Chapter 929
Birthday Family Banquet
In May, the air in Shenzhen is already filled with the gentle warmth of early summer. Sunlight filters through the tall palm trees of the Century Mansion villa area, casting dappled shadows on the meticulously manicured lawn.
Today, May 15th, is Qian Youyou's 5th birthday.
It's a bit of a strange situation, but she's actually two months older than Lu Yang.
The two were born in the same year, which means that, crossing this day, this prominent couple in the business world has officially entered their thirties.
The mistress of the Qian Group and the behind-the-scenes helmsman of Lu Capital, Qian Youyou's status and wealth need no further explanation. However, on this special day, she chose to shed her image as a powerful businesswoman, personally put on an apron, and busied herself in the spacious and bright open kitchen of her own villa.
"Mommy, cake!" Three-year-old Xiao Hao, held by Lu Yang, waved his chubby little finger at a half-finished birthday cake on the counter, which had just been frosted with cream and decorated with fresh strawberries, and called out in his childish voice.
"Little glutton, it's not ready yet." Qian Youyou turned around, her eyes filled with gentle warmth, her bare face making her even more beautiful.
Her hands were covered in flour as she skillfully kneaded the dough, preparing to make some snacks that her family loved.
Lu Yang held his son, his tall figure leaning against the kitchen island, his gaze tenderly fixed on his woman.
Xiao Hao squirmed restlessly in his arms. He gently patted his son's bottom and put him down: "Go play with your building blocks for a while so Mom can focus on cooking."
Xiao Hao obediently ran to the toy area in the corner of the living room.
Lu Yang then took a few steps closer, watching Qian Youyou's busy figure, and said, "Youyou, there's something..."
Qian Youyou continued working without looking up, her voice calm: "Go ahead and say it."
It seems they had a premonition.
Lu Yang carefully chose his words: "You've probably heard that your brother has been searching for buyers for the past few days, trying to sell his Sina shares. I think he's about to reach his limit; foreign institutions may have already contacted him, urging him to add margin to avoid the risk of a margin call. I've seen him on the phone constantly these past few days, and he seems very anxious..."
"So you secretly had someone register a company called 'Pengcheng Wanli Capital' and then bought his original shares in Sina, right?"
Qian Youyou's voice remained calm, even carrying a hint of understanding. She finally turned around, her clear gaze meeting Lu Yang's directly.
Lu Yang was slightly taken aback, then smiled helplessly, with a hint of composure at being exposed: "I knew I couldn't hide it from you."
He stepped forward, gently wrapped his arms around Qian Youyou's waist from behind, and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I originally wanted to wait until things were completely settled before telling you."
Qian Youyou stiffened slightly, nudged him gently with her elbow, and scolded, "You silly boy, our son is still here! Can't you see I'm cooking?"
There was little real blame in his tone; instead, there was a hint of weariness that was barely perceptible.
“Just let the maid do it. You are the female CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation. How can you cook for yourself? Besides, today is your birthday. If anyone should cook, it should be me.”
Lu Yang whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing against her neck.
"Forget it, you don't usually live here anyway, it's a rare treat to come here. Go play with your precious son." Qian Youyou broke free from his embrace, turned around and continued kneading the dough, but her movements became gentler. "It's just a family meal, only a few dishes, I want to cook it myself. Today... is different."
Looking at her determined profile, Lu Yang didn't press the matter further: "Alright."
He stepped back, leaned against the island platform, and his expression became serious.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing."
Even if your brother's life is temporarily extended with that money, it's only a temporary solution given his current condition.
He is now completely struggling in the swamp, sinking deeper and deeper.
I've advised him many times to cut his losses and leave the market, but he just won't listen. He's still clinging to the illusion that the stock price will rebound. If he continues like this, I think it won't be long before his extra margin isn't enough to cover his losses, and his stocks will still be at risk of being liquidated.
"By then, he won't have a second sum of over forty million US dollars to cover the hole."
He paused, looking intently at Qian Youyou: "Youyou, don't let your heartache for your brother or the sake of blood ties cause you to soften your heart and drag yourself down with him. Although the Qian family is stable now, it can't withstand his bottomless pit of mismanagement."
Qian Youyou stopped chopping vegetables.
