The Poor School Heartthrob Was Secretly a Financial Titan - Chapter 23
Li Man and her mother entered the private room of Donglin Hotel together.
Li Man, who had been frowning in the car, was now all smiles with her eyes crinkling: “Aunt Liu, I met you once when I was little, and you were the only one with the foresight to say I’m getting prettier and prettier. My parents always say I’m not as good-looking as I’ve gotten!”
Liu Xiumei laughed heartily, holding her hand tightly: “This child, she really knows how to talk!”
Gu Aizhi watched from the side, feeling quite satisfied.
My daughter is quite presentable.
But when Liu Xiumei stepped aside, the person standing behind her was revealedâ
Li Man’s smile froze as if someone had struck an acupoint, leaving her completely still.
It’s that guy.
In room 508, there’s the one who’s squatting naked in the corner.
Her mind went blank for a moment, and all the images she had seen that day flooded backâwhite flesh, a protruding buttocks, the flashing of cameras, and several people trembling with their heads in their hands.
A wave of acid churned up in my stomach.
Li Man covered her mouth, almost vomiting.
Zhou Cheng’s eyes lit up when he saw Li Man.
This girl is dressed fashionablyâstretch pants that accentuate her long legs, a loose batwing top, and a high ponytail; she looks even more radiant than Sun Tingting.
In Zhou Cheng’s eyes, the way she covered her mouth just now was a sign of shyness.
His heart was pounding; he couldn’t connect this girl with the female waitress at Chunmei Hotel who was wearing a uniform and a mask and had been pointing at him fiercely.
How could the daughter of Secretary Li of the Discipline Inspection Commission possibly work as a waitress in a place like that?
Seeing that Li Man’s expression had calmed down, Liu Xiumei secretly nodded in approval.
It’s right for girls to be composed and reserved in front of boys. That’s what good upbringing is. Only those with poor upbringing act loudly and boisterously regardless of the situation.
“Xiaoman, come sit down, come sit down,” Liu Xiumei greeted. “This is your brother Zhou Cheng. You two used to play together when you were little.”
Li Man shivered and sat down.
She ate the next meal with extreme discomfort.
She answered whatever the adults asked. If they didn’t ask, she would just lower her head and pick at the grains of rice in her bowl, counting them one by one as she ate.
Gu Aizhi felt increasingly uneasy.
She knew her own daughter’s mouth bestâshe loved reading from a young age, was eloquent, and was never shy in front of adults. When she took her out to eat, she would eagerly share everything she knew, and if an adult praised her, she would be beaming for a long time.
What’s wrong with me today?
“Xiaoman, try this squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, it’s your favorite.” Gu Aizhi picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and put it in her daughter’s bowl.
Li Man looked down and felt another wave of nausea.
The fish was fried to a golden brown and glistening, drizzled with a bright red sweet and sour sauce, but looking at the color, what came to her mind was…
She quickly picked up her teacup and took a sip to suppress the image.
Zhou Cheng didn’t say much, but his gaze kept drifting towards Li Man’s legs.
The leggings accentuated her long, straight legs. He glanced at them a few times, feeling a strong urge to seduce her. This girl was much better than Sun Tingting; quiet, reserved, and clearly a well-behaved girl.
His gaze lingered on the woman’s legs, thinking he was being discreet.
Li Man got goosebumps all over her body.
That look was like a caterpillar crawling on her legs. She wanted nothing more than to chop those legs off and throw them away.
Each dish on the menu bore the signature name of the Donglin Hotel. Li Man usually loved these dishes, but today she couldn’t swallow a single bite.
The scene from 508 kept replaying in her mind.
This person is sitting right across from me, dressed impeccably, and his mother is praising him for being “sensible,” “filial,” and “diligent in his studies.”
Li Man picked up a tissue and covered her mouth, afraid that she would actually throw up.
Liu Xiumei and Gu Aizhi chatted enthusiastically, from work to children, and from children to travel.
The meal took more than an hour, and Li Man felt like she had been waiting for a year.
Finally, Gu Aizhi got up to say goodbye.
Liu Xiumei held Li Man’s hand: “Xiao Man, come over to our house sometime. Xiao Cheng, see Xiao Man off!”
Zhou Cheng stood up and walked to Li Man’s side.
Li Man moved half a step to the side, a smile on her face: “No need to see us off, Aunt Liu, we came by taxi.”
