The Beta Wife Claimed by Competing Alphas - Chapter 26

When the call connected, the sound of a mahjong machine shuffling and the chatter of people came from Lu Zhi’s end.

“You’re folding on this? Your luck is so good right now!”

Lu Chong frowned and moved the phone slightly away from his ear. After a few seconds, Lu Zhi’s voice finally came through: “Wait a moment, let me take this call. Hello, Xiao Chong? What made you think of calling me?”

Lu Chong remained silent for a while. Finally, with some difficulty, he spoke: “Sister, are you busy?”

Lu Zhi was somewhat flattered. It was rare for her brother, who usually could not even be found, to be so polite, even asking if she was busy.

“I’m not busy; I’m playing mahjong. Why? Is something wrong?”

Lu Chong knew she was playing mahjong; the sounds of tiles being punged were clear even over the phone. He just wanted to know who she was playing with. He truly disliked his future brother-in-law and that circle of friends. More than that, he did not want them to know that after running away from home for so long, he had not made anything of himself and had to secretly ask his sister for money.

“Are you with Sister Xinhe and the others?”

“I’m with Jiayan and his group. Xiao He went on vacation.”

Fu Jiayan shot a look at his two friends. His future brother-in-law had been throwing a tantrum and staying away from home for a while now; Lu Zhi’s call likely would not end quickly. Lu Zhi gave the three of them an apologetic smile and walked over to the sofa to continue the call.

Meng Simiao soon took his hands off the table, pulled out two cigars, and asked Shang Qiyue if he wanted one.

“Not today,” Shang Qiyue shook his head.

“What are you looking at? Secretly counting the tiles, aren’t you?” Meng Simiao grumbled in a low voice.

“Fine, fine.” Shang Qiyue turned his body, one hand resting lazily on the back of his chair, facing the sofa where Lu Zhi was sitting. “I won’t look, okay?”

Satisfied, Meng Simiao went outside to smoke.

“Is it urgent?” Lu Zhi frowned. “It might be difficult. Dad has been checking my accounts very strictly lately; he’s afraid I’m secretly transferring money to you. He even knows how many bags I own now.”

“Just 150,000. Give it to me behind Dad’s back, please?”

“How much?” Fu Jiayan tapped his fiancée’s hand and asked. “Can I give it to him secretly from my side?”

Lu Zhi gestured a ‘one,’ then a ‘five.’

“1.5 million?” Shang Qiyue mouthed.

Lu Zhi shook her head.

“150,000?” Fu Jiayan whispered.

To this group of young masters and ladies, 150,000 was just the amount of a bonus they might give an assistant. Lu Zhi nodded. Fu Jiayan was visibly stunned, and Shang Qiyue raised an eyebrow.

“The bag I bought you last week should fetch a few hundred thousand if you sell it now, right?” Fu Jiayan whispered. “Has your dad seen it? I remember you left it in my car; you never took it home.”

Lu Zhi remembered.

“Xiao Chong, listen. I have a bag here that Dad hasn’t seen. Selling it should be enough. But I can’t guarantee he won’t find out. If you’re okay with that, I’ll bring it to you.”

There was a long hesitation on the other end of the line. Finally, Lu Zhi said “okay” and hung up.

“Is Uncle really watching you that closely, or did you say that on purpose?” Fu Jiayan asked gently.

“I did it on purpose. He won’t be willing to come home otherwise,” Lu Zhi sighed. “This time, his little lover’s mother is sick and needs money urgently. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have relented.”

Fu Jiayan had heard Lu Zhi mention that Lu Chong was currently staying with his lover. He remarked casually, “If Xiao Chong really likes them, you could talk to Uncle. It’s not impossible to bring them home.”

Bringing home a commoner lover with no background would not work for others, but the Lu family was different. Before marrying their father, Lu Chong and Lu Zhi’s stepmother had been nothing more than his secretary. Besides, if the person was willing to stay with Lu Chong even when he was penniless, regardless of whether it was for money or not, that kind of hardship was not something everyone could endure.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought too. If he truly likes them, it’s not impossible. But I can’t tell what he’s thinking. That kid’s family must be in a very difficult situation; the mother is always sick. If he really liked them, why wait until this critical moment to ask me for money?”

