The abandoned daughter of the Lu family turns around and marries a celibate tycoon.

Lu Lichuan's engagement banquet became a complete joke in Haicheng.

Inside the Lu family villa.

Lin Li put down the phone, her brows furrowed as she looked at her husband, Lu Hao: "Honey, I just can't understand it. Even if Lu Xiran and Jin Qiqi have a good relationship, why would she suddenly transfer the villa and land to her?"

Lu Hao's face was ashen as he slammed the documents in his hand onto the table: "Now is not the time to think about this! Jin Qiqi has officially filed a lawsuit and applied for pre-trial preservation measures—Qin Ruxu's bank cards have been frozen, and her suburban land and villa have all been seized!"

"What?!" Lin Li gasped. "Which lawyer is so bold as to take her case?"

"Gu Yanshen's lawyer," Lu Hao squeezed out the name through gritted teeth.

At this moment, Uncle Zhong rushed in and reported in a low voice: "Jin Qiqi... was indeed taken away by Gu Yanshen's men."

Lin Li panicked immediately: "What exactly is their relationship? Jin Qiqi and Gu Yanxu went on a blind date before, and their families were interested in a marriage alliance, but didn't they say it wasn't suitable? Could it be...?"

"Mom!" Lu Xueyan, who had been silent all along, suddenly interrupted with a shrill voice. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her palms. "That night at the hotel, the figure leaving with Gu Yanshen—wasn't that Jin Qiqi?!"

Looking at her daughter's face contorted with jealousy, Lin Li sighed helplessly, "Xueyan, are you still thinking about Gu Yanshen? Do you know how much the Lu family will lose because of Jin Qiqi's outburst?"

With a loud bang, the door was pushed open forcefully.

Lu Lichuan walked in with a gloomy face, his suit jacket casually draped over his arm, and his tie loosely undone.

Lu Hao immediately went to greet him: "How did it go? What did the deputy mayor say?"

Lu Lichuan smirked, revealing a mocking smile: "A dowry of thirty million, plus that villa, not a penny less. Otherwise, the marriage is off the table."

"Shameless!" Lin Li trembled with rage. "Haven't they taken enough benefits from us before?"

"This is not the time for angry words." Lu Hao rubbed his temples irritably. "If the deputy mayor refuses to continue to give the project the green light, the 50 million invested in the early stage will immediately go down the drain, and Lu's financial chain will be finished." He turned to his son and ordered, "Li Chuan, you must appease Xiao Ru."

Lu Lichuan slumped into the sofa and closed his eyes: "I'm tired. That young lady needs to be fawned over every day, she's not even as good as..."

"Lu Lichuan!" Lu Hao shouted sternly, "The approval authority for the next project is still in the hands of the vice mayor. You must appease Xiaoru! Now, let's deal with the betrothal gifts first."

"Where's the money?" Lu Lichuan opened his eyes, his tone laced with a defiant sarcasm. "How am I supposed to coax her if I don't have money? She herself is willing to follow me for now, but her father... without real money, it's all off the table."

Lu Hao's eyes turned sinister: "The key is to get the agreement that Jin Qiqi has."

"I've already sent people to keep an eye on her." Lu Lichuan sat up straight, his tone hesitant, "But... if Gu Yanshen gets involved..."

Lu Hao slowly spoke, "Let's think this over carefully."

Meanwhile, inside the seaside villa.

Lu Xiran was intently sprinkling a handful of thin noodles into the boiling clear soup.

Her movements were skillful; with a slight flick of her wrist, the noodles spread out like silk.

"I didn't expect that you, the eldest daughter of the Lu family, would have such excellent cooking skills." Gu Yanshen leaned against the kitchen counter, his gaze falling on her nimble fingers.

"Of course!" Lu Xiran's lips curled up with a little pride. "My maternal grandfather was the most famous catering tycoon in Yuncheng. Back then, 'Yun Yu Ji' was a well-known brand in Yuncheng."

As she spoke, she deftly chopped scallions, her knife skills quick and steady.

She suddenly remembered something, turned around, and said, "Oh right, there are a few private cookbooks left by my grandfather in my mother's wooden box. There are a few recipes for particularly mild medicinal soups in them." She looked up at Gu Yanshen with clear eyes, "I noticed that Grandma has a poor appetite. How about I try to make some? Can you have someone send them over? Just as a small token of my appreciation."

Gu Yanshen did not answer immediately, but simply looked at her quietly. His gaze was deep, as if he were scrutinizing her or pondering something.

Lu Xiran felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, and subconsciously touched her earlobe, lowering her voice: "I know the Gu family has all sorts of top chefs... but sometimes, the old folks just crave the taste of home cooking." She paused, "Although I'm far inferior to my grandfather, I've at least inherited some of his skills."

Seeing that Gu Yanshen remained silent, she finally couldn't help but mutter softly, "Uncle, every time I say a lot, can you give me some kind of response? Otherwise... it's kind of awkward."

"Okay." Gu Yanshen finally spoke, "I was just thinking that you didn't need to do these things."

"Grandma looks a lot like my maternal grandmother," Lu Xiran said softly, her gaze falling on the glistening noodle soup. "And I know that you agreed to protect me largely because of Grandma."

She raised her eyes and looked straight into his eyes.

Gu Yanshen saw through her vulnerability.

He paused, as if choosing his words carefully, and finally said, "Take good care of Grandma, and I..." He met her expectant gaze and gave a solemn promise, "I won't mistreat you."

"That's exactly what I've been waiting for!" The gloom on Lu Xiran's face vanished instantly, replaced by a bright smile. "Uncle, trust me, I'll definitely take good care of Grandma."

A faint smile flickered in Gu Yanshen's eyes, then he asked, "So, what are you planning to do next?"

"I need to find a suitable time to return to the Lu family." After turning off the stove, Lu Xiran ladled out a bowl of noodles and handed it to Gu Yanshen.

Then, she took out her tablet, which was covered with densely packed documents. "I never paid attention to these things before, but now I realize that the Lu family..." She hesitated for a moment, but the name still slipped out, "My father actually built his fortune on my mother's dowry. Lu's Catering has always been the group's most stable cash flow, but in recent years, he's been obsessed with expanding shopping malls and real estate, and the cash flow has been stretched thin. That's why he's so fixated on the assets my mother left me."

"Not only that." Gu Yanshen pushed a newly printed document in front of her. "There's also this."

"That piece of land in the suburbs?" Lu Xiran quickly flipped through the pages, her pupils shrinking slightly. "The first station of the new subway plan... the core site of the Yunlu National Resort... it's all located here?"

"That's right." Gu Yanshen frowned slightly. "The land hasn't been transferred yet, probably due to unresolved issues from back then. The vice mayor has probably already informed Lu Hao about the planning. Shopping malls and real estate are extremely profitable businesses, and he certainly won't let this lucrative opportunity slip by."

"So," Lu Xiran closed the file, a look of realization and sharpness flashing in her eyes, "what I ruined yesterday wasn't just the engagement party, but also his most crucial financial chain?"

"I'm so awesome!" She felt a surge of satisfaction at winning back the score, but then worry immediately welled up inside her. "Will Kiki be in danger?"

"I've made arrangements." Gu Yanshen's tone was calm, but his eyes narrowed slightly. "She's the legitimate eldest daughter of the Jin family, so Lin Li and her son won't dare to openly harm her for the time being. However..." He changed the subject, his gaze locking onto Lu Xiran, "What you should be most worried about right now is yourself. Once they confirm you're still alive, the 'cleanest' thing to do is to make you disappear completely before you make a public appearance."