Chapter 33 [33]
spare tire
"Lu Mingxiao is truly insidious; he actually brought up the endorsement fee to force me to go against my own will."
"Do I look like I'm short of money? This is an insult and contempt for my character."
When his carefully laid plan was exposed, Li Heng immediately told Luo Qingyue.
At that moment, Luo Qingyue and her colleagues were finishing up at the stadium when she opened the voice message sent by Li Heng and brought the phone to her ear.
After a brief moment of disbelief, she calmed down; there was really no need for any surprise at all.
It's incredibly difficult to hide anything from a man with top-tier intelligence and eyes like a microscope.
However, let's look at it from another angle.
Lu Mingxiao knew they were putting on an act, yet he still willingly joined in.
He didn't get angry or embarrassed, and instead cooperated perfectly, which was a form of indulgence towards her.
With Xu Jie by her side, Luo Qingyue chose to reply to Li Heng in writing.
【Crescent Moon】: As the world's greatest race car driver, I believe you would never bow down to money, right?
Li Heng sent a smiling emoji, and Luo Qingyue understood, a slight smile appearing on her lips.
【Crescent Moon】: Take it. As my ally, this is what you deserve.
The voice message popped up again, and Li Heng's sobbing could be heard.
"When I'm not around anymore, remember to be careful. Don't end up being betrayed by Lu Mingxiao and then having to help him instead—"
After a two-second silence on the other end of the line, Li Heng wailed, "Damn it, Lu Mingxiao, why are you choking me? Isn't what I said true? Let go of me right now! Or I'll scream for help!"
Lu Mingxiao and Li Heng gave a joint interview to the media, and judging from the situation, it should be over by now.
Luo Qingyue was laughing heartily and was about to reply to Li Heng when she suddenly felt dizzy and unsteady on her feet. Fortunately, Xu Jie reacted quickly and supported her.
"Qingyue, are you alright? You don't look well."
With two large events in a row, Luo Qingyue has been extremely busy lately.
As the project leader, she had to oversee many things, and she simply didn't have time to rest properly.
At this moment, I feel relaxed mentally, but my body doesn't send the same signal; instead, I feel even more tired.
With each step, it felt like my feet were weighed down by jacks, I couldn't exert any strength, and my head was spinning.
Luo Qingyue was helped to sit down in a chair in the live broadcast room by Xu Jie.
Li Heng sent a new message: "Lu Mingxiao said he'd treat me to dinner. I've decided to squeeze him dry to make up for my emotional distress. Tell me which restaurant in Dongchuan is the most expensive. If I don't empty his pockets, I'm not Li Heng."
Immediately afterward, news of Lu Mingxiao arrived.
[Lu Mingxiao]: Li Heng's choice is not important; what matters is what you want to eat.
"Luo Qingyue, watch me win this round for you."
The resolute voice echoed in her ears, and Luo Qingyue's heart felt as light as if it were being brushed by a feather.
Lu Mingxiao did it, kept his promise, and won the victory.
She wanted to celebrate for him and also reassure Li Heng that even if they couldn't be lovers, Li Heng would still be a very, very good friend to her.
"My body should be able to hold out until the end of dinner," Luo Qingyue replied to Lu Mingxiao on her phone.
【Crescent Moon】: Li Heng has already suffered enough, don't bully him.
【The crescent moon】: He has come from afar, and we should do our best to be hospitable hosts.
Lu Mingxiao replied instantly.
[Lu Mingxiao]: Okay, I'll listen to you.
[Lu Mingxiao]: My car is parked in P3, see you later.
Xu Jie poured Luo Qingyue a cup of hot water, which Luo Qingyue accepted and thanked her.
Today is Xu Jie's wedding anniversary with her husband. Xu Jie offered to take her home, but Luo Qingyue declined.
"You should hurry up and go on your date. There's a line of people waiting to take me to the Tao River. I can just pick one and I won't have to worry about not being able to go home."
Her husband was already urging her on WeChat. Xu Jie held Luo Qingyue's hand and said, "When you get home, send me a message. If you really can't hold on, call me to go to the hospital with you. Don't push yourself."
Luo Qingyue agreed and watched Xu Jie walk out of the live broadcast room.
After a short rest, she finally regained some of her strength, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed to the P3 parking lot.
