Chapter 8: The Wine Glasses Were Shocked to Fall

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Gu Zhi suddenly lifted his head, his voice trembling, "...You know Bai Qiang? What did she want you to find me for?"

"I used to live in the countryside," Lu Sheng said, "Sister Bai Qiang came to the village where I lived last year and stayed in a wooden house on the mountain for a year."

"Stayed for a year?" Gu Zhi held his breath and immediately asked, "Then she now..."

"Sister has already left and didn't leave any contact details." As soon as Lu Sheng spoke, the light in Gu Zhi's eyes dimmed instantly.

"When she left, she took everything with her, and the small wooden house was dismantled too. She said she didn't like staying in one place for too long."

Gu Zhi pressed his lips together slightly.

*That was indeed something Bai Qiang would say.* She always longed for freedom and disliked constraint; others found it hard to keep up with her footsteps.

"You just said she wanted you to find me. Is there something she needed?" Gu Zhi then looked at the girl in front of him, who wore ordinary clothes but had a unique aura.

"Before leaving, she said that if I ever came to Jiang City and needed help, I could visit a store called Crystal and find a brother with the English name Ellison."

Lu Sheng said obediently, "Sister said, as long as I wrote a line of poetry on a note for the brother, he would help me."

"In me the tiger sniffs the rose."

*This was the poem she recited to him during his most confused times, and later he had it tattooed on his right shoulder.*

*The content of the note was not important; what mattered was that as long as it was something she wished for, he would never refuse.*

Gu Zhi straightened up, "Since she wanted you to find me, it means she valued you greatly. Whatever you need me to do, just let me know. I only hope... you can promise me one thing."

Lu Sheng blinked, "What is it?"

Gu Zhi took a business card from his pocket, handed it over, and said, "If one day she contacts you, please give me her number. No matter what you want, I will repay you."

Lu Sheng paused, accepted the business card, then looked up with clear eyes, "Okay, I remember, brother."

*The youth's affection remained pure, yet Bai Qiang was already dead.*

*Doing such a thing no longer had meaning.*

Lu Sheng told Gu Zhi that she was from the Lu Family and was going to the Fu Family's charity gala tonight. She didn't know what kind of makeup and attire would be appropriate.

"Don't worry, leave it to me." Gu Zhi replied.

When the other stylists and employees at Crystal saw Ellison bring a girl dressed in a worn-out long T-shirt and jeans into his exclusive styling room, they were too shocked to speak.

"Whoa, what's going on?! Wasn't that girl waiting in line for an ordinary stylist? How come Ellison came out to attend to her??"

"Yeah, I think that girl is from the Lu Family, right? I heard she called Mrs. Lu 'mother,' but Mrs. Lu seemed to purposely ignore her."

"Exactly, Mrs. Lu and Miss Lu already got their styling done and left her here alone. I thought she would go to the gala wearing that worn-out magenta dress."

"People really can't be judged by appearances. That girl looks so ordinary, yet she has a connection with our director. Imagine, even Ms. Zhou offered a million for our director to advise on her red-carpet look, and he didn't agree."

The chattering employees all looked toward the tightly shut styling room door, eyes filled with envy.

——

[Fu Mansion]

The Fu Family hosted today's charity gala in the open-air courtyard of the Fu Mansion.

The gala officially began at seven-thirty; guests started arriving around seven.

The vast green lawn and enormous swimming pool, along with expensive, dazzling crystal lights, drove away the night, while uniformed waiters with bow ties wove through the crowd carrying trays.

Men and women in suits and evening gowns wore graceful smiles, clinking glasses on the cobblestone paths, appearing to enjoy their conversations.

Beside the classical Western-style fountain, a gathering of wealthy young ladies drew particular attention, each girl dressed with care and exuding a noble aura.

"Wow, Qianrou, your makeup and styling today are really beautiful! This dress is from the SUNSHINE's recent high-end collection, right? It looks amazing."

"Yes," Lu Qianrou replied gracefully, "and today's makeup and styling were done specifically for me by Jasmyn from Crystal, so it suits me well."

"Jasmyn? She's Crystal's stylist who ranks just below Ellison. I heard her schedule is hard to book!"

"Not really… But she is indeed quite selective with clients." Lu Qianrou blinked, her expression seemed humble, yet she couldn't hide her pride.

"Talented people are often like that. Look at Ellison, even money can't persuade him, and who knows what kind of client could catch his attention."

"Speaking of which, Qianrou, isn't your sister from the countryside coming to Jiang City yesterday?" A girl named Tang Yiyi asked, "I heard the Fu Family also invited her to tonight's gala. Where is she?"

At the mention of Lu Sheng, Lu Qianrou's expression stiffened briefly, then she quickly smiled gently, "Today my mom also took her to Crystal, maybe her makeover isn't finished yet, so she hasn't arrived."

"She went to Crystal too? Aunt Jiang is really kind and attentive, even caring for such an unpresentable illegitimate daughter."

Tang Yiyi pursed her lips, "But that's true, if such a rustic girl didn't tidy up before attending this kind of event, it would be the Lu Family's reputation at stake."

A girl named Lin Ya said, "If you ask me, Qianrou, you've really drawn the short straw. After all these years, you've been the only daughter of the Lu Family, pampered by five brothers, and now suddenly this country bumpkin popped up and became your sister."

"The most ridiculous thing is, this illegitimate daughter even got engaged to Fu Chen?" Lin Ya clicked her tongue disdainfully, "I really don't understand what Grandpa Fu was thinking. What about that girl is even remotely comparable to you? If Fu Chen really abandoned you for her, it'd be the biggest joke in the circle."

"I would never abandon Qianrou!" As the girls chattered on, a somewhat angry male voice suddenly emerged from behind them.

"Ah Chen?"

Lu Qianrou turned around in surprise, seeing a tall, sharp-looking young man in a suit approaching her.

"What's that Lu Sheng to me, some illegitimate girl from the countryside? She doesn't even know her place, thinking she can match up to me and enter the Fu Family."

Fu Chen scoffed, firmly wrapping an arm around Lu Qianrou's shoulder, "Don't worry, Qianrou, I'll talk to Grandpa as soon as the auction ends and ask him to cancel the engagement. In this life, there's no woman I'd marry but you!"

Fu Chen's impression of country folk was still stuck in the stereotype of TV shows from the eighties and nineties portraying rural women toiling under the sun.

Even though he hadn't seen Lu Sheng yet, he imagined her as a skinny, emaciated girl with dark, coarse skin, sporting two red patches on her cheeks, and speaking timidly.

She probably couldn't even speak standard Mandarin, using some terribly rustic dialect, and carried a foul stench that made people want to gag if they got too close...

Fu Chen hadn't finished this mental image when Tang Yiyi pointed toward the entrance, "Hey, Qianrou, isn't that your big brother? Did he bring a date too?"

——Big brother came too?

Wasn't he supposed to be busy with work and unable to attend the gala tonight?

Lu Qianrou looked up in surprise and saw Lu Jingyan getting out of a Mercedes-Benz, then chivalrously extending his hand toward the car.

A hand, clad in a black velvet glove, gently rested on his, and soon after, the girl inside leaned down and stepped out of the car.

For some reason, the once lively courtyard suddenly fell silent, with many people involuntarily or for reasons unknown directing their gaze toward that side.

When Lu Qianrou saw clearly the person stepping out of the car, her eyes widened, and she almost dropped the wine glass in her hand.

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