Chapter 18 - sensible

On the way back, Zhang Qian suddenly said to her daughter, "Sweetie, Uncle Lu is going to help Mommy find a new job. That way, Mommy can spend more time with you from now on." She'd done a lot of thinking on the drive. Lu Liang was right—kids grow up fast, and sooner or later, Yunyun would start asking questions. If word got out at school, those innocent little mouths could say some hurtful things, and that would be bad for her daughter's growth. Besides, if Lu Liang wanted to keep their relationship going long-term, he definitely wouldn't want her to keep working as a hostess in a nightclub, selling drinks and forcing smiles. "That's awesome!" The little girl was over the moon. She tugged at Lu Liang's sleeve and smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Uncle Lu!""You're welcome. How could I say no to someone as cute as you?" Lu Liang affectionately ruffled her hair. Zhang Qian lived in Building 16, Unit 4, Phase 2 of Fudu Garden in Changning District—a place Lu Liang had helped her find just last year. It was a small three-bedroom apartment; not very spacious, but owning a place of her own in Shanghai already put her ahead of most people. "Uncle Lu, this is my room! And this is my favorite Xiao Ai, and Doubao…" The little girl excitedly pulled Lu Liang into a pink-themed bedroom, showing off her collection of cartoon dolls one by one. "I know this one—it's Snoopy, right?" Lu Liang picked up a white puppy plushie and grinned. The little girl nodded vigorously. "Yes! Yes! It's Snoopy! Mommy doesn't even know who he is.""Off to take a bath and go to bed now. You have school tomorrow." Zhang Qian closed the bedroom door, then poured Lu Liang a cup of tea. She said, "Brother Liang, I've decided to quit my job. I'll take care of Mom these next few months, and figure out what I want to do in the meantime." Lu Liang replied, "If you have any ideas, go check out the market first. Then draw up a budget and send it to me." Zhang Qian didn't want to rely entirely on Lu Liang. She wanted to invest some money of her own too, but it was too early to bring that up—nothing was set in stone yet. "If there's nothing else, I should get going. I have to go out of town for a few days. Give me a call if you need anything." Meng Changkun had called him at noon that day, saying the actress audition would be held tomorrow and asking if he was free. Lu Liang had of course said yes and agreed on a time. The audition itself was trivial—what mattered was getting his foot in the door of that industry. "Let me walk you out, Brother Liang." Zhang Qian stood up. Just then, the bedroom door creaked open a crack. The little girl peered out with big, round eyes. "Uncle, are you staying here tonight?" Zhang Qian turned around, her face hardening as she called out sternly, "Zhang Yun! Go take your bath and go to bed right now!" The little girl pouted. "I was just asking… Grandma's in the hospital. No one's gonna take me to school tomorrow.""Uncle has things to do—he has to go home now. I'll take you to school tomorrow." Zhang Qian said coldly. The little girl's face fell. She forced a smile and waved. "Bye, Uncle." With that, she slammed the door shut with a loud bang, as if letting off steam. "Zhang Yun!" Zhang Qian's face turned stormy. She was genuinely angry. "Where are your manners?!""Calm down, calm down." Lu Liang practically dragged her out the door, wrapping his arms around her. He pinched her cheek playfully and grinned. "I've never seen you lose your temper like this before.""If you don't discipline a child when they're young, what kind of person will they grow up to be?" Zhang Qian snapped, struggling to break free from his grip. "Settle down." Lu Liang held her tighter and sighed. "Have you ever thought there might be another reason for this?""No reason excuses throwing a tantrum like that! Who do you think I'm doing all this hard work for?!" Zhang Qian's eyes turned red, and she suddenly felt a surge of grievance. She could put up with men taking advantage of her, force a smile through endless humiliation, and keep drinking even when she threw up again and again—all to earn a little more money, to give her daughter a better life. But now her own daughter was giving her the cold shoulder? That was something she couldn't bear. "Money matters a lot to us adults, but kids aren't that materialistic. What they crave most is their parents' company." Lu Liang told her about what he'd seen outside