Hear this life

Wen Tingli said quickly: "Okay."

The servant led her inside.

When they were about to pass through the garden, they saw a few gardeners repairing the road in front. There were pebbles scattered on the ground in the middle of the road. In order to prevent Wen Tingli from tripping, the manager carefully led her to avoid the stones.

Suddenly, I heard a "fluttering" sound coming from the front.

Wen Tingli's heart moved, and she turned a corner. As expected, she saw the group of lovely pigeons again. The emerald green lawn and the snow-white pigeons set off each other to form a magnificent scene. Lu Shicheng stood among them, not only did he not look abrupt, but he blended into the scene wonderfully.

As she watched, a thought suddenly popped up in Wen Tingli's mind. It is said that a son resembles his mother. Lu Shicheng has such outstanding appearance and temperament, so his mother must have been a great beauty as well. Unfortunately, Lu Shicheng was only four years old when the tragedy happened, and I wonder if Lu Shicheng still remembers what his mother looks like.

"Sir, Miss Wen is here."

Wen Tingli smiled sweetly: "Hello, Mr. Lu."

Lu Shicheng turned around and looked at Wen Tingli. Wen Tingli was prepared for his scrutiny and looked at him frankly.

Perhaps he couldn't detect any anxiety or uneasiness on her face. After a few seconds, Lu Shicheng handed the pigeon food to the servant, pointed to the rattan table and chairs beside the lawn, and motioned Wen Tingli to sit over there. The steward Chen hurriedly brought people to serve tea and snacks.

The tea tray not only contained tea and snacks, but also a cup of water.

"Thank you." Wen Tingli thanked them shamelessly, knowing that Lu Shicheng probably still remembered the last time she asked them for boiled water to take western medicine.

Lu Shicheng sat on the opposite side and looked at Wen Tingli with a calm expression, pointing at the words on the note.

【looking for me? 】

Wen Tingli hurriedly took out the registration form: "I want to sign up for the competition held by Xinxin Department Store, but Principal Michelle said that such off-campus competitions need to be approved by the board of directors, so I have to ask Mr. Lu to sign the registration form for me like he did last time for the drama competition."

As he spoke, he pushed the form in front of him. When he saw the words "Xinxin Department Store and "Flower of Shanghai" Beauty Pageant" on the upper column, Lu Shicheng looked a little confused.

Wen Tingli was waiting for him to ask a few more questions, but unexpectedly, Lu Shicheng just glanced at the high prize money below, as if he had guessed why she wanted to participate in the competition, and signed for her without hesitation.

Wen Tingli had to show a happy expression: "I was worried that Mr. Lu would not agree. After all, beauty pageants don't sound positive enough. But the organizer of this competition is the eldest lady of Xinxin Department Store. Miss Dong said that although she is organizing a beauty pageant, the 'flowers' here are not 'flowers for appreciation', but they imply that 'women's beauty is also powerful'. It is said that on the night of the final, for every vote the audience gave to a contestant, Xinxin Department Store donated ten francs (note) to the women and children's charity organizations in Shanghai. Therefore, this is a real charity event. As soon as the news came out, many classmates wanted to sign up. I was a little hesitant at first, but I heard that Miss Dong would also donate a batch of supplies in the name of the winning contestant, so -"

Lu Shicheng had not interrupted Wen Tingli, but when he heard this, he took out the fountain pen he always carried with him from his pocket.

Wen Tingli subconsciously held her breath, but he only wrote one line.

[I am very confident that Miss Wen will win, but I have guests to meet. If Miss Wen has nothing else to do, I will ask them to send you out.]

Wen Tingli stared at the line of words for a long time without saying anything. She began to wonder if Lu Shicheng had been studying her specifically these days. Otherwise, how could he accurately interrupt her every time and prevent her from getting angry?

In doubt, she noticed Lu Shicheng's gaze.

If she delayed any longer, he might get suspicious, so she had to get up quickly: "Then I won't bother Mr. Lu."

She put the registration form into her bag with satisfaction, stood up and followed the steward out. At this time, a servant of the Lu family led two guests out from behind the flower wall. Wen Tingli raised her eyes and was stunned.

One of them is Meng Qiguang.

Meng Qiguang seemed surprised as well. He glanced at Wen Tingli, then glanced at Lu Shicheng on the other side, without saying a word.

