Volume One, Chapter Sixteen: In the End, Merely Sewing a Wedding Dress for Another

Lu Jingyan stood at the doorway, his expression inscrutable. "Fu Yuting, we need to talk."

Upon hearing this, Fu Yuting quietly removed the dazzling pink diamond from her finger, slipping it into a drawer.

She gave Wen Yunzhi a subtle glance, and Wen Yunzhi soon left the room.

Lu Jingyan strode straight to the sofa and sat down. "Did you go to Tianlai last night?" Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze was as sharp as an eagle's.

Fu Yuting's fingertips trembled ever so slightly. When she raised her eyes, they were filled with feigned confusion. "I forgot to tell you—I own some shares in Tianlai."

She picked up her coffee cup with practiced ease. "Last night, I was preparing a contract for the upcoming share transfer."

Thankfully, she'd acquired some shares in Xunlou the previous evening. Normally, Xunlou's shares were hard to come by, but yesterday she managed to buy in with surprising ease, and at a low price, as if fortune had favored her.

Lu Jingyan suddenly leaned forward, the scent of cologne on him pressing in with unmistakable dominance. "How come I didn't know?"

"I wanted to surprise you. Don't believe me? Check for yourself." Fu Yuting's composure never faltered as she spoke.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

"That's good, then."

Apparently, he'd been overthinking things.

Fu Yuting's gaze shifted, now feigning grievance while her eyes remained cold. "But how did you know I went to Xunlou? Were you following me?"

"Why would I?" Lu Jingyan's eyes crinkled with a smile. "A friend of mine said they saw you there yesterday."

Lu Jingyan turned on the television; the screen was still displaying the photo that had set the internet ablaze.

"Did you see that mysterious woman last night?" Bo Jingyan looked up at the picture on the screen.

"The restaurant was locked down last night, so I could only go to the office. The surveillance cameras had been hacked." Fu Yuting shook her head helplessly, her gaze full of confusion. "When did you start caring about such gossip?"

Lu Jingyan stared thoughtfully at the television, lost in his own musings.

"Actually, I have something else to tell you." Lu Jingyan looked up at Fu Yuting, retrieving a document from behind him.

The gilded characters 'Transfer Order' leapt out at her. Fu Yuting's pupils contracted—where was she being transferred? Was it to make room for Xu Qian?

"My brother just returned from abroad. He needs a trustworthy secretary," Lu Jingyan said, handing her a fountain pen. "Once you've finished your current tasks, report to him."

The pen hovered over the paper as Fu Yuting hesitated.

"And," Lu Jingyan's voice softened, a flicker of ambition in his eyes, "keep an eye on the women around him for me."

So, what was the relationship between Lu Jingyan and his brother? Could they be allies? It seemed the time had come to meet this mysterious elder brother.

The sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows was too intense. Fu Yuting squinted, trying to glean more from Lu Jingyan's impassive expression.

"When did you become concerned about your brother's love life?" Her hand held the pen mid-air, briefly stunned.

A ridiculous thought flashed through her mind. Could the brothers be rivals in love?

My god! With such dramatic developments, she couldn't help but pay attention.

Lu Jingyan noticed Fu Yuting's momentary shock, assuming she was jealous again, and felt a twinge of disdain in his heart.

Sunlight streamed in from the floor-to-ceiling window behind him, gilding his silhouette but casting his facial features into shadow.

"My father wants to know," Lu Jingyan replied airily, his tone full of the effortless indifference Fu Yuting knew so well. His lips curved in a smile, but deep in his eyes lurked disgust.

Fu Yuting's lips curled into a subtle smile.

What an excellent excuse.

She hid her doubts, composed herself, and carefully returned the signed transfer document to Lu Jingyan.

"I understand," her soft voice replied, the obedient demeanor making Lu Jingyan's disdain ebb ever so slightly.

He frowned, glancing at his watch, impatience nearly spilling from his eyes. "How is the handover going with Xu Qian's work?"

"Nearly finished. I'll send it to her for review. It's easy to explain things to Director Zheng as well." A flicker of coldness flashed in Fu Yuting's eyes, though her smile grew brighter.

"Here," she said, handing over the proposal from the desk.

Lu Jingyan pushed the proposal back without even looking up. "Just give it to her."

Fu Yuting took the documents, her fingers lightly tracing the paper. "Alright."

Her voice was gentle, her gaze brushing over the bold title 'Tianyi Tower Proposal,' her lips curling ever so slightly.

Lu Jingyan looked at the docile Fu Yuting before him and felt a sudden, inexplicable irritation.