She paused for a few seconds before picking up the knife again, the rhythmic chopping sound particularly clear in the quiet kitchen.
She didn't turn around, her voice low but carrying a resolute coolness: "No. I warned him long ago, but he was stubborn and wouldn't listen to anyone. Besides, I've said before that he's not suited for entrepreneurship; the cutthroat competition and risk-taking in the business world aren't for him. I've already spoken to Mom..."
She turned around, looked directly at Lu Yang, and said with a firm gaze, "Even if my brother ends up with nothing, I will still keep a vice president position for him at Qian's Group. He won't have to work, but he will still get his salary and year-end bonus. He can just continue being a playboy and spend his time nurturing my nephew Xiaoyu. If my son becomes successful in the future, it will be much better than him running around like a headless fly and losing all the family's wealth."
Looking at the almost cold rationality in her eyes, Lu Yang felt a slight sense of relief, but also a mix of emotions.
He stepped forward and approached her again, this time gently taking her hand: "I'm relieved that you think this way. As long as you don't soften your heart, he won't be able to cause any trouble."
Qian Youyou let him hold her hand and sighed softly: "The business world is like a battlefield. Even brothers need to keep clear accounts. I understand that principle."
Just then, a slightly loud voice came from downstairs in the villa, accompanied by the clear voice of a child.
"Mom, look who I brought! Xiaoyu, quickly call Grandma!" It was Xiao Jun's voice, sounding full of energy, sweeping away the previous dejection and revealing a kind of lightheartedness after surviving a disaster.
"Oh dear, my grandson! Slow down, slow down, don't fall!" Madam Qian's loving and joyful voice rang out immediately afterward.
"Hello, Grandma!" a boy of about five or six years old called out obediently.
"Good boy, Xiaoyu is so obedient! He's much more sensible than your father was when he was a child." Mrs. Qian was clearly overjoyed.
"Mom, where's my sister? And President Lu, he should be here by now, right?" Xiao Jun's voice was filled with obvious anticipation, even a little impatient.
"She's in the kitchen upstairs. Be careful what you say and don't upset your sister again," Mrs. Qian said in a low voice. "And Mr. Lu, although he didn't openly help you, I've heard a bit about what happened to you this time. He probably helped you behind the scenes too."
"We're all family, so don't get angry so easily. Otherwise, no matter how good the relationship is, if you keep falling out, it will eventually wear down all the friendship!"
"I know, Mom! Don't worry! I'm here today to celebrate Youyou's birthday and also to thank my brother-in-law!" Xiao Jun's voice sounded exceptionally cheerful and full of confidence.
"You silly child... By the way, after you finish eating, if you have something to do, go ahead and do it yourself. Leave Xiaoyu here."
I told you long ago, you're a grown man and you can't take good care of a child. Why don't you leave Xiaoyu with our Qian family and let him keep Xiaohao company?
Whether I take care of one child or two, it's all the same to your mom. I just want to make sure my eldest grandson isn't close to his grandma, right, Xiaoyu?
Do you want to play with little Hao?
"Yes!" Xiaoyu's voice was full of anticipation.
"Great! It's settled then! Come on, take Grandma's hand, Grandma will take you to play with your little brother Xiaohao!" Mrs. Qian led her grandson, her footsteps echoing as she walked towards the toy area in the living room.
Lu Yang and Qian Youyou upstairs could clearly hear the conversation downstairs.
Lu Yang lowered his head and whispered in Qian Youyou's ear in a voice only the two of them could hear, with a hint of amusement and insight: "Did you hear that?"
"Your brother is too prone to showing his joy on his face."
Today he thought I was helping him, a great benefactor who offered help in his time of need, so he strode over to thank me excitedly, adopting such a humble posture.
But if tomorrow... or a few days later, he discovers he's suffered a huge loss in this deal, he'll probably curse me behind my back, calling me cunning and opportunistic.
Upon hearing this, Qian Youyou stopped what she was doing completely.
She paused, put down the knife she was chopping, and slowly turned around. Her face showed little surprise, but rather a calm and knowing expression. There was even a slight, ambiguous smile on her lips. Her clear eyes seemed to see right through people as she looked directly at Lu Yang, who was holding her waist.
"You've heard, you must have heard, right?" Her voice was soft, yet like a pebble dropped into a calm lake.
