Chapter 35: A Temporary Draw

The binding force of this sheepskin contract was as follows: whenever Daisy glimpsed a secret or wished to share it with others, she would automatically forget, and her brain's rationalizing mechanism would let her accept this loss of memory without resistance. It was like having a vivid, dazzling dream at night, only to find it impossible to recall upon waking. Its power was mild, and the penalty for breach was gentle—a contract that Li Lekang could easily enact at his current level.

Those contracts with harsher consequences—ones where a single violation would cause your body to split open and maggots to crawl from your face—required stronger magic. As a first-level magician, Li Lekang was not yet up to the task.

Yet, having settled the matter with his assistant so smoothly, Li Lekang found himself in high spirits.

Daisy could clearly sense his delight and, eager to please him, tried to mimic scenes from the movies—tricks from that film "The Wolf of Wall Street" with DiCaprio. If men in the movies liked it, surely real ones would too. So she unbuckled her seatbelt and bent down to retrieve the lipstick she had just dropped, resulting in a rather chaotic ride home.

The convertible’s top was, of course, down, and the windows were still wide open. On the busy highway, a pickup truck passed by, and the black driver happened to glance over. His eyes widened immediately, his innate comic talent turning him into a master of expressions in an instant.

He rolled down his window, banging excitedly on the door, successfully drawing Li Lekang’s attention.

But Li Lekang only glanced over indifferently and paid him no mind.

Not until he saw the driver pull out his phone, shouting and attempting to take a picture, did Li Lekang remove his hand from the back of Daisy’s head and flip the man off.

Suddenly, a magical gust swept in, snatching the phone from the man’s hand.

They were on the highway, after all—a moment of joy turning into disaster. The phone vanished in a heartbeat. The driver slammed on his brakes, but in the darkness, amid endless traffic, searching for it would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Watching the pickup weaving in his rearview mirror, Li Lekang couldn’t help but laugh.

Daisy looked up, puzzled. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing to do with you. Keep looking for your stuff!”

“I’ll have to reach deeper this time.”

Her lovely blue eyes glinted with mischief, matching the reckless speed of Li Lekang’s car.

...

Later that evening, as they returned to the apartment building, Daisy furtively tossed a wad of tissue into the trash before hurrying to catch up with Li Lekang.

They went upstairs together, arms entwined at the door. But when Daisy tried to kiss him, Li Lekang refused. She laughed and cursed, “Bastard, you were so happy just now!”

“Don’t push your luck!” Li Lekang gave her a warning smack. “Go rest. I’ll let you know in advance when we need to rehearse.”

“Okay, bye-bye, darling!”

Li Lekang hadn’t been back in his room long and was about to shower when the door was knocked on. Outside stood Sandra, her face clearly etched with indignation and grievance.

She stormed in, demanding, “Did that little tramp Daisy seduce you into bed?!”

“Well, about that…”

“I knew it! She came home acting all smug, showing off to me. I could tell she’d snuck a bite of my cake—I can’t stand it!”

Li Lekang had known his secret would be exposed sooner or later, though he hadn’t expected it so soon.

But there was nothing to explain. “Honestly, from the start, you should have known I—”

“Don’t say it! I’m taking back what’s mine!”

“Mmph!”

Sandra tackled him, sealing his mouth with hers.

That fiery Latin passion was impossible to resist.

And it saved him the trouble of showering twice.

...

Remarkably, things settled into a harmonious, tacit rhythm.

Both Sandra and Daisy understood the situation—they wanted something from Li Lekang: exposure, fame, or at the very least, the cachet of being involved with a rising star. Either way, it was good for their reputations.

It was, in essence, a relationship of mutual benefit. As for the development of love or affection—such notions seemed absurd. They found him impressive and desirable, but not the stuff of a good partner.

Thus, the competition between the two friends reached a temporary stalemate—a draw for now.

But for Li Lekang to recreate that fabled “double phoenixes in flight” scene would still be a challenge.

That required negotiation. Settling things with Sandra the previous night had meant promising her more opportunities in the spotlight. Only with that assurance did she let go of her anger and stop extracting what little biological resources he had left.

Yet, the next day, upon learning that Daisy had secured the role of performance assistant, Sandra began to wheedle and beg for the same title.

She clung to Li Lekang like an octopus, refusing to let go. “Listen to me, babe, this job isn’t for you. With your hourglass figure, you’re too curvy—you’d get stuck among the props!”

She burst out laughing, clearly pleased with his assessment of her figure. “But that’s not enough!”

Li Lekang tried his best to persuade her. “You’re meant to be a cover girl, a runway model, showing off that body that makes men stare—you’d be wasted on the magic stage. There will be plenty of chances for us in the future!”

“Then I’ll stake everything on you!” Sandra burrowed into his arms, clinging shamelessly. “If you don’t give me what I want, I’ll stick to you forever and drain you dry—you’ll see what I can do!”

Li Lekang burst out laughing. See? Who needs tender words or sincerity when you have real strength? Girls will chase after you of their own accord.

And if you argue it’s all for personal gain, Li Lekang found that even better. Emotional entanglements too easily breed hatred—he had no desire to be on the wrong end of a kitchen knife!

After all, the essence of biological mate selection is “admiration of strength”—it’s coded in our genes. Love is merely a romantic ideal, but at its core, it’s always been about the strong. Who, across all of history, hasn’t admired the powerful?

With those words, Sandra was appeased.

She hummed a tune as she got out of bed, tying up her hair with her beautiful curves to his back.

Li Lekang lay on his side, admiring the scene: sunlight, a gentle breeze, and a stunning woman—a perfect morning view.

If only there were a house facing the sea, two beauties by his side—what a scene that would be.

He still had to keep striving.

Sandra glanced back at him, saw the faraway look in his eyes, and pounced on him with a kiss. “What are you thinking about, darling?”

“I’m thinking how to become a superstar.”

“Wow—I love ambitious men! Mwah, mwah!”

She showered him with kisses before letting him go.

In Hollywood, there were countless girls like them—many couldn’t even get the chance to cling to someone powerful, ending up used and discarded, losing their youth and dreams before leaving disillusioned.

Compared to that, Li Lekang’s approach—sharing resources with the women around him—was a kind of internationalist spirit, letting the famous lift up the less known.

You might think he was just playing the rogue, but Li Lekang felt he was shouldering a noble mission. This, he thought, was the true code of ethics for surviving in Hollywood!

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