Chapter 73

Liu Meng felt more and more uneasy the more he thought about it. He touched with his hands and, to his surprise, felt a pair of feet. Seemingly noticing that they were being touched, the feet moved to a different spot. This confirmed for Liu Meng that there was someone there!

He thought of Zhou Shiyi and felt a chill run down his spine, feeling extremely guilty!

He was so startled that he couldn't speak, but he couldn't hold it in any longer. He fumbled to turn on the bedside lamp and couldn't help but widen his eyes at the scene before him.

A young girl in a light blue silk nightgown was sleeping under the covers, her hair disheveled. The off-shoulder nightgown had one strap slipping off.

Her sleeping posture was not good, and the hem of the nightgown was lifted to different heights, revealing a glimpse of the black, slightly lacy underwear underneath.

Perhaps due to the stimulation of the light, the girl opened her eyes slightly. Seeing the unfamiliar surroundings, her brain short-circuited for a few seconds before she suddenly remembered where she was. She saw a man staring at her with a slightly dazed look.

Looking down at herself, she was still half-exposed, her clothes disheveled, lying in bed with a stranger. She couldn't help but feel both anxious and embarrassed, and let out a loud "Ah!" before quickly pulling the covers over herself.

This scream woke Liu Meng completely. He stared at her in a daze, furrowing his brow. "Who are you?"

"Don't look! Turn around first!" The girl's voice was urgent, slightly choked with tears.

Though not a gentleman, Liu Meng didn't want to take advantage of the situation. He covered his head with a pillow and heard the rustling of the girl getting up and tidying herself. "Okay... it's fine now."

Her voice was still trembling.

Liu Meng threw the pillow aside, quickly got out of bed, and rushed to the bathroom. This night was bizarre.

After he was done, he came out to find the girl already sitting in the living room. Liu Meng was truly puzzled. This was indeed the Zhou family's house, and the little girl was probably at school. Who was this girl?

At this moment, he thought, could she be a relative of the Zhou family? But how did she end up in the same bed as him? Was it because she was also drunk and stumbled in? Thinking about this, he organized his words and asked, "Excuse me, who are you?"

The girl had already regained her composure, a polite smile on her lips, and extended her delicate hand. "Hello, San Pang. I am Donggua, the chief editor of Dian Nang Chinese Literature Network. We've been in contact before. It's a pleasure to meet you. By the way, I'm also a big fan of your work."

Donggua? Liu Meng felt a wave of dizziness. How did she find him? How did she get into the Zhou family's house? And how did she end up in the same bed? Was it a seduction? Looking at Donggua's serious face, it didn't seem like it. Liu Meng was confident in his judgment, but he had a belly full of questions and didn't know where to start. He just stared at Donggua in shock.

Donggua blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed.

After a while, Liu Meng asked, "How did you know I was here?"

Donggua tucked a strand of playful hair behind her ear, still smiling, a bit smug. "Actually, that's not difficult. I have a friend who is a famous hacker. While chatting with you, I had him trace your IP address, then hack into the broadband database. It wasn't hard to find your address."

Well, Liu Meng understood hacking. He believed that if someone was determined, they could find out where he was. This question was resolved, but he still frowned and asked, "How did you get into the Zhou family's house? And how did you end up in the same bed as me?"

Before Liu Meng could finish his question, Donggua interrupted, not wanting to hear the rest. She took a deep breath, adjusted her mindset, and replied, "It was purely coincidental. I was waiting outside, and when you two came back, you were drunk, so Shiyi let me in. In the middle of the night, after I used the bathroom, I accidentally went into the wrong room."

It sounded smooth and reasonable, but Liu Meng felt something was off. Zhou Shiyi wouldn't let a stranger in so easily.

Seeing Liu Meng's contemplation, Donggua was afraid he would continue asking. If he found out she was pretending to be his girlfriend, it would be even more embarrassing. She quickly changed the subject, speaking formally. "San Pang, I am here on behalf of Dian Nang Chinese Literature Network to formally invite you to join us. I believe you have seen our sincerity from yesterday. I hope you will consider it seriously. Dian Nang will be the right choice for you."

