Answering the phone, he smiled and said, "Hello! Little Xuejiao!"
Xu Xuejiao was clearly taken aback. Just yesterday he had been utterly annoyed by her; how had his tone suddenly turned so sickeningly sweet today?
Xu Xuejiao decided to play along: "Brother Chengwen, you must have been exhausted last night!"
"Oh, you bet! You really are a tormenting little siren!"
"Hehe, stop talking nonsense, watch out or I'll hit you! Today is the press conference, you need to hurry over, we have to go over the script."
"Alright, alright, but you have to wear a JK uniform for me."
"You're so annoying, who wears a uniform to a press conference..."
Leng Qingqiu pushed open the car door, slammed it shut fiercely, and walked away.
Chapter 12: Committing a Bestial Act
Lu Chengwen glanced back, knowing that Leng Qingqiu had already slammed the door and left, and quickly said in a serious tone: "Okay, okay, I'll be right there, right away."
Leng Qingqiu was trembling with anger.
Yet this time, even she felt she was being unreasonable.
Didn't you hate Lu Chengwen? Him going to pester Xu Xuejiao played right into your hands, didn't it? What are you angry about? And why slam his car door?
That door slam was so devoid of wisdom. Seeing it, that jerk would think she cared about him so much!
Still... I'm so angry!
It's utterly infuriating!
How... how could he be like this?
Xu Xuejiao... what does she even have? Isn't she just good at acting cutesy with a squeaky voice?
Just seeing her makes me sick!
From now on, the two of you better stay far away from me! I, Leng Qingqiu, couldn't care less!
Leng Qingqiu walked a few steps, and a sudden yearning rose in her heart.
This guy... since I'm so angry, he'll chase after me to coax me, right?
Humph, even if he coaxes me, I won't pay him any attention!
What an asshole! If he doesn't give me a proper apology today, I will never forgive him!
Leng Qingqiu strode forward with big steps, wanting to look back but not daring to, forcing herself to press on.
Secretly using her phone screen as a rearview mirror, she glanced back and saw Lu Chengwen's car chasing after her. To her surprise, she couldn't help smiling, a sudden wave of joy bubbling up inside her.
Hold it in!
Leng Qingqiu, you better hold it in. You can't let this jerk know he has a grip on your emotions!
With a screech, the car stopped right beside Leng Qingqiu. Leng Qingqiu immediately stopped in her tracks, crossed her arms, and said coldly:
"What is it this time? Didn't you cozy up to that girl from the Xu family? Spare me your harassment from now on."
"Fine," Lu Chengwen said. "Then call your assistant to pick you up yourself. I'm leaving."
Without even giving Leng Qingqiu a chance to reply, Lu Chengwen stepped on the gas and sped away.
Leng Qingqiu watched with wide eyes as Lu Chengwen's car got further and further away. She was furious.
She stamped her feet in rage.
"Lu Chengwen! You... this is driving me crazy!"
...
Driving his luxurious business sedan, Lu Chengwen tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and cheerfully sang a song: "The skies over the liberated areas are clear skies, the people of the liberated areas love them so..."
Getting rid of a major female lead, I really am a goddamn genius!
Xu Xuejiao's phone call came at the most perfect time.
Now Leng Qingqiu should never forgive him again—brilliant!
Next, all he had to do was handle that Xu Xuejiao.
When the car arrived at the hotel hosting the press conference, Lu Chengwen instantly saw his team waiting anxiously.
Yet they were all staring behind his car, still craning their necks in eager anticipation.
It wasn't until he pushed the door open and stepped out that everyone was dumbfounded.
The old Lu Chengwen was a connoisseur of modified cars; all his rides were luxury supercars, the flashy, over-the-top sort, covered in garish designs—the kind that screamed explosive wealth...
Yet today, he had arrived in a low-profile business sedan.
Moreover, Lu Chengwen's outfit had changed as well.
Instead of flashy, outrageously colored fashion suits, he was dressed in formal attire—a dark business suit paired with standard Oxford leather shoes, impeccably proper.
Elegant and dignified.
His secretary, Jiang Shihhan, hurried over: "President Lu."
"Oh, Shihhan."
Jiang Shihhan seemed extremely nervous.
She couldn't afford not to be. Her mother had contracted a strange illness that cost over a million a year in medical care and rehabilitation.
She could not afford to lose this job.
Yet being Lu Chengwen's secretary... was simply excruciating.
This guy... was sickening beyond belief.
Over the past two years, his private life had been so depraved it made people's hair stand on end, and his misdeeds were too numerous to record.
As his lifestyle secretary, what she witnessed utterly shattered her worldview and made her hair prickle.
On top of that, he tried to take advantage of her almost every day.
