Chapter 70: So Much Backbone?

After the police left, Chu Qingzhu received a perfunctory compensation from the vendor—no more than ten times the value of the food order, which, from the platform’s perspective, was already quite responsible. For Madam Lu, such a sum was utterly insignificant. Chu Qingzhu was well aware of this; she was merely being tormented, and Madam Lu only needed to pay a trivial price for it.

Why not let her have her way?

With bloodshot eyes, Chu Qingzhu stood before her dressing mirror, gazing at her reflection. Under the torment of the past days, she seemed to have withered, her once vibrant allure fading away, the charm that once bloomed so radiantly now lost.

“No…” she muttered, sounding almost deranged. “I absolutely cannot let myself be ruined like this.”

She had already poured so much effort into her life. If she were to stop moving forward now because of a mere obstacle like Lu Yu, what would all these years of painstaking management amount to? As long as she still possessed this face, this body, she was certain she could find a new path. She could not allow herself to be destroyed by Madam Lu.

Thinking of this, a renewed spark of hope ignited in Chu Qingzhu’s eyes. She tidied herself carefully, changed into a presentable outfit, and called Luo Yuan.

At this point, only Luo Yuan could help her.

After all, everything Luo Yuan had now was thanks to her. They were already in the same boat, their fates intertwined: prosperity or ruin, they would share it together. So Luo Yuan had no choice but to help her.

Having agreed on the time and place, Chu Qingzhu put on light makeup and arrived promptly for their meeting, but the exhaustion on her face could not be concealed. Luo Yuan was surprised by her appearance, raising her eyebrows. “It’s only been a few days—what have you been through?”

If, a few days ago, Chu Qingzhu had been a dewy, blooming rose, now she was a wilted weed. Her face, once passably comparable to Pei Susu’s with carefully applied makeup, now looked neither human nor ghost. Even Luo Yuan, as a fellow woman, found her appearance unpleasant, let alone the men who had once been drawn to her.

Men are creatures of the eye, after all. What they liked was never “Chu Qingzhu” herself, but a beautiful and sensible woman. Whether it was Zhang Qingzhu or Wang Qingzhu, it would be the same.

With Luo Yuan, there was no need for pretense. Chu Qingzhu recounted everything that had happened without a trace of shame.

“Madam Lu is targeting me relentlessly now. I have to find a way to divert her attention elsewhere.”

Otherwise, with this continued torment, Chu Qingzhu would be unable to do anything.

Luo Yuan pondered for a moment. “I vaguely recall something about Lu Yu’s recent behavior. Didn’t he get himself a new lover?”

Who had the time to pay attention to such gossip recently? Chu Qingzhu certainly hadn’t known, but after hearing it, her gaze turned thoughtful.

“Isn’t Madam Lu after you because of what happened between you and Lu Yu? Just give her a new target,” Luo Yuan said lightly.

Realization dawned on Chu Qingzhu, and a faint smile returned to her lips.

She couldn’t believe she had wasted so much time wallowing at home and hadn’t thought of such a good solution.

“I’ll go right now,” she declared, rising abruptly and leaving in haste.

Watching her departing figure, Luo Yuan shook her head. Someone as foolish as Chu Qingzhu was no match for Pei Susu. If things continued like this, she would only fall further behind, so Luo Yuan knew she had to carve out a new path for herself.

Fortunately, Chu Qingzhu had been too preoccupied to pay attention to the company, let alone to Luo Yuan. Luo Yuan had already siphoned off some of the resources she’d found for her own benefit. Soon, she would no longer be under Chu Qingzhu’s thumb.

…

After leaving, Chu Qingzhu used the money Madam Lu had given her to hire a private investigator, thoroughly looking into Lu Yu’s new favorite. At last, she discovered their usual meeting place.

She had someone take photos and sent them all to Madam Lu.

Upon seeing the pictures, Madam Lu was furious and reportedly went to make trouble for Lu Yu and his new lover.

For a few days, Chu Qingzhu finally had some peace.

“It seems Madam Lu has really started causing trouble for that little tramp,” Chu Qingzhu remarked, opening her front door to find everything quiet and undisturbed. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Now she truly regretted ever trusting Lu Yu’s facade. In reality, he was utterly unreliable, yet she had allowed herself to be so thoroughly deceived.

But of course, Chu Qingzhu would never blame herself. It was Lu Yu’s fault, Madam Lu’s fault—she was merely the one who had been misled.

After resting at home for two days, some of the weariness in Chu Qingzhu’s appearance faded away. With fresh, delicate makeup, she looked at herself in the mirror with satisfaction and nodded.

She packed her things and headed straight to Xingye.

Standing before the familiar company doors, Chu Qingzhu wore a confident smile.

Even without those men, she still had her career; there was no need to live off anyone else.

As for Liang Wenru…

He was just a man she could summon with a crook of her finger—there was nothing worth cherishing. Besides, if Liang Wenru left her, who else could he turn to? She was absolutely confident.

She strode into the company, but as soon as she reached the reception desk, a few security guards stopped her.

“Are you sure you’re not mistaken? I’m Chu Qingzhu!” she declared, folding her arms. “Don’t you know the relationship between me and President Liang? I’m part of Xingye too—why shouldn’t I be allowed in?”

The security guards remained businesslike. “Sorry, but your name is no longer in the employee system. If you want to come in, you’d better call President Liang. Maybe it’s a misunderstanding, but we’re just doing our job.”

Seeing their impartial attitude, Chu Qingzhu sneered. “You’re just security guards—watchdogs at the door. I’ll call Liang Wenru right now and have him come down to fetch me, then see you fired!”

She took out her phone and dialed Liang Wenru—for the first time since that day. But as soon as she called, a cold, automated voice replied:

“We’re sorry, the number you dialed is unavailable.”

Blocked?

He actually had the nerve?

Chu Qingzhu let out a cold laugh, her alluring face tinged with disdain.

Liang Wenru loved her to death; there was no way he could be so unyielding. At most, he was just sulking. Unconcerned, Chu Qingzhu opened all her other social apps and messaged him everywhere. Only after sending them did her expression grow darker and darker.