She couldn't bring herself to play the part of a loving wife with Si Qinyu, but she couldn't just tear down the facade either.

Since she couldn't touch Si Qinyu for the time being, she could still use that vixen Shen Manli, who was having an affair, as a punching bag.

After making several calls, she put on some light makeup, got into her white Audi A6, and drove off.

Shen Manli arrived late at an apartment building.

She put her suitcase in the trunk and got into Lu Qiqi's car. The strong scent of gardenia perfume nearly overwhelmed Lu Qiqi's sense of smell.

'Qiqi, where are we going?' Shen Manli asked softly. Her form-fitting qipao accentuated her graceful curves, and her flawless makeup could rival that of some online beauty influencers.

She exuded a natural charm, and even her voice had a captivating lilt. No wonder Si Qinyu was so bewitched by her.

Lu Qiqi stared straight ahead, skillfully merging into the traffic. 'To discuss a collaboration.'

Shen Manli tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tentatively asked, 'Qiqi, weren't you going on your honeymoon? Did you have a fight with Young Master Yan?'

"You want me to quarrel with him?"

"No, I'm just curious."

Shen Manli smiled awkwardly. Lu Qiqi's face turned cold, "Curiosity killed the cat."

The atmosphere in the car was as torturous as counting down the seconds. Shen Manli had felt Lu Qiqi's attitude towards her take a sharp turn for the worse yesterday, and she couldn't help but wonder if she had seen something.

But Lu Qiqi's fondness for Si Qinyu was obvious to everyone. Could she really swallow this insult?

Shen Manli remained skeptical. Lu Qiqi rolled down the car window to let the air circulate and dilute the foul smell in the car.

She stopped the car at a teahouse. "Wait for me in the car."

Usually, when discussing collaborations, she would let Shen Manli participate, printing contracts and preparing documents.

But now, she wasn't stupid enough to leave herself vulnerable. She needed to fatten this snake a little more before it could swallow her whole in the future!

...

The teahouse was quiet and serene. A man sat in a private room furnished with bamboo chairs. His long, slender fingers held a teacup, casually swirling it. He tilted the cup slightly, and the tea overflowed the lid, flowing into the saucer.

His movements were elegant, his beautiful hands fair, the knuckles tinged with a faint pink.

Looking at those hands, Lu Qiqi's mind exploded with a thousand waves. It seemed that a pair of hands like these had held her softness last night, as if they wanted to squeeze her dry.

The man leaned back in his chair, impeccably dressed in a suit, his shirt buttoned all the way to the top.

His meticulous attire, the short, neat hair, the full forehead, the prominent nose, the long, delicate eyelashes, and the cool phoenix eyes cast a shadow under his eyelids.

He carried an air of solemnity, yet possessed the looks of a fair youth. It was hard to imagine that this man, instead of gracing the entertainment world with his exceptional qualities, was the very backbone of the powerful Chu family—Chu Linchen. His family's influence surpassed even that of the Si family, and he was, in name, Si Qinyu's younger uncle, and Si's father's sworn brother.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Lu Qiqi hesitated at the door, for he was not the person she had arranged to meet.

Without sparing her a glance, the man set down his teacup and pushed it across the tea table. His voice, as refreshing as a sweet spring on a summer day, was cool and clear, "Since you're here, have a seat."

Lu Qiqi felt a surge of nervousness, but leaving at this point seemed inappropriate. She stammered, "Uncle."

Since he was Si Qinyu's uncle, even if only in name, she could address him as such. At the very least, it was a way to establish some rapport, and they had met before.

After all, Chu Linchen's reputation for ruthlessness was enough to silence a crying child at night. Her actions were taboo in the business world.

Chu Linchen poured the remaining tea over a toad-shaped tea pet. "Newly married, yet already out hustling for business. Diligent, I must say. But I wonder if my good-for-nothing nephew knows his new bride is planning to betray the Si family?"

Lu Qiqi felt a wave of awkwardness and discomfort. She hadn't expected Chu Linchen to be so blunt. Mustering her courage, she asked, "Shouldn't Uncle Zhao be here?"

