Not long after Lu Zaizai’s eighth birthday, his full brother Lu Xiuzhu (‘cultivate’ + ‘bamboo’) was born. On the day the old man went to register Lu Xiuzhu in the household registration, Lu Zaizai also changed his name. From then on his formal name was ‘Lu Feibai’. (‘fly’+ ‘white’)

The origin of these two names was rumoured to be as follows: the old man himself had picked a large book and then specially asked a great master to choose.

“Why is your great-grandfather and father’s surname Qin, but yours and your brother’s surname is Lu?” The classmate asked Lu Zaizai curiously.

Lu Zaizai grunted: “Then your mother’s surname is Mo, why are you and your sister both surnamed Yu? One of my fathers is surnamed Qin and the other is Lu. There’s nothing strange about our surnames being Lu. No matter what our surnames are, we’re a family.”

“That seems to make sense.”

Not long after, the Qin family held a lively hundred-day banquet for their newborn, Lu Xiuzhu. Among the guests who gathered, more than one or two had their doubts. But the Qin family had their own considerations.

Lu Ying had to say that the birth of his youngest son had instantly brought him closer to the Qin family. He had originally thought that his youngest son would definitely be given the surname Qin, and he himself felt that this would be fair. However, the old man and Qin Zhuopu insisted that the child’s surname be Lu for the sake of the eldest Zaizai not to feel ‘specialised’. Zaizai only returned to the Qin family when he was seven years old, and his origin had always been debated. Now that a younger brother was born, if he were to be surnamed Qin, more people would think that Zaizai was Lu Ying’s son and that the younger brother was Qin Zhuopu’s biological son. The two children were so young, and it would be many years before they grew up and became adults. For now their minds were unstable. Compared to the issue of the surname,  the elders wanted their children to have a happy and healthy childhood.

Lu Xiuzhu’s infant name was Dudu. He and his elder brother, Lu Zaizai, looked very much alike, white, fat and tender. If you looked at their 100-day photos, you would see that they looked like twins.

When Qin Zhuopu looked at the comparison photos, he couldn’t have been more impressed. He sent them to his friends to see and they all burst out in a flurry of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’.

After looking at the photos, it was perfectly clear: these two were definitely brothers.

In fact, if you looked closely, you would see that while Lu Zaizai had long, narrow eyes like Lu Ying, Lu Xiuzhu’s upper face was more like Qin Zhuopu’s, with thick eyebrows and deep eyes, and beautiful double eyelids. It was just that now he was still small and fleshy, and his little face was like a bun, squeezing his good double eyelids into single eyelids.

“Come here and look, guys, do they look like triplets?” In the spacious living room, just after dinner, the old man greeted everyone with a smile.

Lu Ying was the first to run over, tilted his head and almost choked on his fruit when he looked, “Is this Zhuopu’s hundred-day photo?”

“That’s right, I deliberately found it in the old mansion. Do they look alike?”

“Very much so!” Lu Ying’s eyes curled in a smile.

Qin Zhuopu also rushed over and was suddenly unconvinced, “I had clear eyebrows when I was a child, so I didn’t look like those two fat balls!” He expressed his displeasure at the fact that his youngest son was so fat that his big eyes were squeezed into small ones. Feeding the little one with a big appetite milk powder every day from a super-sized bottle specially made for the baby was killing his arms! On the other hand, the boy was clingy and sensitive, and didn’t want anyone but him and Lu Ying.

“Hahahaha, you weren’t thin when you were little.” Lu Ying teased him.

Qin Zhuopu was about to retaliate when the baby cried out loudly.

Not daring to delay for half a second, Qin Zhuopu rushed to the pram and skillfully picked up the baby, coaxing and patting him.

Lu Ying had a headache when he saw it: “This kid is too clingy. Zhuopu, you’re going back to work tomorrow, what about the baby?” One month before and one month after the child was born, a total of two months, was Lu Ying’s rest time. Qin Zhuopu, however, had taken a four-month break, including a hundred days after the child was born. In the past four months, the old man was holding the fort at the company.

Now Qin Zhuopu had to go back to work.

The old man couldn’t help. He was happy to take care of the elder child, but he was too scared to take care of the younger one. No matter how much he loved Dudu, he was afraid to even hug him, and his head exploded when he heard the little one crying. Mrs. Qin was even more afraid to take care of the child because she hadn’t even looked after her own son when Zhuopu was little, relying on the nanny, her husband and mother-in-law.

“How about I take him to work?” Qin Zhuopu suggested.

Lu Ying shook his head, “You’re crazy! We’ll have to separate him sooner or later anyway, so let’s try it tomorrow. He’ll cry a few times at home, and when he’s tired of crying, he’ll naturally drink milk powder and sleep, and he’ll get used to it in a few days.”

That was the only thing that could be done.

The following day, Qin Zhuopu and Lu Ying went out to work and the nanny stayed at home to look after the baby. When Qin Zhuopu came home in the evening, he found that the child’s voice was hoarse from crying and his eyes were red. Qin Zhuopu was distraught.

“The baby hasn’t slept all day, what can we do?” The old man was worried.

Lu Zaizai, who was already back from school, exclaimed, “How can you adults be fathers! My brother’s eyes are swollen with tears! My brother is so pitiful, I will take him to school tomorrow!”

“You think you own the school?” Qin Zhuopu glared at his eldest, then sighed helplessly and poked the baby with a smile, “You’re a debt-collecting clinger.”

By now the baby was in his arms, huffing and puffing and sucking vigorously on the milk powder. After drinking it, he fell asleep in the blink of an eye, obviously very sleepy.

When Lu Ying came home and heard about this, he looked awe-struck: “You’re having a tantrum and not sleeping even though you’re getting food and water?” Zaizai was so good when he was little!

“What about tomorrow?”

The next day, Qin Zhuopu went to the office. The assistant carried his briefcase and the nanny pushed a large pile of necessities in a stroller. Qin Zhuopu took the sleeping child straight to the office in a basket. He had come early, and not many people saw him.

The assistant and the nanny quickly made the office lounge look like a nursery.

The nanny then stayed in the nursery to prepare supplementary food for the baby. Qin Zhuopu had already turned on the computer and the baby was sleeping in the cradle to his right. The little one slept soundly to the sound of the regular tapping. It was the same at home; leave him alone in his bedroom and he’ll wake up crying within minutes. Let him sleep in the noisy living room, as long as he is not hungry or wet, he can sleep for a long time.

Ever since the baby was born, he was sleeping in the same room as Lu Ying and Qin Zhuopu every night. When he was hungry at night, Qin Zhuopu was the one who got up to feed him milk powder, change his diapers and wash his butt. He also was the one who bathed Dudu every day. No wonder the little one was so clingy to him.

Unlike other children who only drink milk at three months, their child was different. He could eat supplementary food at three months, and he ate a lot of it. He was a good eater, a good sleeper, grew big and was so well behaved that Qin Zhuopu didn’t feel tired at all with him.

It was soon nine o’clock, and Qin Zhuopu got up to go to the conference room. The assistant said hesitantly, “Mr. Qin, should I take the baby to the conference room too?”

“Oh, if you put him in the office, he will cry in less than five minutes.”

“But… the meeting is loud, will it scare him?”

“It’s fine. I’m prepared.” Qin Zhuopu smiled and gestured to the freshly brewed milk powder and two toys for biting. Turning around, he carried the child to the conference room calmly.

He sat down at the head of the table, with the baby on his right hand side as usual, and the people came in one after another, none of them noticing for a moment whom Mr. Qin had brought in. Only the two vice-presidents who sat next to Qin Zhuopu discovered the truth and their jaws dropped in shock.

The meeting started normally and Qin Zhuopu spoke first. When the microphone sounded, he deliberately stared at the child in the cradle, only to see the child frown a little, smack his lips and go back to sleep.

Sure enough, he was a lazy little pig!

Qin Zhuopu smiled and the meeting went smoothly.

Halfway through the meeting, the child woke up. He opened his bright eyes and stared curiously at the ceiling, then turned to Qin Zhuopu and his little mouth yelled out immediately, “Ah! Yah!” Little fat hands moved around on the quilt.

There was a sudden silence in the conference room.

Qin Zhuopu took it in stride and said, “Sorry.”

He bent down and touched the child’s cheeks. Qin Zhuopu took the child and let him lie in his arms, then he put the bottle into Dudu’s mouth, and the little one immediately began to suck vigorously, his expression incomparably focused.

Qin Zhuopu smiled gently, “You guys continue.”

“…ah, ahem, let’s continue! What did Director Li say just now? Go on, we’re listening.” The vice-president hurriedly agreed, and then Director Li continued the meeting.

The little Dudu who was nestled in his father’s arms drinking milk powder was not affected at all, staring at his father while drinking. The oversized milk bottle in Qin Zhuopu’s hands was very eye-catching, but no one dared to ask. Only when the meeting was over and Qin Zhuopu picked up the awakened child and walked out of the room did some of his older colleagues laugh and say, “Mr. Qin, I didn’t expect you to bring the child directly to the meeting. But your son is so well-behaved, he didn’t make a fuss at all.”

“Oh, he’s so cute.” A middle-aged female colleague looked at the little baby lovingly, “If only my little girl was this well behaved.”

“Mr. Qin, is that a special custom-made baby bottle? He actually eats so much milk powder when he is so young?” Another father asked in amazement, “I remember my son ate 180 ml at a time when he was little… this is too scary, isn’t it?” This bottle must have been 1000 ml!

In the face of everyone’s kind concern, Qin Zhuopu explained, “He has a special physique and was born to eat a lot. The hospital tests all show he’s very healthy.”

The little one rolled his eyes and looked at the unfamiliar faces around him, steady as a mountain in his father’s embrace, not at all wary. Every now and then, he even grinned toothlessly, indescribably cute.

In just a few days, the news that Mr. Qin had brought his baby to work spread throughout the company, and even the office workers in the next building knew about it. Many people deliberately came an hour early just to ‘meet’ Mr. Qin and see if the legendary Mr. Qin really brought his child to work every day.

Unfortunately a week later Qin Zhuopu went on a business trip 

And the clingy little baby moved on to his other dad’s workplace.

In the bakery, the nanny took the baby for a walk in the back garden, teasing him with toys, and when he was hungry and needed milk powder, Lu Ying took over and fed him. The baby soon would fall asleep after drinking milk powder, and the nanny would stay in the shop with the cradle while Lu Ying went in and out and the customers came and went. No matter how loud and noisy it was, the baby slept peacefully.

After work, Lu Ying took the baby home.

On the days when Qin Zhuopu was away on business, Lu Ying just took the baby with him. The baby was very well behaved as long as he smelt familiar scents, and didn’t cry or fuss. Taking him to the bakery didn’t affect Lu Ying’s work at all.

On the weekend, Lu Ying was about to continue to take the child to the store, but Lu Zaizai stood up bravely: “I’m off today, I’ll stay home with my brother, don’t worry, Dad, if my brother cries I’ll call you.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m his big brother! Of course I’m sure.”

“Alright~, go for it.” Lu Ying thought there was nothing wrong with that; in fact, apart from him and Qin Zhuopu, the little baby did stick to his big brother the most.

In the evening when Lu Ying came home, the house was quiet, and when he entered, a gentle smile suddenly appeared on his face.

He saw his elder son lying on his back asleep on the plush carpet in the living room, and his younger son lying on top of his brother, also asleep. Even when Zaizai was asleep, he didn’t forget to hold his little brother’s waist to make sure he didn’t slip off.

Who knows how long the two of them slept like that.

The nanny came up quietly and whispered to Lu Ying, “Dudu was clinging to his brother and slept for almost an hour…”

Lu Ying nodded, put away his mobile phone and took a few steps forward, gently picking up his younger son. Lu Zaizai opened his eyes wide in shock and was relieved to see that it was Lu Ying: “Dad, you’re back. I was great today, my brother had fun with me and didn’t cry at all.”

“Yeah, great. You’re the best big brother ever!”

The baby woke up in Lu Ying’s arms, his little mouth saying ‘oh oh oh’, as if he wanted to talk to Lu Ying. He rubbed himself affectionately in Lu Ying’s arms, arching his bottom a little, his eyes darting around, and when he saw his elder brother he immediately cocked his mouth and smiled happily, raising his little paw and waving it mindlessly in front of his brother’s eyes.

“Hehehe, my brother is so cute! Would you like to see the ball in my hand, brother?” Lu Zaizai smooched his brother’s cheek and the little baby’s mouth grinned even wider.

“Dudu, look what’s in your brother’s hand? Do you want it or not? Come on, let’s chase after your brother~”

Lu Ying carried the baby and chased after Lu Zaizai, the three of them frolicking in the living room, their cheerful laughter echoing non-stop.

Qin Zhuopu came home to see his happy family, and his tiredness from the trip was swept away. He had been fortunate in his life, but never in his wildest dreams had he thought he could be so happy. Lu Ying, the children, the arrival of each and every one of them, the company of each and every one of them, multiplied his happiness.

In a blink of an eye, Dudu went to kindergarten and Lu Zaizai became a junior middle school student, still a fat teenager. As his own brother, Xiao Dudu was also a fat boy, good at eating and drinking. In kindergarten he was the fastest runner, the highest jumper, the biggest eater and the self-proclaimed smartest.

However, Dudu was really smarter than his brother. Zaizai was good at everything but maths. Dudu was different. He had completely inherited his grandfather’s and Qin Zhuopu’s talent for mathematics and was very good at it. Coupled with his excellent memory, he was almost an exemplary primary school tyrant.

But this primary school tyrant also had his moments of distress, like the parent-child sports day held at school!

His president dad specially took time off work to come over, preparing to race against the other parents with his son on his back.

But the younger son was very ungrateful: “Can you run with me on your back? Can you run fast? Why doesn’t my dessert dad come over? Last year, he came and we won first place in one go. But you’re so slow, you can’t match my dessert dad, you can’t match my brother, you can’t even match me… You’re only a little faster than Grandma and two points faster than Great-grandpa!”

Facing the disgust and complaints of his younger son, Qin Zhuopu was struck by a sword in his chest and gritted his teeth, “Don’t sell me short when you’ve got the advantage, do you know how much money I have to lose by taking a day off? Your dessert dad has to attend a baking competition today, so he can’t take care of you, heh. I’m telling you, Lu Dudu, you have no choice but to rely on me today!”

“Humph, then if you lose, what about my face? I’m the ‘Little Prince Lightning of the School’!” Lu Dudu had a smug look on his face.

Qin Zhuopu was so angry that he reached out and pinched his son’s chubby face: “Even if I’m slow, I’m still your father. Hold your tongue whether you like it or not.” In the family’s sports field, he was at the bottom of the pile, unable to compete even if he lifted iron for the rest of his life.

Lu Dudu sighed, “I’m going to ask the teacher if we can change the rules of the competition.”

“How do you want to change them?” Qin Zhuopu was curious. His little son was very smart and had a lot of whimsical ideas, but often spoke out of turn, making him and Lu Ying quite angry. And he had a lot of personality at a young age. Because of him, Qin Zhuopu had already carried fruit to other people’s homes several times to make apologies. He suspected that the reason the elder son was so well behaved and sweet was that he had piled up all his rebellion and bad temper on the younger one! This brat was here to torment him.

Lu Dudu said rightfully, “Since it’s a parent-child sports day, it’s fine as long as it’s parent-child. So if I run with you on my back instead, I’m sure it’s fine!”

