MWC – Chapter 106 Past and Present Life

I AM DROPPING THIS NOVEL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CONTINUE THEY CAN. IF POSSIBLE PLEASE SHARE THE LINK SO I CAN BINGE READ TOO.

Room 302 was a private suite reserved for Lu Ming, and Nicole was currently inside it.

She had clearly taken a bath, likely for a long time, as her hair was still wet. Since she didn’t have any suitable clothes to change into, she wore the hotel’s white bathrobe and crystal slippers, revealing her slender, jade-like legs and delicately painted toenails. Her high, firm chest indicated she wasn’t wearing any undergarments, and her entire demeanor exuded a sensual aura.

Seeing Lu Ming enter, she immediately bit her red lips and stared at him. Her enchanting blue eyes held a complex mix of emotions, somewhere between anger and embarrassment.

“This morning’s incident was your fault!” Lu Ming declared with confidence.

Nicole was taken aback.

“If it weren’t for the fact that I know you didn’t do it on purpose, I could sue you for sexual harassment! Even if we were close, why did you have to keep moving?” Lu Ming waved his hand dismissively. “Alright, let’s not talk about it anymore.”

Suddenly, he noticed the discarded clothes in the trash can. He frowned, “At least wash them before throwing them away. And besides, there wasn’t anything on them. They were covered by other clothes.”

Nicole bit her red lips. “They were just too disgusting…”

Lu Ming glared at her, “Do you know that my body is very weak? I’m currently taking secret herbal medicine to recover. I haven’t dared to touch any of my concubines who are much prettier than you because the doctor said it was strictly forbidden. Yet, you caused me to fail miserably. I’m still feeling dizzy and might not be able to get out of bed tomorrow. Do you understand?”

“You… you’re lying…” Nicole’s voice was childish, now arguing like a child.

“Alright, let’s drop it. We’ve been through a life-and-death situation together, so let’s not blame each other for these trivial matters.” Lu Ming sighed, “Let’s just consider me unlucky.”

You were unlucky? Nicole looked like she was about to cry in anger, glaring at Lu Ming with pursed lips, refusing to speak.

“Hmm, I’ve already taken responsibility for this assassination attempt. Don’t mention it to anyone else.” Lu Ming pondered, “I’ll have an officer come and take your statement regarding your formal report on the disappearance of that little girl, xiaohua.”

At the mention of “xiaohua,” Nicole’s pretty face instantly turned somber. She remained silent for a while before saying, “Thank you. Without you, I would be dead.”

Lu Ming waved his hand and asked, “Your assistant, did she really drive away the paparazzi?” After a pause, he continued, “Hmm, we should investigate her as well.” He then asked, “When was your visit to the orphanage decided?”

Even if we assume that Director Wang had frequent contact with the White Rose Movement, the time from when Nicole went to the orphanage and was seen by Director Wang, to when he notified the radicals, to when Lu Ming’s car returned, seemed too short for them to arrange an ambush.

The most likely scenario was that the assistant or someone else who knew Nicole’s itinerary had leaked the information in advance.

And these individuals with connections to the White Rose Movement were the best leads.

“No, she wouldn’t do that…” Nicole shook her head vigorously, clearly understanding Lu Ming’s implication.

“She might not betray you intentionally, but she could have inadvertently leaked something to a close friend! Anyway, it’s just speculation. We’ll see what the investigation reveals.”

“Knock, knock, knock,” someone knocked on the door.

It was Wang Xiaohu, carrying a tea tray. “Commissioner!”

Lu Ming sighed, “You’re learning these formalities too. Where’s the server? Why did you replace them?”

Wang Xiaohu stammered and couldn’t find the words. He hurriedly placed the tray with snacks and fruit on the coffee table.

He stole a glance at Nicole, blushing instantly, and lowered his head, unable to speak.

Lu Ming chuckled wryly. This kid probably wanted to come in for an autograph, but when faced with the celebrity herself, he chickened out.

