Chapter 541: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years (12)
Paperplane Editor: DarkGem“Will you even be able to look at Jiamu, who once saved your life? In all these years, he has treated you so well, have you forgotten? Do you even have a heart!”
Lu Jinnian, who had remained rather quiet all this time, didn’t wait for Han Ruchu to finish what she had to say. He suddenly, asked her mockingly, “Mrs. Han, was this all you wanted to say?”
Before she could speak, someone else had said it all… In that moment, Han Ruchu kept her silence on the phone.
This time, Lu Jinnian, didn’t remain quiet like Han Ruchu. Instead, he continued to speak in a calm voice, but there was a pressing tone in his voice. “I can tell Xu Jiamu everything I did with a clear conscience! What about you? Mrs. Han, could you do the same? As a mother, could you honestly say that you’ve done things with a clear conscience?”
“What a joke! You stole what belongs to Jiamu. You’re here talking to me about having a clear conscience, but don’t you forget you’re an illegitimate child that should have never been born onto this earth! You mother was a shameful mistress. As Jiamu’s birth mother, how could I have a guilty conscience?”
Even if Lu Jinnian one day stole Xu Enterprise after she painstakingly built it up for almost thirty years, Han Ruchu would still talk with the same confidence in her tone. She continued to speak ill of Lu Jinnian and his mother. “Let me tell you, even if Xu Enterprise becomes yours, you still can’t change the fact that you’re an illegitimate child. Nor can you change the fact that your mother was a prostitute!”
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Lu Jinnian’s brows flashed with a hint of malevolence. He tightened his grasp on his phone and said, “Yes. That’s right. My mother was a prostitute. My mother was a mistress who gave birth to me, but she received her just rewards. I’ve also received mine, but even if my mother was lackluster, in my eyes, as her son, she was still a good mother, a great mother. Better than a murderer like yourself!”
In that moment, Han Ruchu’s confidence was clearly shaken. “What do you mean by that?”
Lu Jinnian had no intention of letting Han Ruchu have a single word in, asking rhetorically, “I wonder, if Jiamu knew that his own mother’s hands were so stained with blood, they didn’t even show mercy to a two month old baby… Just with what kind of eyes do you think he would look at this kind of mother ?”
Han Ruchu was somewhat clever. With Lu Jinnian’s first sentence, she could already guess what he meant. Now, under Lu Jinnian’s questioning, she instantly understood. “So you knew.”
“Yes, of course I knew. Qiao Anhao’s miscarriage was all thanks to your sleeping pills in her swallow’s nest. Mrs. Han, you made such careful preparations, but what a shame, you slipped up and revealed a flaw in your plan.”
“When did you find out?” asked Han Ruchu.
Lu Jinnian didn’t say a word.
After a while, Han Ruchu looked as though she had realized something and said, “So, the only reason why my several dozen billion investment got scrapped was because you were scheming behind it all? Was it also you who added fuel to the fire when Xu enterprises stocks fell? Your purpose for all this was to devour the Xu enterprise and leave Wanli and me with nothing! Am I right?”Chapter 542: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years (13)
Paperplane Editor: DarkGemLu Jinnian had no intention of hiding, so he admitted, “That’s right.”
“Just what will make you stop? I did this single-handedly. You can come at me…”
Having gotten the evidence he wanted, Lu Jinnian had no intention of rattling on with her nonsense… He didn’t wait for Han Ruchu to speak again, saying in an unsympathetic and arrogant voice, “Mrs. Han, if you called hoping that I’ll let you off, let me tell you this… don’t even think about it!”
When Lu Jinnian finished speaking, he hung up the call. With a dark expression on his face, he walked over to the office desk and pushed the intercom. His assistant was quick to knock on the door and come in.
Lu Jinnian directly gave him the phone and said, “Take out the voice recording and upload it onto a recording pen. I need it for tonight.”
–
The Xu family.
When Han Ruchu heard “doot doot doot” sounds from the disconnected call, she cried out a few times, before ruthlessly smashing the phone to the floor.
Because she was so angry and felt so done in, Han Ruchu’s face was particularly unwell looking, and her chest heaved non-stop.
“Madam, don’t be so angry…” cried the housekeeper, trying to calm her. Seeing as Han Ruchu had rushed over to the sofa and started to sway, the housekeeper hurriedly went over to support her to a seat. “Madam, are you all right?”
Han Ruchu tightly clenched her fists, fire burning deep in her eyes. The flames burned bright, until after a while, she muttered, “He knows what happened. He knows that I was the one who killed Qiao Qiao’s baby.”
A flash of panic crossed Han Ruchu’s eyes. “If Jiamu finds out, then he’ll definitely blame me…”
At this point, Han Ruchu suddenly paused, as though she had thought of something. She pointed at the home phone on the side and said, “Quickly, give Jiamu a call, say that I’m…”
Then, Han Ruchu whispered something in the housekeeper’s ear.
As the housekeeper listened, she replied in a quiet voice, “Yes, Madam.”
When Han Ruchu finished speaking, she immediately went over to the home phone and dialed Xu Jiamu’s number. She waited for the call to go through, then said with a panicked expression on her face, “Oh no, Young master! Just now, Madam fainted out of anger… Not because of Xu enterprises, but from your brother’s call. He said something about meddling behind Madam’s several billion investment and causing Xu Enterprise stocks to fall.
“It was all because of how Sir and Madam treated his mother all those years ago. So now he wants them to taste what it feels like. That’s the gist of what he said, but I’m not particularly clear on the details… Anyways, young master, come home first to see Madam…”
Once the housekeeper was off the phone, Han Ruchu asked, “How was it?”
“The young master sounds very angry. He said that he’s on his way home. Madam, shall I go call the family doctor over? First, get some rest upstairs, so that the young master doesn’t see through your plan.”
Han Ruchu gently nodded and stood up from the sofa. With the housekeeper alongside her, they walked up the stairs.
