Chapter 357 This is called acting OK
Xu Xuejiao, stepping elegantly in her beautiful high heels, confidently showcased her stunning figure with long, confident strides, exuding self-assurance and ease.
At the same time, she directed her assistant and the chef she had brought back:
"Put these things in the fridge. Those bottles of wine are for us to drink later. The kitchen is over there, you know… Alex, the thing in your hand needs to be taken upstairs…"
When she entered the living room, Xu Xuejiao stopped.
Everyone was looking at her.
"Wow, why are there so many people today?"
Xu Xuejiao spotted Long Aotian: "Mr. Long... you look very uncomfortable."
She carefully walked up to Lu Chengwen: "Brother Lu, what are you all talking about?"
Lu Chengwen's face was stern: "My eldest disciple just said something that made me feel very uneasy."
"Is he withdrawing his investment?" Xu Xuejiao awkwardly tried to cover her discomfort.
Lu Chengwen suddenly grabbed Xu Xuejiao by the wrist and pulled her close to him.
Xu Xuejiao let out a small cry and could only slightly squat down, trying to accommodate the force of Lu Chengwen's grip, her expression showing pain.
"My older brother seems to think that you should be running around for his benefit, not mine! Is that true?"
Xu Xuejiao looked terrified: "How could that be? I'm your girlfriend! I like you, Brother Lu, you know that! Mr. Long is just one of our business partners..."
Lu Chengwen tightened his grip again, gritting his teeth: "What kind of business partner?"
Long Aotian abruptly stood up: "Lu Chengwen! Stop making things difficult for her. This has nothing to do with her."
Lu Chengwen narrowed his eyes and pulled Xu Xuejiao into his arms, resembling a villain threatening the female protagonist... uh... actually, it really had that visual effect.
Lu Chengwen glared viciously at Long Aotian, his face close to Xu Xuejiao's. Xu Xuejiao looked terrified, trembling all over.
"My older brother cares a lot about you! See? I care about you now too. Do you understand?"
Xu Xuejiao panted: "He and I are just business partners. In fact, I'm working for you. I don't know what he said, but there has never been any inappropriate behavior between him and me."
"Can I trust you? Why do I always feel... that you don't truly love me as a lover should?"
In front of Long Aotian, Lu Chengwen placed one hand on Xu Xuejiao's thigh and slowly moved it upward.
Long Aotian clenched his teeth, barely able to contain himself.
Behind him, Luo Shiying lightly kicked him.
Long Aotian turned around. Luo Shiying simply stared at Lu Chengwen with a stern face.
Long Aotian took a deep breath: "Brother, I'm just a bit dissatisfied with the progress of our current project. If you want to get intimate with your girlfriend, I'll step aside."
"Wait!"
Lu Chengwen said: "So we're not discussing the project progress anymore?"
Lu Chengwen pinched Xu Xuejiao's face: "What should I do? Xu Xuejiao?"
From Long Aotian and Qi Meishao's perspective, Xu Xuejiao was an undercover agent on the verge of exposure.
The immense pressure Lu Chengwen exerted on Xu Xuejiao was suffocating even Qi Meishao.
Xu Xuejiao looked at Long Aotian and panted: "Mr. Long has already invested 14 billion yuan for the preliminary construction, which is more than enough."
Lu Chengwen slowly tightened his grip on Xu Xuejiao's neck: "But your position right now... it terrifies me!"
Xu Xuejiao was furious, glaring at Long Aotian: "Mr. Long! You came to my boyfriend's house uninvited and smeared and distorted our relationship, making me appear unfaithful in his eyes, even like a corporate spy!"
Long Aotian quickly explained: "There was just a problem with how I expressed myself. What I meant was..."
"I don't care what you mean. I want you to understand that I work for only one person's benefit, and that's my boyfriend, Lu Chengwen! Now that you've complicated things, I'll give you two options."
"First, the amusement park project will now be handed over to me and Brother Chengwen. You're out. According to the contract, you won't be able to recover the initial investment funds."
"Second, you need to take responsibility for today's incident and provide 5 billion yuan..."
Lu Chengwen twisted Xu Xuejiao's wrist again.
Xu Xuejiao cried out and quickly corrected herself: "...7 billion yuan in funding for the full official start of the project. Otherwise, this deal is off the table!"
Xu Xuejiao turned her head, angrily staring at Lu Chengwen, tears welling up in her eyes: "Is that acceptable?"
Lu Chengwen smiled faintly: "Don't ask me. Ask that suspicious man."
Long Aotian was half dead with anger and shouted: "Fine!"
"I'll invest another 7 billion yuan into the amusement park project! But Lu Chengwen, I want to see you start construction! You must begin! Otherwise, I'll come after you again! This has nothing to do with Xu Xuejiao. Making things difficult for her doesn't benefit either of us!"
Lu Chengwen released Xu Xuejiao and smiled as he stroked her face: "You've once again proven your loyalty to me. I'm sorry I doubted you earlier. Oh, we're having hot pot, right? Go prepare. I'll join you soon."
Xu Xuejiao stood up, glanced at Long Aotian, and walked away.
Lu Chengwen slapped her butt and smiled as he looked at Long Aotian:
"First thing tomorrow morning! I want to see 7 billion yuan in the dedicated account! Not a single cent less! Otherwise, I'll make sure all of Xu family's investments go down the drain! I mean it!"
