“Two thousand bucks. If you do an outstanding job on this task, I’ll throw in a bonus.”
“Mind if I ask what your mom does for a living?”
“Vice Leader of the A City Alliance.”
Lin Cheng’s eyes widened. “What if she takes a dislike to me and chops me up, then dumps my body in the river?”
“No way.” Lu Xiaoxiao shot him a dissatisfied look. “At worst, she’ll just humiliate you a little.”
“So what role am I supposed to play?”
“Just be yourself.”
“…Fine.” Lin Cheng let out a helpless sigh.
He could treat it as a bit of fun to spice up his boring life.
Rebellious teenagers often found all sorts of self-destructive ways to get back at their parents, and Lu Xiaoxiao was clearly right in the thick of that phase.
Before her mother returned, Lu Xiaoxiao had rumpled the bedsheets and left the blankets in a tangle. Lin Cheng could only shake his head helplessly at the sight. He headed to the kitchen, where the fridge was stocked with plenty of suitable ingredients. They usually had a cook for meals, but after letting Lu Xiaoxiao know, he decided to take over himself. Alone in the kitchen, he busied himself until dusk began to fall outside the window. That’s when a sleek black Phantom pulled into the villa’s driveway.
Lu Xiaoxiao’s mother was Lu Lingling.
Though her daughter was already twenty-one, Lu Lingling looked no older than twenty-four or twenty-five. It wasn’t just good skincare—her face bore no trace of makeup, yet she was strikingly beautiful, which made her seem especially youthful. Her figure was a touch more voluptuous than Lu Xiaoxiao’s, but she was just as tall and poised.
Some ability users had the power to slow their aging, which made perfect sense.
As she stepped into the villa’s ground floor, she was still in her Alliance uniform: a crisp white top paired with loose black trousers. Her dark hair was pinned up, giving her an air of stern authority that downplayed her softer features. Her fair cheeks were expressionless, yet they radiated an inexplicable intimidation.
That was typical of those in positions of power.
Lin Cheng was still in the kitchen preparing dinner. Lu Xiaoxiao sat on the living room sofa. She’d already texted her mother earlier, letting her know… she’d brought her boyfriend home, and he was cooking dinner—they could all eat together.
Lu Xiaoxiao could already picture Lu Lingling’s furious expression. Amid her anxiety, a twisted sense of vengeful satisfaction bubbled up, mingling with a tangle of odd emotions. Her eyes met Lu Lingling’s.
“Where is he?” Lu Lingling asked flatly.
“Still in the kitchen.” Lu Xiaoxiao uncrossed her legs. Her mind had been buzzing with excitement moments ago, but under her mother’s scrutinizing gaze, she straightened up instinctively, her heart pounding.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were dating?”
“We only just made it official.”
“What about the guy I set you up with? Clean background, good personality, no bad habits, exceptional ability potential. He’d rise high in the Alliance someday, and his powers even complement yours.”
“But I don’t like him. I like this one. Now that I have a boyfriend, you can finally transfer him out of my squad, right?”
Lu Lingling’s gaze swept over Lu Xiaoxiao from head to toe. “I haven’t said you have my permission to date him.”
“I’m an adult. Why do I need your permission to date?”
Lu Xiaoxiao had rehearsed this conversation in her head dozens of times already. But now, facing her mother, unease crept in unbidden. Lu Lingling merely glanced at her coolly, ignoring the question entirely, and strode straight toward the kitchen. Lu Xiaoxiao hurried after her, but Lu Lingling shut the kitchen door right in her face.
Silence was the ultimate dismissal.
Lin Cheng was still wearing an apron as he cooked. He’d made clear-stewed pig’s trotters. The fridge had some premium beef too, but he wasn’t great with Western dishes, so he’d cubed it and whipped up black pepper beef. The trotters bubbled away in the pot, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma. Hearing footsteps, he turned his head.
The moment Lu Lingling saw his face, she froze in place. One second. Two. Three. Five… She couldn’t utter a single word.
It took a long while before she snapped out of it. Crossing her arms, she leaned against the doorframe, her voice softening. “Do you like my daughter?”
“Eh, I like her okay, I guess.”
“How about you two have a kid soon?”
The topic leaped to something utterly absurd.
“Are you one of those women over forty with a total obsession about popping out babies?!!!” Lin Cheng blurted out a curse for no apparent reason.
…He was usually very polite and never swore, unless he truly couldn’t hold back.
“What’s wrong with my suggestion?” Lu Lingling’s eyes remained calm.
“That’s your daughter…”
“I’ve never cared much about myself. Do you think I’d care about her?” Lu Lingling’s expression stayed placid, but Lin Cheng snapped irritably, “You’re seriously messed up.”
Lu Lingling didn’t argue with him. Her gaze fixed on him intently for several seconds before she murmured softly, “Is Xiaoxiao really dating you?”
“Sort of. Who knows, we might break up any day now.”
Lin Cheng always stuck to his principles when he took money for a job. Lu Lingling gave a soft hum of acknowledgment. “Then I’ll deal with the partner I had lined up for her.”
