Chapter 72: The Heartless Young Master Lu

Chen Mengyun arrived at the Lu family's residence with more than a dozen assistants, carrying a large number of bags and packages.

As soon as she entered, she sensed that the atmosphere was off. The entrance hall was piled high with various gifts. Chen Mengyun was a familiar face at the Lu household, having frequently visited when she was dating Lu Chengwen. She knew very well that the Lu family wasn't fond of receiving gifts; it was difficult to give them anything.

But today, there were just too many gifts.

Afraid of mixing up their items, Chen Mengyun instructed, "Put our things over there, separate from the others."

"Yes, Miss."

Chen Mengyun caught sight of Lu Guanghong and his wife trying to slip out through a side door. She immediately called out cheerfully, "Uncle, Auntie!"

Lu Guanghong had no choice but to stop and turn around, forcing a smile. "Oh, Mengyun, you're here. Chengwen's inside, go on in and find him."

"Uncle, Auntie!" Chen Mengyun ran over and linked arms with Mrs. Lu. "Auntie, Uncle, I came specifically to see you. I'm not here for that guy Lu Chengwen. I've brought you lots of nice things!"

Lu Guanghong thought to himself, *It would be best if you really ignored him and treated him like dirt.*

But who would believe that?

If you weren't here for Lu Chengwen, why would you bring us gifts? It's been so long since you last visited.

Mrs. Lu forced a smile. "Why go to such expense? We're all family here. Chengwen, Mengyun's here!"

Lu Chengwen, feeling overwhelmed, walked to the side corridor and looked at Chen Mengyun. "What are you doing here?"

Chen Mengyun's heart instantly filled with a hundred grievances.

*Can't you even bother with basic courtesy anymore? Do I really annoy you that much?*

Chen Mengyun's face hardened. "I'm not here to see you. I'm here to visit Uncle and Auntie."

Lu Chengwen nodded. "Dad, Mom, she's here for you. You guys chat."

With that, he turned to leave.

Mrs. Lu immediately panicked.

She rushed over and grabbed Lu Chengwen, her eyes blazing with anger. "Your father and I are getting old! Do you think we can handle all this drama? What have you been up to lately? Why... why are they all showing up at our door? Did you do something to them?"

Lu Chengwen whispered, "I didn't do anything. They're the ones going crazy."

"You didn't do anything, and they're all coming after you? Do you think you're some kind of Casanova? You caused this mess, so you deal with it! Your father and I want to live a few more years!"

With that, she turned to look at the dejected Chen Mengyun and forced a smile. "Mengyun, don't listen to his nonsense. He's been mentioning you a lot lately. You two have a good chat. I need to take your uncle to treat his heart condition."

"Huh? Heart condition?"

Mrs. Lu nudged Lu Guanghong, who immediately snapped out of his daze and clutched his chest. "Oh no, my heart... it's acting up again..."

Mrs. Lu: "Take it easy, dear!"

Lu Guanghong: "I need to see a doctor!"

Mrs. Lu: "Take it easy, dear."

Lu Guanghong: "I need to see a doctor."

Mrs. Lu: "Take it easy, dear..."

Chen Mengyun felt something was off.

The couple acted as if they'd seen a ghost. Clearly pretending to be sick, their upper bodies feigned trembling while their legs moved swiftly, almost running.

As they reached the front yard, they suddenly broke into a sprint, dashed past the pond, and disappeared around a corner.

"What... what's going on with Uncle and Auntie?"

"None of your business," Lu Chengwen said bluntly. "What do you want?"

"Do you have to treat me like this?" Chen Mengyun said, her voice filled with grievance. "I'm a girl too! I have my pride!"

"Miss, if you have any pride, then stop bothering me. I'm already like this, why do you keep coming to see me?"

Chen Mengyun was on the verge of tears. "What did I do wrong to make you hate me so much?"

"You were the one who dumped me back then. The grudge of being dumped is irreconcilable! We're done for this lifetime—no, we're completely over!"

Chen Mengyun screamed, "It was you who cheated!"

"That was your brother getting me drunk and throwing two women onto my bed!"

"And you just let them get on your bed?"

"Miss, I was completely wasted! Those two women just sat there playing on their phones, each earning fifty grand. I didn't do anything!"

"Then why didn't you explain it to me!?"

"Did you give me a chance to explain? As soon as I woke up, you grabbed a vase and splashed water in my face, then slapped me in front of all our friends!"

"So it's my fault!?"

"Well, whose fault is it then!?"

Chen Mengyun's lips trembled with anger. She bit down hard on her lip. "Then why are you being so nice to me now?"

Lu Chengwen widened his eyes. "Miss, are you sick? Is this what you call being nice to you? Are you some kind of masochist? I don't want anything to do with you!"

Chen Mengyun retorted, "So in your eyes, I'm just some cheap, easy girl who's throwing herself at you, and you're not interested anymore, is that it?"

Lu Chengwen stared at her and said firmly, "Yes!"

Tears streamed down Chen Mengyun's face. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to turn and leave.

But a lingering sense of reason told her that something was off.

Lu Chengwen, though a scoundrel with a bad reputation and plenty of schemes, had never been this harsh or cruel to a girl before.

He was always gentle with girls, sweet-talking and coaxing them.

Even after they broke up, he never spoke ill of her.

But now, he was suddenly treating her like this. It was clearly deliberate.

*I need to stay calm!*

Chen Mengyun's beautiful eyes sparkled with tears, but her gaze was filled with determination and resilience.

