Chapter 27 - Sis, you're the one being inappropriate!

"The 240-square-meter unit on the 16th floor." Lu Liang didn't believe in feng shui, but he didn't voice any objections either. He simply thought that unit already had partitions installed and a few office desks—he could move in right away without any hassle. For a long time to come, this company would be nothing more than a shell corporation, so a makeshift setup would suffice for now. "Daily rent is 3 yuan per square meter, including property fees. The lease term is one year, with a deposit equivalent to three months' rent and payment made quarterly. Xiao Liu, go get the contract." The standard market rate was 4.5 yuan per square meter. With just a few words, Meng Changkun had given Lu Liang a one-third discount. "Brother Kun, you've already helped me so much—let's stick to the regular price," Lu Liang said earnestly. Mutual benefit was the foundation of friendship, not taking advantage of one party for the other's gain. He was willing to accept Meng Changkun's assistance, but he wouldn't take such an obvious handout. Meng Changkun paused, about to argue, but then met Lu Liang's gaze and suddenly laughed. "Alright then, 4.5 yuan per square meter it is." He finally understood why he admired Lu Liang so much. The man knew his boundaries, knew when to advance and when to retreat. Even with the vast disparity in their wealth, Lu Liang never acted inferior. That kind of integrity was truly rare. At 135 yuan per square meter per month for 240 square meters, the monthly rent came to 32,400 yuan. With the three-month deposit plus the first quarter's rent, Lu Liang paid a total of 194,400 yuan. Once the lease agreement was signed, Liu Jun helped Lu Liang fill out the company registration paperwork—Lu Liang provided the information, and Liu Jun would handle the rest of the process. "The company name will be Tianxing Capital. Registered capital is 6 million yuan, fully paid-in." Lu Liang figured he'd keep 1 million yuan in working capital on reserve, which should be more than enough for the short term. There were actually a lot of loopholes when it came to subscribed vs. fully paid-in capital, but his mind wasn't on the company right now. He might as well register with fully paid-in capital to avoid having to make additional contributions later. "Assistant Liu, I'll leave this matter in your hands. Brother Kun, I'll take my leave now." At five o'clock in the afternoon, Lu Liang bid Meng Changkun farewell and took Li Manli back home. Li Manli flopped down on the sofa without a care for her posture and let out a long, contented sigh. "Finally home." Apart from playing a bit of tennis with Lu Liang that morning, she'd just tagged along for the rest of the day. She hadn't understood a word of what Lu Liang and Meng Changkun had been talking about, and she couldn't offer any help either—she'd just made awkward small talk with Zhou Xiaoqi. Lu Liang sat down beside her, and Li Manli naturally rested her head on his lap, looking up at him. "I'm hungry." She usually ate with gusto, but at lunch, she'd had to hold back since they were with Lu Liang's friend. The result of her restraint was an empty stomach. "What do you feel like eating?" Lu Liang flipped through the documents Liu Jun had given him, along with some notes on what to watch out for with a newly registered company. Once the business license came through, he'd need to hire at least two people: an accountant and a receptionist. Their main responsibilities would be keeping the office running—locking up and opening up, paying utility bills and rent, and maybe doing a bit of cleaning if they felt like it. "I want Hainanese chicken rice." Li Manli scrolled through her phone, too lazy to go out and preferring to order takeout. "Get me a serving too, please." Lu Liang picked up his phone and transferred 50,000 yuan to Li Manli. Li Manli's eyes widened when she saw the transfer notification, and she sat bolt upright. "What's this for?" Lu Liang pulled her into his arms. "You said you weren't happy with your job. I've found you a new one." "What job?" Li Manli squirmed a little, adjusting her position to get more comfortable in his arms. "Look at this big house—what's missing?" Lu Liang glanced around the spacious living room. "Is this moving too fast?" Li Manli stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. She hadn't expected such a pleasant surprise to come so soon. Before she could say anything else, Lu Liang tapped her lightly on the forehead. "What are you thinking? Don't you think this place is missing a housekeeper?" This 434-square-meter four-bedroom, two-living-room apartment felt far too empty for just one person. A few days ago, if Zhang Qian hadn't stayed over for a couple of nights, he wouldn't have even known what to eat by himself. So he'd been thinking of hiring a housekeeper, who could then hire a cook to take care of daily chores. And Li Manli had come along at just the right time. She'd graduated from high school last June, worked in a factory for half a year, then spent two and a half months working at Wanli Palace. With a high school diploma and no college