The CEO’s Substitute Wife Is A Genius
Chapter 142: Deep Dig into Jiang Man, the Internet Explodes

Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Deep Dig into Jiang Man, the Internet Explodes

Lu Xingzhou recognized the stunning lady before him immediately, even though he was not a fan of celebrities, he would still occasionally listen to music, especially country music from Europe and America.

JOJO could be considered a household name, a queen of the music scene who had risen to fame early on.

He curved his lips upward, even though he had previously searched for information about wildrose online, the sight of the real, flesh and blood JOJO still made him reveal a hint of surprise.

"Your friend?" he asked Jiang Man, turning his head knowingly.

Jiang Man rubbed her temples, a bit helplessly, "Yes."

"If I’m not mistaken, that is the globally famous top female singer JOJO, right?"

"Mhm, that’s her."

"I didn’t expect you to know stars from the entertainment industry?"

Jiang Man raised her eyebrows, unaware that JOJO had posted on Weibo, and now the whole internet knew JOJO had her as a good friend.

"We met when I was in the States," Jiang Man said succinctly, not wishing to explain too much.

Lu Xingzhou smiled without really smiling, and didn’t ask further.

They had been together for more than a day or two; Jiang Man playing coy wasn’t new to him.

Although he couldn’t understand why she constantly concealed her other identity, he didn’t understand, yet he respected it.

He didn’t forget to answer JOJO’s question, polite but not overly friendly, "Hello, I am Man’s husband."

It was a response to her earlier question, yet it cleverly avoided touching on any privacy issues; he got the measure just right.

JOJO’s pair of eyes burned with intensity as she stared at Lu Xingzhou, the more she looked, the more satisfied she felt.

Most men couldn’t shift their gaze away from her.

With the face of an angel and the body of a devil, any man would involuntarily linger their sight on her.

But Man’s husband didn’t, his focus was always on Man, which she thought was good.

"The siu mai is ready, wash your hands and come eat, call your friend over too."

Lu Xingzhou said softly, then turned and went back to the kitchen.

JOJO put down the things in her hands, unable to get enough of looking at Lu Xingzhou’s retreating figure, and patted Jiang Man on the buttocks.

"Your husband actually didn’t look at me? Hmm, quite a gentleman. Sigh, what’s the deal, how did you two get together? Tell me about it."

"I haven’t had breakfast yet, ask Fanzi," Jiang Man walked towards the kitchen with a cool and arrogant manner.

Glancing at Lu Xingzhou, he was opening the steamer and transferring the siu mai one by one with chopsticks.

The siu mai wrapped in the white jade dough were plump, steaming hot, and emitted a rich meaty fragrance, making Jiang Man swallow her saliva.

She washed her hands clean and sat down at the dining table, where Lu Xingzhou offered her the plate and handed her the chopsticks.

"There’s still work at the company, take your time eating."

Jiang Man paused, "So you came all the way just to make breakfast for me?"

Lu Xingzhou’s peach blossom eyes narrowed, opting not to explain much.

He removed his apron and hung it on the back of the chair, instructing the housekeeper, "Please take good care of the guest."

"Yes, young master," the housekeeper responded respectfully.

Only then did Lu Xingzhou ascend the stairs with his superior long legs, feeling relieved.

A while later, he came down in different attire, a tailored black suit that made him look very dashing.

He descended the stairs with his long legs, fastening his wristwatch on the way down.

The pale skin on his wrist made it impossible to overlook his distinctly jointed hands.

Her fingers were slender, toying idly with her wristwatch.

The diamonds on the watch sparkled brilliantly, making her hands look even more attractive. Every movement she made was dignified and elegant.

As he passed by the dining room, he curled his lips at Jiang Man and waved, "Wife, I’m leaving."

After saying that, he also waved to JOJO and Wu Yingfan.

JOJO responded enthusiastically.

Wu Yingfan’s eyes widened, doubting if he was hallucinating.

He paused, "Wife? Uh, Sister Man, you two are making quick progress, huh!"

Jiang Man took a bite of the siu mai, filled with pork and shrimp, so fresh and tasty.

While chewing on her food, she shot Wu Yingfan a glance.

"Spill it, what’s going on?" JOJO rest her cheek in her hand, full of gossipy curiosity.

Wu Yingfan became the storyteller, narrating the series of mishaps that led to Jiang Man and Lu Xingzhou getting a marriage certificate, as well as some amusing anecdotes of their time together, just like a narrator would tell a story.

JOJO’s eyes were wide open the whole time, incredulous, "This kind of storyline is just like a TV drama, it’s too cool! So, are you two now making it real from the fake?"

"Don’t know," Jiang Man said coldly, with little emotion, "We’re all adults here, it’s normal to have physical needs. Just going with the flow with him for now, I have ten months anyway."

Whether or not to be a real husband and wife with Lu Xingzhou, making the act a reality, she hadn’t fully decided yet.

