Forced Me to Regress, Huh?

All the groundwork had now paid off.

Lin Lu took the initiative to add Cheng Zhu on WeChat, and she did so with a bright smile.

For Cheng Zhu, he had planned to leave many ‘hooks’ during the conversation.

For example, his earlier comment about not letting her future kids study late at night was one such hook.

This hook might not necessarily lead to an organic request for her contact information. After all, how Lin Lu would respond was uncertain.

But it didn’t matter. There would be subsequent hooks one after another.

And at just the right moment, he would casually say, “I don’t have your contact information.”

Getting a contact method was actually not that hard.

It was also possible for Cheng Zhu to ask for it after dinner.

But having Lin Lu take the bait herself made all the difference.

Just like now, Lin Lu not only took the initiative to add him as a friend but also felt Cheng Zhu was quite interesting.

Of course, this was all contingent on his overall qualities. Someone with good overall qualities was considered a humorous man. If not, he was merely a funny guy or a joker.

Jiang Wanzhou and Shen Minglang were astonished.

Especially Shen Minglang, he was utterly dumbfounded.

He prided himself on being a playboy and was never short of girls around him.

But for some reason, he suddenly felt a bit low-class in front of Cheng Zhu.

Coincidence? We just happened to hit this topic, the atmosphere built up to this point, and then they added each other? Shen Minglang thought. Right, it must be a coincidence. How old is he? He just graduated from high school!

Speaking of which, Shen Minglang really felt that Lin Lu was very cute. She was full of energy and was a voice actress with a versatile range.

But he also knew that he had no chance with her.

Moreover, this kind of ‘sister’s best friend’ had a high-risk factor.

If they got along well, it would deepen their connection. But if things went south, it could lead to a rift with his sister.

Shen Minglang was clear about this.

At the same time, he was very clear about his own position. He only pursued girls who liked his money and were looking for a good time. Right now, he just wanted to have fun and wasn’t ready to settle down. He changed women very quickly.

Lin Lu was not the type for him, nor did she look at him that way.

He had specially dressed up and even bought new clothes and styled his hair purely to be flashy!

Of course, he didn’t think Cheng Zhu could win over Lin Lu.

If a high school graduate like him manages to get a girl at Lin Lu, I’ll fucking wash his underwear for a year! Shen Minglang thought.

Only Shen Qingning couldn’t help but look at Cheng Zhu at this moment, deep in thought.

* * *

After the meal, everyone had a great time chatting.

Cheng Zhu played a crucial role here.

As the ‘outsider’ in the group, he didn’t dominate the topics but always controlled the rhythm of the conversation.

After all, he was a first-generation entrepreneur who was bold and hardworking and had achieved a leap in social class through his own efforts.

He still had a bit of presence.

After dinner, Shen Minglang suggested they find a place to relax.

After nine o’clock, he needed to stop by his bar because business had started to slow down now that the World Cup was over.

But it was still early, and he needed someone to pass the time with him.

What Boss Shen didn’t know was that this move fulfilled another of Cheng Zhu’s needs.

You see, with a few young people looking for a place to sit and chat, it could still feel a bit dull.

In that case, they could play some games. For instance, they could play card games or games like Who Is Undercover, Truth or Dare, and so on.

This way, Cheng Zhu could naturally suggest that Shen Minglang create a WeChat group for the five of them.

Having a group chat would make it much more convenient to play games. They could share links in the group or even directly play in it. If they decided to play cards for money, they could even transfer money directly in the group.

Many people might face a problem. They did everything possible to get a girl’s WeChat, but they didn’t know how to chat with her alone.

Why be silly and start with private messages?

If there was a WeChat group, they could start in the group!

Food had to be eaten bite by bite, and journeys had to be taken step by step.

The key point remained. It was all about letting things develop naturally.

If you show too much purpose right away, others will be on guard. This was Cheng Zhu’s hard-earned wisdom.

