Chapter 31: Why Can’t I Shake It Off!?

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Leng Tianhao’s voice was low and hoarse. “Lu Chengwen, what exactly are you plotting? Qingqiu was never like this before. She was never impulsive, never out of control. You knew perfectly well what was going on today, yet you pretended not to understand. Then you pushed my daughter into your pit of fire. What weakness of hers did you seize upon to drive her completely over the edge?”

“No, I didn’t… I really…”

Long Aotian added, “You’re deliberately trying to destroy the Leng family, drive Qianfeng Group into complete collapse and bankruptcy, and then buy it up at a bargain price. That way, both Qianfeng Group and Leng Qingqiu would become playthings in the palm of your hand, entirely at your mercy. Is that your plan?”

Lu Chengwen thought, Damn you!

You’re useless at chasing women, but when it comes to framing someone, you’re a once-in-a-lifetime genius! You’re trying to ruin me!

Your schemes are both sharp and vicious!

But Lu Chengwen knew he could not lose control now. He had to deal with the situation. If he handled it badly, he would be written out of the story.

He could not muddle through and die for the seventh time!

Lu Chengwen hurriedly said, “The two of you, please calm down. I’ll go talk to her. I’ll persuade her…”

Long Aotian seized Lu Chengwen by the collar. “You? Who do you think you are?”

Lu Chengwen’s heart began to pound. Damn it, this bastard was about to make a move!

Was he really going to die in Leng Tianhao’s study?

To hell with it! I’m going all in!

Lu Chengwen suddenly flew into a rage and shouted, “Long Aotian! Behave yourself!”

“What did you say?”

“I’m telling you, I genuinely believe the shantytown redevelopment project has money to be made. In business, you speak as a businessman. I was merely expressing my professional judgment. Is there something wrong with that? How was I supposed to know Leng Qingqiu would suddenly become so agitated? This was completely beyond my expectations. Can’t you see that?”

Leng Tianhao was livid. “What profit is there in redeveloping the shantytown? The project is not even one-third complete, and the person in charge has already been replaced four times. Three people have even jumped to their deaths! You’re asking Qingqiu to leap into a pit like that?”

Lu Chengwen said, “Fortune favors the bold! Every crisis contains an opportunity. There are opportunities only where there is danger!”

Long Aotian laughed derisively. “Oh? If there’s really so much opportunity, why isn’t your Lu family investing?”

That was exactly what Lu Chengwen had been waiting for.

“I’ve already decided to invest in the shantytown redevelopment project.”

The declaration left both Leng Tianhao and Long Aotian somewhat stunned.

The shantytown redevelopment project was as obvious as—well, as obvious as a bald man’s head. No, that metaphor still was not right. It was as obvious as lice on a bald man’s head.

It was a trap. A colossal trap. A bottomless pit.

Anyone who touched it would die. Numerous wealthy people had been ruined by the project, losing their entire fortunes and piling up enormous debts. In the end, they had resorted to jumping from buildings to put an end to everything.

And now Lu Chengwen was actually saying he intended to jump into that pit. It was genuinely unexpected.

Lu Chengwen softened his tone. “Originally, I planned to carry out the project together with the Leng family. Of course, I had my own motives as well. At least we could share the risk between the two families. But now, it seems I’ll have to do it alone.”

Leng Tianhao still did not believe him. “You… really intend to invest in the shantytown redevelopment project?”

“Anything that comes out of my mouth, I never swallow back.”

Leng Tianhao looked disgusted. “That’s revolting.”

Long Aotian’s mind was genuinely struggling to process the situation. Why had Lu Chengwen suddenly begun making suicidal investments? It did not fit his character at all!

That man had always put profit first. He would never make a losing investment, much less one that would leave him unable to afford even a pair of underwear!

Lu Chengwen thought, What do I care about underwear? Even if I have to run around naked, I still have to stay alive! Right now, nothing matters more than my life.

“Uncle Leng, please don’t get worked up. I’ll go talk to Qingqiu. Once she calms down, everything will be open for discussion.”

Then he turned to Long Aotian. “Brother Aotian, you don’t need to worry either. I’ll persuade her to invest in the amusement park project. That should be acceptable, shouldn’t it? But our Lu family won’t be involved in that project. You’ll have to rely on yourself, Brother Aotian, to communicate with Qingqiu and help her through it.”

After finishing, Lu Chengwen let out a long sigh and spoke with utmost sincerity. “But to be honest, I really don’t have much confidence in this project. I just feel that any opportunity this good must have something wrong with it. Still, since all of you believe it’s worth pursuing, I don’t want to be the villain. If something goes wrong with the project, remember today. I clearly opposed it.”

