Chapter 9 - tempting, voice

"Hey beautiful, hold on a second—let's take a photo first." The two girls Liu Mingxuan had brought along bounded over excitedly to take a souvenir photo with the champagne tower. "That angle doesn't flatter you. Let me help you find a better one." Liu Mingxuan stepped forward to adjust their poses. Girls were vain creatures; even just getting likes and comments on their social media posts would fill them with immense satisfaction. He was confident he wouldn't be spending the night alone. Once they finished taking photos, Li Manli and her colleague began pouring champagne for everyone. Reluctant to give up, she forced a smile and raised her glass to Lu Liang. "Brother Liang, let me buy you a drink." "You can leave now if you're done." Lu Liang lifted his glass and took a sip. "Thank you, Brother Liang. We'll take our leave then." Li Manli gritted her teeth, seething with resentment inside, but she could only depart with a smile on her face. As she passed the window, she couldn't help glancing back at Lu Liang. He'd bailed her out twice now—so why was he giving her the cold shoulder? After she left, Zhang Qian sauntered over to Lu Liang with a glass of wine in her hand, smiling sweetly. "Brother Liang, do you like Lili?" She'd worked in the nightlife industry for seven or eight years and had seen every type of man there was. She knew exactly what was going through his mind. This was the old playing hard to get—stringing along the mermaid with a long line. It might fool naive young girls, but it didn't work on seasoned women like her. "Lili who? The only one I like is Qianqian." Lu Liang wrapped his arms around Zhang Qian's waist, savoring the feel of her plump, curvy, and sensual body. Zhang Qian had no idea Li Manli lived right across from him—the monk might run, but the temple can't. So he wasn't in any hurry. A green little apple needed time to ripen and be tamed, but the juicy peach right in front of him could be devoured in one bite with just a little bait. "Qianqian likes Brother Liang the most too!" Zhang Qian's eyes widened in feigned surprise, then she broke into a radiant smile, snaking her arms around his neck and pressing her cheek against his. If she'd give in just for the commission from two bottles of Ace of Spades and a medium private room, she'd be selling herself far too cheaply. She was already thirty this year. No matter how well she maintained her body and looks, she couldn't compete with girls in their early twenties anymore. It was time to find herself a fallback plan. Zhang Qian was dying to know how Lu Liang had transformed himself from a lowly real estate agent into a tycoon driving a multi-million-yuan luxury car in just two short months. The two of them, each with their own ulterior motives, got drunk not on the alcohol but on the moment. They clung tightly to each other, pouring out their "hearts" and sharing their "sorrows". Liu Mingxuan smiled to himself. With the main character otherwise occupied, it was time for him to ride off into the sunset too. He gathered the two girls he'd just met and the two hostesses, forming a little group. "Choo choo! All aboard~" The five of them paraded downstairs to the dance floor, playing the train game. ...… As the night wore on, the men and women who'd been partying in the dance floor paired off or left in groups. Liu Mingxuan put his arm around a young, beautiful girl, walked over to the private room window, and tapped lightly on the glass. Lu Liang looked over. Liu Mingxuan made a gesture indicating he was leaving—he had a date for the night and was heading out first. "Qianqian, I'm leaving too." Lu Liang had already set the bait; now he just waited for Zhang Qian to take it. Earlier, emboldened by the alcohol, he'd pulled up his Guotai Securities account, revealing his eight-figure asset balance. When dealing with a mature, shrewd woman, subtlety was a waste of time—directness was the way to go. There were countless women working in Shanghai's nightlife scene, but very few of them managed to save enough money to buy a house. Money came easy, so they didn't value it. They drifted through life drowning in a sea of glitz and glamour, only to end up with nothing when their looks faded. Zhang Qian was a smart woman—she'd been dropping hints all night, asking how he'd made his fortune. Lu Liang had let slip a few choice details, confident she'd make the right decision. "Brother Liang, you're drunk. Let me take you home." Zhang Qian's voice was soft and gentle. She knew she couldn't get the information she wanted without giving a little something in return—even if there was a chance she'd end up being used. "I'll call someone to drive me." Lu Liang settled the bill—it came to 42,000 yuan for the night. The private room fee was the biggest expense, followed by the drinks. Then he called Tan Tao and asked him to come pick them up. Zhang Qian went back to the lounge to grab her things, then helped Lu Liang to his feet. The two of them waited at the entrance. Couples like them were a common sight—some with the man supporting the woman, others the other way around—all heading to the nearby