Shang Xinglu was truly wronged.

How could she know that Shen Wang’s old nickname was “Wangcai” (Wealth)? She had just blurted it out earlier.

Isn’t it a basic thing to name a dog something like “Xiaobai” (Little White), “Wangcai,” or “Ah Huang” (Yellow)? It’s a classic choice, really.

But technically, since she and Shen Wang had been exes, she should have known his nickname.

In that case, naming the dog she picked up “Wangcai”…

Oh, I’m really a doomed “Lu”!

Shang Xinglu quickly said, “Lord Lin, I’m innocent! It’s because I completely forgot about Shen Wang, so when I named Wangcai, it was just a slip-up.”

Lin Heng kissed her.

He said, “Nonsense.”

Shang Xinglu: “No, I’m telling the truth…”

Then she was kissed again.

Lin Heng, with a smile, said, “No more arguing.”

At this point, Shang Xinglu didn’t argue but instead pouted.

She said, “I see now, you just want to kiss me.”

Finding so many reasons, and even “arguing”—really, he’s so secretly flirty!

Lin Heng chuckled, finally sitting back down and fastening his seatbelt.

However, that night when they got home, Shang Xinglu still got “punished.”

Her private training didn’t turn her into a “revenge” version of herself; it just helped her keep fighting for a while…

Sitting in the office, why did that certain someone have all these muscles?

Shang Xinglu felt really dissatisfied.

And the reason? Even more frustrating!

But in the end, after being tortured to the point of tears, Shang Xinglu finally reflected on herself.

After thinking it through… she could only blame herself.

Why did she act out? Why pretend to break up?

Why did she have to bump into her ex?

Today, Shang Xinglu was yet another “exploited” Lu.

Shang Xinglu thought that the next morning, she would surely not be able to get up.

But to her surprise, after months of training herself, the ex-lady turned housewife Lu managed to get up, thanks to her biological clock.

Shang Xinglu couldn’t believe it. She clenched her fist and said to Lin Heng, “Can you feel my growth?”

The potential of a woman who takes on family responsibilities is truly unlimited!

Lin Heng’s gaze moved from her face down… down… finally landing on the chest area of her silk sleep dress.

Thanks to someone’s habits of not dressing properly, one of the shoulder straps had slipped off, exposing most of her full, fair chest.

Lin Heng thought for a moment, then seriously said, “Hmm, there’s growth.”

Shang Xinglu quickly looked down at herself.

Her face turned bright red!

This!!! Rogue!!!

…

After more than a month of preparation, the direction for Bichen’s cosmetics was finally decided.

After Bichen revamped its packaging, the primary consumer group became young women.

The price wasn’t high, but the quality was high-end, and as Bichen gained massive attention, its reputation also skyrocketed.

In terms of cosmetics, the same feature would continue.

Although a high-end route had once been in their plans, after careful consideration, Bichen, with its current strength, found it difficult to compete with already established international brands at the top level.

Bichen’s cosmetics wanted to build a professional and well-known brand by offering convenient purchasing channels and affordable prices.

After expanding recruitment, they brought in some professionals.

One of them was introduced by Ye Gong’s wife, and by coincidence, her classmate had worked in R&D for an international cosmetics brand.

Another was a recruit Shang Xinglu personally brought in.

Shang Xinglu, after all, had many friends and networks.

Talent is the most difficult thing to find.

Moreover, both she and Yin Yao believed in letting professionals do professional work.

With substantial financial investment and respect, there was no worry about not being able to recruit the right people.

They started, of course, by finding a contract factory.

The first batch of products was finalized, including five color options for a four-shade eyeshadow palette, a series of matte lip glosses in collaboration with a famous manga, a blush and highlighter palette, and a loose powder compact.

The main colors were suited for summer, as the products would launch in spring and summer.

After repeated testing and sample revisions, the samples were finally successfully produced.

The main lip gloss color was something Shang Xinglu had been using lately, keeping it in her bag.

Although she was just a test subject, now that she had become a lady, there were plenty of occasions to wear makeup.

Shang Xinglu was quite satisfied with the final effect of the products and even gave the samples to her fellow lady friends to try. The feedback was all positive.

Once the products were confirmed, it was time for the packaging.

Since the last annual meeting when they invited Xiao Wu’s idol, Xiao Wu has been full of energy, as if she had been injected with adrenaline, and her work enthusiasm skyrocketed.

She had always been a rising star in design, having won awards in the country at a young age. To be honest, when she first arrived, she had a bit of an arrogant attitude.

But now, where did that arrogance go?

Oh no, it should be a different kind of arrogance.

While designing, Xiao Wu murmured to herself, “If they could invite my idol to the annual meeting, what if the company asks my idol to endorse the brand? These days, there are so many male idols endorsing cosmetics! Imagine him holding my design in front of the camera… Oh my gosh! That’s basically like marrying him, right? I can’t let my idol lose face!!!”

The power of idols is truly formidable, and the results were pleasing.

The internal voting at the company passed unanimously.

