Zhao Gang and Long Aotian both turned to look at Lu Chengwen.
Lu Chengwen rushed over in a panic, and upon seeing Long Aotian's appearance, he mentally gave a thumbs-up, marveling in awe.
Professional! Truly professional!
Look at this guy—decked out in cheap street clothes, driving a beat-up tractor, shoes so worn they're showing his toes. This is the vibe and aura of a true male lead!
You've got to start off like this—completely unremarkable, so forgettable that every snob and ordinary person wrinkles their nose at you, throwing all sorts of insults your way!
Then, at the critical moment, you pull off something spectacular, stunning everyone, followed by a long-winded, melodramatic speech that's passionate, tear-jerking, and utterly unforgettable.
After that, the elite families start to see you in a new light, and the beautiful heroines secretly fall for you.
The world begins to revolve around you alone…
Sigh, I'm jealous.
The gap between people is infuriating.
And then look at me—hardly worth a glance.
Dressed in a custom-tailored designer suit, handmade luxury shoes, a four-million-yuan collector's watch… sitting in a two-million-yuan business car, flanked by a loyal lackey and a stunningly seductive secretary…
Compared to him, what am I?
Besides all this!
What else do I have?!
What. Am. I?!
Zhao Gang piped up, "Don't worry, Mr. Lu, I'll handle this guy…"
"Shut it!"
Lu Chengwen shot him a glare. "Apologize to Brother Aotian!"
"What? Mr. Lu, I… I have to apologize to this… dog…"
"Shut up!"
Lu Chengwen kicked Zhao Gang in the rear and yanked him forward. "Apologize!"
Zhao Gang, feeling utterly wronged, muttered, "Sorry."
Lu Chengwen quickly flashed a smile. "Brother Aotian, what a coincidence! We were in the wrong just now. Please, go ahead, go ahead…"
As he spoke, Lu Chengwen caught a whiff of something off.
Sniffing the air, he inhaled deeply… and nearly choked.
The smell hit him hard, leaving him dizzy. He stumbled back a step, clutching his forehead, while Zhao Gang steadied him.
"Mr. Lu, you okay? I told you this guy smells like he fell into a manure pit…"
"Shut up! It's… it's perfume."
"Perfume? Perfume?"
Lu Chengwen regained his composure and looked at Long Aotian. "Brother Aotian, a word of advice—maybe switch to a different brand of perfume. This one's a bit… intense."
Long Aotian thought to himself: I washed off in the rain for so long, and it still smells? Maybe I've gotten used to it. No way, I can't meet girls looking like this. I need to clean up.
Damn that rain, making this Young Master look so pathetic!
But why isn't it raining in the city?
At that moment, Jiang Shihan accidentally hit the multimedia button in the back seat, and the radio blared:
"Today, our city witnessed a bizarre weather phenomenon. The entire region enjoyed clear skies, except for one dark cloud that unleashed a torrential downpour. Curiously, this cloud followed a path from the suburbs along the highway into the city before dissipating, moving at the speed of a tractor. It briefly lingered near a septic tank… Many citizens captured photos and videos of this odd event…"
Everyone turned to look at Long Aotian.
Long Aotian's mouth twitched. "Well… isn't that interesting? Haha, a cloud like that? Pretty strange, right?"
Lu Chengwen, noting Long Aotian's drenched appearance, didn't dare point out the obvious. "Yeah, strange… really weird cloud."
Jiang Shihan shut off the radio and stepped out of the car. Seeing Long Aotian, she gasped, "Brother Aotian?"
"Shihan." Long Aotian's face lit up with a smile.
She's stunning.
My little sister Shihan is truly a rare beauty, with a charm that's one in a million. Just looking at her makes you want to… heh heh heh.
Long Aotian said, "I looked into some ancient texts the day before yesterday and learned more about your mother's condition. I came here today specifically to help treat her."
Jiang Shihan's heart warmed.
A few days ago, in a rush to catch a subway, she'd been harassed by a creep, and Long Aotian had stepped in to help. He was the first man to stand up for her.
He wasn't much to look at, dressed plainly, but so what? Wasn't she just a nobody herself? A small-time secretary clinging to Mr. Lu, relying on her looks to earn a high salary to keep her mother alive?
Brother Aotian was brave, clever, wise, decisive, and skilled in martial arts.
Being his friend brought a warmth she hadn't felt in ages—a sense of being cared for, protected, like having a big brother watching her back.
Lu Chengwen saw this and thought: [Perfect! This is fine! The plot's moving in the right direction, no issues here!]
[Next, let Long Aotian take Jiang Shihan to treat her mother. Then she can follow him, and I can hand her off.]
[Phew! Three days in, and finally some progress. Stay calm, keep the pace, make this natural… let these two pair up seamlessly.]
Jiang Shihan blinked, confused.
What's Mr. Lu thinking?
Why does he keep pushing Brother Aotian to treat my mom? How does he know Aotian's skilled in medicine?
