Chapter 307

Chapter 307

He Yun did not let Lu Mingzhu face Nie Congyun alone, slowly pouring tea into the cup.

"Mingzhu didn’t grow up in our era. This is a new age where arranged marriages are outdated, and people believe in choosing their own partners. If we, as father and daughter, agreed to your proposal here, only to find out Pingan already has a serious girlfriend, what would happen to your granddaughter?" His voice was calm and measured, gentle as ever. "It's better to refuse you outright and let them develop naturally."

Lu Mingzhu nodded beside him. "Indeed, Mr. Nie. If two people are meant to be, they’ll find each other no matter the distance; if not, they could cross paths and never know. You should focus on enjoying your retirement and let the younger generation handle their own affairs."

"So, that's a refusal?" Nie Congyun said.

Lu Mingzhu picked up the tea poured by He Yun and offered it respectfully with both hands. "If we just said yes right away, that’s when you should worry!"

Nie Congyun frowned, accepting the teacup while asking, "Worry about what?"

He was still displeased.

Now the gambling king, his business was thriving more than ever, raking in money hand over fist, and he had the confidence to express his true emotions. He wasn’t tiptoeing around anymore.

"Without having met Miss Nie or knowing her circumstances, agreeing to a marriage solely based on her family background—caring more about family name than who she is—what kind of intentions would that imply? If you truly cherish your granddaughter, shouldn’t you be concerned?" Lu Mingzhu sensed that Nie Congyun did not particularly dote on this talented and beautiful granddaughter, treating her like she was something to be sold off.

If he genuinely sought a match, shouldn’t he at least let the matchmaker meet and understand the specifics? Otherwise, who did he think he was, playing matchmaker like this?

Clearly eager to marry off his granddaughter, yet acting all high and mighty, arrogant, and self-important—did that gambling license make him think he could throw his weight around?

Had it not been for He Yun’s previous anonymity and current withdrawal, Nie Congyun might never have secured the gambling monopoly on his own merits.

Once meek and unassuming in front of He Yun, never making unreasonable demands, now he wasn’t holding back anymore. Instead, he acted like he owned the place.

There’s a term for shifting from arrogance to humility, but he was the opposite.

It was clear—he was no longer the same man.

Though Nie Congyun had purchased her diamond jewelry, Lu Mingzhu still didn’t care much for such a person.

Paying 6 million HKD for a necklace with a 70-carat center stone and diamond earrings totaling 40 carats—he got a steal. Internationally, a single 70-carat diamond could cost over a million dollars and was exceedingly rare.

When other rich folks pitched in for charity later, he didn’t lift a finger.

None of that mattered, though. What truly mattered was his trying to pull the Lu family into his mess.

Nie Congyun corrected Lu Mingzhu, "Granddaughter, not daughter."

Lu Mingzhu gasped. "Ah, yes, granddaughter, granddaughter. You look so spry—way younger than most your age, that I thought you were middle-aged."

Nie Congyun smiled faintly. "I’m about the same age as your father and godfather."

"You and my godfather look about the same age too," Lu Mingzhu said without missing a beat.

Perhaps due to years of indulgence, Nie Congyun looked every inch a seventy-year-old—all wrinkles and sagging skin—unlike He Yun and her father, who kept up their polished, distinguished looks.

Her father had once been a real ladies’ man, but the Lu family had family recipes for staying young and always took care of themselves.

The Senior Physician was living proof!

Nie Congyun still didn’t want to give up. "That’s why I asked Mr. He to introduce them. Once they get to know each other, everything will fall into place."

Marrying into the Lu family wasn’t just about the Lus—it also involved the He and Xie families. He Yun had a big family with plenty of in-laws, while Xie Junhao and Xie Junyao maintained excellent relations with the British government.

Not only that, but their ties with the mainland were also extraordinary.

Just the fact that they’d gone all out to secure food and help people through tough times meant they would be unstoppable in the mainland in the future.

Lu Mingzhu was getting fed up with Nie Congyun.

Even though he knew it was hopeless, he kept pushing He Yun.

He Yun smiled and waved his hand. "Congyun, don’t count on me. I never meddle in my kids’ life decisions. If things go south later, I’d be to blame and wouldn’t be able to explain it to anyone. You saw how He Xuan’s last marriage ended up. If I had really wanted to intervene back then, I could’ve made Ming Hui vanish in a dozen ways—but I didn’t interfere."

"Mr. He, I figured if you put in a word, Mr. Lu would do you the favor and arrange for them to meet. I guarantee that once they meet, they’ll definitely take a liking to my granddaughter. She’s a real looker," Nie Congyun said.