“Alright, call the server. I have something to say. Get a female server, the youngest one.”

“Y-yes…” Wang Xiaohu stammered in agreement and hurried out, not daring to look back.

When the server arrived, Lu Ming asked her to buy some clothes, including underwear. However, after a moment’s thought, he waved it off. “Never mind.” He turned to Nicole, “I’ll have my servants buy you some clothes. My old maid is very meticulous and trustworthy.”

After all, buying clothes for a celebrity who would actually wear them required someone reliable. You never knew if someone would do something perverted with the clothes, especially jealous women who might do something unsanitary.

After making the call, Lu Ming told Second Mistress to buy clothes, taking along Luo Yi and others, as they had a better eye for fashion.

When Lu Ming hung up the phone, Nicole softly said, “Thank you, you’re very considerate. I heard them say your surname is Lu?”

Lu Ming nodded, “Just call me Brother Lu from now on.”

Nicole was momentarily stunned. She had never met such a confident man before. Even the scheming old Mr. Renault would try to deceive her, sometimes claiming he saw her as a daughter, and other times looking at her with longing and pain.

“Brother Lu…” Nicole called softly, feeling a warmth in her heart.

She had a brother, but he only saw her as a cash cow, always asking her for money. But this young man in front of her gave her a feeling of having a dependable older brother for the first time.

Even though their interaction hadn’t exceeded twelve hours since they met, it was an amazing feeling.

Perhaps it was because they had shared a life-threatening experience? Facing potential death together.

Although he did seem a bit roguish.

Insisting she had taken advantage of him.

Thinking about that awkward situation, Nicole blushed slightly again.

“Brother Lu, what should I do next?” Nicole sighed softly.

“Didn’t you decide not to renew your contract with Renault? Come to Nado. I’m one of the owners of Nado Film.” Lu Ming said with a smile.

Nicole was momentarily stunned, feeling a sudden disappointment. So, this was the reason.

“Don’t worry, I won’t make you continue the sexy goddess route…” Lu Ming thought for a moment, “I’m planning to shoot a series. From this year to mid-next year, I’ll start with twelve episodes. There’s a captain role in it. Originally, it was a male captain, but if you join, we can change it to a female captain. It’s one of the main characters throughout the series.”

Actually, when you think about it, a female captain with a sexy image would be more impactful. After all, I’m not trying to make a classic; I want box office success.

Appealing to both sophisticated and general audiences is the best approach.

“But, Brother Lu, even though my contract is ending, it has restrictions. If I don’t renew with Renault’s company, I can’t work in the film industry for thirty years. So, I was originally planning to retire.”

Oh? Lu Ming nodded. No wonder old Renault didn’t sign a lifetime contract with Nicole. Such conditions are too harsh, and once Nicole became famous, she might go to court to declare such an excessively harsh contract invalid.

Therefore, the contract was signed for five-year renewals with restrictions similar to non-compete clauses.

“It’s okay. Let him sue. I believe that by the time the lawsuit is over, Renault will be too overwhelmed to bother you!” Lu Ming smiled.

He thought for a moment and added, “Don’t worry. I’ll find you a safe place close to the company and arrange protection so that what happened today won’t happen again.”

Nicole nodded slightly. Although she wanted to take a break, she couldn’t refuse. Somehow, she had gained a rather chaotic older brother.

“Oh, I understand. You might want to rest for a while now. We haven’t even discussed the terms with Nado yet. Why are you agreeing so quickly? Silly girl.” Lu Ming laughed.

Nicole blinked, then smiled shyly. It felt like being taken care of like a little girl, a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long, long time.

Lu Ming pondered, “Hmm, you don’t have an agent, and agents aren’t popular nowadays.” He paused, “How about this: you read the script first and decide if you want to act. If you do, we’ll discuss the terms. I won’t negotiate with you directly, but I’ll make sure they don’t treat you unfairly. I believe this series will take you to new heights.”

“Okay!” Nicole agreed readily. Suddenly, she found herself looking forward to reading the script.

