Chapter 5

Father Bai didn’t start by talking about Bai Lu but first brought up his son Bai Hao’s posthumous affairs.

As Bai Hao’s wife, Shen Qing was entitled to half of the inheritance following his death. Besides some properties, cars, and cash, the largest portion involved shares in Yifang Group. Bai Hao, once the rightful heir to the company, held 7% of the shares. However, due to the shares involving broader implications, they had not been divided. Shen Qing, not being the mercenary type, had naturally never brought it up.

After reading through the contract, Lu Zhi placed the stack of papers on the table before her.

“Although Bai Hao is gone, since you married into the Bai family, we are family. I won’t shortchange you of what is rightfully yours.” Father Bai leaned back in his chair, his gaze direct on Lu Zhi as he spoke slowly. “You’re a smart person. Even if I don’t say it, you can guess the company’s situation. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have suggested letting Lulu get involved in the company.”

Lu Zhi smiled slightly, not denying it.

“It’s not that I haven’t considered handing the company to Lulu. Before, she studied some kind of art appreciation. After Bai Hao’s incident, I had her switch majors to Business Administration. I originally wanted to see if she could stand on her own.” Father Bai revealed a wry smile. “This daughter of mine, I truly spoiled her rotten since she was little, molding such a lazy disposition. After a year of study, there’s no result…”

“Bai Lu has always had smooth sailing; her character isn’t fixed yet,” Lu Zhi comforted him.

Father Bai shook his head and sighed. “It’s not that simple. I was over forty when I had Lulu as a daughter. I held her in my palm since she was small—couldn’t beat her, couldn’t scold her. Her mother passed away early. At home, it was just me and Bai Hao, protecting her like the apple of our eye. Growing up as she has, sending her now to face the daggers and cold arrows of the business world—she won’t survive.”

Lu Zhi glanced at Father Bai expressionlessly, beginning to understand what he wanted to say.

“Shen Qing, Lulu can be considered your little sister. I hope that in the future, for the sake of us once being family, you might look after her somewhat.”

Lu Zhi looked at this elderly man with the sincere expression.

When parents love their children, their plans reach far into the future.

Having transmigrated through many lives, Lu Zhi had seen countless such situations. Although she didn’t believe Father Bai’s inexcusable doting, molding her into such an ignorant and naïve character, was right, her heart was still touched.

She gently tapped the thin papers on the table—the share transfer contract. Bai Hao’s 7%, split to give her 3.5%.

Lu Zhi wouldn’t underestimate this small figure. Yifang Group, after decades of changes, had an extremely complex ownership structure. Even Father Bai only held 23% of the shares. The Bai family of three, combined, held just barely 35%, only just guarding the safety control line of a veto vote.

Now, with this and the betrothal gifts given when she married Bai Hao, the shares she held already exceeded those of Bai Lu and most of the Bai family. Even if the company was now heavily in debt, it still held vast amounts of land. A starving camel is still bigger than a horse. Even if bankruptcy were eventually declared, these shares could secure her an astonishing amount of wealth.

Lu Zhi couldn’t help but be surprised by Father Bai’s generous hand. Shares were different from other assets like houses, cars, or jewelry. Although nominally part of legal inheritance, their actual transfer could be monumentally difficult. So Lu Zhi hadn’t planned on claiming them, yet Father Bai personally gave them, just to find a bit of support for his daughter.

“Alright,” she smiled and agreed.

Father Bai let out a somewhat relieved sigh. He trusted the Shen family’s upbringing. Since Shen Qing agreed, not only she but others in the Shen family would naturally not stand idly by and watch the only daughter of their former in-laws be bullied.

According to the normal plotline, without Lu Zhi’s presence, Shen Qing would have died suddenly after keeping vigil all night at the hospital. Although the Shen family wouldn’t bear a grudge against the Bai family because of it, they would absolutely not take the initiative to show goodwill—at most simply not paying attention. So when Father Bai passed away and Bai Lu died a miserable death, they only learned about it afterward, with just a few sighs and nothing more.

