Three Paupers

Lu Xiaobei looked at me with teary eyes.

"Ding Han, I'm really sad... so sad..."

She sobbed incessantly, "I swore to myself that I didn't want to love you anymore. What's so good about you? Why can you ignore me like this? Why can you so confidently tell me that you like Lin Qingying without considering my feelings at all? I really swore to myself that I would never like you again, but..."

She turned her face away to wipe her tears and said, "But I couldn't control my emotions. When I saw you get punched away by that mech and stomped into the ground, I felt so incredibly sad. How much pain that must have caused..."

"Xiao Bei..."

I sat there, stunned.

While everyone revered me as a god because of my 1v1000 victory in Shadow City, only Lu Xiaobei felt sorry for me.

It hurts, of course it hurts! The excruciating pain of dying is like being torn apart, comparable to real death. How could it not hurt?

"So, I've decided to continue loving you..."

With tears streaming down her face, Lu Xiaobei said, "Gao Tianyu is right. Loving someone is a personal matter, and it has nothing to do with the other person. Even if you don't love me, I will continue to love you until my patience runs out, or until I grow old and lose the ability to love..."

"That bastard Gao Tianyu!"

I clenched my fist and said, "It's one thing for him to be stupid, but he's also corrupted you."

I'm not bad.

Lu Xiaobei cried and said, "I feel like right now, I'm the best Lu Xiaobei in the whole world!"

"Okay, okay..."

I nodded. "Yes, the best Lu Xiaobei."

"Ding Han, do you know what I had a dream last night?"

She sobbed and wiped away her tears, looking at me and saying, "I dreamt I was on Qianjin Street in Creek City, and you suddenly appeared at the street corner, rushed over, hugged me, kissed me, and said I was sorry, that you actually loved me too..."

She cried, "I cried so hard in your arms... but I knew it was a dream, so I cried even harder. When I woke up, my pillow was soaked. You know, if only it were all real..."

In her dream, she cried so hard probably because her long-held grievances were finally released...

This time, I truly feel guilty.

"I'm sorry, Xiao Bei."

"I'm not saying this to make you apologize, nor to break you and Lin Qingying. I just want to tell you why I haven't given up. It's not because I'm shameless or clingy."

She bit her lip. "I'll accept the e-sports hotel. Consider it the most precious gift you've given me. I'll definitely run it well. Of course, you'll also need to keep an eye on it. If I have any problems with the business strategy, please point them out immediately."

Of course.

I tore off a few tissues and handed them to her. "Quickly wipe your tears, you've turned into a stained cat."

"Pooh!"

She quickly wiped herself, then put on sunglasses, placed her long, snow-white legs on the stool, and struck a pose that seemed to say, "Free and unrestrained, I don't care about anyone."

At that moment, Chen Xiaoman walked in from the back door of the hotel.

"Xiao Bei, a group of fans, somehow found out, are waiting in the hotel lobby, saying they want to see you, get an autograph or a photo."

"Oh, the news travels fast."

Lu Xiaobei turned and glanced towards the lobby, saying, "Sister Xiaoman, go and reassure them, tell them to wait ten minutes, I'll be there in a bit."

"Good!"

So, Lu Xiaobei took out a small vanity mirror, applied some powder to cover her tear stains, and then glanced at me. "I'm going to work now. Wait a moment, I'll come back to keep you company later."

"Come on, I'm the one keeping you company. Go on, I'm going to play a few rounds of Heroes of the Three Kingdoms."

"You're such a bastard!"

She glared at me, then stormed off.

Time flies, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye.

The Yuening R&D department is working intensively and with all staff working hard to launch the Yue Ning Mall in the shortest possible time. Lin Qingying is very busy every day, and the only time she can spend with me is probably during breakfast.

In the early morning, a light drizzle began to fall in Huaining.

Downstairs, the old man at the breakfast stall put up his umbrella.

"Ding Han, Xiao Ying, the same as always?" he greeted them.

"Yes, the usual!"

I led Lin Qingying to a bench further inside, while I sat on the outside where I would be more likely to get wet in the rain.

"Come closer to me..." she said softly.

"Okay!"

I reached under my crotch, grabbed the stool, and moved closer, getting very close to her.

Lin Qingying's face flushed instantly, but she wasn't intimidated. She grabbed my collar, and the next second, her warm, moist lips pressed against mine. Although the touch was brief, it left a lingering aftertaste.

