Chapter 29 One Step Closer to Becoming a Rich Lady

Chapter 29: One Step Closer to Becoming a Rich Woman

Under the intense gaze of two formidable elders, Lu Jingtang felt a flutter of nerves. "I only know a little," she managed to say.

Elder Li, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, set a trap for her. "I noticed your expression when Elder Fu was about to make his move. Did you think he played it wrong?" He clearly enjoyed playfully intimidating the younger generation.

At this, Elder Fu paused, holding his chess piece mid-air, and turned his gaze to her. His eyes, framed by his brows, exuded the commanding presence of a man of power.

Lu Jingtang, ever so cunning, replied, "I think it's both right and wrong. It's merely a different path to victory, but the outcome will be the same."

After a brief silence, Elder Li let out a hearty laugh. "Quite the audacious claim! Why don't you take over for Elder Fu in this game? I'm eager to see this winning strategy of yours."

Elder Fu, too, chimed in, "Go on."

With both elders urging her, Lu Jingtang took her place at the board. She glanced at Fu Nanyu, and a subtle nod from him surprisingly put her at ease. What if she lost? With Fu Nanyu by her side, she knew she'd be fine.

In the end, Lu Jingtang indeed clinched a narrow victory against Elder Li by a single piece. Elder Li meticulously scrutinized the board for a long time before asking, "Who taught you to play like that?"

To claim she'd figured it out herself might sound dismissive, so Lu Jingtang offered, "I learned a bit from a teacher at school."

Elder Li was not one to begrudge a loss. He turned to Elder Fu and said, "Elder Fu, the young lady won. She deserves a reward."

Elder Fu, having secured a victory and maintained his prestige, a smile softened his features. He asked Lu Jingtang, "Which do you prefer, Xishan Mansion or Nanting Fengyuan? Go pick one yourself."

True to a top-tier affluent family, their generosity was boundless. She glanced at Fu Nanyu, who stood outside the pavilion, still and composed, his shoulders unyielding. Playing coy, she asked, "Then, may I ask Big Brother to come and sit with us first?"

Elder Fu was momentarily taken aback. He exchanged a look with Elder Li, and both chuckled. Elder Fu boomed, "Get in here!"

Only then did Fu Nanyu step into the pavilion and settle beside Lu Jingtang. Elder Fu shot him a sidelong glance. "Almost thirty, and you still need your little sister to charm people for you."

Fu Nanyu's expression remained unfazed. "I've accepted both Xishan Mansion and Nanting Fengyuan on her behalf."

Elder Fu playfully tapped his leg with his cane. He didn't seem to mind parting with the properties, laughing as he chided, "You scoundrel."

Lu Jingtang was still processing it all. In just a few sentences, she had become a rich woman with two villas. Houses, money, a car—all she needed now was a muscular hunk with eight-pack abs, she mused, a delightful smile playing on her lips.

Elder Li looked at Lu Jingtang and suddenly asked, "Hey, Little Lu, how old are you?"

Lu Jingtang, slightly bewildered, replied, "Twenty-one."

Hearing this, Elder Li took a sip of tea and remarked meaningfully, "Not bad. The same age as that boy Li Song."

Elder Fu also smiled, looking at Lu Jingtang, who was now engrossed in her tea. Fu Nanyu's eyes grew cold, and his grip on his cup tightened, his expression darkening. Only Lu Jingtang, with wide, innocent eyes, remained blissfully unaware, grinning foolishly.

The two had lunch at Hezhuang. During the meal, Madam Fu inquired about Fu Nanyu's shoulder injury, and Elder Fu also cast a concerned glance. Fu Nanyu calmly stated, "It's nothing."

Lu Jingtang froze, chopsticks suspended in mid-air. Big Brother was injured? And she had made him carry such heavy things last night without a single complaint.

Noticing her gaze, and seemingly intuiting her thoughts, Fu Nanyu subtly lifted his eyes, a hint of amusement in their depths.

After lunch, they shared a few cups of tea with the elders. Fu Nanyu then excused himself, citing other engagements, and rose to leave with Lu Jingtang.

"What are you looking at?"

In the car, noticing Lu Jingtang's frequent glances at his shoulder, Fu Nanyu suddenly asked. Lu Jingtang replied, "Big Brother, should you go to the hospital for your shoulder injury?"

Fu Nanyu responded, "Don't worry. I'm not made of paper."

Lu Jingtang suddenly remembered something, her eyes curving into a smile. She couldn't help but cover her face with her scarf, stifling a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Fu Nanyu looked puzzled.

Lu Jingtang's face was flushed from laughter. Fiddling with her seatbelt, she asked curiously, "Big Brother, do you have stomach problems? Or perhaps you suffer from insomnia? Or are you so germ-averse that you can't touch women without an allergic reaction? Do you have any doctor friends?"

Fu Nanyu frowned. "What nonsense is this?"

"I read it in novels. They say these are standard traits for CEOs. You have to have at least one."

Fu Nanyu lazily lowered his eyes, his gaze drifting indifferently to the road ahead. He let out a soft hum, his tone calm and devoid of anger. "Do you think someone from a family like ours would delay treatment if we were sick? I don't have doctor friends, but the city's private hospital belongs to our family."

Lu Jingtang considered this and agreed. She turned to look out the window, suddenly realizing they weren't heading home. "Brother, where are we going?"

"I have some business to discuss. We'll go home after."

The car pulled up in front of the Zishan Club. Staff immediately approached, taking the car keys from Fu Nanyu to park the vehicle.

Fu Nanyu led her inside. This was a place frequented by influential figures, either business elites or government officials, whose identities were often shrouded in mystery. The staff, discreet and respectful, guided them to a private room.

As the door to the private room opened, Lu Jingtang saw Li Chen playfully flirting with a woman in a business skirt. Qi Heng and Qi Yao, the siblings, were engaged in some boisterous horseplay. Hearing the door, they all turned to look.

"Lu Jingtang, you finally decided to come back!"

Qi Yao was the first to react. She pulled Lu Jingtang away from Fu Nanyu and steered her towards the bar. "Come on, let's sit over there. We don't need to hang out with these smelly men." She then called out to another young woman, "Assistant Jian, you come too."

"What made you bring her along?" Li Chen casually poured him a drink.

Fu Nanyu unbuttoned two buttons of his shirt with one hand and settled onto the sofa. "I drove here. I'm not drinking," he stated calmly.

Li Chen shrugged, unconcerned. "No worries. There are plenty of drivers here."