Home and Mother

"Lin Yuan." Lu Chenyuan suddenly spoke.

"President Lu." Lin Yuan stood respectfully behind him.

"Use the Lu Family Charity Foundation to investigate a place called 'Anhe County.'"

Lu Chenyuan's gaze was as deep as the ocean. "I need a detailed list of all impoverished high school students there—especially a girl named 'Ye Ruoxi.'"

Though Lin Yuan was puzzled as to why the president would suddenly take an interest in a poverty alleviation project in a remote town, he didn't hesitate.

"Understood. I'll handle it immediately. The list will be on your desk within two days at the latest."

"Good." Lu Chenyuan nodded, then added,

"Frame it as financial aid for outstanding students in need. Don’t alert anyone, especially local officials. I want the most accurate information."

He had to reach Lu Ruoxi before anyone else caught on.

But he couldn’t approach her as the heir of a wealthy family—that would only make her wary and uneasy.

His experience as a poverty alleviation official in his past life told him that for a proud, high-achieving student, an "investment" based on equality and respect would be far more acceptable than condescending "charity."

In the original storyline, to highlight Lu Ruoxi's brilliance, she was portrayed as a genius with extraordinary mathematical talent.

Yet, after meeting the male lead, she never became a renowned scientist. Instead, she was trapped in the quagmire of family feuds, reduced to a tool for revenge.

Late at night, when Lu Chenyuan returned to the Lu family estate, the lights in the living room were still on.

Lou Mengling, dressed in a soft lilac qipao, sat on the sofa, her expression filled with worry.

Seeing Lu Chenyuan enter, she immediately stood and hurried over.

"A-Yuan, why are you back so late? Your phone was unreachable." Her tone carried a trace of concealed concern, but mostly warmth.

She reached up to straighten his slightly disheveled collar, then noticed the exhaustion in his bloodshot eyes.

Her heart ached. "Child, why do you push yourself so hard?"

"It's nothing, Mom."

Lu Chenyuan looked at the gentle woman before him, an unfamiliar warmth rising in his chest.

There was the inexplicable bond of blood, but also the lingering emotions of the original host toward his family.

In the original host’s memories, Lou Mengling, estranged from her husband, had poured nearly all her maternal love into Lu Qianqian. Though she cared for her sons, there was always a distance.

Yet now, Lu Chenyuan felt nothing but pure, unconditional maternal love.

It was a warmth he, once an orphan, had never known.

In his past life, Lu Chenyuan had grown up relying on the kindness of neighbors—a meal from one household, a bowl of soup from another.

He had called countless women "auntie" or "grandma," but never once had he called anyone "Mom."

"Mom."

The word came out hoarse, but the bond of blood and the remnants of the original host’s emotions made it heartfelt.

Then, his nose stung, and his eyes grew inexplicably warm.

Lou Mengling paused, sensing something different about her son tonight, though she couldn’t pinpoint what.

Assuming it was exhaustion, she tenderly guided him to the sofa.

"You must not have eaten properly. I had the kitchen prepare soup for you. Drink it while it’s hot."

Soon, a servant brought over a steaming bowl of cordyceps and fish maw soup.

Lou Mengling ladled a portion into a delicate bone china bowl and handed it to him, her voice soft.

"No matter how busy work gets, you must take care of yourself. Look at you—you’ve lost weight."

Lu Chenyuan accepted the warm bowl, the rising steam blurring his vision.

He lowered his head and drank in silence.

The soup was rich, its warmth spreading from his stomach to his limbs, dispelling the last shadows of the original host’s lingering gloom.

He recalled the novel’s ending—his mother, shattered by his father’s scandals, had died in a car crash while driving back to her family.

No.

He would never let that happen.

He would protect this woman who had given him his first taste of a mother’s love.

"Mom, in a few days, let’s visit Grandfather’s house."

Lu Chenyuan set down the bowl and spoke softly.

Lou Mengling was surprised. "What brought this on?"

"I miss Grandfather."

He offered an excuse, though his gaze remained steady. "And… I want to spend time with you."

His first step was to help his mother rediscover herself—to show her that her worth was never tied to that scoundrel Lu Mingye.

Her family, the Lou clan, would be her strongest support.

Seeing the sincerity in her son’s calm expression, Lou Mengling felt a deep comfort and nodded with a smile. "Alright, whatever you say."

Just then, light footsteps echoed from upstairs.

"Big Brother, you’re back!"

A girl in a pink lace nightgown fluttered down the stairs like a butterfly and nestled close to Lu Chenyuan.

It was the fake heiress, Lu Qianqian.

In the original host’s memories, every glimpse of that delicate, charming face would make his heart race, forcing him to mask his feelings with even greater restraint.

But now, Lu Chenyuan’s heart remained utterly still.

He could clearly distinguish the unnatural infatuation left behind by the original host—then brush it away like dust, purging it completely from his soul.

He looked at Lu Qianqian with calm, brotherly affection, nothing more.

"Yes, I’m back. It’s late—you should rest."

Lu Qianqian seemed taken aback by his indifference. Pouting, she wheedled,

"Big Brother, next week is my birthday. You promised me that limited-edition sports car—"

"The car is already ordered."

Lu Chenyuan cut her off, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"But as a daughter of the Lu family, your birthday gift shouldn’t just be a car."

"Starting next week, you’ll join a 'Young Leaders Independence Program.' Lin Yuan will arrange community service and charity work for you. Seeing the world beyond these walls will be good for your growth."

What he sought to sever wasn’t just the original host’s twisted obsession with Lu Qianqian, but also the spoiled, selfish nature the family’s indulgence had cultivated in her.

A true noblewoman shouldn’t waste her days on petty rivalries.

Lu Qianqian’s smile froze.

Lou Mengling, too, seemed puzzled, but seeing Lu Chenyuan’s resolve, she held her tongue.

Lu Chenyuan stood and ruffled Lu Qianqian’s hair—a casual gesture, yet one that carried an unmistakable distance.

"Goodnight."

With that, he headed upstairs, leaving the two women in the living room bewildered.

Back in his room, Lu Chenyuan stood by the window, gazing at the estate under the night sky.

He knew that from this moment on, everything would change.

He was no longer the poverty-alleviation official who had devoted his life to public service, nor was he the doomed CEO controlled by the novel’s plot.

He was Lu Chenyuan—a player who now held the script.

This time, he would protect everyone he cared about, dragging every lurking monster out of the shadows and settling the score once and for all.

And it all began in a place called Anhe County, with a girl named Lu Ruoxi.