"Chen, if I didn't have this illness now, I really want to be with you... not to repay you or anything, but just... really want to."
Shen Tian murmured like a bird, "Unfortunately, it's impossible. Even if it were possible, I feel I'm not good enough for you; my body is already so dirty."
Lu Chen smiled and patted Shen Tian's pert bottom. "Don't worry, once your illness is cured, your body and mind recover, and with the piano to soothe you, slowly, you'll feel clean. At least, you won't feel dirty anymore."
Shen Tian chuckled, "You mean, at that time, you'll want me?"
"Uh." Lu Chen blushed.
Shen Tian really liked this small rooftop apartment with its high ceiling and panoramic view. She even said that after buying the piano, she wanted to place it on the side of the floor-to-ceiling glass between the living room and the rooftop. There, during the day, she could play the piano for the blue sky and white clouds; at night, she could play the piano for the stars and moon.
She also loved the rooftop and told Lu Chen that it was so spacious that they could build several squares with bricks, fill them with soil, and grow fruits and vegetables suitable for all seasons. Purely natural and pollution-free.
This was a great suggestion, and Lu Chen thought it was excellent, replying:
"Okay, then I'll find some time to get a few people to carry the soil up, and I'll buy you some vegetable seeds. From now on, you can stay here peacefully, facing the sky, growing vegetables and playing the piano."
Shen Tian only kept her jewelry and entrusted all her money to Lu Chen for safekeeping, to be deposited in his account. This money amounted to over a million.
She said, "Use the money wherever you need it. If you don't have enough, I still have jewelry, which I can sell."
Lu Chen chuckled, thinking, "Did she really think she was running for her life?"
"I didn't expect to receive such a high rent on my first time being a landlord!" Lu Chen joked.
He didn't stand on ceremony and accepted all the money. Anyway, Shen Tian didn't need money right now. He would naturally buy her whatever she wanted.
Over the next two days, Lu Chen bought Chinese herbal medicine for Shen Tian's treatment, which she would then decoct and use for bathing. Thinking that Shen Tian had nothing to do these days, he taught her a simple method of guiding and nourishing qi passed down in his family.
This was considered a closely guarded family secret, but Lu Chen didn't have many reservations.
With this method of guiding and nourishing qi, Shen Tian would recover much faster.
In addition, Lu Chen indeed bought Shen Tian a red Calicutian grand piano, placing it in her favorite spot; it looked incredibly beautiful.
Besides, he hired a few people to build several brick sections on the rooftop, then used fertile, oily black mud to cover them, and also bought vegetable seeds for Shen Tian.
Of course, while doing these things, Lu Chen had Shen Tian hide, keeping her hidden so the workers wouldn't see her and causing any accidents.
A few days passed, and the former nightclub beauty owner became a pianist and a rooftop farmer.
Lu Chen was starting to feel like he had a second home.
His first home was the rented apartment with Dong Qingqing, but since their relationship, her home had become his. And this small apartment, bought on a whim, had also become his second home because of Shen Tian's presence.
Shen Tian had Lu Chen buy all sorts of things, from everyday items to decorations, making the little apartment very cozy and lovely. However, Lu Chen rarely slept there. It was only a one-bedroom apartment, and while sleeping on the sofa was fine when he came back, it wasn't suitable for every night. He mainly stayed at Dong Qingqing's place.
Shen Tian seemed a little resentful, but didn't say anything. She seemed to thoroughly enjoy this secluded life, spending her days playing the piano, doing cross-stitch, gardening, and focusing on her health and recuperation—living quite contentedly.
These past few days, Lu Chen has also been busier and more energetic. The Moon's Tooth Pastry Shop has now expanded to the third floor, connecting everything. Once the renovations are complete, it will definitely be even more impressive.
In Yunzhou City, there aren't many pastry shops with three floors. Of course, many pastry shops are chains, but Moon's Tooth doesn't. Originally, under Liu Li's vigorous development, Moon's Tooth had three or four chain stores. But later, that gossipy woman named Miao Yuemei, believing Liu Li and her husband were having an affair, ruined them all.
Even the main store was almost bankrupted by that damned Miao Yuemei, but thankfully, Lu Chen arrived at this crucial moment.
In less than a year, it's now thriving again. Opening more branches won't be difficult; they have the funds, they just need to train staff.
The Moon's Tooth Pastry Shop had three floors, but Lu Chen hadn't called Liu Li to tell her. He wanted to wait for her return and give her a big surprise. Liu Li had originally said she'd be back in about ten days after returning to her hometown of Huizhou, but now that ten days had passed, she called back saying she couldn't come back for the time being and would probably have to wait another two weeks.
This was because her mother was ill, quite seriously ill. Actually, she had been ill for a while, but she hadn't told her daughter in Yunzhou City, afraid of worrying her, and knowing how difficult things were for her there.
Fortunately, Liu Li had only discovered this when she thought of going home to see her parents because of the shop renovations.
