Guide To Lying Flat And Getting Rich As A Kept Alpha - Chapter 67

67

The woman—or rather, she still seemed like a girl—looked younger than Luo Hetu, her tone stubborn yet tinged with a hint of grievance. Luo Hetu wasn’t sure how to respond. She couldn’t exactly say, “I thought you had the potential to become a star, and I didn’t want you to get swept up in some lovesick obsession chasing after that jerk Zhang Sheng.” But looking at Wen Xiaotong’s temperament, she seemed quite career-driven, not at all like someone who’d lose herself to romance.

Luo Hetu said, “I’ve always been busy with work. I know you have great potential, which is why I was eager to sign you. But it’s true I haven’t met you in person before. Doesn’t that show how much I trust you?”

She thought to herself that she had quite the knack for being a capitalist—already skilled at sweet-talking and subtle manipulation.

Wen Xiaotong’s eyes were skeptical. “I overheard your conversation with the boss. It didn’t sound like you trusted my acting skills at all.”

“I was just worried that if a role didn’t suit you, we’d pick a different script.” Luo Hetu explained.

“Then why didn’t you come to check on me after signing me?”

Luo Hetu found the conversation odd. It wasn’t unusual for a big-shot investor like her to not concern herself with an employee’s specific skills, but Wen Xiaotong’s accusations made her feel a bit guilty.

To maintain her boss-like authority, she put on a stern face. “Who told you to eavesdrop on our conversation?”

Wen Xiaotong shrank back. “…I didn’t mean to.”

“Hmm, don’t let it happen again. You heard me—I was just about to show you some proper attention. Your boss will contact that director, and I’ll go with you to the audition.”

Wen Xiaotong pursed her lips. “Oh.”

“Li Baitian said the director praised you during filming?”

“Not just the director. The writer said I performed with spirit, and she even mentioned wanting me to act in another one of her plays.”

Well, that’s not bad, Luo Hetu thought. Still, she didn’t plan to let Wen Xiaotong keep acting in that writer’s plays forever, worried it might pigeonhole her into a specific type of role.

“What do you think?” Luo Hetu asked.

“I’m just starting out, so having the writer’s support is great. But I probably shouldn’t keep doing her scripts forever. It’d make it hard to try other roles.”

Smart and ambitious, Luo Hetu noted with some satisfaction. “You don’t have to worry about that. The writer might just be saying nice things to make a young girl happy.”

Wen Xiaotong: …

Luo Hetu found teasing the girl quite amusing, though she realized she was being a bit hypocritical. When it came to Cheng Youqing, she wished she’d be so lovesick that all her emotions outside of work would revolve around her. But for every other girl, Luo Hetu admired and hoped they’d focus on their careers and personal growth, staying proactive and resilient no matter the circumstances.

She smiled. “We keep saying we’re not familiar, but look, we’re getting to know each other now. Keep acting well. If you have any issues, talk to your boss. If she can’t handle it, you’ve got me.”

The “rival” Chen Yuanyuan had mentioned didn’t keep Luo Hetu waiting long. A few days later, she met her.

That day, Luo Hetu first visited Qianbao. Xiao Ba seemed in decent spirits, back to her role as Qianbao’s little princess, with a newfound sense of acceptance. “She hasn’t broken up with me yet, so I’ll assume she’s soft-hearted. I’m not in a rush. That’s just how her personality is—I can’t change it.”

She seemed to have come to terms with it, so Luo Hetu didn’t feel the need to offer advice.

Still, she said, “I think since she was being passive-aggressive with me that day, she’s probably dealing with some emotional issues. She likely still sees you as special.”

Xiao Ba hummed in agreement. “Yeah, a bit special. Her ex said the same thing.”

Tch, another ex.

Luo Hetu left Qianbao and kept busy, visiting each store to check on recent operations, setting new product development strategies, meeting with editors at Southern Publishing to confirm additional print runs and cover designs, buying snacks Cheng Youqing had recently taken a liking to at a dessert shop on the commercial street, and queuing up for roast goose. Learning that Cheng Youqing was at a government building for a meeting, she had the driver take her there to pick her up after work.

