Lu Chengwen carried Leng Qingqiu back into the inner suite and tossed her onto the bed, making her let out a startled scream.
Just then, the sound of the main door being pushed open suddenly came from behind, followed by Jiang Shihan's loud voice announcing, "President Xu, please wait a moment…"
Lu Chengwen was startled. "Wait here for me!"
He hurriedly instructed Leng Qingqiu and turned to leave, closing the door behind him.
As soon as Xu Xuejiao entered, she sensed something was off about Lu Chengwen.
A woman's intuition is incredibly sharp.
At this moment, she had already forgotten that she had come to reconcile with Lu Chengwen. Instead, she eyed him like he was a thief, scrutinizing him up and down.
"Lu Chengwen, what are you doing?"
Lu Chengwen's psychological fortitude was rock-solid—his face wasn't red, and his heart wasn't racing. "Nothing."
"Why is your face red?"
"Huh? Oh, I was just exercising."
"In a suit?"
"Is that not allowed?"
Xu Xuejiao's expression grew increasingly displeased. "What's up with your shirt?"
"My shirt?" Lu Chengwen looked down and saw that several buttons on his shirt had been undone, the fabric crumpled and limp inside his jacket.
He quickly straightened his clothes. "It's too hot."
"Your pants."
Lu Chengwen looked down again—his belt was loose, and his fly was open.
He hurriedly adjusted himself. "When exercising, the most important thing is to let yourself go."
"Is there someone in the room?"
Lu Chengwen immediately said, "No."
"Oh, I'll go check."
Lu Chengwen quickly blocked Xu Xuejiao. "Hey, hey, I just said there's no one. What are you checking for?"
"I want to see!"
Xu Xuejiao pushed the door open and looked around. There really was no one inside—even the bedding was neatly arranged.
"What exactly were you doing?"
"I already told you—working! No, exercising."
Unable to find any evidence, Xu Xuejiao's mind cooled slightly. "Just now…"
"Just now was my fault," Lu Chengwen said. "I shouldn't have yelled at you."
Xu Xuejiao froze, then smiled. "You actually admit that?"
"Yes, yes, I was wrong." Lu Chengwen pulled her out to the living room. "I was too emotional earlier and said some harsh things. I formally apologize to you."
Xu Xuejiao pouted, but in her heart, she was actually very happy and relieved.
*Chengwen-ge really has the demeanor of a real man. Even though he was fierce and domineering during the argument, he knows how to apologize to a girl and give me a way out. Who wouldn't like a boyfriend like this?*
*And the way he looked when he lost his temper—it was actually quite manly.*
With that thought, Xu Xuejiao forgot about catching him in the act and instead started daydreaming.
"Will you ever be so harsh with me again?"
Lu Chengwen's mind was in chaos.
The flames of desire had been ignited by Leng Qingqiu's sudden passionate confession, and now he was forced to suppress them while worrying that Xu Xuejiao might discover Leng Qingqiu inside and explode again…
So, flustered and distracted, he casually agreed.
"No, no, never again. From now on, I'll listen to you in everything. Whatever you say goes."
"Then will you help my dad acquire Qianfeng?"
"Huh?"
Xu Xuejiao had only asked tentatively, but seeing Lu Chengwen hesitate to answer immediately, she worried that their newly repaired relationship might be ruined again. She quickly added, "Forget it! I know Chengwen-ge is loyal and righteous. You have feelings for Leng Qingqiu, so it's normal that you can't bring yourself to kick her while she's down. I won't force you."
"Ah."
"But next time, you have to speak to me gently!"
"Yes, I'll be gentle… gentle."
"Don't just be nice to me when you need me and then turn harsh when you don't! It hurts my feelings!"
"Yes, it hurts… it hurts."
"Let's go have some fun?"
"Huh?"
Lu Chengwen took a deep breath. "Xuejiao, I have too much work to do right now. How about this—you go back first, and I'll come find you after I finish my work, okay?"
"Ah…" Xu Xuejiao was extremely reluctant.
This trip had been a failure—not only had she not succeeded in her business negotiations, but she'd also had a big fight with Lu Chengwen. She felt utterly dejected.
"Then call me later."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll call you, I'll call you."
Xu Xuejiao walked away, looking back every few steps. After a few paces, she turned around again.
"Do you really want to help Leng Qingqiu?"
Lu Chengwen hadn't expected her to linger. He groaned inwardly. "No, I just…"
"It's fine if you do. Since it's what you want, I'll support you. I'll stand by your side."
Lu Chengwen was baffled. "How would you support me?"
"With money, of course."
"You still have money?"
Xu Xuejiao smiled. "More than you think."
Lu Chengwen's mind was completely scrambled. "Wait… your dad sent you to persuade me to team up with him to acquire Qianfeng, but now you're offering to help me protect Qianfeng… Aren't you afraid your dad will lose his temper?"
"Not at all!" Xu Xuejiao said cheerfully. "If he gets mad, you can just go yell at him."
"Huh?"
"Aren't you good at being fierce?"
"I'm not… Look, just stay out of this for now. Let me think about it first."
Xu Xuejiao finally left.
Once she was gone, Lu Chengwen called Jiang Shihan over. "Guard the door! No one is allowed into my office!"
"Yes."
Jiang Shihan watched as Lu Chengwen rushed impatiently back into the inner restroom, a pang of bitterness in her heart.
*It seems President Lu is going to meet Leng Qingqiu in secret.*
*Sigh… Of course. I'm just a secretary. The boss might take advantage of me when he's in the mood, but in the end, he'll definitely marry a wealthy woman like Leng Qingqiu or Xu Xuejiao.*
*Still, being able to repay President Lu is already a blessing for me. I've misunderstood him so much over the years and owe him too much.*
Though her heart ached slightly, Jiang Shihan was very aware of her place.
