Chapter 41: Chapter 41 After Fleeing, the Disabled Tycoon Stops Pretending 3
Su Zhiruan nodded, then quickly glanced at his expression.
In the end, she couldn’t tell; it seemed like he never showed any emotion, even when saying something like that, it was as if he was dealing with some document, apathetic.
He seemed to have been born without any emotions, an extremely calm and rational superior, with no kind of matter ever causing his emotions to fluctuate.
Lu Peijin had his secretary pass her a room card, along with the bank card on the table to Su Zhiruan.
“Let’s go,” Lu Peijin said without looking at her again. He slightly lifted his hand, and the secretary pushed his wheelchair away into the distance.
Su Zhiruan watched his wheelchair, her eyelashes drooping as she contemplated for a while.
She then stored both cards away carefully.
Originally, she had not planned to take the money since she was still on a mission, trying to establish the image of a poor but steadfast ‘little white flower’; even if it tore her heart, she would decline.
But when Lu Peijin mentioned her grandmother, Su Zhiruan still accepted it.
In the original host’s memory, her grandmother was an upright and honest person, very traditional at heart. If she knew Su Zhiruan had agreed to such conditions to save her, she would definitely refuse treatment.
She could use this money to buy some things for her grandmother, get herself a new outfit, and rent a slightly better house.
She walked out and continued with her cleaning duties.
Upon returning, she didn’t know what her colleagues had discussed, but their looks towards her were all of sympathy.
“Ruanruan, are you alright? Were you scolded?” A girl about her age came over and patted her shoulder. “You were called over just now by the secretary of the hotel’s big boss. Ever since the boss became disabled, he’s been gloomy, and no one can ever guess what he’s really thinking.”
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Su Zhiruan didn’t refute. After all, with such a relationship that must stay out of the limelight, it was better not to make a fuss. Now that she had a convenient excuse, she could just let Lu Peijin take the blame. Smiling, she grasped the girl’s hand, “A couple of scoldings won’t kill me—won’t make me lose any flesh.”
“Being scolded by President Lu is also an honor for you. Ordinary people wouldn’t get to meet President Lu in their lifetimes,” a woman in a waiter’s uniform suddenly interjected, her tone disdainful and her eyes oozing superiority, “President Lu is no ordinary person, hardly seen on a daily basis!”
“Like you folks could ever meet such a VIP! One sighting in your lifetime means your ancestors’ graves are billowing with green smoke,” the woman tossed aside the cleaning rag she was holding, leaning smugly against the crystal wall, looking quite pleased with herself, “I came here just to catch a glimpse of President Lu!”
Her words displeased the others who heard them.
Ever since this woman arrived at the hotel to work as a waitress, she declared that she wasn’t there for the money, unlike these poor souls; she was there to ‘see the world’, to meet higher-class people.
At that time, everyone was too busy to pay her any attention.
Later on, the woman did follow through with what she had said, quite clearly, hooking up with a rich second-generation from an entertainment company within days.
After being with the guy for a few days, she returned, claiming that this time she aimed even higher.
Hearing her boast again, the people around dispersed, and Su Zhiruan, who had been quietly working all along, didn’t make a sound but only arched an eyebrow, pondering to herself:
If… this colleague with such high standards knew that in her pocket right now was the presidential suite card of Lu Peijin, she wondered what she would think…
In the evening, Su Zhiruan showed up on the 28th floor, right on time.
The entire 28th level belonged to Lu Peijin, calling it a presidential suite wouldn’t entirely cover it—in fact, it was a whole grand flat.
Although they were now in a contract relationship, in order for her mission to go smoothly, Su Zhiruan had deliberately changed into a new dress.
She politely knocked on the door, waited for ten seconds, then used the room card to open it.
Greeting her eyes was still the leather sofa and the dim room.
“Come in,” came a deep voice from inside. Su Zhiruan stood at the door, with the corridor’s flickering lights behind her and darkness ahead. She stepped inside and heard the man’s tone remain indifferent as he continued, “I haven’t turned on the lights, watch your step.”
“…Okay,” Su Zhiruan walked in, closed the door, and then saw the man standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. She paused upon seeing the wheelchair placed at the entrance. Lu Peijin’s warning to watch her step was a caution about it, “You… you can actually…”
What she wanted to say was that Lu Peijin could actually stand up!
But she felt there must be a reason for his actions, perhaps some secret not to be shared beyond the wealthy family, so she closed her mouth.
All of her small movements were observed by Lu Peijin, accustomed to the dark. His previously uninterested mood suddenly sparked an interest in her.
“I’m faking it,” Lu Peijin didn’t hide the fact. As their contract involved having a child, the process of conception naturally required honesty. He didn’t wish to pretend to be disabled and spoil his own pleasure, especially not to have a naive girl move on her own accord. He boldly strode over, and as he walked, his gaze landed on Su Zhiruan’s outfit for the day. His eyes darkened immediately, “Come here.”
Clad in a red dress, Su Zhiruan looked strikingly beautiful. Though bright red, the color seemed to drip with allure on her. Even in the dim light, her snow-white skin was evident, and her long hair, like a waterfall, had just been washed. Half-dry, her black hair against her pale skin and red dress made her look like a bewitching fairy in the night.
Yet her expression was innocent and unaware. Hearing his call, she carefully checked where she was stepping before slowly making her way over.
This mix of innocence and allure, naivety with shocking beauty, was truly mesmerizing.
Lu Peijin was suddenly reminded of the first time he had seen her. He initially encountered her after an interview at the hotel.
Interviewing for small positions like waitstaff and janitors was usually the job of the hotel’s lobby manager.
However, since he didn’t feel like using a wheelchair that day, he had disguised himself, planning to return to the hotel when he happened to come across Su Zhiruan.
It was raining, yet she hadn’t brought an umbrella. Rain drenched her hair, which lay soaked against her shoulders, her eyes filled with helplessness. As he sat in his car, intending to offer her an umbrella, he inadvertently overheard the conversation between her and her grandmother. Her grandmother was persuading her not to spend money unnecessarily, saying she was beyond medical help, and even if cured, wouldn’t live many more years.
But the girl was determined, assuring her grandmother to be at ease.
After hanging up the phone, she started crying in the rain.
At that moment, Lu Peijin recalled the way the old man scolded him using his lack of offspring, even his abstinence over the years to imply he might be homosexual or intending to end the Lu Family lineage. He had retorted calmly and confidently,
“End the line? Father needn’t worry about that, those illegitimate sons of yours are trouble enough, but they seem to be living quite well.”