In all of Hong Kong and Macau, no young man could hold a candle to Lu Shen.

In terms of looks, talent, family background, wealth, and capability, he stood at the very peak, leaving everyone else in the dust.

Lu Mingzhu laughed:

"How do you think she stacks up against me?"

When it came to beauty, neither she nor her original body had ever lost since childhood.

Nie Congyun was taken aback. "Of course, she can’t compare to you."

His granddaughter was pretty compared to most, but not to Lu Mingzhu. After all, even actresses like Yang Huan and Xia Lin, renowned for their beauty, were considered celestial beings in the eyes of ordinary people—but next to Lu Mingzhu, they didn’t stand a chance.

Still, among all the society girls, his granddaughter was undoubtedly outstanding.

"Since Miss Nie is both talented and beautiful, there’s no need to worry about her finding a good match. Don’t sweat it, Mr. Nie. Spend your time drinking tea with my godfather—just enjoy your retirement." Lu Mingzhu thought she had made herself clear enough. Surely, he would back off now? Everyone knew you couldn’t force chemistry.

"Mingzhu is right," He Yun said. "Kids’ll figure it out themselves. You don’t need to meddle in everything."

Nie Congyun knew he had achieved nothing today and could only say, "Then I’ll have to find another way."

Lu Mingzhu frowned.

Noticing this, He Yun said coolly, "Congyun, I advise you not to be too persistent."

Forget Lu Mingzhu—getting past her father would be tough enough.

Compared to his daughter, Lu Yanzhi placed even greater emphasis on propriety.

As the next-generation helmsman of the Lu family, inheriting the largest share of the family fortune, Lu Pingan couldn’t just ignore family tradition.

Nie Congyun smiled without a word, brushing off He Yun’s warning.

Lu Mingzhu was displeased but ultimately said nothing.

After all, Pingan had never been an easy man to manipulate.

After leaving He Yun’s home, Lu Mingzhu bolted back home to inform Lu Yanzhi about the matter.

"Nie Congyun’s really crossed a line!" she fumed.

Lu Yanzhi was trimming peach branches in the hall and remarked, "Nie Congyun’s gotten too big for his britches since he got some clout. In the past, he wouldn’t have had the nerve to ask favors from your godfather."

"The gambling king!" Lu Mingzhu said. "With godfather and He Lan stepping back, isn't he the only big player left now?"

"I heard he changed his name," her father replied.

"Changed his name? Not Nie Congyun anymore? What is it now?" Who changes their name in their later years? Trying to imitate that old man Ye who dropped dead out of nowhere?

Her father chuckled lightly. "Nie Congyun's 'Congyun' wasn't about the wind following the dragon or clouds following the tiger—it was about following He Yun."

Lu Mingzhu understood. "So now he’s not called Nie Congyun, but Nie Yun?"

It was meant as a joke, but then she saw her father nod.

"He’s not even trying to hide it!" Lu Mingzhu exclaimed.

Nie Yun, Nie Yun—sharing the same character as He Yun.

"Does godfather know?" she asked her father.

He countered, "You think your godfather doesn’t know? He may have stepped away from gambling, but that doesn’t mean he has no other business in Macau."

After distributing his assets among his descendants, He Yun had invested in numerous ventures over the past decade.

With ample capital, he expanded into more industries, pulling in even bigger profits.

Lu Mingzhu decided she disliked Nie Yun. "Godfather is truly classy—his attitude toward Nie Yun hasn’t changed at all."

If it were her, she wouldn’t give him the time of day.

"That’s why you’re not cut out for business," her father laughed. "Our Pingan is now the hottest bachelor in town. I’ll have to assign him more bodyguards to prevent someone from grabbing him off the street to force him into marriage."

"Dad!" Lu Mingzhu stomped her foot. "I’m serious!"

"And I’m working on it based on what you said," her father replied, setting down the pruning shears and washing his hands in the water a servant brought over. "Don’t worry, I understand. I’ll inform Pingan when he returns."

In matters like these, men don’t come out worse.

He didn’t dare voice that thought in front of his daughter, instead playing to her tastes: "I’ll give you something special to wear when you go abroad."

Lately, he’d noticed his daughter rarely wore jewelry and had guessed her reasoning.

Lu Mingzhu’s eyes lit up. "What’s so special?"

Her father retrieved a red leather jewelry case from the safe and handed it to her.

"Open it," he said.

She obeyed, and inside lay a stunningly beautiful diamond necklace. The most precious element was the centerpiece—a deep purple diamond set at the base of the necklace.

It was accompanied by a ring and a pair of earrings.

