The man in the photo still smiled faintly at her.
"I don't want to take responsibility for the sins you've committed anymore."
She didn't want to see him again, not even say another word.
Life was always full of changes. Yan Xia and Fang Jiangyi had found a primary school for Lan Mengfan in advance. In a few days, Lan Yuzhou would be released from prison. After all, the custody of the child was his. She didn't know how to handle it in the future.
But when he agreed to testify in court back then, he had also said that if Yan Xia was willing to keep Lan Mengfan safe or take care of her, he would be willing to work like a horse to repay her in the future. Repayment was out of the question. She just hoped he could stay in the capital so that Yan Xia could see the child often. After all, they had been together for three years, and their feelings had already been very deep.
A few days of rest were enough for Yan Xia to make full preparations. Under Shangguanyao's guidance, she bought some gifts for Lord Lu. Then she made an appointment with Lord Lu in the name of Cheng Yanxia. She originally thought she would have to make two or three appointments to meet him, but unexpectedly, Lord Lu agreed to see her on the first try.
Before setting off, Shangguanyao told Yan Xia to wear the necklace with a pinhole camera. He also sent someone to give her a black swan pendant earring. This earring was a disguised wireless earphone. With this earring on, Yan Xia could hear Shangguanyao's voice and communicate with him.
Today, when going to meet Lord Lu, Yan Xia dressed up. Shangguanyao kept reminding her on the phone.
"Don't be impulsive. I'll be watching the whole process. If there's any problem, I'll tell you the solution immediately."
At this moment, his serious look added a bit more dignity.
Yan Xia agreed one by one.
Today she was dressed in a light blue suit. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail. She only wore the black swan earring on her right ear. She looked cool and elegant.
Lord Lu had set the time and place, a teahouse near his residence. The atmosphere there was very serene.
Yan Xia was a bit late. From afar, she could see several bodyguards standing at the entrance of the teahouse. Inside the teahouse, it was very quiet. It seemed to have been reserved.
As she got closer, she could see the bright light refracted from the window. There were some winding vines climbing on the window, with new leaves sprouting, full of the breath of spring.
After being led into the teahouse, she finally met Lord Lu in a private room. He hadn't changed at all in the past three years. He still looked as gentle and elegant as before, fully showing the demeanor of an elder.
"Lord Lu, I'm sorry I'm late."
Yan Xia smiled and stepped into the private room. The necklace around her neck was caught in the gap of the suit. The carefully designed angle just happened to capture Lord Lu sitting opposite her.
"It's not late as long as you're here." Lord Lu smiled kindly and poured a cup of tea for her himself.
Yan Xia sat down opposite him. There were only the two of them in this room. Even the assistants and bodyguards were all left outside. People of their status always attached great importance to safety issues, but now they seemed to have no defense against Yan Xia.
"Three years ago, I almost got killed to silence me. It was still thanks to Lord Lu's consideration of that little bit of father - daughter affection that you sent someone to save me. I've been on the run all these years and never had the chance to thank Lord Lu in person. Now I finally have this opportunity, but I don't know how to repay your great kindness."
Lord Lu had been holding the teacup and sipping the tea carefully. Only after hearing this did he put down the teacup.
"It's just a piece of cake. I know this child, Lu Qianzhou, very well. Once he made such a decision, he would surely regret it. As an elder, I couldn't just watch him make a mistake without stopping him."
Yan Xia's expression froze slightly. Just a few days ago, Lu Qianzhou had been saying that he had nothing to do with the matters of Cheng Hua and Cheng Yanxi, and he had been looking for the mastermind behind the scenes.
But in fact, both Lord Lu and Wen Liang were enough to prove that it was he who had done it at that time. If he didn't have such a plan, when Yan Xia asked him why, he should have told her boldly instead of just hiding it.
Although in her eyes, Lu Qianzhou shouldn't be a person who dared to do something but was afraid to admit it, maybe just as Lord Lu said, he didn't admit it because he regretted it, so he was just deceiving himself.
After thinking for a while, Yan Xia asked, "How could Lord Lu be so sure that Lu Qianzhou was determined to take my and my family's lives at that time?"
"Remember I told you at that time that the feud between your father and him could not be eliminated unless one of them died. It wasn't a joke. It's just that as his elder, I really didn't want to pick at his wound."
Lord Lu had his hair slicked back today. Time hadn't left any traces on his face. It had only made his temperament more refined and elegant.
For such a kind and amiable elder, Yan Xia believed that he had no reason to lie.
Everyone said it was Lu Qianzhou who had done it. Only he himself was defending himself. Then it could only be Lu Qianzhou who was lying.
Yan Xia smiled bitterly. She had almost been deceived by his honey - coated words again.
"Even now, you still don't want to tell me the feud between him and my father?"
Lord Lu stroked the teacup with his fingertips. "Some things don't necessarily have to be asked why. The more you know, the more dangerous it is. Child, you should also think from his perspective. There must be a reason why he has been holding on to that matter but is unwilling to explain it to you."
She understood the principle, but she just couldn't let it go. It would be very difficult to carry out many things.
Yan Xia couldn't let it go. "After all, they are my family. In a way, it was me who brought Lu Qianzhou to them. It was me who harmed them."
Finally, she took a couple of sips of the tea. The scalding tea tasted faintly bitter in her mouth, but unexpectedly, there was a hint of sweetness afterwards.
Lord Lu shook his head. "When will this cycle of revenge end?"
"This should be said to Lu Qianzhou. I begged him many times. I was willing to bear any price, but he just wouldn't let us go." Yan Xia's words were sharp.
As if being amused by her words, Lord Lu sat up straight and leaned back on the chair.
"Then what do you come to me for? You know clearly that I'm Qianzhou's elder. It's only natural for me to protect him. It's unrealistic for you to expect me to scold him in agreement with you."
After all, over the years, Lord Lu had been more like a father to Lu Qianzhou. Their relationship was very deep.
Yan Xia said with a smile, "Lord Lu misunderstood my meaning."
"Then why did you come back? Are you here to take revenge on him?"
This question was even hard for Yan Xia herself to answer. She just wanted to ask why, but now she found it was full of difficulties and seemed to only bring her more troubles. It didn't make any sense.
"Lord Lu should know that Shengshi is no longer the same as before."
Under Fang Jiangyi's leadership, the market value of Shengshi had risen sharply, while Lu Qianzhou seemed to have been distracted by other things in the past two years and had no intention of focusing on his career.
"It's just that Shengshi has always been lacking in the engineering project area. I wonder if Lord Lu could give a helping hand. My father is no longer here, but I hope to take back the family business he left for me and manage it well."
This was her plan with Shangguanyao. They would approach Lord Lu on the pretext of cooperation.