Dragon Clan: Lu Mingfei Returns from Japan

Chapter 670 I have a friend

"Chen Wenwen? How did it become a rumor that the girl is Chen Wenwen?"

"It's not like we don't know Chen Wenwen, and you heard with your own ears that the girl called Lu Mingfei her junior brother, right?"

"Are they blind? How does that senior from Kassel College resemble Chen Wenwen even slightly? They don't even have the same hairstyle, one has long hair and the other has short hair."

……

During the lunch break, Zhao Menghua was angrily complaining to the class monitor of Class 1.

The class monitor looked up at the blazing sun overhead. In late May, the southern city had already entered summer; the sun overhead felt like a giant bathroom heater, baking them until their mouths were parched.

He pursed his lips, inwardly thinking that Zhao Menghua must have watched too many Hong Kong and Taiwanese movies... Why did they have to drag him to the rooftop just to say something? Anyone who didn't know better would think it was Tony Leung and Andy Lau meeting in "Infernal Affairs".

You could have just sent a text message. Wouldn't it have been better to sit in the classroom with the air conditioning on?

And to be fair, he felt that Chen Wenwen and the senior in the photo did look somewhat alike, both having round and cute almond-shaped eyes, so it couldn't be entirely blamed on others for mistaking the girl in the photo.

Besides, the whole story of Chen Wenwen's affair ultimately comes down to Zhao Menghua's terrible photography skills. He spent ages secretly taking pictures from behind, but he couldn't even get a clear shot of his senior's face.

However, he only dared to grumble to himself, mainly because he still needed to get his payment from Zhao Menghua—tickets to the preview screening of "Secret" this weekend. He had already boasted about it to his girlfriend.

Listening to Zhao Menghua complain a few times and getting tickets to the preview screening isn't such a bad deal.

Only when Zhao Menghua's complaints finally stopped did the class monitor reluctantly smile and say, "The main problem is that the photo didn't show the senior's face clearly. And no one else noticed that she had short hair."

"..."

Zhao Menghua choked for a moment, then continued to shift the blame: "Even if you didn't get a clear picture of that senior sister's face, you could tell from just the top half that it wasn't Chen Wenwen, right?"

What really bothered and frustrated Zhao Menghua wasn't that everyone else mistook the girl in the photo for Chen Wenwen...

The question is, why did Liu Miaomiao say that Chen Wenwen and Lu Mingfei went to see a movie on Sunday?

This is the direct reason why the rumor that "the girl in the photo is Chen Wenwen" spread.

Is it possible that Lu Mingfei cheated on more than one person, but on two? I went on a date with Chen Wenwen and saw a movie on the weekend morning, and then went to see another movie with that senior from Kassel College in the afternoon?
But that doesn't make sense either. Liu Miaomiao clearly stated that Chen Wenwen went to see "Secret." And "Secret" only had one preview screening on a weekend afternoon.

Chen Wenwen did not deny that she and Lu Mingfei went to see "Secret" together last Sunday. She remained silent about the rumors circulating around her, which seemed to imply tacit acceptance of them.

Zhao Menghua was increasingly confused about what was going on.

Either he and the class monitor were blind and mistook Chen Wenwen for that senior girl named Jiu Deya. Or maybe everyone else in the school was blind.

Someone has to be blind, right? Otherwise, why would there be such a contradictory blunder?

It's impossible that Liu Miaomiao and Chen Wenwen, knowing full well that Lu Mingfei went to the movies with that senior and was cheating, secretly rehearsed their stories to help Lu Mingfei cover up his infidelity, right?
"..."

Upon realizing this, Zhao Menghua was startled, his heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt as if a nerve in his head had clicked, and he understood.

Liu Miaomiao and Chen Wenwen teamed up to help Lu Mingfei keep this a secret.

At first glance, this statement might seem like a fantasy... but what if it were true?

All the clues seemed to connect at this moment, making perfect sense.

Yes, Liu Miaomiao and Chen Wenwen actually knew that Lu Mingfei had cheated on her with his senior sister, and they were working together to help Lu Mingfei cover it up.

That's why Liu Miaomiao said the person who went to the movies with Lu Mingfei over the weekend was Chen Wenwen. That's why Chen Wenwen remained silent despite the rampant rumors around her; her silence was, in fact, her way of acknowledging this identity!

But once one issue is resolved, another problem arises.

Why are Liu Miaomiao and Chen Wenwen helping Lu Mingfei so much?

Everyone knows they have a good relationship with Lu Mingfei. Liu Miaomiao can even remain good friends with Lu Mingfei after their breakup. But even the best relationships have their limits, right? And isn't Su Xiaoqiang also on good terms with them? Helping Lu Mingfei cover up his infidelity is tantamount to harming Su Xiaoqiang, isn't it?

