novelraw Chapter 106 : Power Outage
Chapter 106 : Power Outage
Chapter 106: Power Outage
Half an hour later, the two women sat at the dining table, refreshed and ready to eat. Especially his cousin Su He, who from time to time raised her arms, stretched her legs, then turned her neck, feeling the changes in her body.
“No wonder you men all like massages and foot baths, turns out this thing is really comfortable!” Cousin Su He sighed.
Although she only had massage and bone setting for a little over ten minutes, the effect was even better than Liu Rushuang’s.
Liu Rushuang mainly had massage. Since she was suffering from menstrual cramps, the massage only relieved the pain and helped her relax.
As for Su He, she had some minor health issues—like most office white-collars, she had cervical spondylosis, plus recent overtime that left her sitting too long, causing mild lumbar muscle strain. On top of that, improper sitting posture for a long time had given her slightly uneven shoulders and uneven legs.
Just now, through bone setting, he had corrected her, so naturally she felt comfortable all over.
“What you’re saying isn’t right. When those men go for foot massages, it’s not the same as the comfort you’re feeling. You’re relaxed in comfort, they’re trembling in comfort,” Liu Rushuang teased, biting her chopsticks.
After Lin Mo’s massage and the medicine prescribed by Professor Li, she had almost fully recovered. At least the pain in her abdomen was gone.
Although only temporary, for her, this was already very good. In the past, she had always endured it, at most drinking some brown sugar water.
This time the pain was severe enough to make her see a traditional doctor, and the result turned out so effective. If she had known, she would have sought help earlier.
“Go to hell, are you itching for a beating? I haven’t even settled the score with you for earlier!” Su He rolled her eyes and spat, then picked up a piece of spicy pig’s trotter for Lin Mo with a smile: “Cousin, you’ve worked hard today. Here, eat something to replenish yourself.”
“Look at you, you don’t even know how to pick food. Here, Xiao Mo, try this wolfberry yam stewed lamb. That’s real nourishment,” Liu Rushuang said with a smile.
The two each picked something up and looked at Lin Mo.
At this moment, Lin Mo lay slumped in his chair, not wanting to move at all. Massaging the two of them for almost an hour, especially pressing on his cousin, had drained him physically and mentally.
He felt that Liu Rushuang was constantly tugging at his nerves.
“Cousin, I won’t eat the pig’s trotter. Too spicy!” Lin Mo struggled to sit up and said.
Su He: “Don’t you like spicy food?”
“Lately I’ve been drinking herbal medicine to regulate my body. I need to avoid spicy food. Can’t eat it,” Lin Mo replied.
Hearing this, Su He gave him a once-over and asked: “At your young age, without even a girlfriend, what are you regulating your body for?”
“No reason, just coincidence.”
Then Lin Mo explained everything about meeting the Empress Rushuang yesterday at the hospital and how he got to know Professor Li. Even if he didn’t explain, they would ask, so it was better to say it all at once. It also gave him an excuse for doing massage.
“You mean, you met an elderly professor while exercising in the morning, got acquainted, then she introduced you to her husband who’s a traditional doctor. The key is, the old man took one look at you and decided you’re a once-in-a-million prodigy for learning traditional medicine, and insisted on taking you as his apprentice?”
At this moment, cousin Su He’s face carried an expression of disbelief, as if he was joking with her.
Such a low-probability event, and her cousin just stumbled upon it?
“Not taking me as an apprentice, just thinking I’m suitable to learn traditional medicine and wanting me to study under him. Professor Mu even wants me to pursue a master’s, said if I’m willing I can tell her directly. But with my brain, how could I ever handle advanced mathematics? So I just call them teachers without any formal relationship,” Lin Mo explained while eating.
Hearing this, Liu Rushuang and Su He exchanged glances, both showing surprise. Wasn’t this basically guaranteed graduate admission?
Unexpectedly, their cousin, whose studies were average, could encounter such an opportunity. Even she herself hadn’t pursued graduate studies.
Liu Rushuang also hadn’t pursued graduate studies—not because she wasn’t capable, but because her family arranged a foreign university degree for her.
In her kind of family, academic credentials weren’t really useful. She didn’t rely on a degree for work. Ability mattered far more than credentials.
“Isn’t it the same? You didn’t refuse, did you? Even learning traditional medicine with Professor Li would be good,” Su He asked, somewhat nervously.
She knew that Lin Mo’s current school was just an ordinary second-tier one. Even if he graduated with a bachelor’s degree, in today’s job market it would be too difficult to find good employment.
If he could study medicine under Professor Li from the medical school, even starting as a freshman would be fine. At most, it would just mean four more years.
Of course, there was also the issue of mismatched majors and crossing disciplines, but with policies and loopholes, as long as one was capable, there would always be a way.
“No, but Professor Li gave me some books, said I can read them in my spare time, and if I want to learn I can ask him privately,” Lin Mo shook his head.
Hearing this, Su He slapped her thigh: “You—what can I even say about you? You don’t seize opportunities when they’re right in front of you.”
Seeing her frustration, Lin Mo sighed. Of course he knew this was an opportunity, but he had even greater ones ahead. Why seek trouble for himself?
“Don’t worry. If Xiao Mo does this, he must have his own reasons,” Liu Rushuang, for once, spoke up on his behalf.
“Fine, I won’t bother with you. By the way, does my second aunt know about the money you have?” Su He asked.
As his cousin, she was worried. Her cousin suddenly had a million in cash, and she feared he might not handle it well at his age.
The sudden wealth of the poor could easily lead to revenge spending, going astray, or becoming arrogant. She didn’t want to see that happen to him.
Although she knew Lin Mo’s character was decent, young people often acted impulsively.