He would make obscene jokes under the guise of humor, casually lifting her skirt regardless of how many people were around;
During meetings, while cursing his subordinates with foul language, he would reach out to stroke her thighs;
Other forms of verbal harassment and flirting frequently drove the young girl to flee into the restroom in tears, leaving her eyes swollen and red.
The past three years had been even more absurd...
Aside from harassing her and taking liberties every day, he had also become Leng Qingqiu's lapdog.
Many of the commands he gave her were embarrassingly agonizing. She had to go to Qianfeng Group to run errands for him, while the people at Qianfeng Group... despised her to the core, treating her like some woman who would do anything disgusting for money.
Yet who could understand? She couldn't afford to be unemployed. Her monthly salary was over one hundred thousand, putting her at the absolute ceiling of the secretarial profession...
Without this income, her mother would lose her medicine.
If she offended Lu Chengwen, she would lose her mother.
Like a frightened bird terrified of making a mistake at any moment, Jiang Shihhan kept her head down and said, "President Lu, the speech draft has been written. You can take a look. There's still plenty of time; if you're not satisfied, we can immediately revise it to your liking."
"Okay, let me see."
Lu Chengwen strode inside, followed closely by his team, with all the bodyguards shielding them on both sides.
Escorted by the crowd, Lu Chengwen entered the lounge directly.
After reading through the draft once, he nodded: "Alright, this works."
Then he handed the draft back to Jiang Shihhan.
Everyone was stunned.
Lu Chengwen was notoriously difficult to please.
He was a demon, a fiend, an overlord.
No matter how well you did your job, he would always pick faults and curse you out—that was mandatory.
He would curse your father, mother, wife, children, and eighteen generations of ancestors, and then demand revisions and tweaks, even though the final result usually ended up looking almost identical to the original draft.
Yet today, he had approved the very first draft without a single complaint.
Jiang Shihhan breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Chengwen instructed, "Everyone out. Shihhan, stay behind."
The secretarial team collectively sighed in relief. Wonderful! They exchanged knowing, playful smirks toward Jiang Shihhan.
After all, everyone knew how things stood!
What kind of person was President Lu?
Heh, he liked to feast on meat! Among the pretty female employees and executives in the company, who hadn't he taken liberties with?
Today he had even skipped the scolding part; it seemed he couldn't wait to taste her charms.
As for Jiang Shihhan, she'd naturally put up some token resistance... who knows, maybe the two of them already had that kind of relationship. Jiang Shihhan just loved playing the innocent virgin, which was probably her routine—and President Lu happened to have a weakness for that exact type!
Once everyone had cleared out, Jiang Shihhan trembled slightly.
Lu Chengwen raised his head, and just as he was about to speak, he noticed Jiang Shihhan's terror.
Oh, right.
This girl had been harassed endlessly by Lu Chengwen—that is, the old him, the major villain—and now she was practically traumatized.
What was her original plotline again?
Right! There was a time when his animalistic desires flared up, and he tried to take her by force. Long Aotian appeared right on cue, broke both his legs, and rescued her.
Afterwards, the two of them poured their hearts out to each other. She revealed her mother's illness, and Long Aotian cured her mother, leaving the girl moved to tears.
Later on, Long Aotian confronted him on her behalf and made a bet with him. In the end, Long Aotian crushed him with overpowered brilliance while he was left utterly humiliated. Long Aotian successfully played the hero and won Jiang Shihhan her freedom...
As for the subsequent plot... needless to say, you can all guess it.
His harem gained yet another devoted, stunning beauty who silently supported Long Aotian behind the scenes, asking for nothing in return, not even a formal title, willing to serve him like a lowly maid.
Later on, it seemed she even took a fatal blow for Long Aotian and almost kicked the bucket.
Of course, being a female lead in a harem, how could she die so easily? Naturally, Long Aotian saved her using some extremely erotic method.
So damn sickening.
Looking at Jiang Shihhan, who kept her head down and trembled, Lu Chengwen smiled.
"Don't be nervous. I'm not going to bully you."
"N-Not nervous."
Lu Chengwen sighed, thinking to himself:
[Should I help her out and cure her mother's illness? If I go ask Xu Xuejiao, she'd probably be happy to help, right?]
[No, no, this is Long Aotian's plot. Her mother's illness must be cured by Long Aotian alone; that way she'll fall right into Long Aotian's web, fall hopelessly in love with him, and join his harem.]
[I have to fire her. It's too dangerous.]
Jiang Shihhan's mind went blank with shock.
What is happening?!
He clearly didn't say anything out loud, so how... how could I hear his inner voice?
It's no secret that he knows about my mother's illness—a rich man like him could easily dig up my weaknesses if he wanted to bully me.
