Hear this life

Just at this moment, someone knocked on the door. The sound was abrupt and rapid, abruptly interrupting the flow of the pen.

Wen Tingli coughed lightly in shock. Lu Shicheng frowned and looked at the door. The door was not closed. He heard the man outside whispering anxiously, "Mr. Lu, the president of the Industry and Commerce Association and Mr. Liu from Zhenlin Pharmaceutical called and said they would come to the hospital to visit Mr. Lu."

Wen Tingli was shocked. How did the outside world know that Lu Shicheng was hospitalized here? The Lu family has always been very tight-lipped about this...

Lu Shicheng was obviously thinking about this question as well. He turned his head to look at the tall table beside him and casually flipped through a large stack of newspapers. The title of the top newspaper was:

[Mr. Lu Shicheng, the eldest grandson of Mr. Lu Hongjun of the Nanyang Maorong Lu family, was hospitalized due to serious injuries. 】

Not only this one, but other newspapers on the coffee table also had similar news headlines. It seemed that Lu Shicheng had been investigating this matter this morning. Kuang Zhilin also knocked on the door and reported to Lu Shicheng, "I have replied to them according to Mr. Lu's previous instructions."

He glanced at Wen Tingli in the room, waved his hand to let the followers leave, and walked in and said, "Overnight, the news of Mr. Lu's injury spread all over the city, and we are busy investigating where the news leaked. Miss Wen, Rong Kuang asked, have you accidentally mentioned to others that Mr. Lu is hospitalized here these days?"

"Of course not!" Wen Tingli said flatly.

Lu Shicheng glanced at Kuang Zhilin with a reproachful look. Kuang Zhilin smiled bitterly: "Kuang knows that Miss Wen is a cautious person, but as the saying goes, walls have ears. I am afraid that when Miss Wen calls to inquire about Mr. Lu's situation, it will be heard by outsiders. That's it. With Miss Wen's cautious character, this speculation is untenable. Kuang is abrupt, and I hope Miss Wen will not be offended."

Wen Tingli shook her head to show that she didn't mind, and suddenly said, "I remember that Miss Dong and I passed by the hospital yesterday and happened to see Principal Zou and Mr. Kuang entering the hospital together. Sister Qinfang thought it was unusual at the time. Maybe she went back and talked about this with others unintentionally, and some people with ulterior motives heard it. How about I ask Sister Qinfang? She must remember who she talked about this with yesterday."

Kuang Zhilin looked at Lu Shicheng and said, "I see. I'll go out and make a few calls right away."

As soon as he went out, he heard the voice of Principal Zou in the corridor.

"Old Kuang, I was looking for you. Zihe saw the news this morning and insisted on accompanying me to visit Shicheng. I think her mother and Shicheng's mother are best friends, and the two children have dealt with each other several times before, so I took the initiative to bring her here. Did Shicheng sleep well last night?"

Lu Shicheng and Wen Tingli looked at each other quickly, and Principal Zou stepped in.

Kuang Zhilin followed Principal Zou into the room, his expression somewhat unnatural. Principal Zou was holding a young girl in his arms, and it was Zhu Zihe.

Wen Tingli quickly stood up and greeted: "Hello, Principal Zou."

"Wen Tingli?!" Principal Zou was shocked. "Why are you here?"

Zhu Zihe looked at Wen Tingli with an intriguing look.

Lu Shicheng "tried" to push the wheelchair, but because his hand injury had not fully healed, it got "stuck" there as soon as he moved. As expected, Principal Zou's attention was immediately diverted to Lu Shicheng, and she hurriedly stepped forward to support Lu Shicheng.

"Don't move, you are not injured yet."

This gave the people in the room plenty of time to deal with the incident. At Lu Shicheng's suggestion, Kuang Zhilin wanted to escort Wen Tingli out without leaving any trace. However, Wen Tingli had other ideas. She smiled and said to Principal Zou and Zhu Zihe, "Yesterday, I had a large rash on my body for no reason. I was so scared that I went to see a doctor overnight. Unexpectedly, I met Mr. Kuang in the emergency department. Seeing that no one was taking care of me, he asked the doctor to help me move to a separate ward. I read the newspaper this morning and learned that Mr. Lu was also hospitalized here. I had been taken care of by Mr. Lu many times before. When I learned that he was sick, I hurried upstairs to visit him. I happened to meet Mr. Kuang at the door, and he led me in."

Principal Zou's doubts were gone. He put Lu Shicheng aside for the moment and approached to look at the rash on Wen Tingli's neck. He asked with concern, "What did the doctor say?"

Wen Tingli told him about the visit yesterday. Principal Zou sighed, "It's hard for you. Your father just passed away, and you still have a younger sister to take care of. Now you have to raise money for college tuition by yourself... Even a strong person can't stand running around like this, let alone a half-grown child like you."

Wen Tingli took the opportunity to put her arm around Principal Zou's shoulders and acted like a spoiled child: "Principal, I'm not a child anymore. I'm eighteen years old."

