Xiang Wan slid her phone open and held it to her ear for him to answer.
Zhou Jinbei's voice came through.
"Young Master Lu, where are you?"
"I'm going to your studio. Your assistant said you haven't been back for two days. You're never home, and you're not working. What have you been busy with?"
Strange.
Why would Zhou Jinbei call him out of the blue?
Lu Mingzhe retorted.
"Why are you looking for me?"
"You're married now. Even if Jiao Jiao wronged you in the past, you don't have to go this far, do you?"
Xiang Wan was listening beside him. Why was she suddenly discussing Chen Jiaojiao with him on the phone?
Lu Mingzhe said irritably.
"When did it become your turn to comment on my affairs?"
"Are you calling just to lecture me? I'm sorry, but I don't think you have that right."
Zhou Jinbei: "Alright, alright, I don't have the right, I won't lecture you."
"But I want to remind you of one thing. You are married to Chen Jiaojiao, and you two are in the same boat. You rise and fall together."
"If you hide from her at such a critical moment, and something really happens, you won't look good either."
"What do you mean? How do we rise and fall together?"
"You don't know? Did Chen Jiaojiao's family have an accident and not tell you?"
Chen Jiaojiao didn't even consider him her husband, so she wouldn't report everything to him.
Lu Mingzhe didn't go home, so how would he know about the family's troubles?
"What happened?"
In fact, the moment Zhou Jinbei mentioned the accident, he had a vague idea of what was going on.
After all, back in Jincheng, he had overheard a lot while standing beside Zhan Beijue.
"A construction company under Chen Jiaojiao's father had a major accident at a construction site due to substandard product quality. Now, the person has been detained."
"The factory has been sealed, and assets frozen. It's a complete mess. Didn't Chen Jiaojiao tell you?"
Xiang Wan heard their entire conversation clearly.
Even if she were foolish, she could guess who Chen Jiaojiao was.
Hearing this, Lu Mingzhe frowned.
He smoothed his hands on his pants and took the phone.
"She didn't tell me. Is it that serious? What happened at the construction site?"
Zhou Jinbei briefly explained the situation to him.
Then he added.
Chen Jiaojiao had already returned to Jincheng to pull strings. If her father couldn't be saved, her family might collapse completely this time.
The call ended. Lu Mingzhe felt a heaviness in his heart.
Although things had been very unpleasant between him and Chen Jiaojiao recently, they had reconciled.
Let alone not divorced yet, it was true that they shared fortune and misfortune.
Even if they were divorced, as ordinary friends, he should show some concern at such a time.
Seeing his mood wasn't good, Xiang Wan was very considerate.
"Is something going on at home? Then you should go back and deal with it quickly."
Lu Mingzhe was afraid she would overthink it.
"It's nothing. It has nothing to do with me."
"How can it have nothing to do with you? She is your... No matter what, it's tough for a woman to go through such a big incident."
Lu Mingzhe felt a bit conflicted.
"What about Grandma..."
"No rush. If you want to pick her up, you can come back anytime. Besides, with so many crops at home that haven't been harvested, she can't leave with us."
The two of them returned and bid farewell to Grandma.
Seeing that Lu Mingzhe had something to attend to, Grandma quickly packed them a lot of vegetables and fruits.
"Alright, alright, you should go back quickly while it's still light. Don't rush, and be careful on the road."
Lu Mingzhe held her hand and gently instructed.
"We'll come back to pick you up in a while. Take care of yourself. Call us if anything happens, and be sure to take good care of your health."
"I know, I know. I'll take care of myself."
Grandma smiled, reassuring them.
"Wanwan isn't married yet, and she hasn't had children. I won't have any accidents. I'll be waiting for you. Go quickly."
The journey back was not as lighthearted as the journey there.
Lu Mingzhe drove with one hand, holding Xiang Wan's hand with the other. Neither of them spoke.
He quickly drove her back to her apartment complex.
Xiang Wan felt quite disappointed thinking that he wouldn't stay the night.
"So you're going to Jincheng now, right?"
"If you don't want me to go, I won't."
"No. We've already wronged them enough like this, we can't go too far. You should go."
"Okay. Be good at home. I'll be back."
It felt like a parting for life, and suddenly she was very reluctant to let him go.
Xiang Wan went to hug him.
"Go slowly, don't rush. It's easy to have accidents when driving at night. You can't have an accident."
"I know. Don't worry, I'll be careful."
They parted reluctantly. Lu Mingzhe, driving her car, set off for Jincheng again.
On the way, he called Chen Jiaojiao.
Chen Jiaojiao answered quickly, sounding dejected.
"I've heard about everything. I'm on my way to Jincheng now. How are things on your end?"
She hadn't expected that Lu Mingzhe would still care about her at such a critical moment.
It was already dark, and he was still rushing to Jincheng.
Moreover, his father's social status was so sensitive. At a time like this...
True love is seen in adversity.
"I've found a lawyer and some people, but it's not very effective. The impact of this matter in Jincheng is very bad."
"And my father has made many enemies over the years. Many people are waiting to see him make a fool of himself, and no one will help."
"Don't worry. things can't be resolved in a few words. Rushing is useless. Wait until I get there, and we'll make a plan."
"Okay. Drive carefully."
After the call, the stepmother, with tears streaming down her face and trembling eyelashes, leaned towards Chen Jiaojiao.
"Little Lu is coming, isn't he? I told you, at such a critical moment, how could their family sit idly by?"
"Fortunately, you, Jiaojiao, married into a good family. Our whole family is relying on you now."
"I've just gotten pregnant, and with so much mess at home, if your father gets into trouble, how will we live..."
Chen Jiaojiao found her words irritating and glanced at her sideways.
"You only know how to cry and regret now. When my father acted without considering the consequences, why didn't you try to stop him?"
"..."
"I'm only doing my best, and I can't guarantee that I can save him. Moreover, Lu's father's position is sensitive, and we can't force them to take action."
"Everyone has their own stance. When Lu Mingzhe arrives, you are not allowed to talk nonsense in front of him."
"I understand, I understand. But I don't need to say it. I believe Little Lu will definitely help. You two just got married, and he likes you so much..."
Chen Jiaojiao sneered inwardly.
At your age, how can you live so naively?
At ten o'clock at night, Lu Mingzhe arrived.
Chen Jiaojiao met him, and together with her stepmother, they sat in the living room talking.
"According to the current situation, the lawyer said that all companies might be sealed, assets confiscated, and sentences of three to five years..."
"The only way is to find a certain leader in the Municipal Construction Bureau to suppress this matter and give us an opportunity for renovation and compensation."
"My father has dealt with him a lot over the years. But I haven't been able to reach him since the day before yesterday."
"At such a critical moment, people are trying to avoid it. How could they help?"