Chapter 98: He Insists

Chapter 98: Chapter 98: He Insists

In just one short day, Tao An had come to understand what it meant for one person to be completely conquered by another!

That was Mr. Lu, of all people!

Always correct, calm, and rational, never questioning any decision he made!

And the results always proved that all of his choices were the right ones!

Being his subordinate was like riding a high-speed bullet train.

Mr. Lu was the engine, and they were the cars.

The tracks beneath them led to a glorious peak!

No wonder so many people, one after another, wanted to follow Lu Shixu, captivated by his powerful methods and personal charisma!

Tao An was one of them.

...Until Mr. Lu met Miss Nan Zhi.

All his incorrect, impulsive, and irrational tendencies came bubbling to the surface!

After they parted on bad terms yesterday, Tao An had personally witnessed Mr. Lu suppressing his rage all the way home.

He was far angrier than he had been last year when his team botched a ten-billion-dollar acquisition deal.

When faced with a business failure, Mr. Lu could still remain composed, handle the aftermath, salvage the situation, and lead them in a stunning comeback.

But when it came to emotional setbacks, all Tao An saw was Mr. Lu’s clumsiness, helplessness, and capriciousness!

For example—

Just yesterday, he had coldly ordered him to stop delivering any news related to Miss Nan Zhi.

But by this morning, it was as if nothing had happened, and he was nonchalantly asking about the show’s recent developments.

Around noon, he even started watching the livestream. Upon seeing people shipping Miss Nan Zhi with that director surnamed Xie, he immediately ordered him to hire an online mob and guide public opinion to "tear that ship apart."

And to top it off, after work, he feigned nonchalance—though in reality, he was bursting with impatience—and ordered him to drive to Nan Family’s Small Restaurant.

Each and every incident was shattering Tao An’s perception of him.

As a result, in the span of a single day, Tao An’s mood had transitioned from "shock" to "predicting his boss’s movements" to "completely unfazed and used to the bizarre behavior"...

Tao An sometimes found himself feeling sentimental.

This version of Mr. Lu, despite doing so many things that were unlike him...

...was also what made him seem less like a machine controlled by programming, devoid of all human emotion and desire...

...and more like a real, living person capable of joy and anger!

"Gentlemen, all your dishes have been served."

The person who brought the last dish was Fu Chao.

He had turned off his mic beforehand and checked the camera angles.

"Shixu, what a coincidence. I didn’t expect to see you here."

Fu Chao was smiling, but his eyes were wary.

Lu Shixu met his scrutinizing gaze and enunciated every word:

"It’s no coincidence. I came here specifically for a reason."

Fu Chao pretended not to understand.

"Oh? It seems our little restaurant has gotten quite famous lately..."

"I came for Nan Zhi."

Lu Shixu’s bluntness silenced Fu Chao.

Fu Chao had sensed something was wrong for a while—

If he hadn’t come with a purpose, there would have been no need to go to the trouble of having the production crew move the cameras away.

The livestream audience complaining about the bad camera angle?

That wasn’t a coincidence. It was because Lu Shixu didn’t want to be filmed.

Fu Chao realized this.

Then, he suddenly recalled seeing Lu Shixu’s car near the shantytown during the last shoot.

At the time, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Thinking about it now, he realized he hadn’t been mistaken. It really was Lu Shixu!

Now, Fu Chao was genuinely angry.

He was no longer the happy-go-lucky, good-natured person he usually was in front of Nan Zhi.

The child raised by Qing Qing and Fu Yunfeng would never be some spineless pushover for others to walk all over!

When he put on a serious face, he possessed some of his parents’ powerful presence:

"If the great Mr. Lu is here for a momentary thrill, planning to mess up someone’s life, then I advise you to think twice! She is absolutely not someone you can treat casually!"

Lu Shixu lifted his eyelids, and his deep, dark eyes were like swords piercing the air, instantly shattering the imposing aura Fu Chao had built.

He sneered mockingly.

"And in what capacity are you standing here, ’admonishing’ me on Nan Zhi’s behalf?"

The undercurrent was fierce.

The atmosphere was like a bowstring pulled taut, ready to snap at any moment!

As for Tao An, caught in the swirling vortex where these two hurricanes collided, he was trembling and as disheveled as a lone weed...

"Ah, Miss Nan Zhi is coming over!"

Tao An pointed into the distance, overjoyed.

Almost simultaneously—

Lu Shixu lowered his gaze.

Fu Chao relaxed his shoulders.

Both men quickly sheathed their metaphorical claws, pretending that everything was normal.

Fu Chao shot a quick glance at Lu Shixu.

Then, he deliberately asked Nan Zhi:

"What are you doing here? Isn’t it busy in the kitchen?"

Nan Zhi’s gaze shifted between the two men, and she answered honestly:

"The last order is done. I just came out to see what you two were up to."

Lu Shixu’s table was the last order.

Not long after Nan Zhi finished cooking, she heard Qi Pei’er run in with a report that she thought Fu Chao was about to get into a fight with a customer.

The first person who came to Nan Zhi’s mind was Lu Shixu.

So she came out just in case, and it turned out she was right!

What surprised her was...

"So you two know each other?"

What an unexpected connection.

Fu Chao: "I guess you could say that."

Lu Shixu: "We don’t."

The two men glanced at each other simultaneously.

Their gazes clashed, thick with hostility.

Nan Zhi had to remind them:

"The livestream isn’t over yet. It’s not good to delay for too long."

Fu Chao raised an eyebrow and seized the opportunity:

"Right, I almost forgot! Let’s go. Weren’t we supposed to have a debriefing meeting after we close for the day?"

From the looks of it, he wanted nothing more than to drag Nan Zhi away from a dangerous character like Lu Shixu!

Nan Zhi had no intention of making small talk with Lu Shixu right now either.

She nodded and left with Fu Chao.

She left without a backward glance.

The sight made Tao An’s heart pound with anxiety.

He had been worried that Mr. Lu would be displeased after Miss Nan Zhi left.

But unexpectedly, Mr. Lu’s mood was far more stable than he had anticipated.

’That’s a bit strange...’

’Could this be the calm before the storm?’

Tao An didn’t realize he’d made the mistake of saying his thoughts out loud!

What was even more terrifying was that Mr. Lu actually answered him—

"Because Fu Chao is not worth mentioning."

It was rare for Lu Shixu to explain something so patiently.

Judging by his expression, he was even pleased!

From the moment Nan Zhi appeared, Lu Shixu could tell there was nothing ambiguous between her and Fu Chao.

It wasn’t just Nan Zhi; Fu Chao had no such intentions either.

As for the motive behind Fu Chao’s hostility, he couldn’t be bothered to look into it.

He only cared that when Nan Zhi saw him, she showed no trace of disgust or resistance...

This was far better than the worst-case scenario he had imagined!

’Yesterday’s rejection left me in a pathetic state, and for a time, my pride got the better of me.’

’But after a period of torment and struggle, I’ve finally confirmed this obsession I can’t let go of.’

’Or perhaps, this inner demon.’

’...Why should I just accept her rejection? Why should I give up just because she told me to?’

’I’m not some dog that will unconditionally obey her every word!’

’I’m going to stay, just to spite her!’

’I’ll make sure she’s always seeing me!’