As I stepped out of the elevator that led directly to the parking lot, the headlights of a black SUV flashed.
Looking around, Luo Qingyue saw several unfamiliar faces. She took out a black mask from her bag, pulled her burgundy baseball cap down, and quickly walked over.
Lu Mingxiao got out of the car, opened the passenger door, waited for her to get in, and then returned to the driver's seat.
Sitting in the back seat, Li Heng saw her disguise and exclaimed, "Such strong counter-surveillance awareness!"
"That's right."
Luo Qingyue took off her mask and turned to look at Li Heng, "The two of you have enough influence to shake the entire planet, so I have to be careful."
"Actually, there's no need for that."
After Luo Qingyue fastened her seatbelt, Lu Mingxiao started the car. "Anyone with eyes can see who you have stronger CP chemistry with. It's hard to misunderstand anything."
Li Heng craned his neck and turned to look at Lu Mingxiao: "Why do you sound so rude?"
Lu Mingxiao pressed his head back and said, "Sit still and don't interfere with my driving."
Lu Mingxiao stepped on the gas and drove the car out of the underground parking lot.
His vision was clear and bright, but he could hear Li Heng's accusations against him.
Of course, this was said to Luo Qingyue.
"This person, in front of the camera, pretended to put his arm around my shoulder, creating the illusion of a close relationship."
"In reality, he subjected me to inhuman torture behind my back and demanded that we settle things face to face. I am just a weak man with no power to even kill a chicken. Under his tyranny, I had no choice but to say—Luo Qingyue, let's break up."
This is the final moment to showcase their acting skills.
Luo Qingyue stretched out her arms, reluctantly saying, "Li Heng, don't leave me. Li Heng, am I not the one you love the most? Li Heng, we promised to go to the ends of the earth and be a perfect couple. You actually... you actually broke your promise. My heart aches so much."
At the intersection, Lu Mingxiao stopped the car.
Li Heng reached out his hand, but he immediately pushed it back and looked at Luo Qingyue coldly.
"That's not your line. Choose another one."
A good actor is one who can switch between different emotions with ease.
Luo Qingyue's face darkened, her voice rose, and she pointed a finger at Li Heng: "If we're breaking up, then we're breaking up. Don't let me see you again! The alliance is broken, our friendship is over, may we both be well!"
Perhaps he had used too much of his energy, for as soon as he finished speaking, another wave of dizziness struck him.
Luo Qingyue didn't hear what Li Heng said. Her head was pressed against the car window, and it felt like countless needles were pricking her head. Her body curled up involuntarily.
Lu Mingxiao quickly noticed her unusual behavior and asked her what was wrong.
Luo Qingyue replied weakly, "My head hurts so much, and I feel nauseous and want to throw up."
Lu Mingxiao parked the car on the side of the road and reached out to touch her forehead.
"You have a fever."
Li Heng stretched his neck and leaned forward again: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get her to the hospital right away."
Lu Mingxiao agreed to Li Heng's suggestion and started the car again.
Luo Qingyue reached out and hugged his arm: "I don't want to go to the hospital. I've always been most afraid of going to the hospital since I was a child."
Lu Mingxiao: "But there are many causes of fever, and we need to do tests to determine the specific cause."
Luo Qingyue: "I just haven't been resting well lately, so my resistance is a bit weak. I know my body very well, and taking some medicine should make me fine."
She pleaded, looking utterly pitiful.
Lu Mingxiao softened, his worry evident in his voice: "Then I'll go home with you."
Luo Qingyue nodded and turned to look at Li Heng.
Li Heng knew what he wanted to say and said directly, "Xiaoyue's health is the most important thing, so we'll skip this meal." The next second, he added, "If you take her home, can I go too? I'm quite worried about her."
Lu Mingxiao: "On the way to her house, we'll pass by the hotel where you're staying. I'll drop you off there, and we can contact each other on WeChat if needed."
Knowing this would be the outcome, Li Heng said, "...Oh."
Twenty minutes later, Li Heng got out of the car, and Lu Mingxiao bought fever reducers and a thermometer on his phone.
When they returned to Guanjiangyue, the deliveryman had already brought the food and placed it in the guardhouse.
As usual, Lu Mingxiao parked his car at the north gate.