"You are!" Principal Zou said in a doting tone, "You are! In my eyes, you are all half-grown children."

Then he pointed at Lu Shicheng: "He too!"

Lu Shicheng smiled and asked Principal Zou to sit down and talk. Zhu Zihe took the opportunity to speak: "Were Mr. Lu and Miss Wen having breakfast just now?"

Lu Shicheng raised his head and glanced at Zhu Zihe.

After being reminded of this, Principal Zou turned to look at the coffee table, and unexpectedly discovered that the entire table of snacks was piled on Wen Tingli's side. He couldn't help but reveal a look of surprise, looking at Lu Shicheng and then at Wen Tingli.

This time, Lu Shicheng acted very calmly, as if he had no intention of making any further explanation. Wen Tingli wanted to say something, but as soon as she lowered her head, her attention was quickly drawn back to the note on the table.

There were three words written on it.

[Because I——]

It was the words that Lu Shicheng had been about to write but had not yet finished.

What was his answer?
Her heart started beating rapidly again.

Seeing that the two of them were silent, Kuang Zhilin could only laugh and take over the conversation: "Miss Wen has already eaten in her ward, but Master Cheng and I haven't eaten yet. They know that I like sweets, so they bought some more snacks. Have Principal Zou and Miss Zhu had breakfast? Would you please honor us by eating with us?"

Principal Zou suddenly realized: "Old Kuang, your taste has not changed over the years, be careful not to damage your teeth. Zihe and I have eaten it, you and Shicheng should eat it quickly."

Anyway, the topic was brought up, and Zhu Zihe smiled and handed a large bouquet of flowers in her arms to Lu Shicheng.

"I just read in the newspaper this morning that you were in trouble. I was so grateful for your care during this period in Shanghai. I was also lucky to have you there that night. I heard that you were seriously injured, so I had to see you in person to feel at ease. I didn't tell you in advance, but Aunt Zou brought me here. I hope you don't blame me for being so presumptuous. I wish you a speedy recovery."

Wen Tingli's ears perked up. That night? What that night? !

Lu Shicheng looked coldly at the thing Zhu Zihe put in front of him. He neither reached out to take it nor signaled Kuang Zhilin to accept it.

This was the first time that Lu Shicheng had embarrassed himself in public.

Principal Zou looked at Lu Shicheng, then at Zhu Zihe: "What's going on? Is there any misunderstanding?"

Zhu Zihe just smiled, and Kuang Zhilin was busy trying to smooth things over: "Master Cheng is already injured, and he has been busy since early morning, so it is inevitable that he is a little tired."

Principal Zou sat down and asked in detail about Lu Shicheng's injuries, while Wen Tingli sat next to Zhu Zihe with great interest.

"What has Miss Zhu been busy with these days?"

"I was busy accompanying Aunt Zou, busy shopping, and busy buying gifts for my mother. By the way, I didn't have time to congratulate you when you won the Shanghai Flower Competition last time. I saw the stage photos of you during the competition, and they were really unique."

"Ms. Zhu's performance was also wonderful." Wen Tingli said, "We haven't accompanied you properly since you came to Shanghai. Xiaowen always wants to have a good time with you. Why don't we go out to see a movie together one day?"

Zhu Zihe smiled and said, "Speaking of Xiaowen, I ran into her at Huiluo Company on the Bund the other day. She said that she couldn't get an appointment with you for a while, and she didn't know what you were busy with all day."

Wen Tingli glanced at Lu Shicheng and said calmly, "My play is about to start filming. I'm worried that I won't be able to adapt to the set, so I've been memorizing the script at home almost every day these days."

"I see. When will the filming of your drama start?"

At this time, Principal Zou found out when Lu Shicheng would be discharged from the hospital, and couldn't help but feel lucky: "It's good that he can be discharged in the next two days. At least he doesn't have to celebrate his birthday in the hospital. How are you going to celebrate this year? Will you just eat a bowl of birthday noodles like in previous years?"

Kuang Zhilin said with a smile, "From what the old gentleman said, since Young Master Cheng is now in charge of the Lu family, they have to hold a big wedding this year no matter what. Moreover, such an accident happened a while ago, so it's good to celebrate. But Young Master Cheng doesn't like crowds, so he hasn't agreed yet."

Zhu Zihe immediately took over the conversation: "When is Mr. Lu's birthday?"

"This weekend," Principal Zou replied. "By the way, didn't you say yesterday that your art museum needed to expand its influence? Why don't you attend Shicheng's birthday party before leaving? If he is willing to hold a party this year, you can just meet some people with lofty ideals from all walks of life at the birthday party, which will also help your career."

Zhu Zihe leaned into Principal Zou's arms and acted coquettishly: "I can arrange the time, but I don't know if Mr. Lu——"

Wen Tingli looked up and was surprised to find Lu Shicheng looking at Zhu Zihe seriously. Zhu Zihe was always very measured in front of others, and she seemed a little surprised to be stared at by Lu Shicheng like this, but she was obviously very experienced in dealing with such situations, and soon she smiled and asked, "Mr. Lu, do you have anything to say to me?"