As they walked up the stairs, the housekeeper said, “Madam, to be able to come up with this, it’s all thanks to your quick reaction. Young master is your son, so your hearts are bound as mother and son. When he hears that the bastard made you faint out of anger, he certainly won’t bother with what the bastard has to say.”
Chapter 543: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years (14)
Paperplane Editor: DarkGemXu Jiamu’s car stopped at Huan Ying Entertainment’s entrance and he walked through the lobby. There was a new woman at the front desk whom he didn’t know. She politely stopped him and asked who he was looking for.
Xu Jiamu was about to give her Lu Jinnian’s name when the phone in his pocket rang. He made a hand gesture at the woman at the front desk to wait, then walked to one side to take the call.
From the housekeeper’s words, Xu Jiamu’s expression gradually grew enraged. In the end, he didn’t even think twice as he hung up the phone and completely ignored the questions from woman at the front desk. He walked over to the elevator with a livid look, pressed the button, and headed straight for the top floor.
When the elevator doors opened, Xu Jiamu walked straight to Lu Jinnian’s office. On his way, he passed Lu Jinnian’s elderly secretary whom he knew. She hurriedly got up and politely greeted him, “Mr. Xu, are you’re here to see Chief Lu?”
Xu Jiamu didn’t even bother with the secretary, pushing open the door of Lu Jinnian’s office and barging in.
Lu Jinnian was sitting at his desk, talking on the phone, when he heard the loud bang of the door. He lifted his head to find Xu Jiamu’s furious face. He said “Apologies” into the phone and put it down. He stood up, walked around his desk and over to the door, which Xu Jiamu had pushed open, and shut it.
“Lu Jinnian, why are you closing the door? Are you afraid that your staff outside will hear about all the nasty things you’ve done?” Xu Jiamu didn’t wait for Lu Jinnian to close the doors before erupting in a fit of rage, and choked Lu Jinnian’s collar.
Ferocity flashed across his eyes as he spoke with a vicious expression. “Lu Jinnian, you’ve done it! First, you lure my mother into a several dozen billion investment, then use it to run the Xu Enterprise stock value to the ground and buy a large amount for yourself! I really didn’t know that you had this trick up your sleeve. You really hid it well. After I treated you as a biological brother all these years, in the end, this is how you treat me, right? I’m fucking telling you, your mother was the lowly prostitute, not mine…”
Xu Jiamu’s final words instantly made Lu Jinnian’s expression run cold. His eyes were frozen with anger when he said in a low voice, “Done talking?”
As his words dropped, he raised his hand and yanked Xu Jiamu’s hands off of his collar. Then said in a heavy tone, “I don’t want to talk to you about personal matters during business hours… Even if we were to discuss it, I won’t discuss it with how irrational you are right now. So, if you’re done speaking, leave now. I’ll pretend as though I never heard what you just said!”
“Lu Jinnian, don’t try to act all high and mighty with me. What fucking right do you have to act all high and mighty in front of me…”
When Xu Jiamu finished speaking, Lu Jinnian suddenly pulled open the meeting room door and pointed outside. “I’m going to say this again. I do not handle private matters during business hours. I’m giving you two options, either you leave on your own, or I will call security to make you leave!”
With his final word, Lu Jinnian glanced towards the open door and then at Qiao Anhao’s pale face standing on the other side of the door. He twitched his lips but never pulled his eyes away from her.
“Lu Jinnian, you better pray that nothing happens to my mother. If anything does happen, then I’ll be sure to get you!”Chapter 544: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years (15)
Paperplane Editor: DarkGemWith his final word, Lu Jinnian glanced towards the open door and then at Qiao Anhao’s pale face standing on the other side of the door. He twitched his lips but never pulled his eyes away from her.
“Lu Jinnian, you better pray that nothing happens to my mother. If anything does happen, then I’ll be sure to get you!” Xu Jiamu gritted his teeth when he finished speaking, turned, and walked, incredibly angry, out of the office.
When Xu Jiamu came in front of Qiao Anhao, her heart was a little panicked. Lu Jinnian was the one who clearly did this, but she felt like she was the one who particularly let Xu Jiamu down. She cried in a low voice, “Brother Jiamu.”
When Xu Jiamu heard Qiao Anhao’s voice, he slightly slowed down a little, but didn’t stop. He brushed her shoulders on his way out.
Qiao Anhao instinctively turned around, chased after Jiamu and grabbed his sleeve. “Brother Jiamu, don’t be so angry…”
Xu Jiamu’s footsteps were firm and his lips were tightly pursed, face still filled with rage. He wanted to say something to Qiao Anhao, but at that moment, he was simply not in the mood to talk. In the end, he gave a gentle nod, then forcibly pulled his sleeve from her grip. As he strode into the elevator, he never turned his head, and left.
Lu Jinnian looked at the scene unfolding in front of him. The sight of it was hard to watch, so he instinctively lowered his head. He straightened out his clothes that Xu Jiamu had creased up. He only lifted his head when he heard the sound of the elevator. Then he said to Qiao Anhao, who was not too far away, “Come in.”
Qiao Anhao stood at the spot for a long time before she turned around. Without making a sound, she walked into Lu Jinnian’s office.
Lu Jinnian shut the door and pointed at the sofa, offering her a seat. Then he asked, “Do you want something to drink?”
Qiao Anhao shook her head as she sat on the sofa.
Lu Jinnian walked to his desk and picked up the desk phone with one hand. In a low voice, he ordered, “A cup of coffee and another of milk tea.”
Lu Jinnian hung up the phone and glanced over at Qiao Anhao, who sat quietly on the sofa. He slowly walked over to her and sat down.
Qiao Anhao lifted her head, then looked into Lu Jinnian’s eyes, as she asked, “Aunt Xu’s several dozen billion investment project that got scrapped in the end… was that your doing?”
Lu Jinnian didn’t speak. The office seemed quite silent.
About three minutes had passed when a knocking was heard from the door. Lu Jinnian cleared his throat, then said, “Enter.”