Yet he's actually kind enough to want to help cure my mother?
And what's more, I only met Brother Aotian a few days ago—how does he know about that? Will Brother Aotian really help cure my mother?
Am I... am I going to join Brother Aotian's harem?
Still... Brother Aotian is benevolent and pure-hearted. If he really can cure my mother, I'm willing to work like a beast of burden to repay him.
I just wonder if he'll despise me for having worked for Lu Chengwen.
My reputation in the workplace is already ruined. Rumors are flying everywhere that I'm a cheap woman whom Young Master Lu can summon at a moment's notice to... hook up with anytime, anywhere.
But now he wants to fire me?!
I can't lose this job!
Just as Jiang Shihhan was about to speak, Lu Chengwen changed his mind.
[No way, this girl has it hard enough. She gets bullied by me at work and takes care of her mother at home. It's not easy for a girl to endure all those malicious rumors alone. Firing her now would put way too much pressure on her.]
[Better keep her around for now. When Long Aotian cures her mother's illness and comes looking for trouble with me, I'll just do him a favor and let him take her away directly.]
[What a shame. I bullied her for so long, I feel quite bad about it, and I never really did anything nice for her. But hey, Long Aotian that animal is around for all that; her troubles aren't my concern.]
Jiang Shihhan was even more shocked.
President Lu... is actually looking out for me?
He's afraid I'll crack under pressure, so he's holding off on firing me... wait a minute!
Why is he so certain that Brother Aotian will help cure my mother?
And is Brother Aotian really going to come looking for him to rescue me from this abyss? When that time comes, President Lu actually plans to let me go?
And another thing! This beast actually... feels bad about bullying me? Wants to do something nice for me?
What is wrong with this world?
What is wrong with this man?
What has happened?
It's all so bizarre!
Jiang Shihhan was so shocked by Lu Chengwen's inner thoughts that she was left speechless, staring straight at Lu Chengwen with wide eyes, her brain barely functioning anymore.
[Wait! Wait!]
Lu Chengwen thought of the most crucial matter.
[According to the trajectory of events as I know them, I'm supposed to commit a bestial act against her first, and right when I'm about to succeed, Long Aotian will show up just in time to rescue her. And he's going to break both my legs!]
[So if I don't commit a bestial act against her, won't Long Aotian show up?]
[If that's the case... to help cure her mother's illness, I absolutely must commit a bestial act against her! And I have to let Long Aotian break both my legs!]
[Are you kidding me?!]
Lu Chengwen's head was buzzing.
Is this plot line completely inescapable?!
To save a female lead, you have to sacrifice a villain's limbs?!
Lu Chengwen looked down at his own sturdy, slender, long legs:
[Oh legs, my legs! I love you both dearly, but it looks like these long legs that have accompanied me for over twenty-four hours... sob sob sob... are most likely doomed!]
Chapter 13: The Self-Cultivation of a Villain
Lu Chengwen lowered his head in deep, agonizing meditation, trying to figure out a solution.
Jiang Shihhan was even more bewildered.
What on earth is wrong with this guy... I'm already... I'm losing my mind here!
Is he actually racking his brain trying to figure out how to help me?! How to cure my mother's illness?!
And on top of that, he seems to possess precognition!
What is going on? Is this guy just delusional?
After pondering for a long time, Lu Chengwen decided to stand pat and make no moves.
[As long as I don't take the initiative, Long Aotian, being the protagonist, should still find opportunities to get close to Jiang Shihhan. Once they get close and chat, they're bound to talk about her mother's illness.]
[Right! Exactly!]
[When that time comes, even if I don't commit any bestial acts against Jiang Shihhan, Long Aotian will still help cure her mother. And when he comes looking for me afterward, I'll just hand her over and let him take Jiang Shihhan away.]
[I really am a goddamn genius!]
Thinking of this, Lu Chengwen breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Jiang Shihhan:
"Shihhan."
"Huh? Oh... P-President Lu."
"Don't be nervous. Uh... I... well... before... sigh, I feel pretty bad about it..."
Jiang Shihhan thought to herself: What in the world?
Why does this guy look even more nervous than I am? This isn't the style of the young master of the Lu family at all!
What on earth is wrong with this man today? Why is he so terrifying?
Recalling all the things "he" had done previously, Lu Chengwen felt a mix of guilt and shame, his face flushing crimson as he stammered slightly:
Jiang Shihhan hurriedly spoke up: "President Lu, did I do something wrong? If so, you can just scold me."
"Huh? No, no, no..."
Lu Chengwen rushed to say: "You're an exceptional secretary, brilliant in every possible way. It's just me... sigh, I'll just spell it out."