Unexpectedly, Lu Shicheng took out a business card from his jacket pocket and handed it to Zhu Zihe.

Wen Tingli suddenly opened her eyes wide.

The three words "Lu Shicheng" were printed on the business card.

Kuang Zhilin was obviously a little surprised. He observed the expressions of others and explained with a smile, "Mr. Lu wants to invite Miss Zhu to his birthday party. Would Miss Zhu be willing to come?"

Zhu Zihe took Lu Shicheng's business card gracefully.

"Since Mr. Lu has sincerely invited me, I am honored."

Lu Shicheng nodded calmly.

Wen Tingli stood up suddenly.

"Principal, I'm afraid I can't stay here with you. The doctor asked me to change the dressing at ten o'clock."

After saying this, she never looked at Lu Shicheng again, and went straight out the door and down the stairs.

***
After changing the medicine, Wen Tingli quietly packed up her things in the room.

Anyway, her condition has stabilized, so she plans to be discharged from the hospital immediately.

She couldn't figure out what Lu Shicheng was up to. At least from Principal Zou's attitude towards Zhu Zihe just now, Lu Shicheng hadn't yet begun to suspect Zhu Zihe. He respected Principal Zou so much that once he knew that Zhu Zihe had a problem, he would never let Zhu Zihe accompany Principal Zou.

But he remained silent. He had no doubt about Zhu Zihe at all and he voluntarily gave his business card to Zhu Zihe.

Or, he planned to use this birthday party as an opportunity to lure Zhu Zihe out of her true colors.

The former is more likely.

That would be fine, but as the saying goes, "All's fair in war", how can we lure the enemy into the trap if we don't do this?

What really hurt her heart was what Zhu Zihe said about "that night". Even if Miss Zhu had ulterior motives when she said this, she would not dare to fabricate facts in front of Lu Shicheng.

It can be seen that "that night" between them did exist.

No wonder Lu Shicheng was always so distant towards her, maybe he had set his eyes on Miss Zhu Zihe from a long time ago, and the reason he broke the date that night was not only because he was ambushed by the White Dragon Gang, but also because he fell into Miss Zhu's "honey trap".

When I think about it, everything makes sense.

As for his care for her these days, it was purely out of gratitude - let it end here, she should not be so self-indulgent anymore, and Lu Shicheng had better not tease her with some misleading actions again.

Otherwise she will definitely teach him a lesson!
She packed her things and resolutely opened the door.

Unexpectedly, two followers came to the door carrying food boxes.

"Miss Wen didn't have anything to eat in her room just now. Mr. Lu was worried that Miss Wen was hungry, so he specially asked someone to make some fresh porridge and send it over."

Wen Tingli had a lot of words stuck in her throat.

The two of them enthusiastically placed the contents of the food boxes on the table one by one. Looking around, they were all nutritious yet light foods.

Wen Tingli stood there without moving. She was not easily moved by this action. She just suddenly remembered the big bouquet of flowers that Zhu Zihe gave to Lu Shicheng.

Oh no! What if it's poisonous? She ran out. According to the new clues found by the people sent to Tianjin by Li Chengying, it was very likely that Cao Gang leader had a fatal handle on Zhu Zihe. If a person was threatened by the White Dragon Gang, he would do anything.

Regardless of what Lu Shicheng is thinking now, she can't just watch Lu Shicheng being murdered by Zhu Zihe.

She rushed back to Lu Shicheng's ward anxiously, but it was empty.

Kuang Zhilin happened to come back, and Wen Tingli hurriedly came forward to greet him: "Where did Mr. Lu go?"

"In the X-ray room, the director of the ENT department is waiting to consult with Mr. Lu."

"Where's Miss Zhu?"

"He left with Principal Zou." Kuang Zhilin was puzzled.

As if he suddenly remembered something, he pulled Wen Tingli aside and asked in a serious tone, "Doctor Louis said that Master Cheng spoke during his serious illness. Did Miss Wen hear it herself?"

Wen Tingli was stunned: "Yes."

Kuang Zhilin showed an ecstatic expression on his face: "What did Master Cheng say? How many sentences did he say? Was his pronunciation clear?"

"He just called out 'Mom' in his dream. His pronunciation was very clear, but he never said anything else."

“Mom…” Kuang Zhilin’s expression was shocked and bitter. After a long while, he sighed softly. “Director Xie of the laryngology department is an expert who is well-versed in both Chinese and Western medicine. When he heard about this, he thought that Master Cheng had hope of recovery. He thought that this serious injury could prompt him to speak again, but it seems that things are not going well at the moment. He may need some new stimulation—”

Wen Tingli rushed into the room and picked up the bouquet of flowers without waiting to hear the words. She guessed that there was no bomb hidden in the flowers. After all, Zhu Zihe could not guarantee when she could leave Lu Shicheng's ward, so there was probably poison hidden in them.

She had to throw this thing out as quickly as possible.

"Miss Wen!" Kuang Zhilin caught up in surprise.

