In the eyes of the public, Pei Rong had numerous romantic affairs within the entertainment circle, rumored to have been involved with many people. However, Pei Rong had never let anyone catch solid evidence of his romantic encounters. Not that there was any. Today, his reputation was nearly tarnished because of Lu Qin’s actions.
As he approached retirement from the industry, Pei Rong
decided to be more cautious. He had decided not to go out unless it’s
work-related, and when he did, three assistants would accompany him.
Lying lazily in the backseat of his nanny car, his fringe
swayed back and forth with the vehicle’s bumps.
He wondered why he hadn’t noticed earlier that Xiao Liu’s driving
skills were so poor?
Pei Rong tucked the blanket beneath him. Just as he put on an
eye mask, his phone started ringing.
He felt too lazy to answer, but the caller persisted and
called a second time. Pei Rong was about to hang up, but then he realized it’s
Zhou Hang on the other end. Thinking about his retirement ceremony, he
reluctantly answered the call.
***
Zhou Hang’s annual meeting had gone awry. The artist they had
their eyes on didn’t sign with them, and they couldn’t get through to the main
office either. He had been feeling depressed in his office all morning when he
suddenly received an email from Lu Qin’s secretary.
The email mentioned that Lu Qin was interested in entering
the entertainment industry and wanted to further assess Jianglu Entertainment,
including the leadership ability of the management and the development
potential of their artists. The former required Zhou Hang to report and compete
at the main office, while the latter would involve Lu Qin personally meeting
with the top artists.
Implied within the message was that if Jianglu Entertainment
didn’t meet Lu Qin’s standards, the main office would rather start anew.
Opportunity and challenge coexisted, and Zhou Hang had long
wanted to make a big move. He immediately started preparing to persuade the
main office while also instructing their artists to stay on high alert and keep
their mouths shut.
When he thought about Pei Rong, he felt a headache coming on.
He personally called and reminded him, “Until the investment is secured, you must
not disclose your intention to retire! Once I come back from the main office
and secure my position, I will make sure all your requests are fulfilled.”
Pei Rong yawned, “Okay.”
Zhou Hang’s heart sank. “Okay? You haven’t retired yet!”
Pei Rong had no interest in arguing with him. “I’ll handle my
part properly, don’t worry.”
Zhou Hang said worriedly, “If Lu Qin’s side contacts you—”
Pei Rong’s eyebrows furrowed. “Contact me?”
Zhou Hang felt his resistance and was puzzled. “Don’t act as
if I’m pimping you out. Let heaven and earth be the judge. In the five years
you’ve been with the company, everyone has worked hard to make you a star. All
the resources were dedicated to you, and every contract was put directly in
front of you. Have you ever been sent to those kinds of banquets?”
Pei Rong replied, “That was my condition for me to enter the
entertainment industry.”
Zhou Hang choked for a moment and said, “That’s one way to
put it. If it were any other company, they would have hidden you away a long
time ago. If it weren’t for everyone’s efforts, could you have retired with a
fortune at such a young age?”
Pei Rong was touched by his words and softened his tone,
saying, “You’re right.”
Zhou Hang continued, “I guess President Lu might talk to you
about the company’s future development. You need to show great confidence in
the company’s potential.”
He said a couple of lines about the company’s spirit, as
usual, and reassured the other, “It’s all business; there won’t be any money or
sex involved.”
Thinking about Pei Rong meeting Lu Qin again this time, Zhou
Hang reaffirmed, “I heard that when President Lu talks about cooperation, even
at a club, no one is allowed to sit within two meters of him.”
Before, Zhou Hang could only guarantee that the company would
protect Pei Rong from being taken advantage of, but this time it was different.
There was no need to worry about that from the beginning. President Lu’s style
was trustworthy.
Pei Rong: “...”
Style? What kind of style? The more he got excited, the
crazier he became?
He hung up the call, closed his eyes, and again thought about
last night, still unable to understand.
Clearly, when he undressed, he seemed restrained and calm.
Usually, shouldn’t it be a gradual decline after an initial surge? How could
someone become crazier the more they did that thing?
With some mental preparation for their next meeting, he was
intercepted halfway, and a black-clad bodyguard respectfully invited him into
another car. Pei Rong only raised an eyebrow in response. (T/N:
This scene change was too abrupt. I have to do a double-take to see if I missed
translating a paragraph. LOL.)
The partition separated the back compartment into a discreet
space.
It had to be said that the big boss’s driver drove more
steadily than Xiao Liu.
Pei Rong felt quite comfortable.
Pei Rong sat dignifiedly, maintaining his composure, as if he
was attending a staff meeting on a Monday, holding his breath, waiting for the
boss’s speech.
His image transformed from an entertainment socialite to a
well-behaved person, displaying a completely different temperament, as if he
had been tamed by the passage of time.