Long Aotian thought, What the hell?

This… left me with no grounds to lose my temper!

He had put it very well.

His lack of confidence was merely a personal opinion. When asked, he had given his honest answer. He had also been caught off guard by Leng Qingqiu’s extreme reaction.

There was nothing wrong with that!

And since matters had already come to this, he would follow their wishes and persuade Leng Qingqiu to do as they said. Everything would be handled according to their plan.

But if something went wrong, they could not turn around and blame him afterward.

It was reasonable, well-founded, and impeccably proper.

Moreover, Lu Chengwen had subtly conveyed that he and Long Aotian were not competitors. The Lu family would stay out of the project, leaving Long Aotian and Leng Qingqiu to work together on this profitable venture.

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So… when a man and a woman were together, and she was beautiful while he was handsome, right…

By then, perhaps it would not be only the project they were working on. Did Long Aotian understand what he meant? They could also work on becoming a couple!

A faint smile appeared at the corners of Long Aotian’s lips, but he quickly put on a serious expression. “Can you really persuade Qingqiu?”

“I’ll try.”

Lu Chengwen felt as though he were standing in the middle of a battlefield. One wrong word might be enough to cost him his life.

He had to get away immediately!

“I’ll go find her now. Wait for my good news!”

After saying that, Lu Chengwen hurried off to chase after Leng Qingqiu. Naturally, the two men inside assumed he was anxious to pursue her. In reality, he was anxious to escape with his life.

Leng Qingqiu sat in the driver’s seat of a sports car, sobbing miserably with her head resting on the steering wheel.

Lu Chengwen watched her from outside and felt a pang of sorrow.

He gently opened the passenger-side door and sat down.

Leng Qingqiu sat up and wiped away her tears and runny nose. “What is it, President Lu? Is there another pit you want me to jump into?”

Lu Chengwen looked a little embarrassed. He sighed. “Come on, I’ll take you for a drive. Get out.”

Leng Qingqiu had thought he would comfort her, even if only with insincere words.

But he did not.

He merely gave her a gentle smile, like an elder who had found a younger relative in tears. He did not rush to lecture her with lofty principles. Instead, he would take her out to have some fun first.

Leng Qingqiu did not refuse. The two of them changed seats.

“Buckle up. We’re leaving.”

Lu Chengwen drove. The gatekeeper hurriedly opened the iron gate, and the car sped away.

Lu Chengwen had once worked as a food-delivery courier. He often saw all kinds of luxury cars on the roads.

The first time he crossed into this world, he had been so excited when he touched the steering wheel of a luxury car that he had been killed by the protagonist on his very first day.

This was his seventh time through it, and he had grown used to it.

He handled the luxury car skillfully, even throwing in the occasional drift, which terrified Leng Qingqiu.

Lu Chengwen saw how tense she was. Her face had gone deathly pale with fear, yet she kept her lips tightly pressed together and did not cry out.

He admired her inwardly.

What a woman. Being afraid was one thing, but she absolutely refused to be a coward.

Lu Chengwen thought, Let’s try something more extreme.

The car accelerated again. At last, Leng Qingqiu could not bear it anymore.

“Chengwen…”

“Hmm? What is it?” Although the car was flying down the road, Lu Chengwen’s expression remained blank and his gaze calm.

“Slow down… I’m scared.”

“All right.”

The car came to a stop on a relatively secluded coastal road. They went down to the beach and walked along the shore.

Carrying her high heels in her hand, Leng Qingqiu walked barefoot across the sand, gazing at the fading glow of the sunset with a heavy heart.

Neither of them spoke. They simply kept walking.

When Leng Qingqiu grew tired of it, they sat down on a wooden bench by the roadside. Lu Chengwen bought them both something to drink, and they watched the sun slowly sink beneath the horizon.

Leng Qingqiu looked out at the distant sea. “Do you really think the shantytown project can make money? Tell me the truth.”

Lu Chengwen laughed. “Nonsense. Make money? It’ll bleed everyone dry. How could anyone with a functioning brain touch that project?”

“Then why did you tell me to do it?”

“How was I supposed to know you’d actually go through with it?”

“You clearly knew the right answer. Why didn’t you say it?”

Lu Chengwen sighed. “I have my own reasons.”

Leng Qingqiu smiled. This time, she was certain that Lu Chengwen was telling the truth.

In the distance, a young man led a young woman over to a middle-aged beauty.

