Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

Finally, after Lu Ze had completely hung up the phone and turned the screen upside down on the table, Shen Xinyi finally found an opportunity to speak softly, her voice tinged with a hint of coquettishness and melancholy:

"Brother Ze, why have you been so busy lately? If I hadn't gone to the Lu Group to see you in person today, I don't know how long it would have taken me to see you again."

Lu Ze rubbed his throbbing temples, his tone indifferent and aloof: "I told you before, I just joined the core of the Lu Group, and I have to learn everything from scratch. I simply don't have any free time. If you're bored, just ask Manman to go shopping to relax. You two have always been good friends."

Shen Xinyi gripped the tablecloth tightly, her eyes filled with grievance: "No matter how good Manman and I are, you are my boyfriend. The person I want to be with has always been you."

"Xinyi, now that you're in my position, romance has to take a backseat." Lu Ze raised his eyes, his expression revealing a realistic calmness. "Right now, I'm focused on building my career, paving the way for our future."

"Brother Ze, I understand. I also feel sorry for you working day and night. I only went to the company to wait for you because I had no other choice."

Lu Ze understood perfectly well the reason behind her persistent entanglement. The Shen family was now in complete disarray; Shen Yifan had emptied the company's assets to use as collateral and was also heavily indebted to loan sharks. The Shen family's dire straits were the talk of the town's high society. He had long suspected that Shen Xinyi was desperate and wanted him to bail her out, which was why he had been deliberately avoiding her and making numerous excuses to avoid her these past few days.

But Shen Xinyi was preoccupied with her love for her children and didn't notice his deliberate avoidance and indifference.

Shen Xinyi's heart was filled with concern for Lu Ze. Seeing his cold and distant demeanor, she felt a pang of sadness and bitterness in her heart. She opened her mouth, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn't, but before she could utter a word, crystal tears rolled down her cheeks, making her look pitiful and touching.

Back in the Shen family, she always relied on this fragile, tearful appearance to make her family indulge her in every way and grant her every wish. At that time, she also used this pitiful demeanor to firmly grasp Lu Ze's heart and successfully secure her position as his official girlfriend.

Right now, with tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at the man before her, Shen Xinyi tried to replicate her old tricks.

Looking at her reddened eyes and wet gaze, Lu Ze felt a pang of tenderness and sighed softly.

"Xinyi, I know you've been coming to me and pestering me for days because of your older brother and the Shen family's situation. I've found out more or less about it during this time, but I really can't help with the mess the Shen family is in now."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xinyi looked up abruptly, her eyes blurry with tears and filled with disbelief: "Brother Aze, how could you not help? You're a member of the Lu family, and the most promising heir of the Lu family! As long as you ask for a loan to help my brother through this difficult time, we will definitely repay you with interest once the Shen family company recovers!"

Lu Ze looked down at her innocent and naive appearance, completely unaware of the dangers of the business world, and a trace of helplessness and indifference flashed across his eyes.

"The funding gap in your Shen family is no small amount. I've just joined the Lu Group, my foundation is not yet stable, and I have no real power. I simply cannot mobilize hundreds of millions of yuan in group funds."

He changed the subject, feigning helplessness and putting on a troubled yet affectionate look: "But you're my girlfriend, and you've already asked me for help, so I can't just sit idly by."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Ze took out a black card from the inside pocket of his suit and gently pushed it in front of Shen Xinyi.

"There are ten million here. It's all the personal assets and savings I've accumulated over the years. Take it and give it to your brother in case of emergency."

Shen Xinyi's pupils dilated slightly, and she froze for a moment.

She had assumed that, given their romantic relationship, Lu Ze would surely do his utmost to help the Shen family by providing a large sum of money to cover their debts. However, she knew in her heart that the Shen family was already heavily indebted, with a huge deficit that would require at least several hundred million to recover. This mere ten million was just a drop in the bucket and could not solve any fundamental problems at all.

She was eager to plead again, hoping he would help her a little more, but the words were cut off by Lu Ze's gentle yet firm words.

"This is truly all I have. I'm currently in power, and this is all I can use. I've given you everything I have. I'll figure out what to do with the rest when I get back."

Having said all that, they were sincere and willing to compromise.

Even if Shen Xinyi was naive and ignorant of the ways of the world, she knew that if she continued to press him and force him to do things against his will, she would only completely anger Lu Ze and push him away.

She could only swallow her resentment and disappointment, and clutch the bank card on the table tightly.

Just as the atmosphere eased slightly, Lu Ze casually offered a suggestion: "Actually, you can go to your mother. She is now the rightful matriarch of the Li family. Besides, your older sister, Shen Jingshu, is highly valued in the Li family. Not long ago, the Li family successfully secured a partnership with the Mo family. Even our Lu family is envious of such resources."

Mentioning this collaboration filled Lu Ze with resentment. He had previously taken the initiative to visit Mo Hanzhou, presenting a meticulously prepared project proposal with utmost sincerity to secure the cooperation opportunity. However, after reviewing it, Mo Hanzhou ultimately chose Li Beichen instead.

He could never let it go and was deeply resentful. He believed that his abilities and vision were in no way inferior to Li Beichen's; it was just that Li Beichen had taken over the family business a few years earlier and had a head start.

Once he takes full control of the Lu family business, wields real power, and achieves results, no one in the industry will dare to look down on him in the slightest.

Upon hearing Lu Ze mention Lin Wanqing, Shen Xinyi's eyes lit up, a glimmer of hope igniting within her, only to dim again in an instant. She had already asked her mother for money before, and now she had no confidence in asking again. Since Lu Ze was no longer an option, she could only place her last bet on her mother, the matriarch of the Li family.

A few days ago, when Lu Ze deliberately avoided her, she met with Lu Manman to find out what was going on. From Lu Manman, she learned that Lu's mother was full of resentment about the mess the Shen family had made. What made her even more anxious was that Lu's mother intended to make Lu Ze sever ties with her and find a suitable daughter from a prominent family for a marriage alliance.

Because of this concern, even though Lu Ze only offered ten million to get by, Shen Xinyi dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction. Right now, she absolutely could not offend Lu Ze and the entire Lu family, so she could only swallow all her grievances silently.

The two then ate in silence, without exchanging any further words. After a hasty dinner, Lu Ze drove Shen Xinyi back to her home.

As soon as Shen Xinyi stepped into the house, she saw Shen Yifan slumped dejectedly on the living room sofa. Seeing her return, Shen Yifan immediately jumped up, his face filled with anxiety, and rushed forward to ask, "How did it go? Is Lu Ze willing to help us?"

Seeing her brother's anxious expression, Shen Xinyi looked ashamed and gently shook her head: "Brother Aze said he is powerless. He just joined the Lu Group and has no real power to make decisions."

Shen Yifan froze, instantly deflated like a punctured balloon, his spirit and energy completely collapsed.