They are still close to me today despite their negative feelings

I pretended not to hear and withdrew my hand.

Chapter 85: The negotiations broke down?!

When I walked into the hall, I realized something was wrong.

These guys are really treating this place like a buffet.

"Ning Ruoyu, why are you so late? Ah, Qiu Luxi, thank you for inviting us!"

Qiu Luxi nodded. Although it was actually the old man who came to talk to me, I invited all the students involved in the matter in Qiu Luxi's name for the time being.

"...Put your pudding down before you speak."

Presumably to entertain these high school students, Uncle Gold Tooth and his team seemed to have specially arranged sofas and coffee tables in the originally empty hall for people to chat, and had some rather attractive male and female waiters moving around to serve them desserts and tea.

"Qiu Luxi's grandfather is so hospitable, he prepared so many things!"

Li Yueyao pointed to the coffee table in front of her. It was decorated with many exquisite pastries.

"Just one question: can you still tell east from west, north from south, south from east?"

"Of course! Didn't you say that Grandpa Qiu Luxi might be the mastermind behind this trending topic? We came here and didn't know how to deal with him, so we can only order more food and eat our fill without any politeness!"

Li Yueyao held up a plastic bottle next to her, "Look, the water I drink is Perrier. Everyone is working hard to fight against this evil force of sugar-coated bullets!"

I'm trying hard not to be overwhelmed by the brilliant ideas of these geniuses. When will I get to experience this kind of sugar-coated bullet intoxication?

"Alright, you guys keep trying your best in your own way. I'm going upstairs."

The meeting place with the old man was on the second floor. I glanced at Chen Di in the crowd, and he smiled wryly and nodded slightly at me.

With him around, nothing else stupid should happen. They were just there to create a lively atmosphere, and it would be nice if they could have some snacks.

Especially with An Yu on our side, we might actually be able to make the other side suffer... Hey, why isn't she eating? No way, An Yu, if even your ability to eat is banned, then we won't be able to send out any powerful generals!

My gaze met An Yu's, who was looking around. The moment she saw me, her eyes lit up, but then she showed a troubled expression.

It's probably the guilt of those who can afford to eat at buffets towards those who don't. Okay, I accept it.

I nodded slightly and went upstairs with Qiu Luxi.

However, at the entrance, two security guards stopped Qiu Luxi.

……

"Brother Ning, it's been a long time."

The man with the gold teeth stood by the window, smiling as he spoke to me, revealing his signature gold teeth. He looked both imposing and funny.

"We just saw each other ten minutes ago, didn't we?"

I sighed.

"Haha, we must get along so well that it feels like ages have passed since we last saw each other!"

"........."

I choose to remain silent.

This guy is really good at talking nonsense. I need to cultivate a negotiating mindset, otherwise following him will always make me feel like I want to go to the barbecue stall outside the door for some skewers.

"Is the hospitality satisfactory to you all, young students?"

Qiu Luxi's grandfather took over the conversation.

"Thank you for your trouble."

"In that case, let's get down to business as soon as possible."

Perhaps Qiu Luxi's actions had displeased him. Unlike the kind and easy-going image he had initially met, the old man seemed much more serious, and his speaking style was more forceful.

Of course, this could also simply be his usual way of handling things.

"If we can get straight to the point, that would be perfect for us."

After the old man gestured for me to sit down, I also sat down at the desk. The decision not to use a standard conference table, but rather a business meeting format, made it hard not to suspect that it was deliberately designed to create an interview-like atmosphere to gain an advantage in negotiations.

But in the end, this was just a covert psychological tactic that couldn't be brought to the surface, and I didn't react much.

"...You are indeed very outstanding, and you have exceeded our expectations in some ways."

The old man's expression was as hard as iron; he seemed like the type who would become aggressive once negotiations began.

"But there's one thing I need to make clear—my invitation to you is not an admission of weakness or a truce. On the contrary, if I wanted to, these trending topics and public opinion wouldn't even make a ripple."

That's true. But it was precisely because of that that Chen Di and I both felt very strange at the time—it was too disconnected.

"You may think you've retaliated, but that was just me calling my granddaughter home. Being treated differently by Jin Shuheng has also driven industry reform. I think you understand what I mean to some extent, right?"

In an instant, the aura of someone long accustomed to being in a position of power surged towards me like a tidal wave. The refined and approachable old gentleman in his suit had vanished, replaced by a tough leader who wouldn't yield an inch.

"A gesture to let your granddaughter come home? I get the feeling your granddaughter isn't too keen on coming home."

“That’s between me and my granddaughter, it’s none of your business.” My words probably angered the old man, and he became even more arrogant.

"In the end, even getting into that Linwai High School was just a momentary whim of hers. ... Those two good-for-nothings couldn't withstand the pressure because of a media interview and actually let her enroll in Linwai."

The old man's eyes blazed with fury. "If I hadn't been recuperating in Europe at the time, do you think I would have allowed this to happen?!"

So, does this mean that Qiu Luxi's enrollment in school was a decision made unilaterally by her adoptive parents without the elderly person's knowledge?

