Speaking of which, Pang Bei's face beamed with a smile: "Back then, Miss was only fourteen or fifteen years old, yet she had such courage, saving me without even asking who I was. ( ) I was already badly injured; my lungs were punctured. It was Miss who found the best surgeons to treat my wounds and gave me twenty or thirty bottles of 'Living Dragon Elixir' to save my life!"
Lu Chen nodded: "So from then on, you were utterly loyal to her."
"My whole life belongs to her!" Pang Bei patted his chest.
Lu Chen changed the subject: "You're telling me this?"
Pang Bei paused slightly, then laughed heartily, patting Lu Chen's shoulder: "This was just casual conversation, just rambling on for a bit. Okay, let's get to the point. Little Chen, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"
As expected, Lu Chen had already guessed.
He said calmly, "Of course I've thought about it. I want to work with my sister Li to continuously expand and strengthen the Moon's Tooth Pastry Shop, opening at least a dozen or twenty stores in Yunzhou City, and then expanding to other cities, radiating throughout the entire Fuhai Province."
Pang Bei laughed heartily, "Is this your ambition?"
Lu Chen patted Pang Bei on the shoulder, "Old Pang, I actually know what you mean. Sister Li told me. She said your biotechnology company needs me and wants me to come work for them."
"That's right!" Pang Bei became serious, "You're a talented person, you can become Miss's capable assistant. Miss told me that if you're willing to work at our Flying Eagle Biotechnology Company, she wants you to be the research director, with an annual salary of over a million, plus various benefits, including a house and a car. If the company's performance improves, you'll also get a share of the profits."
He paused, gazing intently at Lu Chen, and continued, "Xiao Chen, you need to understand what profit sharing means. If the company develops a new generation of Vitality Dragon Liquid and launches it on the market, you'll receive a share of the profits from every bottle. Compared to that, your annual salary is completely negligible."
"That's a huge temptation!" Lu Chen smiled brightly. "However, I still prefer being a pastry chef; I'm more interested in that."
Pang Bei sighed. "Xiao Chen, I think you need to think this through carefully. Being a pastry chef for life has no future. Think about it, joining Flying Eagle Biotechnology Company, supported by the massive Flying Eagle Group, would bring you immense success. Perhaps you'd have wealth that most people in the world can only dream of. Making pastries can be a hobby, right?"
Lu Chen picked up his green tea, took a sip, and slowly said, "I read a quote in a book: How should one live? By respecting the call of one's heart and doing what one truly wants to do. Making pastries, opening a pastry shop, is what I truly want to do. And helping Xiao Bei with this biological research, that's fine too; it can be my hobby."
These words were spoken lightly, yet carried a firm resolve.
Pang Bei, a shrewd man, wisely refrained from pressing the matter further, chuckling, "Everyone has their own hobbies, Xiao Chen, you're right. Actually, I'm already very happy to know you're willing to help Miss with this 'Living Dragon Elixir,' and I believe Miss will be happy to hear the news. Uh, there's one more thing."
He suddenly lowered his voice, "Did you and your sister Li do 'that'?"
"That?" Lu Chen was taken aback at first, but being an experienced man, he hadn't expected Pang Bei to ask such a question, almost causing him to chuckle. His face flushed slightly, and he said, "Why are you asking? Sister Li and I have a perfectly normal relationship. Nothing like that has ever happened."
"Come on!" Pang Bei winked at him. "Judging from your actions and behavior with her, even if it hadn't happened, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Besides, who says it's not normal? It couldn't be more normal. If humanity didn't have this kind of thing, would there still be humanity? You agree, right?"
Lu Chen was a little embarrassed. "No, why am I asking you this?"
Pang Bei continued enthusiastically, "So, how many women have you slept with?"
Lu Chen was stunned again. To be honest, he really couldn't count them all in a short time. Back in the day, he was a top-notch womanizer, but fate had other plans, and he was driven to this state by a woman! Thinking about it brought tears to his eyes. "Of course, I can't say," he mumbled, "Not many, just three or four!"
"Three or four? Uh, that's not many. The ones I've been with... well... probably less than a hundred times yours." Pang Bei said seriously, then asked mysteriously, "So, Xiao Chen, have you ever been with any of those prostitutes?"
Chapter 023: The Sounds in the Lounge
Lu Chen was truly dumbfounded. What was this all about?
He called out in a low voice, "Old Pang, what are you trying to do?"
Old Pang said seriously, "Answer me."
Lu Chen could only shake his head: "No, it's all with my girlfriend."
That was indeed the truth. Although Lu Chen used to frequent nightclubs and had joked around with quite a few girls like that, he had never actually taken it to the bedroom.
It wasn't that he thought they were unclean or anything, but with his former status as the young master Lu, he didn't need to find those kinds of women to solve his problems. With a flick of his finger, he could have any model or celebrity in his life.
Those girls shouldn't be considered prostitutes, though they're open-minded, but not exactly selling themselves.
Pang Bei nodded: "Alright, then I think Miss can accept it."
