The Vicious, Vain Stepsister (Fifteen)

After Jiang Xuefu and Lu Zhiyan returned to China, the Su and Lu families arranged another meeting specifically to discuss their engagement ceremony. To be precise, they should now be called the Jiang and Lu families.

The four-year agreement the Lu family had made with Lu Zhiyan had come to an end, and Mother Lu no longer had any reason to stop the two of them from being together. Even so, the looks she gave Jiang Xuefu were still full of disapproval.

Especially after learning that Jiang Sheng had replaced Su Jing as the person actually in control of Su Corporation, her loathing for the father and daughter had reached its peak.

After her husband died, Su Jing had been left to take over the company and care for her daughter all by herself. Even if Mother Lu had never experienced it, she could roughly imagine how hard it must have been. That Jiang Sheng had put on the appearance of a dutiful, capable husband, only to turn around and swallow Su Corporation whole.

An ungrateful father with the heart of a wolf and the ambitions of a wild beast, and a vicious, vain daughter guilty of the gravest disrespect toward her elders-it was enough to drive her to despair however she thought about it. If she could have helped it, she really didn't want to let Jiang Xuefu into the family. Who knew when the girl might bite her from behind?

But her son would marry no one else in this lifetime, so Mother Lu could only grit her teeth and force herself to keep out of sight and out of mind. At worst, she could have the couple live elsewhere after the wedding, so she would hardly see them more than a few times a year.

The engagement arrangements were settled quickly, with the date set for the following month. As for the wedding, the two families discussed it and tentatively settled on January of the following year.

There had originally been no such rush, but Lu Zhiyan wanted their relationship made official as soon as possible. Jiang Xuefu didn't care either way; they could always divorce after getting married. Once married, she would have half of the Lu family's assets, and if they divorced, she would still get a share of the property. Either way, she wouldn't lose out.

With that settled, the next step was to prepare everything for the engagement and wedding.

Jiang Xuefu didn't have to worry about any of it, though. Every day, she ate, drank, and tried on beautiful wedding dresses. When she got bored, she went and slept with her man. She was content to be a rice bug, living in the utmost comfort and leisure.

Until one day, she stepped on the scale and discovered she had actually gained two jin!

Two jin!!! Her perfect figure!!!

Jiang Xuefu had maintained the same weight for years, and now her sky was about to fall! Hadn't she merely eaten a little more because she'd just returned to China and couldn't resist all the delicious food she could finally have again?

No, she couldn't go on lying around at home.

She called Lu Zhiyan with a scrunched-up face and cried to him. Even though her favorite dish had been made at home that day, she wasn't in the mood to eat it.

Listening to the sweet, soft voice on the other end of the phone, Lu Zhiyan was practically overwhelmed by how cute his wife was.

Suppressing a laugh, he spoke in a tone that was half guidance, half coaxing. "Fufu, how about coming to work at the Lu Group? I happen to need a secretary."

Jiang Xuefu's eyes lit up at his words.

She had never worked before, so this was a perfect chance to try it. Besides, working at Lu Zhiyan's side would be easy and not tiring, and every now and then they could do something naughty in the office when no one was around.

"Sure! I'll come tomorrow, then. Come pick me up."

"Okay, I'll bring you breakfast." The man chuckled, his cool eyes full of love even where she couldn't see him.

The next day, Jiang Xuefu remembered that it was her first day of work and, unusually, got up early to get ready.

Her curls fell smoothly behind her shoulders. She reached up and tucked the occasional stray lock at her forehead behind her ear, fully revealing her innocent yet alluring face. She had deliberately chosen a more mature makeup look. Her dark lashes fluttered, and the shifting glances of her eyes made her even more charming and seductive.

Downstairs, Lu Zhiyan had already been waiting a long time, but he showed no trace of impatience.

The man sat in the back seat with his long legs elegantly crossed, holding a tablet in his slender fingers as he read the financial statements that had just been sent over. Dressed in a pure black suit, he exuded an air of restraint. His eyes were lowered, his thick lashes casting faint shadows on his eyelids, and his thin lips were pressed together. He looked both refined and dignified.

Knock, knock, knock.

A sudden knock sounded on the car window. Jiang Xuefu smiled at him through the glass and waved before opening the door and climbing in.

Lu Zhiyan set down the tablet and caught the girl as she threw herself into his arms. His large hand naturally encircled her slim, soft waist, and with a little pull, he lifted Jiang Xuefu onto his lap.

He kissed her lovely red lips before picking up the breakfast in the insulated container beside him.

"Want to try it? I just learned how to make it."

Jiang Xuefu was especially fond of Chinese breakfasts. During their four years abroad, Lu Zhiyan had cooked from time to time to satisfy her thoroughly Chinese stomach.

By now, his cooking could be called superb.

Jiang Xuefu eagerly opened the insulated container. In the first layer were two little pink buns shaped like rabbits, so lifelike and especially cute.

"Thank you, hubby~" She leaned over and gave him a rather perfunctory kiss on the cheek, then happily began enjoying her breakfast.

Lu Zhiyan's eyes darkened slightly as he stared at her red lips opening and closing while she ate.

"Hey, Lu Zhiyan, why are you snatching my bun?!"

"Mmph!"

At the company.

Jiang Xuefu sat bored at the desk Lu Zhiyan had prepared for her. She had lost track of how many levels she had played in the match-three game she had casually downloaded onto the computer. Wave after wave of people came in to see Lu Zhiyan, seemingly without end.

Working wasn't tiring, but it was so boring.

She lay on the desk and blinked. When Lu Zhiyan was too busy to look her way, she quietly slipped out.

Lu Zhiyan's office was on the top floor, with the work area for several assistants outside. Aside from people coming up to report on their work, there were usually few others around, so it was very quiet.

Zhou He arrived at the elevator with a stack of documents and was just about to go downstairs when he suddenly saw Jiang Xuefu approaching. Startled, he asked, "Madam? Why have you come out? Does the president need something?"

"Little Zhou, what are you going to do?" Jiang Xuefu smiled, her brows and eyes curving. She looked beautiful and charming, yet Zhou He inexplicably felt a chill.

"Madam, why do you ask? I'm taking some documents to the marketing department."

"Just delivering documents? How about I take them for you? What floor is it on?"

Delivering documents? That was good. It would give her something easy to do, and she could listen to some gossip along the way.

She opened her eyes wide, a sweet smile curving her lips. Her smiling eyes held a hint of pleading. Who could refuse that... Zhou He was actually a little dazed by the sight.

"O-okay, it's on the seventh floor..."

Only after Jiang Xuefu had taken the elevator away did Zhou He slowly recover from the impact of her beauty. He felt some contempt for himself. If the president found out he'd been staring at Madam in a daze, wouldn't he skin him alive?