Chapter 32: I Am Truly Exhausted

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Lu Chengwen was bewildered. “Sis, may I ask what exactly you’re thinking?”

“There’s no need to think about it. Ever since you, Young Master Lu, took over Great Sage Group, you’ve never made a losing investment. So whatever you invest in, I’ll invest in too.”

Sweat beaded on Lu Chengwen’s forehead.

Damn it, hasn’t all this been for nothing!?

After going around in one enormous circle, we’re right back where we started!

The shantytown redevelopment project is guaranteed to lose money. What are you trying to get out of this? I’m not even afraid of losing my entire fortune, but your Leng family can’t afford another disaster!

Besides, Long Aotian and your father are waiting for good news from me! If you insist on investing in a project that’s bound to lose money, won’t they tear me limb from limb?

Seeing Lu Chengwen’s dazed expression, Leng Qingqiu laughed so hard her whole body trembled.

“Look at you, acting like such a fool. Are you really that afraid of my father and Long Aotian?”

Lu Chengwen said, “I’m serious. You absolutely cannot get involved in the shantytown project.”

Leng Qingqiu looked at him. “Brother Chengwen, tell me honestly. Do you… still like me?”

Lu Chengwen nearly fainted on the spot.

Seeing the seriousness in her expression, he hurriedly shook his head. “N-no. I don’t like you anymore.”

The light in Leng Qingqiu’s eyes instantly dimmed. “When did you stop liking me?”

“I couldn’t tell you exactly. Anyway… let’s settle the matter of our engagement first. If your family can make a quick profit from this project, and you can join forces with Long Aotian, Qianfeng Group will certainly be able to recover and grow again. By then, there’ll be no need for us to marry. You’ll be free. You can pursue whichever boy you like instead of having to endure someone like me—a piece of trash.”

Leng Qingqiu said, “I suddenly…”

“Huh?”

Leng Qingqiu grew nervous. Her heart suddenly began pounding violently.

Lu Chengwen stared at her with deeply furrowed brows, waiting seriously for her to finish. She was so nervous that she broke into a cold sweat.

“I…”

“What is it?”

Leng Qingqiu’s lips moved for a long while before she finally summoned her courage.

“I think… I’ve fallen for you.”

Lu Chengwen’s eyes widened. His mind stalled for a moment.

“Y-you… what did you say?”

“I said, I like you.”

Lu Chengwen stared at Leng Qingqiu, mouth half open, utterly motionless.

Her face flushed crimson. “These past few days, without you… I felt… very uncomfortable.”

She lowered her head shyly, then gave a little laugh. “I know this is crazy, but I really feel as though I can hear what’s in your heart now. I know what you truly think. And I feel… that you’re a good person.”

Lu Chengwen stood completely still, as if someone had sealed his acupoints.

Leng Qingqiu pressed her lips together. “So… if you’re willing, and you don’t dislike me… then starting today, I’ll be your girlfriend. And as for our engagement next month…”

Leng Qingqiu was so nervous that she began to stumble over her words.

Her heart pounded like a drum, each beat seeming to reverberate through her entire body.

“If you think getting engaged is too soon, we can put it off for now. We can spend some time getting to know each other, try… to be together… start dating first, and then… tell our families…”

Lu Chengwen had turned to stone. He remained motionless, showing no reaction whatsoever.

“If you don’t agree, that’s all right too.”

Seeing that Lu Chengwen still had not responded, Leng Qingqiu’s thoughts descended into chaos.

Overthinking was a girl’s natural instinct. Moments ago she had been excited and nervous; now she had become anxious and miserable.

“It’s not as though I absolutely have to be with you. But… really… we can take things slowly. I don’t want to pressure you either. It’s just… I have many flaws, so you’ll have to be more tolerant of me. But you’ll have to make some changes too. After all, I… I’m planning to… give myself to you completely…”

By the time she finished speaking, Leng Qingqiu was so shy that she could no longer lift her head.

