Chapter 142: Chapter 141: I Am the Strong Woman

The rich aroma of chicken soup wafted into the living room. Yang Huixian, acting as if she were in her own home, took a peek into the kitchen. When she turned around, she found Lin Chu standing in the doorway, watching her with a playful look in his eyes.

’This scene... it kind of feels like we’re settling into a life together.’

She was moved by the sudden emotion. "Where did you go on your business trip? I asked Dongzi, but he said he didn’t know either."

"Then why didn’t you just ask me directly?"

Lin Chu retorted casually.

She looked away, the corners of her lips turning up slightly. "I wouldn’t ask. You can go wherever you want."

"That’s a good attitude to have. Keep it up."

Lin Chu could tell her words were sarcastic, but he decided to play dumb and take them at face value.

She pouted, shattering the cozy atmosphere in an instant, and started to walk out the door.

But Lin Chu suddenly blocked the doorway with his arm, a teasing smile on his face as he looked at her.

She feigned a kick, aiming for his crotch.

’Fuck!’

’She’s pretty fierce.’

Lin Chu dodged instinctively and shot her a glare.

She returned the glare without showing any weakness.

Having not been provoked like this in a long time, Lin Chu was momentarily surprised. But after a few seconds, he quickly collected himself. ’Damn, rich women really do have confidence.’

She probably harbored a desire to control him, or maybe it was just a woman’s instinct.

"Go make two more dishes. You can’t just show up expecting to eat. If you want to freeload, you should at least have some self-awareness."

Lin Chu ordered. ’I’ll train her for a few rounds,’ he mused. ’If it really doesn’t work out, we’ll just go our separate ways. I’ll make sure she learns her lesson.’

"Fine. Your call. What do you want to eat?"

Yang Huixian agreed readily.

"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall."

"Steamed Crab Stuffed in Orange."

"Nine-Turn Large Intestine."

Lin Chu casually named three dishes. Yang Huixian looked at him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "Alright, then I’ll request some outside assistance and just buy them ready-made."

Lin Chu hadn’t thought of that approach. ’What can’t money buy?’

’But her ’compliance’ is pretty decent.’

Lin Chu waved his hand, saying nothing more, and sat down behind the tea table to slowly brew some tea.

She actually called her assistant and had them act as a personal delivery service, buying the food and bringing it over.

This sense of ’being served as a matter of course’ was one of the benchmarks for telling if someone was truly rich or not.

"You really didn’t miss me at all? You could have at least sent a WeChat message to ask."

She sat down across the tea table from him, her eyes fixed on Lin Chu as she asked, her tone carrying a hint of flirtatious complaint.

’After seeing the Mutton Fat Jade and Imperial Green Jadeite, you just pull up your pants and pretend you don’t know me, is that it?’

’That night, and the entire following day, had left an extremely deep, unforgettable impression on her. How could she possibly forget?’

’It took her at least three days of rest to fully recover.’

’That bastard. He has no idea how to be gentle with a woman. Does he think I’m a silicone doll?’

What made her even angrier was that Lin Chu had been gone for over ten days and had never sent a single message.

He was truly too cold-blooded.

Lin Chu smiled nonchalantly and poured her a cup of tea. "Don’t have a double standard. If you missed me, why didn’t you message me? If you had, I would have replied. You should spend more time reflecting on your own issues."

Yang Huixian: ???

She was so angry she had to laugh.

’I never thought about it from that angle.’

’Fuck, what kind of tsundere man is this?’

Taking a deep breath, she pouted slightly. "Fine, fine, I’ll reflect. I’ll reflect. Are you sure you’ll reply if I message you?"

Lin Chu considered it for a moment. "I’ll reply when I’m in the mood, not when I’m not. When I’m interested, I’ll reply. When I’m not, I won’t. If you send a picture of your pretty legs in black stockings and ask if I like what I see, then I’ll definitely reply. But if you’re just complaining and acting like a black hole of negativity, then why the hell would I?"

These were things he could say to her.

To others, there was no need.

Yang Huixian sipped her tea elegantly, mulling over Lin Chu’s words. After about ten seconds, she nodded lightly.

"Deal."

"I don’t have a habit of complaining to people, and I never bring my work emotions home. However, I’ll allow you to express your vulnerability and stress to me. For a strong woman like me, that’s a treat."

Lin Chu: ...

’Impressive.’

’Have to admit, she’s really something.’

This piqued Lin Chu’s interest once again. He smiled, staring into her eyes. "You know, I have been under a lot of pressure lately. It makes me want to play with something interesting... ropes, whips, that sort of thing..."

Yang Huixian: ?

Her face flushed red in an instant as she realized what Lin Chu was talking about, and a flutter of panic went through her heart.

’But she had already said what she said. Now she was backed into a corner and couldn’t get out of it.’

’Is this man a complete bastard?’

"Silence means you agree. I’m placing the order now."

Lin Chu smiled nonchalantly, took out his phone, and started swiping.

She: ...

She felt like she’d been completely played again.

"Lin Chu, you bastard!"

She cursed, her face red.

Lin Chu remained perfectly calm. "Don’t call me ’bastard,’ call me ’Daddy.’ You think you can eat my chicken for free?"

...

The weapon of criticism cannot replace the criticism of weapons.

People really can be tamed.

「The next morning」

Lin Chu drove to Fish Head Village. He had an appointment with Yang Guangrong to look at a plot of land and conduct a site survey.

The village was called Fish Head Village. It used to be a small fishing hamlet, but thanks to the economic boom from a larger neighboring fishing village, life was now incredibly comfortable. The nearly one hundred households there likely had an average net worth of tens of millions each, at least.

On the drive over, Lin Chu could indeed feel a subtle change in Yang Huixian’s attitude.

She was much more docile.

Much more gentle.

Although that deep-seated resilience was still there, new neural pathways were beginning to form.

After all, he had seen her at her most vulnerable, which was like a seed of thought planted in her mind.

Yang Huixian looked at Lin Chu and thought, ’Am I being PUA’d?’

’But, outside of the house, Lin Chu still treated me with respect as an equal. He would even do things like opening a bottle cap for me. Those other antics seemed more like games between lovers.’

As she thought this, she gave him a complicated look. Her mind instinctively drifted to *those* things, and her face secretly flushed red again as she felt her heart start to race.

This emotion made her feel a faint inner resistance, but she also instinctively sank into it.

"Does your dad play golf?"

"I have a membership card for Mission Hills. Let’s give it to him later."

He happened to have one card left. Since it was his first time visiting the man, Lin Chu couldn’t be bothered to go buy a new gift. He might as well put it to good use; besides, he’d get a rebate on it anyway.

When she saw the card, Yang Huixian recognized it and was slightly startled. She knew the price of this membership—over two million. She had been there twice before but had only bought day passes, never willing to splurge on a full membership. She wasn’t that interested in golf.

"Why give it to him? It’s too wasteful. You should save it for a client or something later."

Lin Chu glanced at her and couldn’t help but laugh. "You’re supposed to be his caring daughter, but you’re a bit drafty, aren’t you? It’s rare to see someone favor an outsider this much."

"What else?"

"Am I supposed to take your things and use them to subsidize him? That’s not happening. Besides, he doesn’t lack for anything."

"I only want love, not money."

...

...