Chapter 55: Meeting the Ex Again

Lu Chengwen watched as Lu Chengwu ran into a room inside, feeling a bit confused.

"What's wrong with him?"

Zhao Gang smiled and said, "You know, young master has always been afraid of Miss Chen. She acted like an elder sister-in-law and managed him for over a year back then."

Lu Chengwen suddenly remembered.

Right, back when he and Chen Mengyun were dating, she was practically the designated future mistress of the Lu family. Chen Mengyun pretty much had free rein in the Lu household.

At that time, Lu Chengwu was quite mischievous and unruly, and Chen Mengyun genuinely cared for him like an elder sister-in-law, even more than she did for her own brother.

But this became a nightmare for Lu Chengwu.

Chen Mengyun was very strict with him, to the point where even Lu Guanghong couldn't intervene.

Oh my god! Why is Chen Mengyun here too? How did she know I was here?

Just as he was thinking this, Chen Mengyun walked in.

Seeing Lu Chengwen, she gave a shy smile, and both of them felt a bit awkward and embarrassed.

Zhao Gang quickly said, "I'll go keep an eye on the door."

Lu Chengwen scratched his head, "Sit, please have a seat."

Chen Mengyun sat down cautiously, unsure of where to start.

Lu Chengwen walked over to the fridge, "What would you like to drink?"

"Oh, anything is fine."

"I just moved into this place, so there's not much here. Just some drinks and water."

"That's fine."

Chen Mengyun took a bottle of water and held it in her hands, looking at Lu Chengwen, "Um..."

"Is there something you need?"

"Actually, it's nothing much. I heard you bought a new place here, and I happened to be passing by, saw your car parked here, and then saw Zhao Gang... and I had nothing else to do... so I..."

"Oh," Lu Chengwen nodded, "Just passing by, huh?"

Chen Mengyun put down the water, "What are your thoughts on the shantytown project?"

Lu Chengwen said, "I haven't thought much about it. It's just that the country needs us to step up at this time, so I did."

Chen Mengyun laughed, "If you say that, even a ghost wouldn't believe you."

"Why?"

"You, Lu Chengwen, never do business at a loss. Now everyone is saying that you must have found some profitable angle, or that you can reap huge benefits from other channels through this project. Otherwise, you wouldn't just willingly fork over the money."

Tang Yiyi got excited.

Hey! Today is really my lucky day!

Not only did I catch the explosive headline of Lu Chengwen having an affair with the Xu family's young lady!

But I also caught the Lu brothers arguing over the fake medicine scandal at the pharmaceutical factory!

And now they're talking about the shantytown project! I'm really on a roll today!

Lu Chengwen said, "Mengyun, I'm not lying to you. I'm really not doing this project to make money. There are hundreds of thousands of residents in the shantytown area, all relocated and scattered around by the government. The project has been delayed for years, and those people are practically homeless, still waiting for their own houses."

"This project is seriously dragging down the local economy and affecting people's livelihoods. Because of this project, many investment projects have been forced to halt, and the trust of external capital in our Snow City is declining. If this continues, our losses will be immeasurable."

Chen Mengyun looked at Lu Chengwen, completely incredulous.

"Chengwen, I can hardly believe these words are coming from you."

"Huh?"

"If you calculate it this way, you might really lose a lot of money!"

"It's fine," Lu Chengwen said, "As long as this project starts and gets implemented, I'll cover all your costs. I'd rather not make a single penny myself than let you lose your principal."

Chen Mengyun smiled and deliberately probed, "Then sign a contract, a guarantee contract, so I can explain it to my father."

"Sure."

Lu Chengwen took out his phone and called Jiang Shihan, "Shihan, prepare a contract immediately and bring it to my new villa. No, prepare several copies. I need to sign principal guarantee contracts with the Chen, Xu, and Leng families."

Jiang Shihan was stunned.

"Mr. Lu, that's a guarantee contract for tens of billions! Such a contract needs to go through the board of directors!"

"I'll sign it in my personal name, not using a single cent from the board. If I lose everything, I'll sell my shares! Print it quickly and bring it over!"

"Yes."

After hanging up, Lu Chengwen smiled at Chen Mengyun, "Just wait a bit, it'll be here soon."

Chen Mengyun looked at Lu Chengwen, "Are you really decided?"

"Yes."

Chen Mengyun smiled, "You've suddenly become an unqualified businessman, but you've also suddenly become a man worthy of respect."

Lu Chengwen, being praised by a girl, felt a surge of joy, "Right? Money is nothing! I'm the hero here to save the world!"

Chen Mengyun nodded excitedly, "Yes, in my heart, you are a hero!" She then jumped up and threw herself at Lu Chengwen, kissing him several times on the face.

Lu Chengwen quickly pushed her away, "Hey hey hey... stop... men and women should keep their distance, calm down."

Chen Mengyun laughed, "I heard your engagement with the Leng family is off?"

"News travels fast."

Lu Chengwen pushed her to sit back on the sofa.

Chen Mengyun stood up and pressed close to Lu Chengwen, "I know, you did it all for me."

"Huh?"

Chen Mengyun said, "Now you finally see your true feelings, right? The person you've always liked is me!"

Lu Chengwen pushed her back to sit down, "Not necessarily."