This guy, though chaotic, gave her the feeling that he wouldn’t deceive her.

Hearing her clear agreement, Lu Ming found it amusing. This innocent, childlike voice made her sound like an obedient elementary school student. For a moment, he wanted to pinch her cheek.

Despite being an extremely attractive woman, she gave off a feeling of needing protection like a child.

He paused, “And about Xiaohua! I think you’ve already prepared yourself for the worst and just want closure. Don’t worry, I will thoroughly investigate and bring the culprits to justice.”

Nicole’s pretty face turned sad instantly. She remained silent and nodded gently.

…

Leaving room 302, Lu Ming saw Jordan waiting outside and sighed, “Wait a few days. I’ll ask her to sign some private photos for you.”

“Oh, thank you, Commissioner!” Jordan was ecstatic and glanced at the room door carefully before asking, “Commissioner, will she change her mind after going back? She might feel protected by us now, but once she’s in her own territory, she might forget us.”

Lu Ming frowned, “If she’s so unprincipled, why do you still admire her?”

“What can I do!” Jordan coughed, “I waited for you to report on work, not just to hang around her door.”

Feeling that he was overcompensating, Lu Ming waved, “Let’s talk about work.”

Jordan’s expression turned serious. He opened the folder in his hand and said, “Take a look. These are the five assistant prosecutors who reported late. The fifth one, the last form, can temporarily be your assistant. She’s new to the prosecution office, an outsider who just arrived in Donghai today. She’s also a woman, so it’s not suitable to assign her dangerous tasks. She can be your assistant.”

Lu Ming nodded. His assistant was basically a secretary.

He took the folder and casually flipped through it. The new additions were young assistant prosecutors.

It’s good. They are energetic and without complex social connections, making it less likely for them to leak information to criminals.

However, it was strange that they were all from out of town.

“Oh, a training class in New Jingzhou?” Lu Ming was surprised to find that these people were all from that training class.

“Yes, the class just ended. It was held in New Jingzhou by the Donghai Prosecution Office, recruiting outstanding young prosecutors from all over the empire. They had to be under twenty-five. It’s a new policy by Director McKen. The class graduates the top ten percent, who are then selected to come to Donghai. These people are the elite among young prosecutors. Director McKen plans to hold this class every three years, and this was the first one with 150 students. Fifteen graduated, and McKen assigned five of them to us. It’s both a test and training, and it shows how much he values us.”

Lu Ming smiled wryly. Big cities do attract talent. In many ways, Donghai, with its freedom and openness, has more allure than the capital, which is stifling with its heavy political atmosphere.

As he flipped through, he reached the fifth one, the female assistant prosecutor assigned to be his secretary.

Suddenly, Lu Ming was stunned, his eyes widening before quickly regaining his composure.

But Jordan noticed and chuckled, “Right, she’s pretty.”

Lu Ming nodded. Jordan, not a simple character, instantly noticed his odd expression but misunderstood, fortunately.

How could it be?

The simple resume format included a photo.

Name: Han Annie.

The photo showed a pretty girl with neat bangs, big clear eyes, a delicate and beautiful face, full of vigor. Wasn’t she the Han Annie he knew?

And not just from this life, but from his previous one too.

According to the resume, she joined the provincial prosecutor’s office a month after he left, and three months ago, entered the training class in New Jingzhou.

Joining this class meant starting as an assistant prosecutor in Donghai, regardless of previous positions. Also, prosecutor certificates from the northern provinces weren’t recognized here.

So? Han Annie was to be his secretary?

Lu Ming rubbed his nose, smiling wryly. He didn’t fear his whereabouts being leaked, but it felt strange.

Shaking his head, Lu Ming looked out the floor-to-ceiling window towards the north. In the evening, the north was foggy and a bit gloomy.

He suddenly felt a pang of homesickness, for both his past life and present one.

Jin Bao, Uncle Zhong, were they okay?

Mom and Dad, how were they?