The young man next to Meng Qiguang's eyes lit up. He looked at Wen Tingli from head to toe and asked Meng Qiguang with a smile: "This is Miss Wen, right?"

Wen Tingli was curious, and the man introduced himself: "My last name is Gao Tingxin, Xiaowen's elder brother. Xiaowen often talks about her classmates at school when she goes home. I have heard of Miss Wen's name for a long time."

It turned out that he was the famous eldest son of the Gao family, the owner of the newly opened Yifeilin Department Store on Xiafei Road.

"Hello, Mr. Gao." She greeted him politely, then nodded to Meng Qiguang and was about to walk past the two of them to leave.

Gao Tingxin, however, stopped Wen Tingli with a smile: "Miss Wen, please stay."

Lu Shicheng was watching from the side and winked at Manager Chen, who came over with a smile to stop her: "Mr. Gao, Miss Wen is a student of Shiwu Middle School and also a guest of the Lu Mansion today. Please--"

Gao Tingxin hurriedly said to Lu Shicheng, "Mr. Lu, please don't misunderstand. I have absolutely no intention of offending Ms. Wen. It's just that the matter I want to discuss with Mr. Lu today has something to do with the pragmatic Miss Wen. I was originally planning to go find her later, and it's great that we meet here by chance. If Mr. Lu doesn't mind, I would like to invite Miss Wen to stay and talk for a few words."

Then he smiled at Wen Tingli and said, "Ten minutes is enough."

Wen Tingli was confused, but since this person mentioned Gao Xiaowen, it would not be too rude to just turn around and leave. Besides, this was a great opportunity to stay and listen to the Lu family's business, so she nodded "reluctantly": "Mr. Gao, please go on."

Steward Chen took the opportunity to say, "Three of you, the weather is too hot. There is tea over there. Please move over there and talk."

After Gao Tingxin sat down, he did not speak rashly. Instead, he looked at Wen Tingli carefully, then turned to Lu Meng and said with a smile: "I heard from my sister that Miss Wen was the school belle when she was studying at Xiu De, and after she went to Shiwu, she became the school belle of Shiwu. Seeing her today, it is true. Mr. Lu, Qi Guang, what do you two think?"

Lu Shicheng turned to the side and looked at the pigeons in the distance.

Meng Qiguang lowered his eyes and drank his tea.

Gao Tingxin was still interested: "I heard that Miss Wen is planning to sign up for the beauty pageant at Xinxin Department Store?"

Wen Tingli admitted generously: "Yes."

"You haven't submitted the registration form yet, right? Since they are both beauty pageants, why don't you participate in the 'Rhythm of Beauty' beauty pageant that Yifeilin is about to hold? It's bigger and more eye-catching than the 'Flower of Shanghai' held by Xinxin Department Store, and the prize money is exactly twice as much as what Xinxin offers—"

Wen Tingli was stunned. The Gao family was busy poaching employees before the competition officially started. This was malicious competition. But on the other hand, Xinxin Department Store was busy holding a large-scale beauty pageant to attack Yifeilin just after it opened. From the Gao family's point of view, this was undoubtedly a provocation.

She had no intention of getting involved in the disputes between the two families, so she asked with a smile, "I wonder what the purpose of Mr. Gao's hosting of this competition is?"

"Of course, we've selected the most beautiful woman in Shanghai." Gao Tingxin, "The judges are all men, so they're guaranteed to have sharp eyes."

Wen Tingli lost interest as soon as she heard it.

Gao Tingxin was talking excitedly: "Gao can guarantee that this will be the most sensational beauty pageant in history. The winner will not only gain fame and fortune, but also - to be honest with Miss Wen, Yifeilin will soon open a large amusement park in Hongkou. Mr. Meng and I are one of the shareholders. Today we came to visit Mr. Lu to see if he is interested in investing. If Miss Wen wins the beauty pageant this time, not only will Yifeilin's department store window hang Miss Wen's calendar, but the amusement park will also sign a long-term portrait contract with Miss Wen in the future. This is a continuous income that will last until the contract expires in a few years."

After hearing this, Wen Tingli had to admit that the Gao family was quite good at doing business. Gao Tingxin seemed to have specifically inquired about her family's background and knew that money was the most attractive condition for her at the moment. These words did make her a little tempted.

But she still prefers to participate in the competition at Xinxin Department Store. After all, this competition was achieved under the promotion of Miss Liu Yaqiao, and she also appreciates the purpose of this competition of Xinxin.

