Chapter 62 Extra 2 (Additional update 1)

"Ding-dong—"

It was the doorbell ringing. Ling Wei put down the phone and opened the door with a disgruntled look: "What is it now!"

Don't blame her for her sour face; she had just gotten home and this person had already knocked on the door twice.

The first time, he pitifully said he had just moved and there was no salt at home; the second time, he said he discovered he was out of soy sauce.

There's nothing here, what are we eating at home?!

Damn it, she only rented this place at a high price because she valued its extreme privacy. After all, the new drama starring the actors under her studio was about to be released and became a hit, so they had to be discreet when they came to her place.

The entire community is equipped with top-notch security: the entrance is guarded 24 hours a day by retired special forces soldiers, the unit doors require dual verification of card swiping and facial recognition, and the elevators require swiping the corresponding floor card to reach the designated floor.

It truly achieves one elevator per household, and even the corridor surveillance cameras have been modified to prevent secret filming, perfectly eliminating paparazzi.

And what happened? This guy bought the apartment above hers, and taking advantage of the fact that the fire escape stairs were connected and there were no security cameras, he came over so frequently in just an hour and a half!

"What do you need to borrow this time?" Ling Wei asked, arms crossed. "Should I lend you the whole kitchen?"

Lu Zhao's eyes lit up, and his thin lips parted slightly as if he really wanted to take advantage of the situation. Ling Wei quickly raised her hand to stop him: "Don't even think about it! Just get to the point, what exactly do you want—"

Before the words were finished, an enticing aroma suddenly wafted into the nostrils.

That was the aroma of Cantonese sausage simmering in a clay pot, mixed with the rich flavor of shiitake mushrooms and the caramel aroma of the sauce; every flavor was wildly stimulating her taste buds.

Lu Zhao raised the clay pot in his hand at the opportune moment, a sly glint in his eyes: "Thanks for our neighbor's previous generosity, but we have nothing to thank them for. This is freshly cooked clay pot rice..."

Ling Wei swallowed hard, her brain and stomach starting to fight each other. Her brain was winning for now, seemingly determined to resist: "No need, I can do it myself."

Lu Zhao lifted the lid.

The stomach delivered a powerful "Lushan Rising Dragon Strike" that knocked the brain unconscious and took control of the body.

Ling Wei resignedly reached out and took the heavy clay pot, but then paused: "You've given me the pot, what are you going to eat?"

“Let’s make… oh no,” Lu Zhao stammered, “we have another pot…”

At this moment, the system secretly discovered the situation and returned to report: "Your Majesty, he is lying! Lu Yan just finished cooking, and Lu Zhao brought it over. There are no pots left upstairs now."

Ling Wei: "...Wait."

She carried the pot into the house, deftly ladled the rice into her own bowl, and then shoved the pot back into Lu Zhao's hands.

Lu Zhao seemed to want to refuse, but Ling Wei glared at him: "How many days do I have to eat this by myself? Wasting food is shameful!"

He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding; he who takes another's money is obligated to do his bidding.

Ling Wei asked impatiently, "So what exactly do you want to borrow?"

Lu Zhao's eyes lit up, and he instantly became radiant: "Wait for me! I'll take the pot upstairs first, then come down to get it right away!"

When he came down again, Ling Wei didn't bother to check what he had borrowed. Anyway, she was used to stocking up on things, and she never lacked seasonings, rice, or oil.

Her entire attention was occupied by that bowl of divine claypot rice. When Ling Wei finished eating and went into the kitchen to wash the dishes, her eyes swept around and she froze instantly.

!!

A thief broke into the house?!

Where's her wok? Where's her rice cooker?!

Ling Wei gritted her teeth and dialed the phone: "Lu Zhao! Don't go too far! I can forgive the seasonings, but can you call this borrowing appliances?!"

On the other end of the phone, Lu Zhao's voice sounded a little aggrieved: "The only pot in the house... is that one from earlier."

The main problem is that he doesn't have much experience. Of all the things he bought online, not many are actually useful. Only his brother, Lu Yan, that genius, can operate at the limit and make delicious and visually appealing meals with the limited equipment he has.

Ling Wei: "You took all the pots away, what am I supposed to eat now?!"

Lu Zhao immediately replied, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible expectation: "My brother... no, I'll make it for you!"

"No need!" Ling Wei said decisively. "Give the pot back!"

Don't think she doesn't know what she's up to; she dares to show off her petty tricks before an expert! Dawei...

After hanging up the phone, Lu Zhao pouted at Lu Yan beside him and said, "She doesn't seem to fall for that."

Meanwhile, downstairs, Ling Wei was crossing her arms and shaking her leg, saying, "Just this little trick of yours... you think I can't see through it?"

However, to be honest, this feeling of being painstakingly and persistently flattered...

Wow, that feels pretty good.

Oh dear, her mind wandered off, Ling Wei quickly called her to stop.

No, no, the movie hasn't been filmed yet, I need to focus on my career.

Su Yuqing's secrets are in her hands, so she can't cause any more trouble. There's no need for her to get involved with those two brothers anymore.

"If I keep leaving early and coming home late, and we never run into each other, things will naturally get better," she told herself.

However, the truth came back to haunt them very quickly.

That afternoon, Ling Wei was in the studio's conference room, discussing the storyboard for their first film, "Fengming Chaoge," with her team, their front panel covered with concept design drawings.

The system suddenly yelled, startling Ling Wei so much that her hand trembled, and she drew a long line on the script she was annotating.

"Weiwei! There's something going on with Su Yuqing!"

"What's going on?" Ling Wei's heart skipped a beat.

"Logically speaking, after we caught her profiteering from the war and gave her a warning, we should have taken away most of her luck, and she should have been behaving herself," the system explained. "But I've gotten into a habit, and I keep glancing at her whenever I have free time, always thinking about whether I can squeeze some more out of her..."

And when they scanned it, they actually found a problem.

The system continued its report, its tone brimming with the excitement of having stumbled upon some juicy gossip: "Guess what? I saw her secretly filling a small bottle with medicine. The way she was acting so furtively, it was obvious she wasn't up to any good!"

"Drugned?" Ling Wei was taken aback. "For whom?"

Countless melodramatic scenarios flashed through her mind in an instant, and the most likely answer surfaced in her mind: "Could it be... the standard CEO trope, and the target is Lu Yan?"

System: "Most likely! I saw her put the bottle into her evening clutch. I checked her schedule, and she's attending that charity gala tonight. Lu Yan is also on the invitee list."

Ling Wei: "......"

She suddenly looked out the window; dusk was falling, and a lingering orange hue remained on the horizon.

"The party...it's tonight?!"

"Yes, in two hours."

Ling Wei suddenly stood up, her movement so abrupt that she almost knocked over the teacup on the table, startling everyone in the meeting.

"Director Ling?"

"That's all for today's meeting!" Ling Wei spoke quickly, grabbing her coat and handbag. "I suddenly have something very urgent that I need to deal with right away!"

Before anyone could react, she rushed out of the conference room like a gust of wind.