Volume 1, Chapter 6: Pear Blossoms Bathed in Rain

He rushed over in a few strides, shoved Qiao Ye aside, and protectively pulled Chu Yun’er into his arms, his heart aching. "What’s going on? Did she bully you?!"

Chu Yun’er leaned against him as if she had no bones, sobbing like a flower drenched in rain. "I didn’t know this was Sister’s item; Yuanbao brought it to me as a gift... Who knew Sister would rush over and start scolding me... I suppose she must have misunderstood something."

The heartache in Lu Qi’an’s eyes vanished the moment he looked at Qiao Ye. His face darkened as he interrogated her, "Qiao Ye! Do you have any sense of reason at all? Those things in your jewelry box—if not for my Lu family, would you even have them? You attacked Yun’er without knowing the facts; hurry up and apologize to her!"

Qiao Ye’s expression was grim. "Even so, messing with someone else’s belongings still constitutes theft. You want me to apologize to her? I should be calling the police instead."

"You!" Lu Qi’an was furious, yet he could find no words to retort.

Chu Yun’er’s face shifted through shades of green and purple, her molars nearly grinding to dust. What a sharp-tongued woman Qiao Ye was! Lu Qi’an had told her before that Qiao Ye was nothing more than a child-bride—someone with no status, no standing, and someone easy to deal with! But look at her now!

Lu Tingxiao entered the house and climbed the stairs, met immediately by the scene of the three of them in a standoff.

"Bad woman! I won't allow you to talk to my mother like that! I didn't steal anything; everything in this house should be mine!" Yuanbao was wailing nearby. "Dad said I’m the young master of this house! You’re the bad woman, you’re the outsider! I went into your room, so what? Bad woman, bad woman, bad woman!"

The shrill shrieking pierced the air. Qiao Ye frowned in annoyance. "I’ll say it one more time: if there is no apology, I am calling the police. Let everyone see the messy state of the Lu family right now!"

"Qiao Ye, don’t push it!" Lu Qi’an warned through gritted teeth.

"Who is the one pushing it? Do I not even have the right to protect my own interests?" Qiao Ye pulled out her phone.

"You!" Lu Qi’an was desperate. Seeing her fingers hovering over the keypad to dial those three digits, he barked at Yuanbao, "Yuanbao, apologize! Hurry up and apologize to her!"

Chu Yun’er’s eyes trembled. "Qi’an..."

Lu Qi’an ignored her tearful expression and repeated himself. "Yuanbao, what are you waiting for? Apologize!" No matter what, he could not let a lunatic like Qiao Ye expose the family scandal. If the old fossils at the company found out—

Forget about inheriting the CEO position; he would barely be able to set foot in the company again!

Yuanbao, snot and tears streaming down his face, realized no one was going to stand up for him and could only cry out an apology. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Auntie, I shouldn't have touched your things."

Seeing her son so aggrieved, Chu Yun’er felt like she might shatter her teeth. *Fine, Qiao Ye. Just you wait. One day, I will be the mistress of this house, and when that day comes, I will drive you out!*

Qiao Ye put her phone away. Without sparing a glance at the three of them and their deep display of familial affection, she turned and walked back into her room. Lu Tingxiao followed her inside and shut the door.

Old Madam Lu stood at the top of the stairs, watching the scene and silently gripping the banister. Lu Tingxiao had been returning more frequently lately, and his relationship with Qiao Ye was growing closer. If this continued, she feared the Lu Group and the Xinghai Group might actually merge one day. No, she would never allow such a thing to happen.

She looked at her grandson, who was still busy coddling Chu Yun’er in the bedroom with an expression of disappointment. She walked over, stood at the doorway, and said coldly, "Qi’an, come to my room. I have something to tell you."

Lu Qi’an gave a distracted reply but continued to comfort Chu Yun’er. "Yun’er, don’t be afraid. I’m here, don’t be afraid."

"Qi’an... I was so scared. I thought I’d never see you and Yuanbao again..." Chu Yun’er threw herself into his arms. "Sister is so terrifying... how will Yuanbao and I survive in this house from now on?"

Lu Qi’an felt a sharp pain in his heart and gently patted her back. Before he returned, he never expected the once timid and easily bullied Qiao Ye to have turned into this... It was as if she had become an entirely different person. What exactly happened in these past five years?

After soothing Chu Yun’er, Lu Qi’an went to Old Madam Lu’s room. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking solemn.

"Grandma, you wanted to see me."

"Shut the door." Lu Qi’an obeyed.

"Qi’an, you need to secure your position as CEO of the Lu Group as soon as possible." The Old Madam got straight to the point. She took his hand and spoke earnestly. "Even though Qiao Ye is the acting CEO and holds no shares, there is no guarantee she won’t harbor ulterior motives now that you’ve returned."

Lu Qi’an’s heart skipped a beat. "Then, Grandma, what should I do?"

"Qiao Ye has indeed managed the company well over these years; she has the ability. But I have already united a group of people in the company to support you. You just need to take action." Old Madam Lu lowered her voice. "If you want her to assist you wholeheartedly at the company during this time without any malicious intent, you must use some tactics. The simplest way to deal with a woman is to win her heart. Once you do that, no matter how much you grow, she will obediently hand the company over to you..."

Lu Qi’an was shocked. "Grandma, then... what about Yun’er? I promised her I would only love her for the rest of my life!"

Old Madam Lu struck him hard. "I didn't tell you to break up with her! This is all a strategic maneuver. If you don't properly appease Qiao Ye and use some methods to manipulate her, do you think this woman will help you diligently? Don't forget, her voice in the company is louder than yours right now!"

Lu Qi’an’s chest heaved; he remained silent with a dark expression. Grandma was right. The Qiao Ye of today was no longer the Qiao Ye of the past. With him suddenly back, there was no guarantee she wouldn't be driven to desperation and embezzle assets. He could not let Yun’er and Yuanbao live a life of hardship because of him.

At that thought, Lu Qi’an clenched his fists. "Alright, Grandma. I’ll do as you say!"

Outside the door, Chu Yun’er heard everything, her features instantly twisting. *This means he doesn't plan on divorcing her for now? And not only that, he wants to develop a relationship with Qiao Ye?*

*No way! If those two actually spark something, what would that make me?* It seemed Lu Qi’an was not to be counted on. This was a matter she would have to handle herself.

...

Qiao Ye sat on the sofa, supporting her forehead and smoking, her mood heavy.

"That’s enough. Stop thinking about them." Lu Tingxiao tried to take the cigarette from her hand, but Qiao Ye dodged him.

The air froze for a moment.

"You’ve grown quite bold, giving me attitude." Lu Tingxiao’s fingertips twitched; his well-defined hand gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. "But don't forget the reason I’m helping you. So, don’t push your luck."