And Shen Minglang, my newly recognized cousin, loves to chat, loves liveliness, and loves to show off… He will naturally interact with everyone in the group. Cheng Zhu already regarded him as a tool.

In addition, don’t forget that Cheng Zhu still hadn’t added Shen Qingning on WeChat.

But after joining the same WeChat group, he had no intention of adding this cold and aloof beauty. For now, he would only add Lin Lu.

Yes, he was deliberately not adding her.

This was the effect that this scumbag was aiming for.

* * * 

When it was almost nine o’clock, everyone parted ways at an influencer dessert shop.

Shen Minglang drove to his bar, Shen Qingning took Lin Lu home, and Jiang Wanzhou sent Cheng Zhu back.

During the drive, Jiang Wanzhou couldn’t resist gossiping and asked, “Are you interested in Lin Lu?”

“Why do you keep asking me that? When I chatted with Yezi, you said I wanted to pursue her. When I met Lin Lu today, you also fucking said I wanted to pursue her,” Cheng Zhu said irritably. “Why don’t you say I want to pursue your cousin instead?”

“Uh.” Jiang Wanzhou realized he might be a bit overly suspicious recently, but he still said, “That’s just what I feel. Am I wrong?”

“Right, your damn intuition is spot on,” Cheng Zhu joked. “Why don’t you call me brother-in-law to see how it sounds?”

“Get lost!” Jiang Wanzhou exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingning was driving her white Range Rover, taking Lin Lu home.

It had to be said that some domineering cars looked even more impressive when driven by women.

At school, Shen Qingning and Lin Lu were campus goddesses of the same caliber.

However, fewer people dared to pursue Shen Qingning than those who dared to approach Lin Lu.

It was due to her overwhelming aura.

Living in Hangzhou and studying here, she drove her Range Rover straight to school.

In addition, Shen Qingning’s naturally cold and aloof temperament made her appear cool and intimidating to most boys.

As they neared the residential complex, Lin Lu said in the tone of a domineering CEO’s pampered wife, “Hubby, can you take me upstairs? I’m afraid to take the elevator alone.”

Shen Qingning shot her a displeased look. “If I take you upstairs, you’ll ask me to come in. And if I come in, you’ll ask me to spend the night and sleep with you.”

“Isn’t it nice to sleep with me in your arms? Are you tired of me?” she asked in a pitiful voice.

“Stop being dramatic. You seem to be in a good mood today.” Shen Qingning ignored her clingy tactics.

“I’m really happy today,” Lin Lu admitted without hesitation. “I was right. Cheng Zhu is quite handsome.”

“What’s the matter? Do you like him?”

“I’m not a shallow looks person. I’m only a little bit of a looks person, okay?” Lin Lu said honestly. “I just think he’s interesting.”

At this moment, the car arrived at Lin Lu’s underground garage.

After shifting the gear to park, Shen Qingning turned to look into her best friend. “Have you heard of a saying?”

“What saying?”

“A so-called interesting soul is actually someone whose depth of information and level of knowledge far exceeds yours, who is willing to lower themselves to listen to your meaningless chatter and engage with you, offering perspectives you’ve never encountered before, thereby challenging your shallow imagination and worldview.”

Lin Lu took a moment to digest what Shen Qingning said, and her big bright eyes widened.

Soon, she protested, “But he’s like my younger brother. He just graduated from high school. You’re looking down on me!”

She quickly added, “Even your brother doesn’t give me that feeling. Shen Minglang has some social experience, has opened several businesses, and is older than us. Plus, he’s a scumbag who loves to talk nonsense.”

“Maybe,” Shen Qingning said noncommittally. “Perhaps you feel comfortable talking with him because you two are on the same wavelength.

“Maybe I am overthinking it. If he can connect with anyone…”

Shen Qingning paused and smiled. “Even a scumbag like my brother, who thinks he’s so charming and eloquent, probably has to call him… grandmaster, right?”