"Oops..."

The old man at the breakfast stall quickly turned his face away.

Lin Qingying blushed and hurriedly took out her phone to look at work reports to cover up her embarrassment.

"Wrong..."

Suddenly, she looked at me. "Ding Han, take a look at today's entertainment news headlines."

"Ah?"

I hurriedly took out my phone and immediately saw a huge headline on the front page. "China's top actress Lin Jianwei embroiled in sex scandal, suspected of having long-term sugar daddy relationships with six wealthy businessmen and participating in power-money transactions and sexual bribery. China has officially issued an arrest warrant for her!"

"Holy crap..."

I quickly clicked on the news to see the details.

Lin Jianwei is currently not in China, but has taken refuge in the Star Maple Federation. Although the Star Maple Federation and the Crimson Dragon Country have diplomatic relations, they are competitors and do not have an extradition treaty, so the Federation has become Lin Jianwei's safe haven.

As long as she doesn't return to China, she's basically safe.

"I never expected Lin Jianwei to also drop a bombshell..."

Lin Qingying bit her red lips and said, "It's over. She's our Yuening spokesperson. This time, even Yuening has been affected. I have to go to the company immediately to hold a meeting to discuss canceling Lin Jianwei's endorsement, and I also have to file a lawsuit to show the Yue Ning Group's position."

"Don't rush, eat first."

I took her hand. "There's no rush. You can schedule a meeting in the work group first, and go after you finish eating."

"Okay, sure."

She sat down again, typed rapidly on her phone, and then looked up at me. "Ding Han, Lin Jianwei is Milo's girlfriend. This kind of scandal must have a huge impact on Milo. Since he's your good friend, you need to keep an eye on what's going on with him."

"I know."

Suddenly remembering the phone call between Milo and Lin Jianwei when Milo took me to the airport last time, I frowned and said, "When I was in BH City last time, Lin Jianwei called Milo and said she went to Star Maple Federation to attend some movie launch. She must have already gotten wind of it by then, which is why she hasn't returned to China. Damn... Could Milo have been tricked during this time?"

"Ah?"

Lin Qingying's lips parted slightly. "Then what should we do?"

"How would I know? Xiao Bei happens to be in Huaining. I'll go find her later and discuss with her how to bring this up with Milo. Hopefully, Milo won't take it too hard."

"Yes, you really need to pay close attention to this matter."

Lin Qingying said, "I've heard that many artists eventually become obsessed, feeling that life has no meaning, or that life is just a shell, a shackle that traps the soul, and in the end they choose to leave. You should try to persuade them."

"Yes, I will, don't worry. You should handle Yue Ning's contract termination issue first."

"Good."

After finishing her meal, Lin Qingying left in a hurry, while I took a taxi to Feiyang Chain Esports Hotel.

Lu Xiaobei was at a lakeside restaurant. The food was quite light, but he ordered two steaks. What a foodie!

"You're in such a rush this morning, is it because of Lin Jianwei?" She looked up at me.

"Awesome, he's a prophet!"

"The entertainment news and work group chats are buzzing with it, I can't afford to be unaware..."

She continued her struggle with her steak, saying, "After I finish eating, let's call Milo together and see how he reacts. We've put so much effort into persuading him, and he's already fallen head over heels in love!"

"Damn it, get your act together, you idiot!"

I said speechlessly, "After what happened, Milo must be feeling really down right now. You absolutely mustn't upset him any further. Be careful with your tone when you call him later."

"Okay, okay, you're such a chatterbox! You're from the Huasheng Temple, right?"

"No, it belongs to the government of my Great Tang Dynasty."

"Tsk tsk, even the officials of the Tang Dynasty don't bother with their dogs. Want to hang out sometime? My Dragon Palace will take you."

"Hehe, okay!"

Not long after, Lu Xiaobei finished eating, and the two moved to the terrace with the best view. They hid under an umbrella and huddled together to call Milo, using Lu Xiaobei's phone with the call on speakerphone.

"Beep beep beep~~~"

I dialed several times, but no one answered.

"What's going on? Why aren't you answering the phone?"

Lu Xiaobei looked at me. "Why don't you contact him using player voice chat, go straight to his heart, and expose this kid?"

"No, I'm afraid he can't handle it. Be gentler."

"Okay, I'll call his agent and find out what's going on."

"Good."

