Chapter 5: Appeasement

Five seconds after sending those three words, Lu Qingzhuo hurriedly long-pressed to retract the message, hoping Fu Yumian hadn't seen it.

Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she had withdrawn it in time, a question mark popped up from Fu Yumian.

"..."

She saw it?

She saw the ambiguous message she had just sent?

She also saw her panicked, when she retract the message?

Lu Qingzhuo instinctively bit her lower lip, unable to bring herself to check her phone. Instead, she flipped face-down on the bed and anxiously tapped the back cover with her fingertips.

Fu Yumian: [Do you need something?]

Hearing the notification sound, Lu Qingzhuo cracked open one eye and opened WeChat. She had no idea what kind of expression Fu Yumian was wearing on the other side of the screen, but since she had replied so quickly, her mood probably wasn’t too bad.

Lu Qingzhuo: [Yes, I do.]

Silence fell again. Lu Qingzhuo hovered over the keyboard, unsure how to phrase her request.

Although Fu Yumian was technically her spouse, their agreement clearly stated that they wouldn’t interfere in each other’s lives. Reaching out to her like this felt a little like breaking the unspoken rules.

Lu Qingzhuo wasn’t sure what kind of first impression Fu Yumian had of her—probably not a great one. Who knew, Han Tian might have even shown Fu Yumian their past conversations and chat history.

Lu Qingzhuo: [President Fu, I need your help with something.]

The moment she sent it, she realized how wordy it sounded. Fu Yumian was a busy woman—she probably didn’t have the patience for roundabout messages.

Just as she was about to type out a longer explanation, Fu Yumian responded:

[A movie?]

!!!

At that moment, Lu Qingzhuo felt as though Fu Yumian could read her mind, predicting her thoughts with pinpoint accuracy.

Lu Qingzhuo: [Nods. Nods.]

She was thrilled beyond words when she sent that message.

Fu Yumian: [Mm.]

Mm… she actually responded with "Mm"!

That meant her dream of making a movie was about to come true!

Lu Qingzhuo almost flipped out of bed in excitement, hugging her phone as she nearly burst into tears. She quickly opened WeChat’s sticker collection, deleted half of the sarcastic reaction images she had saved, and replaced them with an assortment of cute, affectionate cat and dog emojis.

Fu Yumian’s profile picture was a British Shorthair cat, which meant she probably liked animals—especially cats.

Seizing the opportunity, Lu Qingzhuo switched her own profile picture to a soft, translucent cat paw jelly candy. She also considered changing her nickname.

She had been using "Invincible Pretty Girl" as her WeChat name for years—ever since she first registered. Even after transmigrating here, she had stuck with it. But now, to match Fu Yumian’s taste, should she change it?

Forget it. Fu Yumian probably had her saved under a different name anyway, so it wouldn’t matter.

---

The next morning, Lu Qingzhuo was jolted awake by the loud ringing of her phone.

She glanced at the caller ID. It seemed to be someone she had labeled as "Big Cockroach," meaning they were probably someone she was on good terms with. Without much thought, she answered.

"Hello…?"

"Lu Lu, you finally picked up! I called you over ten times, and you ignored all of them!"

A loud voice roared through the speaker, instantly sweeping away the last traces of sleepiness. She checked her call history—this "Big Cockroach" had called her twelve times. And she had only woken up on the last one.

She had to admire their perseverance. Hoarsely, she asked, "Who are you?"

"Who am I? I’m your mother, obviously! Did you lose your memory from sleeping too much?"

Lu Qingzhuo rubbed her eyes. As her memories returned, she finally realized who it was.

Lin Zhiyu—her close friend from university. The two of them loved bickering, and neither spoke seriously most of the time. She had no idea why Lin Zhiyu was calling in such a hurry now.

"What’s up?"

"It’s urgent! I visited our old university a few days ago and met the most adorable, sweet-looking Omega. Love at first sight!"

"Oh." Lu Qingzhuo sat up, preparing to wash up. Holding her phone, she replied in a disinterested tone, "Good luck. Marry her soon."

"But I’ve never been in a relationship before! This is the first time in my twenty-something years that I’ve felt this way! It’s like an old cow trying to eat tender grass."

"You at least realize you’re the old cow," Lu Qingzhuo muttered while brushing her teeth, half-listening as Lin Zhiyu gushed about how beautiful the Omega was and how lovely her voice sounded.

"Just go for it. But first, make sure she’s single."

After brushing her teeth, Lu Qingzhuo washed her face and applied some skincare products before heading to the dining area for breakfast. She still hadn’t hung up the call.

"…You don’t understand. The moment I saw her, I knew she was my destined Omega."

Lu Qingzhuo: "…"

"Oh. Then chase her. You’re good-looking, talented at singing and acting, and you’re rich."

Lin Zhiyu was, indeed, a bona fide rich second-generation heir. Back in university, while most students had to sweet-talk their parents for extra allowance, she was already driving a Maserati to class.

"But what if she doesn’t like my type? She’s a freshman, and I graduated three years ago. I have no advantage when it comes to age."

