Chapter 205

Chapter 205

Upon hearing Li Qingyun's voice, Lu Mingzhu felt that Lu Feifei was utterly incompetent.

She had bought so many things for Li Qingyun, but what had he ever given her in return?

Took her to eat at Mingzhu Snack Shop?

Look at how Vivian is treated—she walked in and bought the latest lipstick and perfume, along with handbags and suits, racking up a bill of tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars, which Li Qingyun happily paid.

A bit surprised, Vivian took the initiative to greet them, and Li Qingyun naturally couldn't lag behind.

He was now feeling smug.

Lu Mingzhu responded politely, "Vivian, Mr. Li."

She could keep her cool with Chen Wan, let alone with Li Qingyun.

Recalling the garment factory shares held by Lu Feifei, Li Qingyun said to Lu Mingzhu, "Miss Lu, do you know how to contact your cousin? I want to buy her shares."

This way, the garment factory would belong solely to him.

Although the initial capital was provided by Lu Feifei, he had already given her around 200,000 silver dollars in dividends, which wasn't unfair. Moreover, he had been handling all the work alone, and he wasn't willing to share half of his earnings with Lu Feifei.

Upon hearing Li Qingyun's words, Lu Mingzhu felt even more disgusted, realizing just how ungrateful he was. "Mr. Li, isn't it unkind to kick someone to the curb after they've helped you? Back when you had nothing and were earning a daily wage of just two point nine silver dollars, it was my sister who provided the capital to help you, her cousin, establish the garment factory. Now that the factory is thriving, you want to cut her out as a partner. Who would want to work with you in the future?"

Li Qingyun's eyes flickered, and he forced a smile, "Miss Lu, you're reading too much into it. I just feel that my cousin doesn't value the garment factory and has never shown up. Vivian and I are planning to get married, and I don't want her to feel uncomfortable, so I want to buy back my cousin's shares at market price."

"Getting married?" Lu Mingzhu raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

Vivian looked shy, pursing her lips without saying a word.

It was Li Qingyun who spoke, holding Vivian's hand, his eyes blazing with passion, "When I met Vivian, who was flustered after losing her belongings, I fell in love with her at first sight. I couldn't wait to be with her every moment, and I couldn't wait to meet her parents. So, we registered our marriage in Hong Kong first, and we'll visit her parents overseas after the wedding."

In truth, he was afraid the marriage might be thwarted.

He had once urged Lu Feifei to marry him first, but she was too scared to register the marriage without her parents' consent. He was worried that angering her father might mean Lu Feifei wouldn't get a dowry, so he put it off.

This delay meant he never saw Lu Feifei again, and she disappeared from his life.

Luckily, Vivian's family background was even more impressive than Lu Feifei's. Having grown up abroad, she had a more open mindset, craving freedom in marriage and love, free from her parents' control.

She came to Hong Kong to flee her parents' arranged marriage.

She said the marriage partner her parents had chosen for her was of noble birth but had a wandering eye, which she couldn't stand. So, she brought a large amount of jewelry and cash to Hong Kong by boat, staying in Kowloon. Unfortunately, she encountered pickpockets upon arrival and lost most of her luggage. Luckily, the remaining jewelry and clothes were still valuable, and she carried a fair amount of gold, so she didn't end up in dire straits. This also made Li Qingyun believe her story without doubt.

Hearing Li Qingyun's words, Lu Mingzhu smiled faintly, "Then congratulations to you both!"

Returning to the topic of shares, she said, "If my sister is willing to sell, then everything is fine. If not, Li Qingyun, you shouldn't force her. I believe Vivian is understanding and wouldn't feel uneasy just because my sister is a partner."

"I don't mind," Vivian said, her eyes meeting Li Qingyun's, "I trust Qingyun."

Li Qingyun was even more delighted.

He felt exceptionally proud of the charm he exuded that had captivated Vivian.

"Vivian, thank you," Li Qingyun said, lowering his head to kiss the back of her snow-white left hand, then kissing the engagement ring he had given her.

A ruby ring purchased from Mingzhu Diamond Jewelry Store, with a gemstone the size of a fingernail, clear and bright, strikingly beautiful.

Li Qingyun personally chose it.

Lu Mingzhu, with her sharp eyes, noticed a red mole on the inner side of Vivian's left wrist.

Like a tiny mung bean.

The kind of old mung bean, tiny and small.

Vivian murmured softly, "Qingyun, we are about to become a family,

You don't need to say thank you to me."

"Alright." After the shop assistant packed their purchases, Li Qingyun politely said to Lu Mingzhu and Chen Wan, "Miss Lu, Miss Chen, please continue, we’ll be heading back now."

"Go ahead." Lu Mingzhu didn’t feel the slightest bit of sympathy for him.