Lu Zhi seemed to realize she was talking too much and smiled apologetically. “Sorry, sorry, I’ve ruined the mood. Today’s on me. Let’s play again next time.”

Shang Qiyue considerately picked up his bag and stood up. “Sister Lu Zhi has things to attend to, so let’s call it a day. I won the most today, so it’s on me.”

Meng Simiao, just back from his cigar, was clearly not ready to stop. “Hey! We’re stopping already? Don’t. Let’s call Hetang over to play.”

“Jiayan has to take Sister Lu Zhi over. The two of us would need another person, and Hetang might not be free. Let’s play another day.”

Fu Jiayan was grateful for his friend’s consideration and left with Lu Zhi on his arm.

“Sigh, that’s how it is with people who have fiancées; they won’t even drink with us anymore,” Meng Simiao sighed at the sight of the two walking away together. “It’s still early. Where should we go? Want to play some ball?”

“I have things to do, too,” Shang Qiyue said flatly.

Meng Simiao looked annoyed, as if he had been betrayed. “If you don’t want to play ball, just say so. ‘Things to do’, what could you possibly have to do? Are you going to send money to your brother too? Where would you even get a brother? You didn’t have ‘things to do’ when you were winning money.”

Shang Qiyue gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. “Alright, alright. I’ll treat you to a game in a few days and give you a new set of clubs.”

He glanced down at his watch. It would take time for Lu Zhi and Fu Jiayan to deliver the bag, and it would take time to sell it. If he went now, he would make it in time.

150,000.

That was just the cost of a set of golf clubs he would casually gift a friend.

Mu Yan gripped his phone. He had just hung up the call with the last colleague he was on good terms with.

“150,000,” the colleague had said awkwardly. “Xiao Mu, I’m also from out of town. I just paid a down payment, and I have a mortgage to pay every month.”

Mu Yan kept repeating that it was okay and apologizing for the trouble, his voice getting lower and lower until the call ended. That colleague did not actually have a mortgage. Mu Yan had heard him talking in the breakroom last week about marrying a local Beta girl from City A; his in-laws had bought him a house and a car. He only needed to keep his wife happy.

But it was only human nature not to want to lend money to someone like him.

He had even sent a message to He Fan, whom he had not contacted in a long time. The moment he sent it, he regretted it. But then he comforted himself; what difference did it make who he borrowed from? He had already fallen to this state; why care about pride or saving face?

Besides, He Fan had not replied. When He Fan said before that he could reach out if he had trouble, it was probably just a polite formality. Not replying was the most dignified way to refuse.

Mu Yan suddenly felt overwhelmed by shame. He was two years older than He Fan, yet he had achieved nothing. His interpersonal skills were a mess, and his life was a disaster.

Director Zhang was right. For the poor, human albumin infusions were a bottomless pit that would only drain the family until they were utterly unable to bear the burden.

In fact, Mu Yan understood Director Zhang’s subtext: failing to pay for special treatments would not affect regular appointments. If he really could not fill that hole, it would be better to switch his mother to conservative treatment. Families like theirs should never have chosen albumin infusions in the first place.

Director Zhang should not have said such things; if a malicious person recorded them, it would be enough to strip him of his position. He told Mu Yan out of pure kindness. Mu Yan knew this and was grateful.

However, his mother had never had a single day of good life while following him. He still wanted to buy her hot soup dumplings many more times; he wanted to take her to the botanical garden in City A to see the tulips; he wanted to take her to see the sea and to the capital.

When he was younger, he had promised her he would buy her a big villa. His mother had stroked his head and said, “Mom doesn’t want a big villa. Villas cost a lot of money; you’ll be too tired. As long as you and your brother are happy, Mom is happy. If you can come back to see me often, I’ll be even happier.”

But he was truly a failure. Just keeping his mother alive required almost every ounce of his strength. This was all he could do for her. He could not take her to the capital or the seaside. He could not discard his mother’s life as well.

150,000. He could get 150,000. If he made up the 150,000, his mother could continue her treatment.

A business card. Mu Yan suddenly remembered something. He still had that card.

Shang Qiyue’s business card.

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