Female lead’s Delusion of Starting Over

Chapter 19 - Securing Chen Xiaoyi

Chapter 19: Securing Chen Xiaoyi

Returning to the company, he continued to deal with some matters. He had plenty of time. Although the plan with Zhang Corporation was scrapped, causing many complaints within the company due to the significant investment and time already spent, no one dared to vent their frustrations directly at Lu Li.

There were plenty of potential partners; Lu Li wasn’t in a hurry at this moment.

What he didn’t expect was for Chen Xiaoyi to show up in the afternoon.

“I thought you would need more time to consider.” Lu Li said gently, smiling at the somewhat nervous girl before him.

“Mr. Lu Li is willing to help me with my debts and even offer me a job. It would be too unwise of me to delay,” Chen Xiaoyi also smiled lightly, albeit a bit tensely.

“Indeed…” Lu Li nodded noncommittally, stood up, and poured a glass of water for Chen Xiaoyi.

“Have some water. Don’t worry, I don’t engage in forceful tactics with women. Relax a little.”

“…Mr. Lu Li, you seem different from what others say.” Whether it was helping her deal with the scammer or now, this man with a gentle smile and good looks didn’t seem like a wastrel at all.

“Oh, is that how people describe me outside? I’m quite curious to hear.”

Embarrassed, Chen Xiaoyi played with her hair, “They all say, Mr. Lu Li, that you are an out-and-out wastrel.”

“Have there been any stories of my wastefulness spread outside?” Lu Li wasn’t angry; instead, he rested his chin on his hands and observed the woman before him.

“Err…” Chen Xiaoyi paused. Everyone said that the young master of the Lu family was a wastrel, but she had never really heard any specific tales of his wastefulness.

She felt somewhat embarrassed looking at Lu Li now.

“Alright, go through the onboarding process. You’ll be working in the finance department. I’ll monitor your performance. If you do well, I’m not old-fashioned; your promotion will be quick.” Chen Xiaoyi’s capabilities were indeed impressive in the plot. If she could truly be of use to him, Lu Li wouldn’t be stingy.

Besides, he was also thinking of winning her over by bringing her in.

“I’ll have finance draft a loan agreement for the money I’m lending you. Once you sign, the money will be transferred to you immediately,” Lu Li stated plainly.

Chen Xiaoyi bit her lip, thinking she might have upset Lu Li with her words. She had indeed been a bit presumptuous, but there was nothing to be said about that.

“Also, wait for me after work tonight,” Lu Li suddenly added.

“Eh!” Chen Xiaoyi was startled.

“To help you with your health,” Lu Li added, his gaze playful as he looked at Chen Xiaoyi, “What, did you really think I’d be interested in a little girl like you?”

The normally pale and slightly sickly face of the girl blushed instantly, especially under Lu Li’s gaze, making his words seem suggestive.

“I’m not little! My figure is perfectly normal for my age!”

After Chen Xiaoyi walked out, Lu Li’s smile faded, and he returned to sorting through some paperwork.

Not until after work did he leave the office, finding Chen Xiaoyi already waiting, quite obediently.

“Let’s go!” Greeting her, he led the way to the underground parking lot. Chen Xiaoyi pouted, rolling her eyes in displeasure, like a kid throwing a tantrum.

Arriving at the Lu estate, the luxurious courtyard, the garage full of dazzling sports cars, and the palatial villa nearly blinded Chen Xiaoyi.

She hadn’t felt it at first, initially finding Lu Li very approachable and gentle, sometimes even cheeky. But now, an indescribable feeling surged in Chen Xiaoyi’s heart, a sense of disparity.

She had no concrete impression of families like the Lu family; to her, they were just households with bigger houses and more money.

But now, seeing just the tip of the iceberg of the Lu family estate made Chen Xiaoyi’s jaw drop. All of this, is it really not a dream?

Biting her lip, she looked at Lu Li again, feeling an unreal sensation. The man who had helped her, teased her, suddenly seemed so distant.

“Scared by my family’s house?” Lu Li, who had endured hardship in his past life, developed a keen ability to read people, a skill not granted by the system, but a realization from living in a world filled with malice.

“En!” Chen Xiaoyi nodded complexly, feeling the distance between herself and Lu Li, so far it seemed unreachable.

“Don’t overthink it. It’s just a normal family with a slightly larger house.” Lu Li turned his head, raising his eyebrows, his playful expression instantly making Chen Xiaoyi laugh.

“You live in such a house and call it a normal family, aren’t you afraid someone will hear and beat you up?”

“No one heard it, did they?” Lu Li joked.

“I really want to hit you right now.” Chen Xiaoyi looked at Lu Li playfully, feeling the distance between them narrow again.

“Go ahead, I allow you to hit me.”

Securing a heroine about to be won over, Lu Li was in a good mood, signifying a new beginning. He was no longer a puppet that couldn’t do anything.

“Slap!”

“You really hit me!” Chen Xiaoyi said aggrievedly, “You told me to!”

“Hitting the boss, tomorrow I’ll deduct it from your salary.” Lu Li glared at her fiercely, the woman before him not Zhang Ziqin, not Lu Ya, not Liu Menghan; she was a heroine, but Lu Li was sure in his previous life she hadn’t had that kind of relationship with the protagonist as described in the plot.

Looking at this bright and sunny girl, his mood improved a lot.

Walking into the house, Lu Li directly led Chen Xiaoyi to a room: “Take off your clothes and lie on the bed.”

“Ah!” Chen Xiaoyi was startled again.

Lu Li raised his eyebrows, “Don’t ‘ah’ so much! I didn’t tell you to strip completely, just take off your outer clothing and show your fat.”

Chen Xiaoyi seriously doubted this man was doing it on purpose, always speaking half-truths, always to tease her, her face flushed with anger as she glared at Lu Li.

And what fat? This guy is slandering, insulting her as a pretty girl’s figure.