You're already divorced, why are you so anxious about him becoming a succubus?

Upon hearing this, Chen Feng's smile instantly froze, and his brows furrowed involuntarily.

He quickly did the math in his mind: Gu Mingxuan had sold the entire resort project for 13 million. Now Jiang Xinyue was asking them to come up with 13 million in return, but they could only get a mere 30% stake!

You should know that this money was raised by him, Lu Ci, and Lin Wan by emptying their savings.

The 30% share is split among the three. The resort isn't very big to begin with, and the annual profit he can take away is probably less than the revenue his bar makes in half a year.

Lu Ci's expression remained largely unchanged as he gently shook his head: "Too low. This condition is not negotiable."

Seeing that Lu Ci refused so decisively, Jiang Xinyue suddenly moved closer, placing her hands on the table, her neckline revealing glimpses of her skin.

She looked at Lu Ci with seductive eyes and said in a soft, fragrant breath:

"What's wrong? You're not happy already? How about... if you make your senior sister feel good, she'll go back and have a meeting, and she might consider raising your percentage to 45%."

Lu Ci looked at the other person helplessly.

However, Chen Feng slowly raised his right hand, asking expectantly, "Really? If it's true... I can actually do this for you!"

Jiang Xinyue originally intended to tease Lu Ci, but was taken aback by Chen Feng's sudden self-recommendation.

Then, she turned around and glared at Chen Feng angrily.

"Alright, I'll stop teasing you guys."

Jiang Xinyue dropped her joking expression, stood up, straightened her skirt, and glanced at Chen Feng: "I can't make that decision. Boss Chen, it's too stuffy in the private room, how about coming out for a smoke with me?"

Chen Feng's hand, holding the wine glass, froze in mid-air, completely dumbfounded.

He pointed to his nose: "Huh? Me?"

Jiang Xinyue had already picked up her bag from the back of the chair and gracefully walked out of the private room in her high heels.

Hearing Chen Feng's hesitation, she turned around, a smile curving her red lips: "What, Boss Chen, you're not willing to do me the honor?"

"Yes! Of course I'm willing!" Chen Feng immediately put on a bright and happy face. He turned his head and winked at Lu Ci, then followed him out happily.

As the door to the private room was gently closed, the room instantly fell silent.

Lu Ci picked up his teacup and took a sip, but his brows unconsciously furrowed.

He stared at the tea leaves floating in the cup, and the strange sense of unease in his heart grew stronger.

Something's not right.

It all happened by too much coincidence.

Just when she had raised enough money, the buyer who intercepted her halfway through the deal turned out to be her senior from university.

This senior student had just arrived in Jiangcheng to expand her business when she learned that they were also keeping an eye on this project, and even took the initiative to arrange a meeting to discuss cooperation.

……

Outside the restaurant.

The night breeze carried the unique dampness of Jiangcheng.

Jiang Xinyue took out a pack of slim cigarettes from her bag, pulled one out, and handed it to Chen Feng beside her.

The two lit cigarettes in the neon light of the roadside.

Chen Feng took a deep breath, his mind racing, trying to figure out how to broach the subject and see if there was any room for negotiation regarding the outrageous share offer from the private room.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he inadvertently glanced at the restaurant entrance and saw a familiar figure climbing the steps and entering the lobby.

Chen Feng paused, his fingers holding the cigarette, and rubbed his eyes. "Hey, that back view looks a bit like..."

Before he could see clearly, Jiang Xinyue suddenly turned her head, looked at the endless stream of cars on the street, and casually asked, "How has Lu Ci been doing these years?"

Chen Feng's attention was drawn back.

He withdrew his gaze from the lobby, putting his earlier doubts behind him, scratched his head, and replied, "It's alright..."

……

The wooden door to the private room was pushed open from the outside.

Lu Ci assumed the two had returned after finishing their cigarettes, and when he looked up, his brows furrowed.

It wasn't Jiang Xinyue and Chen Feng who entered the private room, but Shen Man.