Chen Wan remained silent.

She toyed with the lipstick in her hand, and for the sake of face, she still had the shop assistant wrap it up, planning to take it back as a gift for a servant, fulfilling a small, secret desire in her heart.

Lu Mingzhu, however, did not care about Chen Wan's thoughts.

Even if she knew, she would not be ashamed to use the same lipstick as a servant.

When it comes to cosmetics, everyone is equal; every woman deserves the right to beauty, whether she is a noblewoman, a farmer's wife, or a maid.

After buying the desired lipstick and perfume, Lu Mingzhu didn’t buy anything else.

Even so, no shop assistant would doubt her ability to afford it, and their attitude remained respectful and enthusiastic.

After getting into the car, Lu Mingzhu first stopped by the Wang family, presenting Madam Zhang and Liao Wanru with new lipsticks and perfumes. Since her divorce, Madam Zhang had become even more carefree, always wearing lipstick and cheongsams, exuding elegance and distinction.

The change occurred after she recovered from her injuries.

Lu Mingzhu thought it was wonderful.

Seeing Lu Mingzhu, Madam Zhang was very happy, "Stay for dinner tonight; I'll have the kitchen whip up your favorite dishes."

"Sure!" Lu Mingzhu didn't mention Wang Xingcai.

When Wang Bohui came back from work and saw her, he asked, "This afternoon, I was discussing business with a partner at a teahouse, and through the window, I thought I saw you. Who were you having tea with?"

He didn't see the person's face.

Lu Mingzhu replied, "It was Chen Feng, the Sugar King of Southeast Asia. His granddaughter poached my staff, so I went to him to complain."

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang and Liao Wanru immediately inquired about what had happened.

Lu Mingzhu briefly explained, "Mr. Chen promised that his family would no longer engage in the film industry. Actually, I don't think it's necessary, as long as they don't covet my company's people."

Madam Zhang couldn't conceal her disgust: "No wonder the Chen family's matriarch dislikes Second Madam Chen and Chen Wan; they truly lack magnanimity."

Lacking magnanimity is just another way of saying they're petty.

Liao Wanru then asked Wang Bohui, "Did Mr. Chen bring up the idea of marrying our eldest son to Chen Wan with you? I don't want such a daughter-in-law; I prefer someone beautiful and kind-hearted, like Mingzhu. Of course, everything depends on our eldest son's wishes. If he likes an ordinary girl, I would accept it too. Our family doesn't believe in arranged marriages."

After all, both their sons resemble their father and grandfather, with rather ordinary looks, but having been pampered since childhood, they exude an air of nobility that sets them apart.

Luckily, they aren't short.

Lu Mingzhu asked in surprise, "Big brother, is the Chen family proposing a marriage alliance?"

"I didn't agree," Wang Bohui replied quickly. "Your two nephews are studying abroad—one in mechanical engineering and the other in aerodynamics. They probably won’t think about marriage for the next three to five years. Why would I hold them back? They want to gain enough experience after their studies to contribute to the country's technological advancement."

"What a great ambition!" Lu Mingzhu praised.

At the same time, she recalled the records on the white silk from her past life, which did not mention these two nephews returning, so there was no need to worry.

By the time they finished their studies and gained enough experience, it might have been too late for them to return.

Wang Bohui suddenly said, "Mingzhu, you’re here at the perfect time. I need to ask you something."

"What is it? Go ahead," Lu Mingzhu said, picking up an orange from the coffee table and peeling it with a smile. "Ask away, and I’ll tell you everything I know."

"What’s the story with the young lady Li Qingyun brought to Mr. He’s birthday banquet?" Wang Bohui asked.

Lu Mingzhu feigned ignorance and exclaimed, "Wasn’t it Vivian who brought Li Qingyun to the godfather’s banquet? She introduced herself as the Diamond King’s daughter. What’s the issue?"

Wang Bohui snorted, "Don’t play dumb with me."

"I really don’t know what you’re talking about, big brother," Lu Mingzhu said honestly, as she had no idea how her father had arranged things. She only knew that Vivian’s gift was the white jade mountain she had acquired, and except for keeping a very small portion, the rest of the jade pieces and materials were handed over to her father.

Wang Bohui said impatiently, "That girl’s name is Li Wei. How could she be the Diamond King’s daughter?"

Lu Mingzhu nearly choked on the orange slice in her mouth, "Li Wei? You said her name is Li Wei?"

So she was right after all!

She knew so much about the Li family’s trickery, and her name even had ‘Wei’ in it. It really was Li Wei.

Liao Wanru, who had a stomachache that day and didn’t accompany Wang Bohui to the He family’s birthday celebration, was confused by the siblings’ conversation and asked, "Who’s Li Wei? What’s going on? Don’t keep us in the dark—tell me and mother right away."

