Hidden identities of the AI Heiress

Chapter 282: Chapter 282: Don’t Be Mad
 

“Dad, this is probably a forgery.”

Lu Rui knew how much the old man revered Master Qiao, and getting his painting would surely result in a display of ostentation, but that would be incredibly embarrassing if it turned out to be fake.

“Fake?” The old man’s face was a picture of disbelief, and after scrutinizing the painting again, he said irritably, “How could it be fake? No matter how you look at it, it’s real.”

Lu Rui, with a metaphorical black question mark over his head, almost doubted his own sight and repeatedly waved his hands, “Impossible, Master Qiao’s paintings are nearly impossible to find now, they’re worth a fortune. I can’t even buy one, do you think Qiaoqiao could manage it?”

At these words, the old man began to doubt himself.

Could it really be that he had been mistaken?

Did he also have a day where he made a mistake??

“But the forger’s skill is truly impressive, even you couldn’t recognize it as fake,” Lu Rui admitted admiringly.

Seeing how serious Lu Rui was in denying the painting’s authenticity, the old man’s heart also started to waver.

“Really fake? This…it’s too realistic.”

“I guess it’s because Qiaoqiao heard you liked Master Qiao’s paintings that she bought this to please you, whatever the case, it’s the thought from Qiaoqiao that counts,” Lu Rui awkwardly explained, fearing the old man would get angry at Qiao Yun.

“Don’t be mad.”

“Why would I be mad? I am more than happy that my granddaughter remembered what I like.”

If it had been someone else who’d gifted a fake, the old man certainly would have been up in arms.

Still, he felt a deep sense of regret. Why did it have to be a fake?

But what Lu Rui said was not wrong; how could Qiao Yun get hold of Master Qiao’s paintings, and even if she could, her allowance wouldn’t cover the cost.

The old man felt disappointed and disheartened.

“Dad, I’m going to head back now. This is mom’s gift, give it to her later,” Lu Rui, seeing that the old man wasn’t upset at Qiao Yun, handed over the gift for the old lady to him and left at ease.

As Lu Rui was about to leave, the old man suddenly remembered something and called out, “The He Family of Hai City has taken over, they’ve approached Lu Corporation for cooperation on a project developing the east district. Look into it when you have time.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Rui was thrilled, knowing this was his father’s way of giving him a leg up, he nodded, “If big brother thinks it’s okay, I definitely trust him.”

In the east district, there was a stretch of woodland where the He Family intended to build China’s largest film city, investing a huge amount of money, hence they were looking for a partner.

Lu Rui was very interested in this project. Once the film base was set up, the revenue from filming crews and tourists was expected to be substantial.

It wasn’t until Lu Rui had left that the old man placed the painting Qiao Yun had given him next to his own cherished collection.

Even though it was a counterfeit, it was nevertheless his granddaughter’s first gift, and he would treat it with care.

As Lu Rui walked out of the front door, he happened to bump into a team of repair workers.

“What happened?” he asked off-handedly.

Mrs. Lin explained, “The water pipe is blocked, these people are here to fix it.”

Lu Rui nodded, not really paying much attention, and drove off.

The repair workers thoroughly inspected the old house’s drainage system. Since they were from a trusted company, the Lu family did not supervise them.

After the repairs were complete, the workers climbed into a van parked by the roadside.

They turned on a listening device, adjusted it until there was no noise, and then they retreated.

These men were Li Hanzhou’s people, who had deliberately damaged the Lu family’s water pipe to pose as employees of their trusted repair company.

They had managed to enter the Lu family home and installed a tiny listening device inside the mural in Qin Huan’s room.

Qiao Yun had asked Li Hanzhou to keep an eye on Qin Huan.

He naturally took special care in doing so.

And his methods were far from scrupulous.

Qin Huan probably never imagined that someone would dare to install a listening device in the Lu family’s house.

Nor could she have guessed that Qiao Yun would investigate her.