Lu Yang watched as his brother Lu Xingyan carefully guarded his rice ball, ensuring no one could take it. The realization hit Lu Yang like a ton of bricks—his brother was protecting his food from him!
Lu Yang’s face twisted in disbelief. “Am I that kind of person?!”
Yes, he loved to eat, but he had principles. Taking food from others was something he would never do—unless, of course, it was his own brother’s food. That was a different story altogether.
Lu Yang extended his hand toward his brother. “Come on, you know I’ve always had a big appetite. Why don’t you share half with your second brother?”
Lu Xingyan just stared at him silently.
…
Meanwhile, after signing the contract, Gu Xingzhao made a quick stop at the supermarket. The renovations were nearly complete, and everything looked just as she had envisioned. The next steps were to bring in the shelves, clean the place up, and then they’d be ready for the grand opening.
From purchasing the land to signing various supply contracts, Gu Xingzhao had already invested millions into the project. She had signed a three-year lease, and if things didn’t start turning a profit soon, she’d be staring down the barrel of significant losses.
When she first started, she thought it would be worth the gamble—take the risk and maybe turn a small business into something big. But now, the reality of it all seemed a bit rash. Still, there was no turning back. She had already taken the plunge, and all she could do was keep pushing forward.
“Is the new supermarket about to open?” Lu Suo asked as he served her a bowl of lotus root and pork rib soup.
He had noticed she looked a bit thinner lately. He figured it was due to the stress of running a new business, worrying she wasn’t resting or eating properly.
Seeing her favorite soup, Gu Xingzhao’s appetite surged, and she ended up drinking three bowls, even gnawing on the pork bones.
“Yes,” she said between bites. “A few more days of hard work, and it should be ready.”
Lu Suo, still concerned, couldn’t help but nag. “You really need to take care of yourself. Don’t skip meals, and try not to stay up too late.”
Gu Xingzhao looked at him with a puzzled expression. “You’ve been saying that a lot recently.”
He usually didn’t fuss over her like this. Was it because he had retired and had more time on his hands?
Not wanting her to get suspicious, Lu Suo quickly changed the subject. “It’s just that I’m worried about you, taking on such a big project. You’ve never done anything like this before, and suddenly, you’re opening a big supermarket. It’s natural to be concerned that you might be overworking yourself.”
“I’ve heard that young people who start businesses these days get so busy they don’t even have time to sleep. You can’t let that happen to you.”
Gu Xingzhao laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure I get my sleep. I’m planning to sleep until noon every day.”
Lu Suo’s face immediately grew stern. “That’s not good either. You young people might skip breakfast, but what about lunch? If you sleep in, you’ll miss meals, and that’s terrible for your stomach.”
“Even if you eat, you shouldn’t lie down right away. It’s bad for digestion.”
Seeing how genuinely concerned he was, Gu Xingzhao reassured him, promising she would eat well, sleep properly, and take good care of herself.
Relieved, Lu Bingwen then asked about the supermarket preparations. “Have you hired all your staff?”
“Yes, I found a reliable manager to handle hiring, and they’re conducting interviews for other employees.”
Lu Suo frowned. “You need to be more careful with that. You can’t leave everything to someone else. What if they start bringing in friends and family who are lazy and incompetent? Especially when it comes to sourcing materials and handling finances—those are areas you can’t afford to be careless with.”
Gu Xingzhao nodded repeatedly. “I’ll be sure to watch the interview videos closely. I’ll be extra cautious when selecting people.”
Lu Suo added, “And don’t forget about cleanliness—”
“Wait a second!” Gu Xingzhao interrupted him.
Lu Suo paused, confused. “What?”
She pulled out her phone, set it up on the table, and began recording. “You’ve given me so much advice, I can’t remember it all. I’ll just record it so I can watch it again later if I forget.”
Lu Suo chuckled at her antics but let her continue filming. He went on to give her more advice, covering various important topics.
The two of them talked late into the night, all the way until 10:30 p.m.
Though Lu Suo had hoped she would stay over, the house lacked the essentials for a young woman, like extra clothes and toiletries. In the end, he had to let her go.
“Xiao Zhao,” he called as she was leaving. “Some of my old friends are getting together this weekend for a fishing and barbecue trip. Want to join us?”
Gu Xingzhao hesitated for a moment.
Sensing her concern about being a burden, Lu Suo added, “They’re all people who watched you grow up, many of whom used to work for your grandfather. A few of them are even around your age—you met them during the New Year celebrations.”
Finally convinced, Gu Xingzhao agreed. “Alright, do I need to bring anything?”
Lu Suo smiled. “No, I’ll take care of everything.”
“Great! I’ll come by in the morning and bring breakfast.”
“Perfect.”
As he watched her leave, Lu Suo smiled to himself. He had organized this weekend trip with his friends for the sole purpose of helping Gu Xingzhao expand her social circle. He wanted her to know more people who could help her in the future, especially when he was no longer around.
All he wanted was to make sure her future path would be smoother, more secure, and a little less lonely.
On her way home, Gu Xingzhao suddenly remembered how Gu Chengzhang’s family hadn’t made any moves lately. She had expected them to come looking for trouble after the lightning strike in front of her house. Surely, they would have suspected her involvement.
But strangely, they had disappeared from her life entirely. If she hadn’t kept up with the news, she would have thought they’d vanished altogether.
“Maybe that lightning strike really scared them,” she mused. “Whatever the reason, it’s for the best. The last thing I need is them coming around again.”
Later that night, after taking a shower, Gu Xingzhao traveled back to the ancient world, intending to check on He Zhen. But what she saw upon arrival shocked her.
Two men in black clothing had scaled the courtyard wall, sneaking past the night guards and creeping toward the backyard.
“Is this the place? Why is it so empty?”
“Yeah, this is it. I did my homework. This woman’s husband was exiled, probably dead by now. She’s here with her daughter. Once we get our hands on her, think about all the deals and silver that’ll fall into our laps!”
The younger of the two seemed hesitant. “What if she doesn’t cooperate?”
He didn’t want to get into trouble with the authorities.
The older man snorted dismissively. “She’s a divorced woman. If she resists, we can claim she initiated things. She won’t dare make a fuss. A woman like that wouldn’t want her reputation ruined. What are you afraid of?”
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