"What's wrong? You used to always take advantage of me, what's going on now?"

"It's not that... this thing really isn't for you." Lu Chengwen smiled, "It has nothing to do with you, purely a fallout between me and Leng Qingqiu's family."

Chen Mengyun said disdainfully, "I knew it, Leng Tianhao only agreed to let you marry his daughter for the money. Now that he sees you investing in the shantytown project, he thinks you're done for, so he backed out, right?"

"Right."

"I'm not afraid! If you run out of money, our Xiangyun Group will definitely support you."

"No, I don't need it!"

Lu Chengwen quickly refused, "This is my own doing, it has nothing to do with anyone else. If I lose, it's on me, if I make money, everyone shares."

Chen Mengyun looked at Lu Chengwen, "Why can't you just admit that you still like me? Ask your heart, I know, you like me, you've always liked me!"

Lu Chengwen smiled, "Sis, we've already broken up, let's not talk about liking or not liking anymore. A breakup should be clean and thorough, never to interact again, we..."

"I won't!"

Chen Mengyun moved closer to Lu Chengwen again, hugging him, "Do you know? When you said you'd take full responsibility, you were so handsome! I'm totally smitten!"

Lu Chengwen was sweating, carefully pushing her away, "Can you just talk without clinging to me?"

"Because I like you!"

"What's there to like about me? What's wrong with you all? Don't you have anything better to do? Sis, you..."

"'You all'? Who else likes you? Tell me!"

Lu Chengwen, pinned on the sofa by Chen Mengyun, was at his wit's end, "Don't be like this, why is everyone suddenly like this..."

"Oh, so there are many, huh? Let me think, besides Leng Qingqiu, who else? Is it someone from our class?"

Chen Mengyun straddled Lu Chengwen's lap, leaning close, her breath hitting his face, "Chengwen, I've missed you, so much. This house of yours, no girl has been here before, right? Am I the first?"

"Hey hey, don't be like this, someone's here..."

"There's no one, Zhao Gang said it's just you."

"No! Calm down, I don't want to hurt you."

"I like being hurt by you, I want to be the mistress of this house, the only one."

"You... hey! Don't pull my clothes!"

"I've always saved myself for you, Chengwen, I just like you, tell me, am I shameless? All these years, I've actually been waiting for you..."

"That's enough!"

Lu Chengwen roughly pushed Chen Mengyun away, throwing her onto the sofa.

He stood up, angrily fixing his shirt collar.

"I said no, no, but you just keep going, completely ignoring how I feel!"

Lu Chengwen noticed that Chen Mengyun, thrown onto the sofa, had her hair covering her face and was lying there motionless.

He immediately regretted it.

"Uh... did I use too much force?"

Chen Mengyun didn't respond.

"Did I... hurt you? Sorry, I didn't mean to."

Chen Mengyun still lay there motionless.

Lu Chengwen walked over, gently touching her shoulder, "I'm sorry, I really don't have the heart for a relationship right now. My mind is a mess, there's so much to deal with. You're the big sister of the Chen family, practically the decision-maker now."

"You're beautiful, young, and incredibly wealthy. With your conditions, you could have any man in the world. I'm just a thing of the past, let's just let it go, okay?"

Chen Mengyun suddenly looked up, tears streaming down her face, "You said after breaking up we could still be friends!"

Lu Chengwen looked at her, her hair disheveled, face wet with tears.

"That was just being polite! Who stays friends after breaking up? It's been over three years without contact, why bother? Besides, back then you said you wished you'd never see me again, told me to get as far away as possible!"

"I'm a woman, I can say crazy things when I'm angry, so what? You cheated and I'm not allowed to be mad?"

"I cheated, so why are you still bothering with me?!"

"I'm shameless! I'm shameless, okay?!"

"Don't be like this, it's like I'm... Mengyun, I'm not the same person I was back then. The me you see now is actually someone else, completely different from the person you liked."

"I like the you now."

Lu Chengwen scratched his head, pacing around, "Anyway, once I sort out the things at hand, we'll find time to talk it over, okay? I'll definitely sign the contract, you go back first, I'll come to your company tomorrow to sign it in person. The 12 billion you invested, even if I have to sell everything, I'll make sure you get your principal back, okay?"

Chen Mengyun stood up, "You think you're the only one with money? Do you think I'm with you for the money? You think I'm Leng Qingqiu?"

"Why bring her up? She's not that kind of girl!"

"So, you do like her! I was with you for three years, worked so hard, practically served you like a maid. I took care of Uncle and Aunt Lu's every need, everyone laughed at me, said I was like a daughter-in-law before even marrying in, called me the Chen family's shameless girl."

"I didn't..."

"Your brother Lu Chengwu, I cared for him more than my own brother. I was more proactive about your family's affairs than anyone. Back then, it was me who persuaded my dad to collaborate with the Lu family... I did so much for you, how did you repay me?"

"I..."

"In your heart, I'm just a shameless woman who threw herself at you and you're not even interested, right?!"

"No!" Lu Chengwen said, "There's someone here! There's someone in my house, stop shouting!"

"Who?!" Lu Chengwen's mouth moved, "My... my brother."

Chen Mengyun turned her head, exuding dominance, "Lu Chengwu, get out here now!"