But Lu Chengwen still showed no reaction.

At last, Leng Qingqiu realized that something was wrong.

She raised her head and looked at him. “Brother Chengwen? Are you all right? Could you… say something?”

She waved a hand in front of his eyes. There was no response.

“Brother Chengwen? Are you all right? Hey?”

Leng Qingqiu pulled out her phone. “Hello, emergency services? I need to report a malfunctioning person. He’s completely motionless, and he doesn’t respond when I call him. It’s as if he can’t hear anything I say. What caused it? Well… I confessed to him. I told him I liked him, and then he froze. Yes, froze—no response, no movement whatsoever. You’re the doctor, and you’re asking me? How am I supposed to explain it clearly? Hurry up and send someone over. No, we don’t need a funeral home. He’s frozen, not dead…”

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…

Lu Chengwen returned home with a vacant stare, looking like a walking corpse.

It’s over. It’s completely over.

The leading heroine! The ultimate leading heroine! The number one beauty of the harem!

She confessed to me!

What the hell kind of plot is this!?

This wasn’t a confession. It was the death knell announcing my meeting with the King of Hell!

I’m the villain, and I’ve actually managed to win over the leading heroine!?

If the male protagonist doesn’t kill me, there’s no way this story can end properly!

No matter who writes this plot, the result is the same. I’m doomed to die! There isn’t the slightest chance of survival!

What exactly did I do wrong!? What did I do that was so bad?

I’ve been doing everything I could to make you hate me, fanning the flames and pushing you farther and farther away…

Is there something wrong with the leading heroine’s head? Someone like me confessed to you, and you accepted!?

Don’t you have even the slightest standards when choosing a partner!?

So unless you people drive me to my grave, you feel as though something is missing, is that it?

Lu Chengwen was no longer in his right mind as he staggered into the living room.

His parents were chatting with Chen Mengyun. The moment they saw Lu Chengwen return, they were delighted.

His mother said, “Chengwen, look who’s here.”

Chen Mengyun quickly stood up, her cheeks slightly flushed. “Brother Chengwen.”

“Ah.” Lu Chengwen gave a perfunctory reply and continued toward the staircase.

“Hey!” His mother walked over and tugged at him. “Mengyun has been waiting for you for ages. Sit down and talk to her.”

Lu Chengwen said weakly, “Mom, you talk to her. I’m tired.”

His mother glared at him. “Tired? What happened to you? Mengyun came all this way here specifically to see you. Don’t you have any manners?”

Lu Chengwen turned and looked at Chen Mengyun.

She suddenly grew shy and forced a polite smile. “Brother Chengwen, I just… came especially to thank you.”

Lu Chengwen nodded. “All right, I know. You can go home now.”

Chen Mengyun had never expected this.

She had taken the initiative to come to his home to see him, just as she had back in high school and college. She had been so forward and enthusiastic that she hadn’t even cared whether the Lu family laughed at her.

And yet Lu Chengwen was treating her with such indifference, as if she meant nothing to him at all.

Chen Mengyun felt humiliated. Awkwardly, she said, “Then, Uncle and Auntie, please stay here. I’ll be going now.”

“Wait, don’t go!” Lu Chengwen’s mother grabbed him and said angrily, “She’s been waiting here for ages. Why are you acting so aloof?”

Then she turned to Chen Mengyun. “Mengyun, how about this? Go upstairs and have a chat with Chengwen. You young people can talk among yourselves. Your Uncle Lu and I have plans to play cards, so we’ll be heading out.”

Chen Mengyun had no backbone at all. She actually wanted to stay.

“Would that… really be appropriate?”

“Of course it would. You haven’t visited our home in years. Your auntie is delighted to see you. You two talk while we go out.”

The Lu family elders left.

Lu Chengwen turned and headed for the elevator, and Chen Mengyun hurried after him.

Standing inside the elevator, Chen Mengyun appeared somewhat nervous. “Brother Chengwen, thank you for what you did that day.”

