Chapter 14: From Now On, I Belong Only to You

Yebai is a third-tier city, barely qualifying as second-tier.

Wang Zhao was a lawyer at a Red Circle firm. As Zheng Qian understood it, lawyers with over eight years of experience at such firms earned nearly ten million annually. Why would he fly all the way to Yebai for a mere twenty thousand? Unless, of course, he had some ulterior motive. Though he didn’t know how Wang Zhao and Jin Lu had met, his intentions were clearly not pure.

After accepting the commission from Zheng Qian, Wang Zhao hurried away from the scene. He had no idea where Jin Lu had found such a wealthy benefactor; it had come completely out of the blue. Jin Lu had sent a last-minute message, and Wang Zhao had cleared his schedule to see her. He hadn’t expected to see Zheng Qian, a man whose relationship with Jin Lu was clearly extraordinary, which left him feeling deeply unsettled.

Yet, after hearing what Zheng Qian said, Wang Zhao realized his own limitations. Despite an annual salary of eight million, he was, at the end of the day, still just an employee. He spent his days buried in major cases and tedious legal documents, where a single mistake could be catastrophic. It was a life that drained his time and left him perpetually frazzled. Wang Zhao was not yet forty, but he was already showing signs of balding.

Zheng Qian’s way of spending money was far more aggressive than even some of the wealthy second-generation heirs in Shanghai. Those heirs might eat well, dress well, and play well, but their monthly allowances rarely exceeded a few hundred thousand—and that was for the children of the elite. To put it bluntly, those heirs didn't truly control much wealth; if they wanted to spend millions, they had to invent a pretext or justify it to their families. Zheng Qian looked to be about the same age as Jin Lu—in his twenties—and yet he spent thirty million without batting an eye. Compared to Zheng Qian, he was nothing; he wasn't even fit to carry Zheng Qian’s shoes.

With such a powerhouse by Jin Lu’s side, he should put his fantasies about this exceptional woman to rest and just focus on his work. Upon boarding a taxi, Wang Zhao deleted Jin Lu’s contact information.

"What did you say to him?" Jin Lu blinked, looking curious.

"Nothing much, just had a casual chat," Zheng Qian replied, not wanting to spell it out for her.

"I met Wang Zhao back in college when he came to our school for legal outreach. There’s nothing I can’t tell you; you could have just asked," Jin Lu answered.

"Haha, I didn't mean anything by it, but I was curious. He seemed a bit interested in you."

"Hmm... I suppose he might have been. But he’s married with two kids. I wouldn't—and couldn't—ever be a mistress."

Jin Lu stood up and planted a kiss on Zheng Qian’s forehead. "Don't you worry."

"From now on, I am yours alone."

When Zheng Qian chose to be with Jin Lu, he never considered the possibility of her doing anything shady behind his back. It was the principle of "trust those you employ, and employ those you trust." After receiving that sweet kiss, his blood seemed to circulate faster; from his scalp to his toes, he felt a tingling sensation.

***

That evening, Jin Lu dropped Zheng Qian off at Li Tao’s residence for their appointment.

"Are you coming over tonight?"

"Not necessarily, but I probably will." Other than Jiangshan International, Zheng Qian had nowhere else to be.

"Alright, don't drink too much. Call me when you're done, and I'll come pick you up."

Before leaving the car, Jin Lu handed Zheng Qian two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes, a bottle of Moutai from the backseat, and a gift bag. "I bought these for you. Take it easy on the drinking. Call me when you're finished."

Zheng Qian paused for a moment but accepted them. Strictly speaking, he and Li Tao didn't need such formalities, but Jin Lu, as a woman, had handled every detail flawlessly. With a woman like this, what more could a man ask for?

After he went upstairs, Li Tao opened the door.

"You're here! Come on in, your sister-in-law is stir-frying some dishes," Li Tao greeted him.

"Hello, sister-in-law. Sorry for the trouble, this is for you." Zheng Qian placed the gift bag on the table. He didn't know what Jin Lu had bought, but he trusted it would be appropriate.

"Xiao Qian is here? Why bring gifts?" Sister-in-law hurried out of the kitchen. Although she said that, she was clearly delighted to receive a gift.

"Exactly, your sister-in-law doesn't lack anything. Being this polite makes you a stranger," Li Tao said, only then noticing the bottle of Moutai. "You’ve hit it big, kid? Why buy such expensive liquor?"

"Haha, not really. I just started seeing someone, and she bought it for me."

"A new girlfriend? Did things end with the last one?" Li Tao asked.

Zheng Qian nodded, confirming they had broken up.

"You’ve finally escaped the sea of misery! Good for you; you should have ended that a long time ago." Out of politeness, Li Tao hadn't spoken his mind before, but now that it was over, he felt free to speak. He had invited Zheng Qian over to talk about that girlfriend of his. He wouldn't have stood in the way of true love, but it was obvious to everyone that Zheng Qian was being treated like a human ATM. But that didn't matter now; as long as it was over, it was for the best.

"So, this new girlfriend of yours is quite wealthy?" Li Tao pulled Zheng Qian to a seat, feeling gossipy.

"I suppose she’s well-off. She’s very capable," Zheng Qian replied truthfully. Saving up three million was enough to be considered wealthy in Yebai; even average middle-class families couldn't accumulate that much.

"Good, good. Then we can say you’ve finally made it, ha-ha!" Moutai was hard to come by these days—you either paid a premium or needed connections just to get a regular bottle. It seemed Zheng Qian’s new girlfriend was indeed well-situated.

"Hey, I saw you going out with Qin Xueli from our company yesterday. Have you finally come to your senses?" Li Tao asked again.

"Oh, stop it. Xiao Qian doesn't want to talk about it, and you keep pressing him," Sister-in-law said as she brought out the hot dishes.

"Fine, fine, I’ll stop." Li Tao waved his hand.

Zheng Qian offered an awkward smile. He really didn't know how to explain the situation with Qin Xueli and Jin Lu to Li Tao; it was too complicated to clarify in the moment. The three of them sat down and chatted about mundane family matters, as harmonious as a real family.

Once they were nearly finished eating, Li Tao gave his wife a look, signaling her to step into the other room for a while.

"Brother Tao, just tell me what’s on your mind," Zheng Qian said. He had guessed that Li Tao had a reason for inviting him—he wouldn't have asked him over last night and followed up with a message this morning otherwise. As his mentor, guide, and older brother, if Li Tao needed help, Zheng Qian would do everything in his power to assist.

Li Tao stubbed out his cigarette and said, with a serious expression, "Alright, since you're being direct, I won't beat around the bush."

"I’m planning on changing jobs."