It was still on speakerphone. The call connected after two rings, and a middle-aged man's voice came from the other end. "Xiao Bei, you've heard about Lin Jianwei too?"

"There's news everywhere; you can't help but know about it."

Lu Xiaobei asked, "Old Zhang, Milo didn't answer my call. What's going on with him?"

"Well..."

The agent sighed, "It's not just you; he's stopped answering my calls. This is a huge blow. Why don't you fly to Beihai? You're best friends; maybe only you can talk to him."

"It can't be that bad, can it?"

I interjected, "It's just a woman!"

Beside me, Lu Xiaobei stared at me with wide eyes, her face filled with disbelief.

"Is that Ding Han?"

The agent said, "Since you and Xiao Bei are both here, I'll get straight to the point. There's another matter concerning Milo and Lin Jianwei, and this matter is likely the final straw that breaks the camel's back."

"Speak, what is it?" Lu Xiaobei asked.

"Lin Jianwei went to the Star Maple Federation some time ago, supposedly to attend some kind of Gala film festival, but she hasn't returned. During this time, she borrowed money from Milo multiple times, saying she had her eye on a script and wanted to invest in the film, but her studio was experiencing cash flow problems, so she asked Milo to transfer money to the studio. As a result, Milo transferred nearly 100 million yuan in total. Until yesterday, Lin Jianwei's phone was switched off, and she stopped replying to messages. The money from her studio had already been transferred overseas and could not be recovered."

"Holy crap..."

Hearing this, I couldn't hold back any longer. "Is this woman born into a family?"

Lu Xiaobei nodded in agreement.

"And there are even more outrageous ones."

The agent said, "Milo later transferred all his own money, Lin Jianwei said the budget was still a bit insufficient, so she begged Milo to raise some more. As a result, Milo borrowed 60 million from a friend, which Lin Jianwei also swindled away. Now, not only is he gone, but he's also lost all his money and is drowning in debt. Can you believe anyone could stand that?"

I almost choked.

Poor Milo, Severely Injured!

"Old Zhang, have you gone to Milo's place to look for him?"

"We've searched everywhere, but he's not here."

The agent was also getting anxious. "Really, Ding Han and Xiao Bei, you two really need to come to BH City. I really can't handle Milo's relationship problems. I don't have the experience or ability in this area."

"Okay, I'll contact you again."

Lu Xiaobei hung up the phone and turned to look at me. "So you should still use the player voice chat to find him. We can't delay any longer, otherwise if this guy has a moment of madness and jumps headfirst off the Galaxy Grand View, then we're really done for."

"That's not necessarily true. If he has an Invincible Burst Skill ring, he shouldn't die."

"No, you're still arguing with me about this at a time like this? Ding Han, you're a real jerk!"

She got so angry that she jumped up and punched me, but it didn't break her defenses at all.

"Okay, I'll get in touch with them."

He closed his eyes and asked in his mind, "Milo, where are you?"

"Ding Han, let me have some peace and quiet. Don't contact me. I'm fine, don't worry."

The conversation ended abruptly.

When I tried to contact them again, the system notified me that they had blocked me.

"Grass!"

I slapped my thigh. "That son of a bitch blocked me as a game friend!"

"Ugh, that good-for-nothing bastard!"

Lu Xiaobei was so angry that he slapped his thigh, turning his fair skin bright red.

"No, we have to get back to BH City quickly. Let me check the flights!"

Lu Xiaobei took out his phone to book tickets and quickly booked two for the 10 a. m. flight, saying, "Let's leave now, I'll go get a taxi."

"Good."

I took out my phone and sent a message to Lin Qingying: "Qingying, Milo is so withdrawn. Not only is he not answering my calls, but he's also blocked me as a friend in the game. Xiao Bei and I are flying to Beihai now. We'll come back after we've dealt with this. Be careful in Huaining."

"Okay, I'm in a meeting. Be careful on your way."

Airport.

The flight was not delayed, and boarding was on time.

When I looked closely at my boarding pass, I was slightly taken aback. "First class?"

I'm not ashamed to say it, but I've never flown first class in my life.

"Hmm, what's the problem?" Lu Xiaobei asked.

"Lu Xiaobei!"

I said with great distress, "We should save where we can. We're still in debt. Let's not be so fussy at a time like this."

"The money for my flights is deducted directly from the company's account. I receive a substantial transportation allowance every year, so it would be a waste not to use it."

