"Qingqiu, get up first."
"Chengwen, I like you. I really like you. Devour Qianfeng!"
Leng Qingqiu's eyes shone with unwavering determination, sharp and resolute.
"After the takeover, I can continue managing Qianfeng for you. I'll pour all my abilities into developing and expanding it, making it the most profitable subsidiary under the Dasheng Group."
"Qingqiu, you—"
"Devour me too! I, Leng Qingqiu, was once an ungrateful, self-righteous woman. But now I've awakened. I understand. I like you—from the bottom of my heart, sincerely, deeply…"
"Stop, stop, stop!" Lu Chengwen interrupted. "Get up first."
Leng Qingqiu stared at Lu Chengwen and realized he had no interest in anything she said.
He wasn't interested in Qianfeng, nor was he interested in her.
For a woman drowning in love, the most terrifying thing was discovering that the other person didn't care about her at all.
He seemed completely indifferent to her!
This was the most frightening thing.
And the thing Leng Qingqiu feared the most.
Outwardly aloof, she was inwardly starved for love.
From childhood, she had been subjected to the high-pressure education and control of her family. As an adult, she was betrayed by her best friend, sold out by her first love, and kicked out of the game by her father…
In truth, she was a pitiful woman who had nothing but wealth, beauty, and a perfect figure.
Of course, most people in the world would envy Leng Qingqiu to the point of madness, believing she already had everything.
But Leng Qingqiu knew the truth—she had nothing.
Lu Chengwen was her last lifeline.
After waking up, she began frequently communicating with Lu Chengwen, tracking the progress of the business war.
She had wanted to throw her own funds into the battle, but Lu Chengwen stopped her.
She only had a few billion on hand—if she invested it, it wouldn't even make a ripple.
But Lu Chengwen was pouring money in for her like crazy.
Watching the fluctuating transaction records, Leng Qingqiu realized just how powerless she was.
She could only watch as everything unfolded, unable to do anything.
Yet behind those frenzied transaction records, the shadow of a man emerged.
Every number, curve, mark, and color… all reflected Lu Chengwen fighting desperately for her.
When she had sarcastically mocked herself a few times, Lu Chengwen hadn't gotten angry. Instead, he seemed happy.
As if he had won.
In the business world, she had lost completely. But with Lu Chengwen, she would always be the victor!
Because he loved her!
More than Xu Xuejiao, more than Chen Mengyun!
She was his favorite!
In this lifetime, he had only gone this crazy for her, only thrown money around so recklessly for her!
So when Xu Xuejiao had taunted her, she had simply smiled back.
It had made Xu Xuejiao storm off in a huff.
But now, when she was willing to give everything to him, he rejected her.
What was this man thinking?
Why was he toying with her like this?!
If you don't love me, why did you chase me for three years?
If you don't love me, why did you do so much for me?
If you don't love me, why would a miser who treats money like his life throw it around so recklessly to stabilize the situation and protect Qianfeng Group for me?
Leng Qingqiu was on the verge of tears. "Are you still holding a grudge against me? For my coldness and arrogance during those three years? My ignorance and pride? I've already apologized!"
Lu Chengwen said, "Just get up first, okay?"
"No! Explain it to me clearly! Even if I die, I want to die knowing why!"
Leng Qingqiu, normally so strong-willed, suddenly felt unbearably wronged. "You clearly said you liked me before. How come now… you don't even want me when I'm throwing myself at you? When did you stop liking me?"
Lu Chengwen felt like his head was about to explode.
When women pulled this kind of act, he had no idea how to handle it.
Lu Chengwen had the wisdom, temperament, vision, and mindset of a great man.
But he also had the memories and instincts of an ordinary person, and those were hard to change.
If this were any other scion of a wealthy family, they would have smugly lifted Leng Qingqiu's chin, soothed her with a few words, and gladly accepted everything she offered.
But Lu Chengwen's mind just went blank. He didn't know how to deal with it.
At this moment, he was still just that simple, ordinary delivery guy.
"Qingqiu, don't… just get up first."
"I won't!" Leng Qingqiu was nearly crying. "I have nothing left! No Qianfeng, no family. I have no friends, no confidants, no lover, no family… I only have you. Tell me, what do I have to do for you to like me?"
Lu Chengwen never expected a woman like Leng Qingqiu to speak so humbly.
His heart ached, but he was also flustered.
"It's not that I don't like you, it's just—"
"Then take me! Take everything I have!"
Lu Chengwen's face twisted. "Everything?"
"Yes! Everything!"
Leng Qingqiu declared, "My dreams, my heart, my… body."
Lu Chengwen sighed. "Get up first."
Seeing her unmoving, Lu Chengwen suddenly raised his voice. "Get up!"
Leng Qingqiu slowly stood.
Lu Chengwen spoke calmly. "I'll transfer all the Qianfeng Group shares I acquired back to you…"
"But—"
"Let me finish."
Lu Chengwen continued, "If you're truly determined to follow me wholeheartedly, what difference does it make whether it's mine or yours? Whether Qianfeng Group remains an independent corporation or becomes a subsidiary under Dasheng Group?"
Leng Qingqiu was stunned.
Any major corporation would have swallowed Qianfeng whole at this point.
