The birthday banquet for the elder Mr. Lu was held at the Lu Family Mansion, marking only the second time the mansion had been open to the public since Lu Jingchen’s grandfather celebrated his sixtieth birthday thirty years ago.
Therefore, no one could enter the place unless invited by a member of the Lu Family.
CK Corporation is an asset of the Lu Family and it started to slowly come into the public eye over a decade ago. Under the management of the elder Mr. Lu, CK Corporation gradually developed from a small company into a large one. After the takeover by Lu Jingchen, the son of the elder Mr. Lu, with his extraordinary management methods, CK Corporation began to evolve into a multinational corporation. For instance, now it has nearly a three-fifths monopoly over the development of An City.
Perhaps in a few years, CK Corporation will evolve from a multinational to a transnational corporation, that is also a possibility.
This has been analyzed by experts looking at the development of CK Corporation.
Therefore, it can be said that in An City, everyone wishes to associate with the Lu Family, even if it’s just a slight connection, it would be a matter of great pride.
This banquet was not only attended by those from high society but also well-known and authoritative magazines and newspapers that received invitations.
That’s why, during this period, the headlines of major news magazines and newspapers are all about the elder Mr. Lu’s birthday banquet.
Within the president’s office of CK Corporation, Lu Jingchen stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows looking outside, seemingly lost in thought.
There was a knock on the office door. The man didn’t even turn his head or make any other movement, just indifferently said "Come in."
The office door was immediately opened from the outside, the sound of leather shoes tapping against the floor resonated. Xi Mohan, clad in a suit, still wearing an impassive, unemotional face, scanned the office before resting his gaze on the back of Lu Jingchen.
The man’s brows involuntarily twitched, and then, taking long strides forward with his legs dressed in black suit trousers, he came to Lu Jingchen’s side and looked out following his gaze. Beyond the tall buildings and grand summer architecture, one could see the blue sky and white clouds, not understanding what was so interesting to look at.
Finding it dull, the man withdrew his gaze and indifferently looked at Lu Jingchen beside him, his thin lips parting slightly to speak, "I thought you were really busy, but it turns out you’re just busy admiring the view." The most update n0vels are published on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⟡𝕗𝗂𝗋𝖾⟡𝕟𝕖𝕥
When he arrived just now, he saw the secretaries outside busy without a moment to spare for anything else. He thought Lu Jingchen would also be very busy, but instead, he found him standing by the window admiring the scenery, wondering what there was to see.
Upon hearing Xi Mohan’s words, Lu Jingchen let out a cold laugh, "If you came here just to ask if I’m busy, then you can leave now."
Xi Mohan’s expression remained unchanged; he certainly wouldn’t leave and instead scoffed before saying, "I’ve heard from people that ever since Song Qiao got divorced, your nature has become even colder and more ruthless. It seems to be true..."
Hearing the name "Song Qiao" again, the man’s body suddenly stiffened. How long had it been since he heard that name? It seemed like over half a year.
After Song Qiao left, almost no one dared to mention her name in front of him again, as if it became a taboo.
Later, in the period following Song Qiao’s departure, he had sent people to look for her, but whether it was Chu Munan’s doing or not, they found nothing.
Afterward, on the one hand, he investigated quietly, and on the other hand, showed no expression. Gradually, even his own subordinates stopped saying "Song Qiao" directly. And the villa they had lived in after getting married—now he hardly ever returned there.
After all, when he first returned, facing the silence of the villa felt like a gaping hole was being pierced in his heart, as if wind was constantly being funneled into it.
Now, as Xi Mohan brought up that name, memories of the subtleties of their past involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
A sharp pain resonated inside him once again, making him involuntarily furrow his brows.
Xi Mohan did not notice any oddity in Lu Jingchen and saw that he did not speak, thought for a moment, and then continued, "There aren’t just women like Song Qiao in this world. Since she left heartlessly in the first place, there is no need for you to keep searching for her. And even if you found her, are you certain she would come back with you?"
However, after Xi Mohan finished speaking, Lu Jingchen gave him a sidelong glance and retorted without answering, "What about you?"
Xi Mohan was taken aback for a moment, momentarily not understanding what Lu Jingchen meant.
Lu Jingchen turned to look at him, his tone indifferent as he elaborated, "Isn’t Ning Wan also about to leave? What about you? There isn’t only Ning Wan in this world either. What’s the point of keeping her confined in An City?"
Xi Mohan’s expression darkened, and his handsome face turned a shade sour.
Just thinking about this woman gave him a headache. He already made his stance clear to that young woman, but she still wanted to leave. What could he do except make every possible effort to prevent her from leaving?
If he let her go this time, he had no idea how he would ever find her again.
After giving Lu Jingchen a disdainful glance, Xi Mohan snorted coldly and said nothing further.
Indeed, the two men were good brothers; their love lives were equally troubled.
Especially since Ning Wan and Song Qiao were best friends...
For a moment, the office lapsed into silence again, with two equally tall men standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, silently taking in the view outside, perhaps trying to see something through the scenery.
After an indeterminate period, Xi Mohan glanced at the watch on his wrist and saw that it was already past four o’clock. He took the initiative to break the silence, saying, "I heard your old man is nominally holding a birthday banquet but actually intends to choose a daughter of a wealthy family to be your wife?"
He had learned of this from the newspapers. When he received the invitation a while back, he had not expected this birthday banquet to carry such an implication.
But indeed, it must be tough for the elder Mr. Lu; after all, since Song Qiao left, there have been a number of women flinging themselves at Lu Jingchen, only to be thrown out directly by him without a care for their reputation.
Lu Jingchen sneered, "I was unaware you had become so gossipy."