"Oh, that's all right then."

So, thanks to Lu Xiaobei, I got to fly first class for the first time.

Unsurprisingly, the flight attendant looked at me, then at Lu Xiaobei, and recognized him. Just before takeoff, she whispered, "Excuse me, are you Lu Xiaobei?"

"Yes, she is." I immediately understood the situation.

Lu Xiaobei felt a little embarrassed.

The flight attendant laughed and said, "Your manager is really funny... Lu Xiaobei, I really like your new album, may I take a picture with you?"

I was speechless; I'd been mistaken for an agent.

So Lu Xiaobei started business, while I went straight to sleep.

When I woke up, we had already landed. As I walked out of the airport with Lu Xiaobei, I saw a pretty young girl standing there. She was Lu Xiaobei's assistant, Xiao Ya.

Get on the bus and enter BH City.

Lu Xiaobei drove himself at an extremely high speed, turning the elevated highway into an F1 race, speeding like a madman.

Xiao Ya's face turned pale; she dared not speak out in anger.

I remained completely calm, sitting in the passenger seat, undisturbed.

"Xiao Bei, do you even know where Milo is? Why are you just barging in like that?"

"Know."

Lu Xiaobei said, "Don't make a fuss. Let's go straight there; we're sure to catch him."

"How about we grab some lunch first? I'm a little hungry."

"Who told you to sleep like a log on the plane and not eat a single bite of the in-flight meal?"

She glanced at me. "We already have so little time together, and you slept for two and a half hours without saying a word to me!"

Xiao Ya sat in the back row, covering her mouth, not daring to say a word.

"Never mind, it's fine if I don't eat it."

I looked into my strategic reserves in the storage space: jianbing guozi (Chinese crepes), sauerkraut fish, dapanji (big plate chicken), mutton soup—you name it, I had it. I could even order dishes from there.

In the end, I gave up. My good friend was heartbroken and suffered a major setback in his life. At this time, I was still thinking about food, which didn't seem right.

Around one o'clock in the afternoon.

Lu Xiaobei drove his black Buick minivan at breakneck speed to a familiar-looking lakeside.

Yes, it looks like that Ice Lake from winter. Now it's sparkling blue, and you can even see fishermen on the shore.

"You mentioned this place to him too?"

No, not at all.

Lu Xiaobei said, "It's just that a few times when I was in a bad mood and just stood here in a daze, Milo came here to look for me, so he also knows that this is the place where I often stood in a daze when I was a child."

She glanced at it. "When I was little, I would stand here in a daze, thinking about my dad and my own life. Now, when I stand here in a daze, all I can think about is you, you bastard!"

Xiao Ya covered her mouth again, looking at the front row in disbelief, wishing she were deaf and hadn't heard what they were saying.

Is this something a mere assistant like her should listen to?!

"Ding Han, look over there!"

Lu Xiaobei pressed down on the brakes and pointed to a spot not far away.

There was a hooded man sitting on an old cement trough used for washing clothes by the lake, lost in thought. He was being pretentious, not only covering his head with the hood of his casual clothes, but also wearing a dark green baseball cap underneath.

"You know what, the color of this hat is actually pretty good," I said.

"Puff..."

Lu Xiaobei couldn't help but laugh, then punched me and roared, "Ding Han, you've absolutely scorned me..."

"Ahem, lighten up. If we take things too seriously, Milo will feel heavy-hearted too."

"Okay, let's get off!"

After handing the car over to my assistant, Lu Xiaobei and I got out and walked towards the lake.

Sure enough, the guy spacing out by the lake was indeed Milo.

"Should I go buy you a fishing rod?"

I sat down beside him and asked with a smile.

"Buy two more, let's all be air force pilots together." Lu Xiaobei was squatting on the other side, wearing shorts, so it wasn't comfortable for her to sit.

"You've arrived..."

Milo looked bitter and said, "What kind of mess is this? What kind of mess is this?"

"How are you feeling right now?" I asked.

"My heart is ashen."

Milo said sadly, "I feel like my soul is about to crack, and I even feel that this world is unreal, and even the two of you here are unreal."

"Feeling that the world is unreal is a psychological reaction to experiencing a major setback."

I asked, "Would you like something to drink? I haven't had lunch yet, and I'd like to eat something to tide me over."

"Whatever you want."

Milo's eyes became vacant again.

