Supremely unbothered by everyone's calculation, Lu Mian focused on her studies, and her future.
Everyday, she worked on the olympiad questions, brushed up her knowledge points for her college entrance exams and painstakingly did numerous projects in the DarkWeb as Lumina.
She didn't attend school anymore. She either spent her time at the noodle shop, with Boss Qin for company. Or she was at the internet cafe, completing projects. Her routine allowed her to avoid the pesky Pei and Lu families and truly give her the space she needed.
For the first time in both lives, she didn't have the burden of caring for a company, or improving the family name. Her goal was only herself and she absolutely reveled in it.
Lu Mian didn't work without a goal - she had a plan. Getting stronger by skill was important. But what would truly help her was money. And backing.
The Capital wasn't an easy place to live. There were the top 3 families to deal with (the Huo, the Tang and the Gu), and their vassal families. The Bai family traditionally served the Huo family, the Chu family the Tangs, and the Lin family staunchly supported the Gus.
These families held absolute power in the capital. The second tier families like the Shens and Jiangs were like children trying to play in the adults game.
No matter how hard they tried ,their fates were decided by the top families. Despite that, even the second tier families could easily crush her - a nobody. like an ant.
Here, Lu Mian paused in her musings as she recalled something - the awe inspiring Helios Strategic Holdings. In her past life they were a force outside of the key families. No one knew who controlled them - or how they came to be.
But Helios Strategic Holdings kept the top families in check and was instrumental in every business deal in the country. Oh, they participated in only key ones - High level crisis negotiation, or development of counter-intelligence surveillance technology.
But they influenced which companies would partner with each other and worked silently on capital restructuring. They could topple key companies in one deal - and could effortlessly reshuffle the power dynamics in the Capital. They were widely praised to have made the Capital a better place for the common man - who couldn't fight politics or power.
Thinking of timelines, Helios Strategic Holdings would be in it's nascent stages right now. Lu Mian had no interest in grabbing their glory. She didn't even want to intentionally attract their attention.
She just made a mental note to watch out for them and help them in their growing stages. Or maybe borrow their way of working, she reflected. Lu Mian's interest lay in medicine and bio-engineering.
She wanted to build a company that would allow her to explore at her leisure. Being in stealth mode and running it from the shadows appealed to her a lot.
All in good time. She assured herself.
Tomorrow, she leaves for the olympiad, and after completing it, has an appointment with Huo Shen to sort out her guardianship.
Intending to rest early, Lu Mian reached the Lu family home a bit earlier than planned.
It was a mistake.
The Lu family was clearly celebrating. Rows of fancy cars lined up outside and you could hear the sound of laughter and conversation from the gates. Not wanting to get caught in drama, Lu Mian turned to go around the back.
"There she is - unfilial girl. Why can't you be responsible atleast today"
Too late. Her grandmother had already spotted her.
She turned to see Pei Yan and Lu Xinya wearing matching outfits. They looked like a match made in heaven.
Lu Xinya especially had meticulously dressed up for tonight. She had spent a fortune on this gown and had locked herself away for the whole day to be primped and primed.
When she came down in her silken gown, the crowd had sighed in awe. Even Pei Yan, had looked flatteringly smitten. Lu Xinya felt like she was on top of the world.
Until the jinx Lu Mian showed up. Clad in a simple jeans and teeshirt with her hair in a ponytail, Lu Mian easily outclassed Lu Xinya.
If Lu Xinya was the gentle shining moon in the sky, Lu Mian was the scorching sun - effortlessly eclipsing the moon. And the whole crowd noticed. So did Pei Yan.
Lu Xinya gritted her teeth, her fingers clenching her gown silently. "Grandma is just worried about you sister. You almost missed the party." she said sweetly, her tone dripping with concern.
Internally Lu Xinya sneered. See, no matter how you look or who you are - there will never be anyone standing with you. These people are all mine, her eyes gleamed triumphantly at Lu Mian.
"I didn't know there was a party" replied Lu Mian blandly. "But grandmother is so kind - to throw me a party to encourage me for my Olympiad. I will not you down grandmother" she finished.
There was an awkward pause.
"Mianmian, it's like this. This party is actually for Xinxin - for her recital in the Nine Strings festival" Aunt Xu explained with a brittle smile.
"Since the Olympiad is a lot later, and the festival is in a few days, we are holding Xinxin's first." she finished, hinting a party for Lu Mian was ofcourse planned.
Too bad for them, Lu Mian wasn't in a mood to play along.
"Aunt Xu is joking. My Olympiad is tomorrow. I leave early in the morning to participate." she said plainly.
Aunt Xu flushed. She didn't realise the wretched Olympiads were actually sooner.
Pei Yan frowned. Today was a revelation to him. On his father's urging, he finally read the contract Lu Mian had amended for Client X.
He was impressed. Her logic was elegant, her cost modeling flawless. He had been truly captivated. By her. He had a million questions he wanted to ask her. When Xinya called about the party, he immediately said yes - all he could think of was he could see her again.
When Lu Mian finally entered, he was slightly annoyed as well. She should've been here waiting for him like she always did. But her quiet elegance and stunning beauty hit him first. When did she become this beautiful? He wondered.