“Mom, this is my girlfriend, Lily.”

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The middle-aged woman showered the girl with praise. Then the three of them sat happily on the beach, drinking, chatting, and occasionally bursting into laughter.

Lu Chengwen watched the scene, and Leng Qingqiu saw it too.

They were ordinary people. All three of them were ordinary people.

The young man looked youthful and strong, with acne on his face and a basketball slung over his back. He radiated the vitality of youth.

The young woman was plain-looking, gentle, and shy. The way she gazed at the young man was filled with happiness and bashfulness.

The young man’s mother was attractive, kind-faced, warm, and gentle…

Suddenly, Lu Chengwen felt a wave of sorrow. He thought of his own mother, who was still in the hospital. He wished he could return to his own world at once, earn a fortune, and cure her illness.

If I could marry an ordinary girl like that and take her home to meet my mother, my mother would surely be delighted.

I would give anything in exchange. I’d give you my sports car and my villa. Could you give me your happiness?

Leng Qingqiu was stunned.

In her impression, Lu Chengwen was a heartless businessman with nothing but money in his head, an unscrupulous capitalist who would stop at nothing to profit.

But only today had she discovered that this was what his heart was really like?

No one would believe it if she told them.

If she could not hear his inner thoughts, she would not have believed it either.

She watched Lu Chengwen’s calm expression. In his eyes flowed envy, blessings, and contentment, along with the faintest trace of sadness.

Suddenly, Leng Qingqiu felt that, at their core, she and Lu Chengwen might be the same kind of person.

“Are people truly destined to be lonely from birth? Is the world really so cruel and cold?” she asked, looking at Lu Chengwen.

Lu Chengwen was silent for a long time before nodding. “Yes.”

Leng Qingqiu was disappointed by his answer and lowered her head.

Lu Chengwen turned back to her and said gently, “It is precisely because the world is lonely and cold that people yearn for affection.”

“They yearn for the care and love of family, for friends who will stand by them through thick and thin, for the unwavering loyalty of a lover, for the warmth of the world and the romance of life.”

Leng Qingqiu pursed her lips, unable to suppress a relieved smile. “Who would have thought? Even you, Young Master Lu, can occasionally produce a pearl from a dog’s mouth.”

“Of course I can,” Lu Chengwen said. “When we run companies, we’re surrounded by wolves that want to tear us apart. None of us is willing to be a little lamb. The feelings ordinary people can enjoy are difficult for us to obtain. Betraying us just once can earn someone more money than an ordinary person could make in a lifetime. That temptation is simply too great. Even a good person may take a dangerous gamble when their head grows hot.”

Leng Qingqiu nodded. “So we’re destined to be lonely?”

“Not exactly. We have money. They envy us, too.”

Leng Qingqiu clicked her tongue and turned her head away, then immediately turned back. “Isn’t your family quite harmonious? Why doesn’t your family follow that law of the jungle? You all look so happy.”

Lu Chengwen thought for a moment. “Our family… may be a little unusual.”

Leng Qingqiu gave a bleak smile. “I envy you.”

Lu Chengwen felt that the atmosphere was ready. “As for the amusement park project, it should make money. You ought to act quickly.”

By then, Leng Qingqiu had already fallen for Lu Chengwen. Business was important, but it was not the only thing on her mind.

So she deliberately murmured, “I know. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough capital. And quietly acquiring the land at such speed won’t be easy. The news could easily leak.”

She looked at Lu Chengwen, waiting expectantly for his reply.

Lu Chengwen nodded. “You don’t need to worry about that. Long Aotian will help you. He’ll definitely find a way to help you acquire the land quickly, without anyone knowing.”

The hopeful look on Leng Qingqiu’s face instantly turned to disappointment. Staring into the distance, she said coldly, “Lu Chengwen, I think you’re a complete scumbag.”

Instead of becoming angry, Lu Chengwen burst out laughing.

He was not afraid of Leng Qingqiu hating or misunderstanding him. That did not trouble him in the slightest.

If anything, it was a blessing.

“So you invest in the amusement park, while I invest in the shantytown project. You’re a pretty good person, really. Your temper is just terrible.”

Lu Chengwen laughed. “From now on, stay away from me, this scumbag. Treasure your life and keep your distance from scumbags.”

Leng Qingqiu stared at Lu Chengwen. “I refuse to believe in bad omens. I’m going to invest in the shantytown project with you.”

Lu Chengwen’s eyes widened. This woman was becoming stranger and stranger.

Big sister, is there something wrong with your head?

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