Madam Zhang nodded beside her, "Hurry up and tell us!"

Lu Mingzhu then explained Li Qingyun and Vivian’s appearance, adding, "I don’t know anything else."

She didn’t bring up her father’s plans at all.

Instead, she turned to Wang Bohui and asked, "Big brother, do you know Vivian? Or rather, Li Wei?"

"I do," Wang Bohui said under the gaze of three pairs of eyes, feeling the pressure and quickly continuing, "Mother, Wanru, don’t you remember? Not long after the founding, we were playing by the sea and pulled a young lady out of the water."

Liao Wanru recalled, "She was a skinny, dark-skinned young lady, wearing a lifebuoy and tied with a string of gourds."

Floating on the water, as if she had drifted from somewhere.

When they rescued her, she was barely alive.

Madam Zhang remembered, "Wasn’t she the young lady who thanked us with gold bars? I remember her. Yes, yes, her name was Li Wei. She said she had escaped from her adoptive parents, stealing gold bars worth 500 silver dollars that her adoptive parents had exchanged. The reason was that her adoptive parents had given their biological daughter to her parents, and the money was also given by her biological parents. They were going to sell her to a snakehead, so she jumped into the sea from the boat."

Lu Mingzhu immediately shared the information she had heard at the birthday banquet, "Godmother, big brother, sister-in-law, Li Wei is the daughter of a general. You saved her, where did she go afterward?"

All three shook their heads.

They truly didn’t know that Li Wei was the daughter of a general. If they had known, they would have made proper arrangements.

Not for anything else, but because of the great contributions her parents had made to the country.

They had to foster her with a local family, indicating that both her parents were in the Red Army and couldn't spare one to raise her.

"If I knew, I wouldn't be asking you about it," Wang Bohui said.

Lu Mingzhu pointed at her own nose, "Big bro, you're asking me? How would I know! I just found out she is Li Wei."

Wang Bohui looked at her.

"What are you looking at me for?" Lu Mingzhu was baffled.

Madam Zhang and Liao Wanru were also confused, "What does this have to do with Mingzhu?"

Wang Bohui said, "How could an ordinary person get an invitation to Mr. He's birthday feast? Although it was sent out by He Lan and others, Mingzhu is Mr. He's goddaughter, so it's easy for her to find out why Li Wei was at the banquet. Didn't you ask around?"

"I didn't ask," Lu Mingzhu shot back, "I admire that you recognized Vivian as Li Wei!"

Vivian is now a gorgeous beauty, not the skinny, dark-skinned girl she used to be.

"Exactly, how did you recognize her?" Liao Wanru looked at Wang Bohui.

Wang Bohui touched his nose, "I recognized the red mole on the inner side of her wrist, and her facial features haven't changed much—she's just taller, a bit heavier, and fairer. I figured Li Qingyun is no good, and that girl was already pitiful, so I should warn her not to be fooled by Li Qingyun."

"Who knows who's fooling whom!" Lu Mingzhu said.

"What do you mean?" Now, three pairs of eyes looked at her with the same expression.

Lu Mingzhu coughed lightly, "Since everyone knows she's not the Diamond King's daughter, she must be fooling Li Qingyun, so I'm not sure who's better at fooling, Li Qingyun or Li Wei."

Hearing this, Wang Bohui and his family were no longer worried.

Lu Mingzhu, though, was curious about Vivian's story. After dinner at the Wang's, she went to her father and directly asked him where he found Li Wei and if he knew her identity.

Her father took a sip of his tea, "I know, she's just a general's daughter, isn't she?"

Unwilling to acknowledge her biological parents, she's just an ordinary girl.

Lu Mingzhu asked, "How did you find her?"

"I didn't find her, I just had someone casually mention Li Qingyun's money-making skills and his desire to marry a wealthy girl in front of her, and she naturally became interested." Her father didn't show up directly, "As for the white jade mountain and the banquet invitation, I had someone deliver them to her through her own means; I didn't do anything else."

"Were you so sure she could fool Li Qingyun?" Lu Mingzhu was amazed, "Has she appeared in Hong Kong? Could she be recognized, knowing she's not the Diamond King's daughter?"

Her father laughed, "Don't underestimate a woman's ambition; she's got her ways."

Lu Mingzhu shook his arm, "Tell me quickly!"

Her father couldn't resist, "Vivian has been active in Kowloon as the Diamond King's daughter, rarely coming to Hong Kong Island, so you haven't seen her. Because she performed so well, many who knew her were convinced of her identity. Many have pursued her, allowing her to make a lot of money through business opportunities. Even when they broke up, it was amicable, nothing messy. The reason I chose her is because she only deceives about her identity and never fools good people, and she's smart and calm—Li Qingyun is no match for her."