Chapter 9: A Decent Fall Guy

The implication of that message was even clearer now. Anyone who wasn’t a fool could see what it meant.

“Want me to go find her?”

Zheng Qian hesitated for a moment but ultimately just sent a “Good night” and didn’t reply to Qin Xueli anymore.

...

At the Shangri-La Hotel.

Qin Xueli had just finished showering and was drying her dripping hair with a towel while refreshing her phone screen.

She had been waiting for Zheng Qian to knock on her door, but when she saw his message, her heart sank.

Just two words: good night?

She had hinted so clearly to him—did he really not understand? Did he not get what she was trying to say?

It meant, “You can come over and sleep here tonight!”

Room 9694 at the Shangri-La—come find me!

You asked me to go shopping just to sleep with me, didn’t you?

Now, I’ve skipped over countless steps to give you this chance to succeed.

And you only send a single “Good night”?

What does that mean?

It was a disguised refusal.

Qin Xueli was truly puzzled by Zheng Qian’s behavior tonight.

His actions were unlike the Zheng Qian she had known before.

She couldn’t fathom how he suddenly became so wealthy.

She felt some regret.

Back at the mall, even though Zheng Qian refused to buy her clothes, she persisted. Why hadn’t she been willing to spend a few hundred yuan at the time?

Later, at the bar, she casually spent over two hundred thousand yuan on drinks, and she realized things were far from simple.

Zheng Qian was honest and somewhat timid—in her eyes, he was the kind of man without much backbone, someone she could easily manipulate.

She could exploit his feelings and affection for her, indulging her whims and doing whatever she pleased.

Qin Xueli had worked for three years and was tired of playing around. If things with Zheng Qian went smoothly and he had some money to satisfy her material needs, he would be a decent marriage prospect.

But she had lost a perfectly good man.

It was already past two in the morning. She didn’t know which of her three girlfriends had taken Zheng Qian away.

Or was it that unexpected rival, Jin Lu?

Qin Xueli thought the latter was more likely...

The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became. Eventually, she gave up, threw her phone aside, and buried her head in the blanket.

...

At the same time, Zheng Qian received a message from Jin Lu.

“Just finished, Zheng Shao, are you asleep?”

“No.”

“Where are you now?”

“Wandering around, sobering up.”

“Send me your location.”

Zheng Qian sent the location. Ten minutes later, an electric scooter slowly pulled up beside him.

“Get on.”

“You’re picking me up with this?”

“Don’t drink and drive; don’t drive after drinking.”

Zheng Qian nodded. She made a good point—drunk driving was dangerous and prone to accidents.

Jin Lu wore a sports tank top, her slender waist visible, sitting behind him on the scooter. A patch of pale skin peeked out from her exposed waist.

Zheng Qian felt a sudden urge to reach out and pinch it.

The two arrived at a restaurant. It was the only place open on the street, bustling with customers and seemingly doing good business.

“Boss, one plate of scrambled eggs with chives, one red date stewed oyster, one soft-shell turtle boiled with beef, and one pickled yam.”

Goodness, all these dishes were known for enhancing virility.

Was she worried Zheng Qian wouldn’t perform tonight?

“Why treat me to dinner?” Zheng Qian asked, curious.

“Because you seem rich, I want to get to know you,” Jin Lu replied bluntly, showing no hesitation.

It didn’t sound like a lie.

But Zheng Qian thought Jin Lu was the kind of woman money couldn’t easily win over.

At least, conventional ways of pursuing girls wouldn’t work on her.

Like most people, Zheng Qian held little affection for nightclub girls.

Although I smoke, drink, have tattoos, and love clubbing, I’m still a good girl.

If anyone said that to Zheng Qian, he wouldn’t believe a word.

Except for Jin Lu.

After that grand gesture with the dragon, Jin Lu’s favorability rating hadn’t risen at all, but Zheng Qian was impressed by her.

He was certain she wasn’t like Xin Xin or Angela, the typical nightclub girls.

“To hang out at the Red Rose, you have to be rich,” Zheng Qian implied, wondering why she singled him out.

“You’re richer, haha,” Jin Lu laughed naturally.

Zheng Qian had no answer to that.

Even owners worth tens of millions wouldn’t casually spend over two hundred thousand yuan at the Red Rose.

Now, Jin Lu told him she wanted to get to know him because he was wealthy. Zheng Qian didn’t know whether to believe it or not.

Or maybe she was casting a wide net to catch more fish?

When the waiter brought the dishes, Zheng Qian had a sudden idea and stopped him.

“Boss, does she often invite men here for dinner?”

The waiter was taken aback, then glanced at Jin Lu.

Jin Lu was also surprised; she hadn’t expected Zheng Qian to ask that.

She waved at the waiter, “You can leave now.”

The waiter left promptly.

Jin Lu got up from across the table and sat beside Zheng Qian.

“Do you think because I drink with clients at nightclubs, I’m some dirty, loose, gold-digging woman?”

Zheng Qian was silent for a moment.

“Not really. I’m just curious.”

He had actually prepared himself to be scalded with boiling water.

Jin Lu extended a slender, delicate finger and lifted Zheng Qian’s chin.

“You’re curious, huh?”

Zheng Qian had no choice but to nod three times, looking up at her.

Then Jin Lu leaned close to his ear and whispered,

“Come home with me tonight.”

“The night is long... I’ll tell you.”

Her breath was warm against his skin.

Suddenly, a wicked fire ignited in Zheng Qian’s lower abdomen.

Wow...

That was direct.

Even more direct than Qin Xueli.

Alright.

Zheng Qian liked her more and more.

But the favorability rating above her head made him start to doubt if the system was malfunctioning.

[Current Favorability: 10 points]

Her smile, her seduction, her hints—all so natural in Zheng Qian’s eyes.

Was it all an act?

No, it didn’t seem that way.

But the fact the favorability hadn’t budged at all meant Jin Lu’s level was incredibly high.

If she hadn’t been with dozens of men before, how could she possess such composure and mastery?

“Why don’t we go now?” Zheng Qian couldn’t wait any longer.

“Why so impatient? We should eat first. What if you get hungry?” Jin Lu laughed.

Zheng Qian was indeed impatient.

When the dishes arrived, he ate ravenously without caring if he was hungry or not.

Jin Lu was right; since he’d decided to spend the night at her place, a meal wouldn’t hurt.

After all, eating these virility-enhancing dishes would give him even more energy for the night ahead.