Chapter 51: See That? So Many Pretty Girls

“…” After glancing at Lu Jianshen dressed up like Da Cong, he silently took a few steps away.

Lu Jianshen was a second-generation rich kid, and his circle of friends was more or less the same.

They were either heirs to corporate empires, children of business tycoons, or self-made entrepreneurs.

Anyone who could hang out with Lu Jianshen had a decent set of values and shared similar interests. Of course, each had their own quirks.

Take Da Cong, for example. He loved tinkering with his appearance in his free time. All for the sake of looking good, he enjoyed putting on makeup.

Da Cong’s real name was Zhou Sicong, and he was the son of a family that literally owned a mine.

Yes, an actual mine.

His father used to be a coal boss. After making a fortune from mining, he expanded into business.

Thanks to his bold and generous personality, his disregard for petty details, and a streak of good luck over the years, the business kept growing. Eventually, he became one of the top entrepreneurs in Jiang City.

As the only son of the Zhou family, Zhou Sicong was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

This meant he grew up pampered, never having suffered a day in his life.

Back in the day, he was a cocky rich kid who loved taking his sports car out just to flirt with pretty girls.

Before leaving the house, he’d style his hair in front of the mirror, draw his eyebrows, apply lip balm, and spray on cologne.

If he was in a good mood, he’d even dab on some foundation and line his eyes.

His collection of makeup at home outnumbered that of most girls.

Of course, he didn’t look feminine at all. He was the type of flashy young master with sharp features and a refined look.

He and Lu Jianshen became friends after a fight, oddly enough.

Even now, though they were close, Lu Jianshen still respected his preferences.

But makeup? That was something Lu Jianshen just couldn’t get used to.

In private, they sometimes joked around and called Da Cong “Zhou Niangniang” (Lady Zhou).

Zhou Sicong never got mad. Instead, he’d roll up his sleeves and flex his biceps to prove he was all man.

Then, Lu Jianshen and the others would just laugh even harder.

Still, their bond was strong.

They joked when it was time to joke, but when things got serious, they always had each other’s backs.

“Brother Shen, what’s with that look?”

“Jealous of how handsome and refined I am?” Da Cong flicked his hair, full of himself.

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” Lu Jianshen couldn’t be bothered to argue.

“Brother Shen, you really came here to farm?”

“Are those pretty girls you mentioned real? You’re not pulling our leg, are you?” Fatty Huang looked skeptical.

“Come on, I’ll show you.”

With that, Lu Jianshen led the five of them, all dressed to the nines, toward the apple orchard.

“Look, see that? So many pretty girls.”

“Aren’t they adorable?”

“!!!” The five in suits froze.

What the hell? You’re calling a bunch of three-to-six-year-old little girls “pretty ladies”?

Lu Jianshen, you liar! Boohoo!

We dressed up so carefully, sped over here like maniacs, climbed up the mountain half-dead, and even used the wet wipes Da Cong brought to clean our shoes until they sparkled.

We smoothed out every wrinkle in our clothes.

And this is what we get???

Damn it (｀Δ′)!

“Dad, Mom, Sis, these are the friends I brought to help.”

“Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie. Hello, Little Sister.”

The five were just about to roast Lu Jianshen when they heard his introduction. They turned their heads and immediately saw Lu Shenlin and Madam Lu.

And next to them was a girl they hadn’t seen before.

She was tall and slender, with a graceful and slightly aloof air. Her face looked vaguely familiar.

Hmm? Familiar? Where had they seen her before?

Why couldn’t they remember?

Wait a minute, what did Lu Jianshen just say?

That’s his sister?

Oh, right. Now that they looked closely, she really did resemble Madam Lu.

So… she was really Lu Jianshen’s sister?

Like, biological sister?

But if she was his real sister, then what about Lu Fangyuan? What was going on there?

The five of them were stunned for a moment, then their expressions turned subtly curious.

“You’re here,” Lu Shenlin greeted them with a gentle smile.

