“Little deer…”
Lu Xi rubbed her ears and looked at the blue-haired fool with a face full of helplessness.
For a moment, she almost thought this unfilial son was calling her!
With all the sudden shocks day in and day out, she was bound to set a rule sooner or later: from now on, in this house, no one was allowed to speak louder than her!
If even Lu Xi was this startled, then Wang Qianru was even more shocked.
Where did this arrogant Young Master suddenly come from?
“Wh-what little deer?”
Lu Xi glanced at her. “The ornament your son took.”
After saying that, she looked up at the foolish boy on the second floor, half exasperated and half amused. She frowned at him, her tone a bit more serious than usual. “Go back to your room. I’m handling this.”
Xie Heng widened his eyes, unconvinced, refusing to move from where he stood.
This woman was Du Jiaqi’s mother. Lu Xi was sitting with her in the living room, what if they didn’t get along and ended up fighting?
It wasn’t that Xie Heng underestimated Ms. Lu. But with her small frame, delicate and fragile, she probably wouldn’t last a single round.
Du Jiaqi’s mother didn’t seem taller than Lu Xi, but she was clearly sturdier. For some reason, when Xie Heng looked at her, he saw the same thing he saw in Du Jiaqi, that same vibe he just didn’t like.
Maybe it was just instinct, but he didn’t want Lu Xi to be alone with this person.
Lu Xi didn’t have time to argue with him. She spoke again, “Go back to your room. Be good.”
“…Oh.” The teenager was reluctant, but he still gave in.
He knew that if he talked back to Ms. Lu in front of outsiders, she would definitely be angry.
Only then did Wang Qianru snap out of her daze, her eyes widening.
So this boy was the Young Master of the Xie family, Xie Heng?
No wonder her son said Xie Heng was the school tyrant, always fighting and acting recklessly. That day, it was Xie Heng who blocked her son in his class and wouldn’t let him leave.
It wasn’t just her son who was scared. Even she, an adult, felt uneasy seeing Xie Heng.
But…
Wang Qianru couldn’t help but glance at Lu Xi.
She was just his stepmother, and she hadn’t been in the family for long. How was it that even a little tyrant like Xie Heng listened to her so obediently?
After making sure Xie Heng had gone back, Lu Xi turned to Wang Qianru.
At first, she didn’t speak. She simply gazed at Wang Qianru, her expression unreadable. The silence stretched, making Wang Qianru so nervous she almost broke.
Just when she was about to lose it, Lu Xi finally spoke in a calm voice, “Why do you want to see them? Give me a reason.”
Her tone wasn’t arrogant, but it was firm.
It carried the kind of attitude that said, whether you tell me or not is up to you. The fact that I’m even asking is already giving you face. If you don’t want to answer, then you can leave.
Wang Qianru clenched her fingers subtly.
She had no choice, she needed a favor.
She wanted to meet Master Louis and Ye Sisheng. What other reason could there be besides getting into KC Group?
Not to mention that as a designer, who wouldn’t want the chance to study under a master?
But she had other motives as well.
Her studio seemed to be doing okay, with some reputation in the niche women’s fashion market.
However, running a physical business had become increasingly difficult. Her brand wasn’t high-end enough, and over the years, most of her customer base, who are young professionals, had shifted to online shopping, causing her business to decline.
She had tried to transition a few years ago, but it was hard. Running a business on her own meant taking on all the risks. Over time, she started feeling that it would be better to join a large corporation as a designer. Maybe with a bit of luck, she could make a name for herself.
Then, ten days ago, an industry friend told her that KC Group was recruiting designers, requiring at least five years of experience.
That was when Wang Qianru thought of her old college classmate, Zheng Wei, whom she had met through Lu Xi.
Zheng Wei was a shareholder at KC. He had no real talent, just the luck of being born into the right family, but he was a very helpful person. So, Wang Qianru took him out for a meal, and just like that, he agreed to help push her application internally. He told her to send over a few design drafts, which he would pass on to Master Louis and President Ye.
She quickly prepared three designs and sent them over to Zheng Wei.
Less than a day later, he brought back good news, Ye Sisheng had looked at them and found one design particularly interesting. He planned to show it to Master Louis and schedule an interview with her.
Wang Qianru had been overjoyed, waiting for KC to reach out to her.
But after an entire week, she still hadn’t heard anything. When she contacted Zheng Wei again, he was hesitant, saying that things had stalled with Ye Sisheng.
He didn’t know why. When he asked, Ye Sisheng wouldn’t explain, and Zheng Wei didn’t want to push too hard.
Over the past few days, Wang Qianru had been extremely anxious.
If KC hired someone else, especially someone with stronger connections, she would lose her chance.
That night, in desperation, she persuaded Zheng Wei to take her to an internal KC fitting and runway show, hoping to get a chance to speak with Ye Sisheng.
But to her surprise, that idle Young Master didn’t even stay for ten minutes before leaving. She never got the opportunity to talk to him.
However, she did gain an unexpected lead.
That night, she saw the new Mrs. Xie.
Zheng Wei mentioned that she had an impressive presence. Ye Sisheng had personally invited her, and even Master Louis treated her with respect, chatting with her at the entrance for quite a while.
Under normal circumstances, Wang Qianru would never have been able to reach someone with that level of influence.
But this Lu Xi was not the same Lu Xi she had known.
And thanks to her son, she now had a chance to approach this Lu Xi.
Of course, she wouldn’t reveal all this to Lu Xi. She only shared the key points, playing up her struggles and emphasizing how much she needed Lu Xi’s help.
After listening, Lu Xi first signaled the servant to pour a cup of water.
She sipped her water absentmindedly, lost in thought.
After a few seconds, she said, “Go back and wait patiently.”
