The CEO's Substitute Wife Is A Genius-Chapter 330: Goddamn Token of Love

"Verbal agreements hold no water."

"Of course," Lu Xingzhou pushed his notebook forward, "In black and white, signed with fingerprints, certified by a lawyer, and legally effective."

King hadn’t expected this young man to come so prepared and to be left unable to retaliate.

In business negotiations, both were always unbeatable and had never lost.

But in this competition, King felt he had lost, and lost miserably.

"Now that you already know who Manman’s father is, you should understand that the sincerity I’m looking for isn’t about money."

King immediately changed his strategy.

And sure enough, that move was very effective.

Lu Xingzhou frowned, at a loss for words, "I know you are the man who loves Jiang Man the most in this world. I want to be the second, even surpass you, but all these require time to prove. Please, father-in-law, give me some time."

"I can give you time," King finally gained the upper hand, "Don’t you and Manman have an agreement? There’s still half a year left. Let’s set this half year as the deadline to observe your performance."

"Father-in-law, rest assured, I will perform well!"

"Let me be clear, the son-in-law I have in mind is not you. I’m only giving you one chance. If your performance in the next half year doesn’t meet my standards, I will support someone else."

King spoke calmly, yet with an undeniable imperial authority.

There was an air of supremacy about him, as if his words were decrees.

He was well aware of his bias against Lu Xingzhou, which stemmed from Lu Xingzhou’s family background.

Even if Lu Xingzhou performed well, he would still view him through a prejudiced lens.

...

The sunset was quick, and in a blink, the moon was high in the sky.

Lights came on all over the cliffside restaurant.

There were electric heaters everywhere, so even in the cold December air, the outdoor restaurant was quite warm.

The stylish men and women could continue to trade appearances for comfort, mingling and toasting throughout the evening.

"When is King going to show up?"

These people weren’t really here to celebrate Jiang Man’s birthday; they primarily wanted to meet King and get a moment’s attention from him, whether by making an appearance or exchanging a few words.

Anyway, their intentions were not purely celebratory.

Among them, only Nan Juefeng had a different purpose.

If it hadn’t been for Jiang Man’s birthday party, he would never have attended such a social event, given his reclusive nature.

He generally disliked bustling scenes and, despite his high status, was not fond of socialising.

Nowadays, people like him were commonly referred to as loners.

The official start of the birthday party was still over four hours away.

During this time, staff led the guests to other parts of the estate for entertainment.

Some went horseback riding, some to the hot springs.

There were mountain off-road vehicles and even night ziplining.

And a variety of indoor entertainments, including board games and card games.

There was even nighttime laser tag.

Overall, no one would find it boring; there were plenty of food, drinks, and fun activities. The main theme was having a great time.

"Miss Lisite, are you interested in watching us play basketball?"

Seeing no other men around Jiang Man, a handsome mixed-race man approached her.

He spoke fluent Chinese and extended the invitation very gentlemanly.

Jiang Man, having eaten and drunk her fill, was looking for a place to lie down and rest a bit.

"I’m not interested in basketball, sorry."

It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested in the sport, but rather the person.

"Lu is also participating; won’t you watch?"

"Lu? Who?"

"Didn’t you come to the estate with Lu?"

"You mean Lu Xingzhou? He plays basketball?" Jiang Man found this piece of information quite large and unfamiliar.

With his prim and proper demeanor, Lu Xingzhou didn’t seem the type to enjoy intense physical activities like basketball.

Saying he liked shooting or bowling could still be believable.

"Nan is also going; hurry, let’s go and watch the excitement!"

Someone shouted, already impatiently stepping away.

Jiang Man initially wasn’t interested, but the mention of Lu Xingzhou suddenly piqued her curiosity.

...

The indoor basketball court in the estate was crowded.

When Jiang Man walked in, she saw two opposing teams facing off.

On the left was Lu Xingzhou, and on the right was Nan Juefeng.

As soon as Jiang Man appeared, the tension between the two men intensified.

"What’s going on? Are you really going to compete?"

She stepped forward and came to Lu Xingzhou’s side.

She glanced at Nan Juefeng and frowned.

Both men seemed refined and didn’t look like they would play basketball.

"Seriously, what are you competing with him for?"

Jiang Man asked, puzzled.

Lu Xingzhou didn’t directly answer her question; instead, he raised his hand, touched her head, and behaved intimately, which caused the onlookers to start jeering.

"What? It’s pretty clear, Miss Lisite and Young Master Lu are a couple!"

"I just saw Miss Lisite accept a love token from President Nan."

"Whoa~"

A crowd found it melodramatic yet amusing and began to shout.

Jiang Man was almost speechless.

She accepted a gift from a friend; how did it turn, in the mouths of others, into a love token?

Also, it was their promise from 16 years ago, Nan Juefeng was sticking to his promise, she had no reason to refuse, right?

After all, she had indeed said those words as a child.

"God damn love token."

She couldn’t help but complain.

Her sharp eyes swept over the jeering crowd.

"Playing basketball, huh? Fine, I’ll join too."

Hearing that this beauty wanted to play basketball, the crowd was taken aback and fell silent.

"I’m a forward. Lu Xingzhou, what about you?"

Lu Xingzhou was stunned for a moment, looking at her in her evening gown and slender frame.

Actually wanting to play forward?

"What are you standing there for?"

Jiang Man urged sharply, her tone keen yet cool.

Then, Lu Xingzhou said, "Forward, guard, either works."

"Tsk, you look like you can play basketball?" Jiang Man’s eyes sparkled slightly; she thought he was bluffing.

Lu Xingzhou pursed his lips: "If you play forward, then I’ll be the guard."

The two happily decided on this.

Seeing they were serious, enthusiastic onlookers volunteered, quickly choosing sides.

Soon, two teams were rapidly formed.

Nan Juefeng felt very awkward; originally, he just wanted a one-on-one challenge with Lu Xingzhou.

Having no proper reason to fight, settling it with basketball seemed acceptable.

But a 1-on-1 battle suddenly turned into a 5-on-5 confrontation.

What was more painful was that Jiang Man voluntarily stood on his opposing side to compete against him.

More than winning or losing, nothing was more heart-wrenching for him.

"Sir, they have started playing, and the young lady has also joined in."

In the study, Vermilion Bird reported in haste.

King was holding a copy of The Art of War by Sun Tzu, engrossed in an exciting part.

The part he was reading happened to be "Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao."

If he wanted Lu Xingzhou to retreat, a frontal approach wouldn’t work; he had to strike from the rear, leaving him no time to respond.

The rear of Lu Xingzhou...

King’s pupils suddenly constricted—wasn’t that Lu Xuemei and Grandma Lu?

"Let the young people handle it," his voice was faint, unconcerned.

No rush, this chess game had to be played slowly.

A gentleman’s word, swift as a horse.

He promised Lu Xingzhou that he would give him half a year; he would definitely keep his word and hold his forces for now.

"What if Young Master Nan loses? I feel like he’s about to break..."

Isn’t he about to break?

The young lady openly protected Young Master Lu, declaring her sovereignty.

Young Master Nan has no chance at all.