Transmigration; Married to My Ex-Fiancé's Uncle-Chapter 215; Lu family 18

"Rude."

"How’s Yuyan doing?" Lu Yuze asked concerned, this was the first time his daughter was in a stranger’s company, not totally stranger but someone else who wasn’t him.

" She is doing well and happy, you raised her well..."

"I tried," Lu Yuze replied, and there was something vulnerable beneath the calm. "Though I suspect her current happiness has more to do with you than my parenting."

"It has to do with both," Shuyin corrected gently. "She knows you love her. Everything else builds on that foundation."

Silence for a moment, comfortable and warm.

"Go shopping," Lu Yuze said finally. "Take Ting Fei and the security detail. Don’t do anything that will end up on the evening news. And Shuyin?"

"Yes my dear husband?"

"Try not to spend everything in one store. I’d like to maintain at least the appearance of solvency."

"I make no promises," Shuyin replied cheerfully. "But I’ll try to restrain myself. For you."

"How magnanimous," he said dryly. "I’ll see you this evening. We should discuss the shareholder meeting strategy for tomorrow."

"Agreed. I’ll be home by dinner."

Home.

The word felt strange but right.

"Until then," Lu Yuze said, and disconnected.

Shuyin set down her phone, still smiling, and found Yuyan watching her with knowing eyes.

"Daddy refused to give you a credit card, didn’t he?" the twelve-year-old said with barely suppressed amusement.

"Your father has trust issues," Shuyin replied with dignity.

"Your father has excellent risk assessment skills," Ting Fei corrected from his position near the door, his expression carefully neutral but his eyes showing definite amusement. "And for the record, I agree with his decision completely."

"You’re all conspiring against me," Shuyin declared. "I’m being financially oppressed in my own marriage."

"You’re being financially supervised," Ting Fei corrected. "There’s a difference."

Yuyan giggled. "Don’t worry, Mother. Daddy’s card that Ting Fei has is really good. You can buy almost anything with it. Just maybe not a yacht or a private island."

"I wasn’t planning to buy a yacht," Shuyin muttered. "Maybe a small boat. Nothing excessive."

"No boats," Ting Fei said firmly. "Mr. Lu was very specific about that."

"He was?" Shuyin blinked in surprise.

"He sent me a text during your conversation," Ting Fei held up his phone as evidence. "Direct quote: ’If she tries to buy anything that floats, requires licensing, or could be classified as a vehicle, check with me first.’"

Shuyin stared at the message, torn between indignation and laughter.

"He knows me too well already," she said finally. "That’s concerning."

"That’s marriage," Yuyan said wisely, as if her twelve years of life had given her comprehensive relationship expertise. "Even contract marriage. You learn each other’s patterns."

"When did you become so sage?" Shuyin asked, ruffling the girl’s silver-white hair affectionately.

"I watch a lot of dramas," Yuyan replied seriously. "They’re very educational about relationship dynamics. We also study family dynamics at school as a subject."

"Right." Shuyin stood, closing her laptop and beginning to gather her things. "Well, this has been a productive afternoon. Company acquired, husband consulted, credit card request denied. I think that’s enough corporate achievement for one day."

She looked at the time: 2:55 PM.

"Ting Fei, let Tank, Blade, and Razor know we’re leaving at 3:00 PM for shopping. Have them meet us in the lobby. Yuyan, Chen Xiao, pack up your tablets. We’re going to acquire more appropriate wardrobes for everyone."

"Can I pick my own clothes?" Chen Xiao asked, his five-year-old face brightening with hope.

"Within reason," Shuyin replied. "Nothing too expensive, nothing impractical, but yes, you can choose what you like. Both of you can."

Yuyan’s expression transformed with delight. "Really? I can pick my own style instead of those formal dresses?"

"Really," Shuyin confirmed. "You’re twelve. You should be able to express yourself through fashion choices. Within appropriate boundaries, obviously, but yes."

The girl practically bounced with excitement, immediately pulling Chen Xiao toward the door to prepare for departure.

Ting Fei was already on his phone, coordinating with the security team and notifying Tank, Blade, and Razor of the change in plans as they had gone to the HR.

Shuyin took one last look around her new office, her corner space with its view of the city, its expensive furniture, its symbolic representation of power claimed through ruthless negotiation.

Tomorrow she’d return to this space and continue building her empire.

Tomorrow she’d face the Chen company shareholders and establish her authority as owner.

Tomorrow she’d navigate whatever response Lu Cheng mounted to her presence in the executive hierarchy.

But today?

Today she was going shopping with her acquired family, using her contract husband’s money, supervised by a bodyguard with spending limits.

And somehow, that felt like victory too.

DEPARTURE

By 3:00 PM exactly, they’d assembled in the lobby.

Shuyin, Yuyan, and Chen Xiao formed the core group, with Ting Fei positioned slightly behind and to the left in his customary protective stance.

Tank, Blade, and Razor had changed from their morning professional attire into slightly more casual clothing, still respectable, but less obviously corporate. They looked like well-dressed security rather than business executives, which was probably intentional.

The lobby receptionist, the same woman who’d frantically called to report Shuyin’s arrival this morning, watched their departure with wide eyes and barely concealed nervousness.

"Good afternoon," Shuyin said pleasantly as they passed the reception desk. "I’ll be back tomorrow morning. Please ensure building security is aware that my team has unrestricted access going forward."

"Y-yes, Miss Lin," the woman stammered. "Of course. Should I... should I update your access permissions in the system?"

"Ting Fei will coordinate that," Shuyin replied, gesturing to her bodyguard. "He has all my information. Make sure it’s processed by end of business today."

"Understood."

They swept through the lobby, drawing attention from everyone present, impossible not to notice the woman who’d systematically demolished the board’s resistance that morning, flanked by bodyguards and children with distinctive silver-white hair.

The afternoon sun was warm as they emerged onto the street, the city bustling with late afternoon activity.