The Ex-Wife-to-Be Is Acting Weird After Losing Her Memory - Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Lullaby Three

The moment she clearly saw the line of text, Lu Jiayin’s heart fluttered, as if a tiny bubble had burst, a tingling electric current swirling around her heart. Then, as if she had realized something, she turned her head to look toward the other end of the hall.

At the far end of that sea of flower baskets, she indeed saw Zhen Zhen standing at the entrance to the banquet hall. She was wearing an exquisitely tailored suit, her collar and cuffs as impeccable as usual. On her fine, porcelain-like face was a familiar, gentle smile, quietly directed toward her.

All the tiny bubbles in her heart burst with a “pop, pop, pop.” Ignoring the crowd surrounding her, Lu Jiayin lifted her gown and hurried forward. She walked quickly, her high heels clicking on the marble floor with a series of crisp sounds.

The moment Zhen Zhen saw her, she immediately walked toward her wife. When she reached Lu Jiayin, she habitually reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist, smiling: “You’re wearing high heels, slow down.”

The instant she saw that smile, Lu Jiayin felt an urge to get closer, but she first restrained her immense joy and whispered: “Why are you here?”

She had thought she would only see Zhen Zhen very late tonight when she got home. She hadn’t expected to see her here.

Compared to Lu Jiayin’s surprise, the media present were clearly more excited. Flashlights flickered non-stop, focusing their lenses on the couple who rarely appeared in the same frame.

Lu Jiayin realized there were reporters and fans around. Just as she tried to pull away, another hand firmly encircled her waist.

Zhen Zhen’s smile remained unchanged, but she held Lu Jiayin tighter. The two maintained this intimate posture facing the cameras, and reporters captured several sets of photos.

“CEO Zhen personally invested in Ms. Lu’s new film and just made a grand gesture by sending so many roses. Is this a public declaration of love?” a reporter asked with a smile.

Hearing this question, Lu Jiayin subconsciously looked up at Zhen Zhen. She thought Zhen Zhen wouldn’t want to answer such a teasing question, but Zhen Zhen answered earnestly: “Yes.”

She held the person in her arms with one hand and chuckled gently: “I was afraid that if I didn’t show up soon, you would arrange for my wife to form a CP with someone else.”

This caused a burst of laughter at the scene, and the atmosphere instantly became lighthearted.

“CEO Zhen is an honored guest today,” Director Long appeared at the banquet hall entrance and smiled to diffuse the situation. “Since everyone is here, please take your seats first, and you can ask questions later?”

Taking advantage of the brief lull before they entered, Lu Jiayin reached out to straighten Zhen Zhen’s lapel: “I’ll go sit over there first.”

Zhen Zhen nodded. She looked down at the hand resting near her chest, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes: “Why are you wearing this ring today?”

She hadn’t seen this wedding ring in a long time. To be precise, since she bought this ring at the auction, Lu Jiayin had only worn it once on their wedding day and it hadn’t reappeared since. Zhen Zhen had always believed that Lu Jiayin might not like the style of the ring, which was why she bought her a new pink diamond on her birthday.

Lu Jiayin was at a loss for words.

She remembered before the wedding, before Zhen Zhen could even present the ring to her, a tabloid had obtained photos from the auction, widely publicizing news about “a wealthy family spending a fortune to win a beauty’s smile.” Her mother, Madam Lu, was furious about this, calling from overseas specifically to lecture her for a full hour on the principle of “never taking advantage of the Zhen family or letting the Lu family be looked down upon.”

She had been overly sensitive at the time and felt ashamed by her mother’s words, turning around to put the ring back in the safe, never wearing it again.

But today… Lu Jiayin curved her lips, looked into Zhen Zhen’s eyes, and asked: “Is there something wrong with me wearing this ring?”

Zhen Zhen shook her head: “No, I just thought since I’ve already bought you a new one, I assumed you would…”

“I want to wear this one!” Lu Jiayin interrupted her, pouting slightly as if in a huff. “Do you really dislike this ring that much?”

How had it turned into her being the one who disliked it? Zhen Zhen was confused but said gently: “I like whichever one you wear, and if you want to buy a new one, that’s fine too…”

Seeing that Zhen Zhen hadn’t understood the meaning behind her words and had veered onto another path entirely, Lu Jiayin was slightly exasperated. She gave Zhen Zhen a reproachful look and said: “Why are you like this… The significance is different. This is our wedding ring.”

