Chapter 103: Staying the Night? Go Ahead and Swipe, No Need to Be Shy

December 11th was nothing special.

And yet, on such an ordinary day, it happened to be Zhang Long’s official birthday on his ID card—the Gregorian date when he had been found at the gate of the orphanage in 1988.

After the soul that had preceded him grew up, birthdays were rarely celebrated anymore. Not through university, not after graduation, not even once he had started working. But today...

“Happy birthday.”

Opening the door, Zhang Long stared at Luo Man, who had come dressed with light makeup and carrying a birthday cake. Surprise flashed across his face, followed by a dark, helpless expression.

“Ah. Thanks.”

With a sigh, Zhang Long stepped aside to let her in. A moment later, they were facing each other from opposite ends of the sofa in the living room.

A man and a woman, staring at one another.

“Long time no see.”

“How have you been lately?”

Their voices rose together in the suddenly quiet room. At the same instant, the two of them broke into smiles, and the atmosphere immediately lightened.

“I know you probably don’t like celebrating birthdays,” Luo Man said, as if she had turned into some philosophical young lady, her beautiful eyes curving with amusement. “But some things still have to be faced. So even if I was bringing a birthday cake all the way here and stepping on your sore spot, I still came.”

“Happy birthday.”

“Mm, thanks.”

This time Zhang Long thanked her with a smile. He had never cared much about birthdays anyway. In his previous life, once he became an adult, he had stopped celebrating them altogether. He had long since grown used to forgetting and ignoring the whole matter.

Even that morning, when he had gone to the bank to handle the joint registration of the two spot trading platforms, he had noticed that today was the birthday of this life he was living now. But even then, he had not felt any urge to mark it.

At most, he would eat something good. That would be the end of it.

“It’s messy again after only half a month.”

After a little small talk, Luo Man glanced at the disordered living room and could not help sighing. “If you cleaned once a week, it wouldn’t be this bad, you shut-in.”

“Come on, let’s clean.”

As soon as she spoke, Luo Man rose to pull Zhang Long up and begin a full-scale cleanup. Mm? She didn’t budge?

“A big cleanup? No hurry.”

Zhang Long met her gaze with a grin, then pulled her into his arms instead. In the next instant, he toppled backward onto the sofa, and before Luo Man could even recover, his lips were already on hers.

...

“Strawberry flavor. So sweet.”

Whether it had been three minutes or five, the lingering, decidedly unromantic wet kiss finally came to an end. Zhang Long clicked his tongue in appreciation, while Luo Man’s face was flushed red.

Clearly, both body and mind were a little unsteady.

“Get up. You’re heavy.”

Luo Man panted softly, but Zhang Long clearly had not kissed enough, so he continued.

In the living room of Dragon Residence, the man and woman did not make a scene, but there was still something of the delight of lovers reunited after a brief separation. Very passionate.

“Enough, you pig.”

After several rounds, Luo Man pressed her lips together and rubbed her slightly numb cheeks, shooting him an irritated glare with her beautiful eyes.

He was born under the sign of the dragon, not the wolf. Did he really have to be that eager to start biting? It wasn’t as if they had no time.

“Cough... about enough, I guess.”

Zhang Long got to his feet and, very considerately, helped Luo Man straighten the slightly disheveled clothes on her upper body. Thus ended their little exchange of wet kisses.

Academic or technical skill, slightly improved.

“Clean the house. Hurry up.”

After standing, Luo Man glared at him again. Since he had gotten his share of benefit, then he might as well help clean.

The state of this place was frankly a little hard to look at. In a dorm, it would be one thing to live with a sloppy roommate, but here at Zhang Long’s place, that wouldn’t do. Tidying up wasn’t hard.

“Mm, you start.”

Zhang Long nodded. Okay. But first he wanted to check whether the spot silver market had moved at all. Even though he had already set take-profit and stop-loss orders, he still needed to have a look—whether he was making money or losing it.

So Luo Man did not ask what Zhang Long had gone into the second bedroom study to do. She just started cleaning.

Though inwardly, she was muttering to herself: the stock market had already closed, so what was he doing in the study? Ahem... could it be? Amitabha...

You lecher. Watching movies in broad daylight.

...

“Damn, that’s slow.”

In the second bedroom study, Zhang Long lit up the screen and looked at the spot silver chart, and could not help complaining.

This morning, one long position in his Huiyin account had already earned more than fifty-two thousand. Later, a hundred short contracts across three accounts had made roughly fifty-three thousand, since the points had not moved much. Altogether, that came to one hundred and five thousand.

Right now, he still held a hundred long contracts across three accounts, but the market had only risen a tiny bit—just enough to break even.

Honestly, if spot silver had a personality, it would probably want to curse him out. He had only gone to open the door and then come back after kissing Luo Man, and less than half an hour had passed. In that time, it was perfectly normal not to see much movement. He really was too greedy.

If it swung violently every moment, then he could operate on it dozens of times a day. Wouldn’t that be exhausting?

“Forget it. I’ll hold it.”

Zhang Long let out a breath and shrugged.

Yesterday, Monday, spot volatility had not been very large. Today, Tuesday, it probably would not be too quiet either. Still, Luo Man’s sudden visit had been unexpected, and it had interrupted his earning.

He could not exactly leave Luo Man outside cleaning while he sat in the study trading spot silver.

That would be uncouth. Things could not be handled that way.

“Hm? All done?”

A while later, Zhang Long returned to the living room. Luo Man, who was tidying up, looked up in surprise. That fast?

Zhang Long nodded. Not noticing the strange meaning in Luo Man’s eyes, he rolled up his sleeves and joined the cleaning. Surprisingly, it was kind of novel.

Most men disliked housework and cleaning, but sometimes they would suddenly feel the urge to do a full cleanup.

It was a strange phenomenon. No logic to it.

At that moment, Zhang Long was somewhat like that kind of state—only this time it wasn’t initiative of his own, but something sparked by Luo Man, an opposite-sex impulse. Men and women working together did not feel tiring, and when the man was handsome and the woman beautiful, the work felt even less tiring.

As for the occasional groping during the cleanup, there was no need to describe it too much. The mood was playful and happy, bringing the once-silent, lonely Dragon Residence to life with warmth and color.

Very much like a passionately in-love young couple living together.

...

“Holy hell, take-profit hit.”

Time passed. Toward evening, Zhang Long’s long position closed out with a forty-point gain, taking profit automatically. The hundred contracts across three accounts had made a total of two hundred thousand. Today’s total came to three hundred five thousand.

But by then, Zhang Long was not at home to see it. He was at the supermarket, buying a large load of groceries.

Luo Man was personally cooking the birthday dinner.

He bought plenty of meat and vegetables, and also a bottle of red wine to add a little atmosphere. But when it came time to pay, Zhang Long felt a bit conflicted. With all the customers in line and Luo Man standing there, it was a little awkward to buy protection.

What a great opportunity today had been. If only he had known, he would have prepared a box or two at home in advance, just in case.

Ah, he had been careless. A bit of bad luck.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

It was almost their turn at the register. Seeing Zhang Long’s face darken a little, Luo Man could not help asking in confusion. He had been perfectly cheerful while buying groceries just now. Why had he suddenly gone listless?

“It’s nothing. Telemarketing.”

Zhang Long shook his head. Just now, both Dingxin and Runde’s account managers had called him, and he had also received the latest trading updates. From the suggested entry points and direction, he already knew the hundred long contracts had taken profit.

Making two hundred thousand was, of course, nice, but that was all.

He had only made three hundred thousand today. Not much fun.

Last week, his average daily net profit had been one million. This week, with three accounts, he was determined to make even more. So there was nothing worth getting excited over. It was just average.

Of course, he did not deny that his low spirits were influenced by other factors—but there was still an opportunity.

If Luo Man did not need his help while making dinner and he did not get kicked out of the kitchen, then another trip downstairs would be very okay.

The supermarket did sell what he needed.

“Here, give me your credit card...”

A moment later, after paying at the supermarket, Zhang Long was just about to step forward when Luo Man grabbed him by the arm. He looked at her in confusion.

“I’m going to buy a few things.”

Meeting his gaze, Luo Man’s cheeks turned slightly pink, and she said shyly, “Some women’s personal items. I didn’t bring any.”

Hiss. Zhang Long’s whole body trembled at once, his eyes seeming to brighten by a fraction.

Oh my god. Was this an invitation to stay the night?

“Here. Buy whatever you want!”

With a wave of his hand, Zhang Long pressed the card straight into Luo Man’s palm. Charge it however you like. No need to be polite.

Whether he made money in spot trading tonight or not—that was a minor matter.