Long Aotian, like someone forced to eat a bitter herb in silence, could only accept his defeat.
"I only share some common topics with Mr. Xu Zhiyun regarding medical skills, Chengwen. You're overthinking this. As for whether the Xu family will suffer any losses, I honestly don't care, and it has nothing to do with me."
"Oh?" Lu Chengwen said, "Didn't you personally tell me earlier that Xu Xuejiao likes you, right here in this room?"
"You should also remember that I clearly told you—any woman in the world, we compete fairly. If you pursue her, I won't interfere; if I pursue her, you won't interfere! We swore to that, do you remember?"
"Oh, now I recall."
Lu Chengwen said, "In that case, I'll trust you one last time."
Long Aotian nodded: "Let's go."
…
Inside the car.
Long Aotian massaged his temples: "I'm badly injured. Drive slower."
"Yes," Luo Shiying replied.
Qi Meishao, while applying medicine to Long Aotian, said: "Young Master, Lu Chengwen is a suspicious person. He's already starting to doubt Xu Xuejiao."
Long Aotian sighed in frustration: "Lu Chengwen is too cunning! It's hard to deceive him."
"For Miss Xu's safety, perhaps we should bring her back."
Long Aotian glared at Qi Meishao: "What are you saying!? If we bring her back now, what about my hundreds of billions in investments!? Huo Wendong will stop at nothing to hunt me down! And my entire plan will be ruined!"
"But... Young Master, you saw the situation just now. Miss Xu Xuejiao..."
Long Aotian narrowed his eyes: "Qi Meishao, whose side are you on?"
"What!?" Qi Meishao never expected her Young Master to suspect her.
"Of course, I'm on your side, Young Master!"
Long Aotian stared at her: "Starting tomorrow, Luo Shiying will take over this project. You're coming back."
Qi Meishao panicked: "Young Master, I've been working on this case for a long time. I'm familiar with many details. I..."
"Are you deaf to what I'm saying?"
Long Aotian had been beaten up today, failed to get money, and now owed Lu Chengwen 7 billion yuan.
He could barely contain his anger.
"I sent you to deal with Lu Chengwen, but you didn't listen! You ran around several times, ignoring my requests for help. Now I'm simply ordering you to come back—a straightforward and clear command—and you still don't understand? Are you still pretending not to hear me, just like before?"
Long Aotian gritted his teeth: "Do you find Lu Chengwen attractive!?"
Qi Meishao felt so wronged she wanted to slam her head into a wall. She bit her silver teeth as tears streamed down her face: "Young Master... are you... doubting me?"
Luo Shiying, driving in front, occasionally glanced back at them.
Seeing Qi Meishao's expression, which didn't seem fake, Long Aotian felt slightly relieved.
"In short, you're being replaced. From now on, you're not allowed near Lu Chengwen."
Qi Meishao lowered her head: "Yes."
Luo Shiying's voice trembled with excitement: "Young Master, rest assured! I'll report to Dasheng Group first thing tomorrow morning!"
"Mm." Long Aotian suddenly asked: "Your Five-Color Illusion Pupil didn't work on him? How did he outsmart you?"
Luo Shiying had rehearsed all her lies perfectly.
Ever since she started seeing Lu Chengwen, she spent every day obsessing over how to conceal her true identity eight hundred times over.
Now, she calmly replied: "I'm not sure. It seems Lu Chengwen knows some of my weaknesses—weaknesses even I'm unaware of. He knows how to evade my abilities."
"I'll try to stay closer to him, spend more time with him, and investigate how much he knows about my powers."
"Once I gather intelligence on his information network and sources, I'll definitely devise a new plan to control him."
"Mm." Long Aotian nodded: "Indeed, I should have sent you from the start."
Qi Meishao was almost in tears.
Right, right, you should have sent her from the beginning! It was my fault for stopping you!
It was me who ruined their relationship!
Hua Xue'ning is fiercely loyal to Lu Chengwen, with an iron will.
And Luo Shiying and Lu Chengwen are inseparable, like a perfect dragon-phoenix pair.
Has Young Master's luck truly run out?
…
Lu Chengwen's villa.
Lu Chengwen, Hua Xue'ning, and Xu Xuejiao were eating hot pot together.
Xu Xuejiao had a great appetite: "How was my acting today?"
Lu Chengwen nodded: "Amazing. Long Aotian felt sorry for you. He feels guilty."
"Hahaha! Hmm... 12 billion, plus 5 billion, plus two 70 billions, no, three 70 billions... I've secured 38 billion yuan! Hahaha!"
Xu Xuejiao reached out and pinched Lu Chengwen's cheek: "Little devil, if you can get another 12 billion, then... hehehe... you'll be completely at my mercy, Young Master!"
Lu Chengwen looked at Xu Xuejiao: "We really need to switch targets. Long Aotian seems to have reached his limit."
"You underestimate Tian'er too much!"
Xu Xuejiao disagreed: "Xue'ning, tell me, does he still have potential?"
Hua Xue'ning said: "Tian'er's potential is limitless. I know it!"
Lu Chengwen couldn't help but smile bitterly.
[Big Brother... your road is still long. You... hang in there...]