"Thank you Mr. Gao for your invitation, but the conditions offered by Xinxin Department Store are also very tempting. I'm afraid..."

She hesitated for a long time, and finally shook her head: "I'm afraid I can't agree to Mr. Gao's request."

Then he stood up and said, "I won't disturb you guys from talking about business anymore. I'll take my leave now."

Gao Tingxin never thought that even with such an offer, Wen Tingli still wasn't interested. Seeing that she was about to leave, he hurriedly said, "I'll go see Miss Wen off. Qiguang, you talk to Mr. Lu first."

Not long after he chased after him, he heard a scream coming from behind the flower wall.

Lu Shicheng was slightly startled, while Meng Qiguang suddenly pushed the chair away and stood up.

"I'll go take a look." Manager Chen led his men over quickly.

The next moment, Manager Chen supported Wen Tingli and came around from behind the flower wall.

Wen Tingli's face was pale and she was limping.

Gao Tingxin felt a little ashamed: "I wanted to say a few more words to Miss Wen, but I didn't expect that I frightened Miss Wen and made her stumble. It looks like she sprained her ankle. What should I do?"

Wen Tingli waved her hand: "It's all my fault for being careless. Mr. Gao, don't blame yourself."

Manager Chen asked someone to hold Wen Tingli and explained to Lu Shicheng, "Ah Cheng was not careful enough. The stones behind the flower wall were scattered all over the ground. Miss Wen was in a hurry and accidentally tripped over the stones. Her hands and feet were all scraped and her ankle was probably injured. I will ask Dr. Louis to come and help Miss Wen immediately."

Meng Qiguang had been silent since before, but suddenly said to Gao Tingxin, "Why do we need to ask the Lu Mansion to help find a doctor? You scared the person, how can you just stand by and watch? Why don't you take her to the hospital yourself?"

Gao Tingxin woke up as if from a dream: "Yes, yes, this matter is because of me. I will drive Miss Wen to the hospital now."

The person that Manager Chen had called had already returned: "I've asked someone to call the doctor."

As he spoke, he looked at Lu Shicheng for instructions. Seeing that Lu Shicheng had no intention of objecting, Manager Chen hurriedly asked someone to send Wen Tingli to the guest room to wait.

Wen Tingli was half-reluctantly sent to the guest room on the east side of the first floor.

After sitting down, she looked down at the wound on her arm, and then at her slightly swollen ankle. Although it hurt a lot, she had a slight smile on her face. If she hadn't taken the opportunity of Gao Tingxin catching up with her to fall, how could she have stayed in Lu Mansion?

After checking the wounds on his body, he found that the window of this room faced the lawn. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he could just see where Lu Shicheng and the others were.

Through the window, I saw from afar Gao Tingxin taking out a stack of things and handing it to Lu Shicheng.

It seems that the three of them still have something to talk about.

Taking this opportunity, she quickly looked around the room she was in. Although it was tidy, there was no sign that anyone had lived there. It was probably impossible to find clues here, so she looked towards the corridor outside the door.

Outside this room is the small living room, and on the left side of the small living room is Lu Shicheng's study. But when she came in just now, she had paid special attention to the surrounding layout. There were three rooms on each side of the corridor.

Should I take this opportunity to look around? Wen Tingli's heart was beating fast. Last time, Li Chengying told her that the murderer who assassinated Dean Deng was shot in the back and would die soon if he was not treated quickly. If the man was hiding in Lu Mansion, maybe they could find some clues.

Just as I got up, Manager Chen came over with an old maid. When they saw Wen Tingli standing by the bed, they asked in surprise, "Miss Wen, are you going out?" "I want to use the bathroom."

Manager Chen had no doubts: "Let Aunt Liu take you there." It turned out that there was a bathroom in the room, but the door was hidden behind the closet, so she couldn't find it just now.

Wen Tingli was carried by the old maid to go to the toilet.

After coming out, Manager Chen pointed to the small table beside him and said, "Doctor Lewis should be here soon. If Miss Wen is in pain, you can apply a hot towel first."

There was a tray on the table, piled with steaming wet towels and Western gold medicine.

Wen Tingli hurriedly said, "Thank you for your concern." Manager Chen smiled and bowed, leaving the old maid to look after Wen Tingli and left first.

Now Wen Tingli didn't even have a reason to go out for a walk. After sitting there bored for a while, she set her sights on the old maid in the room.

