The second day after returning to Modu is the Lantern Festival.

Su Wanyu and her little one haven’t come back from their hometown yet. Her parents can’t bear to part with the little guy, and she’s easily swayed, so she changed her plan to stay home until the twentieth day of the New Year.

Wang Chuting is busy beyond belief, not at all like an expectant mother. This week she completed her pregnancy check-up and directly went to Shenzhen.

So far, she has been pregnant for seven weeks, and she gradually feels some mysterious changes happening in her body.

The time she can dedicate to work is dwindling, so she’s planning to record more video footage over the next four months, to smoothly navigate the period from showing to postpartum.

She’s full of ideas, Lu Liang doesn’t bother to persuade her, and on the night of the Lantern Festival, he went to the suburban villa to spend the holiday with Li Manli.

"I’m not convinced~" Li Manli looked bitter. She made lots of preparations, and even stood on her head.

With great joy, she waited week after week,

But last week, the relative that was supposed to come, still came.

Lu Liang couldn’t help but laugh, patting her head to comfort: "Haste makes waste. You’re only 21, what’s the rush?"

"Liang, I’m a ’96 Rat, I’m 22 this year."

Li Manli looked gloomy, ever since she made up her mind, she has been understanding the related knowledge.

The best winning period is between the last and next time, like her 28 days, so the fourteenth day is best.

Many ladies on Little Red Potato say that if you do it more than three times during that period, the winning rate is as high as 85%.

However, during that period, they engaged five times. Logically, the winning rate should be 100%.

"Probability can’t be calculated like that. It’s like tossing a coin, each chance is 50%, it won’t turn into 100% just because you tossed it twice in a row."

Lu Liang laughed till his stomach hurt, playing with Li Manli’s hair, softly saying: "There’s no need to rush, whether or not, my attitude towards you won’t change."

He doesn’t think Li Manli is ready, mostly she just wants to gain favor, just like she said before, she’s still a baby and doesn’t want a child so soon.

"Hmm hmm~~~" Li Manli suddenly let out a long sigh, curled up in Lu Liang’s embrace, acting spoiled: "Liang, I really love you."

She’s a small streamer, a little internet celebrity, while Lu Liang is a billionaire owner, the gap between their statuses is like a bird and a fish.

Even if she’s just a silent, always waiting little lover, she still feels like she’s not qualified enough.

Lu Liang couldn’t help but laugh: "Don’t overthink. Just consider me a thirty-something divorced old man."

"You’re not old at all, and getting sharper." Li Manli looked displeased, not allowing Lu Liang to say that about himself.

Suddenly she took out her phone and snapped a photo of him, then rummaged through the album, finding the photo she secretly took three years ago when she had just met Lu Liang for a month.

Li Manli put the two photos together for comparison: "See, aren’t you even more charming now?"

Three years ago, the skin was somewhat dull, although there was confidence in the smile, there was an indescribable discomfort.

Like a mouse in a dark sewer, one day after traversing the mysterious tunnel, arriving at a grand yet sunlit, empty magnificent palace.

Today, three years later, the skin is bright and fair, the eyes sharp, aura fully open; walking on the street, even strangers would feel he’s either rich or powerful.

If comparing to that mouse, then Lu Liang had become human, and also the owner of the magnificent palace.

"Mouse?"

Lu Liang stared at the two photos, deep in thought.

Li Manli realized she misspoke, hurriedly explained: "Liang, I didn’t mean you’re a mouse, it’s just that I think..."

Lu Liang interrupted with a smile: "This analogy fits well, rare for you to speak so wisely."

Perhaps some, after becoming successful, despise their past, feel awkward, shy to face.

But he has a different view, without the past self, how could there be the present him.

Forgetting the past equals betrayal.

"I also keep learning, you know."

Li Manli breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly perked up, taking off her sweatshirt directly in the cold weather.

She tightened her stomach, with a proud raise of her brows, beaming: "See it now?"