Zhen Zhen, while escorting her into the banquet hall, heard the spoiled tone in her voice and chuckled without thinking much: “I know, but I think I also proposed with the second ring? If you want a new one, I can propose again every time I buy one…”

Before she could finish, she felt the weight on her arm disappear. Lu Jiayin had pulled her arm out.

“The director seems to be calling me, I’ll go sit down first.” Her beautiful wife pointed to the air and turned around without hesitation.

Zhen Zhen: …

She still didn’t understand why Lu Jiayin was angry even after the dinner ended. However, the temper didn’t last long. After returning home, the goddess Lu tried to maintain her composure for three minutes before being coaxed by her wife. She let out dissatisfied soft hums while being pressed onto the sofa and having her light, beautiful gown unzipped.

Waking up later, the sky was already bright. Since the Lunar New Year was approaching, Fu Ruyi hadn’t arranged long periods of work for Lu Jiayin after the filming of Dark Light concluded, only selecting a few simple interviews and photo shoots.

With this arrangement, Lu Jiayin suddenly had her first complete Lunar New Year holiday since entering the industry. She lay on the pillow in a daze, somewhat bewildered by the unexpected time off.

While she was deep in thought, the person beside her stirred, pulling her back into his embrace, and asked sleepily: “What are you thinking about?”

It was a rare holiday for both of them. Even the usually early-rising Zhen Zhen chose to stay in bed with her wife. Lu Jiayin was held by her and casually replied: “Nothing. Oh, has anything happened to Zhen Ming recently?”

She recalled Qi Yongshan being hounded by debt collectors yesterday. She explained the situation to Zhen Zhen, half-explaining, half-confused, and asked: “Isn’t this a bit strange? Given Brother Ming’s wealth, a million-dollar RV shouldn’t lead to something so drastic as being towed away right to his doorstep…”

Zhen Zhen thought for a moment. She had been busy overseeing next year’s test races and had only instructed the finance department to monitor all approvals processed by Zhen Ming. Hearing this now, her gaze slightly sharpened: “It is a bit off…”

She had learned about the issues with Fortune Treasure a few days ago. According to the information provided by Song Yuzhi, Zhen Ming had taken advantage of his corporate position to advance approximately five million in marketing funds for New Energy. Zhen Zhen knew this amount shouldn’t be enough to bankrupt Zhen Ming.

She had been waiting for Zhen Ming to find a way to cover the deficit himself. Otherwise, when the year-end closing date arrived, the finance department would report the loophole directly to the board of directors. At that point, even if she didn’t mention it, Grandpa would find out.

Zhen Ming was probably in complete turmoil trying to scrape together the money, or else he wouldn’t even reclaim a car he had already gifted.

Zhen Zhen leaned down and kissed Lu Jiayin’s forehead: “It’s getting late. Shall we head to Grandpa’s house?”

Having heard that Lu Jiayin’s new film was completed, the Old Man had extended an invitation a few days ago, asking Zhen Zhen to bring her back to the old residence for a meal. The snow had stopped today, making it perfect for going out.

They arrived in the afternoon. Old Master Zhen was still taking his nap. Zhen Zhen stopped the servant who was about to announce their arrival, instructing them not to disturb Grandpa, and took Lu Jiayin elsewhere first.

The ancestral home covered a large area. Zhen Zhen settled Lu Jiayin near the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden, letting her enjoy the sun. Since they had leisure time, she didn’t ask the servants but went herself to make tea.

The tearoom was right next to the small flower parlor. Zhen Zhen found a can of light, refreshing floral tea. Just as she took out the tea set to wash it, she heard footsteps approaching the door.

The visitor was her uncle’s wife, Wen Meixian. Zhen Zhen was startled by her aunt’s appearance after not seeing her for over half a month.

The aunt she remembered was plump and well-off, always preferring a wealthy socialite style. Today, she looked as if she had lost a lot of weight, her complexion was pale, and the heavy dark circles under her eyes couldn’t hide her exhaustion. Seeing Zhen Zhen, the aunt’s face showed clear resentment.

“Xiao Zhen…” Wen Meixian began with a sob, “Please help your brother!”

Zhen Zhen put down the tea canister, asking somewhat confusedly: “What happened to Brother Ming?”

As soon as she spoke, Wen Meixian immediately latched onto her like a lifeline. She let out a short sob and rushed forward, grabbing Zhen Zhen’s arm, wailing sorrowfully: “Your Big Brother… he was horribly cheated by that damned Qiao family! We are family, and now only you can save him!”

She gripped Zhen Zhen harder, recounting everything with tears and hiccups, omitting the crucial details.

