Lu Chen was utterly bewildered: "Sister Li, what's wrong with you? I never said I wanted to work for Flying Eagle Group. Even if the salary is high, so what? I'm not going! You're talking like I'd actually go!"
Liu Li was stunned: "But you can make a lot of money there! With your skills, earning a million a year wouldn't be a problem, right? Maybe more! Two million, three million, even possible!"
"People under the impact of the modern economic tide!" Lu Chen sighed, speaking in a particularly thoughtful tone: "In life, money is important, of course, but what's more important is the lifestyle you like, right? Sister Li, a philosopher once said that the most important thing in life is to respect your own heart and live the life you want—that's Buddha."
He spoke with great relish, leaving Liu Li speechless.
"I just want to be a Buddha! I just want to earn a few thousand yuan a month and open a pastry shop with you. Then, we can open pastry shops all over the city. Even if we don't earn as much as I did at Flying Eagle, with our skills, we won't be short, right? Besides, we both love doing this!"
Liu Li was dumbfounded: "But..."
"No buts! Yes, I like money too, but earning money from Flying Eagle Group doesn't necessarily mean working there. I can be a consultant or something, just going when needed. Most of the time, I'll still be making pastries with you. Isn't that a pretty idyllic life?" Lu Chen spoke as if it were a dream.
"Xiao Chen! I... I really don't know how to express my joy!"
Liu Li pressed her face even closer to Lu Chen's back, squeezing it even deeper. She actually cried, hot tears streaming down her face, immediately soaking the back of Lu Chen's clothes. She let out a suppressed sob, her voice trembling with excitement: "Xiao Chen, I'm so happy, really, I don't know why... I've never been this happy in my entire life!"
As she spoke, she wrapped both arms tightly around Lu Chen's waist, trying to pull him into her embrace.
Lu Chen could practically feel those two peaks about to collapse onto his back. It was an unbearable weight; he felt himself swelling even more. He didn't know why, but he was unusually excited today. Was it some aphrodisiac effect from that "Dragon Elixir"? Or was it the impulse from his little flirtations with Shangguan Bei?
"Sister Li, it's understandable to be happy, but you being so happy makes me feel embarrassed! Calm down, calm down!" Lu Chen said softly, noticing the disdainful looks he was receiving from the surrounding crowd.
Was this a bit indecent?
Liu Li took a deep breath: "Hmm, I'll stay calm..." She realized this wasn't right and started to relax, her previously tense hands lowering slightly.
Suddenly, she screamed, pulling her hands back as if electrocuted.
If it weren't for the rear cargo box on the motorcycle, she would have fallen off in fright.
Lu Chen felt embarrassed, his face burning. He understood what had happened, of course, and looked down helplessly. He could only pretend to be relaxed and whistle.
Then, suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his waist; it turned out Liu Li had pinched him. She playfully scolded, "You bad man!"
Back at the Moon's Tooth Pastry Shop, Lu Chen looked inside and exclaimed, "Ah, quite a few customers today!"
Liu Li's expression suddenly changed after she looked over: "No, it looks like they're here to cause trouble! Miao Yuemei is in there, and that man, her husband… and the manager of the hotel we recently signed a pastry delivery contract with—why are they all here?"
Lu Chen looked closely, and sure enough, it was a chaotic mess, hardly the place for buying pastries.
The man Liu Li mentioned, Miao Yuemei's husband, was someone Lu Chen had also heard about. Miao Yuemei's husband was named Du Chao, the training director of the top Chinese and Western pastry training center in Yunzhou City. Liu Li had learned her skills from him. After completing her training, she opened the Moon's Tooth Pastry Shop with his help.
Du Chao's actions were all calculated. His ulterior motives were revealed when he taught Liu Li how to make pastries at the training center; he wanted Liu Li to be his mistress.
Liu Li refused, but dared not offend Du Chao, so she feigned reluctance. He was quite famous and influential in Yunzhou City's pastry industry; a few words from him could potentially shut down her pastry shop.
Later, Du Chao's wife, Miao Yuemei, found out, leading to what Lu Chen witnessed when he first applied for a job at Yuezhiya Pastry Shop.
Lu Chen's pastry-making skills were excellent, comparable to Du Chao's. Miao Yuemei had tried several times to poach him, but without success. Therefore, she harbored a deep resentment towards him.
However, wasn't it a bit much for this couple to cause trouble together today?
Lu Chen's face immediately darkened, and he took Liu Li's hand and led her inside.
When the pastry shop staff saw Liu Li and Lu Chen walk in together, they rushed over as if they'd seen saviors. It turned out that Du Chao had been brought by Miao Yuemei to confront her. The pastry business at those hotels had originally been run by Miao Yuemei's Hua Xinqing, but Yue Zhiya had snatched it away.
Miao Yuemei concluded this was unfair competition. She went to ask the hotel managers, who all said they'd inexplicably agreed to let Yue Zhiya supply their food and pastries to Liu Li.
Miao Yuemei was furious. She immediately summoned Du Chao. Du Chao wielded considerable influence in Yunzhou City's pastry industry and even the entire catering industry. Although he was a lecherous man, he was also terrified of his wife. Under Miao Yuemei's coercion, he went to speak with the relevant managers of the hotels.