The door opened and Lu Jinnian’s secretary entered, carrying a tray. She walked over to the sofa and placed the coffee and milk on the table. Then she left without a sound.
Lu Jinnian pushed the milk towards Qiao Anhao, then finally answered her question. “I did it.”
He answered with certainty, not a hint of hesitation. Qiao Anhao’s fingers shivered for a moment, as she stared at Lu Jinnian’s blinking eyes, and continued to ask, “The only reason why the Xu Enterprise’s stocks dropped so dramatically was because you did something behind the scenes?”
Lu Jinnian didn’t dispute it. This time, his answer was far swifter than before. “That’s right.”
“Then, when Xu Enterprise’s stocks plummeted, you bought a large amount of it just to take power from the Xu family?” Qiao Anhao asked her question particularly slowly. She practically shot it out word-by-word. So much so that when she finished asking, she felt her racing heart stop, as she started into his eyes with her full attention.Chapter 545: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years (16)
Paperplane Editor: DarkGemThis time, Lu Jinnian only said a single word. He didn’t hold back or hesitate, and gave a simple, “Yes.”
Qiao Anhao really hoped that Lu Jinnian would reply negatively to her every question. As long as he denied it, she would have disregarded everything she had heard Xu Jiamu say at the door and believed him unconditionally. As long as he denied it, even if all the news outlets reported that he bough up the Xu Enterprise, she could still act ignorant. However, as things turned out, he admitted to all three of her accusations. He even looked calm, as though the things he’d done were right.
She knew that someone was working behind the scenes to sabotage the Xu Enterprise, but she had never imagined it would be Lu Jinnian.
She didn’t know a lot about him, only that he was an illegitimate son of the Xu family, but he had never lived with them. He grew up with his own mother, and Xu Wanli and Han Ruchu didn’t seem to like him at all.
Though he was a child of the Xu family, she didn’t know why he couldn’t take control of Xu Enterprise. He and Xu Jiamu were always close, and he managed his own company quite well, so how could he suddenly steal Xu Jiamu’s assets without warning…
She still clearly remembered the night she found out about Xu Enterprise being in trouble. She had even mentioned it to him. At the time, he was calm and composed, so much so that when she asked him to show Xu Jiamu he cared, and he didn’t hesitate to said “All right”.
At that instant, Qiao Anhao felt like she couldn’t read Lu Jinnian. She instinctively muttered her questions. “Why? Why did you do it?”
The office remained quiet for a long time. Lu Jinnian observed Qiao Anhao’s expression for a long time, and couldn’t quite tell what she was thinking. Right now, he didn’t have the evidence with him. He wasn’t absolutely sure that if he explained it now, she would trust him, but he still opened his mouth, “Qiao Qiao…”
When Lu Jinnian called Qiao Anhao’s name, he took of the tone of her last words, the way she was questioning him. He slightly lowered his eyelids to mask the sorrow in his heart. Even though he already knew that she’d have questions when she found out, but when the time came for her questions, it still hurt him.
Lu Jinnian gulped. He forced himself to stop caring so much and continued to speak in a deep voice. “I only did this because our…”
At the same time, Qiao Anhao had become agitated, and she said in a slightly trembling, somber voice, “Lu Jinnian, for you to do these kind of things… If it were brother Jiamu, he definitely wouldn’t have treated you…”
When someone faces a situation that’s difficult to accept or believe, it’s hard not to confuse themselves. In that moment, Qiao Anhao felt completely defeated by Lu Jinnian’s admittance. She had no idea that the words she unknowingly just said… how she heartlessly compared the two, was practically killing Lu Jinnian.
Lu Jinnian’s following words seemed to completely disappear from his mouth. His stare into Qiao Anhao’s eyes became more complicated.
For Xu Jiamu to experience this, get angry and not believe him, that he could understand.
For her to hear Xu Jiamu’s words and not believe him, he could tolerate.
All because he knew in his heart that he had to back down to be able to shatter the beautiful facade of Han Ruchu in their hearts.
But for her to compare him to Xu Jiamu and wholeheartedly believe that Xu Jiamu would never do such a thing, without even considering that that he might have had a good reason for everything he’d done…
So in her heart, all along, he was never as good as Xu Jiamu. After doing all of this, how could he take that? How could he take that!Chapter 546: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years (17)
Paperplane Editor: DarkGem“Right, you’re right…” Lu Jinnian suddenly curved his lips into a smile. He stared into Qiao Anhao’s eyes with a glimmer of self-mocking. “However, what a shame… In the end, I’m not Xu Jiamu.”
He thought back to that night when the Xu family was in trouble. He remembered how she laid in his arms and asked him to take care of Xu Jiamu.
He thought back to how she appeared at his office doors, and saw him and Xu Jiamu at the same time but called his name first…
Even if Xu Jiamu and her were divorced… Even if he himself treated her so well… In her heart, Xu Jiamu was still the most important!
“You must’ve always thought of how great it would be if I became Xu Jiamu, am I right?” Lu Jinnian could distinctly feel a fit of jealousy spreading through his body. He really wanted to control his temper, but his emotions were riled up with Qiao Anhao’s single comparison. Without waiting for her to react, his tone instantly became cold and stern. “But, Qiao Anhao. Let me tell you… I’ll never become Xu Jiamu!
“Since you care about Xu Jiamu so much, go and look for him!” As Lu Jinnian said this, he got up from the sofa, and dragged Qiao Anhao by the arm towards the door. He pulled it open and ruthlessly threw her out.
Qiao Anhao stumbled under Lu Jinnian’s sheer force. When she found her balance, the door behind her was already slammed shut. She stared at the tightly shut door, and realized what she’d just said to make Lu Jinnian this angry.
She didn’t really want to compare him to Xu Jiamu, but as she just suddenly found out Lu Jinnian acquiring Xu enterprises, she couldn’t accept that at all. He and Xu Jiamu were clearly biological brothers, and had always got a long so well, how could he make a move like that? How could he disregard all sentiment like that?
