Chapter 7

Aunt Wang also got a fright when she came in to clean.

“They’re fake,” Lu Zhi said.

Aunt Wang let out an “Ah” and then stole a glance at Bai Lu, who was sitting on the other side of the bed with her back to them, her expression unreadable. This was clearly a car crash scene where a prank had backfired spectacularly. She sighed inwardly for the family’s young lady and said nothing more. Suppressing her own goosebumps, she swept the entire floor of creepy-crawlies into the trash bin with a broom.

Lu Zhi watched as she cleaned up the mess on the floor and even thoughtfully closed the door on her way out.

She walked over to the sofa opposite the bed and sat down. Across from her, Bai Lu hung her head. “Calmed down yet?”

Bai Lu didn’t look at her but stubbornly let out a huff.

“Bai Lu, it seems you’ve never understood your situation.”

Bai Lu kept her head down, muttering defiantly, “What situation?”

“A down-and-out Eldest Miss on the verge of bankruptcy. The rightful heiress of a powerful family who lost the power struggle. A pitiful creature whose family fortunes have fallen and who, unable to endure poverty, can only rely on her looks to make a living.” Lu Zhi said it lightly.

“Hmph, I knew you were hoping I’d end up more and more miserable.” Bai Lu curled her lip, not believing a word Lu Zhi said. “You’re trying to scare me with financial reports again, aren’t you? I already asked Uncle Li. High debt is normal in the real estate industry. What bankruptcy? Still trying to bluff me?”

Lu Zhi smiled.

“What are you smiling at?”

“I’m smiling at how adorably foolish you are.” Lu Zhi looked at her, a grin on her face, but her words made Bai Lu so angry she nearly choked. “I thought only your dad knew how to humor you. I didn’t expect Secretary Li to be so good at it too.”

“Little girl, you really should read more. Otherwise, it’s far too easy for people to deceive you.”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Bai Lu glared at her.

The smile slowly faded from Lu Zhi’s face. “Bai Lu, you’re not a child anymore. I want you to open your eyes and take a look at the family’s situation for yourself. See why your father threw himself back into work less than a week after being discharged from the hospital. You’ve grown up in this family for twenty years—do you think he’s a masochistic workaholic? Or is he forced by circumstance?”

Lu Zhi’s solemn expression made Bai Lu uncomfortable. She pressed her lips together and averted her gaze.

“I heard you’ve been chasing after Zhou Ying lately too,” Lu Zhi suddenly switched to another topic, her fingers tapping slowly on the leather armrest of the sofa, her expression calm. “You and Zhou Ying are six or seven years apart. At your age, he was already starting his own business. Now he’s fully capable of handling things on his own. And you? Still failing exams. What do you think he likes? That you’re all looks and no brains?”

Bai Lu’s head shot up. Her flower-like face flushed bright red with shame at the bluntness.

Lu Zhi’s gaze swept briefly over the other’s ample, heaving chest. Without giving her a chance to argue, she continued, “Zhou Ying is the standout of his generation in the Zhou Family. If you truly like him, then think about how to make yourself better, not act like a whiny, pathetic tagalong as you’re doing now.”

“The Bai Family also needs an heir now. Your older brother is dead. You should be the one stepping up. Your father loves you dearly, so he hasn’t planned on making you shoulder this heavy burden. But you need to understand—if you can’t hold onto the Bai Family’s wealth and power, then the gap between you and Zhou Ying will only grow wider and wider.”

“Don’t you like him? Words alone are meaningless. You have to make some effort toward that end.” Lu Zhi countered, her brows arching slightly.

“Inherit the Bai Family…” Bai Lu’s expression shifted through several changes as she listened, finally settling into bewilderment. She murmured, “I… I’ve never thought about it…”

“When Bai Hao was alive, you could afford not to think about it. But now that he’s gone, how much longer do you plan to run away?”

“I…” Bai Lu bit her lip, looking at Lu Zhi with a complex and shocked expression, as if struggling to understand why she would say such things. She opened her mouth several times but ultimately couldn’t form any words.

No one had ever told her she could inherit the Bai Family—not even a hint. When her older brother was still around, that was one thing. But after Bai Hao died, everyone simply assumed by default that Father Bai would choose a successor from among other relatives in the family.

It was strange. Ever since she was little, the people around her only wanted to spoil her into a little princess who knew nothing but eating, drinking, and having fun. Responsibility and obligation—outside of textbooks—had simply never appeared in her life.

“You’re still young. Only twenty-one. If you haven’t thought about it before, you can start thinking about it slowly now.” Lu Zhi’s voice was very soft, carrying a rare trace of warmth, even a hint of temptation. “Right now, you are the first in line to inherit everything the Bai Family has. Your father dotes on you so much. As long as you want it, you can absolutely become the next head of the Bai Family.”

After she finished speaking, Lu Zhi gazed at Bai Lu quietly for a while, then stood up and walked out of the room.

She wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about raising children. If Bai Lu could stand on her own two feet, she would naturally lend a hand. If she truly turned out to be someone hopelessly unable to rise to the occasion, then protecting her as a person would be enough.

After all, she was a beauty. To let her be trampled and ruined as the plot dictated—that would truly be unbearable.

Over the next several days, Bai Lu was clearly much more well-behaved. Though she still went to school reluctantly, at least she no longer dared to glare at Lu Zhi.

Lu Zhi didn’t focus all her attention on Bai Lu either. She was slowly sorting through Shen Qing’s interpersonal relationships. After all, integrating into a new life meant that beyond family and close friends, there were many other things she needed to adjust to.

