Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

The Lu family's first-floor lobby was so spacious it resembled a small plaza.

At this moment, the atmosphere was oppressively suffocating. Two people sat on the leather sofa: one was Gu Qingqing, wearing a white dress with slightly red eyes, and the other was Lawyer Wang, dressed in a suit and tie, but with shrewd triangular eyes.

Seeing Lu Jingyan slowly walk down the stairs, Gu Qingqing subconsciously straightened her back.

Her pure and beautiful face now bore a greed and ruthlessness that clashed sharply with her usual demeanor. In her mind's eye, Lu Jingyan should be bloodshot, stubble-covered, rushing towards her like a stray dog, begging her not to leave.

However, she was disappointed.

Lu Jingyan changed into a well-tailored dark gray loungewear set, his hair was meticulously styled, and the eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were as calm as a stagnant pool, showing no ripples whatsoever.

He was even holding a book in his hand... "Administrative Aptitude Test"?

"Lu Jingyan, you've finally come down."

Gu Qingqing spoke first, her tone carrying her usual imperious air, as if she were still the little princess cherished by the Second Young Master Lu, "I thought you would hide in your room and cry all day long."

Lu Jingyan walked to the single sofa and sat down, casually placing the thick review materials on his lap, and gently pushing up his glasses with his slender fingers.

"Crying? To celebrate that I no longer have to help the poor?"

These words left Gu Qingqing speechless, her face turning pale.

"You!" Gu Qingqing bit her lip, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. She turned to the lawyer beside her. "Attorney Wang, look at him! This is his true face—cold-blooded and ruthless! I was truly blind for the past three years!"

Attorney Wang cleared his throat, adopted a businesslike demeanor, and took a document from his briefcase, pushing it onto the coffee table.

"Young Master Lu, let's be frank. Miss Gu wasted three whole years of her youth on you, which is priceless for a young woman. Now that your personality flaws have led to the breakdown of our relationship, Miss Gu's request for compensation is perfectly reasonable."

Lu Jingyan glanced at the document but didn't even bother to pick it up.

"Just state the number."

Attorney Wang held out his hand and flipped it over: "Fifty million."

The butler, Uncle Fu, standing to the side, gasped and almost dropped the tray in his hands.

Fifty million? This isn't a breakup fee, it's practically a bank robbery!

Seeing that Lu Jingyan remained silent, Gu Qingqing assumed he was afraid, and her confidence immediately returned. She raised her chin, revealing her neck as proud as a swan's:

"Lu Jingyan, this fifty million is what you owe me. My youth, my reputation, and the emotional trauma I suffered at your hands—that's nothing!"

"If you don't give it to me..."

She paused, her eyes turning malicious. "I'm going to post all the things about you over the years—your controlling nature, your violent tendencies, and even your manipulation of me—on Weibo! I have millions of followers and marketing accounts. You should know better than me how much the Lu Group's stock price will drop."

The hall was deathly silent.

Uncle Fu was sweating profusely with anxiety. He was about to advise the young master to spend money to avoid disaster, since the Lu family was not short of money. If their reputation was ruined, it would be troublesome.

Just then, a soft laugh broke the silence.

Lu Jingyan smiled.

It wasn't an angry sneer, but a pitying laugh, like watching a clown perform.

He slowly took out his phone, turned on the screen, and then placed it face up on the coffee table.

"Is it finished recording?" he asked.

Gu Qingqing and Attorney Wang were both taken aback: "What?"

"I said, I recorded all of your brilliant speeches just now."

Lu Jingyan pointed to the fluctuating recording waveform on his phone screen, his tone as gentle as if he were telling a bedtime story, but every word he uttered was like an icicle piercing the heart:

"Ms. Gu, and this Attorney Wang, you may have some misunderstanding about our country's legal system."

"First, Chinese law does not recognize the so-called 'compensation for lost youth.' In the event of the termination of a cohabitation relationship, apart from the division of jointly owned property, there is no legal basis to support one party in claiming emotional damages from the other."

"Secondly, and most importantly."

Lu Jingyan leaned forward slightly, his eyes, hidden behind his glasses, instantly becoming sharp as knives, locking onto Attorney Wang's sweating face.

"Your actions just now constitute extortion by threatening to expose your privacy and fabricate facts (PUA and domestic violence). This has a very precise definition in criminal law—extortion."

