Chapter 35: A Man Who Works Hard is the Most Handsome After dinner, Lu Liang drove Zhang Qian and her daughter home. The day had been exhausting, and Zhang Yun fell asleep in her mother’s arms on the way back. Carrying Zhang Yun on his back, Lu Liang brought her into the house, laid her on the bed, tucked her in, and quietly closed the door. Turning to Zhang Qian, he said, “Once you’ve made up your mind, message me. I’ll go with you to sign the contract.” The 1.3 million transfer fee and 80,000 yuan monthly net profit made it a solid investment. With over 10 million yuan in liquid assets, Lu Liang felt it was time to acquire some tangible properties. “I’ll look into it a bit more in the next few days,” Zhang Qian replied cautiously. After hesitating for a moment, she added, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to invest a portion myself.” “How much are you thinking?” Lu Liang asked, amused. “Forty percent… though 30 percent is fine too,” Zhang Qian said, gauging Lu Liang’s reaction. Lu Liang chuckled. “Whether you want 40 or 30 percent, either works for me.” He intended to remain a hands-off investor anyway. The partnership was more about maintaining a long-term, subtly inappropriate relationship with Zhang Qian. The percentage didn’t matter much to him. By 8:10 PM, Lu Liang prepared to leave. With the American market opening at 9 PM Beijing time, both the Asian and European sessions earlier in the day had shown no anomalies. London gold was priced at $1458.55 per ounce, still $58.7 short of the predicted price. If anything unusual was to happen, it would likely originate from the Americas, spurring the next upward surge in gold prices. Suddenly, Zhang Qian hugged him from behind, her voice soft against his ear. “Lu Liang, why don’t you stay at my place tonight?” she whispered. At this moment, she wasn’t thinking about the complexities. Even without formal status, she felt it would be enough to be his lover for life—as long as he treated her daughter well. ℞𝓪Νȯ𝐁ÈŜ “Next time. I really have work tonight,” Lu Liang said, turning to hold her by the waist. Their eyes met, and for the first time, Lu Liang saw a deep emotion in her gaze, different from before. “The door code is 889912. The spare key is usually in the top layer of the fire safety cabinet outside the door,” Zhang Qian said, standing on tiptoe to kiss him. “You’re welcome here anytime. This is your second home.” “I’ll come by again after I get through this busy period,” Lu Liang promised, nodding. Her eyes revealed a sincerity and warmth he hadn’t noticed before, free of the guardedness she used to have. Love so thick it could drown him, tenderness so genuine—it was the first time he had experienced such feelings in someone’s eyes. His previous marriage had been more of a partnership, one that his ex-wife later unilaterally broke. Suddenly, a childish voice interrupted them: “Hehehe, so embarrassing!” Startled, the two quickly stepped apart, embarrassed like teenagers caught sneaking around. “If you’re awake, go take a bath and do your homework,” Zhang Qian said, blushing with the awkwardness of being caught. Lu Liang, composed, walked over and patted the little girl’s head. “Xiaoguai, Uncle Lu has some work to do. I’ll come to see you next time.” “When’s next time?” she asked, her wide eyes filled with innocence, hoping for a definite answer. “Hmm… today is Thursday. Let’s say the weekend,” Lu Liang replied after a moment’s thought. “Promise,” he said, sealing the deal with a pinky hook. Before leaving, Lu Liang leaned down and kissed Zhang Qian’s cheek in front of the child. “Bye-bye~” Zhang Qian replied warmly, standing by the door, watching as he entered the elevator. “Mom, can I call Uncle Lu ‘Dad’ from now on?” Zhang Yun asked suddenly, her eyes filled with hope. Zhang Qian was silent for a long time, no longer avoiding the topic as she once had. Among the first to react were Zhang Qian and Zhou Xiaoqi…