The ring’s center stone was half the size of the necklace’s, while the earrings’ stones were even smaller, all set with white and purple diamond accents.

Next to the purple diamond studs she used to wear, these put them to shame.

Thrilled, she gasped, "They’re gorgeous! When did you buy these, Dad?"

"Years ago." Knowing her father’s passion for collecting colored diamonds, mine owners always gave him first dibs whenever they dug up something good. He had acquired a rough purple diamond, took over a year just to cut and polish it, another half-year perfecting the design, and a final year putting this necklace together, dubbing it "Purple Star."

Just like He Yun, he wasn’t impressed by his daughter’s jewelry-naming skills.

Lu Mingzhu modeled the jewelry for Lu Changsheng right away.

She was wearing a white silk dress with only her wedding ring, originally looking fresh and elegant. But once adorned with the luxurious diamond suite, she instantly looked utterly regal, the gems shimmering with every movement.

Lu Changsheng was quite pleased. "This suits you much better."

She’d really been holding back these past few years.

Even when attending banquets, she had only dared to wear the same tired old pieces repeatedly.

Lu Mingzhu's face lit up. "Eldest Brother brought me a 101-carat diamond necklace from abroad, my godfather gave me a brooch set with the world's largest pigeon-blood ruby, and now you've gifted me this purple diamond set—I'm so happy!"

"Who spoils you the most, huh?" Lu Changsheng teased.

Lu Mingzhu nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes, you do! You're my real father—my flesh and blood!"

Did he really have to compete over this?

She loved it.

She laid it on thick, showering him with affection and flattery.

Lu Changsheng soaked it all up, leaning back on the sofa. "So you're going to New York? When do you plan to cross that bridge and develop the gold-mining estate?"

When he had transferred the gold-mining estate to Lu Mingzhu, her money was locked into grain purchases. Initial mining required heavy investment, and calculations showed peanuts for returns in the early years, making it unprofitable overall—so it remained untouched.

Lu Changsheng, who had tweaked those calculations, kept his hands clean.

Others knew something was amiss but never pointed it out to Lu Mingzhu.

Except for Lu Changsheng, none had bet the farm like her—they all wanted to secure her and Lu Haohao's future.

Hearing his question, Lu Mingzhu replied, "I'll cross that bridge later. For now, I'll use my funds for stocks. Dad, how about chipping in a little?"

She knew he still had money.

Lu Changsheng waved dismissively. "I’m tapped out—your eldest brother took it all. All I have left are a few stocks, so don’t even think about it. Just go and come back soon."

True to his words, Lu Mingzhu left early.

She delivered the message and let the chips fall.

She trusted her father and nephew to keep Nie Yun from succeeding.

Nie Yun?

As if!

When they departed, Lu Mingzhu and Xie Junyao brought every last cent, plus $5 million from the third branch—$1 million each, not one would be outdone.

Clearly, their earnings over the years had been substantial.

Compared to the main family, they looked like small potatoes, but against outsiders, their background, vision, and resources put them in another league—each of them was exceptionally capable.

Lu Mingzhu and Xie Junyao headed straight for Los Angeles, so bumping into Julie on the cruise ship surprised them.

She had been seeing Lu Changgen for years but still hadn’t married.

Luckily, Lu Changsheng wasn’t breathing down their necks—otherwise, he’d have hounded them long ago.

Upon seeing Lu Mingzhu, Julie was overjoyed. "Your seventh brother's here too. Let me call him."

Lu Mingzhu raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were going to London?"

"No, actually we're going to the States for my cousin’s wedding—Harry’s sister, who’s getting married in Los Angeles." Since they weren't getting married anytime soon, Julie had dragged Lu Changgen on this trip to show him the world, so he wouldn’t become too dull staying in Hong Kong.

Lu Mingzhu nodded.

That evening, she dined with Julie and Lu Changgen before attending the cruise ship’s dance party, joining the dance floor alongside people of various skin tones, hair colors, and eye shades from around the world.

Without a care in the world, she danced with unrestrained joy.

Xie Junyao held her waist, his eyes brimming with tenderness and affection. "There's the real you again."

Lu Mingzhu teased, "Was I not beautiful these past few years?"

"You were, but just weighed down with worries." Xie Junyao knew her concerns had been about the disasters, but thankfully, they were over now.

Her eyes sparkled like stars under the lights. "Not anymore!"

"Good." He knew disasters would always occur in such a vast country, but still humored her, sincerely hoping the mainland would face just good harvests and peaceful times.

After dancing, they returned to the lounge.

Just then, someone approached them with a wine glass in hand. "Beautiful lady, would you be interested in filming an advertisement?"