Chapter 5 Cousin’s Forcible Seizure of You

Chapter 5: The Cousin's Ruthless Takeover

On the first day, everyone had the "honor" of seeing the old master.

In the following days, however, that privilege was no longer granted.

In the mornings, a large group of people would sleepily drag themselves out of bed, and it was a miracle if a few scattered individuals happened to cross paths. At the Lou family's luxurious dining table, which stretched several meters long, at most seven people would have breakfast together at any given time.

Throughout the rest of the day, unless specifically arranged, you wouldn't run into anyone else at all.

Thus, the first day could actually be considered a brief, tense showdown among the competitors for the Lou family fortune.

Everyone was biding their time, anticipating the upcoming, most crucial family banquet.

The Lou family estate was located in a wealthy enclave. For the residents of this tier, money was no object. The grounds boasted not just swimming pools and cinemas but also artificial lakes, beach parks, riding stables, golf courses...

All kinds of facilities were top-notch and exceptionally well-equipped.

However, as posh as the amenities were, for the elderly, it was the perfect place to enjoy a quiet, leisurely life. But for the young masters and mistresses with money, this place was undoubtedly dead boring.

Those manicured landscapes and high-end, luxurious supporting facilities were a total bore in their eyes.

The peace and quiet came at a cost: the place was sparsely populated.

Even with all the facilities and a staff at their beck and call, where was the fun in that?

Therefore, generally speaking, the Lou scions would zoom off in their sports cars early in the morning, leaving the Lou estate to go who-knows-where to party, only staggering back late at night, one by one, drunk.

Lou Han, however, was decidedly not part of that crowd.

As for those young people, they wanted nothing to do with Lou Han.

As for the middle-aged generation, they were the frontrunners in the inheritance race and had their own ventures to manage, so they had even less time for Lou Han.

Thus, in the mornings, the housekeeping staff could count on seeing Lou Han sitting alone at the dining table, quietly eating breakfast.

The maid looked at Lou Han with a pitying look.

Orphaned at a young age, with no one to turn to, he'd been on his own abroad all these years. He wasn't close to his other siblings, had an introverted personality, and unlike the other kids who fooled around all day and partied late into the night, he kept to a regular schedule.

He was practically a poor, dutiful boy.

After finishing his meal alone, Lou Han would even help the maids tidy up after breakfast. During this time, he would ask which other young masters and misses were still at the Lou estate, which only made him more likable. Consequently, he was highly regarded by the kitchen staff.

After doing all this, Lou Han would go to the rose garden to tend to some rose plants. Then, he would shoulder his backpack, borrow a bike from one of the staff, and head out on his own.

Sometimes, while riding his bicycle, Lou Han would encounter Fourth Aunt returning from her parents' house in a high-end car.

Fourth Aunt would smile at him.

But Lou Han knew she would be sizing him up as he rode away.

The old master was convalescing, but no one knew when he would die. The family banquet was in a week, and when that time came, with everyone gathered, she could put her plans into full swing.

Everyone was biding their time, restless and eager to make a move.

This Lou Han, like the other kids, didn't seem like much of a threat.

It's just... she had also heard that Xi Jingqi seemed to have taken a special interest in him? What was Xi Jingqi playing at? And what did Lou Han himself think?

All of this was for the ultimate victory, Lou Yun told herself. She couldn't afford any slip-ups.

She finished smiling at Lou Han with a tight, perfunctory smile.

Then, with a look of mixed emotions, she watched the young man shoulder his backpack and leave through the main gate of the Lou estate.

Another person who was puzzled was Xiao Jie.

Based on Xiao Jie's expectations, he understood very well what someone like Lou Han wanted. But if he truly wanted to obtain what he desired, wouldn't the best outcome be to seek out his boss?

For someone like him, what was there to refuse about reaching the pinnacle in one step?

Moreover, Brother Wang was even willing to sell him "confidential information" about the Lou family company.

But there was no result.

Brother Wang's attempts to contact Lou Han seemed to have been unilaterally blocked, as he never received a response again.

Lou Han had formulated a strict plan for himself.

The first step was to gradually sort out the Lou family's assets. The initial phase of sorting things out was to get involved...

-

Downtown Library, bathed in brilliant sunshine.

A handsome young man walked out under the sidelong glances of others.

He walked to the bicycle shed under the green shade at the entrance and unlocked his parked bicycle. This simple mode of transportation, combined with his downcast, gentle demeanor, made his crane-like handsomeness and purity something everyone would take a second look at.

He looked exactly like a hardworking university student.

Although Lou Han considered himself lazy, he was someone who could immediately execute a plan once he had thought it through.

His goal was very clear, so he ensured that what he gained each day was quite fruitful within his objectives.

Once he achieved his goal, he would leave.

Under the tree shadows, girls huddled together, excitedly sharing with their friends about the handsome guy they saw today.

They had just been about to take a video, but in the blink of an eye, the handsome guy was gone.