"Chen, regarding the shop renovations, could you try to save some money? My mother's illness is going to cost a lot. I guess you'll have to send me some. I'm so sorry, Chen," Liu Li said sullenly.
Before Liu Li left Yunzhou City, the shop had a total of about three million yuan. About one million was money Miao Yuemei lost, one million was from the sale of pearl jewelry given to her by the generous Yang Jiangyu, and the remaining one million was Liu Li's daily savings and the money she earned after Yuezhiya revived its business.
When Liu Li left, she gave Achen two million yuan, including the initial renovation costs of the pastry shop and daily cash flow. She kept one million yuan for herself. Now, she's actually asking Lu Chen to send her some money back; it seems her illness is indeed quite serious.
Lu Chen immediately replied, "It's alright, I have some money here. I'll transfer you a million first, how about that?"
Liu Li was taken aback: "No need for that much, five hundred thousand will do." Then, somewhat shyly, she said, "Chen, I've decided on something. When I get back, you'll teach me how to do a striptease, okay?"
Lu Chen deliberately asked, "And after you teach me?"
Liu Li playfully scolded, "You little rascal, what else do you want?"
Lu Chen chuckled: "You'll know what I want when you get back."
That very day, Lu Chen wired five hundred thousand to Liu Li.
Now, although he didn't have a lot of money himself, he still had two or three million. Plus, although the Moon's Tooth Pastry Shop was currently under renovation, pastry production and sales hadn't stopped, and they were all in bulk. And those customers were brought by Pang Bei, so settling payments was very easy.
Therefore, even if he really gave Liu Li a million, he wouldn't be short of money for the shop renovations.
During this time, Zhuang Youxing practically clung to Lu Chen, calling him every few days to invite him out for tea, meals, foot massages, and the like, engaging in deep, almost homoerotic, conversations.
All of this was to lure Lu Chen into Huaihai. Zhuang Youxing even declared that whatever price Feiying Bio offered Lu Chen, Huaihai would definitely offer even more. As for how much more, that would require approval from higher-ups.
Lu Chen couldn't refuse outright, so he said he needed to think it over.
Zhuang Youxing, a shrewd old fox, knew that forcing things wouldn't work, and he couldn't force Lu Chen. He wasn't in a hurry, simply saying, "Even if the deal falls through, our friendship remains strong!"
Lu Chen immediately got goosebumps upon hearing this.
Meanwhile, at Feiying, Lu Chen would visit every few days to give Shangguan Bei leg massages and handle any questions from his subordinates. "Without a bit of skill, one wouldn't dare go to Liangshan," as the saying goes. But after these past few days, in the eyes of those so-called doctors, PhDs, and biological experts, Lu Chen has definitely surpassed that level—he's practically a walking, talking machine.
That description still doesn't quite capture it; behind his back, some call him "Three Tons of Three."
Of course, this is a term of utmost respect, devoid of malice or mockery.
Indeed, whether it's developing supplements and health products, researching effective drugs for intractable diseases, or other projects, Lu Chen can always come up with remarkably brilliant ideas.
For example, regarding drugs for controlling drug addiction, Lu Chen casually pointed out that the structure needed some simple adjustments, and by adding two Chinese herbs, the efficacy was increased by more than 30%.
This seemingly casual idea is worth a fortune!
Therefore, almost everyone at Flying Eagle Biotechnology now holds Lu Chen in high regard, even Du Haoqi. Only one person, however, secretly watches Lu Chen with an ever-deepening resentment.
That morning, in the research director's dormitory room in the Flying Eagle Biology dormitory area, Shangguan Bei sat on the sofa, leaning back so much that her two erections stood high.
She was wearing shorts, her two fair legs stretched out straight on a square stool. They were covered with a bluish-gray ointment. The ointment was clearly sticky, as it was also applied to the back of her legs.
In other words, the ointment was like plaster, completely encasing Shangguan Bei's legs.
Lu Chen squatted beside her, his hands subtly radiating the energy of his healing powers, kneading Shangguan Bei's legs from her thighs to her toes and back again.
This was undeniably a very seductive treatment, as her shorts were rolled up to her thighs, revealing glimpses of different colored and textured fabrics.
For Shangguan Bei, this seemed perfectly natural. Before applying the ointment, she had even asked if she should just stop wearing shorts altogether. However, Lu Chen realized he didn't have that much self-control, and although he was tempted, he said no.
"How do you feel now?" Lu Chen asked.
Shangguan Bei slightly opened her half-closed eyes and softly said, "Mmm, so comfortable."
Lu Chen chuckled, "That's not what I'm asking. What does it feel like inside your legs right now?"
Shangguan Bei replied, "Every time you press, it feels like an energy carrying heat rushes to my meridians, causing a slight numbness and swelling there, and slowly a little strength starts to emerge. Anyway, it feels very comfortable, and I feel my legs getting stronger. Brother Chen, I think I'm about to stand up."
Lu Chen smiled, peeled off all the ointment from her legs, and put it into a small basin, revealing her fair and rosy skin. Then, he gave a calm command: "Stand up!"