She was clearly dressed up carefully today, wearing a brown silk top and a pure white pencil skirt. Her makeup was exquisite, down to every single eyelash, showing that she had obviously spent a lot of time preparing.

But at this moment, the moment she met Lu Ci's cold gaze, she looked away guiltily, like a child who had done something wrong.

She hesitated at the door for two seconds, then finally bit her red lips and walked in.

"Lu Ci..." Shen Man's voice trembled slightly.

The moment he saw her, all the scattered clues in Lu Ci's mind instantly connected.

How could it be such a coincidence? The person who acquired the project was her senior, and then Jiang Xinyue made an excuse to get Chen Feng out of the private room, and then Shen Man pushed the door open and entered.

"You did this?" Lu Ci leaned back in his chair and said coldly, "You got Jiang Xinyue to take over that project, and then tricked me into this mess?"

Shen Man stood a few steps away from the dining table with her head down, her hands gripping the straps of her bag.

She secretly glanced at Lu Ci, and when she saw the coldness on his face, her heart clenched.

"So what? Why did you go through all this trouble?" Lu Ci put down his teacup, his gaze sharp as a knife as he looked at her. "I called her here to discuss a collaboration. A project that could have been secured for thirteen million, now you want me to pay thirteen million, but you're only giving me thirty percent of the shares. I don't quite understand."

"Did you think I absolutely had to do this resort, so you set this up to make me beg you? Or were you deliberately inflating the price to make me lose out?"

Upon hearing these words, Shen Man completely panicked.

She hurried forward a few steps in her high heels, standing less than a meter away from Lu Ci, and shook her head repeatedly: "That's not how it is! I know you're short of money right now, but even if I gave you the money directly, you wouldn't take it."

"I've completely cut off all contact with Gu Mingxuan!" Shen Man explained urgently, her eyes beginning to redden. "I was thinking of having someone else buy the project on my behalf, and then hand it over to you..."

"My senior came to Jiangcheng a few days ago, wanting to help her company expand its business here. She contacted me, originally wanting to invite the two of us out for a meal."

I asked her for this favor, and in exchange, I promised to use my connections to help her find local tourism resources in Jiangcheng.

Shen Man's speech quickened, her voice filled with pleading: "You know, the Shen Group has absolutely no involvement in the tourism business. I had no ulterior motives in taking this project. I just wanted to help you! I did all this just hoping you could forgive me..."

Looking at her pitiful appearance, Lu Ci felt it was utterly absurd.

"So what?" Lu Ci scoffed. "You're using these roundabout methods to blackmail me with this project?"

"I'm not threatening you!"

Shen Man suddenly raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears. She gritted her teeth, trying to hold back the tears from falling.

These days, Gu Mingxuan's scandal has been making headlines, and she drags her tired body back to that cold and deserted home every day.

His mind kept replaying every scene from their wedding to their tragic end.

Her relatives, friends, and even her own parents were all gossiping behind her back, saying that she actually divorced Lu Ci for such a person.

The only way she could alleviate her longing was to go to a bar and sit in booth number five, which had the best view in the lobby.

As long as you look up, you can see Lu Ci singing.

Only by listening to him sing a song there, looking at him, and then going home and downing a few more drinks could she barely fall asleep.

However, this short-sighted approach gradually lost its effectiveness.

Every time she saw that radiant man on stage who seemed oblivious to her, her longing grew stronger.

She wanted to win Lu Ci back, no matter the cost or the means.

That's why she came up with this idea.

She believed that as long as she presented this project to him as a gift, he would definitely be happy and his heart would soften.

"I really didn't threaten you..." Shen Man's tears finally welled up and slid down her cheeks. "I love you, Lu Ci. I just want you to forgive me. Let's start over, okay?"

Looking at the woman before him, her face streaked with tears, Lu Ci calmly shook his head.

"Shen Man, there's no question of forgiveness between us. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. I didn't owe you anything before, and I won't owe you anything in the future. I won't take your things after this."