*Even if I die, I want to die knowing the truth!*

"You don't hate me. There must be a reason! Is it because of Long Aotian? Are you so sure I'd like Long Aotian?"

"Like whoever you want, it's none of my business..."

"No!"

Chen Mengyun reached out and blocked Lu Chengwen's path by pressing her hand against a pillar. "You have to make things clear today, or I'll never leave your house!"

"Miss, please spare me. Your family has billions in assets. You can have any man you want. If you like, I can even send a couple of male models your way, guaranteed to be top-notch in looks and physique!"

Chen Mengyun shouted, "Lu Chengwen! You're inhuman! You can't humiliate me like this! Explain yourself! You have to explain yourself today!"

As they argued outside, inside the lounge area, Leng Qingqiu and Xu Xuejiao were staring at each other.

Xu Xuejiao whispered, "He's really ruthless!"

Leng Qingqiu sighed. "Why not just talk it out properly? Why hurt her like this?"

Xu Xuejiao said, "Their feelings for each other run deep. I've always felt that Sister Mengyun never really let go of Brother Chengwen. It seems my judgment was correct. If he doesn't act decisively, it'll be hard to sever this relationship. Brother Chengwen is doing the right thing."

Leng Qingqiu's lips twitched, but she didn't say anything.

She suddenly felt afraid—afraid that Lu Chengwen would treat her with the same coldness and cruelty he was showing Chen Mengyun. If that happened, she knew she wouldn't be able to handle it.

She was too proud. Since childhood, she had been the moon surrounded by stars, adored by everyone. She could never tolerate a man humiliating her like this.

Chen Mengyun sensed something was wrong.

Everything and everyone felt off.

The way Uncle and Auntie Lu were acting, as if they couldn't wait to escape.

The way Lu Chengwen was speaking to her with such cold indifference...

And his anxious demeanor. Chen Mengyun's instincts kicked in. "Is there someone inside?"

"Huh? No."

As soon as Lu Chengwen said "no," Chen Mengyun knew there was.

She turned and strode confidently inside, thinking, *I'll see who's in there.*

Lu Chengwen chased after her. "Hey, there's really no one. Don't just barge into people's houses like this. Where are your manners?"

"Your house is like a second home to me. I've always come and gone as I please."

Chen Mengyun walked into the lounge area and saw two women—two familiar women. Xu Xuejiao and Leng Qingqiu both looked awkward and slowly stood up.

Xu Xuejiao forced a smile. "Sister Mengyun."

Chen Mengyun's eyes widened. "Xuejiao? Leng Qingqiu? What are you two doing here?"

Leng Qingqiu sighed. "We're here for the same reason."

Lu Chengwen facepalmed, thinking, *You really don't know how to talk.*

Chen Mengyun turned to look at Lu Chengwen. "Who... who do you actually like?"

Lu Chengwen said, "Ladies, I'm really tired."

"I've worked so hard to crush Long Aotian's ambitions and temporarily protect our family business. You have no idea what I've been through or how difficult it's been!"

"My pharmaceutical company's stock price keeps falling, many drugs are starting to pile up unsold, and the company's reputation has taken a huge hit."

"My shantytown redevelopment project is still short over ten billion in cash, and I've been running around trying to scrape together funds."

"I've also offended the organization behind Long Aotian. Who knows when they'll send a bunch of people to cause trouble for me..."

"Ladies, I don't have time to play games with you. Please, just go home. I won't let you lose money on the shantytown project, even if I have to sell all my shares in Dasheng Group. If I can't cover the losses, I'll take my parents and move back to the countryside to farm."

"I really don't understand what's going on with you all. I'm not that great of a catch! With your status, it's not like you have no other options. What's going on here?"

Xu Xuejiao, seeing Lu Chengwen's state, felt a pang of sympathy. "Hey, the pharmaceutical company's issues will take time. Stock price fluctuations aren't new to us. In business, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."

"Exactly," Chen Mengyun also noticed that Lu Chengwen seemed on the verge of a breakdown. "For the shantytown project, try to break even if you can. If not, it's okay to take a small loss. Our other businesses are doing well. Consider it a contribution to the hometown's development."

Leng Qingqiu stood up and walked over to Lu Chengwen, her gaze softer than ever before. "You're too stressed. You need to relax. I won't pressure you today. We'll talk another time."

With that, Leng Qingqiu left without another word, decisively.

Lu Chengwen watched her retreating figure and suddenly felt touched.

*Wow, Leng Qingqiu... when she's being reasonable, she really knows how to ease a man's burdens.*

*What a good woman.*

Now only Chen Mengyun and Xu Xuejiao remained, and the atmosphere grew even more awkward. If it had been Leng Qingqiu they were confronting, they wouldn't have hesitated to fight back.

But their relationship had always been relatively good. They weren't exactly close friends, but they got along well enough.

Xu Xuejiao bit her lip. "I'll head back too. We'll talk another time."

Now only Chen Mengyun was left. She lowered her head. "Since you hate me so much, I'll leave too."

Once all three women were gone, Lu Chengwen sprawled comfortably on the sofa and laughed.

*Trying to outwit me? You're still too green!*

Just then, his phone rang. He answered it and heard: "Chengwen! Help! I'm surrounded! I've sent you the location. I can't hold out much longer. Hurry! Bring as many people as you can—there are a lot of them!"

*Chen Fatty!?*

Lu Chengwen, utterly exasperated, grabbed his suit jacket and rushed out.