"Use money. Keep throwing money at it." Lu Qingzhuo still held a grudge against Lin Zhiyu for interrupting her beauty sleep, so she intentionally gave terrible advice. "Quantity eventually leads to quality. I refuse to believe there’s anyone in this world who doesn’t care about money…"

Just as she sat down at the table, a tall, slender figure walked past behind her.

Her words abruptly stopped mid-sentence, while Lin Zhiyu continued chattering away on the other end of the line.

"You’d better not be lying to me, Lulu. What if she really isn’t interested in money…? Hello? Are you even listening? Hello?"

Lu Qingzhuo hung up the phone. Her gentle, almond-shaped eyes curved slightly as she gazed at Fu Yumian, who sat across from her. Between them stood an antique tortoiseshell vase brimming with red roses. She stole a cautious glance at Fu Yumian, feeling a little uneasy.

How had this woman walked so silently? And how much of her conversation had she just overheard? Would she think she was just a shallow gold digger?

Well, she was. That much was common knowledge—the only difference was that Lu Qingzhuo hadn’t yet grabbed a loudspeaker and shouted it in the streets.

"Good morning, President Fu."

Fu Yumian nodded slightly and began cutting into her steak. Her slender fingers, with their defined knuckles, held the knife and fork with the same finesse as if she were stroking the strings of a fine violin. Even as she ate, her movements remained refined and elegant.

That innate nobility of hers came from deep within. In contrast, Lu Qingzhuo’s table manners left much to be desired—aside from being careful not to let her cutlery scrape against the plate, her way of eating steak wasn’t exactly graceful.

Still, sitting across from each other like this, they maintained a peaceful, almost formal harmony. It was a perfect example of the phrase “mutual respect, like honored guests.” Maybe this was the best way to live.

After finishing one piece of steak, Lu Qingzhuo was already full. She didn’t have a large appetite, and honestly, after eating too much fancy Western food, she was starting to crave the roadside stalls she used to frequent back in school. She wondered if the elegant and untouchable Fu Yumian had ever experienced something like that.

Probably not.

"Do you know Shen Shijun?" Fu Yumian suddenly looked up at Lu Qingzhuo. "She’s preparing for a new film and has a role that suits you well."

Shen Shijun?

A renowned director and screenwriter—her very first film had won countless domestic and international awards. She was considered one of the most prestigious directors in the Chinese film industry, and many A-list actors owed their fame to her.

"President Fu, you…"

Lu Qingzhuo was so stunned that she nearly stammered. She hurriedly grabbed a napkin to wipe her lips, not quite trusting her own ears.

"You mean… Director Shen Shijun, the one who made Cicada Snow?"

"Mhm."

Cicada Snow was Shen Shijun’s debut film—a project she had spent two years developing during university. Unfortunately, due to funding issues, it had been stuck in limbo until fate led its script into Fu Yumian’s hands. Fu Yumian had then invested the majority of the budget, making the film a reality.

Shen Shijun had invited Fu Yumian to play a cold and aloof young woman in the movie. When it was released, Fu Yumian became the dream of countless Alphas because of that role. She had been only seventeen at the time.

Lu Qingzhuo had read up on Fu Yumian’s history before. Cicada Snow was the only movie she had ever acted in. After that, she went abroad, transitioned into business, and completely left the entertainment industry.

Fu Yumian’s expression remained composed as she rested her hands elegantly on the rosewood table. The classic Patek Philippe watch on her wrist caught the light.

"She’s reliable. You’ll be in good hands."

Lu Qingzhuo was momentarily dazed. She knew the two had a strong connection—without Fu Yumian, Shen Shijun might not have had her breakthrough—but still…

This was too surreal. She had only been casually thinking about taking on a small role to kill time, and yet, just like that, she had been cast? If word got out, the internet trolls would be all over her again.

"But… I haven’t even auditioned, and I’ve never spoken to Director Shen before. Isn’t this a bit too casual?"

Fu Yumian poured herself a glass of red wine, took a small sip, and said calmly, "I told you, you fit the role. She’ll definitely use you."

Lu Qingzhuo: "…"

See? This was the aura of a true CEO. Ordinary people simply couldn’t withstand this level of dominance.

"Well then… thank you, President Fu. But I should at least meet with Director Shen first, right?" Lu Qingzhuo spoke in a soft, coaxing tone, smiling as she continued, "She’s my senior in the industry. President Fu, could you help me arrange a meeting with her?"

She knew she was probably pushing her luck here. Watching Fu Yumian’s subtle frown, her heart tensed.

"Han Tian, take care of it."

Han Tian, appearing as swiftly as a bodyguard from a wuxia novel, stepped forward. She opened her laptop in front of Lu Qingzhuo and pulled up a list of elite private clubs—places so exclusive that even most celebrities couldn’t get in.

Lu Qingzhuo’s eyes widened at the selection. Was there even a choice to be made? These were the kinds of clubs that countless A-listers fought tooth and nail to enter… and every single one of them belonged to the Fu family.  

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