the pediatric clinic—the way the little girl had envied the other kids being carried on their fathers' backs, but only dared to steal a glance. It was enough to break anyone's heart. "Your daughter is such a sensible, considerate kid. But she's still just a child—she can't hold it in forever. That's why she's acting out." Lu Liang had worked as a real estate agent once, so he'd met all sorts of people. The adult world was nothing but self-interest—even his relationship with Zhang Qian was built on mutual benefit. But that little girl's innocent eyes had suddenly brought a splash of color to this gray, jaded world. That's why he'd grown so fond of her. Zhang Qian fell silent, lost in memories. Her temper gradually cooled. "Brother Liang, let me go." Lu Liang released her and smiled. "You've figured it out. Go talk to her properly later. I'll head off now.""Brother Liang." Zhang Qian suddenly called out to him, her voice almost pleading. "If you can… please find some time to come see Sweetie when you're free. Even if it's just to have a meal with her." She'd always thought she could be both mother and father to her daughter, but now she realized it had just been wishful thinking. Sweetie longed for a father's love—and she'd been ignoring that fact all this time. "No problem." Lu Liang paused, then teased, "Aren't you afraid she'll start calling me Daddy in a few months?" Zhang Qian wiped the corners of her eyes, instantly reverting to her usual composed and shrewd self. She smiled and said, "Wouldn't that be double the joy?" Her daughter would gain a kind, caring father, and she would gain a wealthy husband—what more could she ask for? Lu Liang was stunned. He realized he'd just walked into his own trap. He waved his hands and said, "Alright, I'm outta here. Bye!""Bye!" Zhang Qian stuck out her tongue and made a face behind his back. She muttered under her breath, "Why so scared? It's not like I'm gonna make you take responsibility. At worst, I'll just let you have me for free…" ... The next morning, 9:30 a.m. Lu Liang stared blankly at his computer screen, so absorbed that he didn't even hear his phone ring—it was Meng Changkun calling. Zhongwen Online had opened with a limit-up! The current price was 34.43 yuan, and the buying orders locking in the limit-up were worth over 80 million yuan. "How is this possible? A limit-up on a day like today… What's gonna happen in the next two trading days next week?" Lu Liang had bought 10 million yuan worth of shares the day before, and now he was sitting on a 1 million yuan profit—but he wasn't the least bit happy. For one thing, his prediction had been completely wrong. For another… he was terrified. [June 2nd, Zhongwen Online, 39.82 yuan.] But judging by the current momentum, this stock was starting to act abnormally volatile—it had even made it onto the Dragon and Tiger List twice. In a situation like this, next week would bring either a huge surge or a catastrophic crash. The voice in his head—the voice that had been guiding his trades—might be wrong this time. Lu Liang didn't dare to think about what would happen if that voice's prediction failed. Would nothing change? Or would it disappear forever? He sat there lost in thought until Meng Changkun called again, jolting him back to reality. "Brother Lu! Still asleep?""Sorry, Brother Kun. I've been up for ages—just got caught up in something. Are you downstairs? Alright, I'll be right down." Lu Liang hesitated for a moment, then decided he didn't care if his actions would impact the market. He sold all his 322,000 shares, liquidating his entire position. The moment his sell order went through, Zhongwen Online's limit-up was broken—but it was sealed shut again almost immediately, with the buying orders swelling to 120 million yuan. Lu Liang didn't care anymore. He just wanted to stay in cash and wait and see for a few days. If the voice turned out to be unreliable, at least he wouldn't lose any money. He had to prepare for the worst-case scenario—that the voice would disappear if its prediction was wrong. His account balance now stood at 21.586 million yuan—all of it available for trading, with 10.256 million yuan eligible for withdrawal. Lu Liang transferred the full 10.256 million yuan to his bank card, then grabbed his car keys and headed out the door. At the very same moment, The sound of furious shouting erupted from No. 129 Huanghe Road: "Son of a bitch! Him again! Doesn't he know a good thing when he sees it…"