The CEO’s Substitute Wife Is A Genius
Chapter 194: Adding Ingredients to the Bird’s Nest, He Doesn’t Want Children

Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Adding Ingredients to the Bird’s Nest, He Doesn’t Want Children

Ming Ran was immediately shocked into wakefulness upon seeing this long string of messages from her younger cousin.

Jiang Man and Manman, the pronunciation of these two names was indeed very similar.

So Jiang Man had married Lu Xingzhou by impersonating someone else?

For a moment, she was wide-eyed and speechless, stupefied.

After an indeterminate amount of time, she came to her senses and found an outlet for her emotions.

If a girl as outstanding as Jiang Man had to resort to tactics to marry into the Lu Family, let alone herself.

She was just...

Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the man sleeping beside her.

Her resolve firmed up in an instant—for the sake of love, using a bit of strategy was nothing!

With that in mind, she replied to her cousin Ming Xiang: I’m not sure who Lu Xingzhou’s wife is, how do you know he has a wife? Did he get married?

Ming Ran was feigning ignorance, attempting to coax more information from the other party.

Ming Xiang, who was single-minded and lacking in excessive thoughts, replied: Manman told me.

Ming Ran: Why did she tell you that?

Ming Xiang: Lots of us are interested in Lu Xingzhou, we wanted to seduce him. Manman told me he was married, and who he was married to. That woman really has no shame, she actually impersonated Manman. I could see Manman was very upset, she actually also has fantasies about Lu Xingzhou.

Ming Ran: Is that so?

After a pause, Ming Ran: It’s quite late over here, let’s talk another time.

Ming Xiang: Ok, ok, I wish you and your ex-brother-in-law will reconcile!

Seeing the words ’reconcile,’ Ming Ran couldn’t help but smile, full of anticipation.

She hoped it would be so.

However, regarding Manman’s matter, she planned to find an opportunity to warn Jiang Man later.

...

The next day was sunny and clear.

Lu Zhendong woke up thirsty, rubbing his hungover head as he opened his eyes.

He rubbed his hands and thought of getting up as he lifted the covers.

He realized something, turned his head, and saw a scene he could not imagine, something he dared not believe.

A woman was sleeping beside him, her fair shoulder exposed, her little face flushed with a healthy glow, sleeping sweetly.

Long eyelashes, rosy lips, she looked like a doll, with pale golden curls scattered across the pillow.

Lu Zhendong’s pupils dilated as he lifted the blanket and glanced at himself, his brain momentarily crashing.

Why was Ming Ran in his bed?

How could this be?

He rubbed his aching head hard, trying to recall what exactly had happened last night.

But the only fragments of memory remaining were of drinking with his nephew Lu Zhan.

He told Lu Zhan he was going to rest, but after that, he had no impression at all.

He didn’t remember how he entered the room, let alone how he ended up with Ming Ran...

Lu Zhendong roughly threw off the blankets, put on his shoes, picked up the scattered clothes from the floor, and dressed himself without a second thought.

Ming Ran was awakened by his movements but did not dare to open her eyes or make a sound.

She wanted to know how Lu Zhendong would react.

She only heard the sporadic sounds of dressing, followed by the sound of the door closing firmly.

The moment the door shut, Ming Ran’s anxious heart finally settled.

Her heart was a whirlpool of emotions.

What did Zhendong mean by this?

Was he tacitly approving of her actions, or?

Ming Ran’s mind was in turmoil; she couldn’t continue to sleep at all.

She simply got up, got dressed, and tidied up the room a bit.

Just then, three knocks came from the door.

"Miss Ming, may I come in now?"

"Yes, you may." Ming Ran paused in her activity and stepped forward to greet the visitor.

The door was gently pushed open, and an elderly servant walked in.

Ming Ran recognized her; she was an old servant of the old mansion.

The servant carried a bowl of bird’s nest soup and approached with a beaming smile, "Miss Ming, this is sent by the Third Young Master’s orders."