Qiao Anhao saw the wandering eyes of those in the administration department nearby. She slightly lowered her head, turned around, and walked over to the office. As she tried to push open the door, she realized that it was locked from the inside, so she knocked on the door.
Qiao Anhao waited for half a minute, but there was no response. She raised her arm again, ready to knock, when suddenly, Lu Jinnian pulled the door open.
“Lu Jinnian…” He bolted towards the elevator with big strides, brushing past her like she wasn’t even there.
Qiao Anhao tried her best to catch up. Subconsciously, she tried to explain to Lu Jinnian in a low voice, “It’s not what you think, I didn’t compare you with Brother Jiamu. I just…”
For tonight’s dinner date, she had deliberately worn ten centimeter heels, and so she simply couldn’t catch up to Lu Jinnian. Before she could finish what she had to say, he stepped into the elevator. When she finally reached the doors, they had already shut, and the elevator slowly descended.
Qiao Anhao frantically pressed the elevator button to chase him down.
She stepped out from the elevator on the lower floor and saw Lu Jinnian get into his car. She called his name and rushed towards him, but because she ran so hastily, she buckled under the her tall, thin heels. Using the car beside her to regain her balance, she heard the sound of Lu Jinnian’s car engine start up. Completely ignoring the pain in her ankles, she hobbled over as it sped off.
Qiao Anhao watched as Lu Jinnian’s car drove out of the parking lot for quite some time, then turned around to the elevator. Just as she was about to press the floor number for the elevator, the phone in her pocket started to ring…Chapter 547: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years（18）
When Lu Jinnian’s assistant came back with his phone and voice recorder, he realized that the office was empty, and there were two porcelain cups on the table. The milk tea and coffee had already gone cold, so he went to ask the secretary to find out what had happened. When he found out who had come over, realization started to dawn on him. He hurriedly returned to his own office to get Lu Jinnian’s clothes before leaving.
The assistant has been following Lu Jinnian for many years, he knew all about his habits that Qiao Anhao wasn’t aware of.
Whenever he was upset, he would run, so he drove straight to the gym that Lu Jinnian frequented.
The gym instructor recognized him when he saw him coming and immediately led him to the private room that Lu Jinnian was in.
The instructor might have been able to tell that Lu Jinnian was in a bad state, for he left after leading the assistant to the room.
He knocked on the door but there wasn’t a sound. When he entered, he saw Lu Jinnian running on a track with his headphones on.
The assistant didn’t disrupt him. He placed the things that he had brought along at the side before sitting down silently.
Lu Jinnian counted every step he took inwardly. When he reached ten thousand, he finally stopped.
His entire body was soaked with sweat. His assistant stood up instantly to pass him a bottle of water.
Lu Jinnian tossed his head back, sweat dripping down his hair, and downed almost the entire bottle.
When he stopped, his assistant pulled out his phone and a voice recorder. “Mr. Lu, here’s the things you wanted.”
Lu Jinnian tossed the bottle in the bin, then used a towel to dry the sweat before reaching over to take the things.
“Mr. Lu, did you fight with Miss Qiao?”
Lu Jinnian ignored his question, silently raising the voice recorder to his ear to listen to the contents. When he made sure that there wasn’t a problem, he placed it beside his phone and entered the shower.
As the hot water drizzled down his body, Lu Jinnian shut his eyes, replaying the events that had happened in the afternoon.
The scene in the afternoon was not what he had expected.
In his worst scenario, he had expected Qiao Anhao to scold him furiously, and because of that, he had prepared the recording of him and Han Ruchu.
But the mishap was in that he had gotten angry at her…
He took over Xu Enterprise only because Han Ruchu had killed their baby and hurt her, but the moment she had compared him to Xu Jiamu, he was infuriated.
But as he ran, using up all his energy, venting all his emotions, he clearly understood that his anger probably arose because of Xu Jiamu’s words. Jiamu was his brother after all, and he wasn’t able to disregard the emotions his words brought out, even though he knew that he was speaking out of fury. He just couldn’t help feeling… angry. And Qiao Anhao’s words just made his anger erupt.
After he showered, he wrapped a towel around his waist. His assistant carried his clothes to him. “Mr. Lu, here’s the clothes you got me to order for tonight’s dinner.”Chapter 548: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years（19）
After Lu Jinnian showered, he wrapped a towel around his waist. His assistant carried his clothes to him. “Mr. Lu, here’s the clothes you got me to order for tonight’s dinner.”
The assistant emphasized on “tonight” and “dinner”, and just then, Lu Jinnian saw a faint glimmer of dilemma in his eyes.
His assistant had reminded him beforehand that Qiao Anhao would be unhappy if she found out about the takeover, and at that time, he had reassured him… Look what happened… He just left in frustration…
Lu Jinnian moved his lips, and before he took the clothes, he reached for the phone on the chair. After finding Qiao Anhao’s number, he was about to call her, but after a short while, he decided to text her instead. [I’m sorry.]
I’m sorry for getting mad. I’m sorry for being impatient.
Just like that, his dampened spirits seemed to have lifted, his logic returning. All these years, he had always been calm and collected, but whenever Qiao Anhao was involved, he would become emotional and sensitive.
He tightened his grip on the phone, and after a long moment, he sent another message.[Qiao Qiao, lets have a good talk during dinner tonight.]
Lu Jinnian glanced at the phone screen. When it indicated that the text was successfully sent over, he placed it back down and stood up. Just before he entered the changing room, he suddenly remembered that he hadn’t sent her the address, so he reached for the phone again to send one last text. [Li Jing Xuan, I’ll be waiting.]
After sending that six words, he exhaled, his dampened spirits brightening a little, and entered the changing room.
–
Qiao Anhao received a call from Qiao Anxia when she was in the elevator. Her sister told her that Han Ruchu was left bed-ridden from the shock.
