Volume One, Chapter 9: When Soldiers Come, Send Generals; When Floods Arrive, Build Dikes

Wen Yunru’s crisp, melodious voice was accompanied by her cascade of fiery red waves. The first thing to enter the room were her black Valentino heels, striding straight to the office sofa and settling herself with ease.

“What’s the matter?” Fu Yuting closed her quarterly report, leaned back against the leather chair, and stretched languidly, her long legs crossing carelessly. A slender beam of sunlight pierced through her hair, making her appear all the more languid yet unfailingly elegant.

Yunru glanced about, confirming the office’s soundproofing before lowering her voice. “Xu Qian just went down to the underground garage and within moments, her hand ended up fractured. No idea what happened.”

Fu Yuting immediately sensed something amiss, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Did you check the surveillance footage?”

Without another word, Wen Yunru opened her laptop, her fingers tapping out a rapid rhythm across the keys. A single line flashed on the screen: "This file has been deleted."

“Hacked! Damn, who has the guts to breach the Lu Corporation’s security?”

Fu Yuting rose at once, walking over with a slight frown. “Can you recover it?”

Wen Yunru’s fingers danced swiftly, her tone dismissive yet focused. “This level of deletion is nothing, but the audio’s gone.”

“No audio?” Fu Yuting’s brow furrowed further.

Without delay, a segment of the surveillance video appeared on the screen.

On the footage, a tall, imposing figure stepped into view. Xu Qian followed swiftly after.

Could this be Xu Qian's lover?

When the man in the footage turned, Fu Yuting’s expression froze. The garage’s dim lighting cast deep, ominous shadows across his features, and even through the screen, his oppressive presence was palpable.

Wasn’t that her newly wedded husband?

How could it be him!

To think the drama she’d been spectating had now ensnared her—how intriguing.

Fu Yuting leaned closer, face nearly pressed to the screen, trying to lip-read their conversation.

She wasn’t entirely certain, but did Bo Xingzhou’s assistant just say “mistress”?

And then, Xu Qian’s hand was broken.

Fu Yuting’s brows knitted tightly. Had he discovered her involvement with Lu Jingyan?

Did he know Xu Qian was the other woman, and was he venting her anger on her behalf?

Or was there another reason?

“My god, that man is gorgeous! Well done! That little tramp deserved it,” Wen Yunru exclaimed, still riding the high from last night’s revelations about Xu Qian and Lu Jingyan.

Fu Yuting ignored her, keeping her eyes fixed on Bo Xingzhou in the video.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated, startling her. She composed herself and glanced at the screen—a text message.

“Family dinner tonight. Come home for the meal. Jingyan’s elder brother returned last night. He was supposed to attend your engagement banquet, but it was postponed, so you’ll be introduced first.”

It was from Lu Jingyan’s father, Lu Ye.

Fu Yuting stared at the message, her brows creasing.

The eldest son of the Lu family?

The one who was sent abroad as a child and had never reappeared?

To only return now, for his younger brother’s engagement, suggested he placed great importance on Jingyan.

She’d been with Lu Jingyan for five years, yet had never met this mysterious brother, knew nothing about him, and had barely even heard his name uttered in the family.

Was it Lu Xing? Or Lu Shen?

For reasons she couldn’t name, the thought of this eldest son gave her an elusive sense of foreboding.

Fu Yuting placed the phone face down on the desk. “Help me look into Lu Jingyan’s brother.”

Wen Yunru’s fingers moved idly at first, but her expression soon grew grave.

Half an hour passed unnoticed, and she still found no trace of the elder Lu.

Her frown deepened. “This is strange. There’s not a single record of him—nothing, not even on the international black web.”

Fu Yuting walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. From the thirtieth floor, the city sprawled beneath a blazing sun, but its brilliance could not dispel the gloom within her heart.

“It’s not important,” she said quietly to Wen Yunru, though whether she referred to the video or the impending family gathering, even she wasn’t sure.

Let the soldier meet the general, the river cross the bridge.

Just then, the office’s internal phone rang. Fu Yuting answered at an unhurried pace.

“Secretary Fu,” came Liu Dong’s voice, Lu Jingyan’s assistant, “the president would like to see you upstairs.”

“I understand.” Fu Yuting’s light, detached voice betrayed nothing.

She would meet Lu Jingyan, and perhaps learn more about his brother—after all, tonight was the night.

After hanging up, Wen Yunru blinked at Fu Yuting. “Good thing you’ve lost your infatuation; otherwise I’d have to knock some sense into you.”

Fu Yuting shrugged and gazed out the window. Clearly, today was destined to be a dramatic performance.

President’s Office.

Fu Yuting had barely stepped inside when she saw the storm clouding Lu Jingyan’s face, his fingers drumming restlessly on the pending equity transfer contract.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, as if oblivious, her tone careless.

Lu Jingyan’s eyes, sharp as blades behind his glasses, cut toward her. His deep voice carried a hint of impatience. “Yuting, didn’t you promise me the equity transfer was complete? Why haven’t I received anything yet?”

Fu Yuting slid the contract across to him, a faint, perfectly measured smile playing at her lips.

“I discovered our father owns an airline abroad, valued at about a billion. Since we’re transferring assets, why not include everything? So the contract needs to be redrafted.”

Lu Jingyan’s expression stiffened for a moment before smoothing over, but she didn’t miss the flash of displeasure in his eyes.

His long fingers traced the edge of the contract, a flicker behind his gold-rimmed glasses.

“When did you become so interested in the family business, Yuting?” His voice was gentle, almost teasing. “I remember you never cared for such things.”

Fu Yuting turned, her gaze falling to a cup of coffee cooling on the sofa table. Her voice remained gentle. “People change. Besides, since you need my shares, I want to give you everything. Isn’t that right?”

“It seems my Yuting is as considerate as ever. Thank you for looking out for me.” Suddenly, Lu Jingyan stood, crossed the room, and grasped her wrist. “It’s my fault for overthinking.”

His thumb brushed lightly along her wrist, an intimate gesture that made Fu Yuting’s stomach churn.

“I’ll urge Zhou Ye to expedite the process,” she replied, withdrawing her hand with quiet composure, turning her face away.

“Oh, by the way,” Lu Jingyan added as if the thought had just occurred, his tone easy, “Father wants us to come to the old house for dinner tonight.”

“All right.” Fu Yuting’s lashes fluttered. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

At the door, she paused, as if recalling something, and glanced back at Lu Jingyan, her eyes twinkling behind her glasses. “Jingyan, are you close with your elder brother?”