Chapter 302: So We’re Family!

Chapter 302: So We’re Family!

Lei Cheng was at a loss.

He had no idea why Wu Yurong would suddenly say something so disrespectful to Wu Chen. There had been no hint of a joke in her voice either, which left him abruptly stuck, with nowhere to take the conversation.

Lei Cheng “knew” Wu Yurong.

Just as she “knew” him.

They were not close, but both moved in Donghai business circles, so of course each knew who the other was and had seen the other at various functions. Even if the two had never actually spoken before, each understood perfectly well what kind of person the other was.

Wu Yurong knew rather less about Lei Cheng. Only that he was the second young master of the Hongfa Lei family, the loser in the Lei family’s internal struggle, that he liked making stars of women, and that he was Tao Manying’s patron.

Lei Cheng knew a great deal more about Wu Yurong.

Because Wu Yurong was far too famous in Donghai.

So famous that “Ms. Wu” had become almost a symbolic title for her in the city. No one called her Boss Wu or President Wu.

They called her Ms. Wu.

After so many years in Donghai, Lei Cheng naturally knew what she had done back then: how she had ruined her ex-husband’s family and driven him to suicide, and how the ruthlessness of her methods had earned her the name Black Widow.

And yet in her dealings with people, Wu Yurong’s reputation was excellent.

She had once been Donghai’s foremost beauty.

She was gentle and sweet, with extraordinary emotional intelligence. Among those who had dealt with her, there was scarcely anyone who spoke ill of her.

Except her enemies, of course.

People were complicated creatures.

Wu Yurong was a perfect example.

When Donghai’s business circles weighed her as a whole, they generally had little bad to say beyond calling her ruthless. They praised her beauty and her business mind.

But they always added one warning.

Don’t provoke her.

That was Lei Cheng’s understanding of Wu Yurong.

Which was why he was so confused now.

Had he offended her?

Said something wrong?

Why had she suddenly denied Wu Chen face so bluntly and turned the whole atmosphere stiff?

Something was very wrong.

With her emotional intelligence, Lei Cheng felt Wu Yurong simply should not speak that way.

And yet she had. Out of nowhere.

And he could not think why.

The room fell silent.

Lei Cheng looked toward Wu Chen with an odd expression. Having spoken, Wu Yurong also turned toward Wu Chen, her eyes full of tenderness.

“We’re not friends?” Wu Chen glanced at her and asked with a smile.

“Of course not,” she said softly, sweetly, looking at him.

Another two seconds of silence.

“Ahahahaha—” Lei Cheng suddenly laughed. “I understand, Ms. Wu. You mean you’re good friends. Confidants. Right? Hahaha…”

Even he felt awkward saying it.

He was forcing the conversation back onto level ground.

He believed that with her emotional intelligence, even if she was unhappy about something, she had made her point. Surely she would take the way out he was offering.

“No.” Wu Yurong looked at him. “Boss Lei, you’ve got it wrong again. We’re not good friends either, and we’re certainly not confidants.”

His smile froze.

Then she smiled sweetly and said, “We’re lovers. He’s my man.”

“Hm?!” Lei Cheng went rigid, eyes going so wide they nearly bulged out of his head.

Most people could not produce an expression that exaggerated.

Wu Yurong truly had shocked him that badly.

Silence filled the room.

She had been far too direct.

“Did you have to be that direct?” Wu Chen glanced at her.

“Is there a problem?” she glanced back, and asked it gently.

“No.” Wu Chen smiled.

He was only mildly surprised.

By his original plan, Lei Cheng was meant to learn of his relationship with Wu Yurong over the course of this dinner. It bore on what they were going to discuss, so Lei Cheng needed to know, and there was no reason to hide it.

But Wu Chen had not expected it delivered quite so plainly.

They had barely sat down and exchanged two sentences before she said it outright.

To be fair, she had Wu Chen’s permission. Earlier, when he had said on the phone that he was bringing a friend, Wu Yurong had asked who it was and whether that person could be told about the two of them.

