Plunder-Chapter 324: You Smell Like Her Perfume

"Director Zhou, what should we do now?"

Cheng Lu was at a loss for words.

He had originally helped Zhu Yating out of kindness, but now this person had become a hot potato for him.

Zhou Jin’an’s cold gaze swept over Cheng Lu, a smirk curling his lips. "Make a cold dish out of it."

Before his words had settled, he opened the car door and stepped out.

"Director Zhou, where are you going?"

Cheng Lu panicked and hurriedly opened the car door and followed.

Zhou Jin’an strode towards the roadside, waving down a taxi.

"Director Zhou, don’t go. Zhu Yating is just pretending. She aimed to lure you in. If you leave now, wouldn’t I be..."

"If I don’t leave now, should I just sit and wait to be lured?"

Zhou Jin’an cast a deep look at Cheng Lu, patted him on the shoulder, "Let’s see the good deed through. I trust you."

He pulled open the taxi door and plopped himself down into it.

Cheng Lu stomped his foot on the spot. What was happening now? He had intended to shield Zhou Jin’an from disaster, but ended up drawing disaster upon himself.

"Miss Zhu, wake up. I know you’re pretending to be drunk. Director Zhou has already left, so stop acting. Tell me, where do you live? I’ll still be the good guy and take you to the entrance of your community."

Cheng Lu approached Zhu Yating, reached into the car window, and pushed her shoulder.

However, she did not move an inch.

"Miss Zhu, please stop the act, okay? I’m not lying to you, Director Zhou really has left. You’re wasting your efforts, Director Zhou doesn’t like this trick."

Cheng Lu spoke earnestly for a long while, but Zhu Yating just wouldn’t wake up.

Just then, Lin Youyou’s call came through.

"Lu, why haven’t you come back yet?"

The sound of a child crying came from the other side of the phone.

Cheng Lu was at his wits’ end. "Youyou, it’s late, why don’t you go to sleep? Don’t wait up for me."

"Didn’t you just say it was over? Does Director Zhou still have something else for you to do?"

Lin Youyou asked another puzzled question.

Cheng Lu’s brow was already furrowed into a frown.

"Youyou, I’ll be done soon and then I’ll come back. I can’t talk now, I’m working, love you."

He hurriedly finished speaking and hung up the phone.

He paced back and forth around the car several times. With Zhu Yating unresponsive, he couldn’t wake her, and he certainly couldn’t bring this hot potato home.

"I already gave you a chance; it’s your fault for not waking up."

Annoyed, Cheng Lu yanked the car door open, then grabbed Zhu Yating by the arm and dragged her out of the car.

Right now, she was like a fish on a chopping board, totally devoid of any resistance.

Not far from the Maybach, there was a bench. Cheng Lu dragged Zhu Yating over and dumped her on the bench.

She was so drunk that she seemed like a lump of mud, slumping onto the bench and continuing to sleep.

Cheng Lu dusted off his hands, his burden seemingly lifted.

"You’re on your own now."

He left Zhu Yating behind and returned to the Maybach.

This time, he didn’t linger for even a minute, stepping on the gas and merging into the traffic.

However, halfway through his drive, he suddenly felt apprehensive.

It was late at night, and he had left Zhu Yating, a woman, by the roadside. If something happened, he couldn’t dissociate himself from it.

Moreover, she was dressed quite provocatively; if a pervert stumbled upon her...

With these thoughts, Cheng Lu’s rationality returned to his mind.

He turned the steering wheel and headed back to the bench.

Before the car even neared, he saw a vagrant approaching Zhu Yating.

The man circled around Zhu Yating, first snatching her small bag and then daring to move closer, beginning to harass her.

"Scram!"

Cheng Lu stepped on the accelerator, racing towards the bench, flung open the door, and shouted at the vagrant.

The vagrant retreated a few steps but did not give up, eyeing Cheng Lu warily.

He strode forward, snatched the small bag back from the vagrant, and then with one arm scooped Zhu Yating by the waist.

"If you can’t drink, then don’t drink. Do you ever learn your lesson without a few mishaps?"

He scolded in annoyance.

Zhu Yating had already lost consciousness.

Cheng Lu didn’t care anymore. He picked her up and stuffed her into the back seat of the Maybach.

Zhu Yating just lay there, sleeping heavily in the back seat.

Out of humanitarianism, he took Zhu Yating to a hotel.

Zhou Jin’an was the boss who could just drop responsibilities and not care, but if something happened to Zhu Yating, he, as a subordinate, would definitely have to take responsibility.

After dumping Zhu Yating on the hotel’s large bed, Cheng Lu finally left.

He had just left the hotel when Zhou Jin’an unexpectedly sent him a message.

"Did you get her home?"

Cheng Lu wouldn’t have minded if Zhou Jin’an hadn’t sent that message, but receiving it now made him feel annoyed.

"Guess."

He sent a single word, replying to Zhou Jin’an in a way to keep him in suspense.