Lu Qin had been focused on his notebook. When he noticed Pei
Rong’s approach and saw that he didn’t even look up, he closed the notebook
after 30 seconds. Sensing the subtle change in Pei Rong, he involuntarily made
the association with what Pei Rong was trying to portray.
He forcefully interrupted that train of thought and
considered that it was more likely that the other person was just using charm
to seek resources after they spent the night together.
Lu Qin decided to break the ice and asked, “Why haven’t you
made any arrangements for the second half of the year?”
Here it comes.
Before investing in a company, one would conduct a background
check. Experienced CEOs would also interview key employees.
Pei Rong’s eyelids twitched slightly. He promised Zhou Hang
not to leak any information. He had to fully comply with that.
He replied tactfully, “Both the company and myself are going
through a transformation phase. We need to re-plan and wait for opportunities
to break through bottlenecks.”
You are the opportunity Zhou Hang has been waiting for
half a year.
Lu Qin could hear the implied message. Indeed, everyone who
made their way to him couldn’t resist mentioning investment.
In truth, he wasn’t really interested in investing in the
entertainment industry, but Pei Rong... Well, if the other ended up with
nothing after all that, wouldn’t he appear stingy?
Perhaps it would be better to provide the other with some
resources, so that they wouldn’t owe anything to each other. However, it
shouldn’t be too much to prevent the other from pushing his luck.
Lu Qin said, “I plan to invest in Jianglu Entertainment.”
Pei Rong looked at him with bright eyes and said, “I
guarantee you won’t regret this decision.”
Doing business despite facing difficulties, Zhou Hang would
probably have to offer him a one billion retirement package, right?
Lu Qin felt that Pei Rong’s gaze was oddly dazzling, so he
deliberately looked away, acting nonchalant.
“This morning, I had dealt with the accident that happened at
the banquet.”
Pei Rong blinked. Was this person explaining why he
disappeared suddenly this morning?
Lu Qin’s expression was composed as he said, “I will press
charges against the assistant manager who drugged the champagne and sue him for
the crimes of embezzlement of official duty and drug-induced blackmail.”
To repay his gambling debts, the assistant manager
misappropriated hotel funds but couldn’t settle them. However, the combination
of these two charges was still too lenient for the other party.
Pei Rong, who had woken up by now, didn’t care about this
matter at all because he knew that Lu Qin would definitely not let the
assistant manager off easily. He exclaimed admiringly, “Wow,” giving him some
face.
Lu Qin stared at him with a deeper gaze and asked, “Do you
think that’s enough for someone who dared to plot against me?”
Pei Rong: Huh?
Lu Qin continued, “A soon-to-be prisoner who can’t pay a
single penny of his gambling debt, thrown in front of loan sharks. The scene
must be quite interesting.”
Lu Qin intimidated Pei Rong a bit, making sure the other
wouldn’t overstep and would learn his lesson. He made it clear that the thing
that happened last night wouldn’t happen again.
After finishing his words, Lu Qin observed Pei Rong’s
expression. Those in positions of power often used tactics that didn’t give
others much time to respond. Lu Qin quickly concluded, “The matter between
us... it’s settled.”
In his mind, Pei Rong couldn’t help but applaud Lu Qin’s
straightforwardness. He liked this kind of adult way of resolving issues!
Pei Rong obediently said, “Alright.”
Then, he looked out of the car window to see if Xiao Liu was
still following them in the nanny car. After finishing the business, he would
need to get off the car. Lu Qin’s luxury car might be comfortable, but Pei Rong
couldn’t sit for long.
Lu Qin asked with a slight dissatisfaction, “What are you
looking at?”
Pei Rong replied, “I’m checking where Xiao Liu is. Please
find a secluded place to park, Mr. Lu.”
Lu Qin opened the refrigerated storage compartment inside the
car and took out a bag with a pharmacy logo on it. Inside were pills, powders,
and even two tubes of ointment. He asked, “Have you taken your medicine?”
In the morning, Lu Qin woke up earlier and went to the
rooftop to make a phone call, so as not to disturb Pei Rong. He handled the
matter with the assistant manager and also instructed someone to buy medicine
for Pei Rong.
The wind on the rooftop refreshed Lu Qin. He walked steadily
back to the room and found Pei Rong was gone, along with the business card he
“carelessly” left on the bedside table.
Pei Rong took the card but didn’t contact him. The other
seemed quite composed.
Lu Qin had no choice but to take the initiative to find him;
the medicine had already been bought, and it couldn’t be wasted.
With a grateful expression, Pei Rong received the medicine
bag with both hands. “Thank you, Mr. Lu...”
Before he finished speaking, Lu Qin pulled his arm back,
taking the bag away and not letting Pei Rong have it.
“Hmm?”
