"How can she compare to you? She doesn't stand a chance at all. She's just cute, but you—you're not only cute, you're also my love."
Only then did Luo Yao retract her icy demeanor.
"President Luo, Lu Youqi has personally driven to the estate to invite you to the Lu Family residence. Will you see him?"
Lin Ran and Luo Yao exchanged glances, both wearing expressions that said, "Just as expected."
"Ah Ran, it seems he’s truly desperate."
Last time, Luo Yao had made it clear that if he wanted a meeting, he’d have to come in person. Later, Chen Buhui arrived, and today, Wang Xiaolin showed up.
Finally, though belatedly, Lu Youqi made his appearance.
"Then let’s go meet the so-called 'first family of Shanghai.'"
"Fine. Tell him to wait in the villa’s living room."
By the time they returned to the villa, Lu Youqi had already been waiting for quite some time.
He was chatting idly with Chen Qingtian.
"Qingtian is a rising star in the entertainment industry, her acting skills are nothing short of mesmerizing—even an old man like me gets lost in admiration."
Chen Qingtian rolled her eyes. She had no interest in entertaining this old man’s small talk.
The moment Lu Youqi walked in and saw her playing games on the sofa, he had started rambling incessantly.
"My acting is as laughable as a pig’s, yet you call it mesmerizing? Patriarch Lu, you really are something—a true master of verbal flattery, you sly old fox."
Chen Qingtian didn’t even glance up from her gaming device as she replied.
Lu Youqi maintained a refined smile, but his irritation was simmering beneath the surface.
Chen Qingtian was just a junior from the Chen Family. Sure, the Chen Family had political influence, but the Lu Family wasn’t to be trifled with either.
Why was everyone connected to Lin Ran so blunt? None of them knew how to respect their elders.
Even if Chen Qingtian’s grandfather, Chen Xiao, were here, he wouldn’t dare speak to him like this.
"Qingtian is quite spirited. I like that. I won’t hold it against you—"
Finally, Chen Qingtian set down her device, took a deep breath, and prepared to unleash her verbal barrage.
"Who said you could ‘not hold it against me’? Go ahead, hold it against me! I’d love to know what exactly you plan to hold against me. That you disturbed my gaming? Or that you tried to butter me up? ‘Qingtian this, Qingtian that’—since when are we so close?"
"If you want to flatter someone, go find my sister-in-law. Don’t waste your efforts on the wrong person. I don’t have any money to tip you."
Lu Youqi’s smile stiffened, his anger teetering on the edge of eruption.
Why were young people nowadays so disrespectful and reckless?
He was eighty years old—old enough to be her grandfather—yet she dared speak to him with such insolence?
Just as Lu Youqi was about to teach Chen Qingtian a lesson, Lin Ran’s voice cut in.
"Patriarch Lu, I’d advise you to talk less with my cousin. Her tongue is even sharper than mine."
Lin Ran and Luo Yao walked into the villa just in time to witness the exchange between Lu Youqi and Chen Qingtian.
"Haha, President Luo, Young Master Lin! This old man came unannounced—please forgive the intrusion."
"If you knew it was an intrusion, why come at all?" Luo Yao’s voice was frosty.
Lu Youqi choked back his frustration. These youngsters had no sense of respect, and their words cut deep.
"President Luo, you misunderstand. After all, we are business partners. Today, I’ve prepared a grand banquet at the Lu Family residence, and I sincerely hope you’ll honor us with your presence."
Luo Yao and Lin Ran exchanged another glance before Lin Ran spoke.
"You invite us… and we’re just supposed to go? What about our dignity?"
Lu Youqi smiled confidently. "Young Master Lin, President Luo, I’ve prepared a generous gift for you at the Lu Family residence—one that will surely satisfy you. And my unfilial son is waiting there to offer you both a sincere apology."
Lu Youqi had always assumed his relationship with Luo Yao was purely competitive, with only minor clashes during their last two encounters.
Besides, at the Li Family banquet, Luo Yao had been the one to strike first.
Even after learning his granddaughter Lu Xiangting had her tongue cut out, he hadn’t made a fuss.
If anything, Luo Yao should owe him a favor for that.
So why was he here? Two reasons: First, he was afraid and wanted to end the feud.
Second, his youngest granddaughter, Lu Xiangshi—an avid shipper of Lin Ran and Luo Yao—had analyzed Luo Yao’s hostility and personality for him.
Only then did Lu Youqi realize: Luo Yao was a full-blown yandere.
Lu Xiangshi, well-versed in fandom culture, had explained the concept in detail.
After understanding, Lu Youqi was stunned—he’d truly lived long enough to see everything.
No wonder Luo Yao had reacted so violently to Lu Xiangting’s provocations. It all boiled down to Lu Xiangting saying the wrong things.
Thus, Lu Youqi immediately ordered Lu Lutong to prepare at the Lu Family residence while he personally came to invite Luo Yao—both to apologize and negotiate a truce.
"An apology?"
"Indeed. I’ve instructed my worthless son to await your arrival so he can offer his sincerest regrets."
Originally, Lu Youqi had considered dragging his son over by force, but he worried about gossip if outsiders saw. So, he decided to host the apology at the Lu Family residence.
More importantly, it was the only way to get Luo Yao to come.
Once, he had looked down on her. Now, he wouldn’t dare.
Luo Yao saw right through his little scheme. She turned to Lin Ran.
"Ah Ran, do you want to go?"
Lin Ran smirked. "Last time, your two grandsons offended me too."
Lu Youqi didn’t hesitate. "Lu Lutong, Lu Xiangdai, Lu Xiangji, Lu Xiangting—even Lu Ludu—are all there. Once you arrive, handle them as you see fit. I won’t utter a single word of protest."
Lu Ludu hadn’t provoked Luo Yao during this trip to Shanghai, but he had in the past.
Though Luo Yao had already broken his bones as punishment back then, Lu Youqi had no qualms about sacrificing him again to appease her.
After all, Lu Ludu was the family’s designated scapegoat. Might as well make himself useful before taking the fall.
"Really? We can do whatever we want?"
Lu Youqi nodded solemnly. "Even if you cut out all their tongues, I won’t say ‘no.’ I, Lu Youqi, swear on this. If I break my word, may my entire family die horribly."
Huh?
Lin Ran thought, "Isn’t that my line?"
Suddenly, Lin Ran was intrigued. But he still deferred to Luo Yao, who responded with her usual domineering flair.
"Since Patriarch Lu has extended such a sincere invitation, I’ll grant you this face. Let’s see what kind of scheme the Lu Family is brewing."
Lu Youqi’s eye twitched, but he swallowed his anger and kept his composure.
Chen Qingtian suddenly raised her hand. "Me! Me! Take me with you! I want to see the Lu Family residence too. May I, Patriarch Lu?"
Lu Youqi, ever the diplomat, acted as if their earlier clash never happened.
"Of course. You’re Young Master Lin’s cousin—you’re more than welcome to join."
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
