Chapter 98

A person valued by Trans and looked favorably upon by Su Yiqui could not be easily controlled by Lu Yuezhi, unless it was the person herself.

The answer was self-evident. Xiao Luyan truly did not need to ask any further.

River was Lu Yuezhi. This fact shocked her for quite a while; she even felt it was too miraculous at one point. But after she came back to her senses, she breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it was not an enemy, that was good. Lu Yuezhi’s greatest threat had been eliminated, and her own development could proceed more smoothly.

Lu Yuezhi was still chattering on, criticizing River’s “annoying” traits. She did not expect this person to complain about herself without holding back. Those who did not know might think they were rivals.

Xiao Luyan leaned on her shoulder and could not help but recall those anxious days.

When she thought back to how Trans had explained River’s reason for declining the invitation in the tea room that morning, her chest suddenly warmed.

Lu Yuezhi had chosen to appear as the person she recommended, which was a form of affirmation in itself. Having Trans’s endorsement would have been more straightforward, but she still decided to come as Lu Yuezhi.

For Lu Yuezhi, the result might have been the same either way; she would receive Trans’s approval regardless. But for Xiao Luyan, it was different. She had recommended Lu Yuezhi under such great pressure. If the person who ultimately showed up had been River…

While she was unaware, she had been firmly chosen by Lu Yuezhi.

At this thought, the warmth in Xiao Luyan’s chest rose even higher, to the point where she began to sweat. Yet she was still somewhat reluctant to leave this embrace, so instead of pulling away, she tightened her arms around Lu Yuezhi’s waist.

Lu Yuezhi drew in a sharp breath, thinking Xiao Luyan had been provoked to anger by her “criticisms” and was now caught in a dilemma.

It was right to criticize River, but making Xiao Luyan angry was not what she wanted.

She cut off her nagging and cautiously said, “Shall we end today’s criticisms here for now?”

Xiao Luyan’s lips curved up. “Sure.”

Lu Yuezhi breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear Xiao Luyan add, “We’ll settle this account later, slowly.”

“Ah?” Lu Yuezhi could not help but wonder how it would be settled and when.

“What, trying to welch?” Xiao Luyan looked up. “Who was it just now who said they wanted to properly teach River a lesson?”

Lu Yuezhi’s tone softened, but her attitude was firm. “I absolutely won’t welch.”

Lu Yuezhi had originally been worried that Xiao Luyan would be unhappy after learning she was River, or that she might misunderstand it as deliberate concealment to toy with her. She had not expected Xiao Luyan to not mind at all. There was even more gentleness at the corners of her eyes and brows, and the way she looked at her was a little different.

Lu Yuezhi did not know why Xiao Luyan was like this, but she was not foolish enough to ask.

Having hugged her for so long under this pretext, she only then remembered that she might have wrinkled Xiao Luyan’s clothes.

With an awkward chuckle, she let go and wanted to help straighten them out, only to receive a faint eye-roll from Xiao Luyan.

Just as she finished straightening the clothes, Cheng Yanran delivered lunch. She was very considerate and did not come in, merely asking at the door, “Do you need anything else bought?”

Xiao Luyan calmly took the takeout. “No need. Go rest.”

The takeout was bought according to Xiao Luyan’s tastes. Cheng Yanran had originally wanted to ask what Lu Yuezhi wanted to eat. But thinking of her master’s attitude in the conference room earlier, she wisely did not disturb them.

Lu Yuezhi was not picky at all and was very happy to eat the same thing as Xiao Luyan.

She did not come to Deyounian often, let alone share lunch like this.

Everything felt fresh to Lu Yuezhi. She enjoyed and cherished every experience shared with Xiao Luyan.

Xiao Luyan had wanted to ask if it was tasty, but seeing her delighted expression made it unnecessary.

Her appetite had been poor lately, but today she unusually had an appetite. Thinking that she and Lu Yuezhi would often eat lunch together in the coming days made her appetite even better.

After finishing lunch, Lu Yuezhi received a message from Su Yiqui asking if she had time to discuss the shooting details.

Xiao Luyan also knew time was tight and did not stop her.

Lu Yuezhi picked up the two heavy backpacks again and would not let Xiao Luyan see her out. “Rest while you can. You’ll be busy with the afternoon meeting.”

Xiao Luyan stared at her. “We have to work overtime tonight.”

Lu Yuezhi nodded. “I know.”

Xiao Luyan worried she had not understood. “You too.”

Lu Yuezhi was amused by her serious expression. “I know. We’ll work overtime together.”

Xiao Luyan had been a bit annoyed at first, but when Lu Yuezhi said they would work overtime together, her mood inexplicably lifted.

The afternoon meeting starred Lu Yuezhi and Su Yiqui. Topics like adjustments to the photography team’s division of labor and finalizing new concepts were ones Xiao Luyan could not join.

As the project lead, she sat by and presided. She offered support and affirmation at appropriate times and made overall decisions on resource allocation.

This was actually the first time she had seen Lu Yuezhi at work up close. She had seen her works and practiced shooting with her, but watching her fully immersed in work was a first.

