The CEO’s Substitute Wife Is A Genius
Chapter 284: The Boss Not Only Can Control the Score, but Also the Cards

Chapter 284: Chapter 284: The Boss Not Only Can Control the Score, but Also the Cards

After dinner, the four of them put together a table and played mahjong.

Playing mahjong in the winter was the most enjoyable.

Next to them was the stove, with hot milk being brewed, and some peanuts and oranges roasted, filling the house with fragrance.

Jiang Man was very restrained, purposely skipping her turn whenever she was about to win.

Several times she allowed the elderly lady to win, delighting her with laughter.

"Manman, you don’t know how to play mahjong?" Lu Xuemei couldn’t watch any longer.

With Manman continuously losing, weren’t they bullying her?

A single game was not for small stakes, 100 yuan per fan, and at the most, it went up to 72 fans, where she could lose 7200 yuan in one game.

"It’s fine, it’s just a game, winning or losing isn’t important," Jiang Man was enjoying herself.

Just as with controlling points, she was adept at controlling the game.

"Manman, you aren’t very good at this either," Lu Xuemei glanced at Jiang Man sitting beside her.

Jiang Man gave an embarrassed smile, "I didn’t play when I was young, and didn’t really get into it when I grew up, most of my time is spent on dancing."

Speaking of dancing, Lu Xuemei suddenly thought of something, "Are you interested in the National Opera House? They have official positions, and your grandmother can write a recommendation letter for you."

"Ah?" Jiang Man was taken aback.

Her educational credentials weren’t strong; she didn’t even have a proper undergraduate diploma.

With such qualifications, could she get an official position?

Lu Xuemei had long seen through her thoughts and laughed, "It doesn’t matter if your education isn’t high, we can get a teacher to tutor you. If you can pass the exams and interview, with your grandmother’s influence, you can get in."

"Is that so?" Jiang Man was tempted but, after hesitating, she still smiled, "I want to develop well at the Nan’s corporation."

She paused, then bit her lip, "Mom, Grandma, I want to go to a university—not an art school, a proper undergraduate institution. Is that possible?"

Without a diploma, she couldn’t go far at Nan’s.

The moment she said this, the old lady’s movement to grab cards paused.

Because she was a lifesaver, the old lady was willing to help Jiang Man with almost anything.

"Which university do you want to attend?"

"Tsinghua or Peking University... Is that possible?" Jiang Man said with her head down, yet her eyelids were lifted.

Her doe-like eyes looked pitiful, truly heart-wrenching to behold.

"Tsinghua or Peking University, huh?" Lu Xuemei immediately frowned, looking uncertainly at the old lady, "Mom, is that possible?"

"It’s not impossible," the elderly lady thought for a moment, "Doesn’t Tsinghua or Peking University have special admissions channels each year? Isn’t your ballet very good? You can enter through the art students’ pathway."

Jiang Man mentioned it casually, as a mere exploration.

She was envious of Lu Yingxue being a student at Tsinghua or Peking University, envious of that feeling of superiority that comes with being a gifted student.

"Grandma, can I really get in?" Jiang Man still couldn’t believe it, her voice tentative.

"As long as your ballet impresses the professors and they are willing to accept you, there will be no problem."

"And what about Manman?" Lu Xuemei glanced at Jiang Man, "Do you want to transfer schools?"

Jiang Man played a tile carelessly, "Aunt, I think my current school is quite good; there’s no need to change."

Jiang Man didn’t speak, feeling that Jiang Man was aware of her limitations.

After all, she was just a songwriter and composer, mingling in the entertainment industry.

Surely prestigious universities wouldn’t appreciate such pursuits, not considering these as real art, right?

Unlike her ballet, which is regarded as an art form.

"I heard from the chairman of the school’s board that the top five schools were fighting over Manman, and she didn’t fancy any of them," the old lady proudly recounted, "Actually, which school you attend doesn’t matter, having a skill is what’s important. Our Manman is outstanding, she does not need academic credentials to bolster her."

"A scramble by the top five schools? Which five are they?" Jiang Man was very curious, wondering if they were all art schools.

