A gigolo? The dignified CEO of the Lu Corporation is being treated like a gigolo? And for two thousand yuan a night! Lu Yanting is about to explode with rage.

He wanted to curse, but when he met the girl's innocent and clear eyes, he calmed himself down. Fine, if she wanted to talk about the market, then let's have a proper discussion.

Lu Yanting took a deep breath and slowly stood up. "Take another good look. A figure like mine, two thousand yuan a night?"

The girl pursed her lips, seemingly deep in thought, "Then, how much will you say?"

Lu Yanting held up three fingers, "Thirty thousand!"

Lu Yanting felt that he was a little crazy for actually negotiating the price of staying overnight with a woman.

Qiu Mang's eyes widened. Thirty thousand? Are male prostitutes really that expensive these days? No wonder I've only ever heard of rich women hiring male prostitutes. It seems this is something only the wealthy can afford.

Qiu Mang pursed her lips, somewhat embarrassed. "Sir, thirty thousand plus five thousand equals thirty-five thousand, but I only have five thousand. Can I give you five thousand first, and pay you back the rest later?"

Fearing the man might refuse, she added, "If you're worried, I can give you an IOU."

Lu Yanting only wanted to scare her, so he quickly waved his hand, "No need, I believe you. Give me your phone number and WeChat, and contact me when you have money!"

"Oh." Qiu Mang quickly took out her phone, and the two exchanged phone numbers and WeChat contacts.

Forty minutes later, Qiu Mang walked out of the room and did not see Zhao Gang in the corridor. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Qiu Mang walked to the bus station and took a one-hour bus ride home.

When she arrived at her doorstep, she was filled with anxiety. Her hand trembled slightly as she gripped the doorknob. She didn't know if Zhao Gang had told her family. If he had, her mother would definitely not let her off the hook.

"Why are you back so soon? Didn't I tell you and Zhao Gang to stroll around town today?" Suddenly, Qiu's mother's voice came from behind, her tone not harsh, but rather somewhat gentle.

Qiu Mang turned around, feeling a little guilty, "Mom."

"Alright, come back if you want! You'll have plenty of time later anyway. Besides, there's a ton of work to do at home right now, so your return can help me out." Mrs. Qiu opened the door and went inside.

Upon entering, there is a courtyard. The area connecting the courtyard to the main house is paved with cement, and there is a well on the cement ground, with some seasonal vegetables planted around the well.

Under the eaves, a man dressed in gray pajamas sat in a recliner, sunbathing, holding a game console in his hands, from which game sound effects could be heard from time to time.

Seeing Qiu Mang return, the man didn't even look up, his hands still frantically manipulating the game console, and casually asked, "Ah Mang's back!"

"Brother." Qiu Mang looked at the man and smiled.

Pointing to some vegetables placed beside the well, Qiu's mother looked at Qiu Mang and said, "We'll have guests coming over at noon. I was going to ask your sister to come back and help me cook, but since you're back, you can cook lunch! Make it a feast. Go to the backyard and catch two chickens, and go upstairs and get two pounds of cured pork. Make sure it's cooked to perfection in color, aroma, and taste!"

As Qiu's mother spoke, a bright smile appeared on her face.

Qiu Mang was puzzled, wondering who the guest who came at noon was that would make her mother take it so seriously. Could it be Zhao Gang, who was giving a dowry of 500,000 yuan?

Thinking of this, Qiu Mang's heart clenched instantly.

"Third Sister, are you going to cook? I'll help you wash the vegetables!" A childish voice came from behind.

Qiu Mang turned around and saw a three-year-old girl running towards him with a smile.

Qiu Mang hugged her tightly. "No need, Qiu Li, the water is too cold. You can just sit here with me!"

"No, I want to help my sister with chores! I'm all grown up now, I can help you!" The little girl pouted, looking very cute.

"Okay, then please wash these two cabbages for me!"

Qiu Mang had no choice but to give her two small bok choy leaves, about the size of a finger, and put them in a small basin. She poured in some water and, worried that she might get cold, brought a kettle from the house to make warm water for her.

After finishing all that, she started washing the vegetables. The well water wasn't too cold, but it was still the dead of winter, and her hands would turn very red after being soaked in the cold water for a long time.

Just then, a car horn sounded outside the door, and Qiu Mang's heart jumped into his throat. Could they have arrived so soon?

Qiu's mother came out of the house, opened the courtyard gate and went outside. She was talking to someone outside, and bursts of laughter came from her, just like the scene of having dinner with Zhao Gang and his son last night. It seems that it really is Zhao Gang.

Qiu Mang's heart tightened, and she wanted to find a place to hide as soon as possible, but it was too late. As the courtyard gate was pushed open, Qiu's mother walked in with three men.

She looked over but didn't see the chubby figure. Thank goodness, Zhao Gang hadn't come. Qiu Mang patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

The mother and the village chief walked ahead, bowing slightly and showing respect.

Behind them were two tall, imposing figures, seemingly engaged in conversation. She recognized one of the men; he was Lü Chen, the son of Lü's Steel Company, a frequent topic of local news. As for the other…

She knows her too!

A ray of sunlight shone down, illuminating the man's sharply defined profile, adding a golden edge to his already striking features and softening his otherwise cold and stern demeanor.

Qiu Mang was stunned. She wasn't someone who judged people by their appearance, but when she first saw the man last night, she had to admit that he was perfect in both looks and physique.

But why did this man follow her home? Was he stalking her?

Are they here to collect a debt? Just for the remaining 30,000 yuan? Didn't he say he wasn't in a hurry? Did he change his mind?

"Sister-in-law, this is Lu Chen, the son of the chairman of Lu's Steel Company in our city. This Mr. Lu next to him is his friend. He's from Guangcheng and is also young and promising. You must take good care of them for me! They heard that our village is famous for its tangerines, so they came to see and experience picking them. The New Year is just around the corner, and I see that everyone else has finished picking, but your family still has some left, so I'm entrusting this task to you! You must take good care of these two!" The village chief's slightly weathered voice came from behind.

"Village chief, don't worry! I will definitely take good care of our two distinguished guests!" Qiu's mother said with a smile.

Qiu Mang's gaze remained fixed on Lu Yanting, memories of last night flooding back, and the girl's ears flushed slightly.

Lu Yanting seemed to sense something and turned to look at them. Their eyes met in mid-air, and both of them were stunned.

Seeing Lu Yanting look over, Qiu's mother immediately introduced, "Mr. Lu, Mr. Lü, this is my daughter, Qiu Mang, and the younger one is also my daughter, Qiu Li."

Lu Chen chuckled, "Your family must grow fruit, mangoes and pears."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yanting slightly twitched the corners of his mouth. So, her name was Qiu Mang. That's quite a unique name.

Mrs. Qiu smiled apologetically, "We're from the countryside, not very educated, so we're quite casual about choosing names. Please excuse us."

Lu Chen glanced at the man playing the game again, and Qiu's mother quickly explained, "Oh, that's my son, Qiu Hongwei."

After the village chief brought the man over and gave him a few instructions, he left. Qiu's mother looked at the two distinguished men in front of her, her smile never fading.

“Mr. Lü, Mr. Lu, it’s still early. I’ll take you to pick some fruit first. My daughter will have the dishes ready when we come back at noon. You can try our farm-style food then, how about that?” Mrs. Qiu asked.

Lu Chen glanced at Lu Yanting, "Yanting, what do you think?"