“???” I am your father! I want to vomit blood.

Just when Qin Zhuopu was scared that his son would actually carry him on his back, Lu Zaizai came to the rescue!

Qin Zhuopu let out a fierce sigh of relief; his face was saved today.

“Big Brother!” Dudu happily threw himself into Lu Zaizai’s arms, a far cry from his ‘dad can’t run’.

Lu Zaizai laughed: “I knew you would definitely need me to come, Dad can’t run fast at all! Don’t worry, Dudu, I will take you to the championship today! ”

“Big Brother is the best! ”

Qin Zhuopu: “……”

Why did he take time off work to come over to be disliked by his two sons? When Lu Ying returned, he would definitely complain. Let Lu Ying deduct the younger son’s dessert for three days! Forget it, just deduct it for one day.

Carried on his back by his big brother Zaizai, little brother Lu Dudu was expectedly the winner of the parent-child sports day. The fat big brother was carrying his fat little brother on his back, and they were the most eye-catching on the track as they ran like the wind.

Qin Zhuopu was responsible for taking photos of the whole event, capturing the wonderful moments of his sons, who were his greatest pride not only at this moment but in this life.

Time flies. The university entrance exams were over and Lu Zaizai was admitted to Guanlan University, along with his father Lu Ying.

Lu Zaizai, who had been studying step by step, was very calm, but Lu Ying, who had worked hard for years, was not. The moment Lu Zaizai got the notification letter, he let out an ‘oh’. But his father, Lu Ying, cried tears of joy as he held the notification letter. Unlike his son, who just had to study, he needed to balance work and family, so it was not easy for him to get admitted. It had always been one of his dreams to go to university.

The two of them spent four years of their university life in a low-key manner, and no one knew they were father and son until years after they graduated!

At that time, Lu Zaizai had already gotten his PhD and founded a technology company specialising in intelligent machinery. The company’s ‘intelligent assistant robot’ became an instant success and was renowned worldwide, and Lu Zaizai personally and his team had won various awards at home and abroad. Lu Zaizai was young and impeccably handsome, and when he was exposed in the media, he caused an immediate sensation, with countless avid fans on the internet.

Interviewed by the media upon his return to China, Lu Zaizai was extremely handsome and had a bright smile. “The name ‘Gemini Technology’, as everyone guessed, comes from my family. I have a brother eight years younger than me, who is a little genius. He beats me in maths and is already a PhD student. I was short of money when I was researching and founding my company, and he took out his savings of many years to support me through the difficulties. That’s how we came to have the current ‘Gemini Technology’.”

“You heard me right, it was indeed just New Year’s money. I’m not the self-made Jack Lu (CEO and founder of Wanchain) who started from nothing, as rumoured on the internet. I don’t have any tasty inspirational chicken soup. I accumulated a lot of experience of failure before setting up my technology company. Once my dad gave me a toy company, which then went bankrupt in my hands. Then he gave me a snack company, which went bankrupt. Great-grandpa gave me a car company, which was acquired by someone else. Grandma gave me a cultural media company, which I sold cheaply. Even the dessert shop that my other dad gave me was shut down.”

“Hey, fortunately, I still had my brother to support me and trust me. He helped me unconditionally when I was obsessed with machinery and didn’t hesitate to take out his savings when I set up ‘Gemini Technology’.”

“My family situation? That’s right, I have two fathers, one called Qin Zhuopu and one called Lu Ying. My great-grandfather is already a centenarian and his name is Qin Guanhai. If my technology company closes down, I’ll have to go home and inherit Guanhai Group.”

……

Overnight, countless fan girls crowded Lu Zaizai’s Weibo, calling him ‘husband’ while on Qin Zhuopu’s Weibo they called him ‘father-in-law’.

On the sofa at home, Lu Ying covered his face in fear: “Fortunately, I am not registered on Weibo. I don’t like people calling me father-in-law!”

I don’t like it either! Qin Zhuopu’s heart felt stuffy.

Lu Xiuzhu sighed: “It doesn’t matter if you’re a father-in-law or whatever, the point is, I don’t have money to eat now, what should I do?”

Qin Zhuopu smiled: “You’ll inherit Guanhai Group, and you’ll be in charge of all the money from now on. Good boy, it’s time for Dad to retire.”

“……”

At that time, his elder son Lu Zaizai was already thirty years old, and as his dads, they were certainly not young.

But luckily for them, this was the year they finally waited for their belated marriage.

The domestic same-sex marriage law was successfully passed, ushering in a new and bright life.

The two, who had finally received their marriage certificate, had a grand, serious wedding. With the permission of the hosts, the wedding was broadcast live by the media. It was undoubtedly a special wedding, and the two masters, whose elder son was thirty years old, looked almost as young as their sons. The four members of the family stood together like a family of brothers. The unbelievably handsome appearance of the four made countless people scream and lick their screens.

As the wedding proceeded, a pair of flower girl robots carried the rings and handed them over to the masters, who exchanged the rings. Amidst the blessings, they looked at each other and smiled, their palms clasped tightly with the rings on.

To hold my husband’s hand for all eternity.

***

Mini-theatre:

Lu Ying: It’s all over.

Mr. Qin: We won’t be appearing in the future.

Zaizai: Our good life will continue.

Dudu: So will your good life.

Lu Ying: Good luck in the Year of the Pig (*^▽^*)

THE END

Translator’s note: The story is over. I felt very happy when I translated it, spending every day with Lu Ying, Qin Zhuopu and Zaizai. Thank you, Blood and Reading Danmei, for your comments and support! 🙂

If you like the story, you can leave a review and/or a good rating on Novelupdates.

If you want to thank the translator, here is my Ko-fi 🙂

Previous / ToC

LY Bakery opened smoothly. Lu Ying didn’t spend too much money on promotion. Just like other shops, he printed some flyers and sent them out, focusing on the private school where his son was studying and Guanlan University where Brother Yang worked. With his bakery sandwiched between these two schools, the food business couldn’t be bad as long as it tasted good. University students were largely independent, and public school kids were not short of money. In addition to the schools, there were also a lot of working people nearby.

The first day of the bakery’s opening was filled with special offers and family members coming to celebrate. Moreover, the day chosen for opening was the Lantern Festival, because it was a good day according to the calendar, and because it was Lu Zaizai’s birthday!

He was seven years old.

Whether it was to celebrate the opening of Lu Ying’s bakery or his son’s seventh birthday, Qin Zhuopu had to make a big deal out of it. Even if he didn’t want to do it, the old man would still insist!

At the New Year reunion dinner, the old man spoke up.

“Take this opportunity to give Zaizai and Lu Ying a big party, so that friends and relatives can get to know the new members of our family. Then in the future, when Zaizai goes to play outside, everyone knows that anyone who dares to bully Zaizai is bullying me!” The old man’s expression was serious, his attitude resolute. He seldom went out in his old age, but he knew everything he needed to know. There was a lot of talk outside, and even some of the family members were sour about the boy’s origins, treating him as if he had been lucky to be accepted as the ‘bastard child’ brought in by Lu Ying.

Everyone was curious. There was indeed a lot of gossip in the wealthy circle, and it was okay to be curious and talk about it behind your back. But if someone who didn’t know any better said something nasty in front of the child, it would be unforgivable! Not to mention the fact that Zaizai was his true grandson, even if he was really brought in by Lu Ying, Elder Qin had to let the circle know in a high profile manner that Lu Zaizai was the grandson of the Qin family. No matter what his surname was or where his mother was from, no one would be able to belittle him!

“Many people are away on holiday for the New Year. The holidays are over during the Lantern Festival and our family is hosting a banquet, just in time for everyone to catch up.” The old man had thought of everything.

Qin Zhuopu’s idea coincided with the old man’s, so there was nothing to disagree with.

After that, Lu Ying didn’t interfere at all with Qin Zhuopu’s birthday banquet for Zaizai, giving him a free hand.

After a busy morning upon the opening of the bakery on the Lantern Festival, Lu Ying handed over the shop to the employees and hurriedly followed the driver to the banquet venue at noon. The Qin family’s old mansion in Anshan was said to be one of the ancestral mansions. Because it was a bit far from the city, everyone didn’t usually go there much. In the past, when Qin Zhuopu’s father was alive, the family lived there for many years, but then it was completely empty. Usually only servants lived there to look after the house.

Today the old house in Anshan was brightly lit and festive.

Only when Lu Ying arrived at the place did he know that the old house was built in a very simple and elegant Jiangnan style. The car passed by the white courtyard wall and drove for a long time before coming to the main entrance. Lu Ying really didn’t know how big the house was. After entering, he saw pavilions, garden ponds, rockery and flowing water, and woods at the edges, full of charm and ancient aura.

“Do you like it here? “Qin Zhuopu walked out of the crowd and took Lu Ying’s hand affectionately.

Lu Ying smiled brightly: “I like it, it’s so beautiful here. What made you want to spend Zaizai’s birthday here?” He had thought Qin Zhuopu  would go to a themed playground to celebrate the child’s seventh birthday.

Qin Zhuopu squeezed his palm tightly and said with a smile, “This is a mansion passed down from my ancestors. Although people don’t live here often, if there are any important happy events, they will be held here. The last time a happy event was held was when my grandparents had their golden wedding.”

Lu Ying opened his eyes wide: “So that’s how it is.” It seemed to be of great significance.

Qin Zhuopu smiled again, “The first time I was there was for my one-month birthday banquet.”

“Ah…” Lu Ying stammered.

“The banquet before it, guess what it was?”

The corner of Lu Ying’s mouth twitched as he hesitantly said, “Your father’s one-month birthday?”

“Hahaha, Little Piggy Lu!” Qin Zhuopu couldn’t help himself, “Stupid, it was my parents’ wedding.”

Lu Ying was speechless, “You couldn’t have just told me, you had to keep me in suspense? So what do I need to be aware of for Zaizai’s birthday today?”

Qin Zhuopu shook his head, “You should eat and drink as you please. I’ve made all the arrangements for the banquet, there’s nothing you need to worry about. You just have to remember one thing.”

“What?” Lu Ying asked hastily.

Qin Zhuopu smiled, “Remember that you will be a part of my family from now on, and that you and I are husband and wife. I want you to think of yourself as the other master.”

Lu Ying thought for a moment. He thought it was fine to be husband and wife with Qin Zhuopu, it was a must! Even if they couldn’t get married in the country, he wouldn’t care about anyone who said they weren’t a couple since there was one less certificate.

But on the other hand, it was a bit difficult for him to think of himself as the master of the Qin family. He loved Qin Zhuopu and had decided to walk hand in hand with him in this life. He also liked the kindness of Elder Qin and he had no complaints about Mrs. Qin. It was just that the Qin family had always been a behemoth in his eyes, not so much a family, but more like a symbol. He had met other relatives of the Qin family at the old man’s mansion before the New Year, and facing their polite detachment, Lu Ying regarded himself as a guest.

Ultimately, it was only the house where he and Qin Zhuopu lived that he considered a family home, warm and simple. But Qin Zhuopu carried more than just him and Lu Zaizai, and since he was with Qin Zhuopu, sooner or later he had to learn to adapt and accept it.

Seeing that Lu Ying was in a daze and contemplating, Qin Zhuopu could basically guess what he was thinking. He said half-seriously, “One day you will accept all this openly. Because in the future when I retire, all this will be Zaizai’s. You are his father, what are you if not the master?”

Lu Ying suddenly realised, “You, what you say makes sense…”

“It’s a fact.” Qin Zhuopu looked around. There were guests everywhere, invited to celebrate Zaizai’s birthday today. One day in the future Zaizai would take over Guanhai Group.

Starting today, except for some daydreamers who refused to wake up, everyone would understand the message of the Qin family. The Qin family already had the next generation heir. That person was Lu Zaizai, a seven-year-old birthday boy. No matter what his surname was, no matter where he came from, where he would go to and what he would become in the future was the most important thing.

Qin Zhuopu added, “I was with you on Qixia Mountain during New Year’s Eve, and you took me to celebrate the New Year with your brothers and sister. I understand what that means. I, an outsider, was accepted and recognised by you all. At that moment, my heart felt truly indescribable…” After all, their existence completely overturned his perception, and in the future, he and those mountain folk were one and the same, and their secret was his secret. Their guardianship was his guardianship. One slip, and the mountain folk would have to bear the risk to their lives and their survival.

The New Year was the Year of the Rat, and on that day he was presented with the Year of the Rat blessing bag by Brother Shu.

Qin Zhuopu vowed silently in his heart at that moment that he would henceforth treat himself as a part of the mountain folk.

Compared to Lu Ying’s family, their Qin family was simple and ordinary, but it was also the burden he had to bear. He would always carry it seriously, and now he would have someone who would be by his side, someone he could lean on for a rest when he was tired. It was enough.

Lu Ying looked calm: “I chose you and brought you to the mountain, so they approved of you.”

Qin Zhuopu nodded: “After today, everyone will know that my love is you, Lu Ying, and you are not just a bakery owner. If your family is wealthy, many people will want to bow to you, win you over, and be jealous of you, understand?”

“Hahaha, I understand!” Lu Ying was amused by him. Qin Zhuopu was usually very modest, and it was rare for him to say such bragging words.

Admiring his smiling face, Qin Zhuopu couldn’t help but smile, “In the future, if there’s someone who bullies you, you can break his leg. Our family can afford to pay for it.”

“Heh, there won’t be anyone like that.” Lu Ying grinned, “I’m not easy to bully.”

Qin Zhuopu added, “If someone who doesn’t know what he’s doing tries to hit on you, I hope you won’t be too polite and break his two legs, I’ll pay for it.” On the surface, he looked handsome and wealthy, facing many temptations. But in reality, he was much more worried that it was his lover Lu Ying’s charm that was too strong!

“Hahaha…” Lu Ying laughed out loud.

The guests wandering around the garden saw the smiling and cheerful host family in the distance. Some smiled, some were curious, some frowned and some wondered.

“That’s Mr. Qin’s lover, Lu Ying? No wonder he’s infatuated, just look at this flawless appearance.”

“Boing boing, the two look so good together! So eye-catching! I want to draw them so badly.”

“This is the most beautiful couple I’ve ever seen in 3D. I hope they will be together forever and grow old together.”

“I went to Mr. Lu’s bakery this morning and was pleasantly surprised. Mr. Lu has a very nice smile and he looks like a second generation young master!”

“Are the two of them married? I heard that the kid is the son Mr. Lu had with his ex-wife. I didn’t expect Mr. Qin to be so carried away.”

“Mr. Qin is really infatuated! Mr. Lu is so lucky.”

“It’s not that simple, is it? If it’s really a child brought in by Mr. Lu, would Elder Qin and Mrs. Qin be so anxious? You guys didn’t see that in the morning, they were all around the child, afraid that someone would bully him. Especially Elder Qin, tsk tsk, I heard that the old man has made his will, basically leaving it all to the child.”

“The will is too outrageous, right? I heard that Mrs. Qin transferred many shares under her name to Mr. Qin and Mr. Lu. Moreover, Mrs. Qin has gained a lot of momentum recently, and the acquisition of “Yucui Jewellery” has been nailed down.”