I can more or less understand the old man's attitude now.

“That child is different from yours,” the old man continued in a cold voice. “She needs the best education, the best resources, and the most conventional life path—that is the future she should choose.”

"I see, I understand now."

I stood up.

"?"

The old man looked puzzled.

"There's no way we can talk. That's my conclusion. Old man, although you seem to have your own ideas and attitudes, you're actually not calm enough."

I sighed.

"What's the point of talking in this situation? I might as well go downstairs now and grab an extra bottle of Perrier before you pack up and kick people out. If we're going to talk next time, you should calm down, think things through, and then come back to me."

Amidst the gold-toothed uncle's wry smile and the old man's astonished expression, I turned around, waved, and walked towards the door.

"Oh, by the way, even if you want your granddaughter back—there are some things that are not allowed, right? Some things said online have gone too far. I think this is the most basic bottom line for a grandfather, isn't it? Uncle Gold Tooth, the thing I asked you to investigate, there has to be a result, right?"

After saying that, I left the room.

At the top of the stairs on the first floor, Qiu Luxi was leaning against the wall, looking up at the stairs like a curious kitten.

After seeing me come downstairs, she immediately stood up straight and asked me somewhat uneasily.

"How was your conversation with your grandfather?"

"This is a bit of a hassle," I said softly, patting her back as I did so. "Your posture is too casual; your skirt is practically crying."

"..." Qiu Luxi did not answer, but lowered her eyes in disappointment, hiding her expression in the shadows.

"Should I...?"

"No, let me make this clear beforehand: if you're thinking of coming back for our sake, you'll be doing us a complete hindrance."

I hate these kinds of complicated plots; they raise my blood pressure.

"But……"

This guy really did have that idea.

I sighed and patted her head hard.

Qiu Luxi remained quiet, letting me mess up her carefully styled hair.

"I brought this trouble on myself, so what's a little trouble?" I laughed as I looked at Qiu Luxi, whose hair was messy and who looked like a frizzy kitten.

"Since you've already said you'll be our lead vocalist, then any talk of breaking up the group should at least wait until after we've had one proper live performance, right? Until then, nobody can mess with my plans."

"It's not your lead singer, it's your lead singer."

Qiu Luxi corrected him earnestly.

I pretended not to hear and withdrew my hand.

“But if Grandpa really gets angry, he must be terrifying. Even Dad and Mom won’t dare to speak to him.”

Qiu Luxi was still somewhat uneasy.

"That's quite a coincidence. I can be pretty scary when I'm angry. I'll show you sometime." I replied casually, while glancing at the message from the gold-toothed uncle on my phone.

[Next chapter preview: "He should have had something to tell me. But it seems that guy doesn't intend to tell me."]

"Calling them strange guests is going too far."

"Brother, Grandpa Qiu is very far away, but Brother Ning will definitely find us."

The "young lady" beside her called softly, jumped onto the girl's bed, and nuzzled her neck against her ankle.

Interlude: Like light shining through a crack

"I suddenly feel so free again!"

In the club room, An Yu put down his tablet and stretched.

"Is Xiao Qiu's matter considered over?" Ning Ruoyu seemed to have something to do today, so she went home early. At this moment, only Senior Wu Yuehua and Chen Di were in the club room.

"It seems like the supervision of student clubs has loosened up quite a bit. The school is still discussing whether to continue suspending Qiu Luxi from classes." Wu Yuehua peeked out from a tall pile of documents. "Judging from the current situation, she should be able to go back to school normally next week."

"We really won! As expected of Ning Ruoyu, all my friends are praising him!"

An Yu chuckled, as if they were praising him.

"..." Chen Di frowned as he stared at his phone.

"Monitor?"

Seeing that Chen Di didn't say anything, An Yu asked him with some confusion.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Chen Di looked up at An Yu, shifting his gaze from the screen.

"Um, did Ning Ruoyu have anything to say to you?"

"I'm also thinking about that."

"Eh?"

"He should have had something to tell me. But it seems like he doesn't intend to."

"Ning Ruoyu is hiding something from you?! Really?"

Chen Di looked at the surprised An Yu and sighed helplessly.

“I always feel like you have a lot of misunderstandings—that guy always clearly distinguishes between what he can and cannot tell, and what I am told is usually just what he thinks is okay to tell, and what I can understand.”

"So, you think that this time, even if Ning Ruoyu did something, you didn't even know..."

"Dong Dong Dong!!!"

There was a series of urgent knocks on the door outside the club room.

"An'an! President! Something terrible has happened! A trending topic has appeared on the hot search list!..."

……

"Qiu Luxi's true identity revealed. A wealthy family's illegitimate daughter experiences life..."

Inside Qingyin Cat House, which was still preparing to open, Chu Qingya silently recited this line of text, her face showing a hint of anger.

"Is the person who leaked this kind of thing a bastard?! How can they be so casual about something like this!"

"Old, landlady!"

Xiao Zhang, who was greeting guests at the door, ran to the front desk in a fluster.

"That... somewhat strange guest..."

"Calling them strange guests is going too far."