In the bedroom, only Jiang Ci and Grandpa were left.

"Grandpa, are you hungry? Should I make you some porridge?" Jiang Ci hadn't seen Grandpa for a long time, her eyes bright and a bit moist.

"I'm not hungry. Grandpa..." Grandpa moved closer to Jiang Ci on the bed, "Grandpa pretended to faint."

Jiang Ci was taken aback, "Why?"

"To get you to come back. Grandpa doesn't have many days left, and there aren't many days left to see Little Ci either."

Hearing this, Jiang Ci's tears fell instantly, and she choked out, "Grandpa."

"I heard what Yin Xuemo said just now. I haven't liked her since six years ago, always felt she was scheming. Grandpa is on your side, but you have to stand up for yourself too. Don't always let Yudong kick you out, because when he does, Yin Xuemo will take advantage of it," Grandpa said kindly.

"Grandpa, how did you know?" Jiang Ci's face was tear-streaked, and she felt ashamed, not expecting Grandpa to see through it all.

"How old do you think Grandpa is? What can't I see?"

Jiang Ci's heart skipped a beat, could Grandpa even know about their contract marriage?

If Grandpa knew, how would Jiang Ci face him?

"Listen to Grandpa, be strong. Yudong, that child, has a stubborn temper, he responds to gentleness, not force."

Jiang Ci nodded, "I see."

"He's much older than you, he should be pampering you, but sometimes, you have to go along with him, right?" Grandpa said kindly again.

"Yes. Grandpa, have an orange." Jiang Ci peeled an orange segment for Grandpa.

...

When Yin Xuemo got into the car, she saw the umbrella on the passenger seat.

A European brand, Mariotalarico.

Yin Xuemo remembered that Lu Yudong didn't have the habit of using an umbrella.

He liked walking alone in the rain, and his car never had an umbrella.

It's unlikely that such a long-standing habit would suddenly change.

So, this umbrella wasn't bought by him.

As for who bought it, it was obvious.

Yin Xuemo felt both jealous and uneasy.

"Yudong, why did you buy a fake umbrella?" Yin Xuemo said to Lu Yudong, holding the umbrella.

Lu Yudong never used umbrellas, so he wasn't familiar with brands and couldn't tell if it was fake.

"What?" Lu Yudong had already started the car.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"This umbrella, it's fake, you got scammed, right?" Yin Xuemo pretended to examine the umbrella.

"Is that so?" Lu Yudong frowned tightly, unsure of how many "surprises" Jiang Ci had given him.

"Yes, this umbrella, if it's genuine, would cost over nine thousand. A fake, judging by the workmanship, is less than one-twentieth of that." Yin Xuemo seemed amused, "Yudong, carrying this umbrella is beneath you. If a client sits in your car, it would be embarrassing, making New East Group look like it's all show. Should I throw it away for you?"

"No need. Leave it there." Lu Yudong's voice was icy.

Yin Xuemo smirked and let it go.

She figured Lu Yudong wouldn't verify its authenticity, he didn't have the time, he would just take it out on Jiang Ci.

Yin Xuemo was already satisfied with how Lu Yudong made Jiang Ci stand as punishment today.

Surely, in time, she could make them break up completely.

When dropping off Yin Xuemo, she said to Lu Yudong, "The girl comes from a humble background, she doesn't understand many things. Don't be too harsh on her, being too harsh will backfire. Did you hear me, Yudong?"

"I'm leaving." With that, Lu Yudong's car sped away.

On the road, he glanced at the umbrella.

Even if she didn't want to spend over nine thousand, she could have bought a cheaper one.

What did she take him for?

Moreover, all her money came from him, and she wasn't willing to spend a penny on him!

Back home, as he locked the car, Lu Yudong received a WeChat message from Deng Yue.

[Brother, don't think Jiang Ci had any bad intentions with the computer purchase, spending the company's money. She told me she sold her dad's old house.]

Lu Yudong gritted his teeth, there were indeed many people pleading on her behalf!

It seemed like if he didn't give her a hard time, it would be unfair to all these people pleading for her.

He didn't even know why Deng Yue suddenly brought up the computer issue today, after so long.

Was he trying to provoke him?

Adding fuel to his already fiery mood.