Even if Chen Wenwen tacitly agrees that she was the one who watched the movie with Lu Mingfei yesterday, Lu Mingfei's reputation wouldn't change much, would it? It's just that the person he cheated with has changed. From that senior sister to her, it's still essentially the same act of infidelity.

Or, just because the girl in the photo is Chen Wenwen, does Su Xiaoqiang think that nothing will happen between Lu Mingfei and Chen Wenwen? That would be a bit too magnanimous, wouldn't it?

Regardless of the reason, Zhao Menghua felt that he had probably found a way to break the deadlock.

Given Su Xiaoqiang's proud and arrogant personality, if she were to find out that Lu Mingfei not only cheated on her with his senior sister behind her back, but that her best friends had actually joined forces to help Lu Mingfei cover up his infidelity.

I reckon Su Xiaoqiang definitely wouldn't be able to accept it, and she'd immediately lash out at Lu Mingfei and her close friends.

Thinking of this, Zhao Menghua made a decisive decision, driven by a strong sense of justice, to report the matter to Su Xiaoqiang. Having finally seized an opportunity to ruin Lu Mingfei's reputation, how could he be willing to let Lu Mingfei escape this calamity so easily?
But here's the question... Where is Su Xiaoqiang now?

He only knew that Su Xiaoqiang was usually not in the classroom during lunch break. Although Shilan Middle School recommended that students take a lunch break, there was no one specifically assigned to check the discipline during the break.

Finding an opportunity to report this to Su Xiaoqiang while avoiding Lu Mingfei is quite difficult.

Just as he was thinking this, leaning on the rooftop railing, he suddenly saw the figure of a girl on the tree-lined path next to the teaching building. Who else could it be but Su Xiaoqiang?
And she was all alone. Neither Lu Mingfei, Chen Wenwen, nor Liu Miaomiao were by her side.

Zhao Menghua was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself that his luck had been too good lately. He had just caught Lu Mingfei red-handed yesterday; and today, when he wanted to report Lu Mingfei's secret to Su Xiaoqiang, he happened to run into Su Xiaoqiang, who was alone.

Looking in Su Xiaoqiang's direction, she probably just came from the old teaching building and was heading back to her classroom.

"I have something urgent to attend to. I'll contact you by phone later if there's anything else."

Upon seeing this, Zhao Menghua immediately stood up from the railing, hurriedly said a few words to the class monitor, and then pushed open the rooftop door and quickly went down the stairs.

……

Su Xiaoqiang, on the other hand, had just come from the literature club and was heading back to the classroom. After finishing their meal, they went to the literature club's activity room to discuss their next plan. The atmosphere of ambiguity between Lu Mingfei and Chen Wenwen at school had been pretty much established. Basically, most people already believed that the girl in the photo was Chen Wenwen.

Therefore, it's about time to move on to the next step. We can find an opportunity to reveal the information that "Chen Wenwen is now Lu Mingfei's girlfriend."

As the daughter of a business tycoon, Su Xiaoqiang naturally had some exposure to business tactics from a young age.

Her father often did this when competing with rival companies: he would deliberately release some mixed news to create market expectations, and then go with the flow at the right time.

Although he didn't seem to actually participate, he had already achieved his initial goal.

Unexpectedly, gossip and business have some similarities. Su Xiaoqiang felt that if she didn't compete for the family business in the future, she would be extremely talented in crisis management and public relations.

There weren't many people on the tree-lined path during lunch break, except for the occasional student responsible for cleaning.

Su Xiaoqiang walked past the senior high school buildings without looking to the side. Just as she was about to reach the junior high school building, Zhao Menghua suddenly rushed out from the corner of the stairwell, panting heavily.

Upon seeing the person who arrived, Su Xiaoqiang subconsciously frowned.

She didn't have much interaction with Zhao Menghua, and her relationship with him wasn't particularly bad or good. She just didn't really want to have anything to do with him. This wasn't entirely because she had heard from Liu Miaomiao that Zhao Menghua and Lu Mingfei had some conflicts, but also because she felt that he was a bit too arrogant, revealing a shrewdness and selfishness in his nature.

She casually turned away, intending to walk around Zhao Menghua to the stairwell of the first-year teaching building, but Zhao Menghua suddenly called out to her.

"Su Xiaoqiang, wait a moment," Zhao Menghua said. "I have something important to tell you."

Su Xiaoqiang didn't stop. Seriously? Did she have to respond to everyone who called her? She wouldn't need to go to class then; she could spend all day queuing for love letters and listening to confessions, from morning till afternoon. Besides, what important things could Zhao Menghua possibly say?
Don't be fooled by Su Xiaoqiang's feigned indifference and cat-like behavior towards Lu Mingfei. In reality, she remains true to her ethereal, fairy-like nature most of the time at school.

