Substitute Girlfriend Contract (GL) - Chapter 22

Tao Anyu knocked on the door of the security room. The guard quickly stood up with a smile and invited her inside, glancing around.
“President Lu’s not with you today?”

“No.” Tao Anyu leaned over the desk to watch the monitors for a moment before turning to him. “Hey, I’ve got a question for you.”

“Miss Tao, don’t be polite—just say the word.”

She nodded, pulled him toward the screens, and pointed at a figure squatting beside the fountain at the villa district’s gate.
“See that person?”

The guard squinted. “Well, I’ll be damned—you know them? They’ve been hanging around there for days.”

Feigning a startled look, Tao Anyu said, “I don’t know where she came from, but she’s been tailing me for several days. I think…” She tapped her temple. “Something’s not right up here. What do you think…?”

The guard patted his chest. “Miss Tao, your problem is my problem. It’s an honor to help you. I’ll grab a few guys and shoo her off right now.”

“Good.” Tao Anyu smiled. “Make sure she doesn’t get close again—it’s creepy enough having someone follow you. I haven’t even told President Lu yet… The thing is, she’s got a temper. If she found out some creep was stalking me, she’d go after them—and I might not be able to stop her…”

“Won’t happen!” the guard promised. “We’ll keep you safe, absolutely.”

“That’s true—the security here at the Seaside Villas is always top-notch.”

“Of course!”

With a small curve to her lips, Tao Anyu headed out. “Thanks. When the owners’ feedback survey comes around, I’ll make sure you all get full marks.”

“Thank you, Miss Tao!”

She stepped outside, glanced back at the monitor one last time, and smiled faintly.

At noon, she prepared a sirloin steak for Lu Mengxiao. On a whim, she drenched it in fresh lime juice, cut out a heart shape from the center, and tasted a bite with her fork.

Her eyes narrowed into slits.
Sour. Very sour.

Carrying the steak into the office, she cleared the coffee table and called Lu Mengxiao to eat.

Lu Mengxiao flopped onto the sofa. “Beloved consort, feed your emperor.”

Lowering her gaze, Tao Anyu cut a piece and held it to her lips with a knife.

The moment Lu Mengxiao chewed, her brows knitted, and she looked up at Tao Anyu.
“Consort… are you jealous?”

Tao Anyu laughed lightly and sliced more lines into the steak. “Jealous? Of what?”

“Try a bite yourself and tell me what that tastes like.”

Heh.

Tao Anyu turned her head and smiled sweetly. “The taste of love.”

“So your love is… acidic and rotten?” Lu Mengxiao leaned her head against her hand, smiling in a way that gave nothing away. “Or are you saying you are acidic and rotten?”

Fine—Tao Anyu admitted she was still brooding over running into Zhuo Shaqi at school the other day. It wasn’t that Lu Mengxiao had done anything wrong, but the thought that she’d known Tao Anyu’s real identity all along yet still played dumb… made Tao want to scrape her away like chipped nail polish.

So she’d been thinking up ways to mess with her these past few days.

“I’m rotten,” Tao Anyu lifted her eyelids lazily. “Want to throw me away?”

Lu Mengxiao shook her head with a grin. “An emperor with a consort who turns sour for her—nothing more normal than that.”

“You’ve got some nerve,” Tao Anyu muttered, taking the plate and walking off.

But a strange unease gnawed at her.

Maybe she should run again… No, faking her death twice was impossible. How else could she erase her trail and start over? That was the whole point the first time—to make sure no one knew her, no one had any ties to her past. But damn it, everything was repeating. A spiraling loop she couldn’t break free from.

So damn annoying.

The office door opened, and Tian Qiurou from outside stepped in. “President Lu, there’s a ball at San Ding International Hotel tonight. Are you going?”

“What ball?” Lu Mengxiao asked, watching Tao Anyu busy in the kitchen.

“Didn’t a company called Lin Ke just move in the other day? They’re hosting it to get familiar with everyone.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Should I put it on your schedule?”

“No interest.”

“Alright, I’ll update the calendar.”

Lu Mengxiao rubbed her chin, her gaze following Tao Anyu’s movements.

Linke… Linke…

“Wait.” She stopped Tian Qiurou. “What time’s that ball?”

“Six p.m. tonight. Going?”

“No. Just asking.”

“Got it.” Tian Qiurou left, closing the door.

Lu Mengxiao called toward the break room, “Beloved consort, hurry up and close shop. No writing smut this afternoon—the emperor’s taking you out.”

From inside came Tao Anyu’s faint voice. “Out? Where’s your Faraday?”

“Not the car today—taking you.”

“I wasn’t done talking. Who told you I write smut?”

Oh? Still denying it.

Lu Mengxiao chuckled. “If it’s not smut, then what is it?”

“High literature. Modern literature. You’re an ancient person, a feudal emperor—you wouldn’t understand.”

“Who says I—”

“Oh, right, you’re a fictional emperor. I suppose that means you might have even less understanding.

Lu Mengxiao smacked the table and roared, “Tao Anyu, you’ve been picking a fight with me on purpose, haven’t you?”

“Yes. I’m mad at you. What are you going to do about it?”

“This is about what happened at school, isn’t it? You’re mad at me over a piece of trash? You’ve got rocks for brains.”

You’re trash too, thanks.

And you’re the one with the real rocks for brains, thanks.

“None of your business.” Tao Anyu rolled her eyes.

Lu Mengxiao pressed on. “Haven’t you ever thought about revenge? Why be polite to a woman who wronged you? Haven’t you wanted to crush the one who hurt you under your heel?”

“Of course I have!” Tao Anyu suddenly spun around and yelled, “Of course I have!”

“Then do it!”

“I worked so hard to leave the past behind—why would I go back and drag myself through the mud?”

“Naïve. Stupid.” Lu Mengxiao jabbed her in the forehead. “When it comes to this, you’ve only got two choices—one, get bitten. Two, bite back.”

“I’m not a dog.”

“That’s fine. I’ll choose for you. You’re going to bite back.” Without giving her a chance to argue, Lu Mengxiao grabbed her keys and headed for the door. “Come on. Tonight we’re going somewhere.”