There was no way they would let it remain independent—that would mean it belonged to itself, with absolute autonomy. Whether it was considered part of Dasheng Group or not would be entirely up to her.
It was like making a deal without transferring the money, saying, "I'll leave it with you and take it when I need it."
A normal person would pocket the money immediately, establishing absolute ownership and control.
But Lu Chengwen was letting Leng Qingqiu and Qianfeng Group remain completely independent!
In other words, Leng Qingqiu could betray him at any time!
Lu Chengwen said, "Anyway, let's focus on reclaiming Qianfeng first. We'll talk about the rest later."
In his heart, he thought:
*Help her take Qianfeng back! Right now, she's not thinking clearly—she's been hit too hard and is in complete disarray.*
*Once Qianfeng is back in her hands, she won't be so fragile anymore. By then, Qianfeng will still be Qianfeng, and Leng Qingqiu will still be Leng Qingqiu. She won't have to face me like this.*
Leng Qingqiu understood.
Lu Chengwen thought she was only doing this because she had no other options.
He believed that once Qianfeng was reclaimed, she would once again become one of the four pillars of Snow City and wouldn't entertain the idea of joining the Lu family as a subsidiary.
*Fine!*
*You don't believe me? I'll prove it to you!*
*If we really can reclaim Qianfeng, you won't be able to push me away then!*
"If we reclaim Qianfeng, will you accept me? Accept my loyalty?"
Lu Chengwen thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. Exactly."
"Good! I, Leng Qingqiu, swear this now—whether or not I reclaim Qianfeng, from this day forward, I belong to Lu Chengwen! If I break this oath, may lightning strike me dead!"
Lu Chengwen was beyond frustrated.
*I'm touched, sure, but this behavior is nothing like a CEO of a major corporation. She's acting like some lovestruck, naive little girl.*
*Even resorting to childish vows and curses.*
*Whatever. She's not thinking straight right now. Let her be. We'll deal with it once the situation stabilizes.*
Lu Chengwen said, "Eat something. You need to eat more—you're too thin."
Leng Qingqiu sat back down, smiling at Lu Chengwen.
"I'll stay tonight."
"Huh?"
"I'll keep you company."
Lu Chengwen set down his chopsticks, at a loss for words.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
Lu Chengwen unlocked it with his phone, and his mother walked in.
"Chengwen, did you know your brother's been arrested?"
"Mom, have you eaten?"
"I'm asking you! Your brother's been taken by the police—did you know?"
"Yes. I heard it was the armed police. Several cars, armed with assault rifles."
Lu's mother was furious. "You have to save him!"
Lu Chengwen laughed. "Mom, what are you talking about? They're handling this according to the law. How am I supposed to save him? Should I charge in with an assault rifle too?"
Lu's mother angrily pinched his ear. "Are you trying to kill me with anger? Hire a lawyer for him! Get him out on bail!"
Lu Chengwen rubbed his ear. "Mom! Saving him now would only harm him!"
"What did you say?"
Lu Chengwen spoke passionately. "Since we were kids, you've taught us benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust. Be kind to the weak, loyal to family and friends, courteous to strangers and business partners, act with wisdom, and conduct business with integrity."
"That's all fine! But every time we messed up, you'd just throw money at the problem. Do you know what that taught us?"
Lu's mother stared at him. "What?"
"That no matter how badly we screwed up, someone would always bail us out! When we were kids, a spanking would've been enough. But now we're adults—that doesn't work anymore! He needs to face the consequences of his actions. Only by suffering and learning from his mistakes will he start using his brain."
"Next time he's about to do something reckless, he'll think twice—if he messes up, he'll have to bear the consequences himself. His family won't save him. That's the only way he'll weigh the pros and cons and exercise caution."
"I could do it!" Lu Chengwen said. "I could hire the best legal team, pay an enormous bail, and he'd be home for dinner tonight! But think about it—he's already bold enough to manufacture counterfeit drugs! If we let him walk free this time, who knows what he'll do next?"
Lu's mother wasn't ignorant of the logic.
She understood—she'd known it all along.
But her son was in jail, and as a mother, she couldn't bear it. She just wanted to get him out first and lecture him at home.
Lu Chengwen was right. At this age, bailing him out would send the wrong message. Any lectures would go in one ear and out the other—he wouldn't take them seriously.
"Then what do we do? Your brother can't handle hardship—how will he survive in prison?"
Lu Chengwen said, "There are thousands of people in prison. If they can handle it, why can't he? Doesn't he deserve this? He dared to make counterfeit drugs! If it weren't for your and Dad's poor health, I'd break his legs myself to avoid upsetting you!"
Seeing his mother in tears while Leng Qingqiu comforted her, Lu Chengwen softened.
"Mom, this is the last time we can save him. Bailing him out now would only ruin him. Besides, I've already destroyed the drugs. Legally, this is an internal management issue for our group, so his sentence shouldn't be too severe. I'll have lawyers negotiate, but we can't keep covering for him like this."
Lu's mother understood, but her heart ached.
Leng Qingqiu could only hold her and console her, glancing at Lu Chengwen and thinking how incredibly handsome he was!
*How is he so perfect?*
Just then, a cold voice remarked, "I never took you for such a high-minded man, Young Master Lu."