According to Wen Meixian’s account, Zhen Zhen finally understood that the reason Zhen Ming had been hiding for the past few days was far more complicated than just avoiding having to pay the five million deficit.

“That Qiao Tianyou is a big liar. He tricked Ah Ming into starting a media company with him. Now dozens of employees are surrounding Ah Ming, the ‘partner,’ demanding their overdue salaries. How is that our Ah Ming’s problem? And that little tramp Qiao Bao’er, she sweet-talked him out of a total of thirteen million! Doesn’t she fear divine retribution for taking that money!”

Wen Meixian said through gritted teeth: “It’s all those bastards from the Qiao family’s fault! Poor your brother can’t even come home for a reunion dinner during the New Year. He has to hide outside, suffering goodness knows how much hardship. Xiao Zhen, please, find a way to help him!”

Zhen Zhen patiently listened to her aunt’s complaints the entire time. When she finally finished, too tired to speak, Zhen Zhen calmly asked: “Does Grandpa know about this?”

Wen Meixian stared at her in astonishment, seemingly blaming her niece for being tactless: “This isn’t a big deal. Why should we bother the Old Man during the New Year? These are just people who can be paid off with a little money. If you just take out the money, it will all be fine.”

Looking at her aunt’s self-righteousness, Zhen Zhen suddenly felt like laughing. Her cousin was thirty years old, yet in her aunt’s eyes, he was still an overgrown child. She was still asking her, his younger cousin, to clean up his mess as if it were entirely natural.

“I’m afraid I can’t intervene like this,” Zhen Zhen said calmly. “Aunt, I warned you and Uncle several times, and I repeatedly emphasized to Brother Ming that the Qiao family business carried a huge risk and he should stay away. Did any of you listen? He’s not a child anymore; he can’t expect others to bail him out every time he messes up.”

Wen Meixian hadn’t expected Zhen Zhen to so firmly reject her request. She immediately said discontentedly: “He is your own Big Brother. Now that he’s been cheated, you won’t even spare a little money? Is there no family bond left? Zhen Zhen, over the years, Ah Ming has never fought you for anything, you know that…”

She became increasingly agitated, tightly clutching Zhen Zhen’s arm, as if trying to squeeze value out of her. This niece was not only favored by the Old Man but also held a substantial trust fund from her deceased parents. She was wealthy but so stingy. All her earnest pleading had been in vain.

Thinking of this, she added spitefully: “Do you really want to force your Big Brother to his death?”

“I’m not the one who told him to use Zhen Group resources to line his own pockets, nor am I the one who tricked him with get-rich-quick schemes and took your savings,” Zhen Zhen was afraid their loud argument would startle Lu Jiayin in the flower parlor. She had to calmly pull her arm away, saying, “Aunt, if he hadn’t been greedy, how would he have ended up in this situation?”

Wen Meixian let out a suppressed cry, trembling as she tearfully accused: “You have such a cruel heart! Your Aunt took care of you with great hardship since you were little, and your Brother Ming accompanied you day and night. Now you’ve grown up, your wings are hardened, and you won’t even care about your own brother’s life or death…”

Seeing that coercion wouldn’t work, she resorted to emotional blackmail again, lowering her voice and pulling Zhen Zhen back with a hint of desperation: “Good child, you have so much money. You wouldn’t be so heartless as to keep your Big Brother from coming home for the reunion dinner… Your Grandpa is old and can’t handle all these troubles. If you just take out some money, he will surely change his ways…”

Zhen Zhen’s movements paused.

She could overlook other things, but the possibility of harming Grandpa made her hesitate. Since childhood, her aunt had instilled countless statements in her, such as “Your parents passed away, and this family is half-broken; only we are left,” giving her an unreasoning fear.

The fear that she would be the one causing the family to fall apart, the source of a cold, tragic New Year.

She gently took a breath, about to say more to appease her aunt, when another person walked in.

“Before asking my wife for money, shouldn’t you ask for my opinion first?”

Lu Jiayin stood gracefully at the tearoom door. The sunlight made her fair skin look translucent. Her bright peach-blossom eyes narrowed as she said languidly: “Her money needs to be saved to buy me diamonds. I’m afraid she can’t spare that much.”

“What do you mean, Xiao Lu?” Seeing an interloper disrupt her plan, the aunt frowned. “She’s giving money to her own brother. What right do you have to interfere?”

Lu Jiayin let out a sneer, as if she had heard a joke. She slowly examined her fair fingers and said with a smile: “I’m her wife. Do you think I have the right?”

