The CEO’s Substitute Wife Is A Genius
Chapter 261: The Winter Solstice is Jiang Man’s Birthday, and It’s Also a Childhood Promise

Chapter 261: Chapter 261: The Winter Solstice is Jiang Man’s Birthday, and It’s Also a Childhood Promise

Lu Xingzhou threw off the cover and sat up, his solid chest muscles covered in bruises.

The sight on his back was even more appalling, with crisscrossing red marks over his tense muscular lines, strikingly shocking.

"Let’s go." He straightforwardly slipped on his slippers and headed straight for the bathroom.

"Do you know how to appraise stones?" Even though he knew Jiang Man was capable of anything, he still asked with interest.

Jiang Man, no longer as secretive as before, openly said, "I learned from my foster father, who loved playing around with such things when he was young. Gambling on stones was one of his hobbies too."

"Parents are the best teachers for their children." Lu Xingzhou smiled.

At the mention of the word ’parents,’ Jiang Man felt a sudden pang of pain in her nerves.

Her parents... ha... were worse than pigs and dogs.

"I’ll play a game, you go wash up first." Jiang Man decided not to dwell on this topic and aimlessly walked around the room.

She rummaged through the cabinet and tugged at the drawers.

Not finding the medical kit, she opened the room door and called a servant over, "Please bring a few boiled eggs to my room."

"Yes."

Ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

When Jiang Man opened the door, she saw two servants bowing respectfully, "Miss Jiang, your breakfast."

Jiang Man glanced at it, and besides the boiled eggs, there was also hot milk and a fruit platter, a serving of fried rice, and a dessert platter.

"If Miss Jiang and Mr. Lu find it insufficient, you can move to the dining room."

"Thank you." Jiang Man caught the tray, "Just hand it to me."

She started handling it with both hands, displaying impressive arm strength.

As she turned around, she lifted her foot to close the door.

The whole movement was smoothly executed.

When Lu Xingzhou came out after washing up, he saw Jiang Man carrying the tray towards the coffee table.

He hurried over to help.

Jiang Man said indifferently, "No need."

As she spoke, she placed the tray firmly on the coffee table.

Lu Xingzhou glanced at the breakfast and decided to put on his clothes before eating.

Seeing him turn to leave, Jiang Man stopped him, "Where are you going?"

"To get dressed."

"Don’t get dressed yet, come here."

"Huh?" Lu Xingzhou looked puzzled.

Jiang Man didn’t explain, and picked up an egg and tapped it all around.

After peeling the eggshell, she shook it, "Here, this is for your bruising."

Lu Xingzhou was momentarily stunned, then his mood greatly improved.

"Front or back?"

He deliberately showed his front to the girl.

Jiang Man smirked, "Don’t hurry, you have bruises all over."

Saying this, she started with the egg on the man’s chest.

His chest was the hardest hit, with the most noticeable marks.

As the egg rolled back and forth, the girl’s fingers barely touching his skin made him involuntarily hiss.

"Does it hurt?" Jiang Man raised an eyebrow, instinctively easing up.

"It’s not that," Lu Xingzhou grabbed her hand, "the fire you just put out, you’ve rekindled it..."

"So innocent." Jiang Man glanced at a certain place and couldn’t help laughing, "You can do it yourself, I’m going to wash up."

"You’re not going to help me anymore?" Lu Xingzhou regretted it.

Stirring up trouble just like that, why did he openly prompt?

"No more, do it yourself." Jiang Man, thinking of urgent matters, was very restrained.

...

Twenty minutes later, both of them were neatly dressed and went downstairs together.

Jiang Man wore a teal POLO shirt paired with white shorts.

Her period this time only lasted three days.

After checking her own pulse, she found no serious issues with her body, just some minor discomfort from the sudden change in climate and environment.

They always took precautions each time they had sex.

However, since her period had just ended the night before, it really wasn’t a suitable time for such activities, as it could be harmful to a woman’s health.

After getting carried away, Lu Xingzhou realized it was inconvenient for her body, and had planned to wait a few more days.

Jiang Man wouldn’t agree.

She wasn’t a person prone to desire, but she had indeed lost control last night.

Unlike her breezily dressed appearance, Lu Xingzhou was wrapped up tightly.

White casual pants, a sky-blue shirt, with the top button fastened.

He looked like a top student from a moral education class, exuding an aura of an ascetic male god from head to toe.