Even though Qiao Anhao didn’t have any blood relations with the Xu family, they had always been close to the Qiao family, and all these years, Han Ruchu had always treated her well. Now that she was ill, it was only fair for Qiao Anhao to visit. When she finally reached the Xu family mansion, she started to feel anxious, the guilt she felt when she stood outside Lu Jinnian’s office arising.
Even though Lu Jinnian was the culprit, because of her ambiguous relationship with him, she already considered herself to be his… Now that he had done such a thing, she felt as though it was partially her fault.
Qiao Anhao stood outside the Xu family house for a long while before taking a deep breath and pressing the doorbell.
One of the maids came to open the door. She seemed to have expected her as she came with a pair of slippers. Pointing upstairs, she said, “Mrs. Han is upstairs.”
Qiao Anhao nodded her head, carrying the bag of tonic she had bought upstairs.
The bedroom door was half open. When she entered, she saw the Xu family housekeeper inside with a tray filled with tonics. Someone must have visited before her.
Han Ruchu lay on the bed with her face pale. The trauma must have been too much for her, for she seemed to have aged in just one day. Xu Jiamu sat beside her, massaging her temples.
Chapter 549: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years (20)
Paperplane Editor: DarkGemThe Xu family’s housekeeper was the first to see Qiao Anhao enter. “Miss Qiao, you’re here?”
Qiao Anhao managed a smile and gently nodded. She placed some nutritional products that she had bought on the way over by the housekeeper’s well-organized array of them.
Han Ruchu pushed Xu Jiamu’s hand away from her forehead, as he was massaging it for her. She sat up and patted the seat by her bedside and said, “Come sit.”
“Aunt Xu, Brother Jiamu.” Qiao Anhao obediently walked over, greeted them, and sat down.
Han Ruchu looked over at the nutritional products Qiao Anhao had bought for her, and said in a weak but extremely charitable voice, “Qiao Qiao, if you’re coming over, just come. Why did you bring gifts?”
Xu Jiamu attentively grabbed a pillow and put it behind Han Ruchu. “Isn’t it all because Qiao Qiao cares about you…”
The housekeeper, who was organizing the products, then added, “Madam watched Miss Qiao grow up, and has always loved Miss Qiao. Ever since her parents passed away, Madam has treated her as her own daughter, so of course Miss Qiao has Madam in her heart and cares about her.”
After Qiao Anhao heard the housekeeper’s words, her heart grew heavy with guilt. She lowered her eyes and forced out a hint of a smile. Then she thoughtfully asked, “Aunt Xu, how’s your condition?”
Han Ruchu wore a smile. Perhaps it was because she was ill, her usual swift and strict demeanor was faint. She spoke in a warm voice. “It’s nothing serious. At the time, I was a little agitated, and for some reason, I fainted.”
The housekeeper bitterly said, “What do you mean ‘nothing serious’? Anger kills the heart. Thank goodness Madam is blessed, otherwise you’d have died from the rage…”
“Don’t talk nonsense in front of the children!” Han Ruchu suddenly sharply cut the housekeeper’s words short. Perhaps it was because she was agitated, she suddenly started to cough.
“Mom!”
“Aunt Xu!”
At the same time, Qiao Anhao and Xu Jiamu reached out with their hands to pat Han Ruchu on the back. She covered her chest with her hand, which soothed her breathing for a moment. With her gentle tone of voice, she said, “I’m fine. When you get older, it’s inevitable that you’ll get sick. Today was just a coincidence.”
The housekeeper said with a pained heart, “Madam, at a time like this, what is there for you to hide? That bastard called to clearly piss you off. He has his eye on the young master’s inheritance. That ungrateful dog… Our young master should never have saved that bastard’s life!”
Qiao Anhao tightly creased her brows at the housekeeper’s use of the word ‘bastard’, and asked a little astonished, “Save what life?”
“Miss Qiao, you probably didn’t know, but the year that little bastard turned three, he fell ill with leukemia. It was our young master who donated his bone marrow to save him. If it weren’t for our young master, he’d be dead! At the time, they agreed that he would never inherit the Xu family’s wealth and assets. Nor could he show respect to his ancestors, or step foot into the Xu family house. In the end, now that bastard actually stole it all!”
The year Lu Jinnian turned three, he had leukemia? It was Xu Jiamu who donated his bone marrow to save his life?
No wonder, after so many years, Lu Jinnian never came back to the Xu family. When Qiao Anhao was in school, she racked her brains over why Lu Jinnian looked like he was quite poor when the Xu family business was so big. Though she was close with Xu Jiamu, she had never asked him about private family matters, and so she had had no idea.Chapter 550: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years (21)
Paperplane Editor: DarkGemQiao Anhao had never known Lu Jinnian had such a past.
Her heart started to tremble slightly with an unspeakable pain.
The housekeeper seemed enraged, for she was still lashing out at Lu Jinnian over and over again. “It’s true how cheap whores give birth to cheap…”
Even though those scornful words were directed at Lu Jinnian, Qiao Anhao’s heart felt incredibly downcast. A bone-piercing pain had emerged within her, as though countless needles had stabbed into her heart.
Qiao Anhao suddenly stood up, not wanting to hear them talk about Lu Jinnian any longer. She made an excuse to go to the bathroom, but as she walked out of the bedroom and was about to shut the door, she heard the housekeeper say resentfully behind her, “The young master has wasted all these years treating the bastard so well…”
Qiao Anhao went to the bathroom downstairs. Just before she entered, she coincidentally overheard one of the female servants on the phone with her husband. It sounded like they promised to go out tonight for Chinese Valentines day. The man was preparing for dinner, so he asked her what she wanted to eat. The woman, with the phone in her hand, listed dishes she wanted to eat in a delicate, soft voice.
It was hard to say what got into Qiao Anhao, but she especially took notice of that servant. She realized that the woman had two pigtails, had make-up on, and her face seemed to be brimming with happiness, like she had everything in the world.
Qiao Anhao walked into the restroom. When she finished in the toilet and washed her hands in the sink, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair and make-up were intricately well prepared, accentuating her perfect facial features.
