My whole family is the protagonist, and I am the only cannon fodder!

The plane flew across the Atlantic Ocean, across heavy clouds. After a long flight of more than ten hours, everyone on the plane was drowsy, and only a few people were awake. Each of them looked tired, with a hint of excitement about returning home.

The taxiing was completed and the aircraft stopped flying.

The young man walked through the cabin door with steady steps, just a little slowly, neither hurried nor slow, with a calm and noble temperament rarely seen in young people.

A large black Lao Phantom with serial numbers was parked outside the terminal. Bodyguards in black suits stood on both sides, looking straight ahead, bringing an unfathomable pressure.

Summers are rainy, bringing humid, lingering heat.

It was raining tonight too, the rain was heavy and rapid, hitting the sturdy umbrella with crackling sounds. The wide umbrella at both ends covered most of the young man's body, leaving only his slightly pale and thin hands, with blue veins visible.

Lu came out of the store early, holding a gift in his hand and opening an umbrella. The whole world seemed to be plunged into heavy rain, crackling and pouring down. In the dark night, only the city's neon lights illuminated the entire city day and night.

The raindrops jumped onto Lu Zaozao's feet and calves. Fortunately, it was summer, so it brought a little coolness.

She held the gift tightly in her arms to prevent it from getting wet by the rain, and then moved step by step to the side of the road to wait for the bus.

A gift had already been bought, a bracelet from a luxury brand surrounded by diamonds. Although such a gift had used up all of Lu Zaozao's pocket money during this period, Lu Qingwan certainly did not lack such a gift.

Lu Zaozao decided to give a handmade gift, so she went to a pottery museum with a good reputation online and made a ceramic cup by herself. It was just fired at this afternoon, so Lu Zaozao bought a gift box with small floral patterns and wrapped it up.

Vehicles are constantly coming and going on the roadside in this rainy night.

A black Labor Day car was driving forward steadily. Its paint and body seemed to blend into the rainy night. Two cars followed in front and behind to escort it. A loud streak of lightning streaked across the sky with such force that it seemed to explode the sky above.

Lu Zao Zao looked up and saw a drop of rain sliding down from the umbrella and falling on her eyelids.

The car drove steadily past Lu Zaozao, and thunder and lightning sounded again, as if striking straight down, briefly and quickly illuminating half of the cold and clear profile of the person in the car.

Soon, cars passed by Lu Zaozao one after another.

It was difficult to get a taxi on a rainy day, so Lu asked the family driver to pick her up and take her to the banquet. The car arrived soon after.

Lu Zao Zao raised his hand to wipe the rain from his eyelids, put away the umbrella, got into the car, and wiped the box with the corner of his clothes.

Apart from inviting very close family members and close friends to dinner, the Lu family never holds any banquets at the Lu family villa, as if they attach great importance to this privacy.

Therefore, all banquets that require inviting a large number of guests are held in the Lu family's hotel or the manor villa next door.

Lu Zao Zao was still frightened about things like banquets. He sat in his seat nervously, twiddling his fingers anxiously.

Very afraid and terrified that he might cause trouble while in a state of confusion, Lu Zaozao planned to give the gift to Lu Qingwan and leave immediately.

Fearing that he couldn't even do this basic thing, Lu Zaozao hid a razor blade in his pocket so that he could hurt himself if necessary - which could also help him stay awake.

Soon, the car drove into a villa in the suburbs. Lu got out early, lowered his head, held an umbrella, and quickly crossed the garden and open-air courtyard.

After looking around but not seeing where Lu Qingwan was, Lu Zao Zao grabbed a waiter and asked him if he had seen Lu Qingwan. The man shook his head.

In order to avoid attracting too much attention, well, actually a cannon fodder like her would not attract much attention from anyone, even so, Lu Zao Zao still sat in the most inconspicuous corner, planning to wait for Lu Qingwan to appear, hand the gift to her, and then leave.

I looked at my watch and it was already half past eight. I didn't know when Lu Qingwan would come out. I must leave here before eleven o'clock because I promised Li Jianan that I would spend my birthday with her after midnight.

Having not eaten since noon, Lu Zao Zao moved to the table at the side and took some fruits and desserts to fill his stomach first.

Outside, the rain was falling non-stop with a crackling sound, splashing on the ground and the roof.

The chandeliers in the house were shining brightly and the music was soothing. A top foreign band was invited to perform, and the crowd was bustling with people dressed in elegant clothes.

Lu Zao Zao made sure that he was the only little mouse hiding in the dark and inconspicuous.

After getting the food, Lu Zao Zao slowly moved back to the corner and heard two people talking not far away. This place was relatively quiet and the light shining here seemed a little dim.

"I heard that Mr. Jiang's grandson will be returning home soon."

"Haven't you been staying abroad all this time? Why are you suddenly going back home now?"

"Not sure." The man took a big sip of wine, sipped it a few times before continuing, "Once the young master returns to China, I guess the focus of the Xie family will shift as well. Most of the Xie family's businesses have been overseas before, and I don't know if they can return to China now. I heard that they are going to start a new project to engage in energy technology. If they can get on board this big ship, they won't have to worry about not making money."

"Yes."

The two men clinked their glasses, and the man opposite took a sip of wine and let out a melancholy sigh.

"But this kind of business is a new industry. If we want to do it, we should do it with the Lu family and the Su family. It's not our turn."

Lu Zaozao overheard their conversation by chance and was not interested in such business matters. However, the two people spoke without any intention of concealing anything, and it was not far from the corner where Lu Zaozao sat at the beginning. If she left rashly, it would only make it more embarrassing.

Xie family?

Lu Zao Zao remembered the face in her dream, covered her head and shook it, forget it, whether it was that person or not, it had nothing to do with her.

And according to her memory, he had clearly always been in the country and only traveled abroad to visit his relatives during the winter and summer vacations.

Inadvertently recalling the past, Lu Zao Zao felt a little dizzy. He blinked hard, and when he looked up, he saw Lu Qingwan standing by the railing on the third floor with her hands on it. She was wearing a gorgeous dress with long sleeves, and a piece of jewelry inlaid with diamonds around her neck. She had almond eyes and a very innocent and gentle appearance.

With his eyes lowered, his expression was indifferent and he looked down at all the people in the hall on the first floor without any expression, as if he was looking for something.

It's almost ten o'clock. I don't know why the party started so late. If we continue to drink and chat with each other, it will have to be after twelve o'clock, and by then Lu Qingwan's birthday will be over.