Too Late to Regret, She’s Now With the Big Boss - Chapter 18

“Bai Lang, have you forgotten what I said yesterday?” Lu Jingchen’s icy aura filled the hall, suffocating everyone present.

“Sir, you said yesterday that you were taking three days off and instructed that no matter how urgent any matter was, we were not to disturb you. But the five-year development plan for Lu Corporation has gone missing!” Bai Lang’s voice trembled.

“The plan is missing? Qianqian, we’re going to the company now.” With that, Lu Jingchen grabbed Ye Qianqian’s hand and strode out.

Old Master Lu, seeing his usually unflappable third son display a rare hint of panic, realized the gravity of the situation.

A man as obsessed with the rise of the Lu family as his third son would never abandon the company for a new wife.

With a chuckle, he said, “Jingchen, I assume this is your whirlwind wife. Could she stay and have a meal with us?”

“No. Qianqian is shy, she’s coming with me. The food is ready; you can eat without us,” Lu Jingchen refused firmly.

On her way here, Madam Lu had assumed her wayward son had forced this marriage.

But seeing Ye Qianqian obediently clinging to his side, she concluded the woman was just a gold-digger.

She said coolly, “What family raised such an ill-mannered girl? She doesn’t even greet her elders?”

Disdain was unmistakable in Madam Lu’s eyes. She had never imagined that her son, arrogant, ruthless, indifferent to women as if they were ants, and utterly clueless about love, would one day shield a woman so fiercely.

Today’s defiance from her rebellious son horrified her.

Now, she only wanted to provoke him into a public outburst, hoping to scare this opportunistic woman away.

Ye Qianqian noticed the razor-sharp glare Lu Jingchen directed at his mother. She could tell he was suppressing his anger, likely to avoid frightening her.

Rising on her tiptoes, she whispered in his ear, “Husband, the company needs you. Go ahead. I’ll handle things here.”

Her closeness burned like a scorching flame, igniting a thirst in Lu Jingchen that was unbearable.

But with the five-year plan missing, he had to leave immediately. Leaning down, he murmured, “Don’t be afraid of her, I’m here.”

“Afraid? If she treats me well, she’s your mother. If not, I won’t indulge her.”

Before Ye Qianqian could say more, a deep voice sounded by her ear, “Wife, I’ll go to the company first. Don’t let yourself be wronged.”

Gently releasing her hand, Lu Jingchen straightened and said, “Father, this is my wife, Ye Qianqian. Please take care of her.”

Then, his expression frosty, he turned to Madam Lu, his eyes a clear warning: Don’t start trouble.

Finally, he kissed Ye Qianqian’s forehead in front of everyone and left reluctantly, never once calling out “Mother.”

Bai Lang hurried after Lu Jingchen, his face clouded with worry. Without Madam by his side, the boss reverted to his cold, merciless self…

Madam Lu stamped her foot in fury. “Look at your precious son! Is he even mine? How dare he treat me like this?”

“That brat! Qianqian is our daughter-in-law, what could we possibly do to her?” Old Master Lu roared at his son’s retreating figure, his voice thunderous.

Then, with a mix of helplessness and sympathy, she looked at her young wife and said, “Ruyi, don’t be angry. He’s always been like this.”

Seeing her uncle leave, Lu Yao immediately walked cheerfully over to Ye Qianqian and tightly grasped her hands. “Qianqian, are… are you okay?”

“Yao Yao, I’m fine,” Ye Qianqian replied with a bright smile, greeting her in-laws and the Lu family. “Dad, Mom, Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-in-law, please have a seat.”

She had personally heard Lu Jingchen speak about his mother and had also seen the barrage of comments mocking how vicious the old Madame Lu was.

In her mind, she had painted Madame Lu as someone with narrow, triangular eyes, sharply arched eyebrows, a sharp-tongued and difficult person to deal with.

To her surprise, Madame Lu appeared to be only in her thirties, strikingly beautiful, delicate, and fragile.

Though she had come to complain to the old master about her own son, her face wore an expression of pitiful grievance, as if she had suffered some great injustice.

Madame Lu’s appearance was utterly deceptive, no wonder the old master doted on her so much!

“So, you’re Third Brother’s flash-marriage wife?” Madame Lu scrutinized Ye Qianqian with disdain.

Her skin was like fine jade, her eyebrows slender, her eyes round and bright. With a faint smile, her dimples peeked through, radiating a dazzling, unrestrained beauty.

Like a flower in full bloom, no wonder even that emotionally stunted scoundrel had married her in a flash!

“Yes, just call me Qianqian. And you must be Third Master’s mother? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were his sister!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Ye Qianqian covered her lips in mock alarm. She was all too skilled at handling such situations.

Ever since she returned to the Ye family at fifteen, though she lived a life free from material want, she had spent every single day serving the Ye family like a workhorse.

To the Song family, she was a sycophant; to the Ye family, she was a beast of burden, never once had she lived as a human being.

But now, married to the “Living King of Hell,” she was determined to turn her life around, to reclaim her dignity, to never suffer another grievance, and to never let herself be unhappy again.

She wanted to lash out at them, but one was elderly, the other frail. Out of respect for the old and care for the young, Ye Qianqian decided to yield for now.

Hearing her words, Madame Lu gripped the old master’s hand tightly, her furious eyes locked onto Ye Qianqian’s beautiful gaze.

In those eyes, she saw mockery, scorn, fearlessness, and confidence.

Gritting her teeth, she demanded, “You’re young and beautiful, why would you marry the infamous Living King of Hell instead of finding a job? What do you want from him?”

“Of course, I want my husband for his wealth, his looks, and his capabilities. Dad, Mom, don’t you like me?” Ye Qianqian asked with a face full of happiness and anticipation.

Madame Lu struggled to suppress the storm inside her, her expression cold as she said, “You’re vain and shameless.”

Ye Qianqian picked up the hot water a servant had just poured for her, took a small sip, and calmly asked, “How so? Do you even know me?”

Madame Lu was momentarily speechless. Just as she was about to explode in anger, the old master pulled her back, awkwardly smiling at Ye Qianqian. “Qianqian, your mother wasn’t… talking about you.”

Madame Lu sneered, shaking off the old master’s hand, and pointed angrily at Ye Qianqian. “I was absolutely talking about her.”

Ye Qianqian stared at the accusing finger, and finally, she couldn’t hold back anymore. She stepped forward, grabbed Madame Lu’s index finger, and twisted it hard.

“Ye. Qianqian!” Madame Lu’s furious roar and the sound of a snapping bone rang out almost simultaneously. Her finger would need immediate medical attention.

Ye Qianqian glanced at the distorted face of the pain-stricken Old Lady Lu and the distressed expression of Old Master Lu.

She refrained from retorting further and was about to call for the family doctor when she heard Old Lady Lu roar.

“You old fool, look at what kind of woman your worthless son married? Bodyguards, take me to the hospital now!”