AMRWFA -Chapter 147 The So-Called “Older Man Romance”

Lu Yuanqing almost spat blood.

The reason he approached Jian Lichang was certainly not because he was a “loser” who couldn’t find someone to marry. It was because he looked down on those other women, finding them too calculating and materialistic.

What he wanted was someone inexperienced—someone pure.

Just like she had said: a girl like that would be easier to coax, “clean,” and, more importantly, he could “shape” her into the kind of person he liked.

Clearly, if Ruan Yaoyao hadn’t appeared, this would have been his plan for Jian Lichang.

Jian Lichang: “……”

So you never even saw me as a person?!

After that meeting, Jian Lichang had thought she had “persuaded” Lu Yuanqing. She focused on filming and didn’t bother with him.

Unexpectedly, a few days later, she received a call from him saying they had been secretly photographed.

He then sent her a link.

Sure enough, it was a gossip post. A paparazzo claimed to have photographed her getting in and out of a car, even noting how long she stayed inside. The implication was obvious—the time was “quite long,” suggesting the man’s “capabilities” were impressive.

When she got out of the car, she looked radiant, clearly because her “sugar daddy” had promised her good resources.

Jian Lichang’s heart sank. She immediately called Ruan Yaoyao.

“Godmother, something bad happened! I was secretly photographed!”

“Who?”

“Paparazzi.”

Ruan Yaoyao opened the link Jian Lichang sent and frowned.

【Isn’t this too much of a coincidence?】

【Lu Yuanqing just failed to threaten me, and now photos of him meeting Jian Lichang get leaked?】

【Isn’t he supposed to be capable? How did he get photographed?】

“I feel like something’s off,” she said.

Yu Xiangqiao leaned over to look. “Yeah, it does feel off. The timing is too perfect—like it happened back-to-back. Mom, do you think it’s possible that Lu arranged for someone to take the photos himself?”

“What would his motive be?”

“Isn’t it obvious? To force Jian Lichang to lower her head. Otherwise, who cares about an unknown D-list actress like her? It can’t be a rival trying to suppress her rise—she hasn’t even risen yet.”

【That’s true!】

【She’s barely acted in anything and hasn’t even been on variety shows. Who would bother suppressing her?】

【Other than Lu Yuanqing, who else would target her?】

If it were just Jian Lichang, Ruan Yaoyao might not have thought this way. But she also had her goddaughter Jiang Ying.

Jiang Ying was beautiful too, and Yu Yang clearly showed interest in her. If anyone were to suppress someone, it would be Yu Yang’s current manager targeting Jiang Ying—not Jian Lichang.

After they met, Jian Lichang listened to their analysis. She was already half convinced, but still hesitated.

“Could we be overthinking this?”

Ruan Yaoyao shrugged. “Who do you think cares whether you’re being kept? Sure, you’re pretty, but there are countless pretty actresses in the entertainment industry. Do your few fans really care about this?”

Jian Lichang: “……”

To be honest, Lu Yuanqing had helped her a lot, so she still had some feelings for him. Not love—but she didn’t want him to turn into that kind of person.

“We’ll know if we test it,” Ruan Yaoyao said.

“Okay!”

Following the advice of Ruan Yaoyao, Yu Xiangqiao, and Jiang Ying, Jian Lichang replied to Lu Yuanqing. She sent several anxious emojis, asking what she should do.

She had just entered the entertainment industry—if something like this happened now, would she ever gain fans?

Whether Lu Yuanqing was too impatient or had simply run out of patience, it didn’t take long for him to reveal his true intentions.

The solution, he said, was simple: register their marriage.

If they were legally married, no one could accuse her of being “kept.”

In his circle, marriages between older men and younger women were common—hers only seemed different because she was in the entertainment industry.

He told her not to worry. He wouldn’t interfere with her acting career. He knew she was young and had dreams, and he would support her. But if one day she grew tired, she was welcome to “come home.”

“Tell him you need time to think,” Ruan Yaoyao instructed, lifting her chin slightly.

“Okay,” Jian Lichang replied obediently.

Soon, Lu Yuanqing responded, telling her to take her time—he would wait for her.

It sounded nice.

But not long after, he sent her multiple cases of actresses who were cyberbullied, blacklisted, or forced out of the industry because of “being kept.”

Jian Lichang: “……”

Wasn’t that basically exposing himself?

Even without Ruan Yaoyao’s help, she could see through it now.

Shortly after, Ruan Yaoyao also received calls from several directors. They said they had been contacted by Lu, the president of Lu Group, asking them to blacklist Jian Lichang.

They wanted to know what she thought—what should they do?

【What a scumbag!】

【Heh!】

【He tells her he supports her career, then turns around and gets people to blacklist her? Impressive.】

【A high-level player indeed!】

After hanging up, Ruan Yaoyao looked at Jian Lichang.

“Did you hear that? Remember what he told you before? That he supports your career? Then what do these calls mean?”

Jian Lichang couldn’t say a word.

At that moment, she was completely disillusioned.

She no longer dared to hold any hope for Lu Yuanqing.

Back then, she had even hoped that Aunt Xu’s “prediction” was wrong—that he wasn’t that kind of person.

But…

Seeing her reddened eyes, Ruan Yaoyao deliberately said, “That’s why I say—men love putting on an act. Especially older men like him. They act all proper, but they’re full of tricks. Young girls like you are naive and easy to fool—if not you, then who?”

【So what if he’s a ‘first love’?】

【A man in his forties who’s never been in love before? Who’s he kidding?】

【What, were all the women he liked before not ‘true love’? Only Jian Lichang is?】

【Or is it just because she’s easier to manipulate and mold? If she turns out well, she becomes the ‘white moonlight.’ If not?】

【Right.】

【If it were that easy, she wouldn’t be the tragic heroine.】

【Once Stockholm Syndrome kicks in, how could she not fall in love? Otherwise, the abuse continues—she’s not a natural masochist.】

Jian Lichang, whose eyes were already red, nearly got scared out of crying.

If she were to develop that kind of condition, she might as well die now.

Back in the 1970s, a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, led to hostages developing sympathy for their captor after living with him for a period. They even refused to testify against him.

That’s what’s called “Stockholm Syndrome.”

How badly would she have to be abused to develop such a twisted mentality?!

Jian Lichang made up her mind—she would rather die than be with Lu Yuanqing.

So she directly reposted the paparazzi link Lu Yuanqing had sent her and added a caption:

[Thanks to the paparazzi for the attention—didn’t expect you to notice a nobody like me. Ex @Lu Yuanqing, sorry for the trouble.]

Her few scattered fans:

[?!]

[Wait, you actually have a sugar daddy?!]

[I checked—he’s handsome, just a bit old.]

[Miss, are you even 18? If you’re being kidnapped, blink twice.]