“…” Lin Cheng shrugged. “Dinner in half an hour.”
“Alright.” Lu Lingling turned and left the room.
A simple, bizarre exchange.
Lu Xiaoxiao waited anxiously outside the kitchen. She was praying Lin Cheng could hold out for at least three minutes. She knew full well how terrifying her mother’s oppressive aura could be—that suffocating pressure alone could make an ordinary person break out in cold sweat.
Surprisingly, though, just a minute later, Lu Lingling emerged. Lu Xiaoxiao searched her face, but Lu Lingling said nothing, her expression blank as she headed to her room to shower.
Lu Xiaoxiao rushed into the kitchen first. Lin Cheng was stir-frying the black pepper beef, looking utterly relaxed and at ease. Tentatively, she asked, “You… okay?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Lin Cheng shrugged.
“What did you talk about?”
“Just stuff about you, dating and all that. Your mom seems pretty pleased with me.”
Yeah, your mom has been pretty pleased with me for a while now.
“No way!” Lu Xiaoxiao stared at Lin Cheng in disbelief. It made no sense. Lu Lingling couldn’t possibly be happy that she’d picked an ordinary guy. It didn’t matter how handsome or polite Lin Cheng was.
Lin Cheng patted Lu Xiaoxiao’s shoulder nonchalantly, sighing and shaking his head. “You wouldn’t get it. When it comes to charming rich ladies, I’m a pro.”
Lu Lingling soon emerged from her shower.
Lu Xiaoxiao still couldn’t figure out how Lin Cheng had won her mother over. No matter how she thought about it, it defied logic. When Lu Lingling stepped out of the bathroom, Lu Xiaoxiao froze for a moment.
The nightgown Lu Lingling wore was downright provocative.
It was a black spaghetti-strap number, the silky fabric clinging just right, the thin straps barely supporting the weight of her ample chest. They were alone at home most nights, just the two women, so nightgown styles never mattered. But with Lin Cheng there now, this one was scandalous: it revealed a vast expanse of cleavage, nearly half of her soft, creamy breasts on display. The back was open, her sideboob starkly visible, and the hem was scandalously short, barely covering her rear.
Lu Lingling’s figure was fuller than Lu Xiaoxiao’s, yet slender where it counted. Her face shared about seventy percent similarity with her daughter’s. If she hadn’t said otherwise, the two standing together might pass for sisters.
That was part of why Lu Xiaoxiao got special treatment in the Alliance—everyone knew she was Lu Lingling’s daughter and gave her preferential care. Lu Xiaoxiao had always hated that “special” status but was forced to enjoy the perks anyway.
“Why’d you come out in that nightgown… Mom?” Lu Xiaoxiao said anxiously, terrified Lin Cheng might walk out of the kitchen right then. Lu Lingling’s expression remained utterly calm. “To me, you’re both just kids. So what’s the issue?”
Lu Xiaoxiao was at a loss for words. Before she could muster a response, Lin Cheng came out carrying the dishes. Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes locked onto his—if they so much as strayed, she’d lunge and gouge them out. But to her surprise, Lin Cheng didn’t glance at Lu Lingling at all. He just said gently, “Go wash up. Dinner’s ready.”
The dining table in the living room was round, with a lazy Susan. Lin Cheng had made four dishes: clear-stewed pork elbow, black pepper beef cubes, corn with shrimp, and cabbage-tofu soup. He and Lu Lingling sat facing each other across the table. Lu Xiaoxiao hesitated, then took a seat on the edge, equidistant from both.
The instant Lu Lingling picked up her chopsticks, one strap slipped off her shoulder. Lu Xiaoxiao’s heart clenched, her cheeks burning as she whipped her head toward Lin Cheng, ready to cover his eyes. But he wasn’t looking at all—he was just shoveling food into his mouth.
No manners whatsoever.
Lu Lingling suddenly set down her chopsticks and stepped out briefly. When she returned, she carried three wine glasses and a bottle of red wine, which she placed on the table. With lazy grace, she poured a measure into each glass. The way she looked at Lin Cheng was so tender that Lu Xiaoxiao wondered if she was seeing things.
“Eat slower—it’s better for your stomach. Have a little wine?”
“Oh, sure. Thanks, Aunt. I’m starving… Sorry about that.”
“No worries. Watching Little Cheng eat like this really works up an appetite.”
Lu Xiaoxiao could have sworn Lin Cheng had hypnotized her mother. She’d been raised to chew slowly and savor every bite; even a slightly slouched posture got corrected. So why was this bottomless pit of a guy getting praised?
Lin Cheng raised his glass of red wine. “A toast to you, Aunt.”
“Do I look that old?” Lu Lingling’s lips curved slightly, a hint of playful reproach in her tone.
“Ah… You look like her older sister.”
“Little Cheng has such a sweet mouth.” Lu Lingling laughed, her chest jiggling with the motion.
…Lu Xiaoxiao’s worldview was crumbling.
…Where the hell had things gone wrong?
