Chapter 2 Let's Start the Strategy with the Eldest Brother

The phone rang several times before Lu Sheng finally pressed the answer button and brought it to her ear: "Hello, who is this?"

"Don't have my number saved?" The man on the other end spoke with a cold tone, "This is Lu Jingyan."

"Oh, it's big brother," Lu Sheng's tone was timid, "Sorry big brother, I forgot to save your contact."

"Fine," the man clearly had little patience, "The driver I sent to pick you up at the station said he couldn't find you, and your phone was unreachable. Where did you run off to?"

"I'm sorry big brother," the girl said softly, "My phone was out of battery earlier, and I thought no one came to pick me up, so I left the station on my own."

"What?" Lu Jingyan frowned over the phone, "You grew up in the countryside and are unfamiliar with Jiang City. Why are you wandering around alone? Where are you now?"

Lu Sheng looked up and saw a street sign across the road. She just reported the street name when the person on the other end told her to wait and hung up directly.

Tsk.

Truly indifferent.

But it's normal for Lu Jingyan to be indifferent since, in the eyes of the Lu Family, coming to Jiang City meant usurping Lu Qianrou's man, bringing shame to the Lu Family.

The Lu Family truly began to thrive after Lu Chengye abandoned his mother Du Ran and married the Jiang Family's eldest daughter, Jiang Ting.

Over the past decades, Old Mr. Jiang had devoted all the Jiang Family's resources to support his only son-in-law, leading to the current wealth and reputation of the Lu Family.

Jiang Ting bore Lu Chengye five sons, and later desired a daughter. They searched all over Jiang City's orphanages and adopted the most beautiful and talented five-year-old girl, naming her Lu Qianrou.

Eighteen years ago, Lu Chengye visited Du Ran, who had become disheartened and returned to her rural hometown. That night, he forced himself on her.

Lu Chengye thought this was a secret, a secret that would be buried with Du Ran's death last month, but things did not go as he wished.

Before her death, Du Ran called Lu Chengye, telling him that she had gotten pregnant from that night and had given birth to a daughter named Lu Sheng.

She also mentioned that her mother was indebted to Old Mr. Fu of the Fu Family, so Old Mr. Fu had arranged an engagement between Lu Sheng and his grandson, Fu Chen.

Learning this, Lu Chengye was stunned.

He hadn't taken precautions that night; perhaps he really had left a seed. But how could Du Ran, a countryside girl, have connections with a powerful figure like Old Mr. Fu?

Furthermore, Old Mr. Fu had arranged the engagement with Fu Chen—everyone in Jiang City knew Fu Chen was dating Qianrou. Wouldn't this be an insult to the Jiang Family?

Yet, Old Mr. Fu did exactly that.

Expensive engagement gifts poured into the Lu Family home. Jiang Ting, thinking these were for Lu Qianrou, was overjoyed, forcing Lu Chengye to reveal the truth.

Revealing this old scar, discovering her husband's infidelity, the pampered and proud Jiang Ting furiously returned to her parent's home.

Eventually, unable to withstand Lu Chengye's daily pleas, and also for the sake of their children and the Lu Family's reputation, she reluctantly returned.

But the story of the Lu Family's illegitimate daughter raised in the countryside spread throughout the upper circles of Jiang City.

Du Ran had died; with Lu Sheng being a minor, someone had to take care of her. Given her existence was already well-known and Old Mr. Fu's persistent urging, Lu Chengye had no choice but to bring Lu Sheng to Jiang City.

Though she had arrived, within less than an hour of stepping onto this land worth its weight in gold, she was strangled and her body dumped in an alley.

Besides Jiang Ting and Lu Qianrou, Lu Sheng couldn't think of who else would harbor such intense resentment and motive against someone they had never met.

At that moment, a shiny black Mercedes suddenly stopped in front of Lu Sheng, seated by the roadside.

The car window slowly rolled down, and the man inside gave her a look, his eyes not hiding his disdain.

"... Big brother?" Lu Sheng looked pleasantly surprised and stood up.

Lu Jingyan, the eldest son of Lu Chengye and Jiang Ting, and the current CEO of the Lu Group.

Dressed in an expensive suit, he was handsome with an aloof demeanor. It must be said, Lu Chengye was a scoundrel, but he did have good genes in terms of looks.

But at this moment, the Lu Jingyan sitting inside the car felt nauseous.

He had thought that someone brought up in the countryside would at most be a bit unsophisticated and ugly.

But the girl before him was indiscernible in appearance, covered in dirt. And there she sat so carelessly by the roadside, lacking any manners.

Even though they shared half the same blood, this Lu Sheng couldn't even compare to Lu Qianrou, let alone the Lu Family's servants in terms of cleanliness and propriety.

Lu Jingyan felt a throbbing in his temples and couldn't help rubbing his nose.

—Forget it.

Right now was a crucial time for the Lu Group Subsidiary going public; this was not the time to offend Old Mr. Fu. Even if he detested the girl before him, he had to endure for now.

"What's wrong, big brother? Are you feeling unwell?" Lu Sheng asked with a look of "concern."

"Nothing, just get in the car," Lu Jingyan didn't want to speak another word, thinking of bringing Lu Sheng back to the Lu Family as his duty as her elder brother.

The ride was silent.

Lu Jingyan clearly felt nothing for his countryside-raised sister and had no interest in getting to know her.

He even seemed to think Lu Sheng smelled, and opened the car windows.

Lu Sheng observed everything, gently rubbing her fingers.

She needed human admiration and love to nourish her soul, and since her big brother despised her so much, she would start her seduction from him.

The Lu Family's mansion in the wealthy district.

As the car approached, the gate slowly opened. When the front door was pushed open, servants lined up to welcome them.

As soon as Lu Jingyan entered, he began explaining the household situation to Lu Sheng.

"Your second and third brothers are very busy and usually don't live at home."

"You Ming has gone abroad for a math competition and won't be home during this time."

"Mom and You Ye went to watch Qianrou's piano competition and will be back in an hour."

Lu Jingyan frowned at the sight of Lu Sheng's filthy clothes, "Use this time to take a bath. I'll have the servant take you to the guest bathroom. You can wear Qianrou's clothes for now."

"Okay, I got it big brother."

The girl was more obedient than Lu Jingyan imagined. She didn't look around curiously after entering the Lu Family home and seemed very well-behaved.

Seeing Lu Sheng being led away, Lu Jingyan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, loosened his tie, and sat down on the living room sofa to browse the stock market.

About twenty minutes later, he heard Lu Sheng call for him. Habitually frowning, he looked up but was startled.