She waited at the conference venue entrance for half an hour until the meeting ended.

A stream of middle-aged Alphas, Betas, and Omegas exited the venue. Luo Hetu stood to the side, out of the way but eye-catching enough.

Sure enough, Cheng Youqing, who looked a bit tired after giving a presentation, spotted her immediately.

Luo Hetu could tell at a glance that she was exhausted. She flashed a smile and quickly walked over.

A tall woman with medium-length hair, sharp phoenix eyes, and strikingly beautiful features walked out of the conference room door, almost side by side with Cheng Youqing. She gave Luo Hetu a deliberate look.

Luo Hetu found it odd. Aside from being badmouthed, people rarely stared at her so openly.

So she stared back, unflinching.

The woman looked away, turned to Cheng Youqing with a gentle expression, and said softly, “Well, I’ll be going.”

Cheng Youqing’s “mm” was so soft that only Luo Hetu and the woman could hear it.

The woman glanced at Luo Hetu again before leaving.

Hmph.

Could this be the rumored ex?

Luo Hetu didn’t care, or so she told herself. But what was with talking so close? Weren’t exes supposed to be treated like strangers or as if they were dead?

Luo Hetu glanced at the departing woman, then back at Cheng Youqing, pouting. “Sister, that wouldn’t be my so-called rival, would it? Are you tired of me already? Do you think she’s much prettier than me? Look at her, acting all warm and friendly—she’s probably super nice to you, not even sparing pregnant people. She doesn’t look like a good person. You’re not starting to miss the past, are you? No way, right? No way, no way, no way!”

Cheng Youqing: …

Luo Hetu had taken the conversation so far that Cheng Youqing was at a loss for words.

She sighed lightly. “I have a headache.”

Luo Hetu: “You just hum to that woman, but with me, it’s ‘I have a headache,’ huh?”

Cheng Youqing couldn’t help but laugh, her voice ten times softer than before. “So what do you want?”

Luo Hetu didn’t say anything, her eyes silently accusing her.

Cheng Youqing pulled her closer. “We’re in public. That’s enough.”

Luo Hetu wasn’t satisfied. Cheng Youqing patted her cheek. “We’re outside. Give me some face.”

The conference venue entrance was bustling, and it was a serious government setting.

Luo Hetu stopped making a fuss. “Fine, I’ll let it slide this time. But next time, I want you to kiss me in front of her.”

“Do you even know who she is, spouting nonsense like that?”

“Isn’t she that Qin-something or Su-something? I didn’t catch the name. They say she’s the only ex you’ve ever publicly acknowledged.”

“She’s not an ex, just a friend I’m close with. We never dated.”

Oh.

Since she put it that way.

Luo Hetu suddenly didn’t feel like making a scene anymore. She took Cheng Youqing’s hand with a sweet, cheerful tone. “Alright, let’s go home and eat.”

Though Luo Hetu thought her brief, few-minute-long bout of “jealousy” had been handled smoothly—especially since she’d learned that Qin-something or Su-something wasn’t actually involved with Cheng Youqing—the gossip that “Luo Hetu, Cheng Youqing’s clingy Alpha, threw a jealous fit at the government building’s second-floor conference hall entrance” spread through Jiang City’s business circles that very night. It wasn’t long before Luo Hetu learned that the beautiful woman from the meeting was Qin Xi.

Luo Hetu: Excuse me? Who threw a fit? Who’s spreading these lies? I’m not that unreasonable.

She was clearly just asking her wife for a little affection.

Chen Yuanyuan, hearing the gossip, slapped the table at home. “Yes, make a scene! Luo Hetu, you better be properly jealous. If Cheng Youqing falls for someone else, I’ll look down on you.”

Chen Feng coughed twice. “You’re always talking about others. Where’s your own partner? With so many suitable matches, you haven’t taken a liking to a single one?”

“Ugh, what’s the rush?”

Chen Feng sighed and said nothing more.

Chen Yuanyuan handed her father a glass of water. “Did you take your medicine today?”

“I did.”

“The doctor said not to overwork yourself. Why have you been coming home so late every day?”

