Chapter 109: The Last Will and Testament

The lunch ended hastily; Liang Xiujin barely ate, and Xu Yi didn't touch a single bite. Qiao Jiu and Liang Xiucheng, however, finished their meals.

Liang Xiujin settled the bill, and they walked back to the office, which was nearby. Xu Yi was still wiping away tears. Qiao Jiu cast an impatient glance at her; she despised people who used tears as a weapon—it was so cheap.

When they reached the entrance of the Liang family’s company, Xu Yi went to her car. She didn't drive off immediately; Qiao Jiu could see her inside, clutching a tissue to her face and sobbing audibly.

Qiao Jiu clicked her tongue. "Who did something to her? To make her feel so wronged."

Liang Xiucheng gave a light scoff. "Who knows."

Liang Xiujin glanced at Xu Yi, but his expression remained unchanged. He walked into the lobby, and since it wasn't yet time to resume work, he sat on a sofa in the corner and took out his phone. Qiao Jiu and Liang Xiucheng ignored him and headed upstairs.

Once back in her office, Qiao Jiu reached for her phone, intending to call Guan Wei to recount the incident as a joke. Just as she was searching for the number, her phone suddenly rang. She was startled to see it was Liu Changyong calling.

She answered quickly, greeting him as "Uncle Liu."

Liu Changyong hummed and asked if she was busy that evening, suggesting they grab a meal.

"Is this a company engagement?" Qiao Jiu asked.

"No," Liu Changyong replied. "Just a private dinner. Something has come up in Shencheng, so I'm heading back tomorrow. I don't know when I’ll be able to come back, so I wanted to take you out for a bite first."

Qiao Jiu replied immediately, "That’s fine, I’m free tonight."

"Great," Liu Changyong said with a smile. "I'll have someone pick you up."

With that settled, the call ended. Qiao Jiu slowly put her phone down, her mind drifting to the call she had witnessed Liu Changyong taking in the restroom earlier. In her memories, Liu Changyong and her father had been very close, yet in all the years he had been gone, her father had never once mentioned him. If they hadn't had a falling out over interests, they would have parted on good terms and wouldn't have gone so long without contact. His excuse about losing his phone and her father's contact information seemed like complete nonsense to her; he still had contact details for so many friends in Yuncheng, so why would her father be the only one missing?

After a busy afternoon, Liu Changyong called again near the end of the workday to say his assistant was waiting outside the Liang company building.

Qiao Jiu checked the time, quickly tidied her desk, and headed downstairs. She had met Liu’s assistant before; the man greeted her respectfully, "Miss Qiao."

Qiao Jiu nodded. "Thank you for the trouble."

The restaurant Liu Changyong had booked wasn't in the city center but tucked away in a suburban alley. It didn't seem to be a traditional restaurant; as soon as she stepped into the alley, she smelled the aroma of white spirits. It was a tavern. The assistant led her inside, and sure enough, she saw a tavern sign. It was hard to find and not very crowded, with no private rooms, only tables for two in the main hall.

Liu Changyong was already there. Qiao Jiu walked over. "Uncle Liu, why choose this place? It’s not easy to find."

Liu Changyong, dressed in casual attire, smiled. "Your father and I used to love coming here to drink. It’s changed quite a bit, though. I spent a long time looking for it; the exterior was renovated, and I almost didn't recognize it."

Qiao Jiu sat down, and Liu Changyong ordered two small carafes of liquor. "You have a good tolerance, let’s have a drink." He handed her the menu, and she ordered a couple of dishes.

Once the waiter left, Liu Changyong sighed. "When I first planned to return to Yuncheng, I wanted to invite your father here for a drink, to relive the old days."

Qiao Jiu lowered her head, silent. Liu Changyong exhaled deeply and suddenly changed the subject. "Xiao Jiu, tell me, what happened when you divorced? How did all the family assets end up in Lu Fengzhou’s hands?" He sounded clearly displeased. "That was the empire your father built; no matter what, it shouldn't have fallen into his hands. Where did he even come from? When you two married, didn't your father vet him?"

Qiao Jiu poured herself a drink. "My father left a will. All his assets, including his shares in the company, were left to Lu Fengzhou." As for the rest of the family assets, that was Lu Fengzhou’s trap, forcing her to leave with nothing.

Liu Changyong was surprised. "Your father left a will handing the company to him? What kind of spell did he cast on your father?"

Qiao Jiu didn't know either; she hadn't even known her father had written a will. During the divorce, she had doubted its authenticity, but subsequent inspections confirmed that all procedures were legal and valid. She had even watched the archived video of the signing, and there was nothing wrong with it.

Liu Changyong clicked his tongue, as if speaking to himself. "That shouldn't be right."

"As for Lu Fengzhou’s background," Qiao Jiu continued, "my father had people investigate him, and there were no red flags."

"No red flags?" Liu Changyong’s brow furrowed, and he fell silent. Qiao Jiu remembered him saying he would look into Lu Fengzhou, but she wondered if he had discovered anything.

After the food arrived, Qiao Jiu picked up her chopsticks and suddenly asked, "Uncle Liu, why did you leave Yuncheng in the first place? You grew up here. If you wanted to start a business, it would have been more logical to stay."

Liu Changyong paused, then laughed. "I was young then, just wanted to go out and make a name for myself. I didn't think about much else."

Qiao Jiu nodded slowly. "Your family is all here. Didn't they blame you for not returning for so many years?"

"I had no choice," Liu Changyong said. "Things were hectic in Shencheng. When you’re starting a business, you have to handle everything yourself. I missed home, but I couldn't get away."

Qiao Jiu curled her lips into a smile. "Is that so?"

Liu Changyong’s answer was full of holes. Starting a business was hard, but once he had made his fortune, it was impossible that he hadn't had the time to return to his hometown.

A few seconds later, Qiao Jiu seemed to recall something. "Oh, by the way, when my father was critically ill, he mentioned you."

Liu Changyong froze, immediately asking, "What did he say about me?"

Qiao Jiu hesitated. "He wasn't in good shape at the time, and I didn't quite understand. It sounded like there was something from the past that hadn't been resolved, and he didn't have the chance to wait for you to come back." She looked at him with feigned curiosity. "Uncle Liu, what was he talking about? It must have been important for him to be thinking about it on his deathbed."

Liu Changyong stared at her for a long moment before opening his mouth. "Ah, your father... he still remembered that." After a few seconds, he chuckled. "It was just when we split the business—some accounts didn't quite add up. But thinking back, it wasn't that it wasn't resolved; I actually think we settled everything cleanly." His expression was sincere, showing no signs of deception.

Qiao Jiu gave a faint smile. "I see."

Liu Changyong urged her to eat, steering the conversation away from her father and toward Lu Fengzhou. He seemed particularly curious about him, asking Qiao Jiu if she had ever met his relatives during the two years they lived together or if she knew anything about his past.