The president of a trillion-dollar conglomerate would never marry his secretary or spend his life with just one woman.
Lu Chengwen returned to the restroom and called softly, "Qingqiu? Qingqiu!"
She was gone!
Lu Chengwen was puzzled. He checked the bathroom, the walk-in closet, and the lounge—nothing!
Scratching his head, Lu Chengwen muttered, "Where'd she go? Did she fly away?"
A moment later, a cabinet suddenly rotated sideways, and Leng Qingqiu stepped out.
Lu Chengwen was stunned. "Qingqiu!?"
Leng Qingqiu was still naked, her face flushed as she said, "Give me back the towel."
"Oh."
Lu Chengwen quickly grabbed the towel and handed it to her. Leng Qingqiu wrapped it around herself and smiled at Lu Chengwen. "Lu Chengwen, you're something else! There's a secret little love nest hidden in here?"
"There is?"
Lu Chengwen smacked his forehead—he remembered now.
During the initial design phase, there had indeed been one.
Lu Chengwen walked in and couldn't help but laugh bitterly to himself.
*The original Lu Chengwen really was a piece of work.*
Inside was a cozy, romantic suite, filled with an intimate and suggestive atmosphere.
All sorts of blush-inducing adult toys were neatly arranged, with two large cabinets dedicated entirely to such items.
Moreover, the secret room had another hidden door leading to a walk-in closet, which connected to the office of the originally intended chief secretary.
In other words, the original Lu Chengwen had already envisioned his chief secretary as a stunning beauty—someone charming who could secretly rendezvous with him in the hidden room at any time through the walk-in closet.
Looking at this secret room, Lu Chengwen felt ashamed.
Aside from "pervert," he couldn't think of any other word to describe his former self.
"I'd almost forgotten this place existed."
Leng Qingqiu smiled. "You haven't appointed a chief secretary in the last three years. That office has been empty—why not assign someone?"
Lu Chengwen's face burned. "I… just at the beginning… was fooling around… Chief secretary… I…"
Seeing him stammer, Leng Qingqiu laughed and kissed him. "How about I be your chief secretary?"
"Huh? What?"
"I'll be your chief secretary," Leng Qingqiu said playfully. "When you're tired and need to unwind, I'll sneak in here to meet you."
Lu Chengwen quickly said, "I really haven't done anything like that! After the renovation… I'd almost forgotten this place existed."
"I know," Leng Qingqiu said. "No one's been in here—it's covered in dust."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Have someone clean it up, and we can go play inside?"
"Who would I send?"
"How should I know? You're the boss—it's your call."
Lu Chengwen closed the hidden door. "I'll have someone dismantle everything inside tomorrow and turn it into a storage room."
"Don't! Leave it."
"Qingqiu, I'm really not…"
"I know," Leng Qingqiu said seriously. "For the past three years, you haven't been with any women. Aside from work, you've devoted all your time to me."
She caressed Lu Chengwen's face. "I must have been out of my mind during those three years to ignore your devotion."
Lu Chengwen smiled faintly. "Let's go out."
"Why? Weren't you just all fired up? I was ready to lose my virginity."
Lu Chengwen gently moved her hand away. "I was impulsive earlier…"
"I can make you impulsive again…"
"No!" Lu Chengwen said. "I have a meeting with Huo Wendong soon."
"Huo Wendong?"
"Yeah."
Lu Chengwen explained, "I'm thinking of ways to buy back some shares from him. If we can get over fifty percent, Qianfeng will still be under your control."
Leng Qingqiu smiled gratefully. "Chengwen-ge."
"Hmm?"
"Actually, what Xu Xuejiao said was right. Taking over Qianfeng now is the best move—there's no other way."
"I won't do that."
"I know. I heard what you said. Chengwen-ge, just hearing those words from you in this lifetime is worth dying for."
"I also…"
Tears glistened in Leng Qingqiu's eyes. "I've never met a man who would dote on me and protect me like this. Qianfeng doesn't matter to me anymore—you're my master, my man! As long as you're strong enough, I'll always be the queen of Xuecheng. Isn't that what you said?"
"Yes, I did say that, but…"
"No more hesitation," Leng Qingqiu said. "I'm willing to stake everything I have on you, no regrets. My man must become the strongest in this city! First, take the Leng family, then the Xu family, the Chen family… Let us be your stepping stones. I'm willing!"
Lu Chengwen touched Leng Qingqiu's forehead.
*Has this girl lost her mind to love? This isn't something the CEO of a trillion-dollar conglomerate would say!*
*Is she running a fever or something?*
Leng Qingqiu gazed passionately at Lu Chengwen. "Chengwen-ge, I'm serious. From now on, I'm yours. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it."
Lu Chengwen chuckled. "Qingqiu, don't be so reckless. Do you even know me? Do you understand what I'm thinking? You're clearly acting out of a lack of love—because no one has ever cherished you, you either keep your guard up and push people away or throw yourself into obsessive devotion to fulfill yourself. Neither is healthy…"
"You're proud because you're afraid of betrayal, so you don't dare let anyone into your heart. Your reckless devotion comes from fear of losing what you've gained, terrified you haven't done enough. This isn't rational. You need to be yourself, live for yourself…"
"Chengwen-ge, I know what you're thinking. I understand you, truly."
Lu Chengwen had no idea what she meant and couldn't help but laugh.
"You're still too impulsive…"
Leng Qingqiu reached down and untied the towel herself.
The towel fell to the floor, and Leng Qingqiu stood before Lu Chengwen—completely exposed.
Lu Chengwen's words caught in his throat, his eyes widening in shock.