Female lead’s Delusion of Starting Over

Chapter 102: Is This the “Beauty Trap”?

After a long time, upon seeing Lu Li again, Liu Menghan couldn’t help but show a slight smile. Having returned from rebirth, she was determined to protect Lu Li better this time around. Yet, to date, she hadn’t had a proper conversation with him.

At the banquet hosted by Zhang Ziqin, Liu Menghan rushed over, intending to stand up for Lu Li in case Zhang Ziqin and Lu Ya embarrassed him. However, neither Lu Ya nor Lu Li showed up. That was awkward. It was supposed to be her perfect opportunity to win Lu Li over!

The next time she saw Lu Li was at the Cao family banquet. Normally, she couldn’t find any reason to approach Lu Li, especially since their relationship had been poor for the past few years. She had been confrontational with Zhang Ziqin and was jealous of Lu Li’s compliance towards Zhang Ziqin, while he was indifferent to her, which led her to trouble Lu Li on more than one occasion.

This directly resulted in Lu Li having a very poor impression of her. At the Cao family banquet, she didn’t manage to say a word. She noticed the change in Lu Li, who used to be cautious in his previous life, now seemed willing to expose himself.

He was such a gentle person. In his previous life, he didn’t want to compete with Lu Ya, so he hid his true self. Yet, it seemed no one deserved his gentleness. Lu Ya was shameless, and Zhang Ziqin was even more disgusting without any shame, and then there was herself…

Thinking about what she had done to Lu Li under Ye Chen’s manipulation in her past life, and Lu Li’s numb expression as if he didn’t care about anything, Liu Menghan felt as if her heart was being cut open.

Their relationship was on the verge of breaking due to her repeated troubles…

No, perhaps it was already broken. Lu Li never had a good impression of her, and she wasn’t favored by him like that detestable woman, Zhang Ziqin.

So… even if she targeted him as manipulated by Ye Chen in her past life, he was just numb, not speaking a word to her, was it because of this reason?

Biting her lip, a hint of grievance appeared in her eyes. Why! Why was this guy so gentle towards that detestable, damned woman, Zhang Ziqin, but towards me…

She used to enjoy opposing Lu Li for reasons unknown. At the time, she thought she was just discontent with Zhang Ziqin. Whatever Zhang Ziqin could do, she believed she must do too.

Only when Lu Li died did Liu Menghan realize that what she cared about was never Zhang Ziqin. She was just jealous of Lu Li’s partiality towards Zhang Ziqin, and her opposition was also to take away what was most precious to her.

But no one could see it.

She knew it too late herself. By the time she realized it, she couldn’t even see Lu Li for the last time.

“Fortunately, it’s not too late now. Since I’ve been reborn, I won’t let such things happen again. I will protect Lu Li, and nobody else will hurt him!” Liu Menghan thought to herself.

Although Lu Li now seemed powerful and didn’t appear to need her protection, as a reborn person, she knew better. Ye Chen’s methods were far more than what she had shown. Lu Li needed her help.

Even if he now had Cao Yingying as a backer, it wasn’t guaranteed that the despicable Ye Chen wouldn’t play tricks.

Seeing such a look again, a mixture of nostalgia and tenderness, these past few days, Lu Li had seen such emotions in the eyes of many.

Everyone seems a bit off. Are we that closely connected for you to be nostalgic? And as for tenderness, that’s even more absurd. We had no prior relationship; do I need your tenderness?

Lu Li doubted if something was wrong with the world.

But he wouldn’t ask. What he wanted was Liu Menghan’s company to strengthen the Lu Corporation. It was just that in his last life he wasn’t familiar with Liu Menghan, focusing all his attention on Lu Ya and Zhang Ziqin, and really didn’t care about others.

Otherwise, just based on what Liu Menghan did in his past life, Lu Li would have let her follow in Zhang Ziqin and Lu Ya’s footsteps.

“Let’s skip the nonsense. Tell me your decision directly.” Having just been disgusted by Su Bingqing, Lu Li was in a bad mood. Holding the upper hand, he didn’t need to engage in vague conversations with Liu Menghan.

Liu Menghan’s expression stiffened for a moment, seemingly not expecting Lu Li to be so direct, but she quickly adjusted, a slight smile appearing on her cold face: “President Lu doesn’t really give us a choice, does he?”

“But you can choose—to survive or go bankrupt.”

“I thought President Lu would say ‘to survive or to be destroyed’!” Liu Menghan covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, looking at Lu Li with tender eyes.

“There’s no need for that. Now, tell me your decision.” Lu Li only has three enemies; one is already dead, one is about to die, and another will die sooner or later. Liu Menghan in front of him is not yet hated by him.

“I have no choice but to follow President Lu’s lead,” Liu Menghan said with a light smile, pulling out the documents she had prepared in advance from her bag.

“Prepared thoroughly, better than Su Bingqing!” A flash of surprise crossed Lu Li’s eyes, his mood improving slightly. He appreciated those who could read the situation.

Taking the documents from Liu Menghan, he handed them to Chen Xiaoyi, the solemn-looking temporary assistant standing beside him. This kind of matter was something Chen Xiaoyi could help review.

Liu Menghan’s eyes flickered. She noticed Lu Li only mentioned Su Bingqing, not even bringing up Zhang Ziqin’s name, even though the two had come together.

“Zhang Ziqin, ah! Never thought you’d have today; it’s all your own doing.” Liu Menghan thought triumphantly.

As long as it wasn’t Zhang Ziqin, she believed she could compete with anyone else. Lu Li’s little assistant, the general manager Chen Xiaoyi, not to mention, how long has Cao Yingying known Lu Li now?

She completely had a chance to come from behind.

Lu Li once loved Zhang Ziqin most, the one he pursued for eight years. But unfortunately, that woman didn’t grasp it. In the last life, she even indirectly caused Lu Li’s death by collaborating with Ye Chen. This life, she deserved to be abandoned.

Liu Menghan wanted to say more, but it was clear Lu Li had no intention of speaking further, so she had to keep quiet. She didn’t want to cause a bad impression on him.

This life’s Lu Li was different from the last. His capabilities were now apparent.

Chen Xiaoyi seriously reviewed the treaty set by Liu Menghan, surprised by the generous conditions offered, cleaner and more decisive than she had imagined, leaving almost no room for them to raise the price.

Noticing Liu Menghan’s gaze towards her man, Chen Xiaoyi seemed to understand something.

Is this… a beauty trap?