“She doesn’t know. I’ll talk about it when I go home on National Day. Besides, I’m about to graduate. I need to find something to do. Keeping some money for emergencies is necessary,” Lin Mo said.
Making money—his family would eventually know. He just needed a reasonable cover. It didn’t have to exist, but it had to sound plausible.
If nothing else, he could wait for an antique to appear on the shopping page, then pretend to have picked up a bargain in the antique market. There were plenty of ways.
Hearing this, Su He felt relieved. As long as he wasn’t wastefully splurging, whether he gave it to the family or kept it for himself didn’t matter.
“Xiao Mo wants to start a business? Have you thought about what kind?” Liu Rushuang asked.
Lin Mo shook his head: “Not yet. With just this bit of money, I have to be careful.”
“That’s true. But don’t worry. Worst case, you can come work at my company. With your massage skills, I can support you easily, haha!” Liu Rushuang laughed.
“Go to hell, wouldn’t that make him useless?” Su He rolled her eyes.
Hearing this, Liu Rushuang said nonchalantly: “So what? Less work, more money, only responsible for me. Isn’t that great?
Also, what about the thing I asked you to help me with? Have you thought it over?”
“Forget it,” cousin Su He refused decisively.
Liu Rushuang was puzzled: “Why?”
Even Lin Mo couldn’t quite understand. Their relationship was good, and Liu Rushuang wouldn’t treat his cousin badly. At the very least, the pay would definitely be better than now. Why refuse?
“Going to your place would just mean changing locations to keep being a workhorse. Even if the treatment is better, it’s the same.
Working where I am now, we’re still friends. If I go to your place, you’d be my boss.
No matter what kind of boss you are, no matter how rich, if I’m not happy, I’ll still beat you up!” Su He glared at Liu Rushuang with a snort.
Liu Rushuang paused, then nodded without pressing further: “Tch, didn’t think you’d see through me. I was planning to squeeze you dry once you came over.”
“As if! You wicked capitalist!”
Hearing this, Lin Mo thought for a moment and understood his cousin’s point. Friends could play and joke around, but if they became boss and employee, the relationship would change. It might even affect their friendship.
Most importantly, his cousin was already a manager at her company. Even if she became a manager at Liu Rushuang’s place with better pay, she’d still just be a worker. If their friendship soured one day, what then?
At least staying where she was now, if she got laid off, she could always turn to Liu Rushuang. That was a fallback.
And Liu Rushuang was clearly smart enough to understand Su He’s concerns. She didn’t press further. After all, mutual respect was the basis of any relationship.
The three of them then started eating, the atmosphere much lighter. Cousin Su He even brought out some wine and poured a few cups.
“Xiao Mo, you drink too. Come, have a glass!” Liu Rushuang poured wine for Lin Mo.
“No, I drove here. I have to return to school later,” Lin Mo refused.
Su He was stunned: “You bought a car? What kind?”
After all, her cousin now had a million. Buying a car was reasonable.
“I didn’t buy one. It’s a friend’s.”
“Yeah, it’s Yuan Hua’s little sister. The two of them are close. Yesterday, I saw Yuan Meng let him drive her Xiaomi,” Liu Rushuang explained.
Hearing this, cousin Su He felt sour: “You’re really living it up now. Wearing a watch worth hundreds of thousands, driving a car worth several hundred thousand, holding a million in cash—you’re like some rich second generation. And I’m the only poor one left!”
Lin Mo smiled bitterly: “The car isn’t mine. I just drive it occasionally. That’s hardly being rich.”
Cousin Su He rolled her eyes, then said: “Still better than me. Hurry up and drink. What school are you going back to? Stay at my place tonight. That way tomorrow when someone’s stomach hurts, I won’t have to call you back.”
As she spoke, Su He pushed the wine toward him, signaling him to drink.
“Huh? Still need massage?” Lin Mo frowned.
Seeing his expression, Liu Rushuang kicked him under the table with her bare foot and said coquettishly: “What do you think? Did you really think my period only lasts two days? If you go home today, what if my stomach hurts again tomorrow?
Fine, next time I’ll let you go deeper with your massage, okay? Ow, why did you hit me?”
Before she could finish, cousin Su He smacked her with chopsticks: “I’m still here. Can you rein in your flirtation a bit? Want me to leave and give you two space?”
“That’d be great, I… actually no, no need,” seeing Su He’s increasingly dangerous gaze, Liu Rushuang backed down.
After all, she wasn’t her boss. Su He really wouldn’t indulge her. If she kept going, the purple eggplant might reappear any moment.
‘Bzzz~ Bzzz~’
Just then, Lin Mo’s phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was Miss Yuan, then answered.
“Hello, Sister Yuan.”
“Where are you? Come quick, we’re missing one for a game,” Miss Yuan’s voice came through.
Lin Mo: “I’m at my cousin’s place in the city having dinner. Can’t come back for now.”
“Then what do we do? We’re short one!” Yuan Meng sounded annoyed.
Lin Mo: “You three play a game first…”
Yuan Meng: “What game? The whole building lost power. And it seems only our building is out. Even the elevator doesn’t work.
Forget it. The three of us will play billiards until the power’s back!”
Hearing this, Lin Mo narrowed his eyes and immediately asked: “Sister Yuan, did you check the stuff I sent you?”
“Yeah? What’s with that box of yours? It holds so much, and it doesn’t even have game instructions. We were just figuring out the rules when the power went out! Now the AC’s off, it’s hot as hell.”
Lin Mo: …
Good grief. He had thought no one would touch it, since it was just a board game. Miss Yuan’s place was full of entertainment, after all. But he had severely underestimated human curiosity. And now, hadn’t they just triggered the Greek god in charge of power outages?
“Sister Yuan, I advise you to get out of there quick. Who knows when the power will come back!”