Forcing Me to Be Reborn?!
Chapter 481 - 390: Meeting Lin Lu’s Mom

Chapter 481: Chapter 390: Meeting Lin Lu’s Mom

The next day, at two o’clock in the afternoon, Cheng Zhu left for Lin Lu’s interior design company to sign the contract.

He had sent his written document to Lin Lu that morning, and Lin Lu had shown it to Meng Yue.

She estimated that the profit margin was acceptable, slightly better than her initial expectations.

In reality, the renovation business is quite tricky; even if you negotiate a good price initially, people can still manipulate things behind the scenes by cutting corners on work and materials, thereby boosting profits.

Given his special relationship with Lin Lu, Cheng Zhu naturally wouldn’t want Meng Yue to make no profit.

As long as the quality and quantity were guaranteed in the end.

All the way there, Lin Lu was on the phone with Cheng Zhu, clearly flustered.

An hour earlier, she had been debating whether or not to go to the company herself.

But she knew well that given her mother’s emphasis on this project, her mother was bound to personally attend to Cheng Zhu today.

If I also went, wouldn’t that essentially be like introducing a boyfriend to my parents?

I’m doomed!

She immediately became nervous.

A sophomore in her first relationship, how could she know how to handle this situation?

In the end, Cheng Zhu considerately offered, "I’ll go by myself; getting the contract signed will be quick."

From his perspective, Little Lu was a straightforward, warm, and endearing girl who couldn’t keep things to herself.

Having her with him at the company would certainly reveal something in front of her mom.

She was just a part-time voice actress, not a professional one.

Indeed, for a guy like him, meeting the parents still brought some apprehensions.

Most jerks were truly afraid of meeting the parents.

Now no need to panic.

I see you as the auntie; you see me as dad from the contract party; it works out well for both of us.

...

...

After parking his Land Rover outside the company, Cheng Zhu was greeted by designer Xia Liang.

Xia had been waiting outside early, ready to welcome the man who propelled his career to new heights.

Xia was fully aware that the success of the Youu Tea store designs was all thanks to Cheng Zhu.

He had merely played a minor role, implementing the ideas Cheng Zhu had.

Each time he worked with Cheng Zhu, Xia felt profoundly enlightened.

He felt Cheng Zhu knew even more about the trend directions than he did, although being a professional designer.

"No! It’s not that he knows the trends, but rather, he’s leading them."

Recently, Xia knew that more and more stores were incorporating design elements from Youu Tea, such as extensive stainless steel and some rock plates.

Including the overall color scheme of Youu Tea, it’s become very popular, widely imitated.

Like some coffee shops, bakeries, dessert shops...all learning!

"And I, am one of the biggest beneficiaries," Xia thought.

It’s well-known among designers that the contract party is—stupid!

And the contract party often thinks of designers as stupid!

But Xia’s recent work had been rather easy because it was all styled after Youu Tea.

This money is easier to earn now, just reusing the same elements, and yet the design fees are soaring!

Thus, even in the cold winter, he chose to stand outside to greet his important client and show his gratitude.

Is the approaching client just an ordinary one?

He’s a benefactor!

"Mr. Cheng," Xia greeted enthusiastically.

"Xia, long time no see," Cheng Zhu smiled, "Been busy recently?"

"Suffering yet happy about it; I’ll have to work over the Lunar New Year too," Xia replied with a laugh.

Cheng Zhu and Xia went upstairs and soon met Meng Yue, who had already been waiting in the company for some time.

The previous day, Lin Lu had mentioned that her mom was very beautiful and could measure up to the middle-aged female celebrities in the entertainment industry.

Today, seeing her in person, he felt Lin Lu hadn’t been exaggerating.

There was a popular internet meme: "I see the auntie still has charm."

Meng Yue couldn’t be merely described by the phrase "still has charm." She looked very young, like a woman in her early thirties, making it hard to believe she had a daughter in university.

Evidently, when she was younger, she, like Lin Lu, must have had a youthful appearance, seeming younger than her actual age.

Today, she wore a chic, black, Chanel-styled outfit with her slightly curly chestnut hair draped over her shoulders.

Lin Lu’s eyes and face shape strongly resembled hers, and her figure inherited her mother’s qualities.

But, where Lin Lu emanated vibrant energy, Meng Yue exuded a mature charm settled by the years.

Her every move radiated allure.

"Cheng Zhu, I’m finally meeting you in person; I’ve heard Lu Lu mention you several times," Meng Yue greeted him with a smile.

And when she smiled, she, just like Lin Lu, had dimples.

While Cheng Zhu looked at her, she too was sizing him up.

Her daughter’s junior was tall and handsome.

And he didn’t have the greenness typical of average college students; he appeared quite composed.

She led Cheng Zhu into her office, and upon entering, he smelled a pleasant fragrance.

There was a gently burning scent in the room, not too strong.

"What would you like to drink? Tea or coffee?" Meng Yue asked.

Cheng Zhu glanced at the half-burnt incense stick on the tea table and responded, "Tea, please."