She remembered, the only reason why she was so well dressed tonight was because she had a dinner with Lu Jinnian to celebrate Chinese Valentines day.
She also remembered how the hairdresser had clearly told her she looked perfect, but she still nitpicked at everything to be even more perfect. So much so that before she left home, she flipped through all the clothes in her wardrobe and tried them each on. She did this all so that she could look her best for him on such a special day.
At the time, she felt all sorts of complicated emotions; unease, excitement, anticipation, anxiousness mixed with a hint of sweetness…
Qiao Anhao’s mind wandered as she washed her hands. When she went back upstairs, before she pushed open the door, she could hear Han Ruchu’s voice from within the bedroom. “From the very beginning, I told you not to get close to him, but you had to go and get closer. Now, look. You have nothing.
“The only reason he acted like a real brother to you was to hit you when you were down. He has always waited for the day to laugh at you… This was definitely something his whore mother taught him. That bitch couldn’t steal what was mine, and so she taught her son to steal my son’s things…”
“Enough!” Xu Jiamu, who had remained quiet until now, suddenly violently erupted. “Are the two of you done talking? Lu Jinnian’s mother passed away almost twenty years ago. How could she suddenly jump out of nowhere and teach him these things? What’s more, he’s never gone that far, has he? I still work there at Xu Enterprise!”
With Xu Jiamu’s words, the bedroom door suddenly flung open.
Qiao Anhao felt a gust of wind towards her, then saw Xu Jiamu walking towards her with a dark look on his face.
“Brother Jiamu…”
Xu Jiamu continued to stride without a waver in his step down the stairs and out, without any response.
Qiao Anhao called his name again and instinctively wanted to follow him. He stopped in his tracks then and leaned on the railings, turning his head toward her to say bleakly, “Qiao Qiao, I’m feeling on edge right now. I want to go out for a smoke on my own for a little while.”
Chapter 551: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years (22)
Paperplane Editor: DarkGemRegarding Lu Jinnian, Xu Jiamu had some conflicting feelings about him.
To some extent, men are impulsive and have their guards up. When he found out Xu Enterprise was acquired, he went over to ask him why he’d done it. However, when he reached Huan Ying Entertainment’s lobby, he received a call and found out Lu Jinnian was the one behind his mother’s failed investment and the fall of Xu Enterprise’s stocks.
On top of all this, his mother fainted out of anger. At the time, his blood boiled and he spoke incoherently out of rage. But even so and even if his and Lu Jinnian’s brotherly relationship had ended, he still felt angry when his mother and the housekeeper went back and forth saying such horrible things about him.
Xu Jiamu’s heart suddenly was overcome with sadness. Though Lu Jinnian treated him this way, he still hated to part with his half-brother… Xu Jiamu raised his hand and rubbed his face, then gulped. With hints of powerlessness, he said, “Qiao Qiao, go in and accompany my mom. What I just said was harsh, she’s definitely hurt right now.”
Qiao Anhao gently nodded her head.
Xu Jiamu took large strides down the stairs and out of the house. He walked over to the tree in the courtyard and leaned against it, then lit a cigarette. With clouds of smoke surrounding him, he thought back to when he was young and mischievous.
Under this same tree, he had let off fireworks which just about missed his eyes. It was his ever silent brother, who was as pretty as a girl, who suddenly reached his arm out to grab the firework stick.
At the time, Xu Jiamu was the Xu family’s little king. With a single cry, everyone surrounded him. Even after so many years had passed, he still remembered how everyone escorted him back into the house. When he turned his head, the image he saw was branded into his mind – Lu Jinnian stood all alone under the tree with his usual apathetic look. Perhaps because of the pain, the hand he had just used to hold the firework kept shivering uncontrollably.
At that thought, the corner of Xu Jiamu’s eyes started to water, and then he took the hardest drag of his cigarette.
–
Back in the bedroom, the housekeeper was consoling Han Ruchu. Qiao Anhao, who sat by her bedside, added a few words in a gentle and quiet voice, but every now and then, her mind would wander towards Lu Jinnian.
He got leukemia at three years old, and Xu Jiamu saved him… Xu Jiamu saved his life. Why would he treat the person who saved him like this? Furthermore, if he really wanted to go after the Xu family, why would he let Xu Jiamu stay in the company?
Honestly speaking, when she asked him those three questions about what happened, he very openly admitted it. It was far more hard-hitting than hearing about it from the news, as it gave her no room to think it through or respond. Now that Qiao Anhao had calmed down, and thought about what the housekeeper and Xu Jiamu had said, a slither of doubt took form within her and she felt more and more as though something wasn’t quite right.
In the afternoon, because one of the two people was someone who she grew up with, and the other was the man she was in love with for some many years, she subconsciously refused to face the scene. Because of this, her emotions were uncontrollable.
She was so emotional, she didn’t pay close attention to what she was saying. Nor did she pay attention to what he said at the time… Now that she thought about it, when she said “Xu Jiamu would never do something like that”, what did he say to her? Was he trying to explain it to her?Chapter 552: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years (23)
Paperplane Editor: DarkGemAt that thought, Qiao Anhao couldn’t help but pull her phone out. Seeing that she received no incoming calls or messages, her heart couldn’t help but grow dejected.
She really did unintentionally make a mistake, but he was so angry. She chased him all the way to the parking lot, but he wouldn’t listen to her explanation. Even until now, he hadn’t contacted her… was he still mad?
After thirteen years of being in love with him, it was so difficult to spend a Valentines day together. With one fit of anger, was tonight’s dinner plans thrown out the window?
At that though, Qiao Anhao suddenly became panic-stricken.
He may have been really angry in the afternoon, but she was the one who said the wrong thing. What if she was the first to apologize and clear the air… She would wait till dinner before she would calmly ask him why he did it. If it was really for revenge, she could try to persuade him to apologize to Xu Jiamu, then reconcile his relationship with his brother…
Otherwise, that’d really be a shame, and just like that, the dinner she had hoped for would no longer going to happen.