"Really?" Ming Ran was pleasantly surprised, joyfully taking the bowl from her.

She hadn’t expected the intimacy of skin-to-skin contact to have such an apparent effect, had Zhendong actually started to care for her again, as before?

"Miss Ming, this bird’s nest contains contraceptives. The incident that happened between you and the Third Young Master last night, he doesn’t wish for a fourth person beyond you, me, and him to know."

The servant stood by respectfully and said.

Upon hearing this, the smile on Ming Ran’s lips froze instantly, her expression stiffer than crying could be.

Seeing that Ming Ran was holding the bowl but hesitating to drink, the servant spoke again, "Miss Ming, please cooperate so that I’m not put in a difficult position. I’m just a servant, acting on the master’s orders."

"I understand." Ming Ran’s eyes reddened, and her nose felt sour. She lifted the bird’s nest, forgoing the spoon, and gulped it down in one breath, "Is this satisfactory?"

"Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Ming. Breakfast has already started. If you wish to eat, please proceed to the main hall; if not, you are free to leave."

"I understand." Ming Ran’s arms drooped, and her whole demeanor wilted like a frost-stricken eggplant.

She was reminded of years ago when, after being intimate with Lu Zhendong, she had initiated taking contraceptives, but Zhendong refused, saying that such medicine was harmful to one’s health if taken too much.

At that time, he held her tenderly in his arms, promising to take safety measures in any future encounters.

His tenderness was still vivid in her memory, yet now, he became so cold and distant.

Ming Ran felt as though her heart was bleeding, her hands clenched tightly, her long nails digging into her palm, causing her tears to fall involuntarily.

She deserved it! She truly deserved it! She had lost such a good man.

...

In the front yard, the Lu Family had laid out a large table.

The round table that could seat 20 people was filled with cheerful faces all around.

Jiang Man and Lu Xingzhou had stayed the night at the old mansion, and Lu Zhan, finding the hour late, had also settled into a guest room.

Ever since he had entered the entertainment industry, his father had banished him from the home.

From then on, he couldn’t return to his own house and treated his uncle’s home as his own, often coming to visit.

"Uncle, what happened to your neck?" Lu Zhan, with his sharp eyes, immediately spotted the marks on Lu Zhendong’s neck.

Jiang Man also glanced over upon hearing this.

She was familiar with this—it was a hickey!

Even the Old Madame had only learned about this recently; not long ago, when Jiang Man was taking her exams, Lu Xingzhou had rented a room near the school, and she, along with her daughter Lu Xuemei, had barged in. Her daughter had then explained to her that the red marks on Manman’s neck were called hickeys, a playful intimacy between young couples.

"Zhendong, what’s with the hickey on your neck?" The Old Madame asked without any cover-up.

Her blunt question almost made everyone at the table spew out their food.

Especially the likes of Lu Xuemei, Meng Lian, and Lu Yaobang of that generation.

"Mom, you’re quite hip, knowing about hickeys?" Lu Yaobang couldn’t help but tease.

The Old Madame raised her eyebrows spiritedly, "I’m not an old stick-in-the-mud. I’m on my phone every day, keeping up with what you young people are up to. I’m well informed!"

Lu Zhendong was terribly embarrassed; he had washed up too hastily and hadn’t looked in the mirror.

He touched the left then the right side of his neck, sheepishly pulling a grimace, "It was a mosquito, I scratched it."

"Were there mosquitoes last night? I didn’t feel any." Lu Zhan, with his love for a good spectacle, laughed heartily and mercilessly exposed his uncle’s lie.

Already a man of few words, Lu Zhendong was left red-eared and speechless by the family’s grilling.

At the most awkward, defenseless moment for him, Ming Ran walked into the dining room.

Her walk was brisk, and she carried a fragrant scent around her, with her dyed golden hair fluttering in the breeze.

"Good morning, Grandma~ Hello aunt and uncle~ Hello auntie~"

She greeted her elders with grace and ease.