Chapter 45: Bailu, Can I Hit Your Man?

On the way over and while browsing the mall, Lu Fan felt his phone vibrating several times in his pocket, but he didn’t answer. After leaving the beauty salon, he took out his phone and saw that it was indeed Ding Maocai calling. The calls came three times in total, almost every half hour. Lu Fan then returned the call.

“Hello, Boss Ding, what’s up?”

Ding Maocai sat on the office sofa, his hand holding the phone trembling slightly.

“Hello, Boss Lu. I’ve been thinking about your proposal from last night… hmm… it’s worth considering. When do you have time? Let’s meet face to face and talk.”

Lu Fan didn’t understand why Ding Maocai didn’t just mention the 600,000 yuan price negotiation over the phone, but he didn’t dwell on it and said, “Oh, I’m busy right now. How about this afternoon, between two and three? I’ll come by then.”

“Boss Lu, here’s the thing—I’d like to discuss the price for the garment factory. Could you bring your uncle along?”

“Heh heh heh. Sounds like Boss Ding’s afraid I can’t make decisions on my own!”

“No, no, Boss Lu, you’re a young talent; how could you not be in charge?”

“Hmm, my uncle has no sons and treats me like his own. I’m fully authorized to handle his affairs. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked you for 10,000 shirts outright last time. He’s entrusted me fully with taking over your factory. If you have any concerns, just tell me directly.”

“Alright, alright, but…”

“I understand your worries, Boss Ding. You think I’m all talk and no action, right? How about this: I’ll bring along my aunt as well, so you can be sure.”

“Listen to you—I don’t distrust you, Boss Lu!”

After hanging up, Lu Fan thought the logic was a bit shaky but he couldn’t afford to overthink now. The arrow was on the string, ready to shoot.

He rode his motorcycle to the small commodities market and picked out a ladies’ Vacheron Constantin watch and a Gucci bag. Then, at the jewelry section, he chose a few glass jade pendants, earrings, and a diamond ring. The total cost was about two hundred yuan. The watch and bag were a bit pricey because they were finely made replicas; the rest together only cost about ten yuan.

On the way back to the beauty salon, Lu Fan asked around about places to rent cars.

Back at the beauty salon, in the VIP room on the second floor, Liu Yue’e’s makeover had reached the perm stage. She lay in a reclining chair with half her head inside a circular device. Two young girls attended to her: one applied something to her hands, while the other used a file to smooth her heels. Her toes were painted a pale green polish—the favorite color of Bai Shuang in her previous life.

Lu Fan watched briefly, then quietly closed the door and slipped out of the salon.

Outside, he sat on his motorcycle and waited a full hour before Liu Yue’e and Bai Lu came out arm in arm.

Seeing them, Lu Fan was momentarily stunned. Thanks to the makeover, Liu Yue’e looked several years younger. If told she was in her early twenties, no one would doubt it. Standing together, the two truly appeared like sisters.

Liu Yue’e kept her head slightly bowed, as if too shy to meet his gaze, her whole demeanor that of a bashful young girl.

Lu Fan didn’t praise her, knowing that would only embarrass her further.

“It’s almost noon. Let’s find a nice restaurant—I’ll treat you both to a good meal.”

Liu Yue’e whispered, “Let’s just eat at home. We’ve already spent a lot today.”

Lu Fan shook his head. “This meal is necessary. You need to experience that environment. High-class places have an aura about them. If you can enter and leave those places calmly, that aura will slowly build within you. It will help a lot with your task today.”

“Auntie, when we get to the hotel, you walk ahead, Bai Lu and I will follow behind. You handle ordering and paying. We’ll keep the budget to three hundred yuan.”

Seeing Liu Yue’e’s face pale, Lu Fan hurriedly added, “Of course, I’m paying. Don’t worry about money. Bai Lu—”

Hearing this, Bai Lu quickly took three hundred yuan from her bag and handed it to Liu Yue’e.

Liu Yue’e immediately returned it, “That’s not what I meant.”

“No worries. Money is confidence. The more you have, the bolder you are. Bai Lu carries a few thousand yuan in her bag, so just order whatever you like today.”

Encouraged by Lu Fan, once inside the hotel lobby, Liu Yue’e walked in front, swaying gracefully as she had practiced yesterday, exuding a subtle elegance and confidence.

But as she walked, she almost stepped straight into the kitchen.

Lu Fan whispered, “Auntie, just find a seat and sit. No need to go into the kitchen to order.”

“Oh!”

Still, Liu Yue’e couldn’t bring herself to order the full three hundred yuan worth of dishes. She only ordered four items: boiled wild sea shrimp, which was a bit pricier, a plate of sweet and sour pork, and two vegetable dishes, totaling just eighty yuan.

After the meal, Lu Fan wanted to order a dish for Bai Lu’s father, but Liu Yue’e asked the server for a takeout bag, packed the leftovers, and said that would be enough for Bai Lu’s father.

However, when they left the hospital earlier, Liu Yue’e had come out crying, her eyes red and swollen. She wiped her tears as she walked.

Bai Lu hurried over and asked, “Mom, what’s wrong? Is Dad’s condition worse?”

“No.”

“Then what happened?”

“Your dad asked if I have a man on the side! That ungrateful man—I wish I’d never cared about him.”

Lu Fan wanted to comfort her but, hearing this, he just sat back on his motorcycle. Family matters are hard for outsiders to intervene in.

Bai Lu asked, “Did you tell Dad about me and Lu Fan?”

“No. I wanted to wait until he recovered. If he knew I almost married you off to someone else without thinking, he’d only be angry. Let’s go home; I have things to do this afternoon. I’ll find time to talk to him properly.”

Lu Fan didn’t take them home. Instead, he returned to the beauty salon to touch up Liu Yue’e’s makeup.

Then he took them to a car rental company and rented a Crown sedan for two hundred yuan for the afternoon.

By now, it was already half past one.

He didn’t need a driver from the rental company. Taking the keys, he got in, started the car, and drove onto the main road.

“Auntie, when we get to the garment factory, don’t get out right away. Just stay in the car. I’ll call you over after I finish the negotiations.”

“Okay!”

“I just realized something—this doesn’t have to be so complicated. From old Ding’s perspective, he just wants to transfer the factory and its debts. Once the contract is signed, it’s no longer much of his concern who the buyer is.”

“And the others on our side don’t need to worry about their opinions.”

Liu Yue’e pondered Lu Fan’s meaning and asked, “So, there’s really no need to trouble me so much?”

“Uh… not exactly. At least after all this, you look ten years younger. Otherwise, my uncle wouldn’t have misunderstood you.”

Liu Yue’e rolled her eyes at the back of Lu Fan’s head and then asked, “Bai Lu, can I hit your man?”

Bai Lu was speechless.

Midnight strikes!