Chapter 114 The Puppy Is Sick

Chapter 114: The Little Dog Falls Ill

Old Master Lu heard Shen Qingci's words and nearly ground his old teeth to powder.

Talk nicely to Lu Lin?

That lunatic—talk nicely to him, and he might still blow up at any second.

Talk poorly to him, and he’d flip the table, person and all.

If it weren't for trying to get news of Le Tong from him back then, he should have gotten rid of that menace Lu Lin ten years ago, right after Shen Qingci died.

But after raising him for ten years, he was still an ungrateful brat who’d never be won over.

Old Master Lu looked at Shen Qingci at the head of the table, squinting his cloudy eyes.

That face—exactly the same as ten years ago.

Still as aloof and refined as jade, still as if nothing in the world mattered to him.

He just sat there, giving off an air of otherworldly detachment, like a lofty god looking down at the chaos around him.

Hard to deal with.

He knew all too well how hard this man was to deal with.

Eighteen years ago, he first encountered Shen Qingci.

At that time, Shen Qingci was only nineteen, and just like now, he sat there with a cane, with a lofty attitude, refusing to hand over Lu Lin.

A nineteen-year-old youth, yet his eyes were calm and unfathomable, as if they could see into people's hearts.

He was unwilling to accept it.

A snot-nosed kid—what right did he have to go against him?

He used the Lu Group to try and trip up the Tianchen Group, to teach this cocky kid that there were people he shouldn’t mess with.

And the result?

The Tianchen Group came out without a scratch.

Meanwhile, an important subsidiary of his Lu Group inexplicably was on the verge of bankruptcy, and then the Tianchen Group snapped it up.

He still remembered the words Shen Qingci had said to him that day.

That nineteen-year-old youth sat opposite him, still with that cold and indifferent demeanor, his voice floating and carefree, every word as if carved into his heart:

“That kid, I like him. I’ll give him back once I’m done playing with him.”

He paused, then lifted his eyes to look at him, those eyes cold without a trace of warmth:

“If there's a next time, I won't mind having the Shen family deal with you. Dogs fighting dogs is boring, but at least it doesn’t get my hands dirty.”

From then on, he waited for Shen Qingci to get bored and give him back.

But he not only didn’t get bored of him, he even started grooming Lu Lin as his heir.

If Lu Lin inherited the Tianchen Group...

The Lu family would be doomed.

Thankfully, Shen Qingci was dead...

Old Master Lu gripped his cane tightly, his knuckles whitening from the grip.

He looked at Shen Qingci, once again putting on that kindly smile:

“Mr. Shen, you can ask anything you like, but please...”

His gaze swept over his son, who had already been beaten bloody:

“Let this useless son of mine go.”

Shen Qingci didn't look at him.

His gaze landed on Old Master Lu’s third son, watching him curl up from the kicks, watching his screams die down, watching him fall completely unconscious.

His fingers tapped lightly on the head of his cane, once, twice.

The sound was very soft, yet exceptionally clear in the silent hall.

After a long while.

So long that Old Master Lu's smile was about to crack.

Only then did Shen Qingci slowly stand up, using his cane.

His movements were slow, with an innate composure.

The cane thudded on the floor, once, twice, like thumping on everyone’s hearts.

He lifted his eyes to look at Old Master Lu.

That look was faint, devoid of any feeling, but it made Old Master Lu's heart tighten.

He parted his thin lips, his voice cold as ice:

“I’m just cleaning up your family for you, Old Master Lu.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the unconscious man on the floor:

“A brainless bastard, and yet Old Master Lu is upset over him.”

He looked away, then back at Old Master Lu, his voice growing even colder:

“If it were your little grandson getting beaten, Old Master Lu, you’d probably be even more heartbroken.”

Old Master Lu’s eyes sharply narrowed.

But in a flash, he buried that flicker of emotion.

He put on that genial smile again, tone soft:

“Mr. Shen is joking. Out of all my grandsons, I still have more appreciation for Lu Lin.”

He paused and continued:

“He has ways, he’s smart and decisive. The Lu Group has nearly outshone the Shen family in the past few years.”

He smiled at Shen Qingci:

“I can only say that Mr. Shen has taught him well. If Mr. Shen had inherited the Shen family, I suppose...”

*Tap.*

The tap of a cane on the floor cut him off.

It wasn’t loud, but it cut off his rambling perfectly.

Old Master Lu’s smile froze for a split second, then returned to normal.

He looked at Shen Qingci, still wearing that amiable smile.

Shen Qingci’s right leg suddenly shot with a sharp pain.

The pain came abruptly, as if a bone had shattered deep inside.

But his face showed no change. He stood there, looking at Old Master Lu, his cold eyes were calm, unruffled.

Old Master Lu looked at him and suddenly broke into laughter.

The laughter echoed through the hall, with a knowing tone:

“Mr. Shen, let’s not bring up the past. How about you let him go, and we talk upstairs?”

Shen Qingci’s gaze fell on the man who had passed out.

He said flatly:

“Let him go.”

His men immediately let go and stepped back.

Old Master Lu made a “please” gesture, his posture extremely humble:

“Mr. Shen, please.”

Shen Qingci took a step, about to head upstairs.

His phone rang.

He took out his phone and glanced at the caller: Uncle Fu.

He answered the call and put it to his ear.

“Sir,” Uncle Fu’s voice came through, somewhat urgent, “Have you returned? Mr. Lu woke up and found you gone. He directly pulled out his IV and insisted on going to find you. No one could stop him.”

Shen Qingci’s brow creased:

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He has a fever,” Uncle Fu said with worry. “The doctor says it’s because of the cold weather and being drenched in the rainstorm, plus last night…”

“Last night, what?”

A beat of silence on the other end.

Uncle Fu’s voice was strained:

“Last night… he had fought the fever for half the night, and then drained his Yang energy…”

Shen Qingci paused.

He was already feverish yesterday? No wonder he was so hot.

“Got it. Put him on.”

With that, he didn’t spare another glance at Old Master Lu, still bowing slightly in his “please” gesture.

He gripped his cane, turned around, and strode out of the hall.

His back was slender and upright, his stride steady and calm.

Behind him, the smile instantly froze on Old Master Lu’s face.

He watched that slender figure walk away without a backward glance, watched the black Maybach slowly drive away, and his friendly expression instantly darkened.

He slammed his cane on the ground, through gritted teeth:

“This is outrageous!!”

His voice was shrill with anger, echoing through the empty hall.

The Lu family’s eldest son walked over, looking confusedly at his father:

“Dad, why are you so afraid of him?”

Old Master Lu took a deep breath, forcing down his anger.

He looked in the direction where the car had disappeared, his voice low, as if forced from his chest:

“Afraid?”

He paused, his voice even lower:

“There’s nothing to fear about him. A man from ten years ago—nothing to be afraid of.”

The last sentence, he said, barely above a whisper.

The Lu family’s eldest son didn’t hear clearly and asked again:

“What?”

Old Master Lu shook his head.

He glanced at the hall in disarray, said “Clean this up” over his shoulder, and then, leaning on his cane, slowly went upstairs.