"Then let me ask you, is he good in bed?" Without considering Wu Yingfan an outsider, JOJO batted her bright blue eyes, overflowing with curiosity.

Jiang Man raised her eyebrows, her lips unconsciously curving up, "Pretty good."

Although they had only tried once last night and it was rather brief, it had lasted a good while and was quite intense, definitely satisfying her.

"Sister, that’s really something to go for!" JOJO was happy for Jiang Man, resting her chin on her hand and rhythmically tapping her cheek with her finger. After a moment’s thought, she added, "Wait, hang on, let me test him first, see if he can resist my charms!"

Jiang Man wasn’t particularly interested and continued nibbling on her siu mai, "Whatever."

Only after having her fill did she remember to get down to business. She looked up at JOJO, "How are the talks with Huayin going?"

At the mention of Huayin, JOJO puckered her lips, her expression full of distaste, "Man, I’m lowering myself to work with Lu Zhan just for you. You have no idea how much my agency flipped. I sneaked out of the country."

"Way to go!" Jiang Man reached out her hand.

JOJO clasped her hand, the two sisters performing a playful arm wrestling and shoulder patting gesture.

"This song will definitely become this year’s top hit on the Chinese music charts. Hasn’t your record company always wanted to break into the mainland market? Now’s the chance." Jiang Man was quite confident, her demeanor brooking no argument.

JOJO believed in her, raising an eyebrow, "Without Man, there’s no me. Whatever you say goes!"

...

That evening.

Wen Jingya returned to the Lu Family’s old house, bringing the old lady her favorite Tang’s pastries.

Ever since the last fake Divine Doctor incident, when she slit her wrists and attempted suicide, the family had quietly reached a consensus.

Let bygones be bygones; as long as Wen Jingya could truly reform, they would remain as harmonious as before.

In the courtyard, Lu Xuemei was attracted by the scent and came over. She entered the main room and grabbed a peach crisp to stuff into her mouth.

"Eating without washing your hands?" The old lady glared at her daughter with a reproachful look.

"What’s a little dirt? It’s never made me sick," Lu Xuemei said cheerfully.

As she ate the peach crisp, she approached Wen Jingya.

Fearing the old lady might hear, she purposely leaned close and whispered, "Jingya, I heard JOJO is planning a global tour, and she might consider stopping in Beicheng this year. Keep an eye out for me; I want the best seat in the first row of the VIP section."

A moment before, Wen Jingya’s lips were curved in a smile, thinking her aunt needed her for something important, and she could be useful, taking the opportunity to impress.

But as soon as she heard the name JOJO, her face immediately soured.

"Aren’t you learning music and in a band? It shouldn’t be hard for you to get a ticket, right?"

Wen Jingya wanted to roll her eyes.

She really couldn’t stand these elders. Just because someone studied computer science, did it mean they automatically knew how to fix computers?

She studied music, not ticket scalping, and she was no ticket tout!

Asking her for tickets was just ridiculous.

Although she kept complaining in her head, she still managed to squeeze out a smile, "Auntie, I’ll try my best, but you also know how popular JOJO is. Her tickets aren’t easy to get."

"I know, I know. If you can get them, I’ll owe you a big favor!"

"Really?" As soon as she heard her aunt would remember her favor, Wen Jingya immediately became enthusiastic, "Don’t worry, Auntie, I’ll definitely get those tickets for you!"

"That’s our Jingya, always so good," Lu Xuemei said with a smile that crinkled her eyes into slits.

The old lady might be advanced in years, but her hearing was still sharp.

Hearing her daughter wanting to chase celebrities again, she interrupted with dissatisfaction, "Xuemei, young people like to chase celebrities, why are you joining in? Have you forgotten how Zhan’er got kicked out of the house by his dad?"

Lu Xuemei was all smiles and didn’t argue.

At the mention of ’Zhan’er’, she slapped her forehead, "Aiya, what a pig’s brain I have, completely forgetting that Zhan’er is in the entertainment industry."

"Jingya, you don’t need to buy the tickets. I’ll ask Zhan’er," Lu Xuemei said, ready to abandon the bridge after crossing it.

Wen Jingya: "..."

Lu Xuemei immediately took out her cell phone and started scrolling through her contacts.

On the other end, Lu Zhan quickly answered the call; he was currently discussing the details of the song "Cotton Candy" with Wen Rui.

"Hello, Auntie Granny?"

He was surprised.

Ever since he entered the entertainment industry, almost the entire Lu Family had cut ties with him because of his father.

Over the years, he had been fighting alone, except for occasional contact with his younger uncle; other relatives barely even remembered his name.

"Zhan’er, long time no see," Lu Xuemei started with small talk, feeling awkward about getting straight to the point.

Lu Zhan had business to attend to, so he cut to the chase, "Auntie Granny, just say what you want to say."

"Well, it’s not really a big deal. It’s just that JOJO is having a world tour this year, right? They said they might consider having a show in Beicheng. When that happens, can you help me get a VIP seat in the first row?"