"I like this bouquet of flowers. Mr. Lu has so many flowers here, so let me take this one back and put it in my room."

"I'm afraid not." After a pause, Kuang Zhilin forced a smile and said, "Master Cheng specifically told us not to touch Miss Zhu's gift. Miss Wen likes flowers, so Kuang will immediately ask someone to buy a few new ones."

Wen Tingli was in a state of confusion. After hearing the previous words, she couldn't help but say, "I want this bouquet! If Mr. Lu is upset later, just let him come to me to ask for punishment."

She hurried downstairs holding the bouquet of flowers. She did not dare to open it for inspection on the way. Instead, she threw it through the window of the corridor to an empty corner in the back alley of the hospital, and then called Li Chengying to report the situation.

Li Chengying's people have a liaison station nearby, and they are very experienced in handling such items.

After a while, Li Chengying called.

"There is no poison or bomb, but there is a close-up photo of Zhu Zihe inside."

Is Zhu Zihe going to stop using force and adopt a policy of appeasement? No matter what method Zhu Zihe intends to use to deal with Lu Shicheng, judging from Lu Shicheng's expression, he is willing to accept it. A hero cannot resist the temptation of beauty, so why should she get involved?

She decided not to interfere in the matter. She returned to her room and saw the porridge that she had not yet eaten. Adhering to the principle of not wasting food, she reluctantly ate two bites, then picked up her school bag again and planned to leave the hospital.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a wheelchair outside the door, and then I heard the attendant say, "Master Cheng."

Wen Tingli paused.

Lu Shicheng arrived very quickly, and soon there was a soft knock on the door.

Wen Tingli turned around and pressed her back against the door.

"Mr. Lu? Why are you here?"

"Knock knock knock," Lu Shicheng's knocking on the door revealed a hint of anxiety, which was really inconsistent with his usual steady style.

"I see. Mr. Lu must want to get back Miss Zhu's flowers." Wen Tingli crossed her arms and said, "I'm really sorry. I don't like that bouquet of flowers! I just threw it into the trash can."

The knocking on the door stopped abruptly.

Through the thin door, there was no sound in the corridor.

Wen Tingli couldn't help but open the door a crack and looked out. Suddenly, she met a pair of gloomy eyes. Not only was Lu Shicheng not angry, he was even smiling.

Meeting his smiling eyes, Wen Tingli's cheeks flushed. She closed the door again and continued, "Why hasn't Mr. Lu left yet? Are you planning to charge me with an offence?"

There was no knock on the door, but something was stuffed under the door. I picked it up and it turned out to be a note.

[I want to invite you to my birthday party. I have something very important to give you.]

"But Mr. Lu has already invited others. I am a very possessive and overbearing person. Unless you only invite me, I would rather not go."

There was another slight noise outside the door, and Wen Tingli held her breath, waiting for his next note.

Suddenly, several people hurriedly ran down the corridor, "Master Cheng, the old master is here. As soon as we arrived at the door, Mr. Kuang had already led the others to greet us. If you don't leave here, the old master might come over directly. With his temper, there's no guarantee that he won't embarrass Miss Wen in public."

Wen Tingli was frightened when she heard this. When she opened the door again, it was empty. She had heard that Mr. Lu had left for China two days ago, but she didn't expect him to come back so soon and cause such a big fuss as soon as he arrived.

In fact, she has always been curious about what this legendary figure of the Lu family looks like. As the second-generation successor of the Lu family, Mr. Lu was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. However, when he was young, he did not sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor like other rich kids. Instead, he worked hard and made steady progress. In just over a decade, he successfully doubled the Lu family's territory in Southeast Asia.

Lu Shicheng and his father's outstanding personal abilities were obviously inherited from this old man Lu.

But Mr. Lu was a mess when it came to handling family relationships. All the tragedies of the Lu family were caused by him. As a result, Lu Shicheng's relationship with his grandfather was far from close.

Wen Tingli stared at the empty corridor for a while. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, she decided to go back to the room. When she moved, she found a note under her feet. It seemed that Lu Shicheng had left it just now. She unfolded it and took a look.

【There is no one else, only you. 】

Her heart began to pound uncontrollably.

***
In the evening, Wen Tingli wanted to go to the hospital to visit Lu Shicheng, but she was worried about running into Mr. Lu. Before Lu Shicheng explained things to her clearly, she really didn't want to cause any gossip.

Unexpectedly, in the next two days, Lu Shicheng never called her once, and there was no news from Kuang Zhilin either.

Wen Tingli's mood was up and down. At first, she wondered if Lu Shicheng's condition had worsened, but the next day's newspapers published news that the Lu family was going to hold a birthday party, which showed that Lu Shicheng's health was improving rapidly.

She then wondered if Lu Shicheng was busy dealing with his grandfather. While waiting for news, she suddenly realized that as long as a person is willing, he will always find a chance to call her no matter how busy he is.

From this, it can be seen that Lu Shicheng didn't miss her that much. She actually thought that he would not be able to help but come to find her immediately.

