The President Made Me Trend

“No, no, Mr. Lu, you’ve misunderstood. I don’t know Miss Shen personally. I’ve only seen her on TV. Actors often appear on screen, so even someone as busy as me knows a little about them,” Li Pengyuan hurriedly explained, seemingly afraid that Lu Yucheng might see through their relationship.

Perhaps he thought that Lu Yucheng and Shen Meng were old acquaintances, and since he needed something from Lu Yucheng, he was eager to distance himself from Shen Meng.

Shen Meng, aware of her mistake, kept her head down and remained silent. She had anticipated that Li Pengyuan would try to distance himself from her in public, but she hadn’t expected it to happen in front of Lu Yucheng. She had told him over the phone about being bullied by Lu Yucheng and Mo Qinghuan, yet he didn’t seem interested in standing up for her.

However, Li Pengyuan’s explanation was unnecessary. Lu Yucheng raised an eyebrow, coldly observing the two as they tried to justify themselves, and continued, “Oh? You don’t know each other, yet you used affectionate nicknames upon first meeting? Mr. Li, I wasn’t aware you were such a sociable person.”

“This?” Li Pengyuan looked embarrassed but quickly shot Shen Meng a warning glance, saying, “Miss Shen, don’t leave me to explain alone. Help me out here, so Mr. Lu doesn’t misunderstand our relationship.”

Shen Meng raised her head, looking incredulously at Li Pengyuan. This man not only explained himself but also expected her to help him? It was laughable. Yet, unwilling to let go of Li Pengyuan as a valuable connection, she reluctantly said, “Mr. Lu, you’ve indeed misunderstood. There’s no relationship between Mr. Li and me.”

Li Pengyuan’s face finally showed relief, thinking he could deceive Lu Yucheng. But what he received was only a cold laugh from Lu Yucheng.

“Li Pengyuan, Shen Meng, did you really think I called you both here by coincidence? I’ve had your secretive relationship investigated thoroughly. Do I need to present photos of your clandestine meetings at the villa for you to admit it?”

The statement left Li Pengyuan and Shen Meng wide-eyed. They thought they had hidden their affair perfectly, never appearing together in public, yet Lu Yucheng still found a way to expose them.

At this point, further denial was futile. Li Pengyuan, realizing this, humbly pleaded, “Mr. Lu, although we rarely collaborate, we’ve always respected each other’s boundaries. This was a momentary lapse on my part. Please don’t mind it. I’ll return Miss Shen to you.”

Return? Shen Meng realized that to Li Pengyuan, she was merely an object, to be tossed around at will.

A bitter smile appeared on her delicate face, but she remained silent. Lu Yucheng, with a disdainful tone, replied, “I already have Qinghuan, my beautiful and kind fiancée. I have no interest in Miss Shen. Mr. Li, don’t misunderstand. I called you here not to expose your relationship but to use your influence to warn Miss Shen. If I’m satisfied with your performance, our collaboration will proceed. Otherwise…”

“Mr. Lu, whatever you command, I’ll do it. If it means working with you, I’ll gladly warn her,” Li Pengyuan promised, eyeing Shen Meng. This trouble was her doing, and she was indeed a liability.

But before Lu Yucheng could speak, Shen Meng, tired of being treated like a pawn, stood up and said, “I’m not feeling well. I’ll leave now, Mr. Lu, Mr. Li.”

“Hold on.” It wasn’t Lu Yucheng who stopped her but Li Pengyuan. He abandoned his gentlemanly demeanor, grabbed Shen Meng’s arm, and forcibly pulled her back to her seat, saying, “Mr. Lu hasn’t finished speaking. Where are you going?”

“This dinner was a mistake. Can’t I leave?” Shen Meng was nearly in tears, realizing that the roles between her and Li Pengyuan had completely reversed.

Despite seeing Shen Meng’s distress, Li Pengyuan didn’t let her go, knowing this matter affected his chance to collaborate with Lu Yucheng. He forced her to sit and continued to flatter Lu Yucheng, saying, “Mr. Lu, I heard Miss Shen offended your girlfriend in the film crew. Is that why we’re here today?”

“It seems Mr. Li is indeed perceptive,” Lu Yucheng nodded approvingly. “To be honest, your secret lover took a photo of us embracing, showed it to Qinghuan, and let the entire film crew see it. Mr. Li, how do you suggest we resolve this?”

“What? You dared to be so disrespectful to Miss Mo?” Li Pengyuan said, gritting his teeth, then slapped Shen Meng across the face. The crisp sound echoed in the room, and Shen Meng fell to the ground, her disheveled appearance making Lu Yucheng smirk.

He pretended to be a good guy, saying, “Mr. Li, that’s a bit violent. I didn’t ask you to hit her.”

“This was my decision. Since Shen Meng caused such trouble for Miss Mo, a lesson is warranted. Or should she apologize to Miss Mo in person? Whatever Mr. Lu commands.”

Although Li Pengyuan had been secretly meeting Shen Meng for a while, he felt a pang of guilt for hitting her. But if sacrificing Shen Meng meant gaining a chance to work with the Lu family, he wouldn’t hesitate.

Shen Meng staggered to her feet, glaring at the two men who treated her like a toy. She touched her swollen cheek, tears streaming down her face.

Lu Yucheng stood up, smirking, “Well, since this is now Mr. Li’s personal matter, I shouldn’t stay.”

As he was about to leave, Shen Meng, passing by him, gritted her teeth and asked, “Lu Yucheng, you’re so insidious. Does Mo Qinghuan know this side of you?”

“My cruelty is reserved for enemies. Qinghuan is my fiancée; she’ll never see this side of me.” Even while mocking Shen Meng, Lu Yucheng emphasized Qinghuan’s importance to him, showing a stark contrast to Li Pengyuan.

Before leaving, he coldly reminded Shen Meng, “This lesson was mild. If you dare to bully Qinghuan behind my back again, I won’t be so lenient next time. If you don’t believe me, feel free to try. I’ll show you what true malice looks like.”