Chapter 62

Xiao Chen still held a small portion of He Cheng’an’s homeowners in the provincial capital. Some were still under negotiation, while others had fallen through, but they could be developed as potential opportunities.

Xiao Chen switched jobs to Chen Zhiqiang’s firm, and these contacts would definitely be used to help Chen Zhiqiang.

This would enable Chen Zhiqiang to start taking on orders in the provincial capital.

Xiao Chen likely felt that he could not make further progress in his career at He Cheng’an’s company, which was why he had left.

Lu Yun suddenly thought of the original text. It primarily focused on romance and the daily life of the female lead’s family, so it did not delve much into Chen Zhiqiang’s business dealings.

As for the villain He Cheng’an, he would be even less likely to be featured. However, Lu Yun did not expect Chen Zhiqiang to be so despicable.

Noticing Lu Yun’s slightly unhappy expression, He Cheng’an hurried over and hugged him. “There’s no problem; we have the client information here too.”

Lu Yun trusted He Cheng’an. Since He Cheng’an said there was no issue, it would certainly be resolved. However, this meant He Cheng’an’s workload would surely increase significantly compared to before.

He Cheng’an watched as Lu Yun supported him because of the matter with Chen Zhiqiang, a smile lighting up his eyes and corners of his mouth.

—o—o—o—

Sister Sun came to the provincial capital to buy New Year clothes for her child and invited Lu Yun to join her. Sister Sun had not often gone to the provincial capital before, and when she needed to buy something, she would ask Lu Yun for help. Now that Lu Yun was in the provincial capital, she frequently visited and arranged to go shopping with him.

During this visit, Sister Sun shared a piece of gossip with Lu Yun: “Chen Zhiqiang and Li Chunxia have divorced!”

Upon hearing Chen Zhiqiang’s name, Lu Yun frowned slightly and pondered. With Li Chunxia’s divorce, did that mean the female lead would make her appearance now?

Lu Yun asked, “What happened? Why did they get divorced?”

Sister Sun replied, “Why did they divorce? Isn’t it because of the nightclub? I heard Li Chunxia went to the nightclub to find Chen Zhiqiang several times. The Chen family was in chaos because of it, and later, for some reason, they agreed to the divorce. But she demanded a hefty amount for marital support and child support. With that, Li Chunxia should be able to get by in the future.”

Lu Yun did not expect that this was the reason.

Chen Zhiqiang frequently went to the nightclub, and he wondered whether it was because of an affair or if he was simply discussing business there, which Li Chunxia disliked.

Lu Yun leaned towards the former. Li Chunxia had always been a very clear-headed person. She knew what she wanted and would find ways to achieve it.

Now that Chen Zhiqiang was in business, even if he was doing renovations in the county, he was undoubtedly earning more than he had when he worked at the Cotton Textile Factory.

So, it seemed unlikely that Li Chunxia would choose to divorce, especially since they had a child together.

However, Lu Yun did not expect that, despite being married to him, Chen Zhiqiang would frequently go to the nightclub. In the novel, Chen Zhiqiang’s character was one who disliked going to the nightclub for business.

After Sister Sun shared this information, Lu Yun reflected on it and then told Sister Sun about Chen Zhiqiang and the previous employee, Xiao Chen, who had worked under He Cheng’an.

Sister Sun was momentarily stunned by this revelation, not anticipating that Chen Zhiqiang would behave in such a manner.

Sister Sun exclaimed, “How can Chen Zhiqiang do this!”

Lu Yun nodded in agreement. “Yes, because of this situation, Cheng’an has been particularly busy lately, basically spending all his time at the building materials market or negotiating prices in the store. He finally managed to sign contracts with a few clients, or else it would have all gone to Chen Zhiqiang. Also, that Xiao Chen was taught by Cheng’an.”

Initially, Lu Yun had not intended to discuss Xiao Chen’s job change, but she thought it better to tell Sister Sun directly rather than let rumors circulate later.

This way, she could take control of the narrative.

—o—o—o—

In the afternoon, Lu Yun continued shopping with Sister Sun for a while. Sister Sun bought New Year clothes for her child and their family, and Lu Yun also purchased some items.

The two of them had plenty to talk about, from Lu Yun’s experiences in the provincial capital to stories about the Cotton Textile Factory and matters in the county.

Additionally, Sister Sun informed Lu Yun that her mother-in-law had recently decided to return to her younger son’s home in the countryside because she felt life was uncomfortable. Sister Sun explained that since her son was about to start elementary school, they needed to save money everywhere.

As a result, they had reduced their mother-in-law’s living expenses by half. Even so, that was more than enough to live on in the countryside, but it was unlikely that her mother-in-law would be able to supplement her younger son’s income anymore.

Sister Sun said, “I don’t know if her younger son will be willing.” After saying this, she asked, “When are you all going back to the county for the New Year?”

Lu Yun replied, “It’s been a bit busy lately. It’ll be the twenty-eighth before we know it.”

Sister Sun nodded. “Alright, when you return to the provincial capital, we should all get together. Xiao Sun from our office has mentioned you several times.”