hotels. After a short wait, Tan Tao arrived. Dressed in a sharp black suit with white gloves, he looked every inch the professional chauffeur. When they arrived at the Peace Hotel, Zhang Qian's eyes widened in surprise. "Brother Liang, you're staying here?" Lu Liang nodded, then led Zhang Qian into the exclusive elevator and up to the British Suite on the seventh floor, Room 2. Zhang Qian was even more astonished. She'd heard about the Peace Hotel's famous Nine Nations Suites, but she'd never actually stayed in one before. Her gaze grew even more eager. She ran her fingertips lightly along his neck, swayed her hips as she circled around behind him, stood on tiptoe, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Brother Liang, I'm going to touch up my makeup first." "Go ahead." Lu Liang watched her walk into the bathroom, then a smile tugged at his lips as he got up and followed her. Zhang Qian was touching up her lipstick when she sensed a figure looming behind her. Lu Liang grinned mischievously, wrapped his arms around her waist, and his hands began to wander upward. Zhang Qian let out a coquettish giggle, meeting his eyes in the mirror. "Patience is a virtue, Brother Liang~" "Do your thing. I just came in to take a shower." Lu Liang pinched her chin playfully, then began undressing himself without hesitation. "Wow, nice body—you been working out?" Zhang Qian leaned back against the sink, crossed her arms over her chest, and eyed him up and down like a flirtatious gangster. "Just started recently." Lu Liang didn't feel the least bit shy, stripping down completely in front of her. Then he suddenly pulled her into the shower, turned on the rainfall showerhead, and let the warm water cascade over their heads. "Ahhh~~ My clothes are all wet now—I'll have to redo my makeup all over again..." Zhang Qian's mock complaints drifted out of the bathroom, only to be abruptly cut off, replaced by muffled whimpers and moans. After a while that felt neither too long nor too short, Lu Liang emerged from the bathroom wearing a bathrobe, a contented smile on his face. He stretched out on the sofa, picked up the phone to order some late-night snacks, then closed his eyes and pretended to nap, the smile never leaving his lips. Time ticked by. The clock struck midnight, marking the start of a new day. Lu Liang's eyes flew open, his face lighting up with ecstatic joy. He'd heard that voice again. [June 2nd, China Online, 39.82 yuan] He quickly searched for the stock's information and found that its closing price the previous day had been 17.85 yuan. In other words, over the next 12 days (8 trading days), this stock would surge by 21.97 yuan. While it was nowhere near as spectacular as Baofeng Technology's meteoric rise from 7.14 yuan to 310 yuan—a staggering 43-fold increase—it was still a fantastic opportunity. Unlike Baofeng Technology, which had been a new stock requiring subscription, China Online was already listed. Anyone with the money could buy it—no limits, no strings attached. Lu Liang memorized the information and continued browsing news related to the stock, completely oblivious to Zhang Qian approaching him from behind. "China Online? Is this stock special or something?" She was wearing an identical bathrobe, her makeup freshly reapplied. Her short, wine-red bob was still slightly damp at the ends. Zhang Qian knew exactly how to tease a man. Underneath the white bathrobe, instead of her bare skin, she was wearing fishnet stockings—and to top it off, she had on a pair of peep-toe high heels. Sometimes, wearing something was far more tempting than wearing nothing. "You might want to keep an eye on it." Lu Liang put his phone away, saying no more. He patted his thigh, gesturing for her to sit on his lap. "Why did you put your makeup back on?" The years hadn't left many marks on her face; if anything, they'd added a mature charm. Zhang Qian kissed Lu Liang's forehead, teasing him with a smile. "I was afraid you'd run for the hills if you saw me without makeup." "With features this pretty, you'd look gorgeous even without a stitch of makeup on." Lu Liang smiled, his hand gently caressing her calf, occasionally hooking his fingers through the holes in her fishnets. After their little escapade in the bathroom, their relationship had heated up rapidly. At this moment, they felt like a real couple. "Men's words are nothing but lies!" Zhang Qian pouted, grinding her hips against his in a blatant attempt to reignite his desire. She hadn't thrown herself at him just for a fling—she was determined to find out his secret to getting rich. After a moment, feeling his arousal stirring to life again, Zhang Qian nibbled on his earlobe, her voice dripping with honeyed sweetness. "Please, big brother? Just tell me—what's the deal with this stock?" Lu Liang smiled, his hand playing with the soft, real curves of her body. "The market's looking good—worth buying if you ask me. Believe it or not, that's up to you." Zhang Qian might not be young anymore, but she was sexy and alluring. He wanted to keep this relationship going for a while, so he didn't mind throwing her a little "inside information".