Xiao Bei stood up, patted Milo and me on the shoulder, and said, "You two sit here, I'll go buy you some duck necks and beer."

"Buy more."

With footsteps echoing, Lu Xiaobei departed.

"Ding Han."

Milo said, "Actually, I should be the one comforting you this time. We all regret the death of the story, and the commotion you caused in Shadow City was indeed too big. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it shocked the entire gaming industry."

"What, are you going to give me an MVP award?"

"If I really had that ability, forget MVP, I could easily get you into the Star Abyss Hall of Fame. After all, you deserve that honor. Even if there isn't a Hall of Fame, I'd build one just for you."

"You made these dumplings just for this little bit of vinegar, right?"

Hahaha~~~

Milo chuckled a few times, then tilted his head and gently bumped it against my shoulder. "Xie Xie you for coming. Talking with you makes me feel so much better. That feeling of unreality in the world seems to have lessened a lot."

"People should engage more with life and develop social relationships; otherwise, they are indeed prone to becoming withdrawn."

"Too..."

Not long after, Lu Xiaobei returned, carrying several heavy bags of duck products, followed by Xiao Ya, who was struggling to carry a case of canned beer.

"Xiao Ya, let me do it."

He hurriedly stepped forward and took the beer.

"Xiao Ya, go ahead and have fun, wander around. I'll call you before I'm done here."

"Okay, you guys play."

Xiao Ya drove away.

So the three of them sat down in a row.

This time, Lu Xiaobei had me sit in the middle and started unpacking the duck products. There were not only duck necks, but also duck intestines, duck heads, duck gizzards, etc. It was quite complete, and the E. coli count was probably very high.

Forget it, I shouldn't think too much about it. A little dirt won't hurt.

"Buying so much, that's really extravagant!" I exclaimed.

"Don't even mention it."

Lu Xiaobei said, "I've spent almost all of my cash, and I'm really going to be broke now."

"Who isn't broke?"

Milo said, "I'm penniless now too."

He looked at me and said, "Among the three of us, Ding Han is probably the one in the best financial situation right now, isn't he?"

"Good my foot! I still owe Xiaoying 12 million..."

"Damn, that's great, three penniless guys."

Milo laughed heartily, "Shall we go first?"

"Okay, let's have one."

Lu Xiaobei and I each took a sip of beer, while Milo, being more unrestrained, downed a whole can of Snowflake Beer.

It seems he's really injured. He's not usually so willing to drink; asking him to take an extra sip is like asking him to die.

So, Milo went crazy showing off his wine, while I went crazy showing off my duck head.

"No..."

Lu Xiaobei looked at me speechlessly. "I asked you to come over and comfort him, but did you come here just to gnaw on a duck's head?"

"It's okay, let him drink. He's got high, and he'll feel better once he releases his emotions."

As I was saying this, I picked up my beer and clinked glasses with Milo. As usual, I took a small sip, and he took a big gulp.

Before I knew it, more than half of the beer was gone.

Lu Xiaobei's eyes showed heartache; she might really never have money to buy beer again.

Before long, Milo's eyes were blurry; he had really drunk too much.

"Tell me, how could she do this to me?"

He kept repeating that sentence.

"I've been so good to her, so incredibly good to her, how could she treat me like this?"

In the end, it became even simpler.

How could she do this to me?

Looking at the rippling blue waves of the lake, I said, "I understand why you're sad. You're sad that your sincere efforts were met with betrayal, and that your deep affection was misplaced."

He smiled and continued, "But have you ever thought about it? Your unwavering devotion is a testament to your loyalty and character in love, and it has nothing to do with her. The reason she betrayed you is because her character was inherently flawed; she was never a good person to begin with. Isn't that blunt enough?"

"Ding Han, you're really hitting the nail on the head..." Milo exclaimed.

"And what are you doing right now?"

I looked at him and laughed, "You're making yourself suffer so much because you're really heartbroken. On the other hand, the reason you're in so much pain is simply because you don't want to betray the feelings you've given, and you want to give yourself an explanation. But isn't this explanation just self-pity, like a useless person heartbroken over a trashy woman? If you do that, aren't you just as useless yourself?"

"Damn, you're really ruthless when you swear!"

He raised his beer can and clinked it against mine.

I smiled faintly, continued to sip my wine, and ate more duck neck.

And so, after a few rounds, Milo got drunk.

