Chapter 31: This Oyster Must Be Won!

As Li Qian stood dumbfounded, Chu Lin suddenly repeated the words he had used to handle Shen Lu before: "Actually, I have a girlfriend!"

He had told Shen Lu he had a fiancée, which was a definitive way of showing there would be no future between them. But saying he had a girlfriend was different—it implied things could still continue. After all, girlfriends could be replaced, but a fiancée meant engagement and marriage. If you pursued a man with a fiancée, you were clearly the other woman. With just a girlfriend, at worst, the man was two-timing, and you could still say nothing was settled—at most, it was a competition.

For a girl, it was far more acceptable.

"You...?" Li Qian's eyes widened in shock, and she suddenly couldn't utter a single word.

This man had praised her beauty all night, step by step drawing her in, then claimed he was drunk and unsure what he'd done the next morning, and now he was telling her he had a girlfriend?

Instantly, she wondered if she had been played by a heartless man.

Chu Lin's reason for saying such a mood-killing thing was simply to give himself a ready excuse to withdraw at any moment. He knew he couldn't settle his heart, and if he ever had another perfect encounter with another girl—even if Li Qian saw—it would be easy to explain: she saw his girlfriend.

Who would feel guilty then?

If things ever soured between them, this would be his excuse: he could say it was wrong, that he couldn't continue hurting his girlfriend, and even act out a poignant parting.

Of course, he didn't want to end his relationship with Li Qian altogether; otherwise, why go through the effort of winning her?

So he continued, "Qian, I'm not an irresponsible man. If you want me to take responsibility, I can give you fifty thousand a month as pocket money."

As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and transferred fifty-two thousand to Li Qian on the spot, then added, "Of course, if you don't want this, we can keep this secret forever—just a perfect encounter."

A perfect encounter?

Li Qian suddenly felt the urge to hit someone—she had suffered a needle for nothing, and now had to call it a perfect encounter?

Chu Lin knew not to entangle things too much at this moment. He hadn't even drunk a mouthful of porridge before he stood up, opened the door, and left, leaving Li Qian utterly stunned.

Now, he just had to wait for Li Qian's decision.

Fifty thousand a month was a fortune for her. But for him, once the oysters were supplied to Zhizhen, fifty thousand was barely half a day's income. The extra two thousand was just a gesture, an added sense of ceremony.

When he had no money, he would make an effort to appear earnest in love, but now, with wealth, he felt he didn't even want to bother with such pretense.

He felt disappointed in himself—he had fallen, and he marveled at the power of money.

At least he hadn't resisted how money affected his thoughts and actions.

If Li Qian still wouldn't accept, it meant she had her own considerations and steadfastness in matters of the heart, a resolve strong enough to resist the lure of fifty thousand a month.

If that happened, he would change his tactics—tell her he'd broken up with his girlfriend for her, and deeply move her.

But then, if he wanted to go out with Huang Bin or have a perfect encounter with another girl, she couldn't know.

Wait—if she didn't accept, wouldn't she just leave? Why was he thinking about going back?

Chu Lin was stunned.

Damn, when did he become so indecisive?

Because of that faint stirring in his heart?

This...

Li Qian watched as Chu Lin actually left, not even saying a word to comfort her, not promising he'd love her.

Heartless man!

Fuming, she grabbed her phone, ready to delete him from her contacts—just treat it as a mosquito bite.

But when she opened Chu Lin's WeChat, she froze.

There was a transfer of fifty-two thousand sitting there.

Her motion to delete was halted; in her anger, she hadn't noticed this detail. Now Chu Lin's promise of fifty thousand a month echoed in her mind.

Was fifty thousand a lot?

For the rich, perhaps not, but for ordinary people like her, it was absurdly much.

She knew nothing of sales tricks; last month she only sold five cars, salary plus commission barely came to fifteen thousand.

In the off-season, she couldn't even sell five cars.

Her cousin worked at a bank and told her that there were fewer than seven hundred thousand people nationwide who earned twenty thousand a month through regular jobs.

Now, with fifty-two thousand a month before her, she didn't know what to do.

So her current dilemma wasn't whether Chu Lin was a heartless man, but whether she should accept the money.

Women facing such dilemmas often consult close female friends or confidantes.

