The person you beat, the one with over seventy broken bones, is the Young Master."

Iron Lump King's mind went blank.

"But... no, no, he's Lu Chengwen, the Young Master is Long Aotian!"

"The Young Master and Lu Chengwen swapped faces, and you... don't talk anymore, just come back. If you delay, I'll kill you."

Iron Lump King hung up the phone and slumped to the ground.

"How... is this possible? I made a mistake again?!"

"Iron King, we should go back quickly. This is a big deal now."

"Do I even dare to go back? I beat the Young Master into a wimp. If I go back, the strategist will skin me alive!"

Iron Lump King, a tough and strong man, shed tears of humiliation.

"I... I really beat him to death!"

"Yes, you even jumped up and kicked him."

"I... I gritted my teeth and cursed while beating him!"

"You even used a stool, breaking four of them."

"I broke his bones, right?"

"Exactly! You beat him unconscious. Even if he had a steel body, it would take a hundred days to recover."

"What do I do now?! If this gets back to the branch, I'll be the ultimate fool!"

"We don't have to listen to those rumors."

"To hell with that!"

Iron Lump King stood up, gritting his teeth: "Lu Chengwen! I'll get you... no, Long Aotian! I'll get you... no..."

He suddenly broke down: "Who should I curse? This is driving me crazy!"

...

Tang Yiyi wore a baseball cap, a loose denim jacket, and denim shorts, showing off her long, white legs. She wore white and pink sneakers, rode a skateboard, and stopped with a skilled turn.

Seeing Lu Chengwen return to his villa and talking to Zhao Gang, she smiled smugly, picked up her camera, and took a few photos.

She put on her sunglasses and continued to sneak deeper into the villa area.

At a certain spot, she opened her voice recorder and inserted it into her hair, then tested the pinhole camera on her chest.

She put on her denim hat, looked around to make sure no one was there, and sneaked into Lu Chengwen's villa courtyard.

After a while of hiding, her phone vibrated, and she quickly leaned against the wall and whispered: "Hello?"

"Yiyi, have you got the evidence?"

"I'm working on it."

"Good! Lu Chengwen, that scumbag, is definitely involved with that batch of drugs. He must be trying to cover it up, which is why he's putting on a show. We have to expose him and make him a universally despised, infamous villain."

"I know!" Tang Yiyi said impatiently: "I have to work."

"Oh, and one more thing, check why he's leading the slum project. There must be a conspiracy. If we can find out how he's exploiting the people's hard-earned money or the government's project funds, or any other dirty deeds, we can completely bring down this villain and restore a clear blue sky to Snow City!"

"Got it, anything else?"

"Yes, recently, someone has seen him getting close to Xu Xuejiao, the eldest daughter of the Xu family. He has an engagement with Leng Qingqiu, so if he's also messing around with Xu Xuejiao, it will be another important angle for us to attack him!"

"Wait for my news."

Tang Yiyi suddenly saw Xu Xuejiao walk into the villa courtyard, looking very happy.

"Something's up, I'm working."

Tang Yiyi lowered her cap and said angrily: "Lu Chengwen! I, Tang Yiyi, a just, brave, smart, and beautiful journalist, am your nemesis!"

"Even though you've left no evidence, I will expose your ugly, twisted, evil, and dark side!"

"I, Tang Yiyi, swear!"

Lu Chengwen sneezed in the living room: "Damn, who's cursing me!?"