Qin Zhiyin sent a lawyer’s letter to the person who broke out this news. She strongly criticized him for these baseless rumors. However, the whistleblower seemed determined and didn’t withdraw or change his previous remark. He insisted that Lu Corporation had colluded with the Review Department.

  This incident seemed to have alarmed the relevant department. It was a big deal.

  Qin Zhiyin informed Lu Beichuan of this matter. After investigating this matter, he found out that You Jing was the one behind this incident.

  Meng Jie guessed that You Jing wouldn’t easily let her off, so she called him. This was the first time she called him after blocking him four years ago.

  When Meng Jie made the call, You Jing was in a drunken stupor and in the midst of a fog of cigarette smoke. He was with a group of rich youngsters. They were all from well-off families and didn’t worry about their future.

  When his phone rang, You Jing didn’t notice, but one of the good-for-nothing youngsters he was with got impatient with the ringing phone. He raised his head and shouted, “F*ck. Who’s phone is it? So noisy!”


  The people around him checked their phones. It wasn’t them.

  Someone pointed at You Jing. “Young Master You, your phone is ringing.”


  You Jing looked at him in askance. It took him a long time before he lazily picked up his phone. The name on the screen immediately shot him with a jolt of energy. He jumped up from the sofa with a whoosh and told people to turn off the music and quiet down.

  These good-for-nothing youngsters looked at each other. They didn’t know who the caller was that could make You Jing so excited. Even when You Jing’s dad called to check up on him, they didn’t seem him properly standing up like a soldier.

  The music stopped, and the voices dimmed. You Jing took a deep breath. As he pushed down his excitement and prepared to press the answer button with a trembling hand, he smiled. It was a conceited smile.

  So what if she had Lu Corporation as her backer? As long as he didn’t agree, there was no way she could smoothly make a comeback. If he didn’t agree to the breakup, then Meng Jie had to give up on that idea!

  You Jing answered the call. “Hmm, what is it?”


  Meng Jie went straight to the point and asked, “The issue with the movie, did you do it?”


  You Jing was stunned for a moment. He quickly recovered, “That matter……”


  There was silence on the phone for a while. It was so silent as if he hadn’t heard her voice when he answered the phone.

  You Jing inexplicably felt uneasy.

  When he and Meng Jie got together, his friends thought they would only last for a few months. He was the only one that knew that he wasn’t playing around. He was serious. He truly wanted to be with Meng JIe.

  The first time he saw Meng Jie, he had fallen hard for her. He was beside himself. Meng Jie had completely stolen his heart. Just saying a few words with her was enough to make him happy the rest of the day. During that time, he was like a young boy with his first crush. He didn’t know what to do with himself.

  As for why Meng Jie agreed to date You Jing, his pack of scoundrel friends couldn’t figure it out.

  Meng Jie was obviously the type of person that was noble and above material pursuits. She was a woman who wouldn’t be willing to be someone with poor conduct and covered in the stench of money. She and You Jing were simply people from two different worlds.

  Just like that, they sweetly stumbled along in their relationship for several years. Just as people thought that You Jing had cleaned himself up and these two would end up getting married, she actually broke up with him.

  In the past, it was only You Jing that dumped others. How could someone dump him?

  Everyone was waiting to see a good show, and they weren’t disappointed. You Jing had pretended to be a good person in front of Meng Jie for several years. Once they broke up, he went back to his old self. He had her blacklisted and returned to his good-for-nothing lifestyle.

  The other side was silent. You Jing felt increasingly uneasy. He picked up the wine glass and gulped down several mouthfuls of wine to bolster his courage.

  “You Jing, do you know why I broke up with you?”


  Chapter 299 – She knew that Lu Shaoyan’s manipulations were inseparable from Zhouzhou in the novel growing up into a person with a twisted character (1)

  You Jing had settled back on the sofa. Feeling hot, he irritably tugged on his tie. He paused when he heard her question, then he suddenly sat up straight. His full attention was put on the phone.

  Back then, Meng Jie wouldn’t give him the answer to this question no matter how he asked.

  “Why?”


