Chapter 5 New Girlfriend
1456 Words
Lu Xue winced from the collision and snapped, "How careless can you be? You’re rushing around like a headless chicken!"
A female employee, holding a large bundle of documents and wearing glasses, quickly bent down to apologize.
"I’m so sorry, Miss Lu."
Lu Xue, irritated, replied sharply, "Be more careful next time. What if it had been a client? Go back to work."
The employee muttered several apologies and hurried away.
As the sole princess of the Lu family, Lu Xue didn’t work at Lu Enterprises but was a frequent presence at their year-end celebration galas. Thus, as soon as she entered the headquarters, staff members greeted her with respectful nods.
She took the transparent elevator, which whisked her effortlessly to the office floor.
The polished, gleaming floors and modern office design were a testament to the company’s success.
Pressing the intercom beside the floor-to-ceiling glass door, she announced her name.
Her voice immediately echoed across the desks of all the secretaries.
The chief secretary, Miss Song, promptly arrived to greet her and swiped the card to open the door.
"Miss Lu, please come in."
Song led Lu Xue to the waiting area and handed her a glass of juice before heading to her desk to dial the extension for Lu Yan.
"President, Miss Lu is waiting for you in the lounge."
Lu Yan, always maintaining a strict separation between work and family, made his relatives wait even when they visited him at the office.
"Send her in," came his deep, pleasant voice from the other end.
He had Miss Lu shown into his office, politely closing the door behind her.
Lu Yan, seated at his desk, signed documents with fluidity.
Lu Xue sank into a plush Italian sofa, sipping her juice and waiting with measured patience.
"What is it?" Lu Yan asked, his face impassive.
The affairs of the company were overwhelming, and his only sister was no help.
Ever since Lu Yan had taken over the group, his father had retired, leaving him to shoulder all the projects and loans.
At times, Lu Yan wished his parents had given him a few more brothers to help share the burden.
He glanced at the seemingly useless Lu Xue, then back at the mountain of paperwork on his desk.
Seeing his sister relax and enjoy herself while he was buried in work made his frustration grow.
His grandfather and mother, who had always valued male heirs, had made him the unquestioned ruler of the household, thus cultivating his domineering nature.
Lu Xue had long been used to her brother’s attitude.
She wanted to tell him about seeing Jiaodidi at the gynecology clinic, but her thoughts quickly shifted.
She had no intention of dragging her brother back into the mess of Jiaodidi’s life.
Her dislike of Jiaodidi was purely personal—back in university, Jiaodidi had always outshone her in everything.
Then, when Jiaodidi started dating Lu Yan, Lu Xue had expected her to try to win her favor as the future sister-in-law.
But Jiaodidi remained as unapologetically different as ever, even competing with her for jewelry and the same dress for a gala.
Lu Xue had sought her brother’s opinion, only to have him respond, "Didi looks better in that dress than you."
That had nearly driven her mad.
Though Lu Yan had eventually bought her more expensive jewelry, the resentment had lingered, choking her from within.
Now that they had broken up, Lu Xue finally felt like she could breathe again.
The news of Jiaodidi’s visit to the gynecology clinic—possibly indicating pregnancy—was something Lu Xue wasn’t about to share with her brother.
Lu Yan glanced at his Patek Philippe watch. It was exactly 12 o'clock.
"Let’s go to lunch."
Before Lu Xue could respond, he had already turned and walked out.
At a towering height of 1.9 meters, he reached the elevator in just a few strides, and Lu Xue had to almost jog to keep up.
They rode down to the first floor and entered the luxurious Eleven Terrace Western Restaurant across the street.
The restaurant offered a sweeping view of the city, making every meal feel refreshing and peaceful.
Getting a table was notoriously difficult, often requiring a wait of two weeks.
The restaurant manager bowed upon seeing Lu Yan, immediately greeting him with, "Mr. Lu, please, this way!"
Other diners, captivated by his striking good looks, paused to stare.
Some, who didn’t recognize him, whispered among themselves, "Who is that?"
Lu Xue knew that dining with her brother meant never having to wait.
Not only was Lu Yan the heir to Lu Enterprises, but his personal assets spanned the globe.
The restaurant, which Jiaodidi had once loved, had an excellent reputation for both food and ambiance, but reservations were a nightmare.
Lu Yan, preferring efficiency, had bought the entire restaurant, so now he simply entertained guests there whenever he pleased.
He chose a seat by the railing, gazing out into the distance, lost in thought.
Lu Xue, noticing her brother’s absent-mindedness, softly asked, "Do you want to order this dish?"
Lu Yan snapped back to attention, his gaze softening when he saw his sister’s cautious expression.
Perhaps he had been too harsh on her.
"Order what you like. I’m waiting for a friend to arrive before I choose."
Lu Xue nodded obediently.
A moment later, a woman dressed in a smart, businesslike suit walked in—Cheng Shi, a formidable figure in the business world.
Lu Yan stood, took her hand, and pulled out her chair for her.
After introducing them both, Lu Xue quietly compared her brother’s new girlfriend to Jiaodidi.
Jiaodidi was more beautiful, but beauty fades with time.
Cheng Shi, however, exuded a grace and eloquence that Jiaodidi lacked—at least in Lu Xue’s eyes.
It was clear that she was more than just a pretty face, someone who had the ability to navigate the business world with finesse.
Cheng Shi’s smooth, flattering conversation put Lu Xue at ease, and she reciprocated with polite, friendly words.
"Next time, we’ll go shopping together," Cheng Shi said warmly.
Lu Xue happily agreed, already looking forward to their outing.
Lu Yan observed them both, finally letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
Love was something between two people, but marriage brought together two families.
Lu Yan had always convinced himself that he hadn’t made a mistake, and even if he had, there would be no room for regret.
Meanwhile, Jiaodidi returned home, her heart heavy with anxiety.
She couldn’t bear to face the result, her nerves fraying with every step.
Fearing that Lu Xue might suddenly appear from some corner, she retrieved the hospital report, whispering a prayer under her breath.
"Please… don’t let it be true."
With trembling hands, she opened the envelope, feeling a nervous tension that surpassed even waiting for exam results.
The words "Pregnant" jumped out at her.
Her heart plummeted as though it had been lifted to the peak of a mountain and now faced an inevitable descent.
"What do I do… What do I do…"
She muttered to herself, frantic and restless like a panicked mouse in a trap.
Telling Lu Yan was out of the question—he would only insist on abortion.
The very thought of it filled her with dread, the risks of abortion playing over and over in her mind.
She quickly quelled that thought.
Telling her mother? No, not when her health was fragile.
Her mother needed peace, not more worry.
Telling her father? Even less so.
And then it hit her—she had no close friends to confide in.
Her only brother was far away in America.
"Yes… I’ll tell my brother."
With a sense of resolve, she felt a slight relief wash over her.
But her comfort was short-lived, as the realization set in that there was still no easy solution ahead.
Shifting her focus, she changed into more comfortable clothes, and as she sat on the couch, an unsettling nausea overtook her.
She recalled the symptoms of pregnancy she had read about—nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
She made a mental note to look into pregnancy precautions and pondered whether she should hire a maternity nurse or return to America and ask her brother to arrange one for her.
But for now, she would wait—she couldn’t risk arousing suspicion from Lu Yan.
The thought of his sudden possessiveness, his sharp suspicions, made her hesitant.
When you’re in a relationship, you’re treated like a treasure; once you break up, you’re nothing.
This truth, so familiar to women, was now painfully clear to her.
As she tried to sleep, a faint "drip... drip..." echoed through the room, making her uneasy.
- Writer
