Chapter 90: Lu Liang? A Private Equity Tycoon?

Words : 1749 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 90: Lu Liang? A Private Equity Tycoon?Huang Lihui felt like she was choking on a mouthful of blood. Her face turned dark as she was too furious to speak. A classmate quickly tried to ease the tension by changing the topic. "By the way, have any of you heard of Lu Liang online? Same name as our Lu Liang." Huang Lihui’s eyes lit up as she seized the opportunity to mock him. "That Lu Liang is a private equity tycoon. As for our dear old classmate, he’s just a grilled gluten skewer seller." The group froze for a moment. Their gazes toward Lu Liang shifted subtly, losing the warmth from earlier and gaining a hint of distance. Though their youthful memories were cherished, adults needed to focus on the present. On one hand, there was a somewhat unlikable but wealthy construction materials dealer’s wife; on the other, there was a friendly but seemingly insignificant skewer seller. As adults, they instinctively knew which relationships to prioritize. A classmate involved in the construction materials industry joked, "Lu Liang, where do you set up shop? If it’s on my commute, I’ll stop by to support your business and try your cooking." "Near Lujiazui," Lu Liang replied with a smile, acting as though he didn’t catch the hidden meaning in their words. "I just set up wherever I want each day. If we run into each other, I’ll treat you to a taste." Huang Lihui, riding high on her momentary dominance, added smugly, "Lujiazui? You can’t set up a stall there, can you? Aren’t you afraid of being chased off by city management?" Some people found her arrogance unbearable and intentionally diverted the topic. One pointed at the screen displaying the couple’s wedding highlights and said, "That old Liu, huh? Back in the day, he swore he’d never get married. I told him he just hadn’t met the right person yet." Another chimed in with a laugh, "Could it be a shotgun wedding?" The group burst into laughter. Liu Mingxuan had been a notorious playboy in university, so seeing him tied down by a wife and child was an amusing twist of fate. As the banquet hall lights dimmed, the crowd quieted down to focus on the wedding ceremony, sending their blessings to the happy couple. The entire ceremony lasted over 40 minutes, during which the guests enjoyed their meals. Eventually, the newlyweds made their rounds to toast each table. When Liu Mingxuan reached their table, he noticed how Lu Liang seemed isolated while Huang Lihui was basking in attention like a queen bee. Searᴄh the ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Thank you all for coming to my wedding. Eat well, drink well," Liu Mingxuan said with a smile, raising his glass. Then he looked at Lu Liang’s glass, which contained soda, and frowned. "Lu Liang, ditch the soda and switch to whiskey." Lu Liang was caught off guard. Drinking soda or alcohol shouldn’t matter—why was Liu Mingxuan suddenly picking a fight with him? Liu Mingxuan huffed, "I told you not to drive today, didn’t I? Or at least bring an assistant. How can you show up at my wedding and drink soda?" "Alright, alright, it’s your big day. You’re the boss; I’ll do as you say," Lu Liang replied with an amused shake of his head, realizing what Liu Mingxuan was up to. He swapped out the soda for whiskey, filled his glass to the brim, and downed it in one go. "Satisfied now, groom?" "That’s more like it," Liu Mingxuan said with a grin. Then he moved on to toast the other tables with his bride, leaving the classmates bewildered. Lu Liang had a car? And an assistant? Wasn’t he selling skewers? What was going on? Lu Liang remained calm, offering no explanations. He simply called Wen Chao and gave him the hotel’s address, asking him to come over. One curious classmate couldn’t hold back. "Lu Liang, what’s going on between you and Mingxuan? Some kind of secret code?" Lu Liang laughed it off. "Don’t mind him. He’s just too happy today and had a bit too much to drink." But the atmosphere at the table had already shifted. The earlier camaraderie was nowhere to be found. About 20 minutes later, a sharp-looking young man in a suit hurried into the venue, slightly out of breath. Wen Chao didn’t step inside but stopped at the door. When he spotted Lu Liang, he gave a polite smile. Lu Liang nodded in acknowledgment, poured himself another full glass of whiskey, and walked over to the head table. He glared at Liu Mingxuan for a moment before smiling and offering a toast. "Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness. I’ve got something to take care of, so I’ll head out now." ????