After signing the contract, Lu Zhi left the study. Bai Lu was on the living room sofa playing with her phone while glancing at her movements from the corner of her eye. Seeing her come out, she quickly turned away.

After a while, the young lady couldn’t hold back. Hesitantly, she came over and asked, “What did my dad want with you?”

The worries the young lady had after reading the statements had long been soothed away by Father Bai and Secretary Li’s every possible means. They were both the all-controlling, patriarchal type, always believing Bai Lu was still a child and unwilling to let her meddle in these so-called “adult” troubles.

Lu Zhi offered no opinion on this mentality.

But Bai Lu was already twenty years old and had her own eyes. Although persuaded, due to a vague, hidden worry about the family’s situation and her father’s health, she had been maintaining a sort of sporadic vigilance regarding Father Bai’s condition these past few days.

Lu Zhi took a glass and poured herself some purified water, glancing at her sideways. “I heard from your dad that you failed several subjects last semester?”

Bai Lu’s mouth turned down, instantly losing all interest in talking to her. Wheeling around, she snapped, “I’ll fail as many subjects as I want! It has nothing to do with you!”

“Oh, but it does,” Lu Zhi took a sip of water, her voice unhurried. “From now on, I’ll be managing your studies. Your school’s midterms are in October. If you fail anything again, you can live on thin air for the rest of the year.”

“What gives you the right?” Bai Lu froze mid-step, turning her head, her large eyes glaring at her.

Lu Zhi curled her lips in a smile. “Your dad hired me, at a high price, to take care of you. Don’t waste his good intentions.”

“What do you mean? My dad hired you? Impossible!” Bai Lu declared resolutely. Dad had always known about her discord with Shen Qing; how could he say something like that?

Lu Zhi faced her with a smile, her expression completely composed.

“I don’t believe it!” Bai Lu pursed her lips and then flew like the wind into the study.

Feeling inexplicably cheerful, Lu Zhi took her water glass upstairs.

A short while later, Bai Lu ran up, her face flushed pink, clearly having gotten nowhere with Father Bai. Eyes blazing, she declared war on her. “Shen Qing! Don’t be too smug! I would rather die than listen to you!”

Lu Zhi was sitting at the vanity, about to wash up, removing the tassel earrings in front of the mirror. She didn’t turn to see Bai Lu’s anger, just gave a nonchalant “Hm.”

Driven practically to a stroke by her attitude, Bai Lu walked over, hands braced on the table, leaning close to Shen Qing. She hissed viciously, “You’re just an outsider! Don’t think you can control our Bai family!”

Lu Zhi lifted her eyelid slightly, her expression unchanged. Her hands didn’t stop their motion as she reached up to undo the hair tie holding her updo, letting a cascade of soft curls fall down over her shoulders.

Bai Lu was momentarily dazed. In her impression, Shen Qing was good-looking, but her most beautiful feature was her nose; her eyes could only be considered ordinary—not large, with light, sparse lashes. But now, when the other woman just lifted her eyes lightly, slowly sweeping the corners upward as a few strands of hair drifted by, there was a strangely alluring quality.

“Fine. If you don’t want to listen to me, then go get married,” Lu Zhi tossed the hair tie onto the vanity, resting an elbow casually on the chair in a relaxed, natural posture. “The eldest son of the He Family just returned from studying abroad to take over the family business. As a daughter of the Bai family, marrying over there would make some contribution to the family, repaying your father’s years of upbringing. Naturally, then, you wouldn’t need to be controlled by me.”

“You!” Coming back to her senses, Bai Lu was choked with rage. Looking at Lu Zhi again, she only saw a scheming fox spirit dripping with malice. “Don’t even think about it! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re scheming! You just want our family’s money! Weren’t you determined not to come back before? Now you trot right back to live here. It’s just because you saw Dad’s health was poor and planned to take the chance to grab a piece of the Bai family pie! And you want to marry me off! I’m telling you, no way!”

