A week passed in the blink of an eye.
On Saturday morning, Lu Qingxu was called back home by his father.
Lu's father was usually very busy with work, and even on weekends, he had various private meetings and social events, rarely paying attention to his two sons.
He never proactively called them to communicate. For him to call so early in the morning, could it be that he knew about his elder brother's situation?
Once Lu Mingzhe's matters were brought up, he would inevitably be lectured. Lu Qingxu braced himself and went home.
To his surprise, Lu Mingzhe wasn't there.
His mother and father, dressed in loungewear and wearing glasses, were sitting on the sofa reading newspapers.
After sitting down and exchanging a few pleasantries, his father asked him how his work was going lately and if he had encountered any trouble.
Lu Qingxu was completely bewildered.
"No, it's the same as before. It's been so many years, everything has been running smoothly. Dad, why the sudden interest?"
Lu's mother chimed in.
"Your dad and the others are about to have a change of leadership. It's a sensitive period. Your brother's work is fine; he wouldn't give anyone leverage. But you're different."
"Your dad called you back to give you some advice: no matter what industry you're in, you must abide by the law."
"He and your grandfather worked hard their whole lives. Even if you and your brother don't want to follow in their footsteps, you can't disgrace him."
"Moreover, even though you two didn't enter this path, you've benefited a lot because of your father's position. For that reason alone, you both must protect him well."
Lu Qingxu couldn't deny this.
Although his father's position wasn't particularly high, he was still well-known in Nancheng.
As his second son, how could he not have benefited?
"Dad, don't worry, I understand and won't mess around. Besides, Zhan Bei Jue won't allow me to mess around either."
Lu's father nodded. "It's good that you know what you're doing."
"You're both grown up, and I don't want to waste words. Where's your brother?"
"He's been busy lately and hasn't had time to chat properly with you two. Why didn't you call him today?"
It seemed his mother hadn't told him about Lu Mingzhe's situation. Lu Qingxu naturally didn't dare to speak carelessly and glanced at his mother.
"He's probably at work. I thought Mom had called him."
Perhaps due to the upcoming leadership change or the numerous land disputes between companies, his father looked very tired lately, his age showing.
His mother looked at him with concern and lied.
"Mingzhe has plans for the weekend. I thought it wasn't a big deal, so a few words on the phone would suffice, and I didn't call him back."
"In a couple of days, when you're free again and he's also free, we'll have a proper family gathering."
His father nodded while looking at the newspaper.
"And there's Jiaojiao. This girl isn't old, but she's quite ambitious. When you have free time, interact with her more and take the initiative to care about her."
"Don't rush her about having children. After all, she's still young, and her father just passed away."
Lu's mother's expression changed slightly, and she sighed silently.
"I understand. Hurry up and drink your tea; it's getting cold."
Lu Qingxu had lunch at home. He had plans in the afternoon and had to leave. His mother saw him to the door and complained with resentment.
"You don't remind your brother, are you also confused?"
"Your dad is overwhelmed with work lately, and I don't dare tell him about the family's issues."
"If he finds out your brother divorced after only being married for one or two months, and is now impregnating a popular influencer, he'll be so angry he'll end up in the hospital!"
Lu Qingxu found her words jarring.
"Mom, don't keep calling her an influencer, an influencer."
"The short video industry is developing rapidly now. It's a legitimate profession, and their income isn't lower than ours. Don't always look at them with prejudice."
"Am I looking at her with prejudice? That industry is inherently chaotic."
"According to you, every industry has its chaos. Our industry is also chaotic."
Lu's mother was being hypocritical.
"Yours is different. Besides, you're a man..."
Lu Qingxu tried to defend Xiang Wan.
"What's wrong with being a man? Does it mean a man can mess around with anyone outside? Your thinking..."
"Forget it, I won't say more to you. Anyway, I think Xiang Wan is very good. The key is that my brother likes her and is willing to be completely devoted to her."
"Look at my brother, after all these years, whose words has he ever listened to? You have a strong temper, right? Does he listen to you?"
"Xiang Wan doesn't argue with him, doesn't make a fuss, and easily has him under her control. And now she's carrying our family's child. It's a good thing, so why do you have to..."
His mother realized that every word he said was defending her, and her younger son had also been won over by that woman.
"You know that woman too? Do you interact with her privately? You know her so well, you're quite something, Lu Qingxu!"
Lu Qingxu, fearing that the conflict would spill over to him, quickly said.
"I don't know her well; I just heard it from my brother."
Lu's mother said indignantly.
"Do you know the Qin family in Shangcheng? Their young master got involved with an influencer, had a child with that woman, and extorted tens of millions..."
"Alright, alright, don't use such examples. There are exceptions to everything."
Lu Qingxu interrupted her, full of righteousness.
"It's his own fault. If that Qin fellow didn't intend to be with her, why did he sleep with her and let her get pregnant?"
"If he had married her after she got pregnant and openly had the child, wouldn't she not have had to extort tens of millions from him?"
Lu's mother: "You child, how can I talk to you!"
"People like them, from that kind of background, with those messy social connections, those poor relatives they can't shake off, can they be brought into a family like ours?"
"We are not born aristocrats; we have achieved what we have today through hard work. Once you get involved with such people, not only this generation but also the children of the next generation will be dragged down."
"I'm considering your brother's long-term interests, do you understand?"
Their values were incompatible, making communication impossible.
Lu Qingxu said, "I don't understand the thoughts of your generation. I really don't understand about family background or bloodline..."
"Forget it, you should save these words for your brother. I have to go, Mom, goodbye!"
After saying that, Lu Qingxu ran off.
Lu's mother stood at the door and sighed, "Stubborn kids, not one of them is worry-free."
Zhan Bei Jue had numerous projects in hand, each requiring startup capital, and the company's cash flow was limited.
Therefore, if he were to help Lu Mingzhe financially, he would have to dip into his own pocket.
Lu Mingzhe was too embarrassed to ask him for money, so living in an apartment provided by him was enough.
After staying at Lu Qingxu's place for a night, the next day, the three of them moved into a newly developed, well-decorated apartment by the Zhan Corporation.
After several days of being busy, Xiang Wan needed a prenatal check-up on the weekend. Lu Mingzhe asked Xiang Yang to accompany them to the hospital.
To personally see the baby and experience the joy of being an uncle in advance.