“That won’t do. Xiao Cheng, help them into the car.”
Zhou Cheng followed them downstairs, trying to make conversation with Li Man as they walked. Li Man responded with “uh-huh” and “ah,” her pace quickening.
As soon as she stepped out of the hotel, she practically fled into a taxi.
She let out a long sigh of relief after the car door closed.
When Li Man got home, her father was already there.
Li Jiquan sat on the sofa, watching the news and eating noodles with a poached egg in his bowl. Seeing the mother and daughter enter, he looked up and asked, “How was dinner?”
Gu Aizhi put her bag aside and said, “Your daughter has been acting strange all night. I don’t know what’s wrong with her. She won’t tell me anything when I ask her.”
Li Jiquan was taken aback and looked at his daughter: “What’s wrong? Is the food not to your liking or are you feeling unwell?”
Li Man covered her face and let out a strange cry of “Ouch!” She ran to the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of ice-cold cola, and gulped down half of it before finally catching her breath.
“Dad, you have no idea how miserable I was tonight! I felt so awful! If it weren’t for Mom, I wouldn’t have been able to stay here for even a minute longer!”
Li Jiquan and Gu Aizhi exchanged a glance, feeling even more puzzled.
“Is it that serious? What exactly happened?”
Li Man felt very safe in front of her father.
Although Li Jiquan works in the Discipline Inspection Commission, he inevitably brings his professional habits home, but Li Man is very close to him. There are some things she doesn’t want to tell her mother, but she’s willing to talk to her father.
She put down the Coke bottle, sat down on the sofa, and began to recount her experiences at the Chunmei Hotel over the past few days…
His voice was vivid and expressive, and he made no attempt to hide the contempt and disgust on his face.
Of course, she also intentionally or unintentionally glossed over the part involving Han Xuetao.
The first time a boy hugged her, the second time she hugged him and criedâit was too shameful for her to tell her parents.
After listening, Li Jiquan’s expression turned serious.
“Are you telling the truth? Are you sure it’s him?”
“Absolutely, absolutely, and without a doubt!” Li Man slapped the sofa armrest. “Dad, would I lie to you? Twice! I saw him with my own eyes twice! Once he hit me with an ashtray, and the other time he was squatting naked in the corner! Oh wait, that’s the third time, including today. And his mom even praised him for being sensible. I really want to throw up!”
Gu Aizhi roughly knew about her daughter’s previous two experiences; her daughter’s eyes were red for two consecutive days when she came home, but she didn’t connect the matter with Zhou Cheng.
She asked, “Didn’t Zhou Cheng recognize you today?”
âI wore a mask and hat in the hotel, how could he possibly recognize me?â Li Man pouted. âHe probably thought I was some migrant worker.â
Li Jiquan remained silent for a moment before speaking:
“Alright, let’s leave it at that. Don’t go around talking about it anymore. Forget about the trip. Aizhi, try to decline any more invitations Principal Liu makes next time.”
Gu Aizhi nodded, still feeling indignant on behalf of her daughter:
“How could someone from the court and a school principal raise such a son? And they even have the nerve to invite Xiaoman and me out to dinner! What kind of people are they!”
Li Jiquan waved his hand: “Just talk about this at home, don’t tell outsiders. Otherwise, it won’t be easy for me to deal with Judge Zhou professionally. That’s all.”
Li Jiquan was well aware of Judge Zhou’s scheme.
The Discipline Inspection Commission is currently handling a major case, which is in its final stages. Several positions at Donglin University will soon become available, and many people are watching closely.
He understood Zhou Jianguo’s desire to move. Only by leaving the public security, procuratorate, and judicial system and going to the local level could he open up a path for advancement.
To be honest, Li Jiquan was also happy to see this happen. As a member of the Discipline Inspection Commission, he had dealt with Zhou Jianguo quite a bit. That man was capable, had a good reputation within the system, and didn’t have strong factional affiliations. If they became allies in the future, it would be a great asset.
But after hearing his daughter’s words, he felt a little uncertain.
Seeing her father’s solemn expression, Li Man knew he was thinking about something and didn’t disturb him.
She leaned back on the sofa, holding the bottle of iced cola in her hand, but her thoughts drifted away.
I didn’t go to the hotel today, I wonder what that guy is doing?
That person who scolded me fiercely, then suddenly carried me out…
She shook her head, trying to shake the image out of her mind, but her face felt a little hot.
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