Hearing this, Liu Meng sat up straight on the sofa, becoming serious. "To be honest, I still don't understand. We've been in contact for some time, and you've always insisted on not signing or recommending. Why did you suddenly change your stance yesterday?"

Donggua inwardly scolded. This fat guy wasn't easy to fool. How could she get past this? She frowned in thought, which added a charm to her beautiful face. The contemplative girl had a unique appeal.

"Although you were unwilling to sign, many of our editors really like your work, and I have been advocating for you. Yesterday, I finally managed to convince my colleagues and reach a consensus."

While she spoke, Liu Meng stared at her. He felt the situation was too suspicious. There were holes in Donggua's story. Even if they had finally reached a consensus, it didn't make sense for the chief editor to use hacking to find him. It seemed like they were determined to get him.

A sense of unease filled Liu Meng, making him feel a sense of danger. He couldn't trust this woman who had appeared out of nowhere. Staring at her, he said slowly, "Even if what you say is true, I still can't trust you. Your appearance is too suspicious. How do I know you are really Donggua? For a chief editor to personally find an author's home to sign a contract is quite unbelievable."

Donggua felt frustrated. This fat guy wasn't easy to deal with. Her usual confidence in her beauty seemed useless. She wanted to scold him. If this fat guy had agreed to sign with them, she wouldn't have had to come all the way to Ice City and end up in the same bed with him, which was embarrassing.

She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and maintained a professional smile. She rummaged through her suitcase and handed him a small package. "It's understandable that you have doubts. Here are some of my documents, including my ID, work permit, and proof of employment. You can verify my identity."

Liu Meng took the ID and looked at it, puzzled. "Your name is You Dong, and you're 19 years old. So young to be a chief editor?"

Donggua wanted to roll her eyes. She thought, "You wrote 'Return to Ming' at 17, so what's so surprising about a girl being a chief editor at 19?"

But she patiently explained, having started writing web novels in high school and dropping out to focus on it, making her one of the first-generation web novel authors. Though young, she had been in the industry for five years.

Liu Meng couldn't help but look at Donggua a few more times. She was indeed a talented young author.

"Alright, I believe your identity. But your efforts to find me are still suspicious. To be blunt, as a chief editor and a talented young author, you wouldn't need to lower yourself to find me for a contract. If you said you were a fan, I might believe it."

Liu Meng couldn't help but joke at the end.

Donggua, who had just taken a sip of water, almost spat it out. She had been pretending to be his girlfriend, and now she felt exposed, especially being teased by a boy two years younger.

From a young age, she had never been treated like this. She was always admired and loved. She wanted to throw the water in the fat guy's face and storm out, but her determined character wouldn't let her give up.

She remembered Yan Hui's words before he sent her on the plane, "The survival of Dian Nang depends on you."

The responsibility was heavy. She was one of the first to build Dian Nang, and her feelings for it were deep.

She quickly suppressed her emotions, adjusted her state, and thought of a response. "I am a chief editor and also a big fan of 'Return to Ming.' This makes me very eager to sign this work I love. During our communication, you were always indecisive, so I took the initiative to come find you. I apologize for any rudeness. Please believe that Dian Nang Chinese Literature Network is very sincere in wanting to sign with you. We will tailor a packaging and promotion plan for you, and you will become the supreme god of web novels in no time."

Liu Meng looked at Donggua quietly. Donggua stood her ground, her eyes full of determination.

"This is a woman who doesn't give up easily," Liu Meng concluded in his mind.

Thinking about this, he felt a bit more goodwill and waved his hand. "We are about the same age, so let's speak more casually. I'm a laid-back person. I see your sincerity in coming here and Dian Nang's recommendation, but I'm sorry, I can't sign with you."

"Why?" Donggua stood up angrily. She had said everything she could, been sincere, and still couldn't move this stubborn fat guy.

......

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