Substitute Girlfriend Contract (GL) - Chapter 15

The two maids exchanged glances, sensing that something was wrong. This couldn’t be as simple as the second miss was making it out to be. They didn’t expose her in the open, but even though the Pei family claimed that Pei Yuhai was in remission abroad, they still released news of her “untimely death” in the literary world. Many people still believed that Pei Yuhai had tragically passed away.

Regardless, the person who was truly suffering was Lu Mengze, the eldest son of the Lu family. Everyone in their circle knew that he was utterly devoted to Pei Yuhai, the apple of the Pei family’s eye. He had loved her since childhood and had finally reached adulthood, ready to take over the family business, when his own younger sister suddenly emerged and declared that she, too, was in love with Pei Yuhai.

Lu Mengxiao’s meddling had sent not just the Lu family but their entire social circle into a frenzy.

They had seen brothers fighting over a woman, but a brother and sister fighting over one? That was unheard of!

Back then, Grandpa Lu nearly had a heart attack. He couldn’t bring himself to hit his precious daughter, so he could only try to reason with her. All his anger was directed at his eldest son, whom he chased around every day with a feather duster. If it weren’t for Mrs. Lu intervening, his son would have been sent to a rehab center long ago.

Grandpa Lu had earnestly pleaded, “My precious daughter, why do you have to be attracted to women? There are so many outstanding men waiting for you to choose. And let’s say you like women—fine. There are so many beautiful women in the world; why do you have to pursue your brother’s future wife? Pei Yuhai is your future sister-in-law! And even if you like her, why didn’t you say so all those years ago? Why wait until they’re engaged to say something?”

Lu Mengxiao had replied, “I didn’t understand before. But now, I’ve had an awakening! I just want to butt heads with Lu Mengze, and I just happen to like Pei Yuhai!”

“You!” Grandpa Lu had pointed at her, speechless for a long time. Finally, he slapped his thigh, sat down, and clutched his forehead. “Oh, what a calamity!”

Lu Mengxiao had laughed, walked over, and sat down. “Dad, let me massage your legs for you.”

And now, back in the present, the maids exchanged meaningful glances and scurried into the kitchen. They closed the door and called Aunt Liu over. “Auntie Liu, come here.”

Auntie Liu looked at them with a puzzled expression and walked over. “What is it?”

One of the maids leaned in and whispered in Auntie Liu’s ear, “Don’t you think the girl that Miss Lu brought back is very strange?”

Auntie Liu frowned, nodding silently. “She’s so much like Miss Pei.”

“Exactly!” another maid chimed in. “Not ‘so much like’; they’re identical!”

Auntie Liu was even more confused. “But wasn’t Miss Pei long gone?”

“Oh, Auntie Liu, you can’t say that out loud! If someone hears, there could be trouble!” The maid quickly covered her mouth.

The other maid’s eyes darted around. “Maybe… we should give the young master a heads-up?”

The maid slapped her. “Are you crazy? That would expose us!”

But the other maid argued, “What’s there to expose? Miss Pei was the young master’s fiancée to begin with. Since the second miss is saying this person is Miss Pei, we should tell the young master!”

Auntie Liu leaned against the counter, crossed her arms, and chuckled at them. “Heh, I think you just want a front-row seat to a family drama, don’t you?”

“Ahem—” One of the maids cleared her throat and walked away. “I didn’t say anything.”

Auntie Liu waved her hand. “I didn’t say anything, either.”

On the surface, all three claimed they hadn’t said a word, but the problem was that Lu Mengze showed up at Lu Mengxiao’s Seven Kings’ Sanctuary that very evening.

Lu Mengxiao called the three maids in front of her and gave them a long, furious lecture. Finally, she roared, “Which one of you scumbags tipped off the poached chicken?”

“Poached chicken” was Lu Mengxiao’s nickname for Lu Mengze, a reference to the fact that he was thirty-two and still a virgin.

The three of them trembled. “We didn’t, Miss!”

“Damn it, then who did?”

Just then, Lu Mengxiao’s phone rang. It was Lu Mengtao, and his voice sounded cheerful. “Hey, sis, has Big Brother arrived yet? Just you wait, I’ll be at your Seven Kings’ Sanctuary in a second!”

Holy crap, so it’s a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind! After all that scheming, she had missed the younger one!

No way!

Lu Mengtao continued, “Don’t worry, sis, I’m on your side. Once you two are settled, let me film a documentary video. We can call it ‘The Lu Princess’ Lesbian Love Story’ and put it on Twitter as a sequel. Oh, right, I haven’t mentioned Sister Tao’s identity yet. I’ve just informed Big Brother that you’ve stolen away a woman who resembles Sister-in-law! I was going to tell him first, but—”

“Stop with the crap!” Lu Mengxiao bellowed. “Why the hell did you tell me first?”

Lu Mengtao whined, “Big Brother was in Andorra that day. I figured international calls are so expensive, but you’re in the country, and domestic roaming is cheaper than international roaming!”

“Get out!!!”

Meanwhile, there was one person whose heart could only be described as a chaotic, shattered mess.

Tao Anyu sank onto the sofa, thinking, “What do these people take me for?”

“Yuhai!”

Suddenly, a mournful roar—like a collapsing mountain, a cracking earth, a thunderclap, or a tsunami—rushed toward them, followed by a large, dark, unidentified flying object. However, the object failed to land, as Lu Mengxiao promptly kicked it away.

“Ah!” The object wailed.

“Ah—” Tao Anyu was swept up into a princess carry by Lu Mengxiao, but her scream was cut short as Lu Mengxiao leaned down and kissed her.

“You unfilial child!” Lu Mengze scrambled to his feet, pointing at Lu Mengxiao; his body was trembling.

Lu Mengxiao calmly took out her phone. “You unfilial child!” The phone replayed Lu Mengze’s recorded voice, and with a beep, she sent it off.

Lu Mengxiao also sent a voice message: “Dad, listen. Someone just called me an unfilial child and is trying to usurp power. He’s completely lawless and has no respect for you or Mom.”

“Lu Mengxiao!” Lu Mengze yelled, his eyes red. “Don’t push your luck!” He pointed at Tao Anyu. “That’s your sister-in-law!”

Tao Anyu looked at Lu Mengxiao and then turned her gaze back to Lu Mengze, blinking in confusion. What is even happening?

Lu Mengxiao put Tao Anyu down, yawned, and sat down, crossing her legs. She beckoned. “Come here, my dear concubine.” She patted her thigh.

Tao Anyu weighed her options. Lu Mengxiao was her sugar daddy at the moment, so she had to obey her. She scurried over, sat sideways on Lu Mengxiao’s lap, and wrapped her arms around her neck. She looked back at Lu Mengze and blinked innocently.

“Yuhai!” Lu Mengze cried out, falling to his knees and reaching his hands out to her. “Did you ultimately choose her? Have you forgotten our past promises of undying love?”

Promises of undying love? What’s that? Never heard of it. She decisively shook her head.

“Mm-mm-mm—” Tao Anyu shook her head like a rattle.

Lu Mengze felt a wrenching pain in his heart.

This pain also brought him back to his senses.

Lu Mengze knew, of course, that Pei Yuhai had long been gone. The woman in front of him was just an imposter who looked uncannily like her. Hmph, Lu Mengxiao, you think you’re the only one who can pay for a stand-in?

“How much did Lu Mengxiao pay you?” Lu Mengze got straight to the point. “Come with me, and I’ll give you double!”