Chapter 460 - 282: Sister Mao Doesn’t Play Fair

Chapter 460: Chapter 282: Sister Mao Doesn’t Play Fair

"When I was in school, I used to fight with the other boys every day. I’d beat them black and blue; none of them were a match for me. It wasn’t until I started painting that I calmed down a lot."

"A few years ago, the city I wanted to settle down in most was New York, but later that changed to China. I want to go to a city with an ocean and a beach, where I can go out for a late-night snack. My favorite thing to eat is luosifen."

Lin Chu: ?

He shook his head with a smile but didn’t say anything. He just gnawed on his lamb chop and continued listening.

’Luosifen? Seriously?’

"Have you seen *Empresses in the Palace*? It’s my favorite TV show. And *My Fair Princess*, and *Romance in the Rain*... They’ve all made me cry several times."

Lin Chu: ...

He was speechless and wanted to laugh.

"I’ve seen them all."

’What a blast from the past.’

Cultural exports really do have a generational gap. But then again, there really haven’t been any good shows worth watching in recent years.

The classics, on the other hand, are timeless.

Just then, Dongnya seemed to think of something. She subconsciously licked her lips, her eyes filled with curiosity and a slight hint of nervousness as she looked at Lin Chu and asked softly, "Are you... married? Do you have a girlfriend?"

The question was a bit forward, but she wanted to ask, so she did.

For a young man who was at the top of the Pyramid in every aspect, it was... hard to say.

It felt as if her heart had suddenly been squeezed, and the blood slowed in her veins.

If...

Dongnya felt her breath catch in her throat as she patiently waited for an answer.

Faced with this question again, Lin Chu couldn’t help but press his lips into a smile.

’Son of a bitch.’

’Why do all women have to ask about this stuff?’

But right now, Lin Chu didn’t want to deceive her, he didn’t want to lie, but he also wanted to sleep with her... How should he respond?

Honesty came at a price. Being completely true to his heart meant he had to accept the risks and losses that came with it.

He was a scumbag.

But not *that* kind of scumbag. He was a scumbag with standards, one who operated on mutual consent.

"I’m not married. I value my freedom, and I’ve always lived a life of wine and women. I have a few female companions."

Lin Chu replied nonchalantly, shaking his head with a smile.

He had once again passed the "test" of his own conscience.

In truth, he had already missed out on so many opportunities, mostly due to his principles—or what you might call a kind of "willfulness." Zhou Luan, Mo Xiaorou, Bai Weiwei... Missing out on one more didn’t seem to matter. ’Those who disturb my heart cannot stay.’

But if he were to use deceit, given his current character, it would be too despicable. He wouldn’t even be able to respect himself.

’Be open and honest.’

"Wow..."

"Like, a playboy?"

Dongnya didn’t seem very surprised. She even asked in a teasing and bantering tone.

The definitive answer that he wasn’t married made her feel a sudden sense of relief.

That way, there was no need to feel any guilt.

This was because of a fundamental difference in the process of Western versus Chinese dating, mainly concerning the "getting to know the basics" stage. In the former, you could sleep together during the dating process; physical compatibility was a prelude to entering a formal relationship. In the latter... that was naturally not the case.

The ideological imprint of Chinese ethics and morals, stretching back millennia, was a cultural mark unique to this place.

Lin Chu seemed to realize this at that moment. The cultural barriers and deep-seated notions in his mind instantly shattered, and his posture became much more relaxed and at ease.

"It’s not that extreme. I just date a lot. A guy like me is pretty popular."

Lin Chu said with a casual laugh, raising his glass again.

Dongnya clinked her glass against his and drained it. She had finished one glass, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "Are we on a date now?"

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

Whether it was or not, it was a very pleasant experience, and one she had chosen.

"I suppose so."

"What about you?"

"How many men have you liked?"

Lin Chu raised his eyebrows and asked with a smile.

’This kind of thing is worth asking about.’

After all, he was quite picky these days. Having grown accustomed to gourmet delicacies, he certainly couldn’t stomach pig feed. Certain situations could be an instant turn-off.

"So far, there hasn’t been a single one who could beat me in a fight."

Dongnya raised a fist, staring straight at Lin Chu. A provocative little flame flickered in her eyes, but within that flame, there also seemed to be melting honey.

