Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 20

Gu Songming bowed deeply. “Thank you, Young Master Lu, for still trusting me.”

Lu Tang looked at Gu Songming with a cold gaze, saying nothing.

Gu Songming straightened up, his expression calm, entirely different from the arrogant attitude he had when he came to propose marriage last time.

“I know I’m not a good person. As a father, I just want to find a way out for my son. I don’t expect Young Master Lu and Sirable mother to forgive the incident during the marriage proposal. Nor do I hope to reach any cooperation agreement with you. I only wish that Gu Changming dies, and you don’t want him to live.”

Lu Tang raised an eyebrow slightly and said nonchalantly, “You wanting Gu Changming dead is your business. I don’t care about him at all. The reason I beat him up today and didn’t let him in the door wasn’t because I believed you, but because I wanted to beat him and didn’t want him in my house.”

Lu Tang stepped aside, making a gesture to see the guest out.

“Your family’s matters, I won’t get involved. How you want to deal with him is up to you. As for the information I want, I don’t necessarily have to get it from you!”

Gu Songming sighed lightly, as if he were looking at a child throwing a tantrum.

“Young Master Lu, why go to such lengths? Although I don’t know everything about Yue’er, I know enough…”

As he spoke, a carriage slowly stopped, and Lu Shuqing jumped out of it. Originally about to help Madam Qiao get off the carriage, she suddenly saw Gu Songming.

Lu Shuqing immediately let out a cold laugh and walked towards Gu Songming.

“Well, if it isn’t the eldest young master of the Gu family? Did you come to bully my brother while my mother and I were away? Otherwise, what kind of connection would a man in his twenties have with my fourteen-year-old brother? Some strange old-young relationship?”

“Miss Lu, it’s a misunderstanding.”

Lu Shuqing shoved Lu Tang inside and leaned against the doorframe with one arm, legs crossed. “Misunderstanding, my foot! Get lost!”

Her jaw raised, Lu Shuqing looked more imposing than a bandit from the western mountains.

“Given the old grudges between our families, no one would blame me if I beat you up right here and now!”

Everyone knew that Lu Shuqing was a martial artist, trained since childhood by people her grandfather hired from a security bureau.

Gu Songming, understanding the situation, took a step back. “Young Master Lu, I hope you will reconsider my words.”

After saying that, he turned and left.

Lu Shuqing resisted the urge to kick him, rolled her eyes, and looked at her brother, smacking him on the head. “Idiot!”

Lu Tang quickly ducked. “Sis, why are you hitting me again?”

Lu Shuqing glared at him. “Why? You tell me. Haven’t you had enough wine poured on you today? Now you’re involved with Gu Songming again?”

Lu Tang stuck out his tongue. “Sis, you knew?”

Madam Qiao had also gotten off the carriage. Seeing Lu Shuqing acting like a bandit, she shook her head helplessly and asked Lu Tang while walking inside, “What happened?”

When she heard the news, she and Lu Shuqing were checking the accounts at the inn and rushed back as soon as they heard.

Once off the carriage, she saw Lu Tang being blocked by Gu Songming at the door.

With his sister on his left and his mother on his right, Lu Tang explained today’s events, skipping the parts about the detector, and directly saying he suspected Lu Yuchen was the child of Lu Deren’s mistress.

In a family, the most important thing was communication. Many misunderstandings in novels came from not talking things out.

“Liang Cheng and the others are helping me investigate. I also told Uncle Fu. He’s already making arrangements.”

Since Lu Deren might have a mistress, Madam Qiao didn’t hide it from Uncle Fu.

After Lu Tang finished, Lu Shuqing smiled and pinched his cheek. “Our little Tang seems to have grown up, knowing how to use strategies!”

Lu Tang grinned and rolled his eyes. “Like sister, like brother!”

He made a big scene mainly to provoke Lu Deren. As long as Lu Deren acted hastily, Uncle Fu would notice something.

Once the mistress was caught in the act, it would be easy for his mother to divorce him.

“Gu Songming wants to work with me to deal with Gu Changming. I’m not stupid. I won’t be his tool. Let them fight their own battles. A dog-eat-dog fight! Oh, Mom, how did the accounting go at the inn?”

Madam Qiao ruffled Lu Tang’s hair and spoke honestly. “Not very good.”

Lu Shuqing, indignant, said, “Not just not very good. Mom hasn’t managed the business for years, leaving everything to Lu Deren, and that scoundrel really messed things up! Our inn in Sihe Town, the best location among several nearby towns, is the one losing the most money!”

Sihe Town was a transportation hub, and the inn had an excellent location. Even if it didn’t make much, it shouldn’t lose money.

Talking about the inn made Lu Shuqing furious.

“The old guys at the inn were also bribed by Lu Deren. When Mom and I went, they kept stalling. As soon as we left, they surely reported to Lu Deren.”

Lu Tang was shocked. “Wouldn’t that alert him?”

Madam Qiao sneered. “Right now, we’re hoping to startle this snake. We’re waiting for him to make a move.”

Lu Shuqing said, “Exactly. So, Little Tang, your commotion today is adding fuel to the fire!”

“Sis, read some books, okay? It’s called adding flowers to the brocade!”

“You, a bookworm, telling me to read more? That’s new!”

“Hey!”

Before Lu Tang could retort, Yuan Bao ran over to report, “Young Master, Young Master Liang and the others are here. They’re waiting at the door and said they have found something.”

Lu Tang looked at Madam Qiao. “Shall I let them in?”

Madam Qiao ruffled Lu Tang’s hair again. “You go meet them. Decide for yourself what to do, but think carefully before acting.”

She needed to give Lu Tang the chance to make his own decisions. Otherwise, how would he ever grow up?

Lu Tang snapped his fingers, blew a kiss to Madam Qiao and Lu Shuqing, and said, “I’m off. Mom, Sis, don’t wait for me for dinner!”

“As if anyone would wait for you!” Lu Shuqing laughed and teased him. After Lu Tang left, Lu Shuqing turned serious and looked at Madam Qiao. “Mom, are you not planning to tell Little Tang about Lord Qin?”

Madam Qiao shook her head. “Let’s see how far your brother can go. Maybe he’s much better than we think. We might not need Lord Qin’s help after all.”

The Qiao family’s business had already been eroded by Lu Deren. Once she and Lu Deren completely fell apart, the business would definitely go through a major upheaval.

Lu Tang was already fourteen.

When the family was in trouble, everyone capable in the family had to shoulder the burden together.

No one could hide under someone else’s protection forever.

This was what her father had told her. Unfortunately, she had been foolish all these years…

Her heart aching, Madam Qiao pushed aside these chaotic thoughts. “Let’s eat. After dinner, we still need to check the accounts. Tomorrow, we have to collect other account books.”