Attorney Wang's expression changed, but he forced a smile and said, "Young Master Lu, don't try to scare me. This is a civil dispute, it's a negotiation..."

"Negotiation?"

Lu Jingyan interrupted him abruptly, his voice rising sharply and carrying an undeniable authority, "Negotiation with threats is extortion!"

"According to Article 274 of the Criminal Law, anyone who extorts public or private property, where the amount is particularly large or there are other particularly serious circumstances, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years and shall also be fined."

"Fifty million, this is not just a 'huge amount,' it's an astronomical figure within the 'extraordinarily huge' category."

Lu Jingyan's slender fingers slid lightly across the phone screen and pressed the three-digit number that every Chinese person knows by heart—110.

"Beep—beep—"

The call waiting to be connected, emanating from the loudspeaker, echoed through the empty hall, each sound like a hammer blow to Attorney Wang's heart.

"You...you're insane! You actually dared to call the police?!" Gu Qingqing screamed, her face deathly pale. "I'm the victim! Even if the police come, they'll just arrest you!"

"We'll find out soon enough whether they arrest me or not."

Lu Jingyan remained calm, even glancing at his watch. "The Municipal Public Security Bureau is about a fifteen-minute drive from here. Gu Qingqing, you can think about whether to release her on bail or detain her directly once we get to the interrogation room."

"Hello, is this the 110 emergency call center?"

The call was connected.

Lu Jingyan's voice instantly switched to standard police report mode, clear, calm, and logically sound:

"I want to report a crime. I am Lu Jingyan from the Lu family in Jinghai City. Someone is currently in my home, threatening to fabricate facts to damage my reputation and extorting 50 million RMB from me. The audio evidence is conclusive, and the suspect is on the scene. Please send the police as soon as possible."

"Okay, the address is..."

Attorney Wang panicked completely.

Although he was someone who got paid to do things, he knew the red lines in this industry. Lu Jingyan's demeanor was no joke! Moreover, the precision with which he quoted those legal provisions was even better than that of a practicing lawyer like himself!

This isn't the legendary love-struck loser at all; he's clearly a legal tycoon in sheep's clothing!

"It's a misunderstanding! Young Master Lu, it's all a misunderstanding!"

Attorney Wang grabbed the documents on the table, stuffed them into his bag, and stood up, sweating profusely. "Since you're unwilling to negotiate, then we'll talk again another day! Another day!"

After saying that, he grabbed Gu Qingqing, who was still in a daze, and dragged her outside.

"Attorney Wang, what are you doing! Let me go! I haven't received the money yet!" Gu Qingqing struggled desperately, her high heels scraping against the floor with a harsh sound.

"What more money do you want! If you don't leave, you'll go to jail! Didn't you see he actually called the police? It was a real 110!"

Attorney Wang shouted in a low voice, practically dragging and pulling the old lady out the door.

The two figures, fleeing in a disheveled state, looked just like two frightened quails.

The hall returned to silence.

Lu Jingyan said into the phone, "Sorry, the suspect has fled. I will bring evidence to the police station to make a statement," and then hung up.

Actually, he hadn't finished giving his address during that phone call; the other party was just an operator, and no case had been filed yet.

But this feint is enough to deal with people who are ignorant of the law.

Uncle Fu stood to the side, still clutching the tray tightly in his hand, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg, his eyes filled with admiration and shock.

"Young...Young Master...Those words you just said were so cool! That guy surnamed Wang's face turned green!"

Lu Jingyan adjusted his glasses, showing little emotional fluctuation. To him, this was nothing more than a small monster in the beginner's village, not even worth mentioning as a warm-up.

He picked up the "Administrative Aptitude Test" book from his lap again and turned to the page where the corner had been folded earlier.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing him in golden light and gilding his aloof profile.

"Uncle Fu".

"Yes, young master, what are your orders?" Uncle Fu immediately straightened his back.

Lu Jingyan raised his head, his gaze passing over the Porsche speeding away outside the window, and looking at the electronic calendar on the wall.

The date displayed above is March 15, 2025.

"Prepare the car and iron your suit."

Lu Jingyan closed the book, a confident smile curving his lips:

"Tomorrow is the provincial civil service exam interview. Now that all those shady characters have been cleared out, I should go and tidy up the exam venue."