The art museum where Shen Qing held the nominal post of Deputy Curator was currently hosting a semi-private exhibition. Though it didn’t require much from her, since she bore the title, she still needed to show her face as a formality.

The exhibition was held in the format of a business networking event. Lu Zhi greeted everyone one by one, moving ceaselessly amid clinking glasses and flowing conversation. It wasn’t until the latter half of the event that she finally had a little time to herself. She wandered casually through the venue and eventually came to a stop in front of a simple line drawing.

A blank background, just a few strokes of black ink, outlining a woman’s slender back. A touch of shading at the shoulder blades, as captivating as a butterfly at rest.

“Can something like this really be displayed?” A slightly skeptical voice sounded beside her.

Lu Zhi turned her head. It was a young woman, dressed in a loose blouse and knee-length black jeans. Tall, lean, and slender.

Single eyelids, phoenix eyes with floating, rippling light.

It was the girl she had seen at the art studio before.

Lu Zhi shifted her gaze back to the painting. “Of course. As long as it possesses beauty, most things can be displayed and called art.”

Hearing this, the young woman tilted her head and murmured to herself, “This is called beautiful?”

She reached out a finger and traced the lines outside the frame in the air.

Lu Zhi said nothing.

After a moment, the girl suddenly smiled at her. “The person in this painting is me.”

Lu Zhi raised an eyebrow. The signature on this painting was none other than Shen Qing’s superior—the Curator of this museum and an art professor at the city university.

“Very beautiful.” She looked at the girl’s clear face and offered sincere praise.

The girl laughed. Her originally cool, aloof features instantly became radiant, even her voice carrying a lilting bounce. “I know you. Your name is Shen Qing.”

“Hello.” Lu Zhi smiled faintly.

“Hello, my name is Li Ai. I am a…” She paused, glanced at the painting, and said, “I’m a model.”

“If you ever need a model for figure oil paintings, you can contact me. For women, I give a twenty percent discount.”

Lu Zhi didn’t find her self-promotion out of place. Looking at her poised and composed demeanor, she even nodded and said, “Sure.”

In truth, Shen Qing’s paintings had always leaned toward landscapes. She did have some figure paintings, but they were mostly crowd scenes or passersby. Since Lu Zhi now occupied this body, she would naturally continue the original’s profession, though she did need to change the style somewhat.

Art relied on spiritual talent and inspiration. She could continuously strengthen her technical skills, but when it came to emotional subtlety, she didn’t think she could surpass Shen Qing’s level.

This was a limitation rooted deep in her soul. From the very beginning, she likely hadn’t been an exceptionally clever and gifted child—at most, she could be considered sincere, kind, and resilient. She had understood this very early on but had never regarded it as a regret. Across the endless stretches of time, if she had possessed an artist’s temperament, she probably would have lost herself in madness long ago.

Lu Zhi chatted casually with Li Ai for a bit, then saw the Curator approaching with a young man.

Shen Qing knew this young man. His name was Xu Zirui. Back when she had married Bai Hao, he had been one of the groomsmen. His father was also a major shareholder of Yifang Group.

Yifang Group’s predecessor had originally been a Construction Bureau outpost in the north. Later, due to restructuring, the Bai Family patriarch had led people away to go independent. But doing business had always relied on the intricate web of personal connections. So although it was nominally a private enterprise, in substance, they still took on government contracts. Afterward, as the times opened up, they slowly acquired their own land and started building houses. By the time it reached Father Bai’s hands, Yifang Group’s properties had spread all across the country.

Xu Zirui’s grandfather had also been among those who left back in the day. After decades of change, very few of Yifang Group’s original founders remained. Only the Xu Family stood firm. In recent years, their influence had grown to nearly rival the Bai Family’s. Even though Yifang Group had now hit a bottleneck, the internal strife had not disappeared—on the contrary, it had intensified, almost reaching a boiling point.

Xu Zirui and Bai Hao were around the same age, in the same circle. They had gone to school together, studied abroad together, and entered the family business together—looking out for each other while also competing with each other.

It was just that Bai Hao had always been a cut above, surpassing him at every stage since childhood.

Unfortunately, Bai Hao’s life was short. That one fact alone meant he had lost everything.

“Xiao Ai, you’re here too?” The Curator, already past fifty, paused briefly in surprise when he saw Li Ai, then quickly recovered. Beaming, he looked at Lu Zhi and introduced eagerly, “Shen Qing, this gentleman here, surnamed Xu, has taken a liking to your painting, Maple Forest in the Sky.”

The Curator paused, extended a finger for emphasis, and said, “He’s offering seven hundred thousand.”

Lu Zhi smiled and looked at the man. “Zirui, you’re overvaluing that painting of mine by far too much.”

“Art is priceless. How can there be any talk of overvaluation?” Xu Zirui wore a smile on his face. He was born with a pair of peach blossom eyes brimming with rippling charm, and he was quite tall, dressed all in black—the very picture of a charming libertine.

“Oh my, you two know each other?” the Curator asked with a grin.

“Old friends,” Lu Zhi nodded. “What brings you here with free time on your hands?”

“Is the great painter not welcoming me?” Xu Zirui’s tone was teasing. “You’re never seen at dinner gatherings anymore, either. What, now that Bai Hao is gone, do you plan on cutting ties with all of us old acquaintances?”

Lu Zhi pressed her lips into a slight smile.

He spoke with familiarity, but Lu Zhi knew well that even when Bai Hao had been alive, there had rarely been any opportunity for peaceful coexistence between them.