Otherwise, the post "Su Xiaoqiang, a first-year student, is really that arrogant; she never looks people in the eye when she walks" wouldn't have circulated on the Shilan Middle School forum. In everyone's eyes, among the school beauties, Su Xiaoqiang is always the most unapproachable one.

If you initiate a conversation with Liu Miaomiao, she will usually answer you with a soft smile if it's a normal question. But if you initiate a conversation with Su Xiaoqiang, you're already incredibly lucky to get even a glance from her out of the corner of your eye.

If we were to say which anime heroine best matches Su Xiaoqiang, it would definitely be Asuka from "EVA".

However, Zhao Menghua's next words made Su Xiaoqiang freeze in her tracks. Because she heard Zhao Menghua say, "It's about Lu Mingfei!"

Su Xiaoqiang paused, then slowly turned around a few seconds later, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and looked at Zhao Menghua with a cold expression.

It turns out that only mentioning Lu Mingfei's name works.

Zhao Menghua had no idea how Lu Mingfei had managed to win over such an arrogant woman like Su Xiaoqiang. Her aura alone was enough to keep most people at arm's length.

Furthermore, Su's Energy is a pillar enterprise and industry giant in the local area, a major taxpayer in the city, and frequently interacts with leaders from various bureaus. Their home surveillance system is connected to the public security network. Every year at the city's entrepreneurs' conference, Mr. Zhao always has to offer Mr. Su a toast when they meet.

The only company in the entire city that can rival Su's Energy is probably Black Prince Group.

So despite Su Xiaoqiang's arrogant demeanor, no one dares to provoke her or risk offending the Little Heavenly Maiden. After all, the Su family's strength and background speak for themselves.

Moreover, although Su Xiaoqiang is a bit arrogant, she has never used her status as a young lady to intimidate anyone. She is also generous and unpretentious. Apart from having a bad temper, she has a pretty good personality.

However, Su Xiaoqiang never seemed arrogant towards Lu Mingfei. When chatting with him in class, she always had a bright, sunny smile. Or perhaps this is a case of a woman dressing up for the one she loves?

"What is it?" Su Xiaoqiang asked, her voice indifferent.

Zhao Menghua finally caught his breath and ran all the way down from the rooftop to the first floor. He was almost exhausted, but luckily he managed to catch Su Xiaoqiang before she returned to the classroom.

He started by asking, "You should already know about what happened on the school forum, right? It's the one where Lu Mingfei went to the movies with another girl and even kissed her."

"That's it? Boring."

Su Xiaoqiang pursed her lips and prepared to turn and leave. She thought Zhao Menghua was going to say something, but it turned out to be about this. What a waste of her time.

When Zhao Menghua saw that Su Xiaoqiang was about to leave again, he became anxious. He thought to himself, "This little fairy is too impatient. How can she not even listen to a person finish a sentence?"

He hurriedly blurted out all the information he had: "Of course, that's not all. I have even more explosive news, you've definitely never heard of it before. Did you know that the girl in the photo isn't Chen Wenwen? It's actually someone else. It's that senior from Kassel College who came to our school to interview us before!"

The moment he finished speaking, he saw Su Xiaoqiang stop again.

Zhao Menghua was secretly delighted; there was hope! This news was indeed appealing to Su Xiaoqiang!
Su Xiaoqiang was suddenly stunned, wondering how Zhao Menghua knew that the girl in the photo wasn't Wenwen, but Senior Sister Yaji? Could it be that someone on the forum had already uploaded new photos, capturing Senior Sister Yaji's face clearly?
If that's the case, then all their previous efforts seem to have been in vain.

Su Xiaoqiang asked Zhao Menghua, her face still calm: "Not Wenwen? Who told you about this?"

Zhao Menghua was about to say that it was because he was the one who took those photos.

But then I thought, what if I just exposed myself like that?

In case Su Xiaoqiang confronts Lu Mingfei and brings up himself as a witness, letting Lu Mingfei know that he was the one who secretly took those photos of him.

What if Lu Mingfei decides to turn around and take revenge on him?

Let me state upfront that he wasn't cowardly towards Lu Mingfei! He simply felt there was no need to confront Lu Mingfei directly.

Lu Mingfei is just an ordinary person; he's the only son in his family, with billions in assets waiting to be inherited. If he were to trade places with Lu Mingfei, he'd be at a disadvantage no matter what. Therefore, avoiding Lu Mingfei is always the right thing to do. This is called the "happy person avoidance principle."

He rolled his eyes and said, "Because the person who took those photos of Lu Mingfei was a friend of mine. My friend also goes to Shilan High School and knows Chen Wenwen. He told me that he saw it with his own eyes. The person watching the movie with Lu Mingfei was the person in charge of admissions interviews at Kassel College, not Chen Wenwen."

Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoqiang gave a faint "oh," finally realizing who the culprit was who had secretly taken those photos and posted them on the school forum.

It turns out it was Zhao Menghua.

……

(End of this chapter)