Qiao Anhao thought about it and instinctively turned her phone on. She found Lu Jinnian’s number and wrote a message. She firstly typed [Hey], then felt like it wasn’t sincere enough. She was afraid Lu Jinnian would ignore her message, so she deleted it. With a tilt of the head, she thought about it seriously and completely forgot about Han Ruchu beside her.
For about a good minute, Qiao Anhao collected her words together. When she lowered her head, she started to tap away at her phone. [I was too emotional this afternoon. I’m sorry, you said you’d meet up for dinner tonight. Can we talk about it then? I’m going home to wait for you…]
“Qiao Qiao.”
Before she could type “All right?”, Han Ruchu suddenly called her name.
Qiao Anhao replied absentmindedly. She tapped her phone screen twice, then came back to her senses when the housekeeper patted her on the arm. She looked over at Han Ruchu. “Aunt Xu, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. I’m just thirsty. Could you please pour me a cup of water?” Han Ruchu smiled with a warm expression on her face. “But if you’re busy, don’t worry. I’ll call Auntie Yun to get it.”
“No, I’ll get it.” Qiao Anhao hurriedly locked her phone and shoved it back into her pocket. She grabbed the glass cup and quickly walked down the stairs.
She poured a cup of warm water. On her way back up to the room, her mind wandered to the incomplete message she hadn’t sent and if there were any problems with it.
There was a turning on the stairs at the Xu family house, which was blocked by a wall. As Qiao Anhao carried the cup of water up the stairs, she didn’t hold onto the railing. At the turn around that corner, the housekeeper suddenly popped out from behind the wall with large and small bags, squarely crashing into Qiao Anhao.
It all happened very suddenly. As Qiao Anhao held onto her cup, her mind preoccupied, she didn’t notice that there was someone around the wall. The housekeeper bumped into her quite forcefully, and at an alarming speed. As her foot was ready to take a step up, the push made her miss that step. Without any warning whatsoever, she rolled down the stairs.
Qiao Anhao shrieked in fear. She heard the faint voice of housekeeper crying “Miss Qiao!”, as her head hit the floorboards. The phone in her pocket fell out and dropped by her hands.
Qiao Anhao didn’t feel the pain. Her face was stuck to the floorboards , but she just felt a little light-headed and had fresh, sticky blood oozing out
Chapter 553: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years (24)
Paperplane Editor: DarkGemQiao Anhao was still fully conscious and felt the strength in her body slowly depleting. She grew weaker and weaker, whilst panic loomed over her heart. The only thought in her mind was to send her incomplete message to Lu Jinnian.
She thought that this might be the last time she could speak to him.
Qiao Anhao tried her best to lift her hand. She wanted to grab her phone, but the moment she moved her fingers, she was struck by a bone-piercing pain which caused every part of her body to clamor. She endured the pain and used all her strength to finally reach her phone.
However, she didn’t even have the strength to lift the phone from the ground. In the end, she dragged it towards her. Just then, it lit up, yet everything before Qiao Anhao’s eyes faded to darkness and she completely lost consciousness.
After that, her phone rang with three consecutive messages – ding dong, ding dong, ding dong. The screen lit up with three messages from Lu Jinnian.
[Sorry.]
[Qiao Qiao, lets have a good talk during dinner tonight.]
[Li Jing Xuan, I’ll be waiting.]
–
There were two servants in the kitchen cooking when there was a shriek from outside. They hurriedly ran over and saw the housekeeper holding her ankle as she sat on the stairs. She gave a heart-wrenching scream, “Miss Qiao”, and they took notice of Qiao Anhao with a phone in her hand lying in a pool of blood in front of the stairs.
The white floor was covered in bright red. The entire scene looked horrific.
The two servants stood there blanked out for a good three minutes, until one of them snapped back to reality and stumbled out of the house in a hurry. They ran towards Xu Jiamu and cried hysterically, “Young master, young master! Miss Qiao fell down the stairs…”
Xu Jiamu’s fingers fiercely trembled for a moment, then he chucked his half-smoked cigarette to the ground. He rushed towards the servant who called for him. The servant stood blocking the door, so he shoved him away and found Qiao Anhao covered in red.
Xu Jiamu’s face instantly paled, and he roared like crazy at the servants who stood dumbfounded. “Ambulance! Hurry! Call an ambulance!”
Then he practically lunged himself in front of Qiao Anhao. With his trembling fingers, he lifted her up from the ground and thoughtlessly rushed out the door.
–
Han Ruchu glanced at the housekeeper, who immediately knew to raise her hand and push herself up from the ground then limp up the stairs.
Seeing the housekeeper limp up, Han Ruchu furrowed her brows. When the woman entered the bedroom, she asked, “I never told you to do it like that. You could pretend to be injured, how did you actually go and get yourself injured?”
“When I bumped into Miss Qiao, I used a little too much force and accidentally sprained my ankle.”
Han Ruchu nodded. Then, as she was about to open her mouth to speak, a knocking sound suddenly came from the door. “Madam.”
Han Ruchu sat on the bed, pretending to feel unwell and said, “Come in.”
The servant handed Han Ruchu a phone, and said in a quiet voice, “It seems like it could be Miss Qiao’s phone.”
Seeing that the phone was covered in blood, a hint of disgust crossed Han Ruchu’s brows. She pointed at the coffee table, so as to signal for the servant to place it there, then said, “Auntie Yun was in a hurry as she went down the stairs and accidentally bumped into Qiao Qiao. She also sprained her ankle, help her home to get some rest.”Chapter 554: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years (25)
Paperplane Editor: DarkGemHan Ruchu waited for the housekeeper and the servant to leave the bedroom before she stopped pretending to look exhausted. She lifted her chin and stared out the window with eyes full of ruthlessness and ridicule.