After finalizing the deal, Jiang Ci was very happy and excited. It was her first time handling a transaction over a hundred thousand yuan, and she felt a bit anxious. Worried about encountering scammers or criminals, she asked Han Lan to accompany her.

Han Lan, no longer needing to keep a low profile, was quite pleased and readily agreed to Jiang Ci's request.

"For something like this, it's best to have a guy with us. If Mr. Lu goes with you, who would dare to cheat him? They wouldn't dare even with ten times the courage," Han Lan said while munching on snacks.

"It's not that easy. We're having a bit of a spat. Besides, this matter involves my ex-boyfriend. Would I be out of my mind to ask him to come along?" Jiang Ci replied.

"Why are you making such a fuss? You can see how just a casual nod from him changes everything for us. People can't wait to flatter him, and here you are, picking a fight," Han Lan said, a bit exasperated.

"Don't mention it. I've been flattering him all along." To this day, Jiang Ci still didn't understand why Lu Yudong suddenly asked her to move out.

How could she cater to his whims without knowing the reason?

"Why not try to appease him? Mr. Lu is into that," Han Lan suggested.

"How do you know? Have you tried it before?" Jiang Ci asked, her tone slightly jealous.

"No, no, I haven't even met Mr. Lu," Han Lan said, trying to act coy. "But seriously, my sister is bringing me some food this afternoon."

"Your sister? Isn't she about to give birth? How can you let her bring you food with that big belly?"

"She's not coming herself; she's sending her brother-in-law. I heard he's quite a catch," Han Lan said dreamily.

"You haven't met him?"

Han Lan rolled her eyes at Jiang Ci. "No, he didn't attend my sister's wedding; he was out of town."

"I'll check him out for you this afternoon."

At six in the evening, the dormitory doorbell rang, and Jiang Ci went to answer it. As soon as she opened the door, she widened her eyes in surprise and said, "Deng Yue?"

"Jiang Ci?"

"Who are you looking for? Me?"

Deng Yue raised the food container in his hand. "I'm delivering food for my sister-in-law to her sister. I didn't expect you two to be roommates. What a small world."

When Han Lan came out and saw that Deng Yue was quite handsome, her eyes sparkled.

"How about I treat you two lovely ladies to dinner tonight?" Deng Yue offered.

"What about the food my sister sent?" Jiang Ci asked with a slight frown.

But Han Lan was already tempted. After all, who wouldn't want to dine with a handsome guy?

"We can put it in the fridge and eat it later. It won't spoil. Let's go, I'll treat you to hot pot," Deng Yue said enthusiastically.

Recently, Jiang Ci and Han Lan had been under a lot of pressure, so they were eager for some relaxation and quickly agreed. Besides, Jiang Ci loved spicy food—the spicier, the better.

During dinner, Deng Yue asked Jiang Ci, "Since we added each other on WeChat, we haven't chatted. I didn't know you worked at New East Group. That's promising."

"I'm just a low-level employee; there's no future in that. Han Lan has more potential; she's the New East Star, a future executive," Jiang Ci said, not forgetting to praise Han Lan.

Jiang Ci could tell that Han Lan had a good impression of Deng Yue. Han Lan and Deng Yue also exchanged WeChat contacts.

"Oh, by the way, Jiang Ci is going to the suburbs on Sunday to inspect a computer factory. We've never been there and are afraid of encountering scammers, so we want a guy to come with us. Why don't you join us?" Han Lan invited Deng Yue. "My sister told me her brother-in-law runs a gaming company, so you're perfect for evaluating computers."

"Visiting a computer factory? No problem. I'll drive you two ladies there. Planning to buy computers? Why not just go to the electronics market instead of the source?"

"Two hundred units. We're donating them to children in the mountains. It's the same school we visited together," Jiang Ci explained easily, as she and Deng Yue had visited the charity school together before.

"Two hundred units, impressive. You must have some money."

"Not really. I sold my dad's house in the countryside," Jiang Ci deflected, fearing Deng Yue would ask about the money's origin, putting her in an awkward position.

She hadn't even mentioned her contractual marriage with Lu Yudong to Han Lan, nor did Han Lan know the source of the money.

Her father's old house was in the countryside, and Jiang Ci had never been there. Besides, you can't sell a homestead.

Fortunately, Deng Yue didn't press further.

What could Jiang Ci say? That she sold herself for it?

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