Meng Yue took her seat at the head of the table and began preparing the tea.

From the office’s interior design, the decorative soft furnishings, and some of her personal touches, Cheng Zhu could tell she was a woman who possessed a strong sense of aesthetic in life.

Lin Lu had mentioned that her mom could sometimes be childlike, though Cheng Zhu hadn’t yet seen this side of her.

For now, Meng Yue didn’t dive into business matters but instead started off with casual conversation.

"Cheng Zhu, how did you and Lu Lu meet? She told me you met during the summer break."

For some reason, Cheng Zhu felt she wasn’t just making small talk but seemed genuinely curious.

"Shen Qingning’s cousin is my childhood friend, and we hung out together during the summer," Cheng Zhu replied.

"Oh, so it’s the Ningning connection that played a role," Meng Yue commented.

Cheng Zhu nodded slightly, thinking to himself, "Yes, strictly speaking, it was Ning Bao who came first."

After chatting for a while, Meng Yue had a pretty good first impression of Cheng Zhu.

"Why did Lu Lu say yesterday that he’s particularly meticulous?" Meng Yue puzzled, "I didn’t get that impression."

Of course, she had no idea that it was because her daughter’s tender lips had been passionately kissed, and not doing so was simply not an option—it was meticulous care indeed.

This major project was indeed a negotiation of lengthy... verbal debate.

When the conversation turned to business, Meng Yue still had to express her stance.

"I appreciate your trust in our company, Cheng Zhu, and thank you for considering us for your new stores when you could have chosen others," she stated.

"It’s to be expected. After all, whether it’s the past doll machines or now the milk tea shops, the cooperation has always been worry-free. Lin Lu, my senior, also provided me with many conveniences and discounts."

He hinted at acknowledging this favor.

But he wondered how Lin Lu might feel if she heard him call her "senior."

Strangely, she had insisted on Cheng Zhu calling her that in the past, but now, if he teasingly called her "senior" after a moment of intimacy, she might feel a bit embarrassed.

At this moment, Meng Yue looked at him, continued pouring tea, and said, "I’ve reviewed the requirements you sent over, and the schedule for these eighteen stores seems quite tight, not leaving much time to spare."

Cheng Zhu nodded and replied, "That’s why I hope Auntie can think of some ways to handle it, as these issues can be addressed, and time is of utmost importance to me right now."

Client: It’s challenging, but you need to overcome it!

"We’ll find a way. And don’t worry, in rushing the work, we won’t neglect the quality either," Meng Yue nodded in response.

"Hmm, that’s definitely the outcome everyone wants to see. My plan for this year is to have at least fifty stores, hoping we can continue cooperating in the future," Cheng Zhu said.

His intention was clear.

The future interior designs for Youu Tea could consider an exclusive partnership with your company.

But these eighteen stores are the initial test I gave you.

— Auntie, it’s time for the exam.

Let’s see how you score.

...

...

Half an hour later, Cheng Zhu left Meng Yue’s office, escorted downstairs by her personally.

As she watched Cheng Zhu drive away, she thought, "If only my mischievous son could grow up to be as capable as him."

During their half-hour chat, she saw in Cheng Zhu many qualities that most young people do not possess.

Sometimes she wondered, is the person sitting before me truly just a freshman?

Meng Yue stood with her arms crossed in front and appeared to cradle her elbows, watching as Cheng Zhu drove away.

Cheng Zhu went straight back to Xinhang Apartment and then sat down in front of his computer, getting back to work.

There was an important call he was waiting for today.

Chen Jieyu had told him she was invited to dine at Dean Zhang’s home today, and Dean Zhang’s son, who had just returned to the country, would also be there.

If all went as expected, today they would discuss the matter Cheng Zhu had asked Dean Zhang to facilitate.

Clearly, the old man didn’t want his son to keep sinking into despair.

Honestly, discovering that both children aren’t yours is truly distressing.

Moreover, if you hadn’t suspected the timing of the pregnancy was off, that indicates that during that time, at least one co-partner was... passing the baton with you in a relay race?

Being cuckolded to this extent indeed might become an insurmountable mental block.

However, as the night unfolded, the story took an astonishing turn.

Cheng Zhu received a call from Chen Jieyu.

"Cheng Zhu, that... he might not be able to give you an answer soon; you might have to wait a bit longer."

"Hmm? Why? Did something happen? Your tone seems vague."

Chen Jieyu fell into a brief silence.

But eventually, she thought that since Cheng Zhu might hire this person, he should be aware of his actions and then make his own judgment.

So, she started with, "There is indeed an issue, but please keep this matter confidential."

"Okay, I promise you, let’s hear what the issue is."

"That..."—Chen Jieyu found it somewhat difficult to say.

After a few seconds, she spoke in a very soft, extremely embarrassed tone: "He was caught soliciting a prostitute."

...

(ps: First update, seeking monthly tickets to stabilize the top spot in the monthly ticket chart!

Recommended book, "Eternal Life Begins with Cultivating the Crimson Path," a veteran author under a pseudonym, everyone can guess who it is.)