Lu Qianqian's vision was no longer just the whimsical charity of a wealthy young lady, but a meticulously logical and systematically complete business plan.
In fact, many of the technologies and models involved were highly relevant to the industries currently being developed by Yuanlong Technologies.
"Where will the funding come from?" Lu Chenyuan asked the most critical question.
"No form of public fundraising will be accepted," Lu Qianqian replied with unwavering certainty.
This answer earned genuine approval in Lu Chenyuan's eyes.
"Public money would bring endless moral constraints and bureaucratic inefficiencies, completely shackling our ability to act," Lu Qianqian explained.
"I only need initial capital—from our own people."
"For example, the Lu family, the Mo family, or other socially responsible families in Jingzhou."
"We'll use this money to launch projects. Once they succeed, generating social impact or even commercial returns, more capital of the same caliber will naturally be drawn in. It’s a positive cycle."
She raised her head, meeting Lu Chenyuan’s gaze directly.
"Big brother, you’ve built a technological empire in the business world. I want to use your technology to construct a bridge—one that connects the corners of the world left behind."
Lu Chenyuan closed his notebook.
He stood up, walked over to Lu Qianqian, and placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Good."
"I’ll invest in this foundation."
"Yuanlong Technologies will be its first strategic partner and technical supporter. As for the initial funding, I’ll personally contribute 500 million."
Lu Qianqian’s eyes reddened again.
But this time, she didn’t cry.
She simply nodded firmly.
"Thank you, big brother."
"Have you thought of a name for the foundation?" Lu Chenyuan asked.
"I have," Lu Qianqian replied, a confident smile curling at the corners of her lips.
"It’ll be called ‘Faraway.’"
Faraway.
Countless distant places, countless people—all connected to me.
Lu Qianqian’s growth and transformation left Lu Chenyuan momentarily dazed.
Her journey had undeniably been shaped by his deliberate arrangements, but the person she had become was far beyond anything he could have planned.
She had found her battlefield and completely shed the insecurities of her past rivalry with Lu Ruoxi.
One pursued the mysteries of the universe in the halls of science.
The other mended the fractures of the human world in reality.
They had embarked on two entirely different yet equally magnificent paths.
This was infinitely better than any outcome the original storyline could have offered.
Yet, as old worries were resolved, new concerns quietly surfaced in Lu Chenyuan’s mind.
That evening, Lu Chenyuan returned to his mother’s estate.
As his car passed the side residence, he saw Lu Qianqian and Ji Wushuang sitting on stone benches in the courtyard, deep in conversation.
The night was beautiful, the stars brilliant.
Under the soft glow of the lights, the two women appeared exceptionally harmonious.
They weren’t sitting particularly close, yet they shared an unspoken bond that no outsider could intrude upon.
Ji Wushuang said something, and for once, her typically stoic expression softened with the faintest hint of a smile.
Meanwhile, Lu Qianqian tilted her head upward, gazing at the stars, her profile serene and gentle.
Just then, Lu Qianqian’s phone rang.
She answered—it was Lou Mengling calling.
From what Lu Chenyuan could overhear (his hearing was sharp), Lou Mengling seemed to be arranging a blind date for her, the son of a friend.
He noticed the slightest furrow in Lu Qianqian’s brow.
Then, she uttered words that struck him like a thunderbolt:
"Mom, don’t bother. I’m barely twenty! Besides, I don’t have time for this right now, nor any interest."
"Men will only hold me back."
With that, she politely ended the call.
Lu Chenyuan’s car came to a stop at the main residence’s entrance.
He remained seated inside, unmoving.
Those words echoed relentlessly in his mind:
"Men will only hold me back."
He thought of everything Lu Qianqian had endured.
Her biological father, Li Xiujian, was a ruthless schemer—the source of her darkest nightmares.
The man who raised her for eighteen years, Lu Mingye, was a selfish, weak-willed adulterer who betrayed the entire family.