However, the Lu family's guards were still guarding outside her house day and night. In addition, the female dermatologist would come to her house every day with a suitcase to treat her. The consultation fee of such a doctor would never be low, but the other party never mentioned the fee once, so I guess the fee had been paid in advance.

Wen Tingli also had her own understanding of this. As the Lu family's attendant said, since Lu Shicheng regarded her as his benefactor, it was not surprising that he took care of her.

Thinking of this, Wen Tingli crumpled up the notes and threw them into the drawer, deciding not to bother herself anymore and instead focus all her attention on her new play.

She went to the set before dawn and went home after dark. Whenever there was a scene being filmed, she would mingle with the crew and learn from them, watching how the veteran actors moved and how they expressed their emotions accurately in front of the camera.

After finishing one scene, I would rush to the next one. If I was hungry, I would eat with the crew, and if I was thirsty, I would drink the boiled water I brought from home.

After a few days, her progress was rapid. Seeing how diligent and serious she was, the people on the set developed a liking for her. Some seniors in the industry couldn't remember her name, so they affectionately called her "that little girl." When they had to reshoot a scene, they would take the initiative to call Wen Tingli over to let her learn from them. Wen Tingli gradually felt like a fish in water on the set.

The only exception was the crew of "Sands of Time". The male lead of the play, Deng Tianxing, relied on his status as a popular young actor and had driven Wen Tingli away several times. After all, Wen Tingli was a newcomer, and when the situation got out of control, she had no choice but to apologize.

At noon that day, Huang Yuanshan found Wen Tingli in the dressing room. After sitting down, he didn't say a word, but just looked at Wen Tingli curiously.

Wen Tingli was puzzled: "What's wrong? Did Deng Tianxing report me again? I don't know how I offended him. He always likes to make trouble for me no matter what."

Huang Yuanshan narrowed his eyes and said, "You are worried. Strange, Wen Tingli is not the kind of person who likes to worry. Have you encountered any troubles recently?"

"My biggest worry is that school is about to start, but the filming of this drama has not officially started yet. I am worried about how to ask for leave from school when the time comes."

Huang Yuanshan said with a sigh, "You're upset about such a small thing? You've always been a strong man who believes that 'there will always be a way out when the car reaches the mountain'. Are you in love? No wonder I haven't seen you for a while."

Wen Tingli was like being stung by a wasp: "Who am I dating? Sister Huang, please stop talking nonsense."

Huang Yuanshan was not so easy to deal with. He spoke directly to Wen Tingli's heart: "Last time I analyzed the situation with you at your house, did you ask Lu Shicheng out to talk? What did he say to you?"

"Who is Lu Shicheng? Why should I date this person? I have nothing to do with him. I think you are really busy and confused."

"Yes, yes, I am confused. Not only am I confused, everyone is confused."

Huang Yuanshan stood up leisurely, fixed his hair in front of the mirror, and hummed a little tune he made up: "Love, you really confuse people, you are such a bad thing, people can never guess you. You think he thinks one way, but it is actually like this. He thinks your mind is like this, but it is actually like that. My heart is going to be ravaged by you, a bad thing, oh oh oh..."

Wen Tingli was about to hide somewhere else, but she caught a glimpse of Huang Yuanshan wearing an exquisite beige dress.

In Wen Tingli's impression, Huang Yuanshan rarely dressed up so formally. She hated dressing up the most. She believed that instead of wasting a lot of time and money on makeup, a person should focus on studying and his or her profession.

Liu Menglin, the big boss of Golden Pictures, once asked Huang Yuanshan to wear a cheongsam and curl her hair, saying that he wanted to help her create an identity as a "beautiful director" so that the movies she made would be more topical.

Huang Yuanshan spat back on the spot.

"Let me dress up? Sure, you men should put on your flowery dresses first and show me if you look good."

When she thought of these scenes, Wen Tingli wanted to laugh. "Sister Huang, why are you dressed so formally today?"

"I'm going to attend Lu Shicheng's birthday party after get off work." Huang Yuanshan casually tidied up his thin coat. "Tonight I'm not only representing myself, Huang Yuanshan, but also the entire Golden Pictures. If I dress more eye-catchingly, I can also attract some sponsors at the banquet. This is my battle suit tonight."

Wen Tingli's smile froze. It turned out that it was already the weekend without her realizing it.

"Lu Shicheng is a low-key and pragmatic person. This is the first time he has held a proper birthday party. I will take you there. Hey, why are you daydreaming for no reason? Are you going or not?"

A man outside answered lazily.

"Sister Huang, others may not want to go, but Miss Wen will definitely go. She won't miss such a good opportunity to show her face."

The person who spoke was none other than Deng Tianxing, the lead actor of "Sands of Time". He was originally a waiter in a casino. He was picked by a director for his handsome appearance. Later, he became famous for playing a young rich man in "Grave". After becoming famous, he did not change his nature of a scumbag. He was arrogant and ostentatious. A few days ago, when Wen Tingli was watching a play, Deng Tianxing suspected that she was a "spy" sent by other competitors to steal their skills, and he had instructed his assistant to drive her away several times.