education, she was clearly unqualified for a corporate position. Lu Liang also didn't want to mix personal relationships with business, even if it was just a shell company for now. After giving it some thought, he'd decided the housekeeper position would be perfect for Li Manli. "I'll be the housekeeper?" Li Manli mumbled, her mood deflating a little. She'd thought Lu Liang was going to make her the lady of the house. She was a bit resistant—her impression of housekeepers was that they were all middle-aged women in their forties or fifties. Lu Liang laughed. "Who says a housekeeper can't be young and beautiful? Have you seen those Japanese movies? The housekeepers are all gorgeous." Li Manli tilted her head, instantly distracted. "Are the movies you watch... appropriate?" "Little sister, you're the one with the dirty mind." Lu Liang held Li Manli's chin between his fingers, gazing at her soft, pink lips. Unable to resist, he leaned in and kissed her. Li Manli's eyes fluttered shut. She wrapped her fair arms around Lu Liang's neck and kissed him back. The sun dipped below the horizon, its golden rays spilling into the living room. Gradually, articles of clothing began to pile up on the floor beside the sofa. The orange sunlight caressed Li Manli's snow-white back, gilding her skin with a warm glow. As time passed, tiny beads of sweat broke out across her back, making the golden light shimmer even more brightly. Suddenly, a phone rang—jarringly out of place. "Y-your... phone's... ringing..." Li Manli's eyes were hazy, her voice trembling and breathless. Lu Liang's breathing was heavy too. He glanced over at the phone, but since the caller ID wasn't displayed, he ignored it. The phone rang for 40 seconds, then fell silent. Five minutes later, it rang again, persistent as ever. This happened three times in total. Finally, Lu Liang picked up the blanket that had fallen to the floor and draped it over Li Manli and himself. He grabbed his phone, stared at the number—it looked vaguely familiar, but he didn't give it much thought before dialing it back. As soon as the call connected, a woman's furious voice erupted from the speaker. "When did you sell the house?!" "When I sell my property is none of your business, is it?" Lu Liang's expression turned cold. They hadn't spoken in months, but he'd recognized her voice instantly—it was his ex-wife, Lin Wenjing. "You changed your phone number, sold the house, quit your job—what on earth are you trying to do?!" Lin Wenjing shouted, seething with rage. At first, she'd called Lu Liang's old number, only to be told it was disconnected. She'd then gone to his old house and his former workplace, but had been turned away both times. It was one thing that the house had a new owner, but what really stung was how Lu Liang's former boss had treated her. At first, he'd been polite enough, but the moment she'd mentioned Lu Liang's name, he'd blown his top and thrown her out of the office. Later, a young girl had chased after her to explain that Lu Liang had resigned months ago. Before leaving, he'd given their boss a piece of his mind, and the man had held a grudge ever since. The girl had also given her Lu Liang's new phone number. "What I do has nothing to do with you." Lin Wenjing gritted her teeth, her voice icy with anger. "What did you do with my things?!" "I called you back then. You said you didn't want them, so I threw them all away." A smile tugged at the corner of Lu Liang's lips, and his mood gradually calmed. He stroked Li Manli's chin, toying with her like a cat. Li Manli held her breath, listening intently to their conversation. She'd figured out the caller was Lu Liang's ex-wife. A mischievous grin spread across her face. In a sickeningly sweet, babyish voice, she purred, "Brother~ You're so bad, doing that to my face..." Lu Liang froze in shock. He was certain Lin Wenjing had heard that too. Through the phone, he could hear her breathing grow heavier and heavier, filled with rage. "You bastard, Lu Liang! I can't believe you!" She snarled the words through gritted teeth, then hung up the phone with a sharp click. Lu Liang sighed. He thought back to a few months ago, when he'd called Lin Wenjing and heard a man's voice answering the phone. Now, this felt like poetic justice. He'd thought he'd feel triumphant, but instead, he just felt a vague sense of melancholy. After all, when they'd first gotten married, Lu Liang had truly wanted to take care of her for the rest of his life—to grow old together, side by side. But now, they were nothing more than bitter enemies. "Brother Liang, I'm sorry... I messed up," Li Manli said, twisting her earlobe nervously. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and pleading. From their conversation, she'd gathered that their relationship was extremely strained. She'd wanted to help, but it seemed she'd only made things worse. Lu Liang kept a straight face. "Your mistake was lying about where I did it. It was your back, not your face." Li Manli blinked, momentarily stunned. That didn't sound like a reprimand at all. She bit her lower lip, then slipped her hand under the blanket. "W-what if we... start over?"