"Have you had dinner?" she asked warmly.

Aunt Liu replied cautiously, "I have eaten."

Wen Tingli suddenly said, "Hey, you really look like a relative of mine. You are not from Nanjing, are you?"

"Miss Wen, you got the wrong person. I'm from Qingpu."

Wen Tingli tilted her head and looked at Aunt Liu again: "You are so similar. My aunt was so beautiful when she was young. You must have been a beauty back then too."

Aunt Liu couldn't help but laugh and said, "Miss Wen is joking."

Having said that, she smiled and raised her hand to tidy up her hair.

Wen Tingli continued to stare at her seriously: "I'm not joking. My aunt has an oval face and big eyes like you. It's a pity that I didn't bring her photo. If you look at it yourself, you will probably say they look alike."

"Are they really that similar?" Aunt Liu wondered.

"They really look alike." Wen Tingli nodded confidently, "Her skin is not as white as yours. I can't even imagine how beautiful you were back then."

Aunt Liu smiled bitterly and said, "When you were young, it was OK, but now, you are just an old fool, what can you say?"

"Old?" Wen Tingli smiled in surprise, "You are not old at all."

Aunt Liu looked at Wen Tingli. The child's expression was so sincere that she felt puzzled and happy. She couldn't help but ask, "Miss Wen, guess how old I am."

"Over forty, forty-five at most."

"No way!" Aunt Liu frowned and smiled, "I'm already over fifty! I entered the Lu family when I was eighteen, and it's been almost forty years in the blink of an eye."

Wen Tingli was shocked: "Over fifty? You look really young. Have you been in the Lu family all these years? The boss must have treated you very well. My mother said that only people who live a very happy life will look young."

"Yes, it is very good." Aunt Liu sighed, "The three Mr. Lus before and after have treated the servants very well, especially our young master Cheng, who is so gentle and kind. But no matter how kind the boss is, it's useless. I still suffered a lot in my life."

Half an hour later, Aunt Liu had already regarded Wen Tingli as her half-confidant, and she complained to her, starting with her unpromising eldest son and moving on to her even more useless youngest son, complaining non-stop.

Wen Tingli listened patiently. Whenever Liu Ma talked about her grievances, she would comfort her with sympathy. Liu Ma was quite touched and the topic would go further and further.

"So your youngest son is about the same age as Mr. Lu?"

"Born in the same year." Aunt Liu was filled with emotion, "But Master Cheng has been sensible since he was young. He can play by himself without making any noise or trouble. He can learn anything in one try. Unlike my son, he can do nothing but make trouble."

Wen Tingli said sincerely: "I heard from the elderly that such children are bad because they grow up late, but once they grow up, they are more filial and considerate than anyone else, so you don't have to worry, your son will definitely not let you down in the future."

Aunt Liu was more or less comforted by these words: "I don't expect them to be filial to me, I'll be thankful if they don't make me suffer a little. You don't know how many troubles my two unfilial sons have caused over the years. I remember one year, my youngest son broke the Third Master's favorite horse. Fortunately, Young Master Cheng intervened, otherwise the boy would have been severely punished by the Third Master. However, Young Master Cheng was not close to the Third Master to begin with, so the Third Master insisted that Young Master Cheng did this to irritate him. When the old master heard the news, he made Young Master Cheng kneel outside for an afternoon in the name of disobeying his elders. Poor Young Master Cheng had a mute disease, and he couldn't speak to defend himself when he was wronged. His knees were blue from kneeling. Alas, it was all our fault. My son got into trouble, and I, as a mother, was also ashamed."

Wen Tingli was stunned. Is Mr. Lu so unfair in his dealings?
"How old was your youngest son at that time?"

"Ten years old."

So Lu Shicheng was only ten years old at that time.

Mr. Lu mercilessly punished his underage grandson for his adult son, and for a trumped-up crime. This was really unexpected. Lu Shicheng's parents died early, and even if Mr. Lu wanted to be partial, he should have favored his eldest grandson who had no one to take care of him.

On second thought, Huang Yuanshan had said last time that Mr. Lu always favored the son born to his concubine from Southeast Asia. In addition, Lu Shicheng became a "mute" at a young age and could not defend himself when something happened. If the two uncles were eloquent, they would naturally have various ways to sow discord between the grandfather and grandson.

From this we can see that Lu Shicheng's life was not easy before he became an adult.