She immediately called Sister Qiu, her cousin who worked at a bank and had broader experience, often able to guide her.

As the call connected, Sister Qiu's voice came through, "Qian, what's got you up so early?"

Li Qian hesitated, then said, "Cousin, I have a friend who met a heartless man—he slept with her and only then said he had a girlfriend. What should she do?"

Sister Qiu paused, then said, "Qian, how could you be so careless?"

"Huh?" Li Qian was stunned.

She had said it was a friend.

How did her cousin know?

Sister Qiu spoke again, "Why keep such a heartless man? If you can't do anything about him, just treat it like a mosquito bite. If that's not enough, comfort yourself that you were in a relationship and broke up because it wasn't a good fit. Learn from it."

Li Qian said, conflicted, "But he said he'd take responsibility and give fifty-two thousand a month."

"What?" Sister Qiu's voice suddenly rose several octaves. "How much did he say?"

"Fifty-two thousand," Li Qian repeated.

Sister Qiu spoke solemnly, "Qian, listen to me—this is not a heartless man. This is a good brother!"

"Huh?" Li Qian remembered her cousin as dignified—this remark shattered her worldview. "Cousin, is this really okay?"

Sister Qiu sighed, "Qian, when you reach my age, you'll understand. No need to force a smile, no need to drink yourself half to death, no pressure from loans, and you can easily earn fifty thousand a month. It's such a happy thing."

"But there's no official status," Li Qian whispered.

"Official status?" Sister Qiu scoffed, "Look at me—do I have status? Working hard for a bit of money, still having to subsidize the family and pay for the kids' schooling, doing all the housework, taking care of the in-laws, and the husband is lazy, only good at smoking and drinking, never helping with chores. Official status is just a long-term housemaid."

"Wait, you're not talking about Mr. Chu, are you?" Li Qian was incredulous. "Cousin, how do you know everything?"

Sister Qiu's voice came, filled with exasperation, "My silly girl, such a handsome and wealthy man—what are you hesitating for? He really only has a girlfriend, not a fiancée. You don't understand the principle of fair competition before marriage?"

"Let me do the math. If you date other men, you might break up and get nothing. If you date Mr. Chu, fifty-two thousand a month is six hundred twenty-four thousand a year, one million two hundred forty-eight thousand in two years, one million eight hundred seventy-two thousand in three years."

"And Mr. Chu is handsome! Just looking at him is pleasing. If he's also talented in other ways, it's absolutely perfect. You can even call him 'good brother' during intimate moments."

These words made Li Qian's cheeks inexplicably flush.

He did seem very capable.

Last night, she almost wanted to beg for mercy.

Sister Qiu's voice came again, "Trust me, Qian. If he sent fifty-two thousand, he truly likes you. If things don't work out, when he eventually marries his girlfriend in two or three years, you can bow out. It'll be just like any other breakup, only you'll be a little millionaire by then."

Li Qian knew her cousin's words went against societal norms, even challenged basic morals.

But listening to her, comparing Chu Lin to her other pursuers, he did seem perfect.

Those as handsome as him lacked money; those richer were too old; the rest were average.

Thinking it over, she gritted her teeth and sent Chu Lin a message.

...

Elsewhere.

Cai Yao was awakened early by a barrage of phone calls; seeing it was Chen Feng, she remembered the oysters and quickly answered.

Before she could speak, Chen Feng's excited voice came through, "Cai Yao, those oysters are unbelievable. After Mr. Chu supplied you, please save some for me—any price is fine."

"Be specific—what's so unbelievable?" Cai Yao could tell from his tone the oysters must be extraordinary, but wanted concrete details.

Chen Feng hesitated, "Cai Yao, it's a bit embarrassing..."

"Out with it!" Cai Yao snapped. "Don't beat around the bush."

Chen Feng quickly said, "Ten minutes becomes thirty, just like a little blue pill. The key is, you still feel full of energy the next day."

Cai Yao understood immediately—most men would happily pay for these oysters.

No wonder Mr. Chu dared to price them at two hundred each.

How did he raise such oysters?

With that in mind, she pulled out her phone to call Mr. Chu.

This product could definitely elevate Zhizhen's business to the next level—she had to secure it.