“You better be careful. I’ve got my eyes on you!” Bai Lu spat out her threats word by word.

Lu Zhi laughed, standing up. “Alright then, you better watch closely.”

“By the way, I’m going to shower. Do you want to come in and watch?”

“Shen Qing! You… you have no shame!”

Lu Zhi paid her no mind, sauntering over to open the bathroom door, looking as if she was about to undress.

Watching the other woman actually start unbuttoning directly in front of her, Bai Lu stormed out in a huff, slamming the door with an earth-shaking bang.

The next morning, as soon as Lu Zhi came downstairs, she told Aunt Wang to wake someone up.

Father Bai was also in the dining room having breakfast and looked up when he heard this.

“Tell Bai Lu, if she’s late for the first class today, I’ll print out her school exam results from the past two years and send them to Zhou Ying. Let’s see if he’ll particularly appreciate our young lady’s… charming simplicity,” Lu Zhi said from her seat, smiling brightly at the troubled Aunt Wang.

Aunt Wang carefully stole a glance at Father Bai. He showed absolutely no intention of speaking up for his daughter, instead looking momentarily surprised before revealing a hint of amused admiration.

The result, naturally, was Bai Lu charging downstairs in a fury. Throughout the entire breakfast, she wished her glare could burn two holes right through Lu Zhi’s face.

After breakfast, Lu Zhi, in front of Father Bai, laid down three ground rules with Bai Lu.

No skipping class.

No being tardy or leaving early.

No failing exams.

Otherwise, her allowance would be docked.

“Dad!” Bai Lu hadn’t expected Shen Qing to be even more brazen in front of Father Bai. She couldn’t help but look to the man seated at the head of the table for help.

But Father Bai did not grant her wish. “Calling Dad won’t help. With your current grades, graduating will be tough. I don’t want a daughter with only a high school diploma.”

Father Bai hadn’t been overly concerned about this before. He was willing to give his daughter the best life, but didn’t demand she become an outstanding person. Bai Hao was one thing, but Bai Lu—well, she was a girl. What did her academic performance matter? With the family’s wealth, she’d never be shortchanged anyway.

But he also knew that what Lu Zhi had stated were basic requirements for any student. Since she brought it up, Father Bai naturally wouldn’t object. And he truly hadn’t expected that his request for Shen Qing to look after his daughter would be used in this way. Perhaps it was to be expected from a child whose parents were both educators?

In any case, the intention was good, the outcome good, so he was amenable either way.

“As for attending school, I’ll have the driver monitor it. At the university, I’ll also coordinate with your counselor beforehand,” Lu Zhi addressed Bai Lu across the table, her tone light but firm. “Bai Lu, you know my temper. I mean what I say. I won’t be soft on you.”

“Shen… Shen Qing, don’t push it too far.” Bai Lu glared at Lu Zhi through gritted teeth. Seeing the family’s only pillar not taking her side, she was practically on the verge of crying from upset inside. But she still retained a shred of rationality; the upbringing of a wealthy young lady didn’t permit her to openly curse and rage.

“Alright, Lulu, Shen Qing is doing this for your own good,” Father Bai stepped in to smooth things over.

“She’s not doing it for my good! She just doesn’t want me to have an easy time…” Bai Lu, in the heat of her anger, couldn’t listen to any of this. Her voice even caught with a few sobs, then, feeling embarrassed, she couldn’t stomach any more breakfast. She rose and ran out of the dining room.

Seeing his daughter so aggrieved, Father Bai’s heart couldn’t help but soften again. Faced with her disrespect, he could no longer find words of reproach. Looking somewhat sheepishly at Lu Zhi, he said, “This child…”

Lu Zhi smiled, indicating she didn’t mind.