  “Because I got pregnant.” Meng Jie’s voice was soft and slow as if she was talking about something that had nothing to do with her. “But then, because of you, I miscarried.”


  You Jing paled. He wanted to ask for details. He wanted to ask Meng Jie when this happened and why didn’t she tell him back then. However, he couldn’t utter these words. He was violently trembling, and his eyes had reddened. Perhaps, it was because of the alcohol, perhaps it was some other reason. Who knows?

  “You Jing, it’s impossible for me to forgive you.” Meng Jie pensively sighed and then ended the call.

  Five years had passed, but that memory was still stuck in her heart like a thorn. She couldn’t forget that pool of blood and that sensation as she lost her child.

  She had once loved You Jing, but that was in the past. They weren’t suitable for each other.

  Everyone said that it was You Jing that blocked Meng Jie, but the truth was that Meng Jie was the one avoiding him.

  Letting out this secret was good too.

  Meng Jie sighed in relief.

  Qinhua’s Riverside was the accomplishment of all the cast and crew. It mattered to everyone. She couldn’t let the cast and crew accompany her and be framed by You Jing for no reason.

  ***

  “So public opinion was resolved just like that?” Ye Zhen looked at the report that Qin Zhiyin delivered in bafflement.

  Qin Zhiyin nodded. “That’s right. The person who broke the news apologized. He claimed that he was mistaken. He’s willing to accept the legal consequences from Lu Corporation’s investigation of the matter.”


  Ye Zhen thought it over. She had a gut feeling that this matter had something to do with Meng Jie. Afterall, You Jing, that lunatic, wouldn’t easily let off the opportunity to implicate anything involving Meng Jie.

  “Thank you for your hard work in keeping an eye on this matter. Oh right, it’s the end of the year. It’ll be Chinese New Year soon. Do you have any plans?”


  Now that the discussion had shifted to small talk, Qin Zhiyin’s tense nerves relaxed. “What plans can I have? I’m just going back home for Chinese New Years. What about you, Mrs. Lu?”


  After getting along during the past period, Ye Zhen quite liked that Qin Zhiyin was meticulous when it came to work and easygoing outside of work. She had a clear separation between public and private matters.

  “Going to the Lu’s ancestral home.”


  After Zhouzhou’s first month birthday celebration, Old Master Lu had taken Butler Lu with him back to Lu’s ancestral home. He hadn’t come back to take a look since then.

  Occasionally, they would take Zhouzhou over there for a few days to visit Old Master Lu, but going back to the ancestral home for Chinese New Year meant that the visit wouldn’t be just a few days long. They would have to come in contact with the Lu’s extended relatives and family friends.

  Just by himself, Lu Shaoyan, Lu Beichuan’s little uncle, was enough for her to worry about. Adding Lin Zhan on top of him was enough to give Ye Zhen a headache.

  And yet, these New Year greetings were unavoidable for the time being.

  Qin Zhiyin knew a little bit about the Lu’s family secrets. She intuitively gave Ye Zhen a sympathetic “good luck” look.

  Chapter 300 – She knew that Lu Shaoyan’s manipulations were inseparable from Zhouzhou in the novel growing up into a person with a twisted character (2)

  The temperature plummeted in the following period. The closer it got to Chinese New Year, the more festive elements were added to the streets and alleys.

  Servants were packing the daily necessities into the car. Butler Lu, who had come here to pick them up, persistently said the ancestral home had everything and that there was no need to bring these things. However, Mother Lu insisted that the things at home were the best to use.

  Zhouzhou was two years old. Under the care of the whole family, he had grown a lot taller. He was tightly wrapped up in layers of clothes by Mother Lu and looked like a chubby ball. Only his limpid eyes that looked like colored glass were exposed. The cumbersome clothes didn’t stop him from jumping around and wanting to play in the snow.

  Children were full of curiosity about the things near them.

  However, it was such a cold day. There was no way that Mother Lu would allow him to play in the snow. Zhouzhou surveyed the people around him. Seeing that his dad wasn’t around, he threw a fit and insisted on playing in the snow.