She was too compliant. From accepting Xu Qian's work to the announcement that she'd be transferred to his brother as secretary, she merely nodded obediently and said "Alright."

How dull.

"I'm off to a meeting." Lu Jingyan grabbed the suit jacket from the sofa, his voice returning to its former coldness. "You don't need to attend tomorrow's meeting—leave it to Xu Qian."

Fu Yuting lifted her chin, her brows slightly furrowed, eyes cold as ice. "Okay. Take care on the road."

Lu Jingyan strode toward the door, but as his hand closed on the handle, he inexplicably turned back.

Fu Yuting remained where she was, sunlight now fully illuminating her face, outlining her delicate profile.

Sensing his gaze, she turned to him, lips curving in a gentle smile.

Once the door closed, Lu Jingyan loosened his tie. A strange sense of satisfaction filled his chest.

She really couldn't leave him, always so submissive.

The feeling of being loved so deeply made him almost forgive her for the unnecessary questions and careful schemes of the past.

"Secretary Fu, President Lu asked me to fetch the documents." Xu Qian's voice sounded from behind, as sweet and cloying as ever.

The coldness in Fu Yuting's eyes intensified. She quickly switched screens, and when she looked at Xu Qian, a professional smile adorned her face. "Right here."

Fu Yuting handed over the folder. "It's almost done. Just a few data points need to be double-checked and revised."

Xu Qian flipped through a few pages, surprise flickering in her eyes—the proposal was flawless, from market analysis to execution plan.

She closed the folder, a triumphant smile at her lips. "No problem. Leave it to me."

Fu Yuting watched Xu Qian's departing figure, leaned back in her chair, and gazed at the city skyline outside, a cold smile quite unlike her earlier one forming on her lips.

The next day.

Tianyi Group headquarters, 36th floor conference room.

Xu Qian stood before the projection screen, her previously injured right hand guiding the red dot of the laser pointer elegantly over the meticulously crafted design, as if fully healed.

The blue light from the projector illuminated her flawless makeup as she pointed to the 3D design, speaking with practiced eloquence.

Today, she wore Chanel's latest season suit, diamond studs on her ears sparkling with her confident explanations.

"...This structural innovation will save forty-two percent on construction costs—the highlight of this plan..."

In the audience, a dozen executives nodded frequently. Tianyi Group's representatives wore expressions of admiration.

Xu Qian caught their reactions in her peripheral vision, her lips curling in delight, honeyed satisfaction flooding her heart.

She couldn't help but revel in her triumph.

That fool Fu Yuting had toiled over this proposal, only for it to serve as her wedding dress.

She angled her body, purposefully letting the diamond earrings—Lu Jingyan's birthday gift—glint under the lights. They were worth two million, while Fu Yuting had only received a perfunctory bouquet of lilies for her own birthday.

"Director Xu, so young and already so accomplished," Tianyi Group's Director Li applauded, his face full of flattery. "President Lu's company truly overflows with talent!"

Xu Qian pressed her lips into a modest smile. "It's all thanks to President Lu's guidance."

Lu Jingyan sat at the head of the table, his fingers idly playing with the silver cufflinks—Fu Yuting's birthday gift—on his sleeves, his smile one of satisfaction.

Xu Qian caught his approving glance and was elated.

A question from the audience interrupted Xu Qian's presentation.

"Director Xu," Deco Group's technical deputy director suddenly spoke, confusion on his face, "on page seven, how did you calculate the lateral stress coefficient of the load-bearing structure?"

Xu Qian's smile froze.

Lateral stress coefficient?

The term hit her like a meteor from outer space, stunning her mind. Her manicured fingers gripped the laser pointer tight, cold sweat soaking the back of her Chanel suit.

Damn it, Fu Yuting's report never mentioned this...

Blood rushed to her cheeks.

She'd only received the proposal yesterday and hadn't had time to review it thoroughly.

"This question..." Xu Qian forced herself to maintain a perfect smile, her nails scratching thin marks on the podium.

"We used the internationally leading... dynamic equilibrium algorithm."

She deliberately flipped through the document to stall for time, quickly regaining her composure. "The specific parameters are detailed in Appendix D..."

The sound of pages turning filled the conference room.

Xu Qian saw Tianyi's engineers frown, exchanging puzzled looks.

"Appendix D is market research data," the technical director whispered.

A dreadful silence enveloped the room.

That half-second felt like a century for Xu Qian, every gaze burning her skin like a spotlight.

"What I meant was..." she pressed on, "this part involves commercial secrets—not convenient for full disclosure."

Just then, the conference room door swung open.