Free Web NovelChapter 277: Chapter 211: Growth Is a Lifelong Matter
Some people have low emotional intelligence because they’re genuinely clueless. Others just pretend to have low emotional intelligence to get what they want.
It’s like when you try to borrow money from a friend. You hem and haw for ages, but your friend just dodges the subject. You curse him for his low EQ, hang up in a rage, and just like that, your friend has achieved his goal.
Knocking Zhou Luan to the "bottom of the food chain" was, naturally, something Lin Chu did on purpose.
A girl who’s too proud might be dazzling, but she’s also prickly.
Zhou Luan’s way of speaking often made Lin Chu uncomfortable. He felt like he was constantly being targeted.
Once or twice was fine; he could write it off as friendly bickering.
But when it happened every time...
’The LC Club can’t have someone so full of themselves in it. Except for me, of course.’
He had originally brought her into the club because he was worried she’d grow to resent him and use her best friend’s powerful connections to sabotage his plans.
But now that he had connected with her best friend—they’d even added each other on WeChat—the likelihood of that happening had dropped significantly.
So Lin Chu decided to make his move.
Lin Chu waited until evening...
The dinner he’d tried to arrange with An Yunzhi, of course, fell through.
Given her temperament and personality, not to mention her loyalty as Zhou Luan’s best friend, there was no way she would agree.
Still, she hadn’t blocked him.
She hadn’t even hidden her posts from him.
So Lin Chu knew it wasn’t a big deal.
Judging by An Yunzhi’s character, she didn’t seem like the type to use her family’s power to cause trouble for him.
Besides, times had changed. Famous Group was now relying on him for the majority of its debt.
Zhou Luan was headstrong, but she definitely wasn’t an idiot.
As for Zhou Luan’s current state, Lin Chu didn’t ask, and she didn’t message him. He hadn’t seen her all afternoon. She was probably hiding in a corner somewhere, crying by herself.
’A woman like an eagle... oh, no, a woman who *sees herself* as an eagle... even if she cries, she’d never let anyone see it.’
...
When Zhou Ming returned home, he was surprised to find his daughter sitting on the sofa, hugging her knees and staring blankly at the television.
"Hm? Sweetheart, what brings you home today?"
Zhou Ming asked with a cheerful smile.
Ever since his wife passed away many years ago, he had never remarried. There were never any rumors of affairs; even his secretary at the company was a man.
It wasn’t that his preferences had changed; he just couldn’t be bothered with the hassle anymore.
A love that transcends life and death is something you’re lucky to find even once in a lifetime. He never expected to find it a second time.
When his wife died, he was forty-six years old and worth billions. Zhou Ming didn’t believe it was possible to find true love with any woman he met under those circumstances. It would just be a transactional relationship, with each party taking what they needed.
But he didn’t need that.
That was why, for the past ten-plus years, his daughter had been so spoiled.
"Dad..."
Zhou Luan called out softly. After a moment’s thought, she said in a calm voice, "I don’t want to work at the club anymore."
Hm?
The decision took Zhou Ming by surprise.
His first instinct was to wonder if Lin Chu had done something to his daughter.
But as he studied her expression, he saw it wasn’t the scorched-earth fury of someone pushed to the brink, but something more like resentment.
Knowing his daughter’s personality, if she had truly been wronged against her will, she wouldn’t be acting like this. She would have called the police.
’Oh.’
’He understood in an instant. She must have been "put in her place."’
’A subtle smile bloomed in his heart, but he let none of it show on his face.’ Zhou Ming sat down beside her and asked with genuine concern and empathy, "Is the work pressure too much? If you don’t want to go, then don’t go. Come home. Dad will take care of you."
Zhou Luan glanced at him and pouted.
For some reason, the phrase "Dad will take care of you" suddenly sounded a little grating today.
Before, if she’d heard something like that, she would have used it as an opportunity to tease him a little before asking for some money.
And Dad would have definitely given it to her.
"Sigh..."
She let out a long sigh.
"Dad, I want to ask you a question."
"Okay, go ahead. But first, let me ask you a question. Have you had dinner? If not, I’ll make something for you, and we can chat while you eat."
Zhou Ming said with a gentle, loving smile.
"I don’t want to eat!"
"You have to answer my question first!"
"If I weren’t your daughter, do you think... I’m a terrible person?"
Zhou Luan refused stubbornly, her eyes fixed on her father, waiting expectantly for his response.
Zhou Ming: ...
’Yikes.’
’Looks like this really got to her.’
’Not bad, not bad at all. She’s even learned to self-reflect.’
’He was still smiling inwardly, but his tone grew even gentler as he said with a soft laugh, "But you are my daughter."’
Zhou Ming had intended to start with a joke to soothe his daughter’s emotions before reasoning with her.
However...
He never expected that upon hearing his words, Xiaoluan would stare at him, her eyes fixed, for a few seconds before suddenly standing up and walking to her room upstairs without saying a word.
’I...’
Zhou Ming sighed with a wry smile and got up from the sofa. After a moment’s thought, he went to the kitchen and started making his daughter’s favorite dish: steak pasta. While waiting for it to cook, he was about to call Lin Chu to ask what had happened.
Suddenly, he received a WeChat message from his daughter.
"Dad, I’m sorry! I won’t be mean to you anymore! And I won’t block you on WeChat again!"
Hm?
Zhou Ming froze for a second. Suddenly, his eyes started to feel a little warm, and a smile crept onto his lips.
’The kid’s grown up.’
’Haha, Lin Chu, not bad.’
’What did you do?’
...
「The next afternoon.」
A little after three, Lin Chu was in his Rolls-Royce, heading for Peking University’s Peng City Campus. Gao Haitao was driving, Gu Jiayan was in the passenger seat, and he and Lu Ming were in the back.