However, the word he sent out received no response at all.

Zhou Jin’an had become an absentee manager, while he had to clean up after the boss.

When he got home, it was almost the early hours of the morning.

Cheng Lu dragged his tired body upstairs. Beibei and Gege had already gone to bed, but Lin Youyou was still up waiting for him.

Hearing the sound of Cheng Lu’s footsteps, she hurried up to greet him.

"Why are you so late?"

She reached out to help Cheng Lu untie his tie and casually hung his suit jacket on the clothes hanger.

"Ran into some trouble, I’m going to take a shower first. You go to sleep."

Cheng Lu was reluctant to talk about it.

Lin Youyou picked up the clothes Cheng Lu had thrown on the floor. Suddenly, she noticed a lipstick mark on the collar of his white shirt.

Feeling sensitive, she walked quickly to the clothes hanger, grabbed his coat, and sniffed it— a strong and unfamiliar perfume scent hit her nostrils right away.

Suddenly, Lin Youyou’s heart sank.

In the bathroom, Cheng Lu was taking a shower, and the sound of water was splashing loudly.

Lin Youyou, holding the coat, stood at the door for a long time.

She had always trusted Cheng Lu, but they hadn’t been married long when she became pregnant again.

He was a man, and he had needs.

Moreover, he was always by Zhou Jin’an’s side, so naturally, many women threw themselves at him.

Lin Youyou wasn’t as strong-willed as Qiao En.

Her heart was in turmoil.

"Why haven’t you gone to bed yet?"

When Cheng Lu came out of the bathroom, his lean body was wrapped in a towel, with water droplets incessantly streaming down.

He glanced at Lin Youyou’s face, grabbed his phone, and quickly replied to messages, then naturally slid under the covers.

"I’m tired, going to sleep first."

He didn’t wait for Lin Youyou to join him in bed; he went to sleep on his own.

Sensitive people are most prone to overthinking, and Lin Youyou was exactly that at this moment.

She slowly turned around, hung up the shirt on the clothes hanger, and then lay down beside Cheng Lu.

As the bedside lamp turned off, her heart still couldn’t calm down.

"Lu, brother."

Lin Youyou called out softly; Cheng Lu did not respond, only the steady sound of his breathing lingered on.

She wanted to ask him what this was all about, but she didn’t even get the chance to ask.

That night, Cheng Lu slept very deeply.

But Lin Youyou was up all night.

She and Cheng Lu had had no dating phase; their marriage was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Once life settled down, there were really too many things to consider.

The next morning, Cheng Lu got up early to drive to Chu Garden to pick up Zhou Jin’an, as they had a very important event to attend that morning.

When he got up, he hadn’t noticed that Lin Youyou was also awake.

Cheng Lu had packed up and left.

Lin Youyou leaned back against the headboard, staring blankly for a long while.

"Brother Lu, could you come home early tonight?"

She sent a message to Cheng Lu.

However, after sending the message, it disappeared into thin air.

Cheng Lu went straight to Chu Garden. When he arrived, Zhou Jin’an was saying goodbye to Qiao En, hugging and playing with little Nian’en, who giggled in his arms.

"Director Zhou, it’s time to set off."

Cheng Lu urged.

Zhou Jin’an put down Nian’en, and then got into the car.

Throughout the trip, Zhou Jin’an was engrossed in the documents, and there was no communication between them.

The hustle had only just begun when they reached the venue.

The message Lin Youyou sent out got buried under a pile of work-related messages, and Cheng Lu didn’t notice it.

However, he did receive a call from Zhu Yating.

"Assistant Cheng, thank you for taking me to the hotel with Director Zhou yesterday."

"It’s best not to have a next time."

Cheng Lu didn’t say another word to Zhu Yating and chose to hang up.

But Zhu Yating called again.

Overwhelmed, he chose to hang up, and she called again immediately.

"Miss Zhu, I’m busy. If there’s nothing important, please stop calling this number."

Cheng Lu’s tone was stern.

"Assistant Cheng, are you free after work? I’d like to treat you to a meal to express my gratitude."

"There’s no need."

Cheng Lu couldn’t be bothered to speak another word to her and hung up again, this time, he quickly blocked her number.

The event lasted half the day, and it was nearly lunchtime when he and Zhou Jin’an returned to Nanchen.

In the company lobby, Zhu Yating appeared there again.

Zhou Jin’an spotted her, clutched his phone, pretended to take a call, and quickly walked towards the executive elevator.

"Cousin—"

Zhu Yating called out, but Zhou Jin’an did not respond.

Cheng Lu also hurried his steps, hoping to vanish.

But just as he was following Zhou Jin’an into the elevator, Zhou Jin’an suddenly spoke.

"Take the next one."

"Why?" Cheng Lu, being a straightforward man, didn’t catch on for a moment.

"Crowded."

Zhou Jin’an said just one word.