ÂɴɵʙƐȘ Liu Mingxuan glanced at the classmates’ table, where everyone wore expressions of shock as if they had just seen a ghost. His smile deepened. "Take care. No need to see him out." As soon as Lu Liang left, a few classmates from the table made their way over to toast Liu Mingxuan, one after another. "You’re all trying to get me drunk on purpose, huh?" he joked. One classmate, who had helped redirect the earlier awkwardness, couldn’t resist asking, "Mingxuan, what’s the deal with Lu Liang?" Liu Mingxuan chuckled. "Why don’t you go take a look for yourselves?" Before he could finish, Huang Lihui had already rushed to the window. Her eyes widened, and her face was filled with disbelief. Just moments ago, someone had pointed out a 3-million-yuan Lamborghini Urus parked downstairs, and now they realized it belonged to Lu Liang. The entire table’s expressions mirrored her shock. "That Lu Liang online... could it really be our Lu Liang?" someone asked, half in disbelief. Huang Lihui’s face turned ashen. She muttered to herself, "Impossible. If he were that rich, why would he be divorced?" "What’s so impossible about that? Maybe he got divorced because he’s rich," another classmate quipped with a laugh, still reeling from the revelation. "Old Lu, staying so low-key, and you’ve quietly become a wealthy man." Lu Liang's wealth didn’t really concern his classmates—it wasn’t like they would borrow money from him. What mattered was that it provided an opportunity to take Huang Lihui down a notch. Lu Liang’s understated demeanor made Huang Lihui seem like a clown. No matter how much money she had from construction materials, could it possibly compare to someone in finance? Meanwhile, outside the hotel: Wen Chao drove the car out of the lot. "Mr. Lu, where to?" Although it was his day off, Wen Chao was eager for Lu Liang to call on him, whether for actual work or trivial matters. It was a way to demonstrate their closeness. Lu Liang rubbed his temple. The two glasses of whiskey had left his head throbbing. With his eyes closed, he said, "Tomson Riviera, Tower B." On weekends, Li Manli would give herself the day off, dressing up beautifully and waiting at home for Lu Liang to take her out. But her excitement quickly faded when Lu Liang stumbled into the house, reeking of alcohol and walking unsteadily. "Why are you drinking so much in the middle of the day?" She scolded him while helping him out of his clothes. "I just went to a friend’s wedding," Lu Liang explained. He wasn’t drunk, but the strong whiskey had left his head pounding. Resting his head on Li Manli’s soft thighs, he closed his eyes and relaxed. "Just let me nap for a bit, and I’ll be fine." “Blah, blah, blah~” Li Manli made a silly face at him but didn’t move. Instead, she rummaged through his pockets, making sure he was comfortable. Then she noticed the four-leaf clover lighter. She didn’t understand English, but she recognized the Chinese characters on it: The handwriting, delicate and feminine, wasn’t Lu Liang’s. Li Manli immediately grew suspicious and cautiously asked, "Did someone give you this lighter?" "Getting older, smoking too much hurts my throat. Thought I’d start cutting back," Lu Liang replied smoothly, showing no sign of guilt. Li Manli believed him. She poked his cheek and said, "I’ve been wanting to tell you to quit. I heard smoking too much can make it hard to have kids." Lu Liang squinted at her and smiled. "So, you’ve already started thinking about having kids?" "Not so soon! I’m still a baby myself. Maybe in two or three years. Then we can have two, how about that?" Li Manli said this earnestly—she’d thought about it. But at not even nineteen years old, she still wanted to enjoy life for a few more years. "That depends on you, not me. If you don’t take precautions, you might be a mom by next year," Lu Liang teased, shifting to a more comfortable position. He glanced at her shiny, straight legs in white stockings paired with petite leather shoes. Li Manli loved wearing dresses. She had once told him that while dresses were inconvenient to wear and move around in, she’d keep wearing them as long as he liked them. Li Manli proudly added, "Relax! I’ve downloaded a super-smart app that tracks everything. I know exactly when it’s safe and when it’s not." Her 3-year, 6-million-yuan streaming contract with Panda Interactive Entertainment had already paid out the first year. After her studio took its cut and taxes were deducted, about 800,000 yuan remained in her hands. Li Manli wasn’t particularly bright, but she knew that without Lu Liang funding her, setting up her studio, and teaching her how to craft her online persona, she wouldn’t have what she did now. The moment the money hit her account, she sent 600,000 yuan back home, with a note asking not to contact her unless necessary—a gesture to repay her parents for years of raising her. From that moment, Li Manli told herself she was Lu Liang’s person, fully devoted to following him. Unless he no longer wanted her, she would stick by him no matter what. Her gaze unconsciously shifted back to the lighter on the table. "What about today?" Lu Liang’s drunken haze was fading, and his finger lightly traced her calf, gradually moving upward. "Today~ Of course, today is fine~" Li Manli’s face bloomed into a bright smile. Taking the initiative, she pouted her rosy lips and kissed him. "Ew~ You reek of alcohol."

Chapter 90: Lu Liang? A Private Equity Tycoon?

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