Substitute Girlfriend Contract (GL) - Chapter 18

Starting tomorrow, my annual leave is officially over. I took an entire week off just to welcome my beloved consort back to the palace. The company suffered heavy losses, so I must return to work tomorrow. And as the main culprit, my beloved consort, you must accompany me twenty-four hours a day without fail—any mistake, and it’s off with your head!

My dear consort, have you remembered that?

“Wake up, my beloved!”

“Ah!” Tao Anyu shot upright, only to see Lu Mengxiao—dressed head to toe in black with oversized sunglasses—perched on the nightstand.

“Did you remember what I told you yesterday?” Lu Mengxiao nudged Tao Anyu’s backside with her foot.

Wrapped tightly in the blanket, Tao Anyu curled into a ball. “Your Majesty, look at me—so frail and delicate. I can’t possibly stand beside you in public. YYou already have little Rou to help you out. Taking me along will only lower your value—ah! Don’t pull off my blanket!”

LLu Mengxiao yanked the blanket away, grabbed Tao Anyu’s arm, and hauled her up. “Go make breakfast.”

Tao Anyu blinked. “Why? Don’t we have Auntie Liu for that?”

“I only want to eat what you cook.”

“Mmm—” Tao Anyu yawned lazily. “You’re so picky. Let me see… seven-thirty. What time do you start work?”

“That’s none of your concern. Even if I don’t go, no one would know.”

“Then why go at all?” TTao Anyu turned to glare at Lu Mengxiao. “Aren’t you just asking for trouble?”

“That’s not the point. I’m the boss—of course no one would dare say anything if I don’t show up. But if the company collapses, it’s my money down the drain.” Lu Mengxiao tapped her forehead. “And then I won’t have money to support you.”

Without another word, Tao Anyu went downstairs to make breakfast. “I’ll cook you something delicious.”

Lu Mengxiao smiled at her retreating back.

Tao Anyu made homemade fried dough sticks, fried two sunny-side-up eggs, poured donkey-hide gelatin porridge into a thermos, and packed two boxes of fruit-and-vegetable salad neatly into a basket.

“What is this, a picnic?” Lu Mengxiao called for Tian Qiurou to pull the car around. Tao Anyu glanced at the car and asked, “Where’s your Faraday?”

“You think I can drive that to the office? No dignity at all.”

“Oh ho, so you do care about dignity. I assumed that Your Majesty was only concerned with things like farting, pooping, and swearing. Hahaha.”

Lu Mengxiao shoved her into the car. “In.”

Once the car started, Tao Anyu clung to Lu Mengxiao’s arm. “Are you taking me on a picnic?”

Driving up front, Tian Qiurou chuckled. “Miss Tao, President Lu is extremely busy. She hardly has time to go out and play.”

Busy?

Tao Anyu looked at Lu Mengxiao, but the sunglasses hid her expression. Tao Anyu climbed up and pulled them off.

“What are you doing?!” Lu Mengxiao grabbed her hand.

Tao Anyu grinned and leaned in to nibble her cheek. “Gimme a kiss.”

“Damn, Consort Tao, are you insatiable?” Lu Mengxiao caught her and set her aside. “I’m going to court. Tonight.”

Tian Qiurou smiled quietly, but when she caught Lu Mengxiao’s frown in the rearview mirror, she immediately focused on driving.

Tao Anyu refused to return the sunglasses. “It’s not even summer—why are you wearing these? You don’t need props to look pretentious. You’re naturally pretentious enough.”

“You don’t understand.” Lu Mengxiao snatched them back. “This imperial beauty is not for the eyes of common mortals. Crass. Low IQ.”

Using her professional instincts, Tao Anyu latched onto the key point. “So you’re saying I’m not a common mortal? Aww, if you wanted to call me a peerless beauty, you could’ve just said so. Don’t be shy~~”

Lu Mengxiao suddenly grabbed her chin for a closer look.

“What are you doing?” Tao Anyu leaned back. “I’m warning you—you still have to go to work! No… car stuff, okay? Xiao Rou’s still up front!”

Tian Qiurou suddenly wished she could exit the moving vehicle.

“No,” Lu Mengxiao said coolly, still holding her chin. “I’m looking for your skin.”

Tao Anyu chuckled—was that calling her thick-skinned or shameless?

Please. You’re the shameless one here—there’s not even any flesh left to save!

“Move.” Tao Anyu shoved her away. “You really don’t know how to appreciate romance.”

Lu Mengxiao turned to Tian Qiurou. “Xiao Rou, check my schedule for next week. Squeeze everything, compress the meetings, and clear Sunday.”

Tian Qiurou frowned. “President Lu, that’s not really—”

“It’s fine,” Lu Mengxiao cut in, then told Tao Anyu, “Pick a place. We’ll go on a short trip on Sunday. Not too far. During New Year, I can take you somewhere farther—how about Australia? The Great Barrier Reef? Don’t you like diving?”

Tao Anyu stared at her for a moment.

“Well? If you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as a yes. Find somewhere, okay?”

Tao Anyu grabbed her hand.

“What?” Lu Mengxiao asked.

“You don’t have to try so hard,” Tao Anyu said quietly. “If it gets to be too much, I’ll feel bad.”

Lu Mengxiao studied her for a moment, then smiled. “You really think I’m trying?”

Looking at that smile, Tao Anyu was momentarily dazed. After a pause, she said, “I’m just worried you’ll get tired.”

Lu Mengxiao ruffled her hair. “It’s nothing. I rest on weekends anyway. If I finish all the overdue work quickly, we can have more fun sooner. Hahaha.”

Tao Anyu was at a loss for words. She hugged her and patted her back. Lu Mengxiao, you’re a real one. Today, I’ve decided to treat you well.

For Tao Anyu, aside from writing random bits and pieces, her only real skill was cooking. And given Lu Mengxiao’s recent good behavior, Tao Anyu decided to reward her with food.

Her intentions were pure, but the execution… not so much.

Lu Mengxiao’s office was on the top floor of the tower—a massive executive suite. Outside was Tian Qiurou’s desk; inside was Lu Mengxiao’s office.

There was even a private lounge, where Lu Mengxiao had locked Tao Anyu away while she worked on documents outside. Tao Anyu sat inside, peering through the frosted glass at her. After a while, she felt like she was turning into a statue.

Bored out of her mind, she would occasionally burst out, rush to stand in front of Lu Mengxiao, and then suddenly stop—squatting on the floor, staring up at her like a quiet little puppy.

When Lu Mengxiao got tired of being stared at, she would pull Tao Anyu into her lap. Tao Anyu would then quietly peek at the documents.

“Well, well, you’ve gotten smarter—learning to peek at trade secrets now,” Lu Mengxiao teased, jiggling her leg.

“Ah!” Tao Anyu immediately clung to her neck in fear of falling. “What trade secrets? I can’t even understand any of this. It’s all spreadsheets—no sense of beauty at all.”

“Oh?” Lu Mengxiao pushed her off. “And what would you call beautiful?”

“This.” Tao Anyu took a pencil and drew a naked baby on the report. She looked up. “Pretty?”

Lu Mengxiao patted her backside. “Is that supposed to be you?”

“Just say if it’s pretty or not.”

Lu Mengxiao couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Pretty. Prettier than your butt.”

“Get lost.” Tao Anyu rolled her eyes.