Lu Xing’s clients were all rich individuals.

And.

Among the rich, with the exception of the occasional “landlord’s idiot son,” there were very few fools.

In this world, arrogance is the original sin.

Xia Yeshuang had quickly deduced his connection to Auntie Wen, and Lu Xing wasn’t at all surprised by this.

He wasn’t so arrogant as to believe he could predict every single word and action of hers. On the contrary, he had always acknowledged that Xia Yeshuang was exceptionally sharp.

However…

Lu Xing laughed inwardly. Xia Yeshuang was truly skilled at finding the pressure point. She had instantly zeroed in on the thing he cared about most—

Money.

As a professional simp, Lu Xing never wanted to end things on bad terms with a client whose contract had expired.

After all, they had shared a period of perfect cooperation.

Even if the business deal was over, the “friendship” remained. They should still be able to share a pleasant drink when they crossed paths in the future.

But now.

Facing a “Little Goldie” who was lashing out blindly in a fit of rage, Lu Xing had to take steps to protect his own interests.

And so.

Lu Xing opened the folder in his hand. Inside were the various contracts he had signed with his clients.

the very second Lu Xing pulled out that folder, Xia Yeshuang’s face darkened. The stack was far too thick to be just two measly contracts.

Which meant…

Besides her and Wen Lingxiu, Lu Xing actually had other clients?!

This realization struck Xia Yeshuang like a bolt of lightning. Her mind went completely blank.

Her eyes were rimmed with red. Fighting back tears, she stared at Lu Xing, wishing she could split his skull open just to see what was inside.

“How many more ‘good sisters’ do you have!”

Xia Yeshuang was in a state of utter disbelief.

Usually, she would spend an entire day practicing in the piano room, and the time would vanish.

How on earth did Lu Xing manage to juggle so many clients in a single day?

Your twenty-four hours and mine seem to be entirely different things!

Hearing her outburst, Lu Xing didn’t panic. He calmly flipped to the very last contract in the pile.

He carefully opened the clip and removed the contract belonging to Xia Yeshuang.

Then, with movements as smooth as flowing water, he slid the folder back into his schoolbag.

Protecting a client’s privacy is a fundamental quality for any professional simp.

Once he had secured the other documents, Lu Xing glanced at the page and said with a faint smile:

“You’re the only ‘sister’.”

“You’re lying!”

“The other clients are all ‘older sisters’.”

“Lu Xing!”

Xia Yeshuang’s face flushed with an angry heat. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her chest was heaving with violent emotion.

Ever since she had signed that contract with Lu Xing, she hadn’t felt this way.

She had been enveloped in a warm, protective sea created by Lu Xing. The soft, clear water had washed away all her anxieties and fears.

It felt as though she had returned to her mother’s embrace—comfortable, safe, and relaxed.

At her birthday party, Zhao Yeye had asked her how she felt.

At the time.

Xia Yeshuang’s answer was—

“I’m so happy, I feel dizzy.”

But she had forgotten that the sea is an unpredictable thing.

One moment it can be calm and sun-drenched; the next, it can turn into a silent, raging abyss.

Xia Yeshuang was experiencing that transition now.

She was finally suffering the backlash.

The freezing seawater slammed into her body without mercy. The wind felt like blades and the frost like swords, pressing against her until she was on the verge of tears.

She had never known a feeling like this.

Previously, when dealing with Old Man Xia or her stepmothers, her primary emotions were anger and mockery—and a burning desire to win.

But now.

Looking at the same face Lu Xing had always worn, Xia Yeshuang felt dazed.

Her heart wasn’t just filled with rage. It was filled with… terror.

She was afraid.

She was terrified that she was about to lose the thing she cherished most in the world.

Lu Xing.

‘Why?’

Even if you’re lying to me, why couldn’t you just lie to the very end?

Xia Yeshuang was startled by the thought that suddenly surfaced in her mind, and her entire body went numb.

Xia Yeshuang!

How can you actually think that?!

Have you no shame?!