Luo Qingyue was completely drained of her strength. Lu Mingxiao helped her unbuckle her seatbelt, lifted her out of the passenger seat, and walked towards the guardhouse.
The security guard was scrolling through short videos when he saw someone approaching and immediately became alert.
He recognized Luo Qingyue; she was a very pretty girl who would always greet him with a sweet tongue.
But today, she was visibly unwell, her face was pale, and the person holding her...
Lu Mingxiao picked up the items he had bought and said goodbye to the security guard.
The middle-aged man watched the entire race livestream that afternoon. His exceptionally handsome appearance was already rare, and he stared at the departing figure in utter astonishment: It was... actually President Lu? Had he stumbled upon some incredible secret?
Luo Qingyue had an access card in her bag. Lu Mingxiao took it out and swiped the card to pass through the community gate.
As evening approached, before it was completely dark, Lu Mingxiao strode forward with large, quick steps.
Luo Qingyue was half asleep and half awake when she suddenly realized something, opened her eyes, and pointed forward.
“Unit 1011, Building A, No. 20, is just past the artificial lake.”
Lu Mingxiao swiped his access card to enter the building and elevator, until he stopped in front of Luo Qingyue's house.
He grabbed Luo Qingyue's hand and used her fingerprint to unlock the door. On Saturday, Luo Qingyue had someone clean the house inside and out. Apart from some clothes scattered on the living room sofa, the rest of the house was relatively clean and tidy.
However, Lu Mingxiao had no time to worry about that.
He carried Luo Qingyue into the bedroom, took off her baseball cap and hair tie, and put her on the bed.
Lu Mingxiao helped her take off her shoes, covered her with the blanket, and first took her temperature with a thermometer; it was 38.2 degrees Celsius.
He then took out the fever reducer and went to the kitchen to boil a kettle of water.
He sat on the edge of the bed and blew on the glass for a while to make sure the temperature was right. Then he helped Luo Qingyue sit up, put his arm around her shoulder, and watched her take the medicine.
The pill was a little hard to swallow. Luo Qingyue, her head resting on Lu Mingxiao's chest, was struck by a violent cough.
Lu Mingxiao put down the cup and gently patted her back. After the coughing subsided, he tried to help Luo Qingyue lie down, but she held his hand tightly, their fingers intertwined.
The unique aura of Lu Mingxiao surrounded her, and Luo Qingyue wanted to hold onto it, to let this aura linger a little longer, just a little longer.
Suddenly, the man's gentle voice reached her ears: "Are you feeling unwell? Take a nap, and you'll feel better once the fever goes down."
As if enveloped by the gentleness of the whole world, Luo Qingyue closed her eyes and murmured softly.
"I haven't told you yet, but you look really cool in your racing suit."
Lu Mingxiao retorted, "Does not wearing clothes make you less handsome?"
“Not really.”
Luo Qingyue denied it, saying, "It's not common to see you in a racing suit, so it caught my eye."
Lu Mingxiao: "Since you like it so much, then I'll only wear it for you from now on."
Luo Qingyue hummed in agreement and brought up a new topic: "By the way, I've been working really hard lately."
Lu Mingxiao gently stroked her forehead: "I know, our little Yue'er has worked hard and completed every task exceptionally well."
Luo Qingyue opened her eyes and looked up at him: "Then my promotion should be a sure thing, right?"
"You have a fever and you're still thinking about this."
Lu Mingxiao smiled helplessly, "Your task now is to clear your mind and get some rest."
Luo Qingyue shook her head, wrapped her arms around Lu Mingxiao's waist, and acted coquettishly.
"I can't clear my mind, this is very important to me, I need your answer now."
"Okay, I'll transfer it to you."
Lu Mingxiao said firmly, "There was no favoritism, no backdoors. You relied entirely on your own abilities."
Luo Qingyue hugged Lu Mingxiao tightly. Her body was fragile, and so was her mind.
Unable to control her emotions, she burst into tears: "Do you know how I've been these past three months? I've been hanging on by a thread to keep up with my promise to you, but now I regret it. Who do you think you are? Why should I put myself through this for you? You called me a princess, but you haven't treated me like one at all. I'm so sad, Lu Mingxiao. I really hate you, you know that!"
As she recounted her accusations, word by word, Lu Mingxiao listened with eyes full of pity.
