Everything happened so fast.
It wasn't until Xu Yanxia watched Lu Jingming step up right behind her and Lu Jingxi that she realized he actually intended to appear on camera.
She hastily tried to stand up to offer him her chair.
But Lu Jingming pressed a gentle, gentlemanly hand against her shoulder. "No need to get up. I'm just here to say hello."
He then leaned down, waved at the live-stream camera, and said, "Hello, everyone."
His deep, resonant voice brushed right against her ear, causing Xu Yanxia's heart to skip a beat. Looking at the public chat screen in front of her, she was met with an incredibly striking scene:
CEO Lu, wearing his gold-rimmed glasses, stood behind her and Lu Jingxi with a faint smile. His slightly lowered face was flawlessly handsome from every conceivable angle.
Not only did he rival any top-tier male celebrity, but beneath his striking looks, he also exuded a rare aura of mature, aristocratic elegance.
But a moment later, the stunningly handsome man simply added, "Well, the oldest brother has shown his face. You all carry on."
With that, he stepped out of the frame.
Xu Yanxia subconsciously watched his retreating figure until he left the room. By the time she turned her attention back, the live stream's chat box had absolutely exploded.
"Holy crap, the oldest brother is so freaking handsome ahhh!!!"
"Oh my god, he is the ultimate domineering CEO ahhh!!! He completely destroys all those CEOs in short dramas!!!"
"Damn it, I'm fainting from his hotness, I'm literally going to cry!!!"
"Ahhh Queen Xixi's family genes are absolutely invincible!!! The oldest brother is way too gorgeous!!!"
...
Meanwhile, Queen Xixi herself had her arm wrapped around Xu Yanxia's shoulders, laughing triumphantly. "Babies, I told you so, didn't I? Begging Xiao Xia was absolutely the right move!!!"
"???"
Xu Yanxia hurriedly waved her hands at the camera. "It really had nothing to do with me..."
However, the chat had already started shipping her and Lu Jingming.
"Did no one notice how the oldest brother touched Xiao Xia's shoulder just now? So doting!!!"
"Yes, yes!!! His voice was super gentle when he talked to Xiao Xia too! He definitely likes Xiao Xia!!! His eyes don't lie!!!"
"And when he leaned down, his hand was resting on the back of Xiao Xia's chair. That's a subconscious display of intimacy. I'm fainting from the sweetness!!!"
Xu Yanxia was speechless. "???"
Even she hadn't noticed where Lu Jingming's hand was at the time.
Besides, Lu Jingming was on screen for less than twenty seconds. How did they manage to catch so many details???
...
While the live stream was bubbling with excitement, Chairman Lu, an ocean away in a European luxury boutique on a sunny afternoon, was staring at his phone with a giddy, doting smile.
"I've picked everything out. We can pay now."
Mrs. Lu walked over to him from the fitting room. Chairman Lu murmured an "oh" and finally tore his eyes away from the screen, pulling out a black-gold card and handing it to his wife.
Mrs. Lu took the card, casually glancing at his phone screen in the process. She couldn't help but tease him, "Still watching Jingxi's stream? Just let the kids have their fun."
"You have no idea,"
Chairman Lu said, his face alight with excitement. "Jingming actually just popped up on the screen to say hello to everyone! The kids are having a blast right now!"
"Oh?"
This genuinely surprised Mrs. Lu. "Has the sun risen in the west? What made Jingming actually willing to show his face?"
Chairman Lu chuckled. "It was all because that little rascal Jingxi used Xiao Xia to corner him. Jingming only showed up out of respect for Xiao Xia."
"That girl!"
Mrs. Lu laughed and shook her head, then asked, "By the way, how is Jingxi's cold? Did she look like she was feeling any better?"
"Judging by her energy, she's completely fine."
Chairman Lu waved his hand dismissively, completely at ease. "With all the meticulous meals Xiao Xia has been cooking for her these past two days, clearing out the dampness and soothing the dryness in her system, how could she not get better?"
That was true.
Mrs. Lu nodded. "Ah Qing told me that Xiao Xia actually knows a bit about traditional Chinese medicine. She figured out what was wrong with Jingxi at a glance last night. To think she's so skilled at such a young age! No wonder my own complexion has been improving ever since she moved in with us."
She then turned to her husband with a reminder. "The items in this store aren't really suited for young people. Make sure you remind me later, we absolutely have to pick out a gift for her."
"Of course."
Chairman Lu agreed, then asked his wife, "By the way, during the stream, Jingxi mentioned something about Xiao Xia becoming a Quality Director? What's that all about?"
Mrs. Lu let out a sound of realization. "Jingming is planning to take over Jiushan, and he asked Xiao Xia to help oversee the menu and dishes whenever she has free time. He already ran it by me. It's not a lot of money anyway, so I'm just letting them figure it out themselves. Besides, Xiao Xia's culinary skills are flawless."
Indeed.
Chairman Lu nodded, sighing in admiration. "That girl's cooking is far more than just flawless!"
He had lived a good, long life, and the dishes Xu Yanxia had prepared for them recently rivaled any extravagant banquet or master chef's creation he had ever tasted.
More importantly, the young woman was genuine, open-hearted, and knew how to carry herself with grace.
