Transforming Lu Qianqian

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.