Chapter 67
When Su Ci returned to the Su household, Ji Chi had already come back from the hospital after having his wounds bandaged. Su's Father and Su's Mother were also present.
Apparently, the bodyguards had informed them about what happened tonight.
Seeing Ji Chi in such a state, and knowing that the attackers were in the wrong, Su's Mother was filled with anger. She directly said to her husband, "We can't let this go. If the Lu family gets involved, we must too. It's not right for Ji Chi to be beaten after saving someone."
Su's Father nodded, "I'll mention this to Hua Hu Li later. If he decides to intervene, I'll block him."
However, based on Su's Father's understanding of Lu Chen, that sly fox wouldn't step in for a troublemaking junior from the Lu family's branch without any benefit.
Su's Mother was still furious, "Thank goodness Su Ci brought bodyguards. Otherwise, would Ji Chi have been beaten to death? These rich kids are too arrogant."
Thinking about her friend's child almost losing their life, she felt a wave of fear.
"Su Ci, why did you go to the bar?" Su's Father was more concerned about his daughter's visit to the bar.
The bar was a place with a mix of people, and even though it was a familiar establishment, he was not at ease. Moreover, the bar's security was not strong, which was why those rich kids dared to cause trouble there.
"I went to see what it was like, Dad. Don't worry, I didn't drink, and I had people with me," Su Ci sat next to Su's Mother and turned to her to act cute, "Mom, I would never put myself in danger. I was just a bit curious about what the bar was like."
She knew her father always listened to her mother.
Meanwhile, Ji Chi's gaze lightly swept over Su Ci's face, not daring to look at her overly red, glistening lips.
Su's Mother glared at her husband, "What's the big deal about our daughter going to see something? If she hadn't taken people with her tonight, Ji Chi might not be alive."
Su's Father, scolded by his wife, didn't get angry. "I'm just worried about our daughter's safety. Su Ci, if you go to such a complicated place again, make sure to take more people."
Their precious daughter couldn't be allowed to be bullied.
Su Ci obediently nodded.
Seeing the wounds on Ji Chi's face, Su's Mother looked distressed, "Ji Chi, go upstairs and rest. Leave the rest to us."
Su Ci looked up and saw that Ji Chi's forehead was bandaged with gauze, and his mouth and cheek were covered with band-aids. His originally tough and handsome appearance now looked a bit ridiculous, and less cold.
Ji Chi responded, and as he looked up, his gaze met Su Ci's, causing his heart to tighten. He nodded at her and then went upstairs.
Back in his room, Ji Chi received a call from Fang Qin.
"I heard from Tong Xin that you got into a fight?" Fang Qin's voice was anxious on the phone, "Ji Chi, how are you hurt? Is it serious? Do you need me to come and see you?"
"Mom, I'm fine," Ji Chi sat on the bed, feeling the band-aid on his face about to fall off. He pressed it down, feeling a sharp pain.
Ji Chi told his mother, "I just came back from the hospital. The wounds have been bandaged, and it's not serious."
Fang Qin breathed a sigh of relief, "What exactly happened? Tong Xin said you had a conflict with some rich kids at the bar? Ji Chi, will they retaliate against you?"
Those families are powerful, and she and her son are just ordinary people. If the other side holds a grudge and doesn't let it go, her son will definitely suffer.
Fang Qin became more and more worried.
"Mom, don't worry. They won't do anything to me. Su's Father and Su's Mother will help resolve it," Ji Chi spoke calmly, reassuring Fang Qin on the other end of the phone.
Hearing her son's words, Fang Qin finally relaxed, "I have to trouble the Su family again."
Fang Qin was worried about being a burden, as their family situation made it hard for them to repay the Su family's kindness.
Ji Chi gripped the phone tightly.
Fang Qin continued, "Ji Chi, why did you get into a fight with those rich kids?"
She knew her son's character and knew he wouldn't start trouble.
"A colleague was in trouble at the time," Ji Chi said calmly.
Fang Qin sighed, "Ji Chi, if something like this happens again, don't be impulsive. Our family's situation is different from theirs."
Over the years, with so many debts, Fang Qin had developed a fear of any small disturbance. She only wanted to carefully protect her family and her son.
Ji Chi lowered his eyes, his voice in the quiet room sounding particularly heavy, "I know."
Fang Qin reminded Ji Chi a few more times, as the start of the semester was approaching, to take care of his wounds and not to take on any part-time jobs.
After Ji Chi agreed to each point, she hung up the phone.
Only the bedside lamp with a warm yellow light was on in the room. Ji Chi's tall figure cast a lonely shadow on the wall.
...
With the Su family stepping in, Lu Wudi and the others were still detained at the police station.
Lu Wudi's grandfather was a cousin of the Lu family's patriarch, making Lu Wudi and Lu Zhe cousins.
"Brother, Sister-in-law, Wudi has been detained by the police all night. He's never suffered like this before. As his elders who have watched him grow up, you certainly don't want to see him suffer," the woman with a mournful face was Lu Wudi's mother, He Yun.