She had arranged to meet Zhao Juncheng, an old acquaintance of the Lu family who was in the air freight business. She was seeking a partner in her plan to break free from the Si family's control.

"Uncle Zhao had some matters to attend to. I also have an appointment with him." The man lifted his gaze, his dark pupils resembling a bottomless abyss.

Their eyes met, and Lu Qiqi's face turned as pale as a corpse that had been lying in the morgue for three days and nights. Trembling, she clutched her teacup, unable to feel the warmth of the tea. "Uncle, are you planning to dominate sea, land, and air?"

"That's none of your concern." Chu Linchen withdrew his gaze and poured more boiling water into his teacup.

Steam rose, swirling before him like a spell cast by an immortal.

Lu Qiqi swore that even when the invigilator during her college entrance exams had stared at her, determined to find fault, she hadn't felt this nervous.

Her slender, scallion-like fingers brought the teacup to her lips. It trembled in her grasp. She couldn't discern the type of tea, her eyes fixed solely on Chu Linchen.

Why was he here? To stand up for the Si family?

Or was it to deliberately humiliate her?

...

She gulped down her tea, her heart pounding like a war drum in her chest. Chu Linchen frowned, "Is this the first day you've known me? Isn't Qinyu enough for you to look at?"

His barbed words abruptly jolted Lu Qiqi out of her wild thoughts. She lowered her head, feeling like a thief caught in the act.

Chu Linchen looked at her again. The petite woman was dressed in a white chiffon blouse and tailored trousers, her long hair tied up. She looked elegant and serene, but overly timid, trembling like a rain-soaked dove.

Lu Qiqi was acutely aware of the man's sharp yet calm gaze, as if it could burn right through her. She tensed her toes, mumbling in a muffled voice to defend herself, "Qinyu and you don't look alike at all, ha... haha..."

Chu Linchen's brows remained furrowed. He wasn't particularly fond of his nephew, whom he considered a nephew in name only.

As for this niece-in-law, they had only met briefly a few times.

However, the word in their circle was that his nominal nephew loved her deeply.

Strangely, as he observed Lu Qiqi for a moment, he felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Where did this feeling come from?

Chu Linchen pondered, his cold and distinguished face growing even more serious. At that moment, Assistant Chen entered the room, bowing respectfully, "Second Master, the lady from yesterday came looking for you on her own accord."

The lady from yesterday?

Lu Qiqi was startled, her mind involuntarily drifting to some inappropriate scenes from the previous day. Chu Linchen, who was known for his indifference to women, was looking for a woman? What kind of woman?

Upon hearing this, Chu Linchen released all his imposing aura. He stood up, his large hand sweeping across the desk to grab his phone, and with legs that seemed longer than Lu Qiqi's life, he said, "Let's go."

His legs, encased in smoke-gray suit pants, and his polished black leather shoes disappeared from Lu Qiqi's sight.

Lu Qiqi felt as if she had discovered a little secret of Chu Linchen's. Lost in thought for an unknown amount of time, an elderly man in his sixties, wearing a traditional Chinese jacket with a swastika pattern, finally arrived. "Qiqi, what did you want to see me about?" he asked.

Lu Qiqi, looking as if a succubus had drained half her spirit, stared blankly at the old man and replied mechanically, "Uncle Zhao, I wanted to discuss a partnership with you."

Seemingly anticipating Lu Qiqi's intentions, the old man chuckled. "Qiqi, it's not that Uncle Zhao doesn't value our old friendship. Everyone in the circle knows about your family's tight financial situation. Now that the Si family is providing aid, don't be too greedy. As for angel investors, once your company is up and running, Uncle Zhao will consider the situation then."

The word "aid" was used quite ingeniously.

Lu Qiqi understood from the time she was still suckling on a pacifier that these people were all opportunists, driven solely by profit.

But for Uncle Zhao to so directly lay bare the unpleasant truth, it was the first time Lu Qiqi had encountered such a situation since taking charge.

What about human relationships and worldly wisdom? Only when you are qualified to talk about fairness will the scales tip in your favor.

"Thank you, Uncle Zhao."