“Xiaocong, Xiaoxiao, Xiaohe, Xiaoming, Xiaojing, it’s been a while since you all visited the house,” Madam Lu said warmly.

“Hehe, Auntie, things have been busy lately. As soon as I get some free time, I’ll come by to bother you,” Huang He replied with a grin.

“Auntie, my mom always praises your flowers. Next time I visit, could you part with a pot for me? I’d love to bring one home to make her happy,” Zhou Sicong said sweetly.

“Auntie, my mom’s been busy with her art exhibition and keeps dragging me around to run errands. What kind of paintings do you like? I’ll bring you one next time,” said Feng Xiao.

“I’m coming tomorrow,” Xu Ming added.

“Auntie, I’ve been learning the ropes at my dad’s company lately, so I haven’t had much time,” said Mo Chenjing.

“Second Brother, your friends are seriously top-tier,” Lu Qingqiang said with admiration.

All five of them were ridiculously handsome.

If someone didn’t know better, they’d think a boy band had just debuted.

Especially the one with makeup—his features were striking, with elegant bone structure and deep-set eyes.

If he wore historical costume, he’d probably make a whole generation of innocent girls swoon.

“Top-tier?”

“She means you’re all handsome and classy,” Lu Jianshen clarified.

“Sis, you’ve got great taste. You know, you’re way better than your second brother.”

“Come on, add me on social media. I’ll carry you in games,” Zhou Sicong grinned like a sly fox.

“Get lost. Stay away from my sister.” Lu Jianshen didn’t hesitate to kick him aside.

Then he introduced Doctor Feng, Yuan Yuan, Driver Xiao Zhang, and the Little Radish Heads to the group.

Soon, the five of them were bombarded with innocent comments from the kids.

“Brother Lu, they’re really handsome too, but you’re still the most handsome!”

“Brother Lu, are they really your helpers? But they’re wearing suits. No way they can work.”

“Yeah, I don’t think they’re up to the task.”

“They’re probably not even as good as us.”

“Hmm, that big brother looks so pretty, like someone from TV~”

“Big Orange Brother, I think when you grow up, you’ll be even better looking than them.”

“Big brothers, do you even know how to dig holes? Want me to teach you?”

“…”

The five of them instantly felt like they’d been roasted alive.

They were five grown men—how could they not know how to dig?

Ridiculous!

If Brother Shen could do it, they definitely could too!

And that Little Radish Head? Wait, what did she say?

That they weren’t as good as a little kid like her?

No way. Just wait till they rolled up their sleeves and started digging. They’d dig so hard they might break through to the other side of the earth.

Hmph!

“Brother Shen, where do we dig? How much? Just say the word!”

“Eh, forget it. You guys are dressed so formally today, not really suited for this kind of work.”

“Trust me, farming looks easy, but it’s actually really hard.”

“Even I can’t keep up with those little potato heads,” Lu Jianshen sighed.

“What? Brother Shen, are you kidding? You can’t keep up with a bunch of kids?”

“Farming is hard? Are you serious?”

“Give me a shovel. I’ll give it a go.”

“Alright then, but remember, you asked for it. I didn’t force you.”

“If you’re going to work, you better stick with it. Otherwise, everyone else will laugh at you,” Lu Jianshen said with a mischievous grin.

“Brother Shen, just watch us!”

Soon enough, the five of them took off their suits, rolled up their sleeves, grabbed shovels, and started digging with all their might.

Heave-ho, shovel after shovel, they dug and dug.

See? Digging and farming wasn’t that hard after all.

Piece of cake, right?

Fifteen minutes later, the five of them were gasping for breath like overworked donkeys.

Just as they began to rest, Lu Jianshen walked over and spoke lightly.

— Translator’s Notes —

– Zhou Niangniang: ‘Niangniang’ is a Chinese term historically used for empresses or noblewomen, but here it’s a teasing nickname implying effeminacy due to Zhou Sicong’s makeup habits, playing on gender stereotypes in a humorous, brotherly way.