Chapter 31: The Internal Appraisal Meeting
Xu Youyou had no idea that she was once again on someone’s radar.
She was awakened by a knock at the door. Opening her eyes in the hotel’s large bed, she momentarily looked confused. She threw on a random piece of clothing over her pajamas and hurried to open the door.
Seeing the familiar face outside, she froze for a second before remembering why Lu Jingyao was there.
“I’ll brush my teeth and wash my face right away. Give me fifteen minutes,” Xu Youyou said.
Lu Jingyao frowned slightly. “You opened the door too quickly.”
Xu Youyou: ?
Lu Jingyao continued, “You’re in a foreign country, and you’re a young woman. You should be more cautious and not open the door for just anyone. At the very least, ask who’s there first.”
Xu Youyou retorted, “This is the Anman Hotel.”
“This isn’t your home country. Guns are legal here. Even in a high-end hotel, it’s not necessarily safe,” Lu Jingyao said with a furrowed brow.
Xu Youyou found his nagging attitude annoying and simply closed the door on him. “I need to get ready to go!”
Lu Jingyao almost had the door shut in his face.
When Xu Youyou finally stepped out in a casual dress, carrying a lightweight handbag, Lu Jingyao was still standing outside with a dark expression.
Xu Youyou sneaked a glance at his nose, relieved to see it hadn’t been hit by the door.
“Mr. Lu, could your driver stop somewhere on the way to buy me some food?” Xu Youyou asked.
Lu Jingyao glanced at her without responding.
Xu Youyou rubbed her nose awkwardly. “Are you mad at me?”
Lu Jingyao glanced down at her shoes—good, they were sneakers. He seemed to have no further concerns and strode toward the hotel entrance.
Xu Youyou quickly followed.
Awkwardly, when they reached Lu Jingyao’s car, the driver wasn’t there yet.
After about two minutes, the driver rushed over, carrying a takeout bag. “Mr. Lu, Miss Xu, I’m sorry for being late.”
Lu Jingyao nodded indifferently and got into the car.
Xu Youyou was about to follow when the driver stopped her and handed her the bag.
“Miss Xu, Mr. Lu asked me to prepare breakfast for you. If you don’t like it, I can try to find something else on the way,” the driver said politely.
Xu Youyou took the food, and the annoyance she had felt toward Lu Jingyao for disturbing her sleep suddenly dissipated.
However, once she got in the car, Lu Jingyao still kept his distance, staring out the window with a frown, making it clear he didn’t want to talk to her.
The Anman Hotel was known for its breakfast, and the driver had brought her its signature dish. Even after she finished the entire meal, Lu Jingyao hadn’t spared her a glance.
Feeling full and in good spirits, Xu Youyou decided to tease him. “Are you mad?”
Lu Jingyao turned to look at her. Though she could still sense some irritation, his face showed no emotion.
“I’m not mad. This isn’t even worth getting mad over,” Lu Jingyao said.
Xu Youyou immediately took advantage of the situation. “Good, I knew that Mr. Lu is always magnanimous and wouldn’t hold a grudge just because I almost ran late due to oversleeping.”
Lu Jingyao’s mouth twitched slightly, but his self-restraint prevented him from rebuking her.
Xu Youyou glanced around the car and noticed something odd. “Where’s Assistant Liu? Isn’t he coming with us today?”
“He had a family emergency and flew back home last night,” Lu Jingyao replied.
Xu Youyou nodded. No wonder the car felt oppressively silent—Liu was missing, the usual mediator.
“What about your bodyguards? Are they in another car?” Xu Youyou asked.
“I have them in a separate vehicle behind us,” Lu Jingyao said.
Xu Youyou relaxed. “Mr. Lu, what collectibles will be at today’s internal appraisal meeting? Which one are you most interested in?”
Lu Jingyao found her chatter exhausting. “You’ll see when we get there.”
With that, he closed his eyes, making it clear that he didn’t want to continue the conversation.
Finding him boring, Xu Youyou took out her phone and messaged Song Zhibai.
Since Song’s mother’s surgery was successful and she was out of immediate danger, she was still recuperating at the Elder Council Hospital. Song Zhibai had been constantly asking when Xu Youyou would return home, eager to work for her to repay the favor.
Xu Youyou still had unfinished business with Peter and couldn’t leave the U.S. just yet. She reassured Song Zhibai not to rush and to focus on his mother’s recovery first.
At the hospital, Song’s mother sat up and asked her son, “What did Miss Xu say?”
“Mom, she wants you to stay in the hospital a little longer to recover. She said she’s still handling things abroad,” Song Zhibai replied.
Song’s mother asked, “Did she say what she’s busy with?”
Song Zhibai shook his head. He had asked, but Xu Youyou hadn’t given any details.
Song’s mother sighed. “Miss Xu is the kindest young woman I’ve ever met.”
Song Zhibai looked puzzled.
She explained, “I don’t think she’s still abroad because she has unfinished business. I think she’s staying because I delayed her return.”
Over the past few days, Xu Youyou had occasionally visited the hospital. Each time, she appeared relaxed, without a trace of stress or exhaustion. This led Song’s mother to suspect that Xu Youyou wasn’t actually that busy—she just didn’t want to leave them behind.
She patted her son’s hand. “Miss Xu has been very generous to us. We must find a way to repay her.”
Song Zhibai nodded firmly. Xu Youyou had proven her sincerity time and time again. Remembering his past suspicions of her, he felt deeply ashamed.
Unaware of the Song family’s gratitude, Xu Youyou arrived at her destination after an hour-long car ride. The building before her resembled a museum.
“A museum selling collectibles?” Xu Youyou asked curiously.
Lu Jingyao explained, “This is a private museum. Its owner went bankrupt and can no longer afford to keep the collection.”
Xu Youyou quickly spotted familiar faces among the crowd—many of the wealthy elites from the previous night’s banquet.
Clearly, even though the museum’s owner had lost his fortune, his collection remained valuable and beyond the reach of ordinary buyers.
Following Lu Jingyao’s gaze, Xu Youyou noticed that the item he was interested in had drawn quite a crowd.
One look at it made her eyes widen. “Mr. Lu, you’re going straight for the museum’s crown jewel?”
