Chapter 8: She’s Not Clean

Li Qingqing couldn’t shake the feeling that his words carried a hidden meaning. Her ears turned red without her even realizing it.

“Qingqing, this is my brother. He graduated with a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from C Country’s Ocean University. He’s my idol! All these years, he’s focused so hard on his studies that he hasn’t even dated once. In a way, he’s pretty pure, too,” Lu Yu said, throwing a mischievous glance at Lu Yan.

After hearing the introduction, Li Qingqing rolled her eyes hard—inwardly.

Pure?

Could anyone be filthier than him?

Still, she hadn’t expected Lu Yan to have such an impressive academic background. Unlike her, who hadn’t even finished college before dropping out…

Putting on a polite fake smile, Li Qingqing complimented,
“Young Master Lu is truly kno—(beast)—wledge—(in a beastly)—able.”

Her lower abdomen was still aching dully…

Lu Yu looked delighted. Right now, his two favorite people were standing in front of him—and by some stroke of fate, they’d ended up in the same room today.

Grinning ear to ear with a harmless puppy-like expression, Lu Yu said,
“Bro, I was just confessing to Qingqing! Come help me out.”

Even though his confession had been interrupted by Lu Yan, Lu Yu didn’t seem upset. Maybe it was because he’d already been rejected several times and had accepted it by now—or maybe he admired his older brother so much that he actually thought his brother could help him win her over.

Lu Yan curled his lips into a cold smirk and said,
“I suggest you find someone else.”

“Huh?”

Lu Yu blinked in confusion, getting a little anxious.

“Why? Bro?”

Lu Yan gave Li Qingqing a slow, sweeping look from head to toe.

Then he spoke in a cool, detached voice,
“Because she’s not clean.”

Li Qingqing: “???”

He just called her not clean?

Isn’t he the reason she’s not clean anymore??

He slept with her—and now she’s not clean? Then what does that make him? A pile of filth?

…

“What do you mean, bro? I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Lu Yu looked utterly lost, his wide-eyed innocence brimming with the cluelessness of a typical college boy.

“You don’t need to understand. Just stay away from her,” Lu Yan ordered in a tone that left no room for argument.

“But…” Lu Yu tried to speak again, but was cut off by Li Qingqing.

“Lu Yu, you deserve someone better. We’re not right for each other. Besides, I’m really not in the right place to be in a relationship right now. I hope you can understand.”

Lu Yu froze for a second and fell silent. The bracelet he’d been planning to give her remained tucked in his pocket.

He’d already been rejected several times, but it still stung.

Lu Yu shuffled over to the door, then turned his head and mumbled,
“I just want to be alone for a while. Don’t follow me.”

Li Qingqing felt a wave of guilt. She had never been good at turning people down, and seeing someone hurt because of her always left her feeling remorseful.

Seeing her furrowed brow, Lu Yan sneered,
“What? Can’t bear to let him go?”

Li Qingqing looked up and met his deep, obsidian eyes. Her body trembled slightly.

“What are you saying? I’m not—”

Clutching the hem of her shirt tightly, her expression tense, she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze. Lu Yan’s eyes had this dangerous allure, a power to seduce. The longer he looked at her, the more confused she felt inside.

Not to mention… they were still alone in the same room…

The faint marks he left on her neck last night were still visible. Lu Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he averted his gaze and asked calmly,
“Still short on money?”

Li Qingqing hadn’t expected that question. She lowered her head and replied softly,
“Not at the moment…”

“Then why haven’t you quit? You addicted to being a housemaid or what?” Lu Yan suddenly barked at her with no patience.

“Huh…?”

“Go back to school and study properly.”
The man’s tone was, once again, commanding.

“But… but I still want to earn money,” Li Qingqing said, shrinking her neck like a scolded child.

Lu Yan let out a cold laugh, clearly infuriated. With his arms crossed, he looked down at her from above.
“You don’t want to leave, is that it? You that eager to share a room with me?”

Li Qingqing’s face flushed scarlet. She thought about how he’d barged into her little room the night before, no explanations, no permission.

And then there was the fifty thousand yuan she had returned to him—which he still hadn’t accepted. Right now, Li Qingqing felt like a rabbit trapped in a cage, with nowhere to run.

But the pay here really was good. If she could keep working in this job, she’d be able to save up for Ah Ze’s surgery soon.

Still, living under the same roof with this man long-term was definitely a bad idea.

After some hesitation, Li Qingqing cautiously spoke,
“C-Can you give me some time to think about it? I really need a stable job right now. It means a lot to me.”

Lu Yan softened a little at the look in her pleading eyes.

“Fine. I’ll give you two days. If after two days you still think being a maid is more important than going to school, then forget I ever said anything.”

With that, Lu Yan strode out on his long legs.

After he left, Li Qingqing was still dazed from their conversation.
Did he… actually care whether she stayed in school?

But she didn’t have a choice. A guy like him would never understand someone in her position.

Li Qingqing opened her phone and stared at a photo of Xie Ze. She silently prayed that she could earn enough before his donor heart became available.

—

That night, with Lu Yan out of the house, Li Qingqing finally got a good night’s sleep. But as she stared at the transfer request still pending in their chat, she didn’t know what to do.

Maybe… fifty thousand yuan meant nothing to someone like Lu Yan.

The next day, Lu Yan didn’t come back. Li Qingqing figured he was probably at the company getting familiar with the business.

Whatever. As long as she could earn money while he was gone, that was enough.

On the third day at noon, he still hadn’t shown up. Just as the housekeeper Liang had said, Lu Yan rarely came home. Li Qingqing had made up her mind—she was going to stay here and keep working. Nothing was more important than Ah Ze’s life.

On the fourth day, Lu Yan returned.

He summoned her to the study.

“So? Have you thought it through?”
Lu Yan sat behind a massive desk, his face expressionless as he looked at her.

“I’ve… made up my mind. I want to keep working here. I really need this job. Please, Young Master Lu… show me some mercy,” Li Qingqing said softly, barely audible.

She knew whether she could stay or not depended on nothing more than a word from Lu Yan.

He looked at her face for a long moment. His tone softened a bit.
“You’d rather work as a maid than go back to school?”

Li Qingqing bit her lip, her eyes clouded with the weariness of someone beaten down by life.
“I don’t have a choice… I’m not like people like you…”

“What if I give you a choice?”
Lu Yan was still expressionless.

A choice? What kind of choice could she possibly have?

“If you really want to be a maid, then come work for me. I’ll pay you double what you’re earning now. You don’t even need to work full-time—just cook for me when you have time and focus on your studies the rest of the day. How about that?”

“Double the salary…?”
Li Qingqing was stunned.

Why? Why was something this good happening to her?

“You’re sure? Double the pay? And I don’t need to serve you around the clock?” she asked, still unsure if she should believe him.

“I’m at the company during the day. Who would you be serving?” Lu Yan snapped.

Li Qingqing thought about it—it actually made sense. And if she really could earn double, she’d save up for Ah Ze’s surgery in no time.

“Okay. I agree.”
This was the best option she could hope for.

“But I have one condition,” Lu Yan added, crossing his arms and staring directly at her.

Li Qingqing suddenly had a bad feeling. She knew it couldn’t be that simple.

Her voice trembled as she asked,
“W-What condition?”

Lu Yan parted his thin lips slowly and said,
“Move in with me.”