Last night, when she learned that her son had been detained by the police, she immediately sent a lawyer to bail him out, but was unexpectedly rejected.
After investigating, she found out that the one who reported the incident was the Su family's young princess.
She usually relied on the Lu family and was always the center of attention among some minor wealthy families. But when it came to the Su family, she could only rely on Lu Chen to stand up to them.
He Yun pleaded, "Brother, please send someone to rescue Wudi. The child must have suffered a lot in there."
Lu Chen lounged lazily on the sofa, one arm draped over Wen Ya's shoulder.
Hearing He Yun's words, Lu Chen chuckled, "Su Shengguo called me last night. He said that if I get involved, he'll compete with me for the project in S City."
He Yun was stunned, then heard Lu Chen say, "That project in S City, once launched, is worth at least a billion. Is Lu Wudi worth that much?"
Lu Chen's character was like that. Except for Wen Ya, he had no mercy for anyone. Sometimes his sharp tongue could infuriate people.
Even though she knew Lu Chen's character was detestable, He Yun still flushed with anger.
She took a deep breath and held back, then turned to beg Wen Ya, "Sister-in-law, your dear nephew has been detained all night. He's been pampered since childhood. How can he stand the environment in the police station?"
At that moment, Lu Zhe came downstairs.
Perhaps after last night's honest conversation with Su Ci, the feelings of inferiority and darkness that had weighed on him had dissipated.
Lu Zhe's face was still stiff, but his clear eyebrows had relaxed, making him even more handsome and outstanding.
He wore a white shirt, his posture straight, and walked down the stairs slowly. Being raised in a wealthy environment, compared to before, Lu Zhe now exuded a noble aura.
"Baby, are you going out?" Seeing her son, Wen Ya had no more attention to spare for He Yun's complaints.
"Yes, there's something at the company. I'll go over," Lu Zhe replied politely, nodding to the guest, He Yun.
Wen Ya cared, "Will you be back for dinner tonight? I'll have them prepare your favorite dishes."
Lu Zhe's lips curved into a smile, "Thank you, Mom. I'll be back for dinner tonight."
"It's the weekend. Is the nephew going to the company?" He Yun's voice was a bit high.
Wen Ya's son had been lost early and, after so many years, had been found again.
When Lu Zhe was first found, the Lu family privately held a family banquet to introduce his identity.
At that time, she noticed that Lu Zhe's features resembled Lu Chen's, but Lu Zhe looked cold, with a wildness that didn't seem like a rich kid.
Seeing Lu Zhe again, He Yun found that in just a short time, the aura of this nephew who had been raised outside had completely changed.
He Yun's eyes showed a hint of displeasure.
She disdainfully pursed her lips.
He Yun had heard that Lu Chen and Wen Ya's son suffered from ALS. She had looked it up and found that ALS was one of the seven major incurable diseases in the world, and even wealth couldn't cure it.
Originally, she had been afraid that this unexpected return of Lu Zhe would compete with her son for the family inheritance. However, after learning that he didn't have much time left to live, she felt reassured.
Nevertheless, at this moment, looking at the tall and robust figure of Lu Zhe with his healthy complexion, it was hard to tell that he was suffering from a terminal illness.
If it weren't for her investigation revealing that Wen Ya and Lu Chen were desperately searching for experts to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), confirming that Lu Zhe indeed had ALS and didn't have long to live, how could she have been so at ease?
Wen Ya's radiant face was filled with a deep smile. "My dear son is very diligent with his work. I've asked him to rest, but he refuses, always focusing on his tasks."
He Yun could clearly hear the underlying meaning in Wen Ya's words—was she mocking her son, Lu Wudi, for only indulging in eating, drinking, and having fun?
What did it matter if Wen Ya was currently triumphant? In the future, her son would still die.
The vast family fortune of the Lu family would eventually need to find another heir.
Within the Lu family, only her son had the closest blood relation to Grandpa Lu. Other distant relatives couldn't compare to her son.
Ultimately, Wen Ya and Lu Chen would have to rely on her son.
Thinking this way, He Yun felt very confident. "Sister-in-law, you haven't agreed to my request about Wudi. Last night, it was that little waiter who wasn't paying attention and dared to hit Wudi. That's why Wudi taught him a lesson. Why should that waiter go free while my Wudi gets arrested?"
Yesterday's incident, Su Ci had already told Lu Zhe about it.
Upon hearing He Yun's words, Lu Zhe spoke up. "That waiter was a guest of Su's Mother. Last night, Lu Wudi dragged his colleague into a private room, harassed him, and restricted his freedom. Su's Mother's guest intervened to help, which angered Lu Wudi, who then had him beaten up."
Lu Zhe recounted the sequence of events as Su Ci had told him, not allowing He Yun to distort the truth.
He Yun was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected Lu Zhe to be so well-informed about the details.
She felt somewhat annoyed. "Little nephew, you and Wudi are both members of the Lu family, brothers. You should be helping your own family, not siding with outsiders."
"Those who do wrong should be punished," Lu Zhe replied, thinking of how Su Ci had puffed up her cheeks in anger when mentioning this incident. His lips curved slightly. "The Lu family doesn't have the power to cover up everything. I hope Lu Wudi will stop using the Lu family's name to engage in illegal activities outside."
He turned to his parents and said, "I'll go take care of some things now."
Wen Ya smiled and nodded. "Go ahead."
He Yun glared in anger. She hadn't expected this newly returned Lu Zhe to be so bold as to criticize her son.
"Hmph, little nephew must be new to the Lu family and hasn't developed any sense of kinship yet. He doesn't understand what brotherhood means," He Yun couldn't help but sarcastically add.
Wen Ya cherished her son the most. Ever since he returned, even Lu Chen had taken a backseat to him. How could she tolerate anyone saying a single bad word about her son?
"Lu Chen and I only have one child. It's normal for him not to understand brotherhood," Wen Ya said with a hint of pride on her radiant face. She wasn't naive; she knew exactly what He Yun had been plotting all these years.
Wasn't it just her dream that her good-for-nothing son would inherit the Lu family?
Dream on.
He Yun's expression darkened. Wen Ya's words clearly meant that Lu Zhe and Lu Wudi were not brothers.
Wen Ya didn't care how embarrassed He Yun felt. She deliberately yawned. "We can't help you with Wudi's situation. You might want to go plead with the Su family, since Wudi was in the wrong."
"Brother, sister-in-law, how can you just believe little nephew's words? He wasn't even there last night. He only heard about it from someone else. His account might not be accurate," He Yun complained unhappily.
Wen Ya pulled at her red lips. "Whatever my son says, my husband and I believe. He's my son. What's wrong with that?"
Lu Chen noticed his wife yawn and wouldn't bother considering He Yun's feelings. A distant relative dared to come to his house and order them around? If it weren't for Grandpa Lu's face, he would have long grown tired of wasting time listening to her nonsense.
Lu Chen directly called the butler. "My wife needs to rest. Show her out."
"Yes, sir," the butler approached He Yun. "Please."
He Yun, despite her fear of Lu Chen, had to leave reluctantly. In the Lu family, the most intimidating person wasn't Grandpa Lu, but the unpredictable and moody Lu Chen. When he was ruthless, he could easily destroy you.
He Yun could only leave in frustration.
Lu Chen raised an eyebrow. "What a nuisance. A good-for-nothing like that isn't worth wasting my time on." Lu Chen had never taken Lu Wudi, his distant nephew, seriously.
After speaking, Lu Chen turned to his wife.
A moment ago, his face had still shown disdain, but now, Lu Chen instantly changed his expression. With his peach blossom eyes raised, he spoke very flatteringly to Wen Ya. "Ya Ya, are you tired? Let me help you upstairs to rest."
Wen Ya lifted her chin, allowing her husband to place his hand on her waist as he helped her upstairs.
...
In September, the weather was still hot, with no breeze around. Pedestrians would sweat profusely after walking for just a short while.
Su Ci stepped out of the car and immediately opened an umbrella.
She was very vain and couldn't bear to let her fair skin be exposed to the scorching sun.
Today was the start of the new semester.
The university entrance was adorned with banners welcoming new students. Many freshmen with luggage were around, and not far away, volunteer booths were set up, with senior students offering assistance to the newcomers.
Su Ci came to handle her enrollment procedures, pick up some military training supplies, and attend her class meeting.
She wore a delicate white dress with floral patterns. Her fair skin and the umbrella she held made her so beautiful that people couldn't take their eyes off her.
Su Ci walked at a leisurely pace, looking relaxed, unlike the surrounding students who were dragging luggage, hurrying, and sweating profusely.
Passing freshmen couldn't help but sneak glances at her.
"Su Ci!"
Not far ahead, someone called out to Su Ci.
She turned around to see a girl dragging a white suitcase, sweating profusely, hurrying towards her.
Oh, it was the tool character Shen Xue.
Aliali: 675f8fba9234b3e7f2017a08Since Lu Zhe arrived in B City, Su Ci no longer needed Shen Xue, and she had almost forgotten about her existence.
"I'm exhausted," Shen Xue panted as she reached Su Ci. "I didn't expect to be at the same university as you. We're so fated."
Su Ci nodded. "It's a bit of a coincidence, indeed."
"But it's not just me. A few other people from our school also came to B University," Shen Xue slowly caught her breath.
Su Ci wasn't from the same high school as Shen Xue, so she wasn't particularly interested in the others.
Shen Xue pouted. "Zhao Youyou and Fu Baili also came to B University."
She had once liked Fu Baili, and Zhao Youyou was her rival in love. Naturally, Shen Xue paid attention to which university they chose.
Upon hearing this, Su Ci frowned.
She hadn't expected the main characters, Fu Baili and Zhao Youyou, to also be at this university.
She didn't like Zhao Youyou. The girl's character wasn't great, but more importantly, every time she thought of how Lu Zhe had died for Zhao Youyou in his previous life, she couldn't help but dislike her.