Qiao An'an quickly disappeared from the social circles.
No one knew where she went, nor whether she was alive or dead. The last time she appeared in public was when media exposed footage of her being beaten by the fiancée of Third Master Qi.
Qiao An'an's reputation was utterly ruined.
Who would dare hire such a disgraced celebrity, accused of being a mistress?
Later, it was rumored that she had moved to live-streaming platforms, but most viewers just cursed at her, and no one bought anything from her. After a few unsuccessful streams, she went quiet again.
After that, there was no more news of her.
When Su He was chatting with Jiang Xiaoxiao about gossip, Jiang Xiaoxiao bluntly stated that karma was a fitting retribution; she had finally gotten what she deserved.
"She harmed you so badly, she deserves this fate!"
"I heard some netizens saw her in Jiang City, working as a foot masseuse at a bathhouse!"
Hearing these rumors, Su He clicked her tongue.
Would someone as arrogant as Qiao An'an do such work?
"Don't disbelieve it! I'm telling you, when a person can't make ends meet, they have to find a way to survive. Her relatives were like vampires, draining her dry. She had no work experience and no real skills, so what company would hire her?"
"Companies these days don't keep idlers!"
Su He smiled and shook her head, completely forgetting about the woman.
Later, when Su He gave birth to her second child, she heard that Qiao An'an had died quietly in a hotel. After her death, no one even came to collect her body. It was also rumored that she died miserably, emaciated to the bone.
Of course, this was all in the future, and not to be discussed for now.
*
Solving the problem of Qiao An'an, the main culprit, did not appease Lu Yanbei. After all, Qiao An'an alone was not capable of carrying out such a high-difficulty kidnapping.
The mastermind behind it was even more detestable.
Although Qiao An'an didn't confess anything, it was definitely related to Qi Zhao. The driver who was apprehended was from Nancheng. With all the clues connecting, Lu Yanbei's suspicions finally landed on Qi Zhao.
Whether it was his personal act or the Qi family's instruction remained to be seen.
"Many people from the Qi family have come to B City, wanting to pay their respects," Cheng Jue reported to his boss during a break.
Lu Yanbei did not even look up. "No time."
"Then I'll just tell them that?" Cheng Jue asked tentatively.
"Just tell them that." Lu Yanbei hadn't gone to settle scores with them, and now they were coming to him.
"Alright, Mr. Lu." Cheng Jue felt reassured by his instructions.
Lu Yanbei was usually busy with work, with numerous projects to follow up on, leaving him no time to deal with those people. The Qi family, unable to get a meeting with Lu Yanbei, was as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
The calm before the storm was the most torturous. If Lu Yanbei had proposed conditions, it would have been easier to negotiate, but his consistent avoidance made them uneasy.
"If Lu Yanbei won't budge, why not try another approach? I heard he has a half-brother, and they have a good relationship. Why not start with this person?"
"Lu Jingyang? He's not of Lu family blood, so would asking him for leniency be useful?"
"Don't forget, Mrs. Lu was his ex-wife. They might still be in contact privately! If Mrs. Lu is willing to forgive, Lu Yanbei will have no reason to cause us trouble!"
"Wouldn't it be more convenient to approach Mrs. Lu directly?"
When Lu Yanbei's path proved unworkable, they shifted their focus to other members of the Lu family.
"Mrs. Lu rarely appears in public, so how easy is it to meet her? As for Lu Jingyang, he's rumored to frequent entertainment venues; if we're lucky, we might run into him!"
After discussing, they turned their attention to Lu Jingyang.
Lu Jingyang, who was at a bar, suddenly sneezed.
"Young Master Lu, are you alright?" the bartender asked with concern.
Although Lu Jingyang found it strange, he waved his hand. "It's nothing, you go ahead and do your work."
This bar was opened with Lu Yanbei's funding, and he occasionally brought friends here to hang out. After breaking up with Song Yan, Lu Jingyang had treated this place as his home, living a life of drunken debauchery.
After two months, he had finally sobered up and began to pull himself together, fulfilling his duties as the boss.
"Young Master Lu, a guest from room 202 upstairs is looking for you," the bartender said loudly into his ear upon returning with drinks.
Lu Jingyang, who was wiping a glass, paused slightly. "A guest from 202? Do you know who they are?"
"Judging by their accent, they seem to be from Nancheng," the bartender replied, cupping his hand to his mouth and raising his voice.
Nancheng?
Lu Jingyang hesitated for a moment, but his curiosity eventually got the better of him, and he went upstairs.
In private room 202, the third young master of the Qi family was drinking with a young woman. When the door opened, he was practically clinging to the woman, his posture suggestive.
Lu Jingyang, clearly accustomed to such scenes, showed no surprise. "I am the owner of this bar. Which guest was looking for me?"
"Boss Lu is here, please sit." Qi Zhao appraised Lu Jingyang and forced a smile.
Lu Jingyang looked at the table full of drinks and thought to himself that this was a big spender. Such clients should not be offended if possible. With this mindset, he smoothly sat down on the sofa beside them. "May I ask who you are?"
"My surname is Qi, third in my family," Qi Zhao said, taking a sip of his wine. "I didn't expect Boss Lu to be so young; truly a promising talent!"
Qi Zhao was in his early forties, considerably older than Lu Jingyang.
Upon hearing the surname Qi, Lu Jingyang immediately understood. "So, it's Third Master Qi. I've heard of you!"
"Boss Lu is quite the flatterer!" Qi Zhao couldn't help but laugh heartily.
"Not at all, I'm just stating the facts," Lu Jingyang replied with a smile. He knew exactly what to say in such situations. As for sincerity, that was another matter.
After Qi Zhao introduced himself, Lu Jingyang had a rough idea of the man's intentions.
He had already been suspicious when Lu Yanbei and Su He didn't show up at the wedding. However, Lu Yanbei's subordinates were tight-lipped and refused to divulge any information, which only made him feel that something was amiss.
On one occasion, he overheard Lu Yanbei talking to Cheng Jue and learned what had happened on the wedding day. Their conversation vaguely mentioned a few people, one of whom was this Third Master Qi.
Could Su He's near-fatal encounter be related to him?
Lu Jingyang was no longer a greenhorn; he understood the situation clearly, but he showed no outward signs of it.
"Boss Lu is a straightforward person, so I won't beat around the bush." After the initial pleasantries, Qi Zhao broke the silence and got straight to the point. "I'd like to ask Boss Lu for a favor: to arrange a dinner meeting with your brother. Would that be convenient?"
Lu Jingyang lowered his gaze and said nonchalantly, "That's hard to say! My brother is usually busy with work; I haven't seen him in a long time!"
"That's fine. As long as Boss Lu is willing to help, any time will do." Qi Zhao was truly desperate, otherwise, he wouldn't have humbled himself to negotiate with Lu Jingyang.