As if to further prove her identity, she walked elegantly to Zhen Zhen’s side, snatched the arm back from her aunt’s grasp, intimately hooked it with her own, and said sweetly: “Am I right?”

The person in front of her was all smiles, clearly playing the role of a pampered, arrogant wife, leaning spinelessly into her embrace. Zhen Zhen subconsciously reached out to wrap her arm around Lu Jiayin’s slender waist and affirmed: “Yes.”

“If you do wrong, you get punished. If you get punished, you stand straight. Even children understand this principle.” Since the words were out, Lu Jiayin decided to fully commit to the character of a difficult wealthy wife, stating resolutely: “Even if we help, we can’t just whitewash the matter without clarification.”

She had overheard her aunt’s words in the corridor and deeply disapproved of this indulgence that covered up the truth. Zhen Ming had fallen into someone else’s trap out of his own greed, yet Wen Meixian’s intention was just to have Zhen Zhen pay to smooth things over and conclude the matter. This kind of indiscriminate attitude was truly the definition of a doting mother spoiling her child.

Zhen Zhen gently patted Lu Jiayin’s back, understanding that she wanted to help her out, but she also didn’t want Lu Jiayin to bear the brunt of her aunt’s resentment. So she took over the conversation: “That’s my thought too. As his mother, you should first persuade Brother Ming to come home. Let everyone sit down and discuss how to solve the problem, instead of constantly covering for him.”

Sit down and discuss? That’s equivalent to forcing Zhen Ming to admit his mistakes and completely lose face in front of the Old Man! Wen Meixian’s mind raced through several thoughts. She was angry that Lu Jiayin, an outsider, had interfered, and she was resentful that Zhen Zhen had embarrassed her son. Overwhelmed by her emotions, she forcefully rubbed her hands, wishing she could tear the two of them to shreds.

“Please reconsider,” seeing this, Zhen Zhen didn’t say more, only escorting Lu Jiayin to walk away. “Let Brother Ming come back and admit his mistake, and I will help him with the aftermath.”

After saying this, she didn’t spare Wen Meixian another glance.

Whether Wen Meixian was truly out of options or the debt collectors were too aggressive, three days later, just before Lunar New Year’s Eve, the haggard Zhen Ming finally appeared at the gates of the Zhen family mansion after being missing for days.

He had expected that this time, like before, if he just hid and disappeared for a few days, his mother would naturally find a way to raise money or coerce Zhen Zhen into cleaning up his mess. However, this time the hole he had dug was simply too big.

When he initially established New Energy Media, Qiao Tianyou’s company was already facing payment issues, which was why he came up with the idea of using the film company as a shell for listing, trying to make a quick buck to fill the hole in Fortune Treasure. He hadn’t expected the explosion of the crisis to come so quickly. After Qiao Tianyou ran, all the employees could only turn to Zhen Ming, the “partner,” for an explanation.

To quickly assemble the team, these employees had mostly been headhunted from major competitors with high salaries, relying on Zhen Ming’s connections. If he handled this poorly, he wouldn’t be able to survive in the industry afterward.

If it weren’t for the large sum of money Qiao Bao’er ultimately scammed from him, Zhen Ming might have fantasized about filling these holes. Unfortunately, there was no going back. In utter desperation, he finally chose to go home and admit his mistake to Grandpa.

Old Master Zhen’s reaction to the matter was not as severe as everyone had imagined. He merely instructed Zhen Zhen to arrange the cleanup. The salaries owed to the employees were to be paid first. As for the money Zhen Ming owed the Group for utilizing company resources, he would have to slowly compensate it from his future salary.

After handling everything, the Old Master made another decision, which he announced at the family dinner.

“I’m getting old and want to live a quieter life. After the spring next year, your family will move out of the old residence,” he said. “You can choose a separate villa down the mountain or live in the city, whatever you prefer.”

This was tantamount to announcing the imminent transfer of power in the Zhen family. Hearing this, Wen Meixian was stunned, and Zhen Ming drank a glass of wine without saying a word.

The family dinner concluded with each person occupied by their own thoughts. Afterward, the Old Master asked Lu Jiayin to stay behind alone.

“When Zhen Zhen returns from America next spring, I plan to hand over the position of Group Chairman to her,” Old Master Zhen gestured for Lu Jiayin to sit down and slowly began. “I asked you to stay today because I want to ask you again for your thoughts. My unworthy granddaughter—have you decided during this time whether you want her or not?”

Support The Ex-Wife-to-Be Is Acting Weird After Losing Her Memory