Lin Chu: ???

He had heard her mention before that she’d trained and was quite skilled, something about a taekwondo black belt, but... she couldn’t actually be *that* fierce, could she?

After all, in the face of absolute strength and speed, all techniques were meaningless.

And women always had a natural disadvantage in that department.

But looking at her... she actually seemed pretty damn fierce.

"Want to try?"

She suddenly looked eager to give it a go.

Lin Chu couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He thought for a moment, then stood up.

’If you want to fight, then let’s fight!’

He couldn’t back down from this.

Dongnya got up with him, kicked off the disposable slippers on her feet, and stood barefoot on the soft carpet, beckoning to Lin Chu.

Come.

Fight.

Back at the gym, Lin Chu had tried hitting the punching bag and had learned a little bit of basic footwork, but he couldn’t even be considered an amateur beginner.

To be honest, Lin Chu was a little nervous now. Not because he was worried that if he couldn’t win, his chances tonight would be ruined, but because he felt that if he lost, it would be fucking embarrassing. ’Shit, I can’t even beat a woman.’

"You first."

Lin Chu took a staggered stance, fists protecting his front, and gestured to her.

"Oh, so chivalrous?"

she quipped with a smile, then immediately threw a probing punch. As her fist flew, her feet moved quickly, and she closed the distance, her punch aimed straight for Lin Chu’s shoulder.

’Holy shit!’

Seeing the power and speed of that punch, Lin Chu’s pupils shrank. He felt instinctively that it would be difficult to block, and he subconsciously retreated a step.

That one step back cost him any chance he had.

The next second, before Lin Chu could even see her move, his body suddenly felt light. He realized she had slipped into his arms and, with a burst of strength, had easily hoisted him onto her back. She didn’t throw him down, just held him there, suspended in mid-air with his feet off the ground.

Lin Chu: ...

’Awkward.’

Right now, he was just the blink of an eye away from eating pavement.

’Such a casual shoulder throw?’

"Okay, no more letting me win!"

"Let’s go again!"

"That was a sneak attack!"

Dongnya’s long eyelashes trembled as she set Lin Chu back down. The intense anaerobic burst of movement over, she took a long breath and said, her face slightly flushed.

Huh?

For a moment, Lin Chu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

’Who’s letting who win here?’

’Throwing the fight, are we?’

It was clear... if a girl genuinely liked you, she wouldn’t let you lose, even in a situation like this.

After seeing her intentions clearly, Lin Chu held back his laughter and pretended to spar with her for a couple of exchanges. She played along, pretending to fight back.

The two of them sparred with a tacit understanding.

A moment later, she surrendered, panting for breath, the laughter in her eyes finally breaking free.

Lin Chu smiled, but couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

’This Sister Mao doesn’t play by the rules of martial virtue.’

"You..."

Lin Chu was just about to say something.

The next second, she pounced.

His lips were suddenly sealed.

...

Cultural differences, it seemed, were greater than racial ones.

That night, Lin Chu corrected some of his internal judgments and ideas. It was as if a door to a new world had been opened. He felt more and more that it was right to open his eyes and see the world. After all, his country had grown powerful. If it was determined to become the world’s leader, it must also have a cultural core to match.

Before, he had indeed been a bit shallow, getting bogged down by pointless internal conflicts.

"Prince..."

"Shouldn’t you... give me a red envelope?"

"Isn’t that a custom? Your traditional culture? I shed so much blood for you..."

Her tone was cloying and coquettish. She was as docile as a kitten, her voice tinged with a slight hoarseness.

Lin Chu: ?

He stared at her, stunned, once again not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"What kind of cultural dregs is that!"

"Only courtesans in brothels have that custom!"

’Unbelievable.’

’The grass is always greener on the other side, I guess.’

Both of them felt that way.

Dongnya froze for a second, then couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

So, that’s how it was.

"In that case, I’m going to find a pair of scissors and cut out this part of the sheet as a souvenir."

she said with another laugh, immediately rolling out of bed to go find some scissors.

Lin Chu: ...

He scratched his head, smiling speechlessly once again.

’Seriously, what kind of stuff have you been watching?’

’It’s neither foreign nor local.’

...

...