In view of this, the entire crew misunderstood that Wen Tingli was here to learn from them, and since she was just a newcomer who hadn't acted in any play, everyone was hostile to her.

Wen Tingli narrowed her eyes and looked at Deng Tianxing. Huang Yuanshan was about to say something to help her refute, but Wen Tingli had already picked up her school bag and stood up. "Sister Huang, I'm going out to buy some food."

There was another scornful laugh behind him. Wen Ting sneered. Just as he went downstairs, he met a staff member with a note in his hand. He asked as he walked: "Is there anyone named Wen Tingli here?"

"Yes, she is."

The man turned to Wen Tingli with a curious look and said, "Miss Wen, there is a Mr. Lu waiting for you downstairs."

"Mr. Lu, which Mr. Lu?" Deng Tianxing and others looked at each other.

Wen Tingli stood there for a moment, then went downstairs without saying a word. When she looked around, she saw a black car parked under a sycamore tree on the side of the road.

As soon as she showed up, a car slowly drove towards her. The driver was Lu Shicheng. The gauze on his head had been removed, but there were still some shallow scars on his forehead and around his mouth. Because of his fair skin, the scars were particularly noticeable under the autumn sunlight.

As soon as he got off the car, someone came up to greet him, but Lu Shicheng walked straight up to Wen Tingli.

He solemnly handed Wen Tingli a light golden invitation.

Wen Tingli still had a stern face, but subconsciously took the post.

It was an invitation with a few lines of words written neatly on it.

[Sincerely invite Ms. Wen Tingli to attend Mr. Lu’s birthday party. There will be fine wine, desserts, and comedy at the table... Ms. Wen is honored to come, and Mr. Lu is looking forward to it. Lu Shicheng presents. 】

Wen Tingli held the invitation for a long time without coming to her senses. When she raised her eyes, Lu Shicheng was looking at her quietly.

Although there were no unnecessary words or gestures, she could feel a frank sincerity in those eyes.

Wen Tingli bit her lip. He really was——

He thought she would go if he personally sent the invitation? Why didn't he contact her for three consecutive days?

And! What are "comedy, wine and desserts"? Is he tempting her with these things? She snorted in her heart. She would not be tempted by these little things.

She has not been at peace these past few days. In order to maintain her inner peace, she will keep a distance from Lu Shicheng from now on.

She glared at him, and he seemed to be able to see into her heart.

Just as she was about to refuse, she saw the criss-crossing scars on the back of Lu Shicheng's hand. She clearly remembered the night when Mr. Lu San pushed his wheelchair over it. That spot was a bloody mess.

She also recalled every detail of when he was recuperating at her home. During those days, Lu Shicheng fell into a coma several times.

Although he has been discharged from the hospital, it is impossible for all the injuries on his body to heal in such a short time. But he actually drove here by himself today, wouldn't his wounds hurt?

He doesn't look like he's well-fed and well-nourished, which shows that he hasn't had a good rest in the past few days.

Her heart softened in an instant.

Looking around, everyone was looking at them.

Looking at Lu Shicheng again, he didn't care about the eyes of others and just stood there waiting for her reply seriously.

Even if she wanted to ask in person, it didn't seem right to do so in this kind of setting. Besides, she still had a lot of questions that she hadn't figured out.

She nodded at the invitation and said, "Since Mr. Lu is here to deliver the invitation personally, I will consider going."

When these words were spoken, others raised their eyebrows in astonishment, but Lu Shicheng's eyes were filled with smiles. He bowed solemnly to Wen Tingli, returned to the car, and nodded seriously to Huang Yuanshan and others.

He looked at Wen Tingli with a smile again, then opened the car door and got in.

Wen Tingli stood there, staring at him as he drove away.

As the car left, several people surrounded Wen Tingli and said, "Wen Tingli, I didn't realize you were so familiar with Lu Shicheng. If it weren't for that Rolls-Royce, we would have suspected that someone was pretending to be a member of the Lu family."

Deng Tianxing looked at Wen Tingli, then at the invitation in her hand, his face turning blue and red. Later, when Wen Tingli went back to work, Kuang Zhilin called her to confirm the finishing time for today so that he could arrange someone to pick her up for the banquet.

When Wen Tingli finished the call, Huang Yuanshan said, "I asked you to go but you refused. Lu Shicheng invited you but you agreed to go. Why don't you admit that you have something going on with Lu Shicheng?"

"I went there for 'comedy, desserts and wine', and you didn't tell me how much fun it was there, Sister Huang."

"You just keep talking tough. If nothing else, I've never heard of Lu Shicheng personally sending an invitation to anyone."

That’s because he regards her as his savior, Wen Tingli muttered in her heart.

Although she was complaining in her heart, after work she still went home to change clothes. Before leaving, she called Li Chengying again.

"I've changed my mind. I've decided to go to the Lu Mansion myself." Wen Tingli said righteously, "I want to know what Zhu Zihe is up to. If she takes action tonight, I can respond on the spot."