Lu Chengwen gave a bitter smile. That line was supposed to be spoken to Long Aotian, but now people just kept saying it to me.

“Aren’t you supposed to be very busy these days? You didn’t need to come all the way to my house just to say this. You could have sent me a message.”

Chen Mengyun felt deeply wronged.

Can’t I send a message? Why else would I come to your house? Obviously, I wanted to see you!

She said, “About what happened back then…”

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Lu Chengwen quickly interrupted her. “Don’t bring up the past. You were pretty ruthless back then, and you seriously wounded my young and fragile heart. But I was the one who made the mistake first, so I don’t blame you. In any case, let’s not talk about the past. I don’t care about it anymore, and you should forget it too.”

Chen Mengyun had a thousand things she wanted to say, but Lu Chengwen simply refused to let her open her mouth, never giving her a chance to speak.

He just kept talking until the conversation was completely dead.

Between a man and a woman, it usually takes no more than three exchanges like this for each person to understand exactly what the other is thinking.

Chen Mengyun had never expected Lu Chengwen to be so cold. She felt both humiliated and heartbroken.

She had taken the initiative to come to his home because she had planned to get closer to his family and recover some of the old familiarity between them.

And this was how he was treating her?

Fine. She, Chen Mengyun, had misjudged him.

“Well… you look tired, Brother Chengwen. I’ll head home first.”

This was Chen Mengyun’s final attempt.

If Lu Chengwen tried to persuade her to stay, there might still be a chance.

She waited hopefully, watching his eyes.

But Lu Chengwen did not even look at her. “All right. I’ll have Zhao Gang drive you home.”

Chen Mengyun was completely furious.

Her expression instantly turned cold. “No need. I can leave on my own.”

Even after Chen Mengyun took the elevator downstairs by herself, Lu Chengwen still paid her no attention.

Chen Mengyun herself felt pathetic.

Truly pathetic!

Why had I come to see him?

He saved me once, and I assumed our old feelings had returned? That we could go back to the way things were?

I remember all those innocent childhood days we spent together, but he has already forgotten them completely! He doesn’t care anymore!

Her eyes reddened as she walked aggrievedly toward the parking area of the Lu family villa.

She was just about to get into her car when Lu Chengwen came charging down from upstairs as if his pants were on fire, an overcoat clutched in his hand.

“Zhao Gang! Get the car ready!”

Zhao Gang had just driven Chen Mengyun’s car over and parked it. Seeing his employer looking utterly frantic, he was bewildered.

“President Lu, what’s wrong?”

Lu Chengwen rushed over and snatched the keys from him. “Whose car is this?”

Zhao Gang had never seen Lu Chengwen in such a hurry. He pointed at Chen Mengyun. “Miss Chen’s.”

Lu Chengwen said, “Get in.”

Chen Mengyun was still angry. “What are you doing?”

Lu Chengwen had already climbed inside and started the engine. “Get in!”

Chen Mengyun stood on the ground with her arms crossed. “This is my car. Lu Chengwen, what exactly are you trying to do?”

Zhao Gang was a man of action. As a competent lackey, he knew that when his boss was in a situation like this, he shouldn’t waste time asking questions. If the boss told him to do something, he simply needed to carry it out.

Chen Mengyun was still standing there, throwing a tantrum, while Zhao Gang had already fastened his seat belt.

Lu Chengwen let out an angry roar. “Damn it! Get in! Hurry up!”

Chen Mengyun jumped at the shout and was cowed into silence.

“F-fine, I’m getting in! Why are you being so fierce?”

She had barely settled into the seat when Lu Chengwen’s car shot forward.

Ever helpful, Zhao Gang had already shouted into his radio, “Open the gate! Open the gate! Young Master Lu’s car is heading out!”

By the time the car reached the gate, the massive iron doors had already swung open.

Chen Mengyun’s face turned deathly pale with fright. “Lu Chengwen, have you gone insane!?”