She said, "Oh, by the way, speaking of Third Master Lu, I've been to the Lu Mansion a few times, but I seem to have never seen Old Master Lu and Third Master Lu. Does Young Master Lu live here alone now?"

Aunt Liu nodded: "The Third Master is now alone in Peking, and the Old Master lives in Southeast Asia most of the time."

"Why doesn't Mr. Lu live in Shanghai?"

"The Third Master and our Young Master——"

As if realizing that she had said too much, Aunt Liu suddenly paused and hurriedly recalled the conversation between the two of them just now. Her heart finally settled down. Miss Wen was just replying to her from beginning to end.

She said awkwardly, "Look at me. I was so busy talking that I didn't even ask Miss Wen if she wanted some water."

"I'm not thirsty, but my feet hurt a little." Wen Tingli reached out and touched the towel on the tray. "The towel is a little cold. Can you please get me a hot one? I want to apply a hot compress while it's hot."

The child's words made people feel inexplicably friendly. Aunt Liu said hurriedly, "There is no hot water in this room. I will go to the back kitchen to get some hot towels. Miss Wen, wait here for a while."

As soon as Aunt Liu left, Wen Tingli limped to the door.

***
At this time, the conversation between the three people outside also came to an end.

Gao Tingxin said: "I will accompany Mr. Lu to Hongkou for a visit someday. Mr. Lu will know at a glance whether the Yifeilin amusement park is worth investing in."

Lu Shicheng flipped through the documents they brought with them, and when he looked up inadvertently, he saw Aunt Liu coming out of the small living room on the east side of the mansion carrying a tray.

He was about to look away, but was startled and suddenly moved his gaze back. He stared for a few seconds and then turned to look for Manager Chen. Manager Chen was probably busy with other things and was not nearby.

He glanced again at the direction where Liu Ma came out, and then at the guest room with drawn curtains. He made a decision instantly, raised the plan document to indicate that he would consider it carefully, and then raised his watch to check the time.

Gao Tingxin and Meng Qiguang were both smart people. Seeing this, they laughed and said, "Since Mr. Lu has other things to do, we won't bother him any more. Mr. Lu has a unique vision and I believe he will get back to us soon."

Lu Shicheng stood up and shook hands with the two men, then ordered his servants to lead them out. He stood there for a while, then turned around and walked to the other side.

Meng Qiguang turned his head and looked at Lu Shicheng's back thoughtfully, then looked at the east wing of the main building.

"What are you looking at?" Gao Tingxin asked curiously.

Meng Qiguang said calmly: "Nothing, let's go."

Lu Shicheng walked straight up the stairs and looked into the hall. As expected, Manager Chen was not there.

He quickly turned his head and looked towards the study. The door was closed. He walked over and gently turned the doorknob, but there was no one inside.

After coming out, he looked around to make sure there was no servant around. After a moment of silence, he turned his head and looked towards the east guest room. If someone wanted to get something from the Lu family, this would undoubtedly be a good time.

Without hesitation, he walked lightly towards the guest room where Wen Tingli was. The carpet was thick enough and his steps were steady, so he made no sound at all as he walked along.

He was about to reach the door when he suddenly looked back. Although he retracted his sight in time, he still saw the situation in the room clearly.

Wen Tingli was sitting on the bed, holding her little notebook and reading words.

She was wearing a dress today, with her two bare legs hanging down by the bed. She was originally wearing a pair of white socks and black doll-head leather shoes, but now the left shoe and sock were taken off, revealing her snow-white foot. Her ankle was slightly red and swollen.

She didn't walk around, but stayed in the guest room to memorize words.

Lu Shicheng couldn't help feeling a little annoyed. He stood outside the door for a few seconds and was about to turn around and leave. When he turned around, he accidentally touched the door handle beside him, making a slight sound.

"Mother Liu?"

Wen Tingli jumped out and was a little surprised to see that it was Lu Shicheng.

"Mr. Lu?!"

Lu Shicheng had no choice but to pretend nothing happened and turned to look at Wen Tingli.

He couldn't explain to her why he was suddenly here.

If he claimed that he was here to look for Manager Chen, Wen Tingli would know that there were many servants on the lawn and he would not have to come in person to deliver the message.

But if he came over specifically to check on her injuries, it seemed like he and her weren't that familiar.

As he hesitated, Wen Tingli seemed to sense something was wrong in the air and looked at him suspiciously: "Are you here to see me?"

(End of this chapter)