Now based on the conversations, he realized Lu Mian was so ignored by her family. What else had he missed about her?
"Enough. Don't make a scene" her father scolded her harshly. "You are just an embarrassment - look at you."
"Why father?" asked Lu Mian sharply. " I have been the dutiful daughter, excelling at whatever was asked of me and more. Why am I nothing but an embarrassment?"
"Lu Mian" her father warned threateningly. "This is not a place to make a scene. Go in now and stop fighting or else I will disown a daughter like you."
"Okay. said Lu Mian quietly. "I will leave now and not come back. Please disown me Master Lu. I would thank you for your care in raising me for all these years - except, I have paid every single thing back." And Lu Mian resolutely turned to leave.
"Unfilial girl. Are you going out to spend the whole night away from home again? Don't drag our name through the mud." scolded her grandma, looking like a concerned elder.
"Sister, don't get upset with grandma. It's just that she knows how bad your results have been. She doesn't want to make a big deal out of the Olympiad and put a lot of pressure on you. When you fail, you would take it too hard. It's all my fault…maybe I shouldn't participate in the Nine Strings Festival…" sobbed Lu Xinya, her face the picture of bewildered hurt.
It was perfectly timed. Whispers started among the crowd. This was top-notch drama. They knew all about the elder sister of the Lu family who was side-lined for the engagement. They had thought it was because she wasn't good looking or accomplished.
While that myth got easily debunked by Lu Mian's sheer presence, Lu Xinya's words once again started more gossip. Now Lu Mian was painted to be ungrateful and unfilial too.
Lu Mian would not wrong herself again.
"No." said Lu Mian abruptly. "You Lu Xinya are a vile, two-faced scheming bitch. But for once, this is not your fault. "
The crowd gasped.Lu Xinya, who had been startled at her denial, flushed scarlet.
"My father deliberately dominated me, ignored me, and used me." Lu Mian continued unflinchingly. " He is at fault. It is the fault of the elders who were supposed to watch out for me, but suppressed me. They are at fault. It's the fault of my ex- Finace who ignored me, be-littled me, and treated me badly. He is at fault"
Pei Yan flinched like he was struck. He opened his mouth to defend himself. But Lu Mian wasn't finished.
"It's also my fault - for letting this continue. For mistaking this exploitation as love. And, it's my mother's fault - for not knowing how to judge a man." she whispered.
She finally admitted that it rankled. How could this vile man be her father? What did you ever see in him mommy?
Tears pooled in Lu Mian's eyes. She refused to let them fall.
"How dare you Lu Mian" father Lu was in a frenzy. She had thoroughly made him lose face.
"Any more threats and I will sue you in court - for neglect, abuse and slander" threatened Lu Mian coldly. "Which good family slanders their daughter for studying outside at night? Which caring family holds such a public showdown" she sneered.
"The law cannot be lead through the nose Master Lu. If you ever disturb me after tonight, I will sue you. Our fate ends here" and Lu Mian decisively left.
Pei Yan moved to follow, his heart deeply shaken.
"Sister is underage - after she finishes the Olympiad she will come back" said Lu Xinya from his side.
His father Pei Chengyuan also sent him a deep enigmatic look "Don't mess up now, your fiancee is standing right next to you" his eyes warned him.
And so Pei Yan gritted his teeth and once again chose to stand by and do nothing as the heartbroken, brave girl walked out of his life.
Lu Mian walked away from the place she had called home for 17 years, with the clothes on her back, and a single backpack containing her ID, her laptop and her mother's belongings.
Tears streamed down her face. For the first time since her re-birth, she felt the loneliness. I miss you mommy she wailed internally. She longed to have just one person who would stand by her side.
"Child, what are you doing so late, what happened?" The distressed voice of Boss Qin cracked. Her feet had unknowingly taken her back to the only place she felt warmth and care.
Boss Qin felt something heavy pressing down on his chest when he saw the desolate little girl. In that moment, all he felt was the need to be by her side.
Ignoring protocol he left the perimeter and without the usual vigilance, let her in.
"I miss my mother" sobbed Lu Mian. "Why did she have to pick him for my father. Why am I not loved" she wailed, her deepest coldest regrets coming forth.
"Hush now. Hush now" murmured Boss Qin. In all his years of existence, he had never had to console a teenage girl. Yet, strangely, he didn't feel awkward. This girl's distress struck his heart and he felt an intense need to make her feel better.
"They are all fools, fools." he assured her. "You are lovely, intelligent, kind and are such a beautiful soul - you will have lots of people falling over themselves to cherish you" he went on.
"And as long as I am around, you will always have a place to come to" he promised her.
Lu Mian cried bitterly.
"Let it out Xiao Mian." Boss Qin comforted her quietly. "After today you will not cry for them."
That night, Lu Mian went to sleep in a rundown little kitchen, with a single lamp as light and a threadbare blanket, feeling warm and secure.
Tomorrow she promised herself. Tomorrow, I will get up and be unstoppable. But for tonight, she held on to the shred of warmth and comfort she had been blessed with.