Chapter 22: Generations of Frauds (1/2)

The lawyer worked quickly. Before Cheng Xi could even finish thinking about what she should do next, the contract had already been written up.

After the lawyer brought the contract back into Lu Chenzhou’s office, Lu Chenzhou motioned for him to show her the document first. Cheng Xi’s original impression that this was nothing important had changed to something resembling anxiety. Lu Chenzhou’s words were simple, but the contract that his lawyer produced was surprisingly formal. It followed the standard contract format: it laid out the terms and conditions, rights and responsibilities, as well as a hefty fee for violating anything very clearly.

Upon seeing that sum, she couldn’t help but become more serious. Jut moving her eyes across all the numerous zeros was enough to make her dizzy. She then said, somewhat agonizingly, “Mr. Lu, even if we can’t be a couple, we can still be regular friends.”

Lu Chenzhou was sitting on the other side of the table, playing with a jade-colored teacup in his hands. After hearing Cheng Xi’s words, his posture didn’t change, and neither did his expression. However, Cheng Xi suddenly felt a chill creep into her heart.

Then he said, “Send Ms. Cheng out!”

“Mr. Lu…” Cheng Xi attempted to speak up, but as she opened her mouth, Lu Chenzhou had already turned to look at his lawyer. Originally somewhat hesitant, the lawyer now quickly approached Cheng Xi, insistent but polite. “Ms. Cheng, please.”

Cheng Xi didn’t move. She looked at Lu Chenzhou, but he didn’t look back at her, only coolly playing with the jade teacup in his hands. He constantly exuded a cold, chilly air that prevented others from getting close.

She had a feeling that this was her one and only chance to get close to him, a chance that wouldn’t ever happen again.

Seeing her lack of motion, the lawyer stretched out his hand out to grab her, but Cheng Xi avoided his grasp. “I can sign the contract, but can I consult my own lawyer first?” Seeing the two both turn towards her, she weakly explained, “The fee for breaking the contract is simply too high…”

Silence. After a while, Lu Chenzhou finally waved his hand at her.

The lawyer sat back down, and Cheng Xi let out a sigh of relief before quickly moving outside to speak on her phone.

In truth, she didn’t have a lawyer at all; her actions were simply to delay signing the contract. Although she had many people in her contact list, most of whom were doctors, patients, relatives, and friends, and some of them were lawyers, Cheng Xi had no actual plans of contacting any of them. Instead, her fingers moved unconsciously on her phone’s keyboard and punched in on Lin Fan’s name. Somehow, she ended up calling his number.

As she listened to her phone ring while the call was connecting, her anxiety almost consumed her. What would she say if he did pick up? But as the ringing repeated, she became calm again.

But Lin Fan didn’t pick up.

Cheng Xi put her phone away, smiled, and then walked back into Lu Chenzhou’s office. “Give me the pen.”

The lawyer handed her a pen, and Cheng Xi signed her own name on the somewhat ludicrous contract.

Lu Chenzhou looked at her lazily. “Your lawyer didn’t give you any advice?”

As she signed her name, Cheng Xi said, “His only advice was to not break the contract once I’ve signed it. But…” She put down her pen, smiled at him, and then finished her sentence. “If you end up finding someone else that you truly love and want to break the contract because of that, then I won’t force you to pay any reparations.”

He didn’t respond, merely looking at her with a penetrating gaze while smiling coolly.

And it was that smile that finally erased any doubt left in Cheng Xi’s heart. It made her feel like, even if she really did pay that astronomical fee, as long as she could reduce the despair in his smile by even a fraction, then, as a doctor, it would be worth it.

Having signed the contract as well, Lu Chenzhou brought Cheng Xi out again. This time, she was too lazy to even ask where they were going, and the result of her laziness was that they ended up going to Lu Chenzhou’s house.

Cheng Xi only realized this as she stepped inside. In her nervous haste, she stammered out some nonsense. “We’re… going to your house?”

Lu Chenzhou nodded.

“For… what?”

“After entering a relationship, we naturally have to meet each other’s parents, don’t we?”

“……”

Lu Chenzhou’s long legs propelled him forward with just a few strides. Cheng Xi lagged behind, alone and assaulted by her thoughts.