Lu Chengwen continued: "The old me was a total bastard who treated you terribly. Please don't be angry—no, wait! You *should* be angry, that's better for everyone. I wanted to ask for your forgiveness... wait, no, you'd better *not* forgive me, or the plot will collapse."
Lu Chengwen thought to himself: Why can't I get these words out right?
"Anyway, it's totally fine for you to hate me, and you *should* hate me."
Jiang Shihhan forced out a smile: "President Lu is joking. How could I ever hate you? I'm deeply grateful for the job opportunity and all the years of care you've given me."
[Only a fool would believe that. You're probably cursing me to get run over by a truck in your heart.]
Lu Chengwen gave a bitter smile: "Anyway, I know you have your own hardships in life, otherwise you wouldn't have stayed working for me this long..."
At this point, neither Jiang Shihhan nor Lu Chengwen believed a single word the other was saying.
Jiang Shihhan nervously declared: "This subordinate is utterly loyal to President Lu, with not a single disloyal thought."
Lu Chengwen was filled with supreme melancholy.
She was one of Long Aotian's harem members; he couldn't afford to offend her, nor could he get too intimate with her.
"How about this: starting today, you're on paid leave."
Jiang Shihhan was dumbfounded and immediately blurted out: "President Lu, President Lu, I was wrong! President Lu, I beg you, please don't fire me, I... I really need this job."
Jiang Shihhan was so anxious she was on the verge of tears. Lu Chengwen quickly added: "Your salary will be doubled, but you don't have to do a single thing. How's that?"
"President Lu, I beg you, don't do this. I'll work much harder in the future..."
"No, are you even listening to me? I said you get paid without having to work, and your salary doubles without even having to look at me..."
Jiang Shihhan dropped straight to her knees, grabbed the hem of Lu Chengwen's trousers with both hands, and sobbed uncontrollably: "President Lu, my mother is gravely ill, I really can't lose this job. President Lu, I'll do my absolute best, I'm begging you, please don't fire me..."
[Why is it so impossible to get through to her?!]
Lu Chengwen hadn't expected this matter to be so tricky.
At that moment, Xu Xuejiao pushed the door open, while Zhao Gang flashed an awkward expression from the doorway, signaling that he hadn't been able to stop her.
Lu Chengwen and Xu Xuejiao locked eyes.
Seeing this scene, Xu Xuejiao's face instantly went cold.
Sure enough, a dog can't stop eating shit.
Lu Chengwen was at it again, pulling workplace PUAs and bullying pretty female employees right here in the office.
He had actually bullied her to this extent.
"Brother Chengwen, you're in high spirits!"
Though Xu Xuejiao was smiling, beneath that classic sweet smile, blades flashed with a frigid, piercing gleam.
In that instant, an ultimate, strategic idea flashed through Lu Chengwen's brain!
[Come to think of it, perfect timing!]
[I used you to shake off Leng Qingqiu earlier, and now I'll use this Xu Xuejiao to shake off you!]
[Right! Exactly!]
[Ideally, you'll get furious on her behalf, bail her out of here, and take her away. That way, if Long Aotian wants to save her, he'll have to come looking for you, and my legs will be saved!]
Both girls were completely bewildered.
What the hell?!
Xu Xuejiao frowned deeply: What kind of messy thoughts is this jerk cooking up in his head?
Was he deliberately flirting with me on the phone earlier just because Leng Qingqiu was sitting right next to him?
Didn't he always chase after Leng Qingqiu? Didn't they plan to hold an engagement ceremony next month?
Why is he trying to use me to "shake off" Leng Qingqiu?
And now he wants to use this female secretary to "shake off" me?!
Xu Xuejiao felt as though the mysteries inside Lu Chengwen's head were only multiplying.
Jiang Shihhan was equally dazed.
Being able to hear her boss's inner monologue made her feel both creeped out and terrified.
Yet she couldn't wrap her head around it: he... actually wants to help me?
Why on earth would he?
Lu Chengwen took a deep breath, feeling quite pleased with himself.
[Lu Chengwen, it's time to test your acting skills. If you nail this performance today, you can handle two women at once and have Xu Xuejiao take Jiang Shihhan away with her.]
[Not only do I need to nail the acting, but I also have to secure a monthly salary of at least one hundred thousand for Jiang Shihhan so her mother can afford her medicine and treatments.]
[Next, let me show you all how a true, wicked villain is supposed to act!]
Having made up his mind, Lu Chengwen leaned back into his seat like a proud, arrogant lord.
Crossing his legs, he used his high-end Italian Oxford leather shoes to gently hook Jiang Shihhan's chin, tilted his head, and said with a frivolous smirk:
"Women, to me, are nothing more than playthings."