After a brief discussion, the hotel managers readily agreed that if Du Chao and Miao Yuemei could win over Liu Li, they would get their contracts back from her and continue working with Huaxinqing.
Sure enough, Miao Yuemei and Du Chao arrived with their clients.
Upon seeing Liu Li and Lu Chen return, Miao Yuemei's deadpan eyes flashed with a repulsive coldness. She wasn't in a hurry, letting the Moon's Tooth employees report to Liu Li. Du Chao, a bald man in his forties or fifties, had a dark, sinister glint in his eyes. He glanced at Liu Li, then at Du Chen, his gaze filled with jealousy.
After the employees finished their report, Liu Li, seething with anger, glared at Miao Yuemei and said coldly, "Ms. Miao, we signed the contract with the hotel openly and fairly. We're competing fairly. And you're shouting about unfair competition? Who's engaging in unfair competition? You or me? Please explain!"
Lu Chen, listening from the side, seemed somewhat guilty. Those in charge were originally going to sign with Hua Xinqing, but he used his cursed power to interfere with their thinking, making them sign the Yuezhiya contract in a daze.
Of course, this couldn't be told to Liu Li.
Miao Yuemei said menacingly, "Pah! Liu Li, I used to think you were just someone who seduced other people's husbands and did some filthy things! I never imagined you were even more despicable than I thought! You actually used a drug to make these leaders lose their minds and sign contracts with you. How despicable are you? I'm letting you off the hook by not calling the police!"
"What are you talking about? Who...who drugged them?"
Liu Li trembled with anger; she didn't understand a word Miao Yuemei was saying.
Miao Yuemei beckoned with her finger: "Manager Rao, Manager Gu, Manager Yang, Manager Deng, you guys come and talk to her! You want witnesses, right? Of course I'll say it: the victim speaks for themselves! I'm an upright person, not some lowlife. How dare I come here to uphold justice without evidence?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Chen almost screamed and kicked the fat woman against the wall.
The four hotel managers indeed said in unison that Liu Li had drugged them. When she came to discuss business with them, they all refused, wanting to renew their contracts with Hua Xinqing! But, for some reason, they suddenly felt dizzy and disoriented, and then signed.
After regaining consciousness, since the contract was already signed, they had no choice but to accept it.
After hearing all this, Liu Li's phoenix eyes widened in fury. She was so angry that she pointed at the managers and shouted, "You're slandering me! I clearly gave you our pastries to eat, and you all said they were even better than Huaxinqing's, which is why you signed the contract with me. What kind of magic potion did I use? You...you've gone too far!"
The managers, scolded, lowered their heads sheepishly.
In truth, they really did think Yuezhiya's pastries were far superior to Huaxinqing's—at least ten times better! If it weren't for Miao Yuemei using her husband Du Chao's name, these managers would have preferred Yuezhiya!
They had no choice. Du Chao was a big shot in Yunzhou City's catering industry, and he was on good terms with the leaders of the Industry and Commerce Bureau, Health Bureau, and Quarantine Bureau—all those in charge of the catering industry. If they displeased Du Chao, they'd be in big trouble.
They had no choice but to give in!
"You drugged her! What, still won't admit it? Throwing a tantrum?" Miao Yuemei stood with her hands on her hips, taking a sharp step forward towards Liu Li. Her imposing aura forced Liu Li to take two steps back.
Miao Yuemei said disdainfully, "A shameless woman like you, who flirts with everyone she sees, I reckon you might even be trying to sleep with them, right? Maybe you already have, which is why they signed the contract with you! Humph, you're so despicable! But let me tell you, justice will prevail. What isn't yours, no matter how many men you sleep with, isn't yours! Because you're a slut!"
As she spoke, she pointed at Liu Li repeatedly with her finger.
"You! Miao Yuemei, I've been putting up with you all this time. I've always done business honestly and openly. I'm innocent. You've used so many despicable methods to cheat me, and I've been trying to keep quiet! Don't go too far, heaven is watching!" Liu Li cried out, her eyes welling with tears. She just couldn't understand why there were such treacherous women in the world!
"Pah! You're innocent? If you're innocent, then even crows are white!"
Miao Yuemei said disdainfully, then glanced at Du Chao and snorted angrily, "I've already settled accounts with you regarding your affair with my husband! Now you've stirred up this mess, see how I deal with you!"
Liu Li couldn't hold back any longer and turned to shout at Du Chao, "Teacher Du, put your hand on your heart and say something! Did anything happen between us? When did I ever seduce you? We've always had a perfectly innocent teacher-student and friend relationship, haven't we? How can you live with yourself after your wife slanders me like this?"
Du Chao was also a little embarrassed, but his words were ambiguous: "Xiao Li, is it inconvenient to talk about whether there's anything between us here? Besides, the innocent are innocent. Your agitation only makes people suspicious, doesn't it? And it's normal for my wife to be so agitated; she loves me! Maybe you've done something beyond the bounds of propriety in the past, which is why she's suspicious! Sometimes, you need to examine yourself and be more careful!"