Chapter 82: Lu Mengyao's Concern, The Advantages of Having a Man

Wenbo Wang’s story served as a lesson for him: if you don’t settle on a price, things can easily go awry.

So, Cheng Yao planned to find some time to discuss prices with Lin Ketong.

After their major class ended, both Cheng Yao and Wenbo Wang were summoned to the office.

Even Old Li, usually known for his good temper, wore a stern expression. “Wenbo Wang, do you know how much damage your recklessness could do to the school’s reputation if word got out?”

“Teacher, I know I was wrong. It won’t happen again.”

“If it does, you can explain yourself to the principal. Otherwise, just wait for your punishment. All right, off you go.”

Wenbo Wang left, and only then did Old Li turn to Cheng Yao. “And you? What have you been up to all day? Don’t you have classes to attend?”

“Teacher, I’m planning to start a business. It won’t interfere with my studies.”

“Start a business? Nonsense. You’ve been led astray by all that motivational nonsense online. I know you’re playing around with that thing on Douyin, but you’re still a student. You can’t let these distractions affect your studies. What matters most is learning as much as you can…”

After enduring the scolding, Cheng Yao left the office.

He was meek as a mouse in the office, but that didn’t stop him from doing the same thing again next time. Besides, he’d already told Old Li he’d borrow notes to study.

In truth, before you have any real results, telling anyone about your plans is pointless. They simply won’t listen; they’ll only think you’re wasting your time. It’s like how parents resist anything they don’t understand.

Wenbo Wang became notorious, as did the sophomore girl. The whole affair was a classic case of hurting your enemy by a thousand, at the cost of harming yourself by eight hundred—a ruthless move, to say the least.

After class, Wenbo Wang could feel all the strange looks directed his way, but for someone like him, it didn’t matter; in his own words, as long as he wasn’t embarrassed, it was everyone else who’d feel awkward.

Some people even gave him the nickname “Seven-Spotted Ladybug.”

Cheng Yao patted him on the shoulder. “They’ll have their laughs and move on. Give it a few weeks, a month at most, and they’ll forget. Still, that ‘Seven-Spotted Ladybug’ nickname suits you, haha…”

Cheng Yao burst out laughing, completely unconcerned.

“Get lost!” Wenbo Wang acted as if nothing could faze him. “Out for dinner tonight?”

“No, I’ve got plans. See you.”

After leaving school, Cheng Yao headed for the street, opened his car door, slipped on his sunglasses, and floored the accelerator straight to Jin Yi.

There were plenty of luxury cars parked outside Jin Yi. Especially after school, BMWs and Mercedes were everywhere, not to mention Porsches, Land Rovers, and so on.

He parked by the roadside, and Lu Mengyao got in. “Your car is really beautiful—honestly, it looks even better than a Porsche.”

“Of course. It’s nearly five million; how could it not be?”

“Want to go shopping with me after dinner?”

“No, I have a date.”

Cheng Yao turned her down without hesitation. He had already arranged to pick up Lin Ketong for dinner.

Lu Mengyao was acutely sensitive to this. If he was rolling up in a sports car to meet someone, it was almost certainly a woman. Her face twitched, but as for Cheng Yao’s brazenly open attitude about seeing other women, she chose to forgive him.

After all, she was here to join this family too.

As for other women, she could only summon a motherly sort of tolerance. The more, the merrier—if Cheng Yao’s ship ever capsized, the danger would be shared among all the women, making her own position less precarious.

Lu Mengyao fancied herself quite the genius.

Besides, being with Cheng Yao every day was exhausting—each time lasted so long she was completely worn out, though admittedly, it was a rather enjoyable kind of exhaustion…

“I bought you something,” she said.

“What is it?”

“Kidney tonic pills, from Tongrentang…”

“?”

Cheng Yao’s cheek twitched. “No need, thanks. I’m at the age of perpetual motion—I don’t need them at all.”

“Alright, I’ll return them.”

“Yeah, return them.”

Cheng Yao was beyond words. His physical condition was getting better day by day—like a battery that never runs out, stronger than six ordinary ones combined.

Kidney tonic pills?

Please. Those are for middle-aged folks—he didn’t need them in the slightest.

Lu Mengyao put on her sunglasses and gazed out the window. “Which school is she from?”

“Jin Yi.”

“….”

Lu Mengyao’s eyes widened in surprise. “Don’t tell me I know her?”

“She already graduated. She’s twenty-four.”

“Oh, good. Otherwise, that’d be awkward. But seriously, can you handle this kind of lifestyle?”

Lu Mengyao actually sounded a bit concerned. She was genuinely afraid Cheng Yao would wear himself out, though she wasn’t worried he’d treat her badly—after all, she already had a car and two apartments, worth more than ten million.

So in Cheng Yao’s heart, she was surely above any newcomers.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep plenty in reserve for you.”

“….”

Lu Mengyao shot him a look, her eyes glinting with slyness.

They grabbed some crab roe noodles at a street shop—one serving cost a hundred and fifty, which was still reasonable. With some side dishes, the meal was quite satisfying, though Cheng Yao found the taste a bit too fishy.

In the end, he ordered a bowl of braised pork rice.

Lu Mengyao was perfectly content. The fishiness didn’t bother her at all now—before Cheng Yao, she might not have tolerated it, but things had changed. Her expression was a little odd; maybe this was one of the perks of having a man?

After dinner, Cheng Yao found the sunglasses unsuitable and switched to a mask. Lu Mengyao, ever thoughtful, had already brought two along.

She didn’t want to be recognized either—if their current blissful days were exposed, she’d lose them forever.

She would never allow that.

“It’s just ahead. The cats in this shop are all purebred, but they’re a little pricey.”

“No problem.”

Cheng Yao wondered how expensive a cat could really be. But when he heard a single cat cost over a hundred thousand, he was stunned—not because it was too expensive, but because he realized just how limited his imagination had once been by poverty.

The pet shop owner was extremely enthusiastic. When he saw the supercar parked out front, he was eager to show off his shop’s pride and joy.

“Miss, take a look at this Maine Coon—it can do sit-ups and play on the horizontal bar. Most people wouldn’t want to mess with it.”

The Maine Coon lay stretched out on the cat tree, exuding a regal disdain for its human servants. It looked powerful and imposing, with triceps that clearly belonged to a seasoned athlete.

It lounged there, eyes closed in quiet repose.

“No thanks, I still prefer ragdolls…”

In the end, Lu Mengyao chose three purebred ragdolls with odd-colored eyes—heterochromia. The owner gave them a “good” price of four hundred thousand—a price so cold-blooded it chilled to the bone.

Cheng Yao paid without batting an eye. He never hesitated to buy things for Lu Mengyao.

Finally, he glanced over at the Maine Coon and tried to negotiate.

A regular Maine Coon ran about ten or twenty thousand, but the one on the cat tree had extraordinary markings, a top-tier color pattern, and a championship pedigree. The cattery was also quite famous, which explained the seventeen thousand price tag.

“This cat doesn’t fight, does it?”

“Don’t worry, it’s been well-trained and is very gentle with children and family.”

“Good.”

Cheng Yao thought about his Samoyed at home—did that count as a child?

…

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