Pfft!
Lu Chen was shocked: "What does this mean?"
Pang Bei's expression grew increasingly serious. He coughed lightly: "Actually, Miss asked me to ask this."
Pfft again! Damn it, what is Shangguan Bei up to? Why ask such private, embarrassing things? Is she still a virgin?
Pang Bei seemed to see through Lu Chen's thoughts. He said, "Little Chen, don't worry, Miss is absolutely a virgin. She doesn't even have a boyfriend, and she's never even held hands with another man..."
Pang Bei's slow explanation made Lu Chen a little flustered.
No way? My god, I fled to Yunzhou City to escape women, and this happened so quickly? Am I already that familiar with Shangguan Bei?
Pang Bei explained that Shangguan Bei felt Lu Chen was a good match for her. He saved her life, was knowledgeable in her chosen field, and could help her. Most importantly, he possessed a comfortable and approachable aura that she found very appealing. Considering all these factors, Shangguan Bei felt she could dedicate herself to Lu Chen and they could marry.
By asking Pang Bei, Shangguan Bei was also trying to understand Lu Chen's romantic history. What Lu Chen revealed was still within her acceptable range. After all, Lu Chen was a grown man; it was impossible for him to have never had a woman, and having had several was normal. The most important thing was that he shouldn't get involved with any "tainted" women.
Pang Bei also told Lu Chen that Shangguan Bei was quite open-minded and believed that a successful man couldn't have only one woman. Therefore, even after marriage, she wouldn't mind Lu Chen having other women simultaneously, as few as possible, and each woman would need to be approved by her. For example, she could accept Liu Li, and would accept her no matter what.
After all, this was before she met Lu Chen!
Furthermore, while she would allow Lu Chen to have other women, she would take responsibility for him and guarantee that he would be her only man for life.
Hearing this, Lu Chen felt like he was listening to a fairy tale. Really? This Shangguan Bei was truly a rather eccentric girl. Actually, she was much better than Wan Qian; at least Wan Qian had solemnly warned him that if Lu Chen went to see other women after marriage, she would cripple him.
After saying this, Pang Bei rubbed his hands together: "So, Xiao Chen, isn't my young lady quite good? Someone as open-minded as her is hard to find in this world!"
"Indeed, she's hard to find in this world," Lu Chen scratched his ear, sincerely agreeing.
However, after thinking it over, he still found it hard to accept.
After all, they had only known each other for two or three days; how could they be talking about marriage? He didn't want to get married so early!
He continued, "Old Pang, look at me. I have no family background, just an ordinary commoner. How could I be worthy of a noble lady like Xiao Bei? In modern society, marriage is still about matching social status. I'm not good enough for her! Not good enough!" He shook his head, looking utterly dejected.
Pang Bei chuckled, a strange smile spreading across his face. He said, "Little Chen, your brother Pang has been in the martial world for decades. To be frank, I've probably dealt with more people than you've seen ants. A commoner, even in a dragon robe, doesn't look like an emperor. An emperor, even in beggar's clothes, still has the air of an emperor. What do you say?"
Hearing this, Lu Chen's heart pounded.
Damn! Holy crap! Had Pang Bei seen through him?
Looking into his unfathomable eyes, Lu Chen's heart pounded even harder. He forced a few laughs: "Hehehe, that's true. Me? Wearing a dragon robe, I'd just look like a nouveau riche or something."
Pang Bei grinned again, not revealing his true feelings. He said, "Anyway, Xiao Chen, you really should consider it. Miss's generosity is something I've never seen before. Besides, she said that if her legs can't be healed and she can't stand up, she doesn't deserve to be with you. If she can stand up, she'd be happy to pursue you."
Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat for the nth time. My god! Should I still heal her?
Is this love triangle coming on too strong?
Pang Bei left, leaving Lu Chen with a pile of things to ponder.
Lu Chen returned to the shop, and Liu Li immediately greeted him, her face showing a look of unease and confusion. She leaned closer to him and whispered, "Chen, what...what did he say to you?"
Lu Chen answered casually, "Nothing much, just an invitation to be a research director at a biotech company. But I told Lao Pang that even though the pay is high, I won't go, because I promised my sister Li I'd open a pastry shop with her and expand it all over the world. Haha!"
He concealed something more important: Shangguan Bei wanted to be with him, and didn't even mind if Liu Li came along. This was quite a headache; he couldn't just say it casually.
However, Lu Chen didn't actually dislike Shangguan Bei and even had feelings for her. Shangguan Bei was much better than Wan Qian—gentle, beautiful, and with a great figure. If she stood up, she'd be a stunning beauty!
Thinking this, Lu Chen suddenly had a strange thought. What if in the future...hmm! A scene flashed before his eyes: a specially made large bed, with him lying in the middle, embracing two alluring, naked bodies on either side, their curves perfectly defined, allowing him to touch them wherever he pleased, to do as he pleased.
"Just two women, huh? Let them come at me. What's there to be afraid of a man with an indestructible penis like me not being able to handle them?"