When Lu Yun got home, He Cheng’an was already there. He stepped forward to help Lu Yun take off her scarf, and as she changed her shoes, he brought over her cotton slippers.

After Lu Yun took off her coat, she hugged He Cheng’an and leaned her head on his shoulder, saying that she was tired. He Cheng’an carried her back while also fetching the pajamas she wanted to change into.

Lu Yun said, “In a bit, you should try on the clothes I bought for you to see if they fit.”

He Cheng’an gazed at her and then kissed her cheek. “Okay, I’ll go try them on right now.”

The clothes Lu Yun had bought for He Cheng’an fit particularly well. Additionally, the clothes she bought for herself were also nice, looking very fashionable by today’s standards.

He Cheng’an’s style was more subdued, but they had several matching items. Ever since Lu Yun had bought a duck down jacket for herself and worn couple outfits with He Cheng’an, he had developed a fondness for wearing couple’s clothing or using matching items.

Now, Lu Yun had keychains, slippers, toothbrushes, and even belts that were all the same style as He Cheng’an’s.

Lu Yun asked, “What’s going on with Xiao Chen?”

He Cheng’an responded, “It’s almost settled. I didn’t give them much of a discount, but I promised to help them negotiate for the lowest price at the furniture factory. I won’t be making a profit on the items from the furniture market.”

—o—o—o—

On the twenty-eighth day of the lunar calendar, Lu Yun and He Cheng’an returned home together. The Lu family had not yet moved into their two-bedroom apartment and was still living in the courtyard house.

When He Cheng’an drove their small car back, it quickly became the most eye-catching vehicle in the alley.

Having a car made things much more convenient. Lu Yun and He Cheng’an brought a lot of items back, avoiding the hassle that came with taking public transport.

Zhang Meili and Lu Dong were busy cooking when they heard someone from the courtyard running over to say that their son-in-law had returned in a car. Zhang Meili and Lu Dong exchanged a glance and hurried outside.

Zhang Meili looked at the New Year goods that He Cheng’an had brought back and noted that he had bought even more than they had.

Lu Dong was still admiring the small car when He Cheng’an opened the door and invited him to sit inside. The family lingered outside for a while before heading back in.

That evening, Zhang Meili told Lu Yun in private that Lu Xiang’an would be bringing his partner over for the Spring Festival, and then both families would discuss the wedding. She did not share this information with He Cheng’an.

Zhang Meili continued, “We had thought that the bride price and dowry should be fair and equal for you and Xiang’an. But since you got married, Cheng’an has been giving us a red envelope periodically, and when you add those up, it totals over ten thousand yuan. On top of that, there’s also the profit from your shop.”

Lu Yun smiled as she ate some fruit. “We’re all family, so why make things so clear-cut? Is the bride price really high over there? If so, you don’t need to worry about my side. Besides, when I got married, we didn’t have those conditions either.”

Zhang Meili patted Lu Yun’s hand. “Don’t worry, we definitely won’t shortchange you. How could we give more to your Eldest Brother and less to you? That absolutely won’t do.”

Lu Yun quickly replied, “I know that in your hearts, I’m the same as Eldest Brother, and that’s enough for me. As for any perceived unfairness, you don’t need to worry about Cheng’an; he’ll be fine. Just let Eldest Brother settle down and get married. By the way… what is his partner like?”

Zhang Meili said, “She looks quite nice and seems to know how to act cute, but to put it bluntly, she can be a bit… shallow and pretentious. She tends to judge people based on their status. But she’s been tolerable with us, at least on the surface. I used to think about not letting your Eldest Brother get together with her, which is why I never allowed him to bring her home. However, your Eldest Brother really likes her…whatever. You should go to bed early.”

Since Lu Xiang’an was bringing his partner home, Lu Yun planned to get along well with her, at least on the surface, so as not to make things difficult for Lu Xiang’an. She told He Cheng’an about this when she returned home.

Initially, Lu Yun had intended to give a red envelope of one thousand yuan, but He Cheng’an insisted on wrapping two thousand.

He Cheng’an said, “Your Eldest Brother will have a better life going forward, but you don’t need to worry. Just think about it—since she can be a bit judgmental but still wants to marry your Eldest Brother, it must be because she likes him. Don’t you think? She’s willing to maintain a harmonious facade with us, and you can be sure that she’s doing it for your Eldest Brother.”

Hearing what He Cheng’an said, Lu Yun felt as if a cloud had been lifted, and her mood improved instantly. If that was the case, everyone’s life could continue as before.

As for the two-thousand-yuan red envelope, it was likely much more than what Zhang Meili and the others would give, but Lu Yun felt it was acceptable because it would signal to Lu Xiang’an’s partner that they would support him.

He Cheng’an shared the same sentiment; otherwise, he wouldn’t have given a two thousand yuan red envelope so readily. Lu Xiang’an’s bride price wouldn’t even reach that amount.

Afterward, Lu Yun leaned over and gave He Cheng’an a kiss, and the two of them ended up playing around for a long time before finally resting.