Lou Han carried a single-strap backpack every day, paired with a very simple white top and black pants, which he had dug out from his previous messy wardrobe.

He shuttled back and forth between the Lou estate and the downtown library.

But his appearance was too striking, so even just standing there, he attracted a lot of attention.

Riding his bicycle there and riding it back, many people would look at him on the road as well.

Some people even wanted to add his contact information. Lou Han refused them all. Some, even after being refused, would offer to give him a ride in their car, but Lou Han never agreed.

He believed the body the system had given him was truly crafted according to the plot's arrangement and did not have particularly good physical fitness.

But many successful people had excellent physical fitness, so Lou Han considered cycling as exercise.

In the evening, after returning, Lou Han would go to the rose garden to water the roses he had planted in the morning. Finally, he would open his phone to check the messages Xiao Jing had sent him.

Xiao Jing's messages weren't frequent, mostly consisting of very plain yet interesting snippets of daily life.

They were neither overly cold nor excessively enthusiastic. The boundaries were well-maintained, but Lou Han didn't reply either.

About three days later, Lou Han made his way to the tennis courts.

On the court, people were sitting around in small groups, sighing and complaining.

A girl poked Lou Zimin with her tennis racket. "Hey, have you thought of any fun places to go? Home is so boring."

Apart from their servants, there was no one else around.

The group quickly grew tired of each other.

Fully dressed and equipped, they had been playing tennis all morning, and it was mind-numbingly dull. They wanted to go drag racing or clubbing with their usual crowd of troublemakers, but they had just been warned by their parents to behave.

Ugh. So annoying.

Lou Zimin irritably bounced a ball between the ground and his hand.

A lone figure with a gray backpack slung over one shoulder, dressed in black and white tennis attire, walked straight toward them with clear purpose.

He stopped right in front of them.

Their eyes traveled upward from his feet—straight legs, a lean waist, and a face brimming with youthful spirit, his eyes as clear as a mountain stream.

Bathed in sunlight, the young man seemed edged in gold, his complexion radiant. His dark hair was neatly groomed, every strand exuding freshness and vitality. A light breeze stirred his hair, accentuating his tall, upright posture and poised demeanor.

His words were brief. "Want to play together?"

They looked at each other, exchanging glances; their first reaction, surprisingly, wasn't to refuse.

Lou Zimin was taken aback, then quickly masked his expression. "Sure, come on."

--

He picked up his racket.

"Look at him..." the girl whispered to her friend with a giggle, not in mockery but with genuine interest.

The girl was the first to suggest playing with Lou Han.

At first glance, Lou Han seemed serious and proper, but he turned out to be incredibly skilled at tennis. The girl initially held her own against him, but gradually, she couldn't keep up.

Then the boys took turns, and they all lost.

When it was Lou Zimin's turn—the most skilled among them—his expression had darkened. Initially, he had no issue with Lou Han, but now he suspected Lou Han had come to show them up.

He had intended to teach Lou Han a lesson, but Lou Han matched him shot for shot. It wasn't until the final serve—executed with such standard, professional form that Lou Zimin completely missed the ball—that he realized Lou Han had been going easy on the others all along.

Lou Han smiled into the wind, radiating youthful confidence.

"I came to play with you all. Mind if I join you?"

With Lou Han's addition, the others' interest was piqued.

Their initial dislike for Lou Han faded as quickly as it had come.

They immediately took Lou Han in a supercar to a bar in the city center.

The bar manager personally greeted them at the door, respectfully leading them to a private room.

"What are we doing here? Aren't you worried about getting yelled at?"

"Afraid of what? We invited others to join us for some fun."

The dim, purplish lighting made the place look like hell.

Lou Han felt a pang of frustration. This kid Lou Zimin was all about indulgence and extravagance.

In a noisy corner, Lou Han finally took something out of his backpack and placed it in front of Lou Zimin.

"What's this?" Lou Zimin glanced at Lou Han.

"A proposal?" Large characters were written on it.

"A plan for acquiring some of the Lou family's companies. Work with me."

At first, Lou Zimin only skimmed the document Lou Han gave him, but as he read on, he grew more and more serious. His expression turned utterly shocked. "Th-this... you did this?!"

"Holy crap," he muttered under his breath. "Lou Han, if you had this kind of skill, you should've shown it earlier."

The partner Lou Han had chosen to involve was Lou Zimin.

Lou Han was confident Lou Zimin would cooperate. First, if Lou Zimin had any desire for profit, he couldn't possibly ignore the opportunity. Second, Lou Han's proposal was exceptionally well-prepared. If Lou Zimin was even considering it, he would ultimately agree.

When they returned that night, the others had already left.

Only Lou Han and Lou Zimin remained, as their rooms were in roughly the same area.

"My god," Lou Zimin exclaimed, his hands trembling with excitement beside Lou Han. "Lou Han, you're really something. I'm genuinely impressed. You're incredibly capable. With you around, we can show those old-timers what it means for the new generation to surpass the old..."

Author's Note:

----------------------