Chapter 78: Mutual Disdain at First Sight

Zou Qingqing grew a little anxious. “Kept woman? Don’t make it sound so unpleasant—it’s not that at all.” Her earlier bravado vanished, and she hurried to explain, “It was a proper relationship. We broke up, that’s all. Is there any rule that says you can’t date before you’re engaged or married?”

Whether it had been a genuine romance or something more transactional, Qiao Jiu couldn’t say. She merely cast a glance at Lu Fengzhou.

Lu Fengzhou let out a quiet laugh. “A proper relationship? You never announced it, kept it all a secret, and gave him a fixed allowance every month. That’s a proper relationship?”

Suddenly, Qiao Jiu recalled that last time, when Huo Ting was here, Lu Fengzhou had mentioned the Zhao family’s second son and commented that the two of them were quite a match. So this was the story behind it.

She clicked her tongue. “If Zhao Shuo finds out about this, I can’t imagine the commotion he’ll make.”

Zou Qingqing visibly flinched, her panic impossible to hide. Still, she clung to her defense. “Sneaking around? Just because you don’t know about us doesn’t mean others don’t. I see what’s going on—you’re just venting for Guan Wei, trying to slander me on purpose.”

Lu Fengzhou’s tone remained indifferent. “Whether it’s slander or not, Miss Zou, you know the truth—and so does Second Young Master Zhao.”

He shot Zou Qingqing a glance. “Check the financial transactions between you and that college student. Maybe things will become clearer.”

Having said this, he turned to Qiao Jiu. “Have you eaten?”

Qiao Jiu had no desire to be pleasant with him, but with Zou Qingqing still present, she had no choice. Her tone was curt as she replied, “No.”

Lu Fengzhou nodded. “Let’s go, then.”

With that, he placed his hand on Qiao Jiu’s shoulder, exerting a gentle pressure. She turned in response, still holding Guan Wei’s arm, and brought her along as well. The three of them walked toward a nearby restaurant.

Zou Qingqing remained rooted to the spot, as if she wanted to say more, calling after them a couple of times. No one paid her any attention, and eventually, she fell silent.

Once they were seated in the restaurant, Lu Fengzhou turned to Guan Wei. “What’s with that look?”

Qiao Jiu had no wish to mention Guan Wei and Liang Xiujin’s situation. Instead, she frowned and asked Lu Fengzhou, “Why are you here again? You haunt me like a ghost—I run into you everywhere.”

Lu Fengzhou let out a casual “oh,” leaned back, and crossed his legs lazily. “Didn’t I tell you? I left something at your place—I’m here to pick it up.”

Qiao Jiu had thought he’d just been making excuses at noon. “What is it? There’s nothing of yours at my place.”

“You’ll see soon enough,” Lu Fengzhou replied, waving a hand for the waiter.

While Lu Fengzhou ordered, Qiao Jiu turned to Guan Wei, meaning to offer some comfort, but found herself at a loss for words. After wracking her brains for a while, all she could manage was, “Zou Qingqing’s just panicking and looking to lash out—don’t take her words to heart. Let’s wait and see. At least things haven’t gone too far yet; if something’s really wrong, you can always turn back.”

Lu Fengzhou paused, looked at Guan Wei, and gave a short, mocking laugh. “So, you’ve had a falling out with Mr. Liang, have you?”

Qiao Jiu glared at him. “Just tell me what you left at my place. I’ll get it for you now, and then you can go.”

Lu Fengzhou ignored her, handed the menu back to the waiter, and folded his hands over his knee. “Mr. Liang originally had a fiancée who put a green hat on him and ran off with another man,” he said, his gaze settling on Guan Wei. “But things didn’t go well between those two—constant fighting, and they broke up recently. Still, since their relationship had been less than honorable from the start, their breakup was kept quiet.”

He curled his lips. “Judging by your expression, Miss Xu has come back looking for Mr. Liang, hasn’t she, Boss Guan?”

Guan Wei slowly came to herself, then turned to Lu Fengzhou. After a few seconds, she abruptly stood up. “You two eat—I have something to do.”

Before Qiao Jiu could react, Guan Wei strode away with determined steps.

After a moment’s thought, Qiao Jiu understood: Guan Wei was probably heading to Lugang to check the surveillance footage. Anyone would want clarity in such a situation—she knew she would.

When Guan Wei had left, Qiao Jiu looked at Lu Fengzhou again. “Don’t you have business dealings with the Zou family?”

“I do,” Lu Fengzhou replied. “We’ve worked on two projects together—they’re almost finished.”

Qiao Jiu pressed further. “Weren’t you afraid of jeopardizing your families’ relationship, dealing with Zou Qingqing like that?”

Lu Fengzhou chuckled. “What relationship? It’s just business. We’re not friends outside of work—there’s nothing to jeopardize.”

This time, Qiao Jiu didn’t overthink it. “So, with business ties, you still make things hard for her. Do you just dislike Zou Qingqing, Mr. Lu?”

A half-smile played around Lu Fengzhou’s lips. “Miss Qiao, your memory really is poor. Do you know how many times I’ve been cursed out behind my back because of you? Have you forgotten?”

He paused. “I haven’t.”

Oh, that’s right, Qiao Jiu remembered. She and Zou Qingqing never got along, and Lu Fengzhou had indeed suffered because of her.

Back then, Lu Fengzhou hadn’t yet made a name for himself in the business world—just an up-and-coming talent, subject to much gossip and criticism. Zou Qingqing, disliking Qiao Jiu, would always seize on Lu Fengzhou’s background in public, never naming names, but her insinuations were clear enough.

Later, as Lu Fengzhou’s reputation grew, the Zou family reined her in, perhaps giving her a talking-to. She no longer made pointed remarks in public, but she still said plenty of unpleasant things behind his back.

Lu Fengzhou was never one for magnanimity; seizing the chance to make things uncomfortable for her was only natural.

Qiao Jiu nodded. “So that’s how it is.”

Lu Fengzhou’s tone grew a touch acerbic. “Don’t flatter yourself into thinking I stood up to expose her for your sake. That would be overestimating your importance.”

Qiao Jiu replied with a cool “mm,” “No such thought. Don’t worry, Mr. Lu—we’re equally weary of each other, and we both know it.”

Lu Fengzhou looked at her in silence, and Qiao Jiu turned her gaze to the window.

…

Guan Wei did indeed take a cab to Lugang, an upscale café. It was still open, and the place was busy with customers.

Guan Wei went straight to the front desk and asked to see the surveillance footage.

The receptionist was taken aback. “Miss, did you leave something behind?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Guan Wei replied, “Yes, I lost something and want to see if it’s here.”

The receptionist was obliging. The computer was right there, and she turned to pull up the footage, asking as she worked, “Can you tell me roughly what time?”

Guan Wei didn’t know. “In the afternoon.”

“Any more specific?” the receptionist pressed.

Guan Wei kept her expression tight, eyes fixed on the computer. She thought back to picking up Qiao Jiu after work, and Liang Xiujin’s car pulling away. “I was here all afternoon.”

The receptionist asked which area she’d been sitting in, to narrow it down.

Guan Wei hesitated for two seconds, then suddenly opened her purse, took out her wallet, and pulled out all the cash, laying it on the counter. “Don’t ask so many questions. Just check—all of it.”