Lu Yuezhi was quite a bit younger than Su Yiqui and might seem like there was an age gap usually, but she held her own in work discussions. When she needed to stand firm, Lu Yuezhi did not yield an inch and would persuade the other side round after round.

Her attitude was resolute, and she rarely changed her mind once decided. But this was not mere stubbornness, because after a few rounds of discussion, Su Yiqui was mostly convinced.

Xiao Luyan could not help but sigh in admiration. Lu Yuezhi’s work ability was far stronger than she had imagined. She had always worried that Lu Yuezhi could not handle the trivial matters of the workplace, but it seemed she had not understood her well enough.

Cheng Yanran saw her master somewhat entranced and did not want to disturb her, but some processes needed timely handling.

She asked softly, “We have to sign the contract the day after tomorrow. Are there any other procedures I need to handle in advance?”

Xiao Luyan came back to her senses and realized from Cheng Yanran’s obviously apologetic look that she had been too absorbed earlier. Her cheeks warmed.

“No big issues with the procedures. Later…” She thought for a moment. “Later, just confirm directly with Lu Yuezhi.”

Xiao Luyan remembered she had said the Cultural Heritage Bureau side would handle it well. Though she had not asked for specific progress yet, she was quite reassured now.

Lu Yuezhi was more reliable and reassuring than she had imagined.

After finalizing the details, Lu Yuezhi stayed that day to begin shooting. Xiao Luyan naturally accompanied her throughout and personally witnessed how adeptly Lu Yuezhi navigated between Trans and Su Yiqui.

The three of them were the type who appreciated each other and could spark off one another.

Xiao Luyan was certain that Lu Yuezhi had truly embarked on a brilliant path ahead.

Amid her relief, a hard-to-describe emptiness surged deep in her heart, as if she feared losing something.

Jason had not left either; he simply did not dare to. There had been no chance to probe during the afternoon meeting, but Young Master Quan was still waiting for his latest report.

The integration between Lu Yuezhi and the photography team went much more smoothly than he had expected. Many of the conflicts he had anticipated simply did not arise. Moreover, Su Yiqui was unusually cooperative, far beyond her norm.

He had previously thought Su Yiqui arrogant in her talents. Even if Lu Yuezhi temporarily replaced her, she definitely would not swallow it easily. They should be openly or covertly fighting, so what was this harmonious scene?

Another message came from Young Master Quan, asking about the current situation.

Jason braced himself and reported everything he had seen. On the phone, Quan Ruiyu’s voice was cold. “How did you guarantee it to me before?”

“I didn’t expect it to be this outrageous either.” Jason stood in an empty corner and said lowly, “I suspect Lu Yuezhi has some kind of spell on her. Everyone who sees her acts like they’ve been bewitched, completely different from before.”

Xiao Luyan was like this, and now Su Yiqui was too.

Quan Ruiyu had no time for talk of spells; he only cared if it was still timely to sabotage things now.

Trans and Su Yiqui were immovable, and Lu Yuezhi signing with the project team was a done deal.

Quan Ruiyu thought for a moment. “Then we can only pull strings at the Cultural Heritage Bureau.”

Ever since Xiao Luyan got married, he could no longer act openly on many matters. After his own engagement, he had been reminded several times to restrain himself, especially since he and Xiao Luyan were now clearly divided.

He had indirectly signaled the Cultural Heritage Bureau, but such a minor matter did not require his direct involvement anyway. Quan Ruiyu was not too worried and told Jason to wait assuredly for the signing to be shelved.

Unexpectedly, the Cultural Heritage Bureau replied that Lu Yuezhi had already completed all procedures, and the required processes had been urgently approved that very evening.

This time, Quan Ruiyu did not even catch the taillights!

After receiving the call, he could not be bothered with socializing and left the event early with a sour face.

Lin Zhaozhao did not know the details but guessed it likely involved Xiao Luyan. Few people could make Quan Ruiyu lose control, making it easy to guess.

A man over thirty acting so immaturely. Thinking this was her arranged marriage partner, she felt quite speechless.

But she still kindly reminded him, “Ruiyu, let go of what you should. Why make yourself unhappy?”

Quan Ruiyu scowled without responding. Their relationship had been purely a family arrangement from the start. Thinking of the already set wedding date made him even more irritated.

“You wouldn’t understand!” Quan Ruiyu tossed this over his shoulder and left without looking back.

Lu Yuezhi formally signed the contract with Deyounian under the name of “Riverside Studio” boss and in her own name as Lu Yuezhi. She was in a collaborative relationship with Su Yiqui, not under the same Trans studio.

It was a bit roundabout, but it did not hinder her interactions with Su Yiqui. As her shooting works increased, speculation within the photography team that she was River gradually grew.

Before long, it became the internal consensus that she was River. President Dai was very puzzled and summoned Xiao Luyan again.

He thought it was a pity River had not joined the competition, but passing her off as Lu Yuezhi was not good either.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Luyan was calm. “She really is River. It’s not a rumor.”

President Dai was puzzled. “Then why didn’t she say so directly at the time?”

Xiao Luyan smiled faintly. “Because the person I recommended was Lu Yuezhi.”