As the director, with all his quirks, Cheng Lu dared not speak his anger; he could only step out of the elevator as Zhou Jin’an quickly pressed the close button, sending the elevator soaring directly up.

"Assistant Cheng."

With Zhou Jin’an gone, Zhu Yating approached him again.

She was dressed in an apricot-colored business suit, showing off her slim and lengthy legs.

"Assistant Cheng, I really appreciate your help last night. Sorry, I didn’t expect to get so drunk. I’ve booked a restaurant for seven tonight, let’s have a simple meal together. Please don’t refuse my kindness."

She also winked at Cheng Lu.

"Miss Zhu, I’ve already refused you. Since you realize you caused trouble, take it as a warning. I’m busy and have no time to entertain you."

Cheng Lu stormed away furiously.

But, Zhu Yating was like a lingering ghost.

As Cheng Lu entered the elevator, Zhu Yating slipped in too.

"Miss Zhu, remember, you’re not supposed to use this elevator."

"I’m going to see my cousin. If I don’t use this elevator, how am I supposed to get up there? Assistant Cheng, you surely don’t think I have wings, do you?"

She was slick with words.

Cheng Lu stood on one side of the elevator, keeping his distance.

But Zhu Yating was clearly not someone who settled down easily, "Assistant Cheng, do you have my cousin’s schedule? I want to invite him for a meal, but I don’t know when he is available?"

"Director Zhou is never available."

Cheng Lu flatly refused.

Zhu Yating pursed her lips, "How could that be? Assistant Cheng, please be kind. He’s my cousin, and family needs to keep in touch often to maintain our relationship."

As she spoke, she suddenly reached out, grabbed Cheng Lu’s arm, and shook it.

Cheng Lu, avoiding any misunderstanding, pushed her away.

He admitted that, acting out of a defensive instinct, he might have used more force than necessary.

But he had never imagined that Zhu Yating was so frail that she couldn’t withstand even that.

Her slender, delicate body immediately fell to the ground, her head hitting the elevator wall.

"Ouch!"

Zhu Yating, in pain, clutched her head and cried out.

Cheng Lu frowned and glanced at her, "I didn’t do it on purpose."

Zhu Yating stayed silent, but soon lifted her head, her face streaming with tears.

"Assistant Cheng, how could you bully me like this?"

Cheng Lu was not used to these manipulations; his interactions with women were minimal to begin with, and facing Zhu Yating, this so-called ’white lotus,’ he was definitely at a disadvantage.

"How have I bullied you?"

Cheng Lu muttered, his voice low and stern.

"How have you bullied me, don’t you know in your heart?"

Zhu Yating began to accuse him first.

Cheng Lu, extremely annoyed, hands on his hips, thought if Zhu Yating were not a woman, he would have preferred to settle this with his fists.

Because she was a woman, and moreover a beautiful single woman, he, as a married man, had to protect himself.

"This is repaying kindness with malice."

"Where have I? Assistant Cheng, you wouldn’t want me to go out looking like this, right?"

Looking like what?

Cheng Lu glanced over at Zhu Yating and immediately noticed something odd.

Her neckline had come undone, revealing a black lace bra.

He suddenly panicked.

He was Zhou Jin’an’s assistant and absolutely could not get involved in such a scandal.

"What do you want?"

Cheng Lu demanded.

"Assistant Cheng, you know it’s not easy for me to get into Nanchen. My family used their connections to reach cousin, but I am far below his level. Everything I’ve done is to make him recognize me and give me a chance to stay and develop here,"

"Assistant Cheng, you should understand what I’m saying, right? You’re the person cousin trusts the most. I’m not trying to blackmail you, I honestly really need an opportunity. As you know, if I leave Nanchen, I’ll have nowhere else to go."

As she spoke, tears started streaming down her face.

It was unclear whether it was because his heart softened, or because he wanted to avoid escalating the situation, but Cheng Lu chose to agree to her demand.

"I’ll send it to you in a bit."

With that reassurance from Cheng Lu, Zhu Yating’s tears turned into smiles.

"Assistant Cheng, you are a good person, I will never forget this great favor."

Cheng Lu was uninterested in these lofty expressions of gratitude.

The elevator reached the floor, and he briskly walked out, Zhu Yating’s voice following him from behind.

"Assistant Cheng, then I’ll wait for you."

Cheng Lu walked moodily towards his office.

He had not expected that by shielding Zhou Jin’an, he would bring trouble upon himself.

He was not afraid of Zhu Yating slandering him, but he couldn’t let Zhou Jin’an be embarrassed, nor could he let Lin Youyou get hurt.

When a person has a weak spot, they unintentionally become vulnerable.

Or perhaps, at that moment, Cheng Lu just wanted to hand this hot potato back to Zhou Jin’an, so he did.

That day, he got off work very early.

Yet, Cheng Lu stayed in his office for a long time.

When he got home, he still locked himself in the bathroom.

Unaware that Lin Youyou once again smelled the same perfume on his coat.