"Sister Man, are you and your brother-in-law going to eat seven or eight eggs in the morning? Eating so many eggs is bad for your health; your cholesterol will go over the limit," Shaye, seeing her idol arrive at the restaurant, pulled out a chair for her earnestly.

Wu Yingfan ’tsked’ disapprovingly and unceremoniously debunked her, "Sister Man is a doctor herself; she knows how to take care of herself better than you do!"

"Ah? Sister Man, you’re a doctor?" Shaye blinked, recalling how Jiang Man responded to her pets at her beck and call, "So you’re a veterinarian?"

"What veterinarian?" Wu Yingfan rolled his eyes.

"I’ve never seen such a dumb Lolita!"

"Why are you cursing again..." Shaye pouted, "Brother Fan, you’re the worst."

Jiang Man sat down, drank a glass of juice first, and smiled knowingly as she listened to the two bicker.

She thought that Wu Yingfan and Shaye were quite a match, like bickering friends.

The meal was amusing throughout; Jiang Man was fully satisfied, listening to them as if they were performing a comic dialog.

"Full now, ready to go," Jiang Man wiped her mouth.

The two loudmouths coincidentally shut their mouths at the same time.

...

Two and a half hours later, six luxury cars drove into the largest jadeite gambling spot in Springbok — Sawo.

Shaye, like a countryman entering the city, hugged a brown bear plush toy, eager to enter the venue.

Jiang Man, unruffled, had someone open the car door for her.

As she stepped down from the Bentley, a bodyguard immediately held an umbrella for her.

Even though it was deep autumn, the temperature in Thailand was still around 20° or more, with not-so-weak ultraviolet rays.

As multiple umbrellas were opened, Lu Xingzhou, Jiang Man, and their group instantly attracted the attention of those around them.

Wu Yingfan, fearing he might stand out, wore a black mask and a duckbill cap, and dressed all in black to keep as low a profile as possible.

Yet Lu Xingzhou and Jiang Man, an outstandingly handsome man and beautiful woman, were hard not to notice.

"Look over there, big fish have arrived!"

The venue was packed with crowds from around the world there to gamble on stones.

Some hustlers were also present, specifically targeting those dressed up and looking easy to deceive.

They thought beautiful people were the easiest targets, assuming they knew nothing about jadeite and were just there for the fun.

"What’s happening today? So many handsome men and beautiful women? They don’t look ordinary; probably rich heirs showing off with their girls?"

A group of people eagerly watched the four from various angles.

In the sea of people, another group was particularly eye-catching.

The man was dressed in a suit and shoes, wearing a pair of silver-rimmed glasses, looking like a domineering CEO straight out of a novel.

By his side, flanked by two women of different styles.

The woman on the left was tall, dressed in an orchid-colored office outfit with a low ponytail, her demeanor serious, giving off an ice queen vibe.

The woman on the right was petite, clad in a white Chanel-style suit, holding a tablet in her hands, her expression innocent, looking like a fresh university student.

Although the two were of different styles, their skin was so fair it almost glowed, attracting much attention in a gambling hall largely filled with men.

"President, Master Bai will arrive soon," Shen Yu raised his hand to check his watch, then confirmed on his phone before reporting.

Nan Juefeng, utterly bored, wandered around casually.

The rough stones varied in size, but to him, they hardly differed; they were all just rocks.

As for whether there were any blooms inside when cut open, he had no clue.

To him, jadeite assessment was an area of ignorance.

"President, why did you travel so far just to buy rocks?" Jiang Man also wore a pair of glasses, though hers were rimless.

She put on glasses to appear more professional, like a secretary should.

She had not expected to be so lucky to be chosen by Nan Juefeng on her first day on the job to accompany him on this business trip.

Without having undergone professional induction training, she was completely unaware of workplace etiquette, nor did she know how to communicate with the boss as a secretary.

"It’s not your place to question the president’s business," Shen Yu immediately reproached Jiang Man.

Jiang Man bit her lip, not daring to retort.

She was actually more scared of Shen Yu than Nan Juefeng.

She always felt that Shen Yu was hard to get along with, with a rather temperamental attitude.

"No harm," Nan Juefeng didn’t mind, "A friend’s birthday is coming up, and I want to buy a fine piece of jade to make an emerald necklace for her."

December 21, the winter solstice, was Jiang Man’s birthday, and also a promise they made in their childhood...