If the opportunity arose, he really needed to pay a visit to her grandparents. Anyone capable of raising such a remarkable young woman couldn't possibly be ordinary.
...
No matter how chaotic the live stream had been the night before, morning brought a peaceful calm over the Lu family mansion, accompanied by the sweet scent of flowers and the chirping of birds.
At six in the morning, Xu Yanxia woke up as usual to prepare breakfast.
Considering it was Sunday and the third young master of the Lu family would likely sleep in, she deliberately pushed breakfast back by half an hour.
To her surprise, it wasn't even eight o'clock when Lu Jingyao came bounding downstairs in a T-shirt and shorts, his bedhead sticking up in all directions. "Sister Xia, what's going on?" he asked. "Did my brother really show his face on your live stream last night?"
"He did,"
Xu Yanxia nodded. "Why do you ask?"
Lu Jingyao looked both speechless and amused. "Your stream shot straight into the top three across the entire internet last night. Right now, the trending searches on multiple platforms are completely flooded with clips of his appearance. My classmates even came to me with screenshots, asking if we were actually blood brothers."
"Really?"
Xu Yanxia found it highly amusing and was just about to ask how he had responded.
Just then, Lu Jingming walked downstairs, dressed sharply in a dress shirt and suit trousers. He glanced at his younger brother. "And did you tell them you were adopted?"
Lu Jingyao rolled his eyes. "...I look exactly like my sister. If anyone looks adopted, it's you, alright?"
He then asked curiously, "But seriously, bro, what made you decide to show your face on my sister's stream? Haven't you always hated that kind of stuff?"
Before Lu Jingming could answer, a wicked laugh echoed from the stairs. The second sibling, Lu Jingxi, sauntered down looking incredibly smug. "That's just because I'm a genius! I might not be able to convince him, but I knew someone who could!"
Lu Jingming shot her a cool glance. "Pull a stunt like that again, and don't come crying to me when things go wrong with your work."
Unfazed, Lu Jingxi playfully tossed her head. "Then I'll just go to Xiao Xia. Even if you won't do it for me, you'll definitely do it for her."
With that, she walked over to Xu Yanxia, who was busy setting the table, and clung to her arm with an exaggerated look of reluctance. "I have to leave soon, Xiao Xia. The weather in Hainan has finally cleared up, so I need to head back and finish shooting that show. I really don't want to leave you! Are you absolutely sure you won't come with me?!"
Xu Yanxia could only pat her gently on the head. "I'll be right here waiting for you at home. Come back whenever you have the time."
She then comforted her, saying, "I made you some coarse-grain three-delicacy steamed dumplings. Let's eat first."
"Alright."
Lu Jingxi pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. Then she heard her younger brother, Lu Jingyao, ask, "By the way, Sis, what happened with Bai Qingqing? Are you still going to record with her when you go back?"
"In her dreams!"
Lu Jingxi snorted with a laugh. "That green tea bitch got exposed yesterday with solid proof of having a sugar daddy. The production team would have to have their heads squeezed by a door to dare keep using her. They already terminated her contract and replaced her yesterday. When I go back, it'll be a breath of fresh air!"
Saying so, she quickly picked up a buckwheat steamed dumpling that Xu Yanxia had specially made for her. After taking just one bite, she excitedly gave Xu Yanxia a thumbs-up. "This is way too delicious, Xiao Xia!!! I haven't dared to eat steamed dumplings for years. Will I really not gain weight after eating these???"
Xu Yanxia smiled and said, "These have vegetarian fillings. After you finish these three, you can have a bowl of mung bean and lily bulb rice paste, and you can still eat some chicken and vegetable salad. You won't exceed your calorie limit."
"Then I'm relieved!"
Lu Jingxi said, picking up her phone and starting to take pictures of the dining table. "I have to post on Weibo to let my fans see how well I'm eating!"
Seeing that all the dishes had been served, Xu Yanxia was about to return to the kitchen when she heard Lu Jingming speak to her. "There's a business forum in Harbor City today that I need to attend, so I won't be coming back for lunch."
"Okay."
Xu Yanxia nodded.
Then she saw Lu Jingxi, who had finished taking photos, say to Lu Jingming, "By the way, Brother, do you know how huge of an impact your face reveal had last night? I'm now the most trending artist across three different platforms. My manager stayed up all night negotiating several endorsements for me, and I have to find time the day after tomorrow to go to Shencheng to sign a few contracts."
Lu Jingming nodded. "Then remember to share the endorsement fees with me."
Lu Jingxi scoffed at him. "Are you really lacking that little bit of money? I'd be better off sharing it with Xiao Xia!"
Xu Yanxia was stunned. "Why share it with me?"
Lu Jingxi raised an eyebrow at her. "Because it's thanks to you that my older brother made an appearance last night!"
Xu Yanxia, "..."
Here we go again.
Before she could speak, Lu Jingyao muttered quietly from the side, "Right, the whole internet is shipping the two of you right now. My classmates even asked me if you guys were secretly dating..."
Xu Yanxia, "???"
Immediately after, Lu Jingming spoke up with a calm expression. "Well, there's no point in them asking that question. After all, if we were secretly dating, there's no way we'd let them know."
"???"