“I’ll apply it for you,” Lu Qin said firmly.
Pei Rong’s mind went blank for a moment, and echoes of “it’s
settled” seemed to linger in his ears, causing a brief daze.
His butt started to hurt.
Lu Qin frowned. “Can you see your back? Or do you want your
assistant to help?”
Pei Rong quickly shook his head, but he could try to do it
himself...
Lu Qin touched his forehead, but quickly withdrew his hand,
seemingly avoiding physical contact like one would avoid touching something
delicate. He earnestly said, “If you don’t handle it properly, you might get a
fever. The responsibility is on me, and I don’t like to feel guilty.”
Pei Rong replied, “I can read the instructions.”
Lu Qin said, “I don’t want to owe you anything. Don’t you
want a clean slate?”
Pei Rong thought to himself.
He glanced at the scenery outside the car window and realized
that the route had long deviated from the direction of his home and was heading
towards another wealthy residential area in the city.
Did he never intend to let him get off from the beginning?
The overbearing CEO, accustomed to getting things done
quickly, acted faster than his words.
Having someone help with the medication wasn’t bad either.
Following the principle of being lazy whenever possible, Pei Rong closed his
eyes, feeling drowsy due to the driver’s excellent skills.
Watching Lu Qin seriously working on his laptop, Pei Rong
leaned back, resting his head on the neck pillow, and closed his eyes to rest.
Lu Qin was currently reading the post-care instructions in
full English...
Lu Qin’s property in S city was not frequently inhabited. If
he came on a business trip, he preferred to stay on the 17th floor of a hotel,
where his subordinates, who were on the same trip, also stayed. It’s closer and
more convenient that way.
He never brought anyone home, even if this home in S city was
just a place to rest. Only one housekeeper managed it year-round.
So when the housekeeper saw Lu Qin bringing someone home, his
mouth was left wide open in shock. But upon seeing Pei Rong’s appearance,
everything seemed to have a reasonable explanation.
On TV, one could still stubbornly claim not to like that
face, as human brains had diverse aesthetic thoughts. However, in reality,
there were no flaws at all. Pei Rong was simply breathtaking, to the point that
people’s brain would stop working.
The housekeeper was responsible for managing the Lu family’s
food and daily life in S city, including laundry at the hotel. Regardless of
whether Lu Qin was in S city or not, the housekeeper regularly retrieved
dry-cleaned clothes and arranged new ones to ensure they always fit perfectly
and comfortably.
At first glance, the housekeeper recognized that the black
shirt on Pei Rong belonged to Lu Qin and almost blurted out “president’s wife.”
Pei Rong yawned and followed Lu Qin into the house with
sleepy eyes, walking straight to the second floor on the redwood staircase.
As soon as he stepped on the first step, Pei Rong felt a
soreness in his thighs and almost stumbled.
He had been careless. He had been using elevators all day,
and he forgot what it felt like to climb stairs.
Lu Qin seemed to have eyes on his back, quickly taking two
steps back and supporting Pei Rong’s arm to help him upstairs. He even thought
of carrying him horizontally, but Pei Rong declined.
The housekeeper stood at the base of the stairs, witnessing
Lu Qin’s unintentional display of strength and tenderness, leading the guest to
the master bedroom, and deeply felt that he had discovered the truth.
He tightly held onto his phone and couldn’t wait to tell Mrs.
Jiang this good news.
Pei Rong had no idea whose room it was. He lay down on his
stomach, emptying his mind, pretending to be a soulless fish, unable to hear
the sound of Lu Qin unpacking medicine.
He wasn’t nervous, no, he couldn’t be nervous.
After five minutes, Pei Rong sensed Lu Qin’s breath
approaching and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you wearing gloves?”
“Uh?”
“You have calluses on your fingers.”
Pei Rong couldn’t understand why Lu Qin, a CEO who had been
pampered and privileged since childhood, had such rough palms that it felt like
scraping over his skin, making his whole appearance less attractive.
He didn’t want to make such a request like a delicate
princess, but...
The memories from last night suddenly became vivid, and Pei
Rong shivered.
Lu Qin fell silent for a moment and said, “I didn’t buy any.”
Pei Rong was about to say, ‘How about I do it myself? My
fingers don’t have calluses.’
Suddenly, Lu Qin walked to the bedside and turned Pei Rong’s
head to look at him.
Pei Rong thought Lu Qin had given up, but then he saw a pair
of hands in front of him—long and slender fingers with thin calluses covering
some of the joints, making these hands appear more powerful.
Lu Qin acted like he was seemingly solving a problem that
troubled everyone at the shareholders’ meeting. With wisdom and composure, he
said, “Pick a finger.”
Pei Rong: ???
What did he do wrong that he should make such a choice? Was
he picking something that would be kept in his collection?