How does he know so much—things even I don't know?
No, wait!
The first person who truly cared for me, protected me, looked out for me—it was my boss, Mr. Lu!
He hired me despite my lack of fancy credentials.
He said it was because I'm pretty, sexy, with long legs.
But now that I think about it, does he lack beautiful, sexy, long-legged women? He deliberately gave me a chance to earn a good salary to support my mom!
He insists I wear stockings and short skirts every day, saying it's for his enjoyment.
But now I see—he's secretly encouraging me! He knows I'm insecure, so he's pushing me to flaunt my figure and charm, to believe in myself, to embrace my natural strengths!
He says I'm submissive by nature, so he teases me.
But in truth, he's tempering me, forging me to be tough, strong, independent, and resilient! He wants me to withstand workplace pressure and his own teasing, to live boldly and authentically!
He knew from the start I was enduring all this for my mom!
He never spelled it out, never acted like some lofty savior doling out charity. Instead, he teased me, pushed me to the brink, almost broke me.
Because he wanted me to feel I earned everything through my own efforts, not his handouts!
He wanted me to see him as the bad guy, so one day, when I had other options, I could leave him without guilt to pursue my own future.
What a noble character, Mr. Lu!
What a lofty soul, Mr. Lu!
What a man worthy of admiration, my Mr. Lu!
Lu Chengwen saw Jiang Shihan's eyes welling with tears, her face alight with gratitude and emotion. He nodded, pleased.
Alright, the timing's perfect.
Lu Chengwen said, "Since that's the case, Shihan, go with Brother Aotian. I wish your mother a speedy recovery. Oh, and I can see Brother Aotian's a rare talent, destined for greatness. Why not quit your job and follow him to conquer the world? Once your mom's better, your financial burdens will ease. I'll have finance pay you two years' salary—plenty to get by."
Long Aotian scratched his head, thinking: Damn, this guy's so reasonable?
I was ready to beat you down if you caused trouble, but you're… way too accommodating!
This doesn't match the rumors!
Long Aotian smiled. "Young Master Lu's being awfully reasonable today."
"Of course, learning from you, Brother Long."
Long Aotian turned to Jiang Shihan. "Shihan, let's hurry back to treat your mom."
Jiang Shihan smiled softly. "Thank you, Brother Aotian, I appreciate it. But President Xu has already promised to treat my mom—surgery's scheduled for next week. As for my job…"
She looked at Lu Chengwen with gratitude. "I owe Mr. Lu so much, and I can never repay him. I won't leave him or Dasheng Group. I'll stay loyal and follow him through fire and water, no matter what!"
Lu Chengwen felt like they were all conspiring to mess with him.
Is there something wrong with how I'm pushing this plot? Any issues?
Follow the damn script!
I'm groveling here, risking getting slapped to death by the main hero, paving the way for your happy future, and you won't take the bait?
Through fire and water? Who asked for that?
Long Aotian was clearly shocked too.
"Little sister Shihan, don't you trust my medical skills? Bluntly speaking, in all of Xueguo, no one but me can cure your mom's illness."
Jiang Shihan shook her head with a smile. "President Xu is a medical expert, and her family has vast medical resources. She's promised to perform the surgery, so it should be fine. Thank you for your concern, Brother Aotian."
Lu Chengwen rubbed his temples in agony, then looked up. "Alright, how about this—try it out. Go with Brother Aotian first. If he can cure your mom in a snap, you won't need that Xu Xuejiao. Sound good?"
"I'll stick with next week. I've already told my mom. If President Xu's plan doesn't work, I'll trouble Brother Aotian then."
Lu Chengwen exploded. "Just go with him! Stop yammering! This is a golden opportunity! He's here, I'm on board, and I'm giving you money! He can definitely cure your mom, and he'll treat you well in the future. You'll have a solid spot in his… entourage. What more do you want?!"
"Entou… entourage?"
Lu Chengwen put his fist to his mouth.
He'd gotten carried away.
Said something he shouldn't have.
Long Aotian cut in, "Young Master Lu, you can eat recklessly, but don't speak recklessly. Shihan and I are just friends. I see her as my little sister."
"I know, I know, I got excited. Sorry about that."
Jiang Shihan was immovable.
Lu Chengwen gritted his teeth, steeling himself.
"Jiang Shihan, you're fired."
Jiang Shihan hadn't expected this. "Why?"
Lu Chengwen smirked. "No reason. Go with Brother Aotian."
Jiang Shihan grabbed his hand. "Mr. Lu, please don't fire me. My mom's surgery needs money, her medicine needs money—I can't lose this job…"
"I'll cover your mom's surgery and medicine costs, as long as you quit."
A clear voice rang out, "She doesn't need to quit."
Lu Chengwen spun around, furious. "Who's butting in? Get over here if you've got the guts!"
But when he saw who it was, Lu Chengwen instantly deflated.
_
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