"Tsinghua, Peking University, Renmin University, USTC, BUFLS, you name it," the old lady said with evident pride, "All the presidents and directors came personally to invite her. Manman said she’s interested in music and doesn’t want to go."

"Really?" Jiang Man tugged at the corner of her mouth, her smile quite unnatural, "Do all the top schools have arts departments? Seems I’m out of the loop."

"Not just arts. Defense science, medical science, and the like, they all want Manman. They say they want to cultivate her into a pillar of the nation!"

"Medical science too?" Jiang Man blinked, utterly perplexed.

Lu Xuemei laughed as she took over the conversation, "Manman is something else, an international celebrity doctor. At such a young age, she’s an important member of the International Red Cross and a lifetime member of the World Health Organization!"

"That’s impressive..." Having heard all this, Jiang Man could only feel utterly baffled, thinking Jiang Man’s bragging had gotten out of hand.

International celebrity doctor?

Jiang Man?

She didn’t look the part!

Jiang Man didn’t say anything. Hearing a servant enter the courtyard and report under the eaves, "Old Madam, the young master has arrived," she remained quiet.

Upon hearing that Lu Xingzhou had arrived, Jiang Man touched the mahjong tiles in her hand, curved her mouth into a smirk, and pushed all the tiles in front of her down: "Winning with Thirteen Orphans."

"Oh my!" Lu Xuemei exclaimed, craning her neck.

She glanced at Jiang Man’s tiles, her eyes widening in astonishment.

"Manman, you’ve won big this round!"

There were no special rules set beforehand, so Thirteen Orphans counted as 88 points each. At 88 points per person, that was 8,800 yuan, and for three people, it amounted to 26,400 yuan.

In the end, Jiang Man not only didn’t lose, but she actually made a profit.

"Grandma, Xingzhou is here, shall we call it a night?" Jiang Man picked up her phone.

The butler helped the old lady transfer the money to Jiang Man.

"Come on, let’s see who earned the most and who lost the most today?" Lu Xuemei loved this part of the game. After transferring money to Jiang Man, she checked her own balance, "Hmm, I broke even."

"The old lady won twenty-two thousand!" the butler said cheerfully, happier than if she had made the money herself.

"I made eight thousand," Jiang Man stated calmly.

The corner of everyone’s eyes simultaneously drifted towards Jiang Man. She was feeling the pinch: "I lost... over thirty thousand... "

"There goes your spending money for the month?" The old lady looked at her with a touch of sympathy.

Jiang Man nodded like she was mashing garlic.

"You’ve got to accept the losses in gambling." But contrary to offering her more money, the old lady happily took a hot towel from the servant, wiped her hands clean, and stood up.

At that moment, Lu Xingzhou, looking travel-weary and clad in a black trench coat, walked into the courtyard. Tall and imposing, he carried an air of fatigue yet his innate nobility was not to be masked by the night.

Instead, the bright moonlight slanted down upon him, making his fair skin gleam, casting him in a light that was both radiant and gentle.

"Playing mahjong? Have I come at a bad time?" he said with a hint of teasing, clearly in a good mood.

"Not at all." The old lady motioned with her hand, "There’s soup simmering in the kitchen. Have some before you go."

"Sure." Lu Xingzhou took off his coat and a servant immediately took it to hang up.

He approached Jiang Man, asking with concern, "Did you win or lose?"

"Won." Jiang Man shoved her phone into her pocket.

Lu Xingzhou took her hand, "Winner treats."

"Don’t we have soup?" Jiang Man glanced at him, "It’s late, eating less or not at all is better for your health."

"I’ll listen to Dr. Jiang, then tomorrow it is—you treat!" It was evident that Lu Xingzhou was genuinely happy.

"Oh, that’s right." Something seemed to occur to him, "The first phase of the collaboration project between Lu Corp and the research institute has been very successful. In half a year, the brain instrument will be fully launched. Manman, you should come to the press conference. I’ll introduce you to Dr. M!"

He thought as a doctor, Jiang Man would be interested in such new medical technology, and even more curious about the people behind the research.

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