Xiang Wan slid her phone open and placed it by her ear for him to pick up.
Zhou Jinbei's voice came through.
"Young Lu, where are you?"
"Going to your studio. Your assistant said you haven't been back in two days. Not home, not working, what have you been busy with?"
Strange.
Why would Zhou Jinbei call him suddenly?
Lu Mingzhe asked back.
"What do you want me for?"
"You're married now. Even if Jiao Jiao did something to wrong you before, you don't need to be this excessive."
Xiang Wan was still listening nearby. Why was she suddenly discussing Chen Jiao Jiao with him on the phone?
Lu Mingzhe replied irritably.
"When did it become your turn to comment on my affairs?"
"Are you calling just to lecture me? Excuse me, you don't seem to have that right yet."
Zhou Jinbei: "Alright, alright, I don't have the right, I won't lecture you."
"But I want to remind you of one thing. You are married to Chen Jiao Jiao. You two are like grass on the same rope. You share glory and suffer losses together."
"If you avoid her at this critical moment, and something truly happens, your reputation won't be any better."
"What do you mean? How are we sharing glory and suffering losses together?"
"You don't know? Chen Jiao Jiao's family had an incident, and she didn't tell you?"
Chen Jiao Jiao didn't even consider him her husband, so naturally, she wouldn't report everything to him.
Lu Mingzhe wasn't home, so how would he know about the incident?
"What happened?"
In fact, the moment Zhou Jinbei mentioned an incident, he had a vague guess of what it was.
After all, back in Jincheng, he had overheard a lot standing next to Zhan Bei Jue.
"One of Chen Jiao Jiao's father's construction material companies had a major accident at a construction site due to substandard product quality. Now he's been detained."
"The factory is sealed, assets frozen, it's a complete mess. Chen Jiao Jiao didn't tell you?"
Xiang Wan heard their conversation clearly.
Even if she were a bit slower, she could guess who Chen Jiao Jiao was.
Lu Mingzhe's brows furrowed upon hearing this.
He rubbed his hands on his pants and took the phone.
"She didn't tell me. Is it that serious? What happened at the construction site?"
Zhou Jinbei briefly explained the situation to him.
Then he added.
Chen Jiao Jiao had already returned to Jincheng to seek connections. If her father couldn't be saved, her family might collapse this time.
The call ended. Lu Mingzhe felt a sense of unease.
Although things had been very unpleasant between him and Chen Jiao Jiao some time ago, they had reconciled since then.
Not to mention they weren't divorced yet. Indeed, they shared glory and suffered losses together.
Even if they were divorced, as ordinary friends, he should offer some support at such a time.
Seeing his mood wasn't good, Xiang Wan was very considerate.
"Is something going on at home? Then you should go back quickly."
Lu Mingzhe feared she might overthink it.
"It's nothing. It has nothing to do with me."
"How could it not be related? She's your... No matter what, it's tough for a woman to go through such a big incident."
Lu Mingzhe felt conflicted.
"Then what about Grandma?"
"No rush. If you want to take her, you can come back anytime. Besides, with so many crops at home that haven't been harvested, she can't possibly leave with us."
The two returned and bid farewell to Grandma.
Seeing Lu Mingzhe had something to attend to, Grandma quickly packed a large amount of vegetables and fruits for them.
"Alright, alright, go back while it's still light. Don't worry, and be careful on the road."
Lu Mingzhe held her hand and gently instructed.
"Then we'll come back to pick you up in a while. Take good care of yourself, call us if anything happens, and please stay healthy."
"I know, I know. I'll take good care of myself."
Grandma smiled, reassuring them.
"Wan Wan isn't married yet, and she hasn't had children. I won't have any problems. I'll be waiting for you, go quickly."
The journey back was not as lighthearted as the journey there.
Lu Mingzhe drove with one hand and held Xiang Wan's hand with the other. Neither of them spoke.
Soon, he was sent back to his apartment complex.
Xiang Wan felt quite disappointed thinking he wouldn't be staying tonight.
"So you're going to Jincheng now, right?"
"If you don't want me to go, I won't."
"No. We've already wronged them enough like this, we can't be too unreasonable. You should go."
"Okay. Stay home and be good. I'll be back."
It felt like a parting of life and death, and she suddenly felt reluctant to let go.
Xiang Wan hugged him.
"Go slowly, don't rush. It's easy to have accidents when driving at night. You can't afford to have any accidents."
"I know. Don't worry, I'll be careful."
They parted reluctantly. Lu Mingzhe, driving her car, embarked on the road to Jincheng again.
On the way, he called Chen Jiao Jiao.
Chen Jiao Jiao answered quickly, her mood subdued.
"I've heard about everything. I'm on my way to Jincheng now. How are things on your end?"
Unexpectedly, at this critical moment, it was Lu Mingzhe who cared about her.
It was already dark, and he was still heading towards Jincheng.
Moreover, his father's social status was so sensitive. At a time like this...
True love is seen in adversity.
"I've found lawyers and some people, but it's not very effective. The impact of this matter is very bad in Jincheng locally."
"And my father has made many enemies over the years. Many people are waiting to see him make a fool of himself, and no one will help."
"Don't worry. Things can't be resolved in a few words. Rushing is useless. Wait for me to get there, and we'll plan from there."
"Okay. Drive carefully."
After hanging up the phone, her stepmother, with tearful eyes and trembling eyelashes, leaned towards Chen Jiao Jiao.
"Little Lu is coming over, isn't he? I knew it, at such a critical moment, how could their family sit idly by?"
"Fortunately, we have you, Jiao Jiao. Fortunately, you married into a good family. Our whole family relies on you now."
"I've just gotten pregnant, and with so many messes at home, if your father gets into trouble, how will we live..."
Chen Jiao Jiao was annoyed by her words and cast her a sideways glance.
"Now you know how to cry, now you know how to regret. When my father acted without regard for consequences before, why didn't you try to stop him?"
"..."
"I'm only doing my best, and it's not guaranteed that I can get him out. Moreover, Lu's father's position is sensitive, and we can't force them to act."
"Everyone has their own stance. When Lu Mingzhe arrives, you are not allowed to talk nonsense in front of him."
"I understand, I understand. But without me saying anything, I believe Little Lu will definitely help. You two are just married, and he likes you so much..."
Chen Jiao Jiao sneered inwardly.
At her age, how could she live so naively?
At ten o'clock at night, Lu Mingzhe arrived.
Chen Jiao Jiao met him, and together with her stepmother, they sat in the living room and talked.
"According to the current situation, the lawyer said there's a possibility of sealing all companies, confiscating assets, and sentencing him to three to five years..."
"The only way is to find a leader in the Municipal Construction Bureau to suppress this matter and give us a chance for renovation compensation."
"Over the years, my father has dealt with him quite a bit. But I haven't been able to reach him since the day before yesterday."
"At such a critical moment, people are trying to avoid trouble. How could they possibly help?"