Li Chengying seemed to smile at the other end, but replied to Wen Tingli in a serious tone: "Okay, let's do as you say. Lawyer Bao is not in Shanghai recently, but Liu Yaqiao will go to the banquet. A long-lost relative of the Zhu family has been found in Tianjin. This person knows the situation of Zhu Zihe and her daughter very well. I think we will know the truth tonight at the latest."

Wen Tingli quickly held the microphone and asked for details.

After making the call, she saw the Lu family's car waiting at the entrance of the alley. Wen Tingli walked over slowly and got in the car. Halfway through the journey, Wen Tingli suddenly asked the driver to turn to the nearby Yongxing Foreign Paper Shop.

An hour later, the car carrying Wen Tingli slowly drove into the tree-lined avenue in front of Lu Mansion. Looking at the glittering Lu Mansion outside the window, Wen Tingli couldn't help but think of the first time she came here.

Huang Yuanshan brought her to visit Lu Shicheng that day. She walked into this elegant garden with curiosity. She only remembered that it was very large, deep and quiet. On a green lawn, she saw a young man feeding pigeons. He was so silent, handsome and outstanding.

On that late spring evening, his figure merged with the warm golden sunset, creating a crystal clear world. She will probably never forget that scene until she grows old.

Several months later, when she saw the lawn shining silver under the night lights through the car window, she couldn't help but feel as if she was in another world.

As soon as the car stopped, a manager came over to drive the car. Wen Tingli looked up and found that the other person was not the manager Chen whom she had met several times before, but a strange face.

Ever since Lu Shicheng got into trouble, a new group of people have been around him, such as Manager Chen and Mr. Fangda. All of them have disappeared.

By the way, the last time she saw Fang Da was in Shuguang Building. On that day, Fang Da signed the advertising contract for "Xi Li Pear Juice" with her on behalf of Lu Shicheng. After signing, she bravely asked Fang Da to tell Lu Shicheng that she would be waiting for Lu Shicheng's invitation at Taotaoju.

It just so happened that Lu Shicheng was ambushed on that day. Afterwards, she suspected that there was something wrong with Fang Da and reminded Lu Shicheng in person. Judging from Lu Shicheng's expression at the time, he already knew it. At least during his convalescence, she only saw Dr. Louis and Kuang Zhilin by his side.

Judging from the current situation, not only Fang Da, but also Manager Chen was eliminated.

"Miss Wen, please follow me." The new steward treated Wen Tingli very politely.

As soon as she stood at the door of the hall, a pearly purple whirlwind blew towards Wen Tingli.

"Haha, you finally showed up!" Gao Xiaowen grabbed Wen Tingli's hand, "What have you been busy with for the past half month?! We invited you to the movies several times but you didn't go. If you don't explain yourself clearly today, I'm not done with you."

"Don't rush to blame them." Zhao Qingluo and Yan Zhenzhen smiled and separated the two. "At least let Wen Tingli go over and say hello to Principal Zou first."

Wen Tingli only saw Principal Zou in the crowd, but not Zhu Zihe. "Where's Miss Zhu?"

"She just went to the bathroom." Zhao Qingluo pointed in that direction, "Look, Sister Zihe is back."

The girls came forward to talk to Zhu Zihe. It seemed that everyone was getting along well with Zhu Zihe these days. Even Yan Zhenzhen, who was always slow to warm up, called her "Sister Zihe" all the time.

Gao Xiaowen saw the note in Zhu Zihe's hand and couldn't help feeling curious.

"what is this?"

Zhu Zihe held the item in her palm as if nothing had happened. "Nothing. Just an address given to me by a friend."

But her face was obviously a little red. After saying this, she slowly walked behind Wen Tingli, picked up the champagne and took a sip, then slowly put the paper back into her handbag. Because her movements were slow enough, Wen Tingli was able to see clearly what was written on the note.

[Ten minutes later, I will wait for you in the small study at the end of the east corridor on the second floor of the back building.]

Wen Tingli felt like she was hit hard on the head with a whip.

She was very familiar with that word.

All of a sudden, she felt a little cold and her stomach was extremely uncomfortable. The words flew around in front of her eyes like flying insects, making it almost impossible for her to think. For the first time in her life, she wanted to escape from a place quickly, but she regretted that she could not take a single step. She tried hard to turn her confused brain around, thinking about the matter from beginning to end several times, slowly calmed down, and looked at Zhu Zihe meaningfully.

Zhu Zihe seemed immersed in some reverie. For a minute or two, she just held the wine glass and smiled, thinking about something. Even when Principal Zou spoke to her, she was absent-minded.

Not long after, Zhu Zihe left with an excuse.

Wen Tingli picked up a glass of champagne, took a sip, and followed decisively.

After taking two steps, he saw Kuang Zhilin walking towards him.

"Miss Wen." Kuang Zhilin stopped Wen Tingli, "Excuse me, please let me talk for a moment."

"I'm in a hurry to go to the bathroom. What do you want to talk to me about, Mr. Kuang? I'll come back to you later."

