Substitute Girlfriend Contract (GL) - Chapter 16

Tao Anyu frowned. Sure, she liked money, but she had her dignity too. At least Lu Mengxiao had the decency to send a butler to politely invite her, ask for her opinion, and sign a contract before delivering her to the “Devil’s Castle.” And okay, there had been that unexpected kiss later on, but she had to admit it wasn’t entirely unpleasant—plus, Lu Mengxiao was easy on the eyes. In short, Lu Mengxiao was the full package: looks and money. But this Lu Mengze guy…

She sized him up from head to toe and asked cautiously,
“Excuse me… Mr. Lu, are you and Xiaoxiao actually siblings by bl00d?”

“Pfft—hahaha!” Lu Mengxiao burst out laughing.

And no wonder. They were both mixed-race, but while Lu Mengxiao had inherited all the best features—fair skin, striking beauty—Lu Mengze had gotten none of the benefits. He had no sharp, defined features like a Westerner; instead, he had thick, dark body hair. And those eyebrows—thick enough to look like barcodes—were honestly hard to look at without wincing.

“My dear consort,” Lu Mengxiao said with a smirk, “my brother was just… born different. The genes didn’t line up right in the womb, so he ended up with all the bad parts.”

A heavy tension instantly filled the air as everyone’s eyes turned toward Lu Mengze. Suddenly, he threw back his head and roared, lunging forward to grab a throw pillow and swinging it wildly.
“I don’t have a sister like you! Get the hell out!” he shouted.

The pillow went flying—

“Ah!” But the scream came from the doorway. It was Lu Mengtao.

Then came Tian Qiurou’s panicked voice:
“Young Master, are you all right?”

“I’m… fine—” Lu Mengtao said, followed by the thunk of a pillow flying back the other way.
“Why’d you hit me, bro?”

Lu Mengtao’s aim was dead-on. The pillow smacked Lu Mengze right in the forehead, sending him collapsing back onto the sofa.

Tao Anyu frowned and turned to Lu Mengxiao.
“Your Majesty, I think the elder prince is a bit… weak?”

“Weak as a chicken, right? Go on, say it! I’ll back you up!” Lu Mengxiao grinned.

Tao Anyu crouched down to check on Lu Mengze, who was lying motionless on the sofa.
“Lu Mengxiao, come here. He’s not actually… in trouble, is he?”

Lu Mengxiao glanced at Lu Mengtao.

Lu Mengtao shrugged. “Maybe I threw it a bit hard, but still—”

“You idiot! Don’t you know he’s like a frail chicken?” Lu Mengxiao barked.

“…I know,” Lu Mengtao mumbled, neck shrinking.

Lu Mengxiao moved Tao Anyu aside, sat down next to her brother, and patted his face.
“Big brother? Hey, big brother!”

Suddenly, Lu Mengze’s eyes flew open. He shoved her off, veins bulging at his temple, and bellowed,
“Lu Mengxiao, this isn’t over! There’s nothing worse than having your woman stolen!”

“Isn’t the saying ‘nothing worse than killing one’s father’?” Lu Mengtao asked innocently.

“Shut your damn mouth!” Lu Mengze roared, pointing at him.

Tao Anyu shivered, goosebumps crawling up her arms. Having your woman stolen? Honestly, if she were Pei Yuhai, she’d definitely choose Lu Mengxiao. And she was gay, so if she had to pick between Lu Mengze and Lu Mengxiao, she’d let Lu Mengxiao turn her straight before she went anywhere near Lu Mengze.

Might as well take this chance to make her position clear. Yes, that was it. No time like the present.

She marched over, grabbed Lu Mengxiao, and kissed her hard. Then she turned to Lu Mengze and declared loudly,
“Mr. Lu, you’re overthinking this. I love Xiaoxiao. I’m going to be with her for the rest of my life. You could throw all the money in the world at me, and I still wouldn’t take it! No, no—this isn’t about money at all! To me, money is dirt—true love is everything!”

The room fell silent. Everyone just stared at her. Even Lu Mengxiao was momentarily stunned. Somehow, coming from Tao Anyu, those words rang suspiciously hollow—like she’d just declared bankruptcy on sincerity.

“Xiaoxiao is my true love.” Tao Anyu cupped Lu Mengxiao’s face and gazed at her with burning affection. “Right?”

“Uh…” Lu Mengxiao nodded. “Right.” She turned to Lu Mengze with a smug smile. “That’s how it is. We’re crazy about each other, so you might as well give up.”

Lu Mengze glanced between them, snorted, and stomped off. “We’ll see about that!”

“Whew—” Tao Anyu patted her chest. “Scared me half to death.”

Lu Mengxiao gave her a loud kiss on the cheek. “Well done, my dear. Level up!”

Her eyes lit up. “I’m back to being a Noble Consort?”

“Nope. Just a Constant Companion.”

Tao Anyu nearly tore her hair out. “What? You demoted me two ranks in one go last time!”

“One round in bed tonight and you’re back to Noble Consort.”

“What? Then make me Empress!”

“No negotiating!”

“…Fine.” Tao Anyu drooped her head, and Lu Mengxiao ruffled her hair, satisfied.

Lu Mengtao, who’d been watching in disbelief, wandered over.
“Uh, Tao-jie, how come you’re like… a completely different person overnight?”

“What do you mean?” she asked blankly.

“The first time I met you, you were this sophisticated, artsy girl. But with my sister, you’re instantly like a little wife. Don’t tell me you’ve actually—”

Tao Anyu covered her mouth and gave a coy giggle. “It’s your sister’s fault. She’s so bad—doing this and that to me—how else am I supposed to—”

“Tao Anyu, at least stick to the facts!” Lu Mengxiao called from across the room.

Tao Anyu burst out laughing, grabbed a handful of popcorn, and stuffed it into her mouth.
“Kidding. Your sister’s great—really. I like her a lot.”

Lu Mengxiao raised an eyebrow.

“See?” Lu Mengtao grinned. “Told you she’s a good person. Maybe you really do like her, huh?”

Tao Anyu didn’t forget this little brat had once sold her out. She kept her smile sweet but was already plotting revenge.

******

That night, Tao Anyu kept her word. All for the silly title of Noble Consort, she actually gave herself to Lu Mengxiao. But she had to admit—Lu Mengxiao’s skills were exceptional. A true veteran of romance.

Lu Mengxiao looked at her in mild surprise. “You’re… a virgin?”

“Duh,” Tao Anyu replied.

Lu Mengxiao stared at the bl00d on her fingertips, momentarily dazed.

Tao Anyu struggled upright and wrapped her arms around her. “Don’t like it?”

Lu Mengxiao cupped her face and kissed her. “I like it.”

Tao Anyu chuckled. “Sure, I’m here for the money, but after this, you’ll have to take responsibility for me, right?”

Lu Mengxiao arched a brow. “Do I look like someone who doesn’t take responsibility?”

Tao Anyu traced her brow with a smile.

No, you’re not someone who shirks responsibility. You just… don’t want to take responsibility for me.

Because I’ve always been just a stand-in.

Pei Yuhai’s stand-in.

******

A few days later, Lu Mengze came knocking again.

With a loud thwack, he slammed a stack of documents onto the coffee table and called Tao Anyu out.

“Miss Tao,” he said, “I think I’ve found something very interesting. I had a friend in the Public Security Bureau look into you. Turns out… you don’t exist. Your ID is completely fake.”

Lu Mengxiao turned to Tao Anyu, her gaze was complicated.

Tao Anyu simply smiled, took a sip of tea, and said, “Oh? Is that so?”