Ji Niandong increasingly felt that the gentle and refined man in front of her was unfathomable and frightening.
She stepped back a few steps, and politely said, "Thank you for your kind offer to save my father, Mr. Lu, but I cannot accept this favor!"
"You'd rather refuse the charitable money to save your father than become Mrs. Lu Beichen?" Lu Beichen quickly asked when he saw her about to leave, with a hint of disbelief in his tone.
To become Mrs. Lu is almost every woman's dream in New City, and she's refusing?
The man was pressing too tightly, Ji Niandong gritted her teeth and said bluntly, "There must be many women willing to become Mrs. Lu, from socialites to stars, all kinds of excellent women. I truly don't understand why you would want to marry me."
She bit the word "marry" heavily, as if marrying her was more offensive than keeping her as a mistress!
Lu Beichen continued to confront her, seeing her so stubborn, he asked back, "There must be many women willing to become Mrs. Lu, yet I specifically want to marry you. Why are you unwilling to marry me?"
Indeed. To become Mrs. Lu means becoming the leading lady of New City, a position below one but above thousands. However, marriage cannot be measured with money and power.
Ji Niandong took a breath and replied, "My father told me from a young age, that when a girl grows up, she should not marry two types of men. One is being unequal in status; the other is being divorced with children, only to become a cheap stepmother. Besides, Mr. Lu is an unmarried father with a child whose origin is unknown."
She tightly clenched her fists, ready to face the consequences of offending Lu Beichen.
Everyone knows that Lu Beichen brought back a one-year-old black-haired boy from abroad four years ago, and Old Sir Lu personally verified this, confirming he is indeed a legitimate grandson of the Lu Family.
Lu Beichen is the man whom other men look up to and is a diamond bachelor whom women chase after, except for the matter regarding the child's mother, it is his only blemish.
The appearance of the child is not mixed-race, indicating that the child's mother is an authentic Chinese person. Various media speculations about the child's mother range from elegant ladies to big-name stars, from jade-like influencers to mere passersby.
However, the most convincing and almost true rumor is that the child's mother is Gu Xiyao, the eldest daughter of the Gu Family, who has had a generational friendship with the Lu Family. Both the child and she have the rare Rh negative blood. By family seniority, Gu Xiyao is actually Lu Beichen's nominal eldest niece. So, the Lu Family treats it as a scandal and avoids mentioning the child's mother.
The parties concerned also deny it adamantly, as Lu Xiyao now has a fiancé, only occasionally looking at the child in the name of friendship.
"A child of unknown origin?" Lu Beichen seemed to seriously contemplate this phrase and softly said, "Is that what everyone thinks, including you?"
Ji Niandong pressed her lips, simply went all out, "I'm only twenty-four years old, not suitable to be a child's stepmother, Mr. Lu, I'm sorry!"
She bent over and bowed to express her apology.
Lu Beichen just looked at her mildly, remained silent for a few seconds, then said, "Since you know about Nian Nian's existence, you should also have heard that my wife must be liked by my son to marry, and coincidentally, my son seems to really like Miss Ji."
"How is that possible? I've never even met him!" Ji Niandong blurted out.
"Did Miss Ji play the little daughter in the old film 'Family Unity' when she was ten? Although it's an old film, my son really likes it and regards Miss Ji as a goddess, which is just how I came to know Miss Ji."