“Not enough staff, and production isn’t up to par. I can’t rest easy.”

Chen Yuanyuan frowned but stayed silent for a moment before saying, “Do we really have to make DVDs? Our factory, technicians, and the team left from the VCD days can’t compare to Cheng’s. Can we really pull this off?”

Chen’s father shook his head. “We’ve already invested all our money. This business will definitely be profitable. Since we’ve started, we have to go all in. Hesitation is a death sentence in business.”

Chen Yuanyuan furrowed her brow and said nothing more.

One morning, Luo Hetu noticed for the first time that Cheng Youqing’s belly was starting to show. She looked carefully, then gently touched it.

“Does it feel uncomfortable?”

“It’s fine.”

Seeing Luo Hetu’s serious expression, like a student stumped by an exam question, Cheng Youqing’s heart softened. “You can touch it again.”

Luo Hetu felt the slightly swollen skin. In the past, Cheng Youqing’s abdomen had always been flat. She never exercised, but with daily meetings and striding around in heels, her slim waist had a faint hint of abs that became more pronounced with effort.

Now it was just slightly rounded, but in a few months, it would swell even more, her delicate skin stretched to bear a tension it had never experienced before.

Luo Hetu’s heart ached. She stood up abruptly. “I’m going to buy you some anti-stretch-mark cream. And I’ll tell Aunt Wang to adjust your meals—you need to eat less per meal. The baby can’t grow too big; it’ll be hard to deliver, and your belly will suffer.”

Cheng Youqing didn’t stop her. Luo Hetu rushed downstairs, spent the morning arranging a new diet plan for her, and kept busy.

During this time, her phone in the bedroom rang repeatedly.

When Cheng Youqing came downstairs to hand her the phone, Luo Hetu panicked. “Slow down!”

The call was from Zhang Hanyu.

Early in the morning, while she was worrying about her wife, this man—talented and bold but sometimes annoyingly indecisive—ruined Luo Hetu’s mood.

Zhang Hanyu said on the phone that a few partners at Hanyu Technology had some disagreements about the company’s development strategy and wanted her opinion.

“It’s hard to explain over the phone. Why don’t you come by? It’s been a while. The company’s grown a lot, thanks to your help back then. Come, I’ll treat you well for a few days—travel expenses on me. Plus, the company’s changing fast. Don’t you want to see it?” Zhang Hanyu’s tone was enthusiastic.

Luo Hetu: “My wife’s pregnant. I don’t want to go.”

Zhang Hanyu: …

Even Cheng Youqing found this excuse a bit too “unambitious.”

Zhang Hanyu: “I’m begging you. You’re a major shareholder. Come give us some guidance. I want to hear your thoughts.”

Luo Hetu nuzzled against Cheng Youqing. “Should I go?”

She actually thought she should. Hanyu Technology was her biggest investment, with great potential. For the sake of her dividends—and her baby’s formula money—she wanted the company to stay on track.

But she was reluctant to leave Cheng Youqing.

“Go if you want to. You don’t need to stay by my side all the time. You have your own work, and so do I.”

Luo Hetu: “Hmph, are you saying I’m too clingy?”

“Not at all. But as chairman, I’ve thought about it. It’s not good for you to always be with me. If my subordinates see us together too often, they’ll think I’m mixing personal and professional matters, undermining my authority. And it might make the single employees resentful when they’re working overtime.”

That made sense.

Luo Hetu: “Alright, fine.”

Cheng Youqing found her adorable, pinched her chin and ears, and pulled her in for a kiss.

Two days later, Luo Hetu flew to Shenzhen.

It was her first time leaving Jiang City since arriving in this world. She curiously stared at the clouds outside the window and the somewhat familiar landscape during takeoff and landing. Meanwhile, Cheng Youqing faced a business battle she hadn’t anticipated.

A project manager reported that their DVD supplier had called, saying the reserved components were insufficient and they’d have to wait. The supplier’s attitude was cold and unyielding, offering no explanation. After some effort, Cheng’s side got a hint: most of the prepared components had been snapped up by Chen’s Fengxing Group.