When the designs were sent out for market research, the feedback was almost flawless, with very little to change.

With the help of Yin Yao’s connections, the contract factory was found quickly, and production began.

With the product finalized, Shang Xinglu and Yin Yao still had one big issue to handle.

Previously, Bichen’s reputation had exploded online, but skincare products require a certain period for results to show.

After that period, Bichen finally built up real credibility and had its first batch of loyal customers.

The first blogger who started ordering and promoting Bichen’s products online often found the stock sold out.

She added the sales manager of Bichen on WeChat, and they chatted from time to time. She said, “Hey, can you produce more? Don’t you want to make money? I do!!!”

The factory in A city now seemed too small.

The A city factory was located in an economic development zone, where there wasn’t much around, just a lot of land.

Bichen was thinking of purchasing a plot of land nearby, not only to expand their skincare production line but also to reserve space for a future cosmetics factory.

Yin Yao had already picked out the location and paid the deposit, just waiting to sign the formal contract, clear customs for the machinery, and then move everything in.

However, at this moment, the other party called Yin Yao and said that Bichen’s machinery violated the contract specifications and would cause fire hazards, so the factory could not be rented.

To make matters worse, after calculating everything, it turned out that Bichen didn’t meet the regulations, so only half of the deposit could be refunded.

The deposit wasn’t a big deal, but the expensive machinery had already arrived—where could it be installed?

It was truly frustrating.

Moreover, Bichen’s old factory was right next to this land. How could it meet the fire safety requirements on the left side but not on the right?

Since this issue arose just before signing, Shang Xinglu suspected that someone was sabotaging them.

After checking, it turned out that the land had recently changed ownership. The new owner was Kaihua International, which intended to move its processing factory there.

In other words, the land had been bought by Ye Songtao.

To rent the land, they would need to go through Ye Songtao, with whom Yin Yao had just had a conflict.

Shang Xinglu: “Ugh! I might puke up my dinner from last night!”

Yin Yao could only helplessly agree.

At the same time, she apologized, saying, “I’m sorry for causing trouble for the company because of my personal matters.”

Shang Xinglu, however, wasn’t bothered. She said, “It’s fine, there are plenty of places to rent, don’t worry.”

But actually, Yin Yao really wanted to rent that piece of land next to their old factory.

It had employee dormitories nearby, so if they built a new factory and dormitories, it would be an extra cost, which wasn’t worth it.

As Shang Xinglu and the team received the news that they couldn’t rent the land, Ye Songtao received the news that everything was settled.

Ye Songtao was on the golf course at the time, playing with his business partners.

Some brought their female companions, while others didn’t.

However, Ye Songtao was known for always bringing a lady, and everyone knew that.

Someone asked, “Mr. Ye, have you switched to eating simple meals lately?”

The “simple meal” comment was a veiled reference.

Ye Songtao had previously been interested in Yin Yao, thinking he was sure to win her over.

In matters of romance, he hadn’t faced much failure. Most women he pursued eventually gave in. There were a few hard-to-get ones, but with a few tricks, it was nothing to worry about.

Before targeting Yin Yao, he had already made comments about it, and everyone knew.

They thought that well-mannered women from good families couldn’t compare to women from the outside. Beautiful as they were, they were too reserved and delicate, which earned them the label of “simple meals.”

This comment was meant as a compliment, but Ye Songtao sneered, clearly unimpressed.

Someone then asked, “Why isn’t Miss Yin here today?”

Ye Songtao replied, “Just a little thing, she’s throwing a tantrum with me.”

He said this, but in his heart, he knew Yin Yao would definitely reject him, which made him feel even more malicious.

They joked for a while longer.

Amidst the conversation, a car arrived from a distance, and a tall figure wearing a hat got out, accompanied by a caddie carrying his golf gear.

The tall figure didn’t approach immediately, keeping his hat on, so his face was not visible.

He quietly listened for a while.

Then he suddenly became angry.

Shen Wang lifted his hat and disdainfully said, “Enough already. You’re just fantasizing like a loser, asking someone out ten times and not even getting two replies. And when you finally do, you’re forcing people to hold your hand. Mr. Ye, you’re supposed to be a ‘Mr.’, don’t go around ruining a young lady’s reputation with your sharp tongue.”

Ye Songtao’s head hurt.

How did Shen Wang show up again? Who invited him?!

His eyelids kept twitching, and he found himself helpless against Shen Wang’s constant interference.

“You’re just an outsider, what do you know?” Ye Songtao said. “What you heard in the restaurant doesn’t mean anything. She’s just throwing a tantrum with me.”

Whether true or false, Ye Songtao just wanted to talk, because once a woman’s reputation is ruined, it’s hard to explain with words.

Shen Wang knew exactly what Ye Songtao was up to and also knew that Ye Songtao not only played with women but also used underhanded tactics.

Shen Wang was furious.

But suddenly, his mind calmed down.

He smiled faintly, eyes narrowed as he looked at Ye Songtao.

Shen Wang said, “I just think it’s really funny, the way you fantasize about my girlfriend.”