Chapter Forty-Six: Allies

These days, Zhang Wei often visited the Xiangjiang Villa. The security guards at the entrance had become familiar with him—after a brief identity check, they would let him through without a fuss. As he walked into the villa complex, he spotted a young woman standing by the gate.

She was strikingly beautiful, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. A pink T-shirt clung to her upper body, accentuating her full, pale chest, while tight jeans hugged her shapely figure, leaving nothing to the imagination. This was none other than Liu Yurou, Zhou Fatty’s mistress.

“Miss Liu, what brings you here?” Zhang Wei’s eyes lingered, almost imperceptibly, on her snow-white cleavage and long legs.

“Of course, I’m here to greet you,” Liu Yurou replied with a flirtatious smile, her voice laced with subtle seduction.

“To greet me?” Zhang Wei raised an eyebrow in surprise, muttering under his breath, “I didn’t expect Fatty Zhou to be so capable—after just a few days, he’s out of danger and already enjoying the company of multiple beauties.”

“What do you mean by ‘the company of multiple beauties’? Such filthy thoughts.” Though Zhang Wei had spoken softly, Liu Yurou caught every word. Her expression changed abruptly, and she said coldly, “I have nothing to do with Zhou Fatty anymore. I’m now Assistant to Ms. Wu.”

“Alright, it’s a complicated relationship; I won’t ask further,” Zhang Wei said, waving his hand.

Just last month, Liu Yurou had been Zhou Fatty’s mistress. Now she claimed to have severed ties with him and was working as the assistant to his wife, Wu Qian. Zhang Wei didn’t believe for a second that there wasn’t an intriguing story behind it, but such private matters were best left unexplored.

“Even if you don’t ask, I still have to tell you—this is something you need to know.” Liu Yurou turned to his side, hooked her arm through his, and laughed softly. “You’re still my boyfriend in name, after all. Let’s talk as we walk.”

At first, Zhang Wei felt awkward at having his arm linked with hers. But when he glanced down, he realized that Liu Yurou was only gently holding his elbow with her forearm, keeping a clear distance between their bodies. They appeared intimately close, but in truth, there was no real contact at all.

Despite the heat, Zhang Wei wore a long-sleeved shirt to look more formal. Glancing at Liu Yurou’s delicate, slender hand on his arm, he thought to himself, “Next time, I must wear a short-sleeved shirt. Otherwise, as her so-called boyfriend, I’m only being used as a shield, gaining nothing from it—what a loss.”

The only consolation was the scent of perfume drifting from Liu Yurou, which invigorated him. He asked, “You didn’t get Fatty Zhou’s approval for this, did you?”

“Of course not. When that fat fool learned I’d become Ms. Wu’s assistant, his eyes nearly popped out of his head,” Liu Yurou quipped with a playful glint.

“Fatty Zhou is so afraid of his wife, and now with you—a ticking time bomb—by her side, I bet he can’t sleep easy at night.” Zhang Wei gave Liu Yurou a meaningful look, thinking, “This woman is so calculating. I’d better keep my distance in the future.”

“That’s not my problem. It’s not my fault he’s afraid,” Liu Yurou replied mischievously.

“If you’ve already broken up with Fatty Zhou, why not ask him for a sum of money and disappear? I’m sure, as long as you’re willing to leave Ms. Wu’s side, he’d happily pay, and it’d be much easier than working as her assistant,” Zhang Wei said, watching her closely in hopes of glimpsing her true intentions.

“The most intimate thing Zhou Fatty and I ever did was hold hands. Before anything went further, Ms. Wu caught us. If I used that to extort money from him, wouldn’t that be blackmail and fraud?” Liu Yurou shook her head.

Though that was what she said aloud, Zhang Wei could read her mind. Liu Yurou thought, “It’s already shameful enough to have been Zhou Fatty’s mistress. Not only did I fail in that role, but to use it for blackmail? No matter how thick-skinned I am, I couldn’t stoop so low.”

Zhang Wei’s opinion of her improved slightly; at least she wasn’t the type to do anything for personal gain—a true femme fatale.

“Now, as Ms. Wu’s assistant, I earn ten thousand a month, plus bonuses, insurance, and paid leave. It’s better than my old job, and the money I spend is honestly earned,” Liu Yurou said with a hint of satisfaction.

Of course, what she didn’t mention was her real motivation: as Wu Qian’s assistant, she could attend high-end parties and events, mingle with successful men, and, with her charm, she was confident she’d eventually catch herself a wealthy husband.

“So after all this, it seems I have nothing to do here. Why did you ask me to come?” Zhang Wei said coolly.

He understood Liu Yurou’s real intentions—she just wanted him as a decoy boyfriend while her true targets were the rich and handsome. It was understandable, but still, having a woman on your arm thinking of other men was a hard pill to swallow.

“Zhang Wei, how ungrateful of you. If I hadn’t pretended to be your girlfriend, would Ms. Wu have believed that this villa was a birthday gift from Zhou Fatty? Would you be making a million a month?” Liu Yurou retorted.

“Miss Liu, I only pretended to be your boyfriend to help keep your affair with Fatty Zhou a secret—not to sell the villa. That arrangement benefited all three of us,” Zhang Wei replied.

“I admit that, but you and Fatty Zhou benefited far more than I did!” Liu Yurou said, disgruntled. “Never mind Fatty Zhou—if Ms. Wu found out about us, he’d be skinned alive. And you, Zhang Wei, made a million a month from selling that villa—more than some people earn in a lifetime. I bet you laugh in your sleep!”

“Don’t make me out to be so shallow. Have you ever actually heard me laugh in my sleep?” Zhang Wei said, touching his cheek in embarrassment.

“You know yourself whether you do or not!” Liu Yurou pouted. “Now that the villa’s been sold, you’re washing your hands of the matter. But if I want to stay by Ms. Wu’s side without raising her suspicions, you still have to show up from time to time and keep pretending to be my boyfriend.”

“Liu Yurou, you still have time to ask Fatty Zhou for money and leave. If you’re embarrassed, I can do it for you—and I’m sure he’d rather see you gone. There’s no need to play this dangerous game. If Ms. Wu ever finds out, none of us will come out unscathed,” Zhang Wei warned sternly.

“Don’t worry. I have no ill intentions staying by Ms. Wu’s side, and I don’t plan to undermine her marriage. I just want to use this position to meet successful men and find someone wealthy who truly loves me.” Liu Yurou stopped, looked Zhang Wei in the eye, and said firmly, “It’s not easy to have this opportunity, and I won’t let it slip away.”

Zhang Wei gazed at her in surprise, not expecting such candor. Although her approach was somewhat calculating and unlikely to be understood by most, for an ordinary woman who wanted to rise above her station, the available paths were few, and this was probably the best shortcut.

In truth, her persistence was easy to understand. As Zhou Fatty’s mistress, she’d always be seen as just that, never as a woman any respectable man would marry. But as Wu Qian’s assistant, she would be viewed as a friend, someone with status, and people would naturally hold her in higher regard.

“It won’t take long—if you’ll keep pretending to be my boyfriend for just three months, then we can tell Ms. Wu we’ve broken up, and she won’t suspect a thing. What do you say?” Liu Yurou asked.

“I’ll think about it,” Zhang Wei replied. Being a pragmatic man, he felt no obligation to play-act for Liu Yurou’s benefit, much less to help her find a wealthy husband. How was that different from pretending to be a cuckold?

“Zhang Wei, we’re allies now. I won’t let you lose out. If you’ll play my boyfriend for three months, once I find the right man, I’ll have him buy a property from you worth at least fifty million. How about it?” Liu Yurou’s eyes sparkled with temptation.

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