If she hadn’t seen the message on Qiao Anhao’s phone whilst she was just chatting to her, she never would have pictured that this girl and Lu Jinnian would ever really have dinner together tonight. Or that they would pretend to be husband and wife.
Tonight was Chinese Valentines day… so they were a couple?
Since Lu Jinnian retaliated so mercilessly over his child, how could she just leave it at that? How could a bastard, who was never meant to exist in this world, ever live a peaceful life?
He didn’t let her be happy, nor did he let her son be happy, so he could forget about being happy himself as well!
Didn’t he like Qiao Anhao? All right… Then let him experience how it feels to be stood up by the woman he loves on Valentines day…
At that thought, the corner of Han Ruchu’s lips curved into a chilling smile, and her eyes flickered with the intention to vent her anger. She grabbed her home phone, dialed a number, and pretended to be in a state of panic as she spoke into the phone, “Anxia? It’s me, your Aunt Xu… Qiao Qiao’s been in an accident. When she came up the stairs just now, she bumped into Auntie Yun and fell down the stairs… Jiamu already took her to the hospital… mm… I’m really worried too. It looked really bad… I’m so sorry, for an accident like that to happen here…”
–
The assistant had bought Armani’s newest suit in sky blue.
Lu Jinnian was quite pale. With his suit on, he looked tall and handsome, like a prince leaving the castle.
It was only half to six. There was still an hour before Lu Jinnian and Qiao Anhao were due to meet, but his car had already stopped at the entrance of Lijing Pavilion.
To ensure that his confession was romantic and quiet, Lu Jinnian spent a lot of money to book the top floor. When the elevator reached it, the usually bustling Lijing Pavilion was particularly quiet.
The manager escorted Lu Jinnian towards the private room he had prepared for him in advance. As he pushed open the wooden door, he walked around the room and pulled open the curtains to reveal the shimmering night view through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The weather on this year’s Chinese Valentines day was exceptionally good. The stars glistened in the skies, as the moon glowed brightly and the lights from the forbidden city burned splendidly nearby. With the swaying candle lights from the terrace, the scene all around radiated beauty. The aroma from the fresh flowers sent this morning filled the air.
The manager escorted Lu Jinnian in, then retreated. As Lu Jinnian walked up to the terrace, he obeyed common etiquette of the man being on the left and the woman on the right. He sat in the seat on the left, between the large European marble table, the delicate Chinese bellflowers, and the swaying candlelight. He stared at the empty seat in front of him, and his heart started to pound.
He raised his wrist and glanced at the time. It was already six forty three. There were forty seven minutes until Qiao Anhao was due to arrive.
Lu Jinnian shut his eyes and looked calm in his seat as he prepared his lines. He mulled over them once more, his hands intertwined in his lap. Because of the sheer force of his grip, his bulging knuckles revealed the nervousness he felt inside.
Seeing how nervous Lu Jinnian was, the assistant, who stood on the side side, wanted to help release some pressure and said, “Mr. Lu, the setting you planned is incredibly romantic.”Chapter 555: I’ve Loved You for Thirteen Years (26)
Paperplane Editor: DarkGemLu Jinnian ignored the assistant’s words.
The assistant then added, “Mr. Lu, in all the time I’ve known you, I never knew you had such a romantic side!”
Finally, Lu Jinnian lifted his head and admired the scene around him. Perhaps to relieve his nerves, he took a deep breath, and replied in a dull tone, “I’m only romantic for Qiao Qiao.”
“Mr. Lu, have you thought about what you’re going to do when Miss Qiao arrives?”
“I want to first apologize for this afternoon, then let her listen to the recording pen…” As he said that, Lu Jinnian pulled out the recording pen from his pocket and put it within reach on the table.
While going through the process, he actually became less nervous, and his tone of voice sounded a lot smoother and more composed, “After Qiao Qiao listens to the contents of the recording pen, she’ll probably be really hurt, as she probably never imagined that the elder she had respected for so many years would trat her in such a way. So I’ll comfort her for a while.
“Then, I’ll call the manager to serve the food. Qiao Qiao and I will have drinks to celebrate Valentines day…” When he said that, Lu Jinnian secretly envisioned the entire scene playing out.
Once she finished saying her wishes, the multicolored lights that he prepared all around them would light up the words he wanted to tell her.
After she read all his messages, he’ll earnestly stare into her eyes and convey how he felt about her.
If she accepted, he’d love her right. If she declined, he’d still love her right, until she was moved by his sentiment and accepted him.
At that thought, the corner of Lu Jinnian’s lips curved into a gentle smile, which made his handsome complexion grow seemingly softer.
The assistant by his side fantasized, saying, “After Miss Qiao accepts Mr. Lu’s confession, you’ll have to find a good date to propose to her. After the marriage, you could both have a beautiful baby…”
Though Lu Jinnian knew that he hadn’t even started his confession, when filled with the thought of something so far, his mind couldn’t help but imagine what was just mentioned. With just that one thought, the picture had already made him brim over with happiness.
After a long while had passed, Lu Jinnian lifted his wrist and glanced over at the time. It was already seven twenty five. He cleared his throat and said, “There’s five minutes until Qiao Qiao arrives.”
As his final syllable dropped, a hint of anticipation surfaced in his heart. Even the assistant standing on the side randomly grew anxious.
Time passed so slowly. It was just five minutes, but Lu Jinnian felt like it was as long as a century. Finally, the hand reached the half way point, but Qiao Anhao still hadn’t appeared.
It was just about the time they said they’d meet, so perhaps she was a little late. Lu Jinnian waited in his seat understandingly.
Tick tock. Tick tock. Time went by.
At seven forty, Lu Jinnian told himself, Qiao Anhao was stuck in traffic.
At seven fifty, he told himself, she was stuck in traffic.
At eight, the assistant told him that Miss Qiao was probably stuck in traffic, as it was Chinese Valentines day after all. There were a lot of people out and about.
The night view grew darker, the stars became clearer, and the lights of the forbidden city turned brighter, while the flames from the burning candles on the table danced higher.