He took out a tissue and wiped away Luo Qingyue's tears, gently stroking her hair: "I'm sorry, I know you have a lot of grievances you want to vent. Let's rest first, and once the fever goes down and you recover, you can hit or scold me as you please."
After crying, she felt much better, and Luo Qingyue's eyes were indeed a little too heavy to open.
Lu Mingxiao gently supported her arm to help her lie down. Luo Qingyue said, "You can't sneak away while I'm asleep."
Lu Mingxiao flicked her nose: "Why would I run away?"
Luo Qingyue stared at him: "I hit people really hard, I'll beat you half to death."
Lu Mingxiao chuckled: "I'm not afraid, I have a lot of patience."
Luo Qingyue added, "I'll also ambush you when you're not paying attention."
Lu Mingxiao said "Oh": "And while you're at it, can you secretly touch my abs?"
Originally, Luo Qingyue had no such idea, but Lu Mingxiao's words brought out the desire deep in her bones.
"If you know what's good for you, you should take your clothes off now."
"Now is not the time."
Lu Mingxiao helped her cover herself with the blanket, saying, "Anyway, it's not like you haven't seen it before."
Luo Qingyue: "?"
Lu Mingxiao exposed the truth: "On Lefen Island, I changed my clothes in the dark—"
He actually knew all of that.
Blushing and flustered, Luo Qingyue quickly closed her eyes, stopping him from continuing.
"My eyelids are drooping, I'm sleepy, I'm going to sleep."
It was entirely out of guilt at being caught doing something wrong.
Lu Mingxiao comforted him, "Then get some sleep. I'll make you dinner, and you can eat when you wake up."
Luo Qingyue woke up two hours later. Lu Mingxiao took her temperature again, and the fever had subsided.
He didn't let Luo Qingyue get out of bed. Just like last time on Lefen Island, he brought dinner into the bedroom and placed it on the bedside table.
The simple congee and side dishes looked unappetizing. Luo Qingyue was sullen.
As if he had read her mind, Lu Mingxiao picked up the bowl.
"You're too weak right now, so this is all you can eat. I'll take you out for a big meal tomorrow."
Lu Mingxiao blew on the spoon twice, then held it to Luo Qingyue's lips before suddenly remembering something.
"I almost forgot, I have to go on a business trip tomorrow."
"Where to?" Luo Qingyue asked.
Lu Mingxiao: "I'm going to discuss supply chain cooperation and attend an economic development forum. It will take two days and will be in Qingzhou City."
After Luo Qingyue finished the porridge he fed her, she pretended to shoo him away.
"Then go back and pack your things. I'm fine now, I can manage on my own."
Lu Mingxiao: "There's not much to pack. I put my usual items in my suitcase and didn't take them out. I can just grab them and go."
Luo Qingyue held Lu Mingxiao's wrist and glanced at the time on her watch; it was nine o'clock at night.
She scrutinized Lu Mingxiao and couldn't help but let out a long sigh: "How could someone so intelligent not even understand my subtext?"
Lu Mingxiao: "?"
"I just ended my last relationship. If I were to start another one right away, it would be too promiscuous."
Luo Qingyue's words were reasonable and well-founded: "You are not my boyfriend yet. What kind of talk is it for a man and a woman to be alone in a room together? It would damage my reputation if word got out."
Lu Mingxiao asked curiously, "So what am I to you now? Let's rule out being your boss."
Luo Qingyue gave him a heads-up: "You're not allowed to get angry after I told you, and you can't prevent me from getting a permanent position."
Lu Mingxiao: "I'm very magnanimous."
Luo Qingyue's lips brushed against his ear: "You are one in a million—"
Lu Mingxiao's lips curved slightly, and the next second, only two words, spoken in a mocking tone, were heard: "Spare tire."
[Author's Note]
Yue: Now I'm the woman at the top of the pyramid! [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]
Xiao: Next step, the backup plan will be officially confirmed! [Evil laugh][Evil laugh][Evil laugh]
Li Heng: Hahahaha, he's only destined to be a backup option. [Let me see][Let me see][Let me see]
Cheng Wang, a representative of the onlookers: Shocking! The CEO of a major company has actually become a backup option!!! [Eating popcorn][Eating popcorn][Eating popcorn]
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