"When did you build that?" Lu Liang was surprised, couldn’t help but touch, feeling a few properly shaped abs.

"Earlier I planned to change my image."

Li Manli has always felt a sense of crisis, keeping the sweet girl image for three years, she planned to switch styles, go for the fierce woman route, to keep Lu Liang interested.

Later she heard exercising made childbirth less painful and postpartum recovery easier, so she practiced even more fervently.

Gradually, as she tightened her stomach, four clearly visible abs appeared, although two were hard to train, not very noticeable.

"Cool huh?"

Little Li proudly, Lu Liang’s surprised expression made her feel very gratified, indicating her effort wasn’t wasted.

Suddenly a hand shifted from the stomach, sneaked into the pocket, Lu Liang weighed the size, holding back a chuckle: "Seems like you’ve trained it smaller."

"Don’t say that." Li Manli puffed angrily, upset she slapped Lu Liang’s palm away.

Originally small, later developed larger, then exercise made it smaller again.

But she thought, after pregnancy it should grow larger, so she didn’t mind, but ended up not getting pregnant.

"Small ones are also cute."

Lu Liang spoke gently, to the abs, couldn’t help but feel, indescribably comfortable feel.

Curiously he asked: "Did you only train the stomach?"

"Actually trained everything, just arms and thighs aren’t as obvious."

Lu Liang liked it, so Li Manli happily ran back to the bedroom, changed into her usual workout clothes.

The top was a pink tactical vest, only a tight-fitting boxer on the bottom, she mimicked a fitness model, struck a few rather standard poses, full of anticipation: "How is it?"

"Cool, looks good."

Lu Liang applauded with a smile, full of praise.

Aside from the apparent abs, biceps and thigh muscles aren’t particularly noticeable, calf muscles were nearly absent.

But the aesthetic of the lines was there, just not as strong, with a cute girl face on top, the contrast was striking.

Sweet girl turned fierce woman, no wonder exercise is said to be the best cosmetic, Lu Liang liked Li Manli even more.

Li Manli grinned widely, walked with small steps in front of Lu Liang, squatting on the ground, looking up at him, like a strange little cat yearning to be petted, seeking praise.

Lu Liang also showed he loved Li Manli’s new look, stayed at the suburban villa for two days.

Until news from the port arrived, he returned to the city. A complete set of large die-casting production line ordered from Germany had arrived.

Now it’s just the first phase of the first batch of components, in total split into three batches, three phases, will successively arrive in the next month.

Chief Financial Officer Liu Pei, while verifying and signing, started chasing Lu Liang for money again, naturally looking bitter: "Mr. Lu, there’s still $15.4 billion tail balance for the production line not yet settled."

Before the year ended, they had financed $18 billion, a small portion taken by Zhuo Yifan to open offline stores.

The smallest store had a scale of at least 1300 square meters, a $10 million investment, not to mention some were above 5000 square meters.

For example, in Beijing, Modu, Shenzhen, and Yangcheng, these first-tier cities, the average investment per store reached up to $30 million.

This plan’s preliminary investment is estimated at $450 million, $18 billion only leaves them $1.35 billion.

They currently can’t raise the $1.54 billion tail balance.

"Mr. Liu, can’t you meet me without always mentioning money?"

Lu Liang sighed, purely complaining, aware it’s Liu Pei’s responsibility.

Liu Pei’s tone softened slightly: "Mr. Lu, it’s not that I want to, but the company truly needs money everywhere."

"Moreover, in about three weeks, the base over in Su City will be completed, though we can defer the settlement for three months, in just a blink it will be also due."

"Wait until there’s really a shortage of money, don’t keep urging me now, raising funds or investment just takes a few minutes."

Lu Liang rolled his eyes, saw the cranes lifting one container after another at the port.

A large number of trucks orderly loaded, departing from the port, heading to Su City Base, rising up in a mighty view.

Three years, preparing for exactly three years.

In just three more months,

Their new car will launch into production.