The man is lying to you, and you’re just blaming him for not putting on a better performance?

‘But…’

Another voice in Xia Yeshuang’s heart popped up.

But… I can’t truly bring myself to blame him.

Perhaps he has his own reasons for this?

Ignoring the fierce ideological struggle raging inside Xia Yeshuang, Lu Xing remained steady. He opened the first page of the contract and spoke in a calm, professional tone.

“Boss Xia.”

“When we signed this, in order to ensure we didn’t violate public order or good morals, we defined our relationship as follows—”

“I am your life assistant, responsible for taking care of you during the school period.”

When it came to earning money, Lu Xing was exceptionally cautious. The chances of him encountering a “freeloading” client were slim, but they were never zero.

After all.

The lives of his “rich second-generation” clients could be described as a trackless wilderness.

He had no one to back him up. He couldn’t gamble on the fickle nature of the human heart. He had to be this heartless and this careful.

“According to the service hours stipulated in the contract, my duties only cover the ‘school period.’ Therefore, how I choose to manage my time outside of those hours is not subject to any constraints.”

Xia Yeshuang was stunned.

When she had demanded he pay a penalty, it was a demand made in a fit of rage. How could she actually want his money?

She just wanted… she just wanted Lu Xing to explain things to her, the way he used to.

Was it too much to ask for a proper explanation?

But now.

Not only was Lu Xing’s tone devoid of its usual gentleness, but he had actually produced the legal document to quibble over the specific wording.

A profound sense of despair began to drown her like a rising tide.

‘Lu Xing, aren’t you supposed to be an expert at reading people? Can you really not see what’s in my heart?’

Lu Xing, is it love or is it hate? Do you truly not understand?

The gloom on the Little Goldie’s face was so thick it had almost become a physical weight. Lu Xing averted his gaze, focusing his attention solely on the document.

‘Money. Only money is the most important thing.’

Lu Xing took a secret, steadying breath to calm himself. He continued:

“However, this situation is indeed a failure on my part.”

“According to our agreement, the school period is Boss Xia’s exclusive service time. Yet, during those hours, Boss Xia encountered another of my clients. This is a clear dereliction of duty. I do not deny it.”

“The breach-of-contract clause states that in such an event, 20% of the monthly fee will be forfeited. Since Boss Xia has already paid for last month, I will transfer the penalty amount back to your account immediately.”

“The payment cycle is thirty days. We haven’t reached the end of this month yet, but given the current circumstances, our contract has reached the edge of a cliff.”

“Furthermore, as a personal gesture of apology for this professional error, the days I have served Boss Xia this month will be free of charge.”

“Both legally and personally, I have accepted my punishment.”

“I believe neither of us is in the right state of mind to continue this arrangement, so I will say it now…”

“Our contract is over.”

‘Xia Yeshuang, I gave you a chance to turn back.’

Lu Xing made the compensation calculations rationally and clearly, strictly by the book.

In the professional world, if you make a mistake and only offer tears and drama, you won’t get sympathy—you’ll get annoyance. The only right move is to provide a swift remedy.

Lu Xing didn’t feel regret.

After all.

If he had really left his grandparents’ phone number…

Given the way people spread rumors, by the time the news reached the elderly couple, they would have heard he was taking the civil service exam in the afterlife!

His grandparents’ health was fragile. If they heard such news and collapsed, Lu Xing could never live with the consequences.

So, he didn’t regret his choice.

He truly didn’t.

Xia Yeshuang sat in silence, listening to Lu Xing’s point-by-point calculations.

‘Contract, contract.’

It was all about the contract, as if the only thing connecting them was a piece of paper!

What she wanted to hear had nothing to do with the contract. She wanted to hear from Lu Xing himself, what was actually in his heart!

“Lu Xing.”

Xia Yeshuang raised her head, her eyes rimmed with red, a single, clear tear tracking down her cheek.

“But what about you?”

…

…

[Challenge Goal 2 :

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Reward: One additional chapter.

Progress: 4/7.]

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