161: Lu Chen: "I'm such a scumbag!"

Lu Chen walked over. Through the dim light of the laundry room, he saw a small figure still busy inside. That figure was indeed Chen Mengyao.

He had originally thought it was Gu Xiaoxiao, because he vaguely remembered arranging Gu Xiaoxiao in the empty room above the laundry room when he left.

“Why isn’t this girl back yet at such a late hour…”

Lu Chen frowned, a hint of confusion in his heart.

It was already past his stipulated knocking off time. Logically, she should have gone home by now, so why was she still busy here?

Lu Chen furrowed his brows, then slowly walked in.

He saw Chen Mengyao, dressed in a maid uniform, squatting in front of a washbasin, her small hands mechanically rubbing clothes.

Her eyes were wide open, yet she was lost in thought, her gaze fixed on the bubbles that constantly rose and burst in the water basin.

The light spilled on her, outlining her delicate silhouette.

Below her small nose, her cherry-like lips were slightly pouted, making her look incredibly cute.

However, her eyes held a hint of loneliness and absentmindedness, as if her thoughts had long drifted away.

In fact, her tasks for today were not many; she should have finished them much earlier.

But she had been in a bad mood all day, or rather, an exceptionally low mood, so her work progress was very slow, dragging on until now.

Perhaps another reason was that she wanted to use washing clothes as a legitimate excuse to stay a little longer in the Lu Family Manor… When Chen Mengyao thought that even Gu Xiaoxiao had already moved into the Lu Family Manor, a very strong sense of crisis arose in her heart, along with a strange and complex emotion.

She worried that if her presence in front of Lu Chen became increasingly low, then Lu Chen would quickly forget her.

If that happened, she might lose this highly paid job.

This was not the most crucial thing; the most crucial thing was that she might never see Lu Chen again.

After all, given the difference in status between Lu Chen and her, once she left the Lu Family Manor, they might never have any intersection again in this lifetime… Thinking of this, Chen Mengyao’s mood became even more dejected.

She rubbed the clothes in her hands over and over, a completely mechanical motion. Her small hands were already rubbed raw, yet she still felt nothing.

Her brows were tightly furrowed, her eyes full of confusion and helplessness, and her lips unconsciously pressed tighter, her originally rosy lip color turning slightly pale.

However, when Chen Mengyao thought of her sister and mother, she sighed softly again.

Even if she wanted to move into the Lu Family Manor, reality wouldn't allow her to do so. After all, if she moved in, who would take care of her mother and sister?

This was simply an unsolvable deadlock, at least with Chen Mengyao’s current small brain, she couldn't think of any better way to break this deadlock.

Chen Mengyao was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Lu Chen walking up behind her.

It wasn’t until Lu Chen gently patted her shoulder that Chen Mengyao woke up as if from a dream, a trace of panic flashing in her eyes.

Then she quickly turned her head and said with a smile, “Xiaoxiao, why aren’t you off…”

Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly froze, a hint of astonishment and surprise appearing on Chen Mengyao’s face.

She had thought it was Xiaoxiao patting her shoulder, but she hadn’t expected it to be Lu Chen.

So Chen Mengyao was flustered and nervous, stammering, “Mr. Lu… Mr. Lu, you’re here…”

Lu Chen looked at her nervous appearance and couldn't help but smile slightly.

Among the Dragon King heroines he had pursued, Chen Mengyao was perhaps the most cautious.

Even Gu Xiaoxiao, who had been abandoned once, might not be as cautious as she was.

Indeed, he had been a bit too aggressive at first, he shouldn't have been hot and cold with her so many times, causing her to be a little afraid whenever she saw him now.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen smiled slightly and said in a gentle tone, “Why haven’t you knocked off yet?”

Chen Mengyao quickly stood up, lowered her head, and unconsciously wiped her hands on her apron, mumbling:

“Mr. Lu… Mr. Lu, I was a bit slow today, and I’m almost done.”

She secretly glanced at Lu Chen, then quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet Lu Chen’s gaze.

Lu Chen looked at her demeanor, a trace of pity rising in his heart, and said softly, “Don’t overwork yourself. It’s so late; leave the rest for tomorrow.”

Chen Mengyao bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and whispered, “Mr. Lu, I… I want to finish it today, otherwise it will pile up again tomorrow.”

Her voice was very soft, carrying a barely perceptible plea, as if she was afraid Lu Chen would disagree.

Lu Chen shook his head, a gentle smile on his face, and said softly, “Won’t your mother and sister worry if you go back so late?”

Chen Mengyao waved her hand, her soft hair swaying gently, and she said softly, “No worries, I’ve already told my mother not to wait for me tonight.”

Lu Chen’s lips curved slightly, and he couldn't help but smile, saying, “You’re quite bold.”

Chen Mengyao lowered her head, not daring to respond.

She was a little puzzled in her heart. Why was Lu Chen’s voice so gentle when he spoke to her today? It made her feel somewhat at a loss.

She even couldn't help but doubt whether the gentle person in front of her was the real Lu Chen. That gentle tone, like the warm sun in winter, made her heart feel warm, yet it also carried a strange sense of unreality.

Chen Mengyao felt as if there was a small rabbit in her heart, thumping, and her cheeks flushed slightly, a sweet feeling rising in her heart.

It was as if she had a piece of candy, and the lingering sweetness spread from the tip of her tongue all the way to her heart, making her feel somewhat lightheaded.

At this moment, she heard Lu Chen say again, “Alright, no need to be busy anymore. Go back and rest.”

Chen Mengyao looked up, her eyes full of sincerity, and whispered, “It’s really not hard, Mr. Lu, let me finish this bit.”

Lu Chen smiled, a hint of teasing in his eyes, and said half-jokingly, “Do you want me to send you back?”

He had said that sentence jokingly.

But when Chen Mengyao heard it, her pretty face instantly changed slightly, like a startled fawn.

She quickly lowered her head, timidly and tremblingly, shaking her head repeatedly, saying, “No, no, I just… I just…”

She was a bit incoherent for a moment, her heart as flustered as an ant on a hot pan, and her voice even carried a hint of a sob, as if she was about to cry from anxiety the next second.

She looked like a pitiful kitten, making one feel an urge to pity her.

Looking at the girl’s nervous demeanor, a wave of guilt suddenly surged in Lu Chen’s heart.

He suddenly realized that he seemed to have indeed neglected her too much lately.

During this time, he had been juggling other women, rarely truly focusing his attention on this girl.

Moreover, because Chen Mengyao’s personality was too soft and gentle, she was too easy to bully, and she had more weaknesses. He had never bothered to say any sweet nothings to flirt with Chen Mengyao.

Because he was convinced that Chen Mengyao would be completely under his control from beginning to end.

And the girl had always been without complaint, silently sticking to her post, diligently repaying the so-called kindness.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen’s guilt grew even stronger.

He felt like he was a complete scumbag!

He was only interested in the women he hadn’t yet captured, and for the girls he had already captured, he began to neglect them.

Lu Chen had no doubt that if he used even a tiny bit of the tactics he used on Gu Xiaoxiao, Gao Xuewei, or Yu Miaoyin on Chen Mengyao,

He probably could have already played idiom solitaire with her and enjoyed that intimate time together.

And with Chen Mengyao’s personality, she would definitely be devoted to him, would never have a single complaint, and certainly would not harbor any disloyal thoughts.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen felt even more guilty.

It turned out that he was the scumbag all along!