The playful look on Lu Yang's face froze instantly, replaced by genuine surprise: "Huh?"
He hadn't expected her to be so direct.
"You know?" he asked instinctively.
Qian Youyou nodded, her gaze calm and deep, as if stating something perfectly ordinary: "Well, there are no secrets in this world. Our Qian family is, after all, a local power in Pengcheng. Over the years, our network of relationships has become intricate and intertwined. There are many pieces of information that we don't even need to inquire about; they will naturally reach our ears through various channels."
She picked up a clean cloth, wiped her hands, and continued calmly, "What's more, ever since I heard that my brother was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, trying to sell his hot Sina stock everywhere, and that you had someone secretly register a new company with a clean background and contact him behind his back... I also kept an eye on it and had someone pay a little attention to it."
Qian Youyou walked to the window and looked down at the garden. Her mother was showing Xiaoyu and Xiaohao the koi in the pond. The sunlight shone on the three of them, creating a warm scene.
Her voice carried a complex mix of emotions, a mixture of regret, helplessness, and a sigh for her brother's fate: "How should I put it? If anyone is to blame, it's my brother's bad luck. If he had just been able to stay calm, had a wider network of information, and had held on for a few more days... even just ten days or half a month, the situation he would have faced would have been very different, right? Unfortunately, he couldn't wait, and he had no idea what was about to happen."
Lu Yang stood still, looking at the woman before him with a completely new, scrutinizing, and amazed gaze for the first time. She was a woman of both beauty and wisdom.
He always believed that his keen sense and foresight in the financial market were ahead of the curve, especially in dealing with Xiao Jun. He thought he had done a flawless job, achieving his goal while also taking care of the face and feelings of both parties to the greatest extent.
However, at this moment, Qian Youyou's calm words were like a key, instantly opening another door to his understanding.
"So...you knew all along?" Lu Yang's voice lowered, carrying a hint of disbelief and realization.
He stepped forward, stood beside her, and looked down at the joyful scene below.
Xiao Jun was standing at the entrance of the garden, a relaxed and even somewhat smug smile on his face, watching his son, mother, and nephew play. He was clearly looking forward to the upcoming "thank you" scene.
Qian Youyou didn't look at him; her gaze remained fixed on the garden. She gave a soft "hmm" in response.
That calm profile, bathed in sunlight, revealed a resilient yet powerful strength.
Just then, footsteps came from the stairwell. Xiao Jun had come up.
His face was beaming with a warm, heartfelt smile, and he was carrying a beautifully wrapped gift box. Before he even arrived, his voice preceded him: "Youyou! Happy birthday! Oh my, the 30th birthday girl is cooking herself! And your brother-in-law is here too! That's wonderful!"
He strode into the kitchen area, his gaze sweeping between Lu Yang and Qian Youyou before finally settling on Lu Yang with a look of gratitude and a sense of closeness as if he were one of their own.
"Brother, you're here." Qian Youyou turned around, her face instantly displaying a proper, gentle smile befitting a mistress of the house, as if the all-knowing conversation from just moments ago had never happened.
Lu Yang quickly adjusted his expression, regaining his usual composure and restraint, and nodded to Xiao Jun: "Brother Jun."
Xiao Jun placed the gift box on the island counter, rubbing his hands together, looking somewhat excited: "Youyou, happy birthday! I brought you a small gift. Brother-in-law..." He turned to Lu Yang, his tone becoming exceptionally solemn, even carrying a hint of chivalrous generosity, "Today, on Youyou's birthday, I must thank you properly in person! You're so kind! Really! If it weren't for you... cough, if it weren't for your friend pulling me out at the crucial moment, I would have really been in deep trouble! I'll remember that favor!"
He patted his chest forcefully, looking like a loyal confidant.
The "friend" he was referring to was naturally "Pengcheng Wanli Capital," the company that had provided timely assistance.
At this moment, he genuinely regarded Lu Yang as his savior, completely unaware that it was this very "savior" who, in his most desperate moment, used a "gentle" knife to cut away his potentially priceless future hope.
Looking at Xiao Jun's sincere and relieved expression, Lu Yang's eyes flashed with a very faint, almost imperceptible pity.
He shook his head, without saying anything more.
I just hope this guy doesn't start cursing and swearing in a few days. (End of Chapter)