"It's a very important matter. Let's put it this way. The washroom in the hall is a little too crowded. The Fengwan Pavilion over there is quieter. Kuang will take Miss Wen there right away and talk to her about something on the way."

Just as these few words were spoken, Zhu Zihe in front of him disappeared.

Wen Tingli was anxious, and she began to suspect that Kuang Zhilin came here to stop her. That's right, the note was clearly written by Lu Shicheng. He asked Zhu Zihe to meet him in the "small study in the back building" in ten minutes, and Kuang Zhilin came over at this time and said he would take her to "Maple Evening Pavilion".

This shows that during this period, Lu Shicheng didn't want to be disturbed by anyone.

At this point, the smartest thing for her to do is to pretend that she knows nothing tonight and cut off all contact with Lu Shicheng forever. But if Zhu Zihe was ordered to harm Lu Shicheng, he might very well die in ten minutes.

No matter how disappointed you are, you can't just stand by and watch someone die.

How about telling Kuang Zhilin directly that Zhu Zihe was a dangerous person? But how could she explain that she knew in advance that Zhu Zihe had a connection with the White Dragon Gang? Such a complicated background relationship was not something that she, a student, could find out. If she continued like this, Li Chengying and her companions would be exposed sooner or later.

In an instant, she made up her mind.

"Okay, but I have to say hello to my classmates first, so they won't be worried when they can't find me. Please wait here for a while, and I'll come to find you right away."

She pretended to turn around and look for Gao Xiaowen and others. Coincidentally, several classmates were eating and watching a play in the concert hall. Wen Tingli squeezed into the crowd and said a few words to her friends. While Kuang Zhilin was not paying attention, she quietly slipped into the garden through the floor-to-ceiling window in the hall.

That time, she refused to leave the Lu Mansion on the pretext of spraining her ankle. An old maid named Chen was responsible for taking care of her. When Aunt Chen crossed the lawn to the back building to get gauze and a hot towel for her, she observed through the window where Aunt Chen went. Aunt Chen went in from the right side of the back building, and she guessed there was a side door there.

As she expected, there was an inconspicuous entrance next to the banana tree on the east side. When she saw it, she immediately went into the back building.

Just at this moment, Kuang Zhilin chased out from the front building, and someone in the dark immediately came over to ask: "Mr. Kuang, do you want to stop this Miss Wen?"

Kuang Zhilin looked at the direction where Wen Tingli disappeared in astonishment, and said with a wry smile: "No need."

Wen Tingli identified the direction in the corridor and stepped onto the stairs as lightly as a cat. She had noticed that the journey was unexpectedly smooth. Not to mention running into any guests, she didn't even see any servants. She immediately understood that Lu Shicheng must have made arrangements in advance for this tryst.

Thinking that Lu Shicheng and Zhu Zihe were meeting upstairs at this moment, Wen Tingli couldn't suppress her curiosity.

In her opinion, Zhu Zihe's behavior was a bit deliberate, as if she was trying to attract her attention.

But compared to this, she was more curious about Lu Shicheng's reaction. After what happened in the hospital, she didn't believe that Lu Shicheng couldn't see that there was something wrong with Zhu Zihe.

Thinking of this, Wen Tingli felt like she was being scratched by a cat. She had to see with her own eyes what Lu Shicheng was up to.

After going upstairs, she walked along the east corridor of the second floor. In just this short distance, she was sweating due to excitement and nervousness.

There was only one room at the end of the road, which must be the "small study" mentioned in Lu Shicheng's note. When she saw it, she was stunned.

There was a plaque hanging above the door with the words "Feng Wan Ge" inscribed on it.

How could it be such a coincidence?
Kuang Zhilin just said that he would bring her to "Fengwan Pavilion".

But once she arrived, wouldn't she happen to run into Lu Shicheng and Zhu Zihe? How could Kuang Zhilin be so confused? No, everything Kuang Zhilin did could only be at the suggestion of Lu Shicheng.

and so--

In just a few seconds, she figured everything out, and a feeling of indescribable sweetness or relief surged in her chest. She held her breath, quietly walked forward with the gun in hand to open the door.

Just at this moment, there was a muffled sound from inside the door. Her head buzzed and she quickly opened the door with a gun. The door was not closed and she saw a woman lying on the floor, looking extremely miserable.

A white light flashed in Wen Tingli's mind. It was Zhu Zihe.

Lu Shicheng knelt on one knee, with the gun in his hand firmly pressed against the back of Zhu Zihe's head.

Zhu Zihe struggled and said, "Are you setting this up on purpose to trick me? Please listen to my explanation first. Since my mother and your mother were once good friends, please listen to me!"

There was a "click" sound, and Lu Shicheng was not moved by the words. Instead, he loaded the gun with an expressionless face.

Zhu Zihe closed her eyes and screamed. When she heard the noise at the door, she raised her head with great effort and found that it was Wen Tingli. She did not feel ashamed or angry, but felt as if she had found a treasure: "You are finally here! Hurry, save me, he wants to kill me!"

(End of this chapter)