Xiao Ya drove over, and I carried Milo in my arms and tossed him into the car. Then we drove straight back to his place, a large single-level apartment. In BH City, such a house must be very valuable.

To put it bluntly, Milo makes money too easily; he can earn back the money Lin Jianwei swindled him out of in less than six months.

"Ding Han, don't go back to Huaining yet..."

He was completely drunk, clinging to my legs. "Let's keep drinking tomorrow, let's call Left Hand over too, after we finish drinking, I'll sleep it off and I'll be able to completely forget about her."

"Look at you, so useless!"

I was speechless for a moment, then looked at Lu Xiaobei: "Let's stay at Milo's house tonight, there are plenty of rooms anyway."

I have no objection.

Lu Xiaobei asked, "Are you really going to call him Left Hand?"

"Go ahead and call. Let's find a place to eat tomorrow at noon; it'll be on me."

"Aren't you broke? Why are you treating us?"

"I haven't paid back the 12 million I owe Xiaoying, so I have plenty of money now."

With that, he took out a bundle of Star Coins from his storage space and threw it in front of Lu Xiaobei: "Take this and spend it as pocket money!"

"Ah?!"

Lu Xiaobei actually took it, stuffing his LV bag until it was bulging. What a greedy guy!

Late at night.

Connect with the Left Hand game's voice chat.

"Left Hand, I'm in BH City now."

"Oh, is it about Milo and Lin Jianwei?"

"Um!"

"I knew it."

Left Hand said, "Lin Jianwei, that bitch, has caused a lot of harm. You know, she's clearly a public bus, doesn't she have any self-awareness? She actually went out of her way to date Milo, that Music Ghost Father, in a big way. Isn't she just ruining people's lives?"

"You've already called her a bitch, so let's not discuss her character anymore, shall we?"

"Haha, that's right, brother is right!"

"Today I got Milo drunk... no, I should say he got himself drunk. After he was completely drunk, he said he wanted to invite you to drink with him tomorrow, so I was asking if you're free tomorrow. If you are, let's find a place to continue drinking until Milo is completely drunk. Then I'm taking a flight back to Huaining this afternoon."

"Sure!"

Left Hand said, "Brother, I know a Xiang Cuisine Restaurant. It's not big or high-end, but the ingredients are fresh and the taste is superb. How about I treat you?"

"Sure, you decide!"

"OK, see you tomorrow, meet at 11 o'clock?"

"It's too early. Let Milo rest for a while. We'll meet at the hotel at 11:30."

"Okay!"

Shortly after, Left Hand sent a reservation.

The next day, Milo didn't wake up until 10 a. m.

Lu Xiaobei gave him a bowl of porridge to tide him over.

"Are you feeling alright?" I asked.

"I can't take it anymore, I'm completely drunk."

He shook his head. "I didn't do anything embarrassing after I drank too much yesterday, did I?"

"No."

I said, "He just grabbed my leg and wouldn't let me leave, and said he wanted to invite his Left Hand to drink with him today?"

"Holy crap, how embarrassing?"

"Okay, so I quickly washed up and headed out. The private room on the Left Hand has already been booked."

"Holy crap, they're really drinking it?"

"I'm a serious person, do you think I'm joking with you?"

"Damn it, I'll drink it!"

So at 11:30, the three of us arrived at a restaurant Xiang Mei Zi Xiang Cuisine Restaurant on time. As Left Hand said, this restaurant was not high-end and was located in a small alley behind the square, but it was full of local flavor.

Upon entering the private room, Left Hand dressed casually was placing bottles of 500ml each on the table, about a dozen of them.

This son of a bitch, who is he trying to drink to death?

"You're here..."

He shook hands with each of them with his Left Hand: "Milo, Third Brother!"

Then, he saw Lu Xiaobei, immediately stood at attention, saluted, and respectfully said, "Private on the Left Hand, greetings to Sister Xiao Bei!"

"Ah?"

Lu Xiaobei was stunned at first, then overjoyed!

"Left Hand, have you seen me before?"

"I've seen it."

With my Left Hand, I took out my phone, pulled out a photo of me and Lu Xiaobei in the car, and said, "Who doesn't know the big star Lu Xiaobei? But I first saw you because of this photo. At that moment, I knew you were worthy of my Ding Han. Calling you 'Sister- Sister Xiao Bei' isn't too much to ask, is it?"

"Not at all, not at all, it's only right!"