At this, Lu Zhan was so astonished that he was at a loss for words.

He never expected his forty-something aunt to be listening to songs from a twenty-something girl and even be a fan!

He couldn’t help but chuckle, "Auntie Granny, this is a tough task for me to handle. You might have better luck asking your sister-in-law."

"Sister-in-law? Who?" Lu Xuemei felt unfamiliar with the term.

"Sister-in-law, of course, is Jiang Man," Lu Zhan frowned.

"Manman? Would it be any use to find her?" Lu Xuemei was skeptical.

Manman was indeed capable and was the Divine Doctor, knew how to restore antique paintings and calligraphy, but how did that relate to the entertainment industry?

"Nobody’s more useful than her for this; she’s good friends with JOJO."

"What?" Lu Xuemei was as if listening to a tall tale.

Lu Zhan smiled, having guessed that this would be Auntie Granny’s reaction.

He had the same reaction when he first found out about the relationship between JOJO and his sister-in-law.

"Auntie Granny, you can look it up online. I’m a bit busy here, let’s not chat for now."

"Oh, you’re busy." Lu Xuemei hung up the phone in a daze, taking a moment before the reality of the situation dawned on her.

She stood still in bewilderment for quite a while before she hurriedly unlocked her phone to search.

She hadn’t realized the extent of the situation until she searched and was instantly shocked.

The post by JOJO herself, and the girl in the photo with her, isn’t that their Manman?

"Ah, Mom, something big has happened, something big!"

"Why the fuss, what’s happened?" The old lady frowned, disliking her daughter’s flustered reaction.

Lu Xuemei brought the phone screen to the old woman’s face, pointing at the person in the picture: "Manman actually knows JOJO, the world’s number one female singer! Some comments are saying she’s some gold-medal lyricist, composer."

Upon hearing this, the old lady instructed the butler to fetch her reading glasses, and, with them on, she started looking at the news online.

"Mom, what’s really going on with Manman? Shouldn’t we properly investigate her background? A ’Divine Doctor’ was shocking enough, and now she’s some renowned lyricist, composer? We haven’t accidentally married a lady from a prominent family, have we?"

"Auntie, what prominent family’s daughter? Isn’t our sister-in-law an orphan abandoned by her family?" Wen Jingya spoke with a sour tone.

"I reckon the family that adopted her must be wealthy; otherwise, they couldn’t have raised such an outstanding Manman. Mom, we’ve been careless, never really asking Manman about it," Lu Xuemei felt increasingly uneasy the more she thought about it.

Her own Zhou’er was already quite excellent, but compared to Manman, he still fell short.

Manman couldn’t be this exceptional without being raised in a very powerful family. It simply made no sense.

The old lady didn’t rush to state her opinion but pushed her glasses up on her nose bridge, feeling her daughter’s concerns were valid.

"We don’t need to send anyone to investigate. Secretly investigating would be disrespectful to Manman. Instead, let’s invite Zhou’er and Manman for dinner at our place tomorrow; we can ask them then."

"Great! I’ll make the arrangements!" Lu Xuemei was excited, eager to proceed.

Wen Jingya clenched her fists, eyeing the pastries on the dining table. She picked up a mung bean cake and offered it to the old lady: "Grandma, try this one? It’s delicious."

"I’d rather not, eating too much and my blood sugar will skyrocket," the old lady declined, engrossed in the content on her smartphone.

...

Jiang Man found out about her online popularity belatedly; by the time she became aware, JOJO’s post had gone viral for 10 hours.

Numerous enthusiastic netizens were keen on digging into her background, and incredibly, some actually managed to unearth some information.

That evening, Weibo exploded.

A hot topic parachuted in, climbing to the top of the trending search within just half an hour and amassing discussion from more than 2 million people!

#JOJO’s photo revelation, girl is named Jiang Man, a freshman at Beiyin Academy, both parents alive, has a younger sister, average family background.

Below was a grid of nine photos.

They showed not only pictures of Jiang Man’s biological parents and Jiang Rou but also various candid shots of her, almost all with the school as the backdrop.

There were photos of her shooting a rifle during military training and eating in the school canteen.

There was even a snapshot of her walking along the shady paths at her school!

The comment section was in an uproar with incessant debate.

—What’s the deal with this Jiang Man? Just an ordinary college girl, how did she become friends with JOJO? @JOJO.

—Can the goddess JOJO please explain this personally?

—Ordinary, Jiang Man? You must be joking, she’s anything but ordinary!

Attached to this comment was a screenshot, specifically from Beiyin Academy’s forum, a post created by Yu Qing under a pseudonym.

The post had already been deleted, but someone had taken a screenshot in advance.

Clearly stated on the screenshot: "Freshman Jiang Man of the class of 2023, didn’t take the national college entrance exam, got into the school through backdoor connections, has been sponsored and supported, and not just by one man!"

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.