"Ah Jin, what is all this?" Lu Zifan asked, unable to keep his cool. Why was he being ridiculed by these people? He stood up and looked coldly at He Lanjin and Qiao Hanye. There was something about the way they sat together that made Lu Zifan feel like an interloper.
He Lanjin noted how agitated Lu Zifan was and proceeded to give him another critical hit. "I think they're right," she said innocently as she blinked her eyes in feigned puzzlement. "There's no guarantee of a woman's life after marriage. What if one day you cheat on me, or realize that you are gay? What would I do?"
Lu Zifan's frown had turned into a full-on scowl. His nostrils flared as he clenched his fists.
Still, Lu Zifan knew that he could not lose his temper in front of this many people. He was from the famous Lu family of Jiang City; he should handle this with grace.
"Ah Jin, don't make a scene," Lu Zifan said in a low voice. He Lanjin hardly had any chance to react because the waiter came, bringing the dishes over. Qiao Hanye put a small portion of every dish on He Lanjin's plate and said, "Eat just a little of everything. I'll make some more for you when I get home later."
"Okay" He Lanjin replied, forgetting that she and Qiao Hanye had company. She started eating with her chopsticks in an unaffected manner. And why not? She was so used to Qiao Hanye's presence that doing things with him felt completely natural.
Feeling two pairs of eyes on her, He Lanjin looked up from her food to see Lu Zifan and Qin Nan looking at her, then at Qiao Hanye, in disbelief.
"Are you two dating?" Qin Nan just had to ask, seeing how the two acted around each other.
Qin Nan had known He Lanjin for many years now, but he had never seen her like this with anyone else. He could tell that there was something going on between her and Qiao Hanye.
Lu Zifan felt cheated. He opened his mouth to speak, but as if on cue, the director of the Land Bureau walked in and addressed him. "Young Master Lu, the deal on the piece of land that you wanted has finally been approved."
"Coincidentally, we are doing a green publicity stint. We hope that young Master Lu would be our spokesperson," the director added.
Hearing that the land deal had been approved, Lu Zifan naturally had to seize the opportunity. He had thought the deal would not go through because the bureau chief had been avoiding him since the incident with the beggar. But today, the chief himself sought Lu Zifan to deliver the good news. Lu Zifan was surprised, but it was a good kind of surprise.
"Come, let's take a few photos," the bureau chief warmly told Lu Zifan. "I will send the information over later."
Secretary Yang came in, bringing a set of eco-friendly clothes and a hat. He handed them over to Lu Zifan, saying, "Young Master Lu, these arrived for you."
Lu Zifan stared at the set of clothes, which included a green bodysuit with a [2] green hat and a green mask. His face turned ashen. He pursed his lips and stared at the bureau chief. "Bureau chief," Lu Zifan said. "What do you mean by this?"
"Why, it's environmental endorsement, young Master Lu," the director said with a smile. "The whole world has started working towards environmental protection. Naturally, our beloved city can not fall behind. The Lu family is the most famous in Jiang City. It would be perfect to have young Master Lu as the face of our campaign."
Lu Zifan looked at the set of clothes, trying to process what was happening. He needed the deal on the land. But if he puts on this costume—which did not even include trousers to go with the spandex bodysuit—he would be a laughingstock for the rest of his life. It would cause the Lu family a great deal of ridicule, something Lu Zifan would never be able to live down.
"Director, for the campaign to be successful, we have to get someone with charisma to be the endorser. I'm willing to pay for a good model..." But before Lu Zifan could finish, he saw He Ruoxue arrive. She walked toward him excitedly and called out, "Brother Zifan..."
He Ruoxue looked very delicate as she stood in front of Lu Zifan.
"She's not so bad," Lu Zifan said, gesturing to He Ruoxue. He turned to her and handed her the set of clothes. "Xiaoxue, you're just in time. Weren't you a model before? Why don't you try being an endorser for the director's ecological campaign?"
He Lanjin watched the scene unfold as she sipped her tea. She planned to embarrass Lu Zifan and He Ruoxue, but what was happening right now was way beyond her imagination.
He Lanjin's thoughts were disturbed by a faint tapping noise. Qiao Hanye was drumming his fingers on the table. His eyes swept past He Lanjin and then he went back to watching Lu Zifan. He Lanjin stretched her arm sideways and pinched Qiao Hanye on the waist. "What exactly do you want to do?" ... [2] Wearing a green hat is a Chinese expression that refers to a man being cheated on by his wife or his girlfriend. The Chinese phrase for "green hat" sounds very similar to the Chinese word for "cuckold."
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