Lu Xiaobei patted his Left Hand shoulder and exclaimed, "This young man has a bright future!"

Scratching his Left Hand, he exclaimed, "I never expected you to be even more beautiful in person than in the poster! Amazing!"

He gave a thumbs up. "Sister-in-law, you're a perfect match for my brother!"

"What a pity, someone's blind, they don't even look at me..."

Lu Xiaobei said sourly.

"Cough cough..."

Left Hand hurriedly corrected him, saying, "I was also in Huaining a few days ago. I met another sister-in-law Lin Qingying. She's actually quite nice, a rare find. Maybe it's just that our fate hasn't brought us together yet. So, Sister Xiao Bei and my brother might just miss each other in this lifetime. But who knows what will happen in the future?"

Lu Xiaobei nodded with a smile.

I picked up a bottle from the counter. "Get the kitchen to start cooking, let's get back to it!"

"You drank baijiu today?" Milo asked in surprise.

"I opened it for you guys, I'm drinking beer."

"Oh, you've given me false hope."

"Stop fucking showing off..."

I sat down speechlessly and said, "If one day we can really return to our original world, and my alcohol intolerance disappears passively, then even three of you tied together might not be a match for me, Milo."

Milo rolled his eyes.

His Left Hand trembled beside him. "Is this how top-tier big shots brag? I'm completely outmatched..."

Lu Xiaobei simply smiled from the side.

And so, a joyful meal began.

As Milo drank, his face flushed red, and he began to feel sad again, saying, "How could she do this to me??"

"Holy crap!"

Left Hand said, "We're having a drink, don't spoil the mood. Why bring up that kind of slut, Milo? Tell me... what's so great about that kind of 'public bus'?"

I was shocked.

As expected of the Left Hand, this cerebellar atrophy bastard curses way more freely than I do, with wide, sweeping strokes, giving Milo no face at all.

That's good. Serious illnesses require strong medicine, and Milo might need just that.

To put it bluntly, he was actually captivated by the gentleness Lin Jianwei displayed. After some time, as he gradually comes to terms with it, he'll probably look back and realize what kind of bitch he'd fallen for. At that point, he'll naturally come to his senses.

That's how love is; those trapped in it become blind and deaf.

Not long after, Milo slammed his face into the plate with a "plop," having drunk too much again.

"Snort!"

I gave a disdainful smile, "Useless!"

"Really!"

His Left Hand, too, had a disdainful look.

Lu Xiaobei was speechless. "Aren't you two going to try and salvage his image?"

"There's no point in trying to save him."

My Left Hand and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Shortly after, Milo's agent and assistant arrived, helped him home, and then left after handing me and Lu Xiaobei two cups of milk tea with their Left Hand.

"Ding Han, I'm not going back to Huaining with you."

Lu Xiaobei said, "I just received a message from my agent that my first concert is about to start, and the venue is the Hong Kong Coliseum in Beijing. Old Huang said that the company's cash flow is almost dried up because of paying 400 million euros for me, and they urgently need me to hold a concert to earn money and recoup the company's losses."

"Alright, I'll go back myself. You keep working hard and making money!"

In the end, Lu Xiaobei took a taxi to the airport, and she was still wearing sunglasses.

As soon as I successfully passed through security, she actually took off her sunglasses, pointed at me, and shouted, "Have a safe trip, and remember to think of me!"

How dare she do this!

Doesn't she know how big a star she is now?!

I quickly ducked and disappeared into the crowd, while Lu Xiaobei was surrounded by a group of enthusiastic fans.

Three hours later, the plane landed in Huaining.

Lin Qingying personally picked them up at the airport.

I don't know why, but when she's by my side, I feel a sense of peace and security, while I don't feel that way when Lu Xiaobei is around.

"How's the Lin Jianwei going?" I asked.

"It went smoothly. There were no problems with unilaterally terminating the contract, since she was the one who caused the problem."

Lin Qingying said, "Ding Han, our Yue Ning Mall is scheduled to launch in a week. The algorithm is basically ready."

"Great news! Your time to prove yourself is finally here."

"Actually, I'm still a little nervous. What if sales aren't as good as I've hoped?"

"Don't worry, online shopping is the inevitable trend. In my world, online shopping is the mainstream, and physical stores are almost declining."

"Okay, then I'm relieved."

She pursed her lips, as if she wanted to bring something up, but hesitated to speak.