“She used to be very good. She hasn’t focused much on her career over the years, it seemed that her health was not very good. She aged a lot but I see her in much better shape today…”

“Mrs. Qin used to always ask my mother to go dancing. After Uncle Qin’s death, she rarely went out…”

“You young people are so naive. This is not a simple birthday for the Qin family today. Although that boy’s surname is Lu, you can tell his status by looking at the Qin family’s attitude. And are you all blind? The birthday boy and Mr. Qin look exactly alike, okay? I will never believe they’re not father and son. Look closely, Elder Qin, Qin Zhuopu, the child, the ears of the three of them are identical, the shape and size are the same. The nose is also similar, but the eyes are very different. Believe it or not, if this child is thin in the future, he will be another Mr. Qin.”

“Hehehe, I actually think so too!”

“Really? Oops, I haven’t seen Mr. Qin’s son yet! No, I’ll go and have a look now~~”

“I’m going too!”

A group of young people cheered and dispersed.

In the pavilion next to them a group of elders sat at the table, and a woman of about forty asked the old lady in a whisper, “Mom, could Zaizai really be Zhuopu’s son? The more I look at it, the more mysterious it seems. This time for the birthday party, Elder Qin specially called to invite you. Really…”

Old Mrs. Song smiled kindly and said, “Whether it’s true or not, you’ll be right to treat that boy as your own family.” She hadn’t had time to ask her daughter and grandson yet, but in her heart she already had a definite answer. The seed of doubt had been planted in her heart the first time she saw the boy. Now, genuinely, she was happy for her grandson’s family.

“Mom is right.”

As the noon banquet was about to begin, the last of the Qin family’s long-awaited distinguished guests finally arrived.

Lu Ying stood at the door with Qin Zhuopu and almost choked on his own saliva when he saw the crowd coming down from the car.

“Sister Tu! Brother Wang! Brother Liu! Wow wow wow, Brother Gou, Brother Hou… you all actually came, ah?” Lu Ying greeted them, smiling like a happy child, surrounded by twelve people. This kind of thing only happened during the New Year and he didn’t expect all of them to come to Zaizai’s birthday. He was kept completely in the dark and there was no need to ask, this must have been a secret arrangement by Qin Zhuopu. In the short time he had spent on the mountain during the New Year, Qin Zhuopu had already become acquainted with all his elder siblings.

Lu Zaizai pushed his way out of the hall and pounced on Ji Xiaofeng with a smile: “Godfather, why are you here too? Dad said you were too far away to spend my birthday with me! Hello, Aunt and Uncles!”

Ji Xiaofeng smiled playfully, “Of course I’m here. Don’t forget that I’ll be here with you every year on your birthday. No matter how far away you are, I won’t miss it! Happy birthday, Zaizai!”

“Thank you, Godfather!”

“Happy birthday, Zaizai, you’re another year older!”

“You’ve grown taller again, young man. Why don’t you become a fireman with Uncle Hou when you’re older?”

“Oh, oh, I also want to be a policeman like Uncle Gou!”

“Haha, you’re not simply ambitious, you’ve got a lot of ambition.”

Qin Zhuopu smiled as he watched the family, while Elder Qin and Mrs. Qin felt incredibly excited and complicated inside. They had been frightened enough by Grandpa Lu’s youth when they had invited the in-laws to dinner before the New Year and it had taken them some days to get over it. When they saw Lu Ying’s siblings today all at once, their hearts were again ruthlessly crushed.

Are they really not Lu Ying’s blood siblings?

What a family, all of them unbelievably good-looking!

The only sister, Sister Tu, was definitely the most dazzling beauty in the room today, with that figure and temperament. Mrs. Qin, who was also a woman, was in awe.

Elder Qin, who had a keen eye, was shocked at a glance. Lu Ying’s brothers were tall and imposing, mysterious and restrained, dazzling. Apart from Lu Ying and the very young Ji Xiaofeng, both of whom still looked tender-faced and childish, the rest were obviously not simple.

“Sister Tu, Brothers, please come inside. Grandpa Lu’s family arrived long ago, please follow me.” Qin Zhuopu smiled and stepped forward to invite them, and the group entered the mansion enthusiastically.

“Thank you~” Lu Ying secretly thanked Qin Zhuopu.

Qin Zhuopu smiled without saying a word. He had everyone’s contact information and sincerely invited them over, but he couldn’t guarantee that everyone would give face. After all, everyone’s occupation was different, especially for Brother Gou and Brother Hou asking for leave was difficult. Unexpectedly, everyone was very awesome and came.

He knew that it was not because he was sincere and they gave him face.

But everyone really cared for Lu Ying and Zaizai.

Qin Zhuopu arranged for Grandpa Qin, Grandma Song, Mrs. Qin, Grandpa Lu, Brother Yang and Lu Ying’s other siblings to sit at the table with him. When the guests entered the room, they looked around and chatted quietly as they took their seats. The number of Lu Ying’s family members was not big, but the table was a sight to behold, and one had to sigh about the good genes.

On Grandma Song’s left was Grandpa Qin, but on her right was Grandpa Lu. Grandma Song had been fidgeting since she sat down and finally asked in a whisper, “Lu Ying, is this your grandfather?”

“Yes, my Grandpa Lu.” Lu Ying replied.

After a while, Grandma asked again, “Lu Ying, is this really your grandfather?”

Lu Ying was helpless: “It’s really Grandpa, although he looks young, he’s actually much older than you.”

Grandma suddenly exaggeratedly clutched her heart, feeling devastated.

Young Lu Ying was a little boy fairy, who would have known that the grandfather of the little boy fairy was actually a young fairy man? Her peers had white hair and wrinkles on their faces but this one was as upright as a pine and as tender as a spring shoot. Scaring people, puff puff… a sin.

Qin Zhuopu coughed lightly: “Lu Ying is joking, Grandpa is actually only forty years old, but he has high seniority.” On the ID card Grandpa Lu was indeed just over forty, and even that age was still quite unbelievable.

“Forty or over forty?” Grandma was stunned.

“Hahahaha, don’t be shocked, in-laws. When our families first met back then, I was just as frightened as you were. Such a young grandfather compared to us.” Elder Qin laughed loudly and easily changed the subject. The old man was shrewd; although his grandson explained the age, he had a hunch that things were not that simple. It probably had something to do with Lu Ying’s special physique. The old man had some thoughts but would never ask too much. He was only secretly determined to strengthen his efforts to protect Lu Ying and Zaizai.

At Lu Zaizai’s birthday party, Elder Qin had to go up to the stage to talk. When he went up, he called up Qin Zhuopu and Lu Ying, as well as Lu Zaizai. Then, in front of the guests, he said, “Today is my great-grandson’s seventh birthday, and as his great-grandfather, I wish him a lifetime of peace, health and happiness. From today on, I officially take off the burden of chairman of the board. From then on, the burden of the family will be borne by my grandchildren Zhuopu and Lu Ying. While this old man can still move, I will concentrate on taking our Zaizai to and from school to help my grandchildren and reduce the burden.”

“Grandpa, why are you suddenly…?” Behind him, Qin Zhuopu was surprised. Grandpa had not told him about this.

Next to him, Mrs. Qin quietly stopped him. Apparently she knew about it and probably discussed it with the old man long ago.

Qin Zhuopu secretly sighed and smiled bitterly at Lu Ying. Lu Ying was calm; he was a bakery owner anyway (*^▽^*).

What the old man said was not just for the show. After the banquet was over, he did stop Qin Zhuopu and Lu Ying with his lawyer, first to take off the burden, and then to transfer 8% of his personal shares to Lu Ying.

“Guanhai Group will depend on the two of you to guard it together from now on. Lu Ying, this is Grandpa’s intention. Thank you for being there for Zhuopu.”

Even though he didn’t know how much money it was, Lu Ying was strangely touched by the old man’s actions: “Thank you, Grandpa. I don’t know anything about the company, so it’s the same if you give it to Zhuopu.”

“Silly boy, how can that be the same? If I give it to you, it’s yours, and if he bullies you in the future, you can use the shares to blackmail him, hit him and make him do whatever you say.”

“Really?” Lu Ying was instantly intrigued.

Qin Zhuopu didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry, “Grandpa! Don’t teach Lu Ying bad things.”

“Haha, don’t worry, Grandpa, Zhuopu will never bully me.” Lu Ying was full of confidence.

“Only you bully me.” Qin Zhuopu said meaningfully.

The old man laughed loudly, “It’s good that you guys are happy.”

On the side, Mrs. Qin also couldn’t help but raise the corners of her mouth in a smile. Now the family was happy and bustling, as if they had returned to the glory of when her husband was still alive. This family was warm and happy. She was not old yet and in good spirits. Now that she was back in business, she just wanted to develop her career and expand her business to create better financial conditions for her son. It would also be a good example to the young Zaizai. She didn’t want the child to remember his grandmother as a bitter, boring old lady.

The next day, Qin Zhuopu and Lu Ying personally sent the Qixia Mountain folks off to the airport.

They got together for the birthday this time, and both sides had great fun.

After all the racket, Lu Ying resumed his quiet life as a bakery owner. He was busy with the shop and his home every day, basically shuttling between two points. He didn’t have to worry about Lu Zaizai’s schooling at all, as Zaizai was personally transported by his great-grandfather with a chauffeur and bodyguard during the day. In the evenings, Qin Zhuopu tutored him in his homework, and if Qin Zhuopu was not available, a teacher would come. In short, there was no way for Lu Zaizai to be lazy and not do his homework. In addition to homework, there were also many interest classes, both the outside classes and private classes at home. In the whole family, it seemed that the busiest person was not the company’s president Qin Zhuopu, but the primary school student Lu Zaizai.

In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed and it was the hot summer of the Year of the Rat.

“Huh~ It’s so nice~~” Soaking in the swimming pool, Lu Ying lay comfortably on his back on the water. His son Lu Zaizai was floating beside him, following his example.

Qin Zhuopu pushed the door open, dressed in a white casual outfit.

Lu Ying’s eyes lit up and he quickly swam to the shore: “You’re finally home!” Qin Zhuopu had been away on a business trip for half a month, and Lu Ying had been looking forward to this meeting every day.

“En, straight back from the airport.”

“Dad!” Lu Zaizai shouted happily, “Dad, I’m on summer vacation~”

“I know. Get out, you two. Lao Gao is back with me, Lu Ying, he needs you.”

Lu Ying laughed, “Is his hair growing out?”

Qin Zhuopu snickered and nodded, “Yes. His hair has really grown out. It’s short, but the follicles are healthy and thick. It’s a miracle. He cries every day when he looks in the mirror, saying he’s so handsome. Your medicine is really worth it, it was a loss to sell it to him for 1.8 million.”

“Uh…” Lu Ying sweatdropped, “I bought it from Dr. Hu for 500,000.”

Qin Zhuopu smiled, “Forget it, after Lao Gao I reckon there’ll be more people coming to you, and you can ignore people with less than three million next time.”

“Wow, that’s expensive.” Lu Ying was speechless, “I’ll have to call and ask Brother Ji if he has any stock. I really didn’t expect the hair pills to be so popular.”

“There’s a huge market demand, but it’s a pity that Dr. Hu can’t mass produce them, otherwise I’d really like to get him to collaborate.”

“Forget it then, Dr. Hu can’t leave Qixia Town. He said as long as he makes enough money to spend, if he has it, he can sell it, if not, that’s fine, too. Hehehe, I’ll go and see what Brother Gao looks like now!”

Lu Ying got dressed quickly and excitedly headed to the hall. When he saw Fat Gao on the sofa drinking a cold drink, he burst out laughing, “Brother Gao, you look so young with hair! The short hair is so handsome, it suits you.” Mr. Gao used to be like a big brother with a shiny bald head.

“Haha, right? I used to be this handsome! Thank you for finally bringing back my hair follicles!” Lao Gao cried with joy, holding Lu Ying’s hand for a long time, reluctant to let go. This was his great benefactor!

“Ahem.” Qin Zhuopu  stepped forward and Fat Gao immediately let go of Lu Ying’s hand.

Qin Zhuopu sat next to Lu Ying and intimately hugged his shoulders in a possessive manner.

Fat Gao ignored it and said in excitement, “Lu Ying, do you have any more of these pills? I want to buy more! The more the better! It doesn’t matter how much it costs, just name your price.”

“What do you need so much for?”

Fat Gao cried out bitterly, “My grandfather, my father, my uncle, my second uncle, my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, my nephew… are all bald.”

“Pfft… sorry.” Lu Ying shook with laughter.

Qin Zhuopu held back, picked up a cup of kiwi juice and handed it to Lu Ying to drink.

Lu Ying drank most of the cup in one gulp and went to get the diced beef on the table to throw it into his mouth. As a result, he just chewed it a few times. When he was about to swallow, Lu Ying suddenly retched, his face turned pale and his expression distorted.

“Lu Ying!” Qin Zhuopu jumped in shock.

Fat Gao froze and said, “Did you eat too much cold food and chill your stomach? Hurry up and drink some hot water to warm it up.”

The housekeeper hurriedly brought hot water, and Qin Zhuopu  personally handed it to Lu Ying.

Lu Ying drank a few mouthfuls, weak and looking sickly.

“So uncomfortable…” Lu Ying pounded his chest and closed his eyes uneasily, as if he was enduring something.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you to rest, you’re as white as paper. Lao Gao, you go back first, I’ll contact you next time.”

“Okay, you guys have a good rest.”

After Lu Ying fell asleep, his complexion returned to the same as before.

Qin Zhuopu, however, couldn’t rest assured. Lu Ying had a special physique and would not get sick easily. He didn’t know what but something was wrong. Qin Zhuopu hurriedly walked to the balcony to call Dr. Hu. He would not even consider ordinary doctors and would definitely not send Lu Ying to the hospital for a check-up.

After listening, Dr. Hu was silent for a short while; then he said gently, “He’s not sick.”

“Then what is it?” Qin Zhuopu asked hurriedly.

Dr. Hu laughed.

“Congratulations, you’re going to be a father again. Little Piggy Lu is true to form. As long as he can eat and drink, the fool is blessed.”

“(⊙o⊙)…???”

***

Mini-theatre:

Passerby: Is this your brother? You two brothers look so much alike.

Lu Ying: Not brothers!

Passerby: Ah, sorry. You father and son look so much alike!

Lu Ying: We are not father and son!

Passerby: -_-|| So you guys are?…

Lu Ying: He is my grandfather and I am his grandson, we are grandfather and grandson.

Passerby: You are grandfather and grandson? It’s not like it at all!

Lu Ying: ……

Previous / ToC / Next

“All departments should hurry up and come up with their proposals as soon as possible. This is the end of today’s meeting, let’s disperse.”

In the conference room, Qin Zhuopu announced that the meeting was adjourned and was the first to get up and walk out. As soon as he returned to his office to drink some water, Secretary Zhou knocked on the door and came in, saying aggrieved, “There’s Chen Shuibian’s family again! I just wondered why we were involved in what happened six months ago. It’s all because that son of his is greedy and wants to blackmail us. All the medical expenses that were compensated at the beginning were spent by his son, and now he has no money and wants to continue extorting. Does he think Guanhai Group is easy to bully? He thinks he can use the media and the internet to make a statement and then he can do whatever he wants. Nice try!”

Qin Zhuopu frowned when he heard this. Chen Shuibian was just an ordinary worker on the construction site of “Jinghe Bay”. He was about 50 years old. More than half a year ago, he accidentally fell from a height when he was drunk and his leg was pierced by a steel bar. There was no reason why the company should have been blamed. Even if the family wanted to make a fuss, there was still full video evidence of the scene, and the generous compensation for the medical expenses was already a kind gesture.