Wu Chen had agreed and told her what they would be discussing tonight.

Which had also given her some sense of his thinking.

As for why she had been so blunt—

Wu Chen suspected she wanted to get to the real business as quickly as possible.

If she did not simply say it, it might take Lei Cheng a very long time to understand what they were to each other. They might eat and talk for an hour before he pieced it together from small gestures, and even then he would struggle to believe it.

And there were things that could only be discussed properly once Lei Cheng understood.

Otherwise this dinner would run very long.

Wu Yurong simply wanted to reach business sooner.

So—

Why the hurry?

Did she want dinner and the discussion done early so they could go home and sleep?

Wu Chen was not sure.

It was only a guess.

“Ah…” Lei Cheng made a sound of sudden understanding, then burst out laughing. “Hahahahaha! So we’re all family!”

He had forced the shock down before saying it.

And it was a socially deft thing to say. It broke the strange mood and pleased Wu Yurong at the same time.

Lei Cheng was genuinely stunned.

First Li Ruobing.

And now Wu Yurong too?!

How the hell had Wu Chen managed this?!

Wu Yurong, of all people, should have been the most impossible.

Just how incredible was this man?!

Lei Cheng felt shaken to the core.

Wu Yurong smiled with her lips pressed together.

She plainly liked “all family.”

She glanced at Wu Chen again, noticed his shirt collar sitting slightly crooked, and reached over to straighten it as naturally as breathing.

Then she looked back at Lei Cheng.

“Boss Lei, let’s order first.” She glanced at Tao Manying as well. “Miss Tao, is there anything you especially like?”

Wu Yurong would not treat Tao Manying differently simply for being a superstar.

It was mainly that Tao Manying was Lei Cheng’s woman, and Lei Cheng was Wu Chen’s friend.

That was why she showed her a little extra consideration.

As for Tao Manying—

She had been with Lei Cheng a long time and came to Donghai often. She had heard of Wu Yurong’s name long ago.

So she was extremely polite with her, and especially careful in her manner.

They ordered.

While they waited for the food, the four talked idly.

Now that their “identities” were clear, the atmosphere had changed.

It felt almost like friends gathering with their partners in tow.

Once the dishes arrived they talked a while longer before Wu Chen finally turned to the main subject.

“Brother Lei, the real reason I asked Sister Rong to come today…” Wu Chen rested a hand on his wineglass and looked at him with a smile. “There’s a piece of business. I don’t know whether you’d be interested.”

“Business?” Lei Cheng was startled for a moment, then said at once, “Of course! I’m interested! Brother, just tell me what it is. If there’s anything I can do, I won’t hesitate.”

Wu Chen had not even said what the business was, and Lei Cheng had all but agreed.

Because he owed Wu Chen a debt.

Without Wu Chen, Lei Cheng did not know whether he would ever have had a chance to turn his life around.

Everything had begun changing from the moment they met.

And it was not only gratitude.

Lei Cheng trusted Wu Chen’s ability.

He thought the man was very nearly uncanny.

So as far as Lei Cheng was concerned, if Wu Chen was bringing him business, it had to be something big.

Something with enormous upside.

You could not go wrong following Wu Chen.

Seeing his attitude, Wu Chen smiled and looked toward Wu Yurong.

She had brought a briefcase, resting on the chair on her other side. When she saw his glance she reached back, opened it, and drew out a thick stack of documents.

She handed them to Wu Chen.

He took them, looked them over, flipped briefly through the first few pages, then stood and held them out to Lei Cheng.

“Take a look, Brother Lei.”

Lei Cheng rose to accept them, sat back down, and began to read.

His expression gradually grew strange.

The room was quiet.

No one spoke.

They had to wait until he finished before the discussion could go on.

Two minutes later.

Ring, ring…

A phone rang. Wu Chen’s.

He took it out. Li Ruotai.

“Hello. What happened?” He answered and went straight to the question.

At this hour, something must have happened.

Otherwise Li Ruotai would not be calling.