Xu Wanwan's little face turned red; Qin Yun had not spared her from "massages" these past few days.
Qin He raised an eyebrow and was about to ask more when the hospital room door opened.
Arriving uninvited, and at this late hour, without even knocking, Qin He frowned as he looked.
"Well, look who it is," Qin Yun said, lying on the hospital bed with a lazy smile.
Lu Mingxi placed a small food container on the table. "The two at my home said that since my relationship with you is so good, I absolutely had to visit you while you're sick. After all, you're the president of Qin Corporation. We need to socialize and strengthen our friendship."
Qin He chuckled at his bluntness. "Your parents didn't ask you to relay that exact message, did they?"
Lu Mingxi shrugged. "Doesn't matter. It's how I got to know your brother anyway."
Qin He became interested, and after some questioning, quickly learned about Qin Yun and Lu Mingxi's past.
Lu Mingxi's parents favored their younger son and disliked him, their eldest. Thus, his role was always meant to be for future arranged marriages, to maintain relationships with the prominent families of Qingcheng.
In short, he was a social butterfly.
Back when Lu Mingxi was more obedient, he deliberately approached Qin Yun at his parents' behest, solely because of Qin Yun's status as the heir to the Qin family.
"At that time, I also had another task: after getting along well with your brother, see if I could get in touch with the Qin family's eldest daughter."
As Lu Mingxi spoke, he propped his chin on his hand and looked at Qin He, smiling ambiguously. "After all, everyone in Qingcheng knows that Miss Qin is the apple of the Qin family's eye. My parents even wanted me to marry you then."
"You don't want that anymore?" Xu Wanwan chimed in, fanning the flames.
Qin He glared at her. "Xu Wanwan!"
Lu Mingxi possessed exceptional looks, and his smile carried a hint of seductive charm. He looked at Qin He. "I do, but there's no opportunity."
Qin He nodded with certainty. "It's good that you know."
On the hospital bed, Qin Yun's gaze flickered between Lu Mingxi and Qin He several times, lost in thought.
After chatting for a while, the conversation turned to the redevelopment of the West District. The Lu Corporation was also interested in this project.
Lu Mingxi, having just taken over the Lu Corporation, desperately needed a success to prove himself.
Qin He smiled and shook his head. "You don't stand a chance. I've already set my sights on this project."
She was well aware of Lu Mingxi's current situation; even if she conceded this project, he wouldn't be able to handle it.
His parents, along with various Lu family relatives within the corporation, were all difficult people. It wouldn't be that simple.
Qin He then looked at Xu Wanwan. "Is your family not interested?"
Xu Wanwan shook her head. "My father said that both the Gu family and your family will be bidding on this. Our family has little chance, so we're not going to bother."
After a short while, Lu Mingxi stood up, preparing to leave. "Little kitty, want to go together? I'll take you home."
"No need. Brother Yang will take me soon."
Lu Mingxi knew Zhou Yang and left with a look of regret.
As soon as he left, Qin Yun immediately sent Xu Wanwan away as well.
Only the brother and sister remained in the hospital room.
Qin Yun's expression turned serious. "He'er, I've just thought of something very important for you."
"What is it?"
"Didn't you want to find a fake father for the child in your belly?"
"Hmm?"
"How about Lu Mingxi!"
Qin He felt as if she had choked. She laughed. "Brother, what are you thinking? Lu Mingxi?!"
"Yes! You two even had rumors about you, and didn't you plan to delay the child's birth by a month? The timing would match, and people's suspicions would be greatly reduced!"
Qin He's expression changed slightly. "No, Brother. Lu Mingxi is the only son of the Lu family now, the president of Lu Corporation. If you ask him to do this, even if he agrees, his parents won't!"
Who could accept their only remaining son entering a fake marriage and acknowledging someone else's child as his own.
The wealthy families cared more about bloodlines; there were too many complications involved.
Qin Yun, however, was set on his idea. "Listen to your brother. Don't worry, I'll discuss this with Lu Mingxi. He'll definitely agree."
Although Qin Yun had previously worried about Lu Mingxi making advances on his sister, after some thought, he decided that finding a fake father for his future niece was better with a familiar person than a stranger. He could keep an eye on things.
"Lu Mingxi might have a reputation, but he's not a bad person at heart. That way, I can be at ease," Qin Yun persuaded.
Qin He's brow furrowed. "Brother, stop talking. I won't agree."
If Lu Mingxi wasn't interested in her, she might have considered it. But now, Lu Mingxi clearly saw her as prey, and she didn't want to get involved any further.
Qin Yun still wanted to say something, but Qin He had already stood up.
"Alright, Wanwan will be back soon. I'll be going now."
Qin Yun was anxious. "He'er, he's really the most suitable candidate."
"Brother, rest early. Don't overexert yourself too late; it's not good for your leg's recovery," Qin He said with a smile as she walked to the door.
Qin Yun's expression changed. "You didn't take my pulse!"
Qin He grinned mischievously. "Earlier, when I was sitting with Wanwan, I took hers. Her cubit pulse is a bit weak."
Qin Yun gritted his teeth. His sister had seen through him. He frowned. "Hurry up and go! Don't let Wanwan hear!"
Otherwise, Xu Wanwan would be too embarrassed and throw a tantrum, which would be troublesome!
...
In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the bidding. Qin He attached great importance to this bid and decided to attend in person.
When the company representatives and Qin He arrived at the official venue, people from other companies also began to arrive, taking their seats.
The bidding would proceed in three rounds, with the first round eliminating a large portion of the participants.
Qin He had recently been experiencing more frequent morning sickness, and her waist had begun to show slightly. Fortunately, she could hide it with loose clothing.
She sat at Qin Corporation's designated spot, surrounded by several senior executives.
Low whispers echoed through the venue. Qin He looked up and saw Gu Qishen walking in.
The man was tall and had a detached, indifferent expression, exuding his usual aura of keeping people at arm's length.
Gu Corporation's seats were adjacent to Qin Corporation's. Gu Qishen walked over to his side, saw Qin He, and nodded at her.
Here, everyone was a competitor. Qin He nodded in return.
The bidding began. A large number of corporations were eliminated, including those from out of town, on the grounds that they lacked sufficient understanding of Qingcheng and would not have the same local sentiment as Qingcheng-based companies.
By the second round, only seven or eight companies remained.
Among them were Qin Corporation, Gu Corporation, and Lu Corporation.
Representatives from the corporations stepped forward, presenting their design plans to the bidding officials and providing explanations.
Everyone could hear at this point.
Qin He's idea was more human-centered, with many buildings focused on renovation and preserving the semi-ancient charm of the West District. Gu Qishen's vision was more long-term, with suggestions for building hospitals and educational facilities.
It was evident that the officials were having difficulty making a decision, as they became engrossed while listening to the plans of both companies.