  “Young Master has gotten so tall!” A kind, elderly smile immediately appeared on Butler Lu’s face when he saw Zhouzhou.

  Zhouzhou raised his head to look at Butler Lu. He wasn’t timid around him either and pointed at the white snow in the courtyard. “Grandpa, I want to go play.”


  “That won’t do. It’s so cold out. If you catch a cold, you’ll need to get an injection and take medicine. Do you know what that means?”


  Zhouzhou muddle-headely figured out what those words mean. Scared, he trembled.

  Lu Beichuan and Ye Zhen came outside. Lu Beichuan swept his gaze over and asked, “What’s wrong?”


  Zhouzhou blinked. He was very good at acting well-behaved in front Lu Beichuan. “Zhouzhou is good. Won’t play in snow. Have to get an injection and eat medicine if Zhouzhou doesn’t feel well.”


  Mother Lu knew that Zhouzhou was afraid of his dad. She immediately picked him up. “That’s grandma’s good grandson. Let’s go. We’re off to Great-Grandpa’s house for Chinese New Year!”


  Ye Zhen glared at Lu Beichuan.

  In Zhouzhou’s mind, his father was just like the King of Hell. Lu Beichuan didn’t even need to say a word. Just standing there was enough to make Zhouzhou extremely well-behaved.

  Lu Beichuan tightened his hold on Ye Zhen’s hand. “Let’s go.”


  Lu Beichuan and Ye Zhen got in the front car while Mother Lu took Zhouzhou with her to the car in the back that had a child’s safety seat in it. There was a car in front of and behind these two cars. The extra two cars were sent over by Old Master Lu to escort them over. They had become vigilant due to the incident of Ye Zhenting kidnapping Ye Zhen.

  The ancestral home was far away from the Lu’s mansion and the city center. It was located in a suburban district with beautiful scenery. It was a good spot for retired people.

  The ancestral home was a historical building with the architectural style of the last dynasty. It had courtyards, rock gardens, and flower gardens. Due to Lu’s maintenance and improvements made in the past years, it maintained its imposing style.

  Over three hours later, they finally arrived at the ancestral home.

  Right after they got out of the car, a servant greeted them with a smile. “You’re finally here. Old Master has been waiting…… Ah, this is Young Master, right? I’ll get someone to bring over a stroller.”


  “No need.” Lu Beichuan indifferently rejected him. “He’s two now. He can walk.” He beckoned Zhouzhou. Zhouzho pouted and reluctantly walked over to Lu Beichuan.

  When everyone else’s attention was focused on Zhouzhou, Ye Zhen lightly punched Lu Beichuan and whispered, “Enough, it’s the holidays.”


  Knowing that his wife was distressed for Zhouzhou, Lu Beichuan didn’t insist on it. He leaned over and picked up Zhouzhou.

  Zhouzhou uttered a short cry of surprise. He stared at Lu Beichuan in a panicky and undecided gaze and then he looked at the ground. He seemed quite shocked by Lu Beichuan’s move.

  Perhaps, it was because from Zhouzhou’s very few recallable memories, this was Lu Beichuan’s first time carrying him.

  Lu Beichuan shifted and held him tighter.

  Zhouzhou looked at Lu Beichuan with his eyebrows furrowed. His little gloved-hands were raised. He wasn’t sure where to put them. He blankly looked at Ye Zhen with a hint of grievance in his eyes.

  Ye Zhen looked at Zhouzhou with amusement. She separated those two furry hands and wrapped them around Lu Beichuan’s neck. Zhouzhou had a surprised look in his eyes as he was carried in his father’s arms. The family of four entered the ancestral home’s front doors under the gaze of others.

  Chapter 301 – She knew that Lu Shaoyan’s manipulations were inseparable from Zhouzhou in the novel growing up into a person with a twisted character (3)

  It was very lively today. Right after entering the front doors, they heard the sound of laughter and joy that encompassed almost the entire spacious courtyard. Everyone was bustling about to prepare New Year’s Eve dinner. There were red lanterns, strings of small firecrackers, and rhyming couplets hung up on the sides of the doorways, making the ancestral home look brand new.

  Lu Beichuan and the others followed Butler Lu into the living room. There were many people sitting in the living room. There were old faces and young faces, all of them were unfamiliar to Ye Zhen, except for the old man sitting in the middle. That old man had ample mental vigor.

  Lu Beichuan put Zhouzhou down. Holding his son’s hand, he walked over to Old Master Lu.

  Without waiting for Lu Beichuan to speak, Old Master Lu looked at the chubby kid next to him and waved at him. His face was full of affection for his great-grandson. “Zhouzhou, come over to Great-Grandpa.”


  The room was crowded with people, but Zhouzhou was neither scared nor awkward. As soon as Lu Beichuan let go, he scurried over to Old Master Lu on his little legs. Smiling and revealing a few baby teeth, he said, “Great-Grandpa, Happy New Year. I wish you a prosperous New Year!”


  The child’s voice was soft and milky. His enunciation wasn’t that clear either. Most of his face was still wrapped in a scarf and flushed. His big, limpid, misty eyes looked at Old Master Lu. His smile was simple and pure.

  Old Master Lu’s heart melted into a puddle. He really loved this great-grandson. He picked him up and held him in his arms. “Our Zhouzhou is so well-behaved. As soon as you came here, you paid Great-Grandpa a New Year greeting. Great-Grandpa can’t be stingy.” He picked up the red envelope that he had prepared for Zhouzhou from the table and offered it to him. “This New Year’s red envelope is from Great-Grandpa. Take it to buy some candy.”


  Zhouzhou hesitated and didn’t take it. He glanced at Lu Beichuan and said, “Mom doesn’t allow me to eat candy.”


  “Why does she forbid Zhouzhou from eating candy?”


  Zhouzhou showed his teeth to Old Master Lu. He looked charmingly naive. “Mom said there’ll be bugs if I eat candy, and they’ll bite my teeth at night. If my teeth hurt, I’ll have to eat medicine! Bitter medicine! Zhouzhou wants to eat candy, not medicine!”


  Everyone present was amused by Zhouzhou’s words and laughed.

  Old Master Lu couldn’t hold back his smile either. “Let’s not eat candy then. Save this money to buy toys for Zhouzhou.”


  Lu Beichuan nodded at Zhouzhou.

  Zhouzhou finally accepted the red envelope from Old Master Lu. His laughter was loud and clear. “Thank you, Great-Grandpa! Great-Grandpa, are you going to give Dad, Mom, and Grandma, red envelopes too?”


  It was only then that Old Master Lu looked at Lu Beichuan and the others.

  “Grandpa, Happy New Year.”


  Old Master Lu’s smile diminished. His gaze fell on Lu Beichuan, and he nodded in acknowledgement.

  Old Master Lu had observed Lu Corporation’s development in the past few years. This development proved that his decision back then was correct; he had chosen the right person to succeed him.

  Lu Biechuan and the others sat down. The servants hurriedly brought over tea, pastries, etc. Everyone idly chatted with smiles. It was just exchanging conventional greetings, nothing more.

  Sitting on Old Master Lu’s lap, Zhouzhou looked around. He was a bit tired after sitting in the car for over three hours. His eyelids kept drooping down. Suddenly, he saw something and got excited. He kicked his little legs and reached out.

  “What’s wrong?”


  Zhouzhou’s little hands were scrabbling in the air. His gaze was very eager. “I want…… I want to play with lights……”


  Everyone followed the direction of Zhouzhou’s hands and saw a person lying on a nearby sofa. That person was half-awake and playing with a white jade ball that was the size of a fist. That ball emitted lights of various colors, attracting Zhouzhou’s attention.

  Lu Shaoyan waved at Zhouzhou. “Come here and Uncle will give you this toy.”


  Ye Zhen became vigilant, but she wasn’t too worried. Seeing this, she only felt that Lu Shaoyan was finally making his move against Zhouzhou. After all, she knew that Lu Shaoyan’s manipulations were inseparable from Zhouzhou in the novel growing up into a person with a twisted character.

  Bah! This b*stard!