The same construction site workers, but people were so different from each other.

Lu Ying’s figure couldn’t help but appear in his mind, and Qin Zhuopu’s tense expression softened in an instant, and even a thoughtful smile was evoked.

“… Mr. Qin, what are your next plans?” Secretary Zhou looked at his boss blankly.

Qin Zhuopu flipped through his schedule, tapped on the desk and said, “Let’s go to Jinghe Bay this afternoon.”

Secretary Zhou almost spurted out a mouthful of tea, confused, “Why are you going to Jinghe Bay again? The weather is so hot, it’s unnecessary for you to go there every two or three days.” What other boss was so much in touch with common people?

“Of course it’s necessary.” Qin Zhuopu looked confident. He couldn’t wait for the afternoon to arrive. What excuse could he find to meet the young man today? An extra meal? Food delivery was definitely the way to go, the boy especially loved food. No, twenty was not a boy, it was an adult who could fall in love.

But Qin Zhuopu didn’t know what kind of person Lu Ying would like, or even whether he liked men or women.

Pondering, meditating… Qin Zhuopu’s own feelings startled him.

Were his feelings urgent to this extent?

Clearly…

The corners of Qin Zhuopu’s mouth could not help but curve in a bitter smile.

“Anyway, Mr. Qin, please take more people with you when you go out, it’s been a bit eventful  lately.” Secretary Zhou politely reminded. Mr. Qin worked very hard since he had taken over the company. But not everyone liked him; there were always some old guys who made trouble and sneaked around secretly. As the saying goes, birds die for food and people die for money. Anything could happen, so it was important to be on guard.

“Grandpa has sent me some good men, don’t worry.” Qin Zhuopu said indifferently.

The sun was blood-boiling in Guanlan City in the late afternoon, and the heat was fierce.

Getting out of the car, Qin Zhuopu subconsciously looked at the construction site. The loud noise echoed in his ears. The strange thing was that he didn’t feel it was noisy, but felt extremely relieved and relaxed. It was more comfortable than staying at the office.

Wonderful magic.

With a smile on his face, Qin Zhuopu walked towards the construction site. The four bodyguards followed him, forming a protective circle. At this time, no one could easily harm Qin Zhuopu.

Although he didn’t want to bring his bodyguards with him, he wouldn’t mess with his own safety.

“Oh, that Mr. Qin is here again, look if that’s him?” High up in the building, someone saw Qin Zhuopu from afar and immediately pointed.

Lu Ying, who was scraping the wall on the side, heard this and subconsciously poked his head out of the window and stretched his neck to see, “Where is he?”

“Haha, does Xiao Lu like Mr. Qin coming over so much? It’s true, Mr. Qin always sends us things every time he comes over, he’s a very sweet young boss. I heard that his father passed away two years ago and his grandfather is now recuperating. Mr. Qin is not yet 30 years old and he’s the boss, it’s not easy to think about. But there are always people who don’t like the idea of someone young taking on a big role. You all saw the news the other day, right? That old geezer Chen Shuibian is really a moron, still looking for trouble. It’s obvious that he didn’t follow the rules, he was drinking and working, who is to blame for his fall? It’s already decent enough to pay for his medical expenses.”

“Are you joking? Isn’t it easy for Mr. Qin? Think about how much money he has in his wallet and tell me he doesn’t have it easy. Naive!”

“But that thing about Chen Shuibian is really unethical…”

“I just want to see if Mr. Qin will give us extra food today? We can have beef for dinner and I can’t resist already.”

Lu Ying didn’t know anything about those things in the company and was listening to the conversation silently. Only when they mentioned extra food did he lick his lips. He looked at the distant big boss outside as he worked and couldn’t wait to get off work. He wanted to eat; he wanted to see Mr. Qin… to see what Mr. Qin delivered today.

I hope it’s delicious (*^▽^*).

Not much later the site closed for the shift. Construction at night would be complained about, so the workers could really rest after a day’s work, walking in the direction of the shed with smiling faces and easy steps.

Qin Zhuopu was already sitting in the shed and warmly entertained by the aunties who were cooking. However, the atmosphere was more than a little uncomfortable. It was really because the bodyguards around Mr. Qin looked too threatening.

“Everyone, hurry up and wash your hands and eat, Mr. Qin has brought us some more dishes. Mr. Qin is so kind…”

“Thank you, Mr. Qin!”

“Thank you…”

Everyone thanked him seriously, washed their hands and sat down to eat in the blink of an eye. Lu Ying wasn’t the first to grab food this time but fell to the last. When he walked past Qin Zhuopu with his head lowered, he blushed and whispered: “Thank you, thank you, Mr. Qin!” After saying this, as if with great effort, he walked a few steps forward, picked up the bowl and chopsticks and turned his back on Qin Zhuopu to eat and drink.

Qin Zhuopu lowered his head and smiled silently.

Even if that was it, he couldn’t complain. Just seeing Lu Ying, looking at Lu Ying would somehow make him feel better. From the bottom of his heart, he was relaxed and happy. If that wasn’t fondness, what else could it be?

But this was not something he would easily show to others.

After sitting for a while longer, Qin Zhuopu left.

From the beginning to the end, he didn’t speak to Lu Ying alone, as if he was really here to show compassion to the employees.

When he left, Lu Ying quietly breathed out. The big boss was sitting there, not eating or drinking, staying quietly, making him uncomfortable and confused. The more he ate, the more uncomfortable he became.

Lu Ying turned around and glanced at the distant, upright figure of the big boss. He could not help but secretly look forward to tomorrow. If only he came over again…

“What? Looking at your expression, do you want Mr. Qin to send delicious food every day?” Ji Xiaofeng noticed the face of his little buddy and couldn’t help laughing at him.

Lu Ying blushed: “Don’t you want to? Everyone likes delicious food.”

Ji Xiaofeng spread his hands mercilessly, “I don’t want to. It doesn’t matter to me, it’s just the same whether I eat it or not. If you really want to eat something, you can go out and buy it.”

“That, that’s not the same. This is from Mr. Qin himself… Buying it, ahem, buying it costs money.” Lu Ying nodded in a fervent manner.

Ji Xiaofeng glared at him, “Tell me what you want to eat, I promise to treat you, no need for you to pay back.”

“Well, it’s nice to have free food…”

“Haha, Xiao Lu is really dreaming.”

Everyone laughed, and Lu Ying lowered his head in embarrassment. His heart was a little lost. The idea was indeed unrealistic.

Fortunately, for three consecutive days after that, although Qin Zhuopu didn’t come, he sent people to distribute fruits and several carts of watermelons to the workers.

After another day, Lu Ying swallowed a mouthful of refreshingly sweet watermelon, washed his hands in satisfaction and followed Ji Xiaofeng out. He and Ji Xiaofeng planned to go out to the night market tonight to buy something and have a snack.

There was still a little bit of sun left in the sky and the evening breeze had picked up, much more comfortable than during the day.

Lu Ying was excited to go out, and the two of them soon arrived at the entrance of the construction site. A car stopped at this moment, the door opened, and Qin Zhuopu walked out of it. Both he and Lu Ying were taken aback when they met.

Ji Xiaofeng broke the silence and said politely, “Mr. Qin.”

“Hello, Mr. Qin!” Lu Ying greeted nervously.

Ji Xiaofeng gave a sidelong glance to his little buddy

Qin Zhuopu faintly raised the corner of his mouth, “Where are you planning to go?”

“Just a casual stroll to the night market nearby… President Qin is here to inspect work at this time? But everyone is already off work.” Ji Xiaofeng said with a frown.

Qin Zhuopu was a bit frustrated. He was late after a busy day but he just particularly wanted to come over for a look. After all, it had been a few days since he had been here, so it was okay to take a look.

Qin Zhuopu shook his head, “No, I’m passing by to take a look. You guys go shopping.”

He politely stepped aside and watched as Lu Ying walked past with Ji Xiaofeng. It was tempting to stop them, but he couldn’t find a suitable reason. Even if he had a reason, what purpose would it have? Although the other man was twenty years old, he looked like a simple boy who didn’t know anything about the world. This kind of boy usually should walk with a young girl on the promenade, or ride a bicycle in the streets and alleys of the city, innocent and romantic, youthful and reckless…

Soon, Lu Ying and his friend had already gone far away.

Qin Zhuopu stood still and stared at Lu Ying’s back in a daze. Suddenly, he saw Lu Ying, who had fallen behind, turn his head and glance at him. With just one glance, Qin Zhuopu’s heart beat fast. An inexplicable sense of tension suddenly rose, and the next moment, he saw Lu Ying’s eyes stare angrily. Then, like a vigorous fierce cheetah Lu Ying lunged at him.

In an instant, he was knocked away violently. There was a loud ‘boom’ in his ears, mixed with a few screams of horror.

“Are you okay?” Lu Ying panted, his face full of unconcealed concern as he stared at Boss Qin, who he had yanked out of the way just in time.

Qin Zhuopu froze for half a second, standing still. Then his heart returned to its original position, “I’m fine, thanks.”

After speaking, he swept his gaze towards the culprit van behind him, his eyes cold. The bodyguards, who had escaped the catastrophe but were not strong enough to protect the boss, had surrounded the van, one rudely opening the door and yanking the driver out.

A few old workers who heard the commotion came out in righteous indignation, looking incredulously at the man who had almost killed Mr. Qin, “Chen Shoucai! I didn’t expect you to be so vicious, how dare you hit Mr. Qin with your car? Have you gone mad? Your father has such a greedy scum for a son, his life is over now! You’ll be going to jail!”

“He’s Chen Shuibian’s son?”

Lu Ying was furious when he heard these words, went over and kicked Chen Shoucai: “What a bastard! It’s not enough to harm your own father, you want to get Mr. Qin killed. You are terrible! People like you should go to jail and never be released. If I hadn’t suddenly noticed something was wrong, you would have killed Mr. Qin! How could you try to run him over! He is such a good man!”

It was the first time everyone saw an angry Lu Ying, and they found it unbelievable when they saw him kick Chen Shoucai, who was rolling around in pain and wailing. Ji Xiaofeng stepped forward and pulled Lu Ying away, “Why are you so excited, it’s not like he hit you.” His tone was light, and Lu Ying choked for a moment, his heart very unhappy, but he didn’t know what to say.

Just now he turned around for a moment and saw the van rushing towards Mr. Qin, and for the first time in his life he experienced the discomfort of his heart almost stopping!

Without any thought at all, he rushed to the man and yanked him away a second before the van hit him.

Fortunately, Mr. Qin was unharmed.

The incident was so serious that the police soon came to deal with it. Qin Zhuopu didn’t say anything and left with the police. He, the victim, was uncharacteristically calm compared to the angry Lu Ying.

Only Qin Zhuopu himself knew that the decision he made at the moment would affect the lives of two people.

Another week passed and Mr. Qin didn’t show up again. Lu Ying, who still ate and drank enough every day, would occasionally get distracted and absent-minded. But seeing the news and hearing everyone talk, he knew that the evil deeds of Chen Shuibian’s family were finally made known to the world and Guanhai Group completely cleared its name.

When he saw Qin Zhuopu again, it was still on the construction site. Lu Ying loaded a cart of bricks, looked up and saw Qin Zhuopu walking towards him step by step. His clean black leather shoes were covered with dust, but he didn’t care. His deep, gentle eyes smiled at Lu Ying slightly, like the brightest stars in the night sky.

“Lu Ying. Thank you for saving me that day.”

Lu Ying held his breath, feeling hungry and panicked, “It’s nothing, you’re welcome.”

Qin Zhuopu spoke again, his eyes full of sincerity: “I want to invite you to dinner, is it possible?”

Is it possible… of course it was.

Lu Ying subconsciously nodded.

“Thank you.”

Qin Zhuopu’s uneasy heart completely calmed down, “Come with me.”

“Where to?”

“If you’re willing, I’d like to take my time and treat you to a meal all over the city.”

Of course I’m willing!

How in the world could such a beautiful thing happen? What a generous man!

Since then, Qin Zhuopu had been true to his word, inviting Lu Ying out to dinner every two or three days, each time to a different place. Sometimes it was a luxurious high-end hotel restaurant, sometimes it was a private restaurant in a remote alley. No matter where they went to eat, Qin Zhuopu never let Lu Ying down.

Every time he ate, his bright smile to Lu Ying was more pleasant than any delicious food.

From strangers to acquaintances, from unfamiliar to familiar, there is nothing that can’t be solved by a meal. If one meal doesn’t work, then have two.

Qin Zhuopu never concealed his fondness for the young man again, doing his best and treating him warmly. And in private, he carefully thought about how to confess his feelings.

In the blink of an eye, it was Christmas.

As usual, he asked Lu Ying out to dinner at a couples’ restaurant with a great atmosphere.

The waiter was playing soft romantic music and the dessert in his mouth could melt hearts. Lu Ying’s face had been hot since he came in, and every time he looked around the room, his head drooped lower. Just now, inadvertently, he had seen something unbelievable!

“Lu Ying, is the dessert good?” Qin Zhuopu asked with a smile, his eyes full of doting tenderness.

Lu Ying nodded, “Very delicious, you are so kind! After I left the mountain, you are the best and nicest person I have ever met…”

“Because I treat you to good food?” Qin Zhuopu asked, wanting to laugh and feeling helpless.

“En.” Lu Ying nodded and shook his head, “It’s not just that. I don’t know how to say it, but I can feel it anyway, you’re really nice.”

Qin Zhuopu smiled wryly; was this a nice guy card?

“Thank you for complimenting me for being a good person.”

Lu Ying suddenly spoke, “That… I want to ask you something.”

“What is it? Just ask.” Qin Zhuopu was curious.

Lu Ying quietly gestured with his eyes to a table not far away, “Look over there… at the two men, I just saw them kissing. This, this…”

Qin Zhuopu’s heart sank. He was worried about the success of his plans for tonight but he still answered frankly: “They are a gay couple, which is normal. Since ancient times there have been women who loved women and men who loved men.”

“Ah! Oh oh oh!” Lu Ying was astonished: “So this is… is okay?”

Qin Zhuopu smiled bitterly, “Do you find it repulsive?”

Lu Ying grunted a little, suddenly covered his face and said nothing.

“What, scared?” Qin Zhuopu couldn’t help but reach out to stroke his hair while his heart felt cold.

Lu Ying looked up, took a deep breath and looked at Qin Zhuopu with his face red, “I, I…”

“What’s wrong with you?” Qin Zhuopu was a little worried.

Lu Ying shivered and said, “I, I actually want… to kiss you.”

“!!!” Qin Zhuopu was struck by lightning.

“What?”

Was it an auditory hallucination?

Lu Ying blushed blood-red and stammered, “Your mouth… looks delicious.” He must have been charmed by a fox spirit to say such words and give birth to such a thought. Before, he thought it was an illusion and he was thinking too much. But today, seeing two men making out with each other, his chaotic mind suddenly had a revelation.

He, in particular, wanted to taste Qin Zhuopu’s mouth. That mouth was ever so gentle, talking to him softly, spellbinding and very comforting. If you didn’t see or hear it for a day, that day would be tasteless.

Lu Ying had never been like that before he met Qin Zhuopu. He had watched many TV series and he knew that it was strange.

Today, he finally understood.

Actually that was…

“I like you.”

A kiss, a gentle kiss, a passionate kiss. Their lips met and Lu Ying was kissed to the point of breathlessness, but he couldn’t let go. Finally he was ‘eating’ the ‘treat’ he had dreamed of. As his intuition had predicted, it was sweeter than dessert, more beautiful than gourmet food.

Qin Zhuopu wrapped his arms around the lover of his dreams and was overflowing with love. He loved the young man’s smiling face, his lovely mouth, his sultry eyebrows. He loved his shyness, his kindness, his bravery and even more his frankness.

The closer he got, the more uncontrollably and deeply in love he was.

“Thank you for liking me.”

Qin Zhuopu lightly kissed Lu Ying’s forehead.

Once again, his gentle voice quietly lingered in Lu Ying’s ears. “Lu Ying, I’ve always liked you.”

From the very first encounter.

***

Mini-theatre:

Lu Ying: Pig trotters are delicious!

Mr. Qin: If it’s delicious, eat more.

Lu Ying: The chicken feet are delicious!

Mr. Qin: Eat as much as you like.

Lu Ying: You are also delicious (*^▽^*)

Mr. Qin: I’m already lying flat ^_^

Previous / ToC / Next

Translator’s note: Extras 3 and 4 are flashback extras about Lu Ying and Qin Zhuopu meeting each other.

“What’s going on? Why didn’t anyone tell me? ”

In the office, the newly appointed young boss poked angrily at the news headlines. The dazzling big characters were like the early morning sun outside, burning people’s eyes.

Who will give him justice? Where is the integrity of Guanhai Group!

[Migrant worker Chen Shuibian told reporters that so far, his high medical expenses had not been paid… The hospital has repeatedly emphasised that if he doesn’t have surgery, his lower limbs are very likely to be paralysed… However, the person responsible for Guanhai Group has yet to show up…]

Secretary Zhou stared at the newspaper, his face suddenly turning ugly as he said angrily: “It’s actually this old thing? Nowadays, the media likes to fan the flames to bring in traffic. Mr. Qin, please listen to me! The person in charge of Jinghe Bay has already contacted the family surnamed Chen, and the medical expenses have also been paid. At that time, they obviously settled the case, but now it has been pulled out again six months later, and they directly contacted the reporter. This is clearly greed and an attempt to blackmail. Or maybe there is someone behind it. Seeing that the Jinghe Bay project is finally coming to an end, some guys must be unable to sit still and want to jump out and disgust people. Before, Director Qin suppressed them, but now it must be because you are young and newly appointed that they want to stir trouble…”

Listening to the secretary’s righteous indignation, Qin Zhuopu’s expression didn’t ease at all.

It was now late summer turning into early autumn in Guanlan City, and the heat was raging wildly, making people restless. In the morning, the air conditioning was fully turned on in the office, but Mr. Qin, who came to work in high spirits, couldn’t calm down. He had been back in China for less than six months and took charge of the Qin family three months ago, basically forced to take up the post. Originally he had not expected to take on the responsibility so early, but at the moment the family situation was complicated and he had to take the lead.

After he took over, as he expected, all sorts of big and small things came up in the company, not to mention some elders who liked to make things worse.

“Jinghe Bay” was one of the Guanhai Group’s real estate projects, which started when his father was alive and was now waiting to be completed. It was a smooth project and Qin Zhuopu didn’t expect anything bad to happen.

“Tell the media to take it easy and contact the hospital yourself to find out what’s going on. I’ll finish my meeting in the morning and go to Jinghe Bay in the afternoon.”

Secretary Zhou frowned: “Mr. Qin is going to ‘Jinghe Bay’ in person? It’s a construction site now, so it’s not easy to say what the security situation is, and I’m afraid there are media and sneaky people around the place.”

Qin Zhuopu sneered and said disapprovingly, “I’m not any safer sitting in my office, am I?”

Secretary Zhou was speechless; Mr. Qin’s words were not unjustified. A few days ago, Mr. Qin had fired an old meritorious employee of the company whose hands were unclean, and the other party relied on being an old man and resisted. The next day, he came to the door and tried to play tricks. Although he was stopped by the bodyguards, Mr. Qin’s mood didn’t improve. There might be people behind his back who would accuse him of being ruthless and ungrateful.

In the afternoon, the suburbs of Guanlan City looked a bit eerily silent, the searing heat outside like an invisible distorted net. When Qin Zhuopu came out of the cool car, the big net immediately swooped up and enveloped him, leaving no room to breathe.

Qin Zhuopu inhaled deeply, took out his sun hat and sunglasses, put them on, turned around and walked into the large construction site of “Jinghe Bay” with his two bodyguards.

At two o’clock in the afternoon, the construction site was quiet, with only sporadic noises of operation. “Jinghe Bay” was now in the fifth phase of the project. The front had been completed and sold out. The luxurious sales office was the most conspicuous place. Qin Zhuopu paused and decided to go in and take a look. Anyway, he and his bodyguards were dressed casually today, and no one would recognise him.

As he stepped into the spotlessly clean sales office, a refreshing coolness poured over his head, making him feel extraordinarily comfortable.

The lobby was now full of people, both uniformed salesmen and customers, men, women and children, who came to see the popular properties. The start of the sales of the property was just around the corner and it was a busy time recently.

When the three of them entered, they didn’t attract any attention for a while. Qin Zhuopu walked towards the model on the table and listened to the salesman’s presentation to the other customers, and then followed them to see the showroom. When he came out, his tense face was a little warmer. He glanced at the free fruit and drinks at the bar and walked towards the water dispenser quickly, only to collide with someone. Before Qin Zhuopu could react, he heard a sincere apology: “I’m sorry! I was in a hurry and bumped into you.”

In just one sentence, who knows what magic power it contained, but not only didn’t Qin Zhuopu get angry at all, he subconsciously raised the corner of his mouth without lifting his head and said, “It’s okay…”

When he looked up, he only saw the back of the owner of the voice, his hand raised high as he left: “Thank you!” The slender figure was in a hurry, dressed in a pure white short-sleeved t-shirt and washed-out jeans that couldn’t hide the young man’s long, slender legs. The young man looked like a student.

Qin Zhuopu didn’t take this episode to heart and drank two glasses of water before entering the dirty construction area with his bodyguard.

“Huhu… Fortunately, I caught up, I was almost late!” Running back to the work shed in one breath, Lu Ying lifted up the hem of his white t-shirt and rubbed his face indiscriminately, wiping away the sweat that didn’t actually exist. But he was too afraid of the heat, and after staying in the sun for a few minutes, he felt so hot that he wanted to soak in the fridge.

After he finished work in the morning, he ate his lunch and rushed to the sales office to find an empty corner to lie on the floor tiles and take a nap under the air conditioner. The big brothers and sisters in the sales office never said anything to him and even called him to eat fruit every time he went there.

Ji Xiaofeng also looked like he had only just woken up, raising his hand to throw Lu Ying his helmet and jacket, yawning and saying: “I think it’s just moving bricks this afternoon, no need to push cement. Let’s finish early and go out for a walk.”

“Yeah! I still want to go to that place where we had ice cream last time, it’s so tasty.” Lu Ying nimbly put on his jacket and fastened his helmet, his bright eyes full of anticipation for ice cream.

Ji Xiaofeng snickered, “Of course, it’s tasty, but if you go and eat one, it will cost you two days’ salary.”

“What does that matter, I earn money just to buy delicious food.”

Ji Xiaofeng didn’t think so: “You’re really a pig, purely a foodie. Is it better eating so much than going to the amusement park a few more times?”

Lu Ying pursed his lips and said in a small voice: “You really don’t get tired of playing…” He had followed his friend to play in all the amusement parks in Guanlan City, some of them even repeatedly. To him, compared to amusement parks, of course it was the food that made him happiest! (*^▽^*)

The two of them walked into the terrible sun while chatting, and soon devoted themselves to their work.

Auntie Wang, who was in charge of cooking in the work shed, saw that the two of them had gone far away, and immediately sighed and said to her son beside her: “Wangzi, you have to study hard, otherwise you will have to be like them when you graduate, working hard to move bricks at a young age. ”

The young man wearing glasses, who was still in high school and took advantage of the break to come to his parents to get living expenses, nodded, but in his heart he somewhat disapproved of his mother’s contempt. Although the two men were working on the construction site, their stunning appearance was a rare sight. If they wanted to make money, they had plenty of foundation. They also never complained about their work and never complained about being tired. They always looked happy and had a really good attitude. Seeing them made his stressful high school life a little less unbearable. 

“I see that they both work quite hard and are in exceptionally good health.” Auntie Chen joined the conversation: “I wanted to introduce some nice girls from my hometown to them, but I don’t think it’s a good idea, they’re still young and spend too much money! That Xiao Ji is always playing around, and Xiao Lu is always eating and drinking. The little money he earns is just spent for his own pleasure, he doesn’t think about saving up a bit.”

“That’s right, how can you live a life like that…”

The person in charge of the construction led Qin Zhuopu forward, carefully shuttling through the busy construction site among the sounds of various machinery. The smell of steel and concrete filled the air. It was clear that the construction site was hotter and harder than anywhere else in the scorching sun. 

With a mineral water bottle in his hand, Qin Zhuopu walked, taking a sip every now and then and almost finishing the whole bottle. His hair under the sun hat was damp and his forehead, his face and his body was covered in hot sweat everywhere.

Qin Zhuopu didn’t say anything about how uncomfortable he was, and his face didn’t change.

“Mr. Qin, this is Building 12. The low building next to it is the electricity substation, and not far ahead is where the workers live.”

Qin Zhuopu nodded, “Since we’re here, let’s take a look at them all.” After saying that, he picked up the mineral water again and took a sip.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in his line of sight.

No, to be precise, it was a migrant worker trotting quickly forward pushing a cart full of bricks. He was dressed in dusty overalls, there was a helmet on his head and his strikingly upright figure was very eye-catching. As he ran, his relaxed posture was very energetic. It was as if this was not a messy construction site, but a clean and free school playground.

Was he a poor student who had come to work during the summer vacation?

Under the strong sunlight, Qin Zhuopu couldn’t see the young worker’s face, but he subconsciously moved to the side. He waited until the young worker with the cart came so close that he was able to hear the sound of heavy breathing. He couldn’t help but take off his hat; it was too hot and stuffy.

The distance got closer, and the young man looked up. His eyes were full of surprise and wonder. He stopped the cart and stood in front of them at a loss. Then he said in a small voice: “Hello, general manager…” After speaking, he lowered his head, but the next moment he suddenly looked up again for some reason and quickly glanced at the strange man next to the general manager. The young man’s white face covered in sweat turned inexplicably red.

The general manager smiled and nodded: “Xiao Lu is working hard.”

Lu Ying hurriedly shook his head, a little shy, “No, it’s not hard work, it’s just work.” As he said this, he glanced at the man next to the general manager with his eyes lit brightly

Qin Zhuopu, who had been silent, was stunned.

White, very white, so white that no amount of dust and dirt could stop it from being white, this face could not be described as simply clean and clear.

The beads of sweat on the young man’s pale cheeks looked particularly upsetting, dense like raindrops, showing how hot he was. In an instant, that was the only thing Qin Zhuopu could think of, all other matters suddenly forgotten.

“It’s a hot day, thank you for your hard work.” He reached out and handed over a clean handkerchief, his voice gentle unlike ever before. Qin Zhuopu was surprised by his own gesture.

“No, no need! Thank you! I’ll go back to work…” Seeing the handed over handkerchief, Lu Ying subconsciously chose to escape with his cart. He didn’t want to stay any longer, it must be too hot and his brain was stuffy. Why else would his brain be in turmoil and his heart beat wildly? Raising his hand to casually wipe the beads of sweat on his face, Lu Ying ran farther and farther away, and when he reached his destination he couldn’t wait to find the hose and pour water over his head… immediately letting out a shriek of ‘ow’ that scared the colleagues next to him.

“It’s burning me to death… huh!” Lu Ying covered his head helplessly. What came out of the hose was hot water! Pouring it over his head was simply fatal!

The colleagues laughed: “Xiao Lu, you are not dizzy from the heat but you’ve decided to burn a layer of skin with the afternoon water? Why are you so careless today? Are you okay?”

“Don’t burn your head bald and waste your good looks.”

“You’re not your usual self, you’re so rash. What, is there a pretty girl chasing after you? Hahaha…”

“Hahaha…”

Lu Ying now had a red face and wet hair, and his heart still hadn’t calmed down. Hearing all this, he muttered, “Where are there any pretty girls…” Instead, there was a big man who looked strange… No, it wasn’t that he was strange, it was that he reacted strangely.

“Who is that?” When the young man was out of sight, Qin Zhuopu withdrew his gaze and asked offhandedly.

The general manager hurriedly answered, “That’s a little guy from the construction site, moving bricks, called Lu Ying. He also has a friend and the two of them have only been here for about three months. Don’t look at Xiao Lu’s young age, he was born with natural strength and is really good at his job. Within two days of his arrival, he had caused a sensation and I came to see him myself. I think someone even posted a video of him carrying bricks on the internet and many people found it interesting. Hehe, the main reason is that Xiao Lu’s face is so handsome that it’s a bit extravagant to come to a construction site to move bricks. I heard that a live network wanted to come and sign them both a while ago, but I didn’t expect them to turn it down.”

“Which Lu, which Ying?” Qin Zhuopu asked.

The general manager was taken aback and answered seriously, “Lu as “land”, Ying as “English”, seems to be some kind of herb name.”

“Lu Ying…”

Qin Zhuopu opened his mouth and sighed silently, “Such a person…” to actually see him on the construction site… But after thinking about it carefully, he couldn’t describe what kind of person Lu Ying was. He was really not just an innocent boy with outstanding appearance.

The moment he saw those clear eyes, Qin Zhuopu thought in a daze that the young man shouldn’t have been here, such a person should be in the deep valley of the green mountains and forests, carefree and running around without worries.

“This child is very inexperienced, just out of some mountains, twenty years old and has never studied, quite pitiful… I have been in contact with him a few times, he is very simple.” Happy and carefree as long as there is food, the general manager thought.

Qin Zhuopu stared: “He is twenty years old?” He thought the young man was eighteen at most.

“Yes, it’s just that his temperament is simple and he looks younger. Oddly likeable. Those old geezers on the construction site love to praise him. It’s hard to see such a young man nowadays.”

I have never seen anyone like this before either.

Qin Zhuopu exhaled deeply and shook his hot, damp head.

The heat was still scorching, but the road ahead seemed a little more exciting.

As he expected, when he turned around the corner of another building, by a small hill of piled bricks and stones, he saw Lu Ying again, working under the hot sun.

Bending over to put bricks into the cart, Lu Ying was fast and precise. Sweat slipped from time to time on his cheeks, and his face was dirtier than before, streaked grey and black. But the look of concentration still was eye-catching.

Qin Zhuopu looked away and wiped the sweat off his forehead. Stunned out of his mind, he must have been… dizzy.

The bricks were loaded, and Lu Ying turned to the cart, not expecting to see the strange man with the general manager again. As if he had met someone scary, Lu Ying ducked his head quickly and pushed the cart away, breathing hard.

General manager: “……” Why did Xiao Lu seem strange today?

Qin Zhuopu: “……” Hell, he actually felt that the young man was shy? Was Lu Ying looking at him just now?

Qin Zhuopu suddenly turned sideways, his sharp eyes sweeping over the general manager and the two bodyguards.

The bodyguards: “?”

General manager: “?”

Plain-looking, no need to worry about.

Qin Zhuopu smiled faintly, “It’s alright.”

Qin Zhuopu left the construction site very late, but it was a pity he had never seen the young man again after that.

Two days later at noon, as soon as the lunch break horn sounded, Lu Ying dashed towards the work shed, with Ji Xiaofeng following helplessly, “Can Brother convince you to stop behaving like this every time you eat?”

Lu Ying clutched his stomach as he ran, “I’m starving!”

“Haha, don’t worry, Xiao Lu, you can eat as much as you want, no one will grab it from you.” The foreman laughed, reassuring the young man.

“Young people have really good appetites, I used to be able to finish three big bowls in one go, but not now.”

When they arrived at the shed, everyone took out their bowls and chopsticks and habitually lined up for their meals.

Lu Ying was the first to arrive, so he was naturally the first to eat. Today’s dishes were three vegetarian and one meat, fried lettuce with meat, tomato and egg, stir-fried zucchini, and stewed chicken nuggets with potatoes.

The aunties’ skills were average, but anything tastes good when you are hungry. Lu Ying squatted in the shadows by the shed, eating without lifting his head.

It was not until a pair of feet suddenly appeared in front of him that Lu Ying looked up and saw the man he had seen two days ago. He had only seen the man once but he actually hadn’t forgotten him for two days and would inexplicably think of him at night.

“……” Lu Ying was completely dumbfounded.

Qin Zhuopu lowered his eyes and averted his gaze. The general manager next to him said loudly, “This is Mr. Qin, the president of our company. Today, Mr. Qin has specially brought some food for everyone… for everyone who is working hard in the heat…”

“Ah, this is Mr. Qin… so young…”

“What brings him to our place…”

“What’s good to eat?”

The aunties gathered around to help, and everyone was very happy. What Mr. Qin had sent them was all summer cold dishes. And all of them were meat dishes. Braised pig trotters, braised beef, braised pig tails, duck necks, big chicken legs… there were many varieties and the portions were big.

Lu Ying already couldn’t care about any strange things anymore. Swallowing his saliva, he looked around quickly, nimbly picked up a lot of dishes and squatted aside happily to taste them. Afraid that Ji Xiaofeng might not get a bite, he even grabbed a pig trotter for his little friend.

But Ji Xiaofeng shook his head in disgust: “I don’t want to eat it, I only want to eat vegetables.”

“Then I’ll eat them all.” Lu Ying smiled.

Ji Xiaofeng nodded, took a look at the out-of-place President Qin and muttered in a low voice: “I didn’t expect the boss to be so young and generous. I thought it was an old man before.”

“Yes, yes. Generous, so kind!” Lu Ying commented in a low voice.

Seeing the group huddled, engaged in a frenzied eating, smiling because of the food he had brought, and seeing everyone’s happy faces, Qin Zhuopu felt that what could have been just a little selfish gesture really touched his heart.

Qin Zhuopu was pulled inside by an auntie to sit under the fan. They didn’t dare to call him to eat together. From his point of view, Qin Zhuopu could just see Lu Ying’s back but he could watch it with impunity.

He found that the young man… ate a lot.

After lunch was over, the general manager’s assistant came over, hot and sweaty, and brought a few people.

The general manager immediately smiled and told everyone, “Mr. Qin said that it’s hard to work in the heat, so you should do a good job of protecting yourselves from the sun. Now come and get the sunscreen, each person a set, and there is also a repair gel prescribed by the doctor, an ointment specifically for sunburns…”

At these words, several aunties were immediately overjoyed: “Aigoo, Mr. Qin is really a great person! This is good, this is good!”

“You’re not afraid of the sun if you put it on? Then we have to try it.”

Lu Ying and Ji Xiaofeng also got their share.

Lu Ying sighed in a low voice again: “Mr. Qin is really good…”

After everyone was lively, it was time to take a nap. They were tired from work, and no one could bear to work all day. The lunch break became a very important rest time.

Qin Zhuopu was very conscious and took his people away one step early.

Lu Ying slipped to the sales office again, put the bamboo mat on the cold floor tiles in the corner of the building, lay down and fell asleep, cool and comfortable.

“……”

Qin Zhuopu looked at the person on the floor in amazement. He had never expected to see Lu Ying here again. And the other party was in this posture…

Qin Zhuopu stood in a daze, unable to walk away.

Suddenly, the man on the floor sat up, staring at him sharply.

Qin Zhuopu’s heart skipped a beat: “You…”

“Ah… it’s you.” Lu Ying exhaled, and then he nimbly got up from the floor: “Mr. Qin, Mr. Qin… I’m leaving now. I’ll never sleep here again, sorry!” After all, it was very disruptive to the ‘cityscape’ and the boss definitely didn’t like it when he saw it.

“No need.”

Qin Zhuopu opened his mouth with difficulty, his heart beating almost unbearably, “The work shed is hot, here is cool. You can sleep if you like…” But was this a good place to sleep?

“Really? Thank you…” Lu Ying was overjoyed and stood in place stiffly, not daring to go to sleep straight away.

“I’ll go first.”

Qin Zhuopu was very sensible and turned to leave, walking away quickly.

“…oh.” Only when the other party walked far away, turned the corner and disappeared, did Lu Ying slowly answer, then lay down again. But now he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

He closed his eyes and quietly thought.

Every day was sunny, hot and uncomfortable. He had grown up hating the summer heat, and it was the first time he had ever spent a summer in a big city of steel and concrete. It was even worse than he could have imagined.

The summer in the city was too difficult; he didn’t like it. He had been hesitating whether to go back to the mountains to cool off or to stay in the city to work and play.

At this moment, he was lying on the cool floor, but what came to his mind was the quiet and cool night of Qixia Mountain, the sky full of stars, shining brightly.

There was one among them, particularly bright.

***

Mini-theatre:

Mr. Qin: (Really moved; but he looks so young, what should I do?)

Lu Ying: (I must be starving to death)

Qin Zhuopu: How old is he?

General manager: Twenty.

Mr. Qin: (Happy heart)

Lu Ying: (I get so hungry every time I see that nice big guy Mr. Qin, what should I do?)

Mr. Qin: I invite you to dinner.

Lu Ying: …… ⊙o⊙ excited (even more hungry after eating!)

Mr. Qin: I invite you to dinner.

Lu Ying: (continues to eat, continues to be hungry)

Mr. Qin: I…

Lu Ying: I’ll buy you dinner today!

Mr. Qin: Good (*^▽^*)

Lu Ying: You are so nice.

Mr. Qin: ……??? (Want to die, I’ve been issued a nice guy card)

Lu Ying: Yah! Why are you fainting?

Previous / ToC / Next

“……”

Lu Ying, whose perspective was suddenly completely different, was dumbfounded and looked down to see that his arms and legs had turned into pig’s trotters, white and chubby. Lu Ying, panicked, hurriedly raised his head to look at Qin Zhuopu The extreme expression of the other party, who seemed to have forgotten to breathe in his shock, stabbed Lu Ying so deeply that it seemed that after the sword in his chest, Lu Ying got an arrow in his knee. No, in the centre of his forehead!

It was over!

“Humph humph humph.” Lu Ying was spinning around, grimacing and grunting.

In front of Qin Zhuopu’s dumbfounded eyes, his handsome, lovely, cherished lover had disappeared. There was only a fat, white, chubby, dumb little pig scurrying around, really fat, like an inflatable pig.

It was only a little bigger than a pet pig, but much rounder. Apart from the meat, there were no curves or bones to be seen on its small body. His lover, Lu Ying, on the other hand, was tall, with long legs, a thin waist, a nice ass and abs, and as beautiful as a flower.

The truth was right in front of Qin Zhuopu. He had always thought his lover was a deer, but he was actually a pig???

A real pig! Pig’s head, pig’s brain, pig’s ears… Qin Zhuopu pounded his chest, for fear that his heart would jump out uncontrollably.

Hold on, hold on! Can’t scream, can’t laugh! If you don’t want to be a bachelor, hold back!

“Humph.” The round, fat pig rushed towards Qin Zhuopu, lifted its short hoof and kicked Qin Zhuopu’s calf, spitting out the words, “What do you mean, you big pig hoof? You won’t even lift your head when you see me!”

The pig’s hoof kicked him a few more times, “You’ve changed your mind! You only like deer and not me! Cheater!”

Qin Zhuopu looked down at the little fat pig who was jumping up and waving its pig’s hoof. His heart filled with tears, but his mouth subconsciously defended himself, “I, I have always misunderstood you. I thought you were a deer! Hey, it was a big misunderstanding.”

The little fat pig instantly lowered the hoof and tilted its head to stare at the man with sharp little eyes: “Is that really true?”

Qin Zhuopu nodded vigorously, “It’s true! Why else would I like deer so much? I’m not really interested in any pet animals. No one in my family has any pets either. It was because when I went to Qixia Mountain seven years ago, your Grandpa Lu came out to meet me, and he was a talking stag. You and he look alike, and I thought you were the same race as him.” He regarded himself as a wise man. Unexpectedly, he had always been preconceived and completely misunderstood the truth. Grandpa Lu was a stag, but Lu Ying was his adopted child. No one said that they would be of the same race.

“Humph, so that’s it.” Satisfied, the little fat pig continued to stare at Qin Zhuopu with sharp little eyes, “I’m not as noble and elegant as a deer, nor am I as sexy and charming as a deer, humph.”

Qin Zhuopu held his forehead: “No, no, no, the deer is not noble or charming at all! Next time I will take you to eat grilled venison! Grilled and steamed, braised and fried, whatever you like!

“You just praised the deer for its innocence and cuteness.” The little fat pig sulked.

Qin Zhuopu’s expression was deep: “Across the human world, the demon world, the animal world, only you are the cutest!”

“Then why don’t you give me a hug?” The little fat pig’s eyes were tearful and gently watched him with longing.

In an instant, Qin Zhuopu’s heart melted and the little fat pig immediately fell into the familiar broad embrace. It was so strong, Lu Ying could feel his lover’s feverish heartbeat and it gave him an indescribable sense of security.

Qin Zhuopu hugged the little fat pig, staring at it apprehensively and nervously, fearing that he might misunderstand the expression on the pig’s face. But in his heart, he couldn’t help but mutter that the pig was not very big, but… really heavy. No wonder Lu Ying usually ate and drank a lot but didn’t gain weight. It turned out that it was all hidden. With this figure, the weight was over the limit countless times.

But no matter how fat he was, no matter if he was a human or a pig, Lu Ying was Lu Ying.

“Are you surprised that I’m a pig?” The little fat pig asked solemnly, staring into Qin Zhuopu’s eyes.

Qin Zhuopu sighed soundlessly, “I’m not going to lie to you, I’m stunned.”

“Are you scared?” The little fat pig asked again.

“Of course I was scared. I thought you were a deer, but you turned out to be a pig.”

“Do you still like me then?”

“Of course, I have always only liked you.”

With Lu Ying’s questions, Qin Zhuopu’s mood completely relaxed and a warm smile returned to his face once again.

The little fat pig stopped asking questions and peacefully nestled in Qin Zhuopu’s arms, making a satisfied “humph” sound. Lu Ying tossed and turned, finding a comfortable angle, closed his eyes and started dozing off. After a long eventful night, he was really tired and sleepy. And the unpredictable transformation left him a deflated ball of meat, fatigued to the core.

“You’re going to sleep? Don’t worry, I will keep a good eye on you… Lu Ying.” Qin Zhuopu tried his best to gently reassure the little fat pig.

The little fat pig squinted, couldn’t hold on and immediately fell asleep.

Qin Zhuopu stared at the little fat pig for a long, long time, and after making sure the pig was asleep, he finally dared to exhale.

“……”

What is this, what is this?

Qin Zhuopu didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh as he rubbed his temples. Lu Ying was a big eater and a strong man, but he actually loved to sleep very much as well…

All signs pointed to the fact that he was not a deer, but a pig!

Then Qin Zhuopu remembered that Lu Ying said many times in the past that he liked pigs. He also liked to buy gadgets with pig elements. He even admitted that he was a pig, that he was a big pig, and Lu Zaizai was a little pig.

Qin Zhuopu stared at the sleeping little fat pig in a daze, his expression hard to describe. But no matter how you looked at it, Lu Ying was Lu Ying. Even if he was a pig, he was still the cutest Lu Ying! In the past, Qin Zhuopu had only eaten pork and seen pigs running… But he hadn’t paid much attention to the characteristics of pigs. He really didn’t like them at all and because he was not interested, he wouldn’t go near them.

But from now on, he was going to be a man who loved pigs!

He put the little fat piggy under the blanket and lay on his side, his palm gently stroking the little pig’s round back. Under his soothing gestures the little fat pig slept even more soundly. Qin Zhuopu touched the little pig’s butt a few times. It was so fleshy that he couldn’t help but smirk.

Throughout the night, Qin Zhuopu didn’t sleep very well. He woke up every few minutes to look at the little fat pig lying next to him. Unconsciously, already in the morning, Qin Zhuopu fell asleep.

Lu Ying sat up comfortably and yawned. His whole body felt soft and lazy, as if it had been emptied. He immediately lay down again. He didn’t want to transform outside of Qixia Mountain next time. It hurt his mind and body and it would take several days to regain his energy level.

When Qin Zhuopu opened his eyes, he found the familiar lover lying in his arms and saw the face he knew best. He couldn’t help but smile a little as he hugged Lu Ying and kissed him.

“What time is it?” Lu Ying muttered.

“Half past eight. You go back to sleep, I have to go to the office.”

“Oh… wait!” Lu Ying suddenly sat up and called out to Qin Zhuopu.

“What?”

Lu Ying instantly glared at him in disgust, “You’re actually still wearing those pyjamas, do you want me to tear them with my own hands?”

“Er… I’ll deal with them immediately. There are other things, too. I’ll remove the paintings in the study and the living room and get new plates, okay, ah? Don’t be jealous. In my eyes you are a unique existence that no one can replace.”

Lu Ying smiled and hummed, “You’re self-aware, that’s more like it. But you shouldn’t waste those things blindly, you should sell them.”

“Okay, I spent a lot of money on that painting, it’s a bit of a pity to resell it. How about giving it to Grandpa Lu?”

“Sure.”

Qin Zhuopu stifled a laugh and said, “So, what are you going to call your bakery?” He admitted that pigs were cute, but it really wasn’t a very good idea for a shop’s name.

“Not telling you! I’ve thought of it now anyway.”

“Fine. It’s your shop, you decide.”

“I’m hungry, let’s go have breakfast together.”

“My pleasure,” Qin Zhuopu smiled, took Lu Ying’s hand, and they walked downstairs intimately.

During the New Year holidays, Lu Ying was busy preparing for the opening of the bakery, so the housekeeper came over early every day to take care of the three meals.

A sumptuous breakfast was waiting on the dining table, but Lu Zaizai had already disappeared.

The housekeeper said, “Old Master came over early in the morning and now he is walking around the community with Zaizai.”

“Grandpa is really early.” Qin Zhuopu exclaimed, passing the warmed milk to Lu Ying, who opened his mouth and took a sip straight away. There was a ring of white around his lips as he took the sandwich and bit into it. He was so weak at the moment that he was in desperate need of nourishment.

Qin Zhuopu picked a mini sausage and ate one himself, then fed one to Lu Ying. The two men ate together, full of affection, blinding the housekeeper’s old eyes.

The housekeeper shivered and lowered her head to avoid the sight, ready to go to the kitchen to prepare the noon stew. Every time she went grocery shopping these days, she ran into her colleagues who liked to gossip about their employers. It just so happened that their house was the freshest gossip subject in the entire community now and she became a sought-after fragrant bun for everyone. Every time those aunties talked, they were full of disdain and curiosity, chasing after her and asking her whether Mr. Lu was a good person and whether Mr. Qin was sincere to him.

In her opinion, Mr. Qin and Mr. Lu were both very nice, kind and generous. They were much better than those couples who seemed to be always at odds with each other. The most rare thing was that Mr. Qin was as affectionate with Lu Zaizai as if it was his own son. He was very generous pampering the child but he was also strict with him when it was necessary. The child was particularly close to him, just like to his own father.

“Auntie, pork is not allowed to be used in cooking in our house from now on. Don’t choose pork stuffing for grilled sausages.” Suddenly Mr. Qin called the housekeeper.

The housekeeper nodded anxiously, “Yes, I see, no pork in the future.” They used to love her braised pork, braised pig’s trotters, spicy pig’s ears and other things… The big boss’s taste changed at the drop of a hat.

Qin Zhuopu sighed in his heart and put down the grilled sausage with no expression on his face. Oh horror, he had already eaten two just now, and only halfway through eating did he suddenly remember that this was pork sausage!

Damn it!

How could he eat pork!

Those who didn’t know are innocent, but how can he eat pork with peace of mind now? For the sake of his beloved and his lovely son, Qin Zhuopu silently vowed in his heart that he would never eat pork again for the rest of his life! He wanted to be a devout pig lover and would never keep other pets for the rest of his life.

“Why don’t you allow to eat pork?” Lu Ying exclaimed, scaring Qin Zhuopu out of his senses.

Lu Ying looked annoyed: “Why don’t you let me eat pork? I want to eat it! I love braised pork, I love braised pig’s trotters the most, don’t you know that?”

Looking upset, Qin Zhuopu asked Lu Ying in a lowered voice, “How can you still eat pork calmly? I’ll never eat pork again for your sake.”

“……” Lu Ying held his forehead, not knowing whether to cry or to laugh, “Why are you like this… I love eating it, there’s no taboo about it at all. Brother Ji also likes to eat chicken, Brother Yang loves lamb hot pot, and Brother Liu eats beef every day.”

“…is that so?” Qin Zhuopu was dumbfounded, as if he had discovered some big, unimaginable secret again! So, those people were not deer either! Rather, they were… chicken, cow, sheep… The fork in Qin Zhuopu’s hand dropped in shock.

Lu Ying looked at him and knew what was going on, smiling as he explained: “We are twelve siblings. I have told you all their names and occupations before, right? You can figure it out looking at their surnames and the twelve Zodiac signs. Except for me, I’m different. I was surnamed Lu, but according to the rules I should be surnamed Zhu, hehehe. I still prefer the surname Lu, though. We’re not really traditional demons but twelve Zodiac signs, so the origins are actually quite different.”

Qin Zhuopu sighed in amazement and didn’t ask any more questions, but said with concern, “What about our Zaizai?”

Lu Ying’s eyes were gentle: “He was born a boy. He will have a very different physique compared to an ordinary child but nothing else is different. He is a mixed blood and it is not easy for him to transform. Outside of Qixia Mountain, he can only ever be human.”

At these words, Qin Zhuopu was relieved. He had feared that the child would not be able to control himself and expose himself, getting in danger.

The two no longer had any secrets. After being honest with each other, they had a more tacit understanding and a deeper bond with each other than before. Only many years later was Lu Ying really convinced that Qin Zhuopu had never eaten pork again.

During the Lantern Festival, Lu Ying’s bakery finally opened.

When he unveiled the shop’s signboard with his own hands, Qin Zhuopu’s eyes couldn’t help but light up.

In the end, the bakery was given a very normal yet personal name – ‘LY’.

Amidst a buzz of well-wishes, Lu Ying, dressed in uniform, personally served the shop’s first and only love pig dessert to his beloved Qin Zhuopu.

In this world, love and food are the only things you can’t live without.

***

Mini-theatre:

Friend: I found out that Mr. Qin never eats pork?

Relative: I also found out.

Mr. Qin: Yes, I don’t eat pork.

Everyone: Why?

Mr. Qin: Because I love pigs, I love them deeply ^_^

Everyone: ……

Lu Ying: Oooh, pig’s trotters are delicious!

Mr. Qin: ……-_-||

Previous / ToC / Next

“What does 8 plus 2 equal?”

“It equals 10!”

“And 8+2+3= what?”

“What does it… equal…?”

“Equals what? You’re asking me? Use your own brain, count by yourself!”

“It… equals 11?”

“!!! How can it be 11? How come you can’t count it? It’s so simple!” Qin Zhuopu, wearing his glasses, clenched one of his hands on his thigh and tapped the pen in his other hand on the desk. His normally gentle expression twisted to the point of distortion. Those who knew him could see that at this moment Mr. Qin was already on the verge of losing control.

Lu Zaizai pouted and grunted: “What does it really equal? You know and don’t tell me, you just keep pestering me! I hate doing maths problems like this, I only like to add and subtract two numbers.”

Enduring the suffocation, Qin Zhuopu rubbed his chest that was about to explode, forced himself to calm down, and continued: “Okay. Let’s leave this question alone. First do the following two-number addition and subtraction questions. Come on, let’s go on. This question, 21+12=? You can calculate it well, don’t be nervous.”

Lu Zaizai frowned absent-mindedly, scratched his ears and then looked down at the question, “I know this, it equals 44!” After the answer was given, he noticed Qin Zhuopu’s hideous expression and his face that suddenly changed colour. Lu Zaizai choked, his fat face trembled, and he changed his answer quickly: “42!”

Qin Zhuopu glared at him.

Lu Zaizai hurriedly held up his ten fingers and slowly wrestled with the calculation, 1, 2, 3… two plus two equals four, one plus two equals three, oh oh oh oh I worked it out, it equals 43! I’m right this time, huh! Lu Zaizai’s joyful expression slowly disappeared and he stopped laughing when he saw Qin Zhuopu shudder, take off his glasses and tilt his head to look up at the sky.

Are you a reincarnation of a pig, ah??? Qin Zhuopu, who was furious, wanted to roar at this unenlightened child, but he couldn’t. His years of good upbringing and endurance made him curb his temper. All that was left was a belly full of helplessness and bitter laughter. God must be getting back at him! Punishing him for being too proud before! When he was studying, his maths scores were always second to none, and his mantra during his middle school years was ‘Maths is so easy’! His other ideas used to be ‘Pigs are actually smart and probably better at learning maths than some people’ and ‘Being bad at maths is purely due to a lack of intelligence’.

Look how many years after graduation God has sent his son to clean him up, torture him and punish him!

Qin Zhuopu kept twirling the pen in his hand, his eyes staring coolly at his chubby, innocent-faced son. When he spoke again, his voice had become a little hoarse: ”Look down at the vertical equation I’m making and see it clearly. On the left is 2 against 1 and on the right is 1 against 2. Tell me, what does 2 plus 1 on the left equal?”

“3!”

“Very good, what does 1 plus 2 on the right side equal?”

“3!”

“So 21 plus 12 equals what?”

Lu Zaizai paused, and tentatively told his father the answer: “66?”

I-!!!

There is no way my son could be this stupid!

Qin Zhuopu’s blood pressure was soaring and he was about to reach the critical point when there was a sudden knock on the door and Lu Ying pushed his way in, holding a plate of cut-up fruit and a paper and pen.

Seemingly completely unaware of the tense and stormy atmosphere in the study, Lu Ying took a few steps to the table, put down the fruit and said, “Take a break for a while, have some fruit to moisten your throat.”

“Thank you, Dad, Dad is the best to me!” Lu Zaizai said meaningfully and happily ate the fruit. Qin Zhuopu tapped his pen on the table and said coldly, “I’m warning you, Lu Zaizai, don’t go to bed until you’ve finished these two pages today. Not only do you have to finish them, you have to get them right. I will stay with you until you cope with it.”

Lu Zaizai grunted, secretly rolled his eyes at Qin Zhuopu and muttered in a small voice, “I’m already tired, and you still want to force me to do my homework… I hate it, when am I going to do it… Dad, can I do it tomorrow?”

When the words were said, Qin Zhuopu stared at Lu Ying with a stern face.

Lu Ying swallowed and told his son with a serious attitude: “Don’t leave today’s affairs until tomorrow. There are only two pages. As long as you are serious, you can definitely do it. Come on. Dad is also very tired of accompanying you to do your homework. He even put down his work just to teach you maths, so you have to persevere.”

“I’m not happy, you’re both against me together…” Lu Zaizai wailed.

Lu Ying sighed. Qin Zhuopu sighed.

Dad’s heart is so tired.

Soon Lu Ying walked out obediently, thoughtfully closing the door for father and son. Finally, there was someone to replace him in what he hated and feared the most! He’s not going to rush up and take over (￣▽￣)/.

Since the New Year, Qin Zhuopu without fail had taken time out every day to teach his child to do maths, and his attitude couldn’t be more assertive. As for Chinese and English, there was no need to worry about Lu Zaizai; Qin Zhuopu was greatly satisfied with Lu Zaizai’s performance. Only mathematics…

Lu Ying covered his face, walking away. You really can’t blame him for his bad genes!

He is very clever in accounting and counting money at work, okay?

After fighting hard until half past nine, Qin Zhuopu finally let go of Lu Zaizai and himself and could call it a day and rest.

Qin Zhuopu put away his glasses and pinched his eyebrows, feeling that his body was hollowed out. These days, he accompanied his child to do homework every day, which was more tiring than a business trip.

Lu Zaizai was taken to shower by Lu Ying, and soon went to his room to sleep.

When Qin Zhuopu washed up and returned to the bedroom, Lu Ying, wearing pyjamas, was still awake, waiting for him with a pen and paper in his hand.

“Take a look, I’ve thought of a few more names for the bakery today, what do you think?”

Qin Zhuopu took the small notebook and took a look. Lu Ying was obviously very attentive. He had thought of a lot of names, in Chinese and English, some with bold fonts and some with fancy fonts with patterns included in them.

Qin Zhuopu raised his eyebrows, “Why do you always pick names that include something about pigs?”

“What’s wrong with pigs?” Lu Ying glared.

“It doesn’t fit, it doesn’t sound good. Look, who in the country has a bakery with ‘pig’ in Chinese or English in its name?”

Lu Ying slumped on the bed, listless: “It really doesn’t sound very good… not so beautiful. Then you help me think of something! I’ll put up a signboard as soon as I decide on the name of the shop. It’s such a headache.”

Qin Zhuopu sighed helplessly: “Aren’t all the names I’ve picked before quite good and appropriate? Whether it’s the Chinese character for ‘deer’ or the English word ‘deer’, they’re both beautiful and go well with the bakery, but you don’t want them.”

Lu Ying rolled his eyes and said in exasperation, “I’ve told you several times that this theme plagiarises Brother Yang’s shop. It expresses his heart for Grandpa Lu, how can I copy it?”

Qin Zhuopu smiled: “What kind of plagiarism is that? Your Grandpa Lu’s surname is Lu, and so is yours, so if he can call it so, why can’t you? Besides it’s not exactly the same, the design could be in a completely different font, or with an added symbol, not to mention that Boss Yang didn’t even call it that in the end.”

Lu Ying rolled around on the big bed back and forth several times, and then he could stand it no longer, half-kneeling and pointing at Qin Zhuopu, “What’s wrong with you, you just want to have that ‘deer’ in the bakery’s name? There are so many Chinese characters and so many English words in the world, why do you have to focus on ‘deer’? Why should my shop be called ‘Deer’? Let’s not name it at all, why don’t we just call it ‘Bakery’?”

Lu Ying’s face was full of ‘I’m angry now’ and ‘Don’t you dare to argue with me again’.

Qin Zhuopu was helpless and very puzzled. He sat down and patted Lu Ying’s shoulder, saying gently, “How about not using any words, just get someone to design a simple and smooth shape of a deer? I think the pure shape should also be beautiful, noble and elegant, attracting people.”

“You’re a bastard!” Lu Ying roared with his eyes red.

“Ouch…”

Lu Ying smashed a pillow hard at Qin Zhuopu. Hearing the other party cry out, Lu Ying huffed and threw the pillow away. Is there something wrong with you? What else is there besides deer in your mind? I’m so angry! Big pig hoof! All that talk about loving only him in his heart was a lie! A philandering man who loves him as a human but is obsessed with a deer as an animal!

So angry, so angry!

Do you think he didn’t know? Qin Zhuopu’s study had a new oil painting of a ‘deer’! Under the moonlight, the deer was so beautiful, his eyes were so innocent and touching. It was really… a white lotus deer!

Many new books about deer had been added to Qin Zhuopu’s bookcase, some of which were detailed explanations, some were photographic atlases, and some were picture albums.

At some moment, an extra decorative painting with the theme of deer appeared in the living room, and various tableware was replaced in the kitchen to the one with deer. Qin Zhuopu came back from work today and happily showed off to him a woodcarving in the shape of a deer he had bought at an auction. It was very expensive!

The worst part was that when Lu Ying opened the wardrobe, he saw a whole new collection of custom-made clothes, almost all of which had deer on them! Including the dark black and white deer print pyjamas that Qin Zhuopu was wearing at the moment!

No kidding! Can you imagine that?

If it continued like this, Lu Ying was going to vomit blood!

“Do you like deer that much? How attractive are deer to you!” Lu Ying complained with red eyes. His favourite animal also used to be a deer, because of his grandfather. Now, thanks to Qin Zhuopu, he had begun to hate deer, to be jealous of them, and to curse them whenever he saw them!

Qin Zhuopu felt a bit aggrieved, but he still had to say, “What’s the matter with you? You’re arguing with me for no reason. What’s wrong with me liking deer? Deer are elegant and noble, beautiful and cute, sexy and charming, innocent and pure. What else can I like if I don’t like deer?” A deer was almost like a synonym for Lu Ying. Lu Ying and deer were so much alike, and his lover was so enchanting.

Lu Ying bit down on the blanket and yelled, his breath caught in his throat, pointing sulkily at Qin Zhuopu, “You admitted it! You really do like deer the most!” Damn those deer, he hated them so much!

“That’s right. I like deer the most.”

“There are so many cute animals on earth, why do you have to like deer? Aren’t other animals cute? Aren’t rabbits cute? Aren’t cats cute? Aren’t pigs cute?” The more Lu Ying asked, the more fierce his face became, his angry gaze eating Qin Zhuopu alive.

Qin Zhuopu: “……” Chills ran down his back.

According to his usual IQ and EQ, he should have chosen to speak less at this time. But according to his conventional understanding, he felt he was right! At all times, one must be firm and unwavering in one’s infatuation!

“There are indeed many cute animals. The rabbit is small and cute, but I don’t like the red eyes.” Qin Zhuopu spoke honestly.

Lu Ying’s breath steadied as he listened to Qin Zhuopu continue.

“Cats are cute too, but I’m not happy being a cat slave.”

Lu Ying’s breath steadied even more, and Qin Zhuopu’s heart settled.

“Pigs are somewhat cute, but…” Qin Zhuopu was silent for a while. He had just an ordinary person’s preferences; pigs were one of the livestock used for food in his eyes. Even if pet pigs were popular these days, he didn’t pay attention, didn’t feel anything and didn’t have interest.

“But what?” Lu Ying asked, staring at him.

Qin Zhuopu sighed: “Is it necessary to say? Those who like pigs are a minority after all, right? I’m not that alternative.”

“……” Lu Ying felt a sword pierce his chest. Covering his heart, Lu Ying felt tears fill his eyes as he spoke in a trembling voice: “You really… really… woo woo… you big pig hoof!!!”

Qin Zhuopu was taken aback, hurriedly stepped forward and asked: “What, what’s wrong? Why are you crying suddenly?”

Lu Ying’s eyes were full of tears: “You cheater…”

“What?! I am devoted to you, heaven and earth can see!” Qin Zhuopu cried out, feeling injustice.

“Sweet words are all lies to fool me! You’ve been lying to me all along, you don’t like me at all!”

“How could it be! I like you the most!”

“Liar…”

“You have to believe me.”

“Not believing, not believing!”

“Then what do I have to do for you to believe?”

Lu Ying sat up at once and instructed him with tears in his eyes, “First you take off the pyjamas you’re wearing!” He was going to destroy that damned third wheel! No more deer in the house!

“…okay.” Qin Zhuopu finished the task neatly.

Lu Ying looked at the man wearing only his underwear, his eyes widened and he trembled for a long time, unable to speak, “You, you…!”

Qin Zhuopu looked down at his underwear. It was a dark colour he liked and there was a dark pattern of deer elements added, the style he had carefully chosen.

No way! No way!

Lu Ying’s anger level shot up and soon broke through the limit.

“I can’t take it anymore!”

Boom – a bang.

Angry – and – transformed.

Qin Zhuopu: “(⊙o⊙)???”

***

Mini-theatre:

Lu Ying: You don’t love me.

Mr. Qin: I only love you!

Lu Ying: Prove it to me!

Mr. Qin: Tomorrow I’ll change all those things with deer in them.

Lu Ying: (*^▽^*) That’s more like it, let’s send all those to Brother Yang so they don’t go to waste.

Mr. Qin: …… (escaped)

Mini-theatre-2:

Friend A: Does Mr. Qin have any good projects recently? You can ask me to invest together.

Friend B: Mr. Qin seems to be travelling a lot recently. You are busy, are you going to make a fortune? Count me in.

Friend C: Me, me, we’re good friends for a lifetime, let’s make money together!

Mr. Qin: Recently, I acquired a pig farm to create the cleanest and happiest ‘pig paradise’ in the world. The pigs in it are the masters. They eat, drink and live well. There are special nutritionists to take care of them. Animal trainers educate them to learn and stylists make them beautiful. The pigs are not allowed to be killed or eaten, and they are treated like princes.

Friend A: …bye bye.

Friend B: (Lao Qin is less than forty this year, right? Why are there signs of senile dementia?）

Friend C: Well, my wife told me to go home to make dumplings, let’s talk next time!

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It was late at night and most people had fallen asleep. Inside the elegant mansion, shrouded in moonlight, Qin Zhuopu’s family was no exception. The two owners of the simple bedroom cuddled up together, breathing evenly, sound asleep.

Suddenly, the landline phone at the bedside rang with pleasant soft music. Lu Ying was deep in sleep and didn’t respond to the music. But Qin Zhuopu turned over, his eyes closed, reached out and grabbed the phone, lowering his voice and saying, “What’s the matter?”

The next moment, Qin Zhuopu’s sleepy face suddenly changed and he quickly rolled out of bed, saying hurriedly, “I’ll be right there.” Putting on his clothes as quickly as possible, Qin Zhuopu picked up his mobile phone and quietly left the house.

With one person missing from the bed, Lu Ying, groggy, seemed to feel something but couldn’t open his eyes, so he shifted his hand, grabbed a pillow and hugged it in his arms, muttered a few words and went back to sleep.

In the morning, Lu Ying opened his eyes, but his mind was a bit confused. When he remembered something, he looked at the pillow and saw that no one was there!

Lu Ying got up with a start, pushed away the blanket, stepped into his slippers and went to the bathroom, the living room, the kitchen and Zaizai’s room but didn’t see Qin Zhuopu. He rubbed his head and grabbed his mobile phone to check it; only then did he find a message from Qin Zhuopu.

I’m out on some business, you don’t have to wait for me for breakfast today.

Lu Ying: “……” It was sent two hours ago, a little after five in the morning. Lu Ying directly dialled Qin Zhuopu’s phone number, and it took a while to get through.

“Hello…”

Hearing his half-awake voice, Lu Ying froze and said, “You’re sleeping? Where are you?”

“En… Lu Ying, ah.” Qin Zhuopu, who struggled to keep his eyes open, pressed his forehead and said weakly, “You’re up? I’m with Mom.” He propped up his eyelids and looked at his sleeping mother in bed. Her forehead was wrapped in blinding white gauze; her tightly closed eyes were red and swollen, her face still seemingly streaked with tears. This was not his mother’s home at all, but a hospital that smelled of disinfectant.

“What’s happened? Is there something wrong with your mother?” Lu Ying asked in a low voice. If there wasn’t something wrong, Qin Zhuopu would not have run over there in the middle of the night.

Qin Zhuopu sighed, “It’s always a bit bad when you grow older. It’s fine now, don’t worry.” When he received a phone call from his mother’s housekeeper in the middle of the night, he didn’t quite understand what he was hearing. When he rushed to the scene, he was frightened by his mother. His mother was crying without saying anything, banging her head against the wall. The housekeeper was scared to death and tried to stop her. Qin Zhuopu forcefully dragged his mother away and took her to the hospital without saying a word.

The doctor said it was depression. Excessive stimulation or excessive sadness could trigger the patient to spiral out of control, and she needed to be hospitalised for a period of time, with medication and physiotherapy. Qin Zhuopu felt powerless when he heard about this condition. After listening to the housekeeper, he realised that his mother often suffered from insomnia, daze and mental trance. Apart from the time she had to work, his mother rarely went out to relax and seemed to have little interest in anything.

Lu Ying asked again, “Is it really all right?”

“It’s fine. By the way, later on Jin Dachu will pick you up, so take Zaizai with you and go with him to see the bakery I chose for you.”

“Ah!” Lu Ying was surprised, “You’ve chosen the shop for me?”

“Of course, how could I not? You can go and see if you like it, and if you’re happy with it, you can start preparing for the opening later in the year.”

Lu Ying walked around excitedly, “Yes, I’ll go and see it after breakfast.”

“Zaizai’s new school is also near the bakery, just five minutes away.”

“Wow, we’ll stop by and see them all later then.”

“I’ve instructed Jin Dachu to show you wherever else you want to go. I’m off to work now, call me if you need anything.”

“Okay, you get busy.”

Lu Ying cheerfully went to get Lu Zaizai up, and when father and son finished their breakfast, Jin Dachu was already waiting at the door. Today he was both the bodyguard and the part-time assistant.

“Uncle Jin, so you’re here too.” Lu Zaizai was surprised to see Jin Dachu; a familiar face always made the child feel more comfortable. Qin Zhuopu’s arrangements were meticulous and thoughtful.

Jin Dachu was also happy to serve the two and smiled, “Mr. Lu, do you want to see the bakery or the school first?”

Lu Ying held Lu Zaizai and said with a little hesitation, “You can take us to Mr. Qin’s first, right?”

“…Mr. Lu wants to go to the company?” Jin Dachu questioned.

Lu Ying shook his head: “I have nothing to do in his company. You must know where he is, Mrs. Qin is sick, which hospital are they staying in now?”

Jin Dachu froze. “But… okay. I’ll take you there then.” Mr. Qin didn’t seem to intend for Mr. Lu to visit Mrs. Qin in the hospital, but Mr. Lu himself took the initiative to go, so he obeyed.

Jin Dachu drove the two of them to the hospital with one of the most authoritative psychiatric departments, and in a short while they found the ward where Mrs. Qin was. It was a coincidence that when Lu Ying and Lu Zaizai were about to go in, Qin Zhuopu came out of the ward. When they met, Qin Zhuopu was startled. 

Lu Ying frowned deeply: “You look so…” Haggard and worried. Lu Ying felt helpless. The relationship between him and Mrs. Qin was indeed awkward. The two of them were ‘at peace’ after Mrs. Qin’s apology but it would have been difficult for him to pretend that nothing had happened and be as harmonious and cordial with her as with Elder Qin.

But no matter how bad it was, Qin Zhuopu’s mother was sick and hospitalised, so how could he completely ignore it?

“Why are you here?” Qin Zhuopu smiled, his sleepiness half gone.

Lu Ying curled his lips and handed the packet of toast Zaizai was carrying to Qin Zhuopu: “I baked the toast this morning, just in time for you to have breakfast. You’d better take some time to rest when you go to the office. You can’t look good with the stubble on your face and your eyes bloodshot.” Touching Qin Zhuopu’s chin, Lu Ying shook his head in disgust.

“Hey… I really didn’t sleep well.” Qin Zhuopu smiled, grabbed Lu Ying’s paw and stroked it.

“You go and get busy, I’ll go in and check on your mom.”

“…Lu Ying…” Qin Zhuopu wanted to say something but stopped.

Lu Ying interrupted him: “I know you are very protective of me and you want to say that I don’t have to if I don’t want to. But I’m not that petty. After all, she apologised and also gave such a generous gift.” It was not that looking at those priceless gifts, he wouldn’t hold a grudge against Mrs. Qin. But there was Qin Zhuopu.

If Mrs. Qin was not in good health, the one who would be most tired and upset would be Qin Zhuopu.

“You didn’t ask me what I think.” Lu Ying took Qin Zhuopu’s hand and slowly said, “You were so forgiving to Grandpa Lu, how could I be so resentful?”

Qin Zhuopu was overcome with emotion.

“Zaizai knows your mother is sick and wants to come and visit her. I can’t be worse than a child.” Lu Ying smiled, “Right, Zaizai?”

Lu Zaizai nodded in a serious manner, “Yes, Grandma is sick, so of course I have to come and comfort her. Dad, look, I brought two toys, a transformer and a princess doll. This princess doll will be given to your mom to play with, so she will definitely be happy.”

“……” Lu Ying was speechless, “When did you get this toy? I didn’t know about it.”

“I found it in the toy pile!” Lu Zaizai held up the princess doll to show off.

Qin Zhuopu stroked his son’s head with relief, “You’re Dad’s little baby, you’re awesome.”

Lu Ying gave Qin Zhuopu a push: “I’ll go in with Zaizai, so hurry up and eat something.”

Pushing open the ward, Lu Ying led Lu Zaizai into the room. Mrs. Qin had long since woken up and was half leaning on the bed talking to the housekeeper. When she saw Lu Ying and Zaizai enter, Mrs. Qin obviously shivered with excitement and froze.

Lu Ying glanced at the white gauze wrapped around Mrs. Qin’s head and sighed secretly. Jin Dachu had already told him that Mrs. Qin was depressed, and Lu Ying was no stranger to depression.

Not only had he heard about it, he had once personally saved a young mother who almost jumped off a building to her death because of depression. She lived above him, the landlady’s own daughter. The young mother suffered domestic abuse from her husband after marriage and was an introverted and reclusive person. After she had given birth to a daughter with a congenital heart condition, it got even worse. Within days of moving in, Lu Ying found out about the young mother’s domestic abuse and told the landlady, who made her daughter divorce at once. But depression was not easy to get rid of. After the young woman tried to jump to her death and was saved by Lu Ying, Lu Ying could do nothing else but take the desperate landlady’s family to Dr. Hu’s clinic. Last time he heard, both the daughter and granddaughter of the landlady had recovered.

“I heard you were sick, so I’ve come to see you.” Lu Ying had no intention of being abrasive and explained his intention straightforwardly. He would visit the bakery and his son’s school later.

Mrs. Qin’s lips moved. She hung her head and said in a hoarse voice, “…thank you.”

At this time, the last thing she actually wanted to see was Lu Ying and Lu Zaizai. She was afraid, afraid that she would be ashamed of herself and embarrassed uncontrollably. But she was also afraid that they wouldn’t come and refuse to face her. So she couldn’t run away and raised her hand to indicate that the housekeeper could leave. Then Mrs. Qin bowed her head in silence.

“Grandma, are you very uncomfortable? Does the injection hurt?” Lu Zaizai rushed to bed, looking at Mrs. Qin with his eyes full of curiosity and compassion. Without waiting for Mrs. Qin to respond, Lu Zaizai raised the princess doll in his hand and handed it to her: “This is the princess doll I found at home. Now I’m giving her to you.”

Mrs. Qin’s hand shook and her lips twitched, but she was at a loss for words.

Lu Zaizai said seriously, “When you are sick, you have to be good and get an injection and have your blood drawn. Although it hurts and is uncomfortable, you still have to be brave. You can’t become a crybaby when you get sick. But I never get sick, hehehe, I’m good, right?”

Mrs. Qin’s tears welled up in her eyes and she seemed to squeeze out a raw smile as she nodded messily. The more she learned the truth, the more painful the wounds in her heart were. Her son was very good, Lu Ying was very good, the child was so good too. All the bad things were caused by her. It was she who had made her son lonely and painful for several years, and even more so, she had caused her grandson she had longed for and begged for to stay unrecognised right in front of her eyes.

Lu Zaizai looked at the white gauze wrapped around Mrs. Qin’s head curiously and fearfully. Seeing that she was trembling, he said with lingering fear: “Grandma, do you have a headache? Oops… this is really scary, you, you’d better bear with it…”

The child’s tone was tender and sincere, and Mrs. Qin couldn’t hold back her tears, not daring to look directly into the innocent eyes of Lu Zaizai.

Lu Zaizai shook his head and said modestly: “Grandma, look at it. Now that there is a princess doll with you, you won’t be too scared. You definitely don’t know, she is actually a magical princess! ”

“She can conjure beautiful dresses and hair every day, and she likes to exercise, run and ride horses. Her health is great. Even if she is sick in one episode, she quickly recovers after drinking a very bitter magic potion! Grandma, don’t worry, you will be the same!”

Mrs. Qin cried, and Lu Zaizai, a little anxious, panicked and shoved the doll into Mrs. Qin’s hands hurriedly, making sure she held it before he sighed in relief: “Here’s the princess doll for you, you’ll get better soon with magic! Go for it.”

“Woo…” Mrs. Qin sobbed as she squeezed the doll tightly in her hands.

Lu Zaizai was truly panicked and looked at his dad fearfully. Lu Ying patted his shoulder. Lu Zaizai suddenly relaxed and looked at Mrs. Qin sadly, “Grandma, if you keep crying, my dad will also cry… because you are his mother. Every time I cried when I was little, Dad couldn’t help crying with me… Hey, if you want to cry, just cry, and stop crying when you’re tired of crying…”

The little boy spoke in childish words and that sigh of his simply echoed in Mrs. Qin’s heart. She couldn’t bear it anymore, let out a staggering wail, but finally lifted her deeply bowed head, reached out and clutched Lu Zaizai’s hand, nodding woefully to Lu Zaizai. She wanted to answer Lu Zaizai, but couldn’t speak. She wanted to hug him, but lacked the courage to do so.

At this moment, Mrs. Qin no longer had any semblance of her arrogance and superiority of the past, but was just a sick old woman with white hair, a messy face wet with tears, all her wrinkles and blue veins obvious.

She was Qin Zhuopu’s mother.

Lu Ying took a deep breath and finally said, “I know you’re depressed, but if I don’t make it