The reason Lu Chenyuan dared to investigate his own father was because he knew very well that the true backbone of this family had never been his father, but rather the seemingly reclusive old master Lu Chengsi, who resided far away in the ancestral home.
And Lu Chenyuan himself was the heir personally chosen by Lu Chengsi.
As long as his actions ultimately served to protect the fundamental interests of the Lu family, even such "unfilial" behavior would only be tacitly permitted by the old master once he found out.
His goal was not to expose, but to control.
To grasp every weakness that could be exploited, and then, at the most opportune moment, dismantle these ticking time bombs in the safest way possible.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye amid his busy schedule.
Under Lou Mengling's mix of coaxing and coercion, Lu Qianqian was finally sent off in tears by the chauffeur to the Spring Breeze Community Canteen, embarking on her first-ever "labor reform" experience.
Meanwhile, Lu Chenjin seemed like a completely different person—rising before dawn every day for physical training and burying himself in the automotive engineering and aerodynamics materials Lu Chenyuan had prepared for him in the afternoons, displaying astonishing focus and learning ability.
On the evening of the third day, Lin Yuan knocked on the door of Lu Chenyuan's office and gently placed an encrypted USB drive on the desk.
"President Lu, the information you requested."
Lu Chenyuan nodded and gestured for him to sit.
Inserting the USB into his computer, he entered a long, complex password, and a meticulously organized financial analysis report appeared on the screen.
The report was extensive, detailing Lu Mingye's miscellaneous expenditures over the past eighteen years—investments, collections, social engagements—most of which aligned with his status as one of the powerful figures of a wealthy family.
Lu Chenyuan's eyes skimmed quickly through the report before landing directly on the final page: "Summary of Abnormal Fund Movements."
A line in bold black font instantly seized his attention.
"...A personal account under the name 'Liu Mei' has been discovered, receiving monthly transfers from an offshore account linked to Mr. Lu Mingye on the 15th of every month for the past eighteen years. The amount started at 50,000 yuan per month and gradually increased to the current 200,000 yuan per month, accumulating a staggering total of over 34 million yuan. These transfers have never been interrupted and follow an extremely regular pattern."
Liu Mei.
At the sight of this name, Lu Chenyuan's pupils constricted sharply.
It was her.
In the original storyline, she was the woman his father kept outside the family—the one who bore him an illegitimate child.
His fingers paused briefly over the mouse before he spoke in a low voice to Lin Yuan,
"I need everything about this Liu Mei—her background, education, social connections, past residences... anything and everything you can find. Now."
"It's already prepared." Lin Yuan, as if anticipating the request, retrieved a manila envelope from his briefcase and handed it over.
Lu Chenyuan took the envelope but didn't open it immediately. Instead, he studied Lin Yuan and asked, "Aren't you curious why I'm looking into this?"
Lin Yuan adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and replied calmly, "My job is to solve the problems you present, not to question them."
A faint smile of approval crossed Lu Chenyuan's face—this was exactly why he trusted Lin Yuan so deeply.
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed Lin Yuan.
Once the office door closed softly behind him, Lu Chenyuan was left alone.
Taking a deep breath, he unsealed the envelope and pulled out the documents inside.
Liu Mei's profile was thorough.
The woman in the photograph was nearing forty but had aged gracefully, exuding a charm that was both alluring and demure—the kind that easily stirred a man's protective instincts.
Her background was unremarkable: raised in an orphanage, graduated from vocational school, and worked as a clerk in several companies.
Until... Lu Chenyuan's gaze froze on one particular line.
"March 1998 – January 1999: Employed at Jingzhou First People's Hospital as an administrative clerk in the records department."
1998.
Jingzhou First People's Hospital.
These two details struck his memory like lightning, instantly illuminating a dark corner of his mind.
He remembered clearly—the original story mentioned that Lu Ruoxi and Lu Qianqian were born in the autumn of 1998 at Jingzhou First People's Hospital!
A woman who had been lurking around Lu Mingye for over a decade just happened to be working at the very hospital where the switched daughters were born.
This was no coincidence.
A horrifying suspicion took root in his mind.
The original story only mentioned the switched identities of the two girls but never explored who was behind it or how it was done.
Everyone assumed it was an accident—a tragic twist of fate.
But now, it was clear this was no accident. It was a meticulously calculated scheme!
And Liu Mei was the key player in this conspiracy.
His grip on the documents tightened, his knuckles whitening from the force.
Could Liu Mei be connected to the Li Family?
The possibility sent a bone-chilling dread creeping up Lu Chenyuan's spine.
He had always believed his greatest enemies were the inertia of fate, the eventual corruption of Lu Ruoxi, and the ruthless Li Jinchuan.
Now, it seemed his list of adversaries needed revising.
...
Meanwhile, in an exclusive, members-only private club in Jingzhou.
The tearoom was veiled in the delicate fragrance of tea leaves.
Liu Mei sat poised before the tea set, gracefully brewing a premium Da Hong Pao.
She poured the first infusion over the clay tea pet before offering the second brew respectfully to the man across from her.
"Sir, your tea." Her voice was soft, yet laced with an almost imperceptible tension.
The man seated opposite her appeared to be in his early fifties, with refined features and frameless glasses that lent him the air of a university professor.
He accepted the cup but did not drink, merely inhaling its aroma before remarking mildly, "Your mind is unsettled. The tea's essence is lost."
Liu Mei stiffened almost imperceptibly before forcing a bitter smile. "Forgive my clumsiness. Perhaps I've grown too accustomed to peace—my nerves aren't what they used to be."
"Oh?" The man's lips curled in amusement. "So, you're afraid now?"
"I..." She lowered her lashes, masking the turmoil in her eyes. "I merely thought... perhaps there's no need to—"
"No need?" He cut her off, his smile intact but his gaze turning glacial.
"Liu Mei, have you forgotten your place? The vow you once made to me?"
Her face drained of color, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"I... haven't forgotten..."
"Good." His voice was steel. "Then rid yourself of these pointless thoughts. The grand performance has only just begun."
Rising, he stepped beside her and patted her quivering shoulder, his tone shifting back to that counterfeit gentleness.
"Don't fear. Everything is proceeding as planned."
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