Apart from himself and a few reliable older brothers, the two most significant "father figures" in her life had crumbled in the worst possible ways.
Could this have instilled in her a deep-seated aversion and distrust toward men—and marriage?
Then his thoughts turned to Ji Wushuang.
The strong, dependable woman who had always shielded Lu Qianqian in moments of greatest danger.
During that year when Lu Qianqian’s world had been shattered, her beliefs upended, it was Ji Wushuang who stood by her side, offering unwavering support and pure, unconditional protection.
The bond forged in life-and-death trials was something no fleeting romance could ever rival.
The nature of their relationship...
For the first time, a thought—absurd yet strangely plausible—crossed Lu Chenyuan’s mind.
Had they transcended friendship and camaraderie?
The moment this idea took root, his emotions grew complicated.
He wasn’t a conservative man.
When it came to matters of the heart, he was far more open-minded than most of his contemporaries.
His concern wasn’t about the matter itself.
It was the underlying reason.
If Qianqian had chosen a path society deemed "unconventional" because of the wounds she carried, then wasn’t he, as her elder brother, partly to blame?
He was the one who had ripped away the veil, exposing the brutal truths.
He was the one who thrust her into a world of hardship and complexity.
He had given her growth. He had given her wings.
But in doing so, might he have also caused her to close her heart to certain skies forever?
Lu Chenyuan leaned back in his seat, rubbing his temples.
For the first time, he realized that some developments were beyond even his ability to predict or control.
Perhaps he was mistaken.
But the mere possibility left him with an unshakable unease.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard of the side residence...
After hanging up, Lu Qianqian let out a long sigh.
"Another blind date?" Ji Wushuang asked coolly.
"Yeah," Lu Qianqian muttered. "Mom thinks I’m too alone, that I need someone to take care of me."
"Was what you said earlier the truth?" Ji Wushuang’s gaze fixed on her.
"Which part?"
"That men will only hold you back."
Lu Qianqian laughed.
She turned to Ji Wushuang, her bright eyes clear and untroubled, filled only with honesty and clarity.
"Of course it’s true. At least for now."
She stood up, stretching her limbs.
"Wushuang-jie, look."
She pointed at the moon in the sky.
"I used to think the moon should be the center of attention, with all the stars revolving around it—that it should be the sole protagonist of the night sky."
"Just like how I once believed all the love in the world should belong to me."
She then pointed to the faint yet determinedly glowing stars.
"But this past year, I’ve spent many nights where there was no moon, or even stars. That’s when I realized darkness is the true backdrop of this world. And all we can do is strive to become a star ourselves."
"Even if we can only illuminate a small corner, it’s still a stand against the darkness."
"Right now, I just want to be a star. Whether the moon comes looking for me, or another star wants to keep me company—that’s a matter for the future, maybe the very distant future."
"I don’t have time to think about that now."
Ji Wushuang listened quietly.
She studied the girl before her.
She remembered vividly how Lu Qianqian had looked a year ago, in that overseas camp, when she first learned the truth about her origins—like the sky had collapsed, fragile and on the verge of breaking.
Now, she could face those hardships head-on, turning them into fuel for her journey and the brightest coordinates in her sky.
"I understand," Ji Wushuang nodded.
A faint but genuine smile touched her lips.
"Then you’ll need a companion. Someone who can clear the obstacles so you can shine without worry."
She stood and extended her hand to Lu Qianqian.
"Is there still room in your 'distant horizon'?"
Lu Qianqian froze.
She stared at Ji Wushuang’s outstretched hand, at the familiar, unwavering light in her eyes.
Then she clasped it tightly.
"Yes! There’s always room!"
The two women’s hands locked together firmly.
Behind them, in the not-so-distant darkness, Lu Chenyuan’s car started soundlessly and drove away.
He hadn’t heard the latter half of their conversation.
The weight of a brother’s concern still lingered heavily in Lu Chenyuan’s heart, refusing to fade.
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
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!
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