Wang Qianru was momentarily stunned.
Then, realization hit her, and her eyes lit up with excitement.
Did this mean she agreed? Otherwise, why would she tell her to go back and wait, surely for good news!
Of course.
Wang Qianru thought, anyone wanting to meet Louis and Ye Sisheng would need time. Lu Xi was no exception.
“Thank you, really! I didn’t expect Mrs. Xie to be so kind.”
She had assumed she would need to put in more effort, but unexpectedly, Lu Xi turned out to be so straightforward.
She looked sharp and spoke with a sharp tongue, but in the end, she wasn’t that smart, just like that Zheng Wei. A few words of self-pity, and she was fooled.
Lu Xi glanced at her and frowned slightly.
Thank her? For what? For sending her home to wait for a lawyer’s letter? And she was happy about it?
She cleared her throat and looked at Wang Qianru with a half-smile.
She had lived two lives, more or less, but this was the first time she had encountered someone like this. Stealing her design drafts and then coming to ask her for a recommendation. Should she call it shameless or just plain ignorance?
Lu Xi said, “You’re welcome. This is my duty.”
As the victim, it was only right for her to seek justice and make Wang Qianru pay the price.
Wang Qianru left the Xie residence with a joyful expression.
She drove away, but less than a kilometer down the road, she received a call from her assistant.
The moment she answered, her face changed, and she hurriedly pulled over.
“What? Zheng Suxin wants to cancel our collaboration and says I’ll ‘pay for it’? What does that mean?”
Through Zheng Wei, she had gotten to know Zheng Suxin and secured a design order from her.
A school uniform design competition, something she hadn’t even taken seriously. She had casually submitted a random draft. It was Lu Xi’s anyway…
She wasn’t around anymore, so those designs would just go to waste. Why not put them to good use?
Everything had been fine before…
Losing an order was one thing, but offending Zheng Suxin was a much bigger problem.
“What the hell happened?” Wang Qianru couldn’t help but shout into the phone.
But her assistant had no clear answers.
Anxious, she had no choice but to change direction and head to her studio.
On the way, she tried calling Zheng Suxin repeatedly, but none of the calls went through.
Not long before, Lu Xi had spoken to Zheng Suxin, asking her to hold off for now, as she had other plans.
Wang Qianru had definitely taken more than one of her designs.
There was no escaping what she had done, and right now, Lu Xi was the one who had no reason to panic.
She needed time to calm down, gather evidence, and consult a lawyer.
As soon as Wang Qianru left, Xie Heng emerged from his room and flopped onto the couch in the living room.
He and Lu Xi locked eyes.
Lu Xi : “…”
Sigh.
With a loud and ever-present blue-haired brat in the house, there was no way to relax just yet.
She let out a soft sigh, lazily leaning back against the couch, side-eyeing the teenager. “Spit it out.”
Xie Heng : “…”
Sometimes, he found Ms. Lu fascinating.
Every time he sat down next to her and just stared, she somehow knew he had something to say.
He rubbed his chin. “That woman didn’t piss you off, did she?”
Lu Xi glanced at him and scoffed, “Oh, she did. She pissed me off royally.”
Xie Heng was stunned.
So she really was mad…
He frowned, his face darkening with anger.
Unbelievable. That woman had the audacity to come into his home and upset someone from the Xie family? Did she think Xie Heng was dead or something?
His face turned grim, and he shot to his feet.
If he hurried, he could still catch up to her. He wouldn’t hit a woman, but giving her pathetic, mama’s-boy son a beating was definitely an option.
Lu Xi took one look at the impulsive, oversized puppy and instantly knew what he was thinking.
Lowering her gaze slightly, she said in a soft voice, “Sit down. Don’t make trouble.”
Xie Heng : “…”
So frustrating.
But he didn’t dare disobey.
Then followed a long stretch of silence.
Lu Xi said nothing, staring at the floor, seemingly lost in thought.
Xie Heng, outwardly nonchalant, pulled out his phone to play a game, but he didn’t go upstairs. Every so often, he stole a glance at Lu Xi.
He was so anxious.
What was going on? Had she been so enraged that she didn’t even have the strength to speak?
No matter how sharp he was, Xie Heng couldn’t read her mind.
He wasn’t that bright, so he could only rely on his mouth.
Finally, he couldn’t hold it in anymore. He ruffled his hair and asked seriously, “What exactly did that woman do to piss you off? Just tell me.”
Lu Xi pressed her lips together. “Kids who meddle in adult matters won’t grow tall.”
Xie Heng : ?
He glanced at his long legs.
—You sure about that?
Is she really going to brush him off with this excuse?
But since Lu Xi refused to explain, there was nothing he could do. Yet, the more she acted this way, the more curious he became. At the same time, his dissatisfaction with Wang Qianru deepened. What exactly had that woman done to upset the usually eloquent Ms. Lu so much?
That evening, when Xie Yizhao returned home.
At the dining table, Lu Xi and Xie Heng had already started eating.
Xie Yizhao’s schedule was unpredictable, so the family never waited for him to have dinner.
He was used to it and didn’t mind. Silently, he pulled out the chair next to Lu Xi and sat down.
Just then, he happened to hear Lu Xi speak up : “Do you know any good lawyers? Recommend one to me.”
Xie Yizhao was slightly taken aback.
He was about to ask what was going on when Xie Heng suddenly interjected, “She’s mad. Really mad.”
After speaking, the teenager quickly added, noticing his Dad’s gaze sweeping over him, “It wasn’t me.”
Xie Yizhao fell silent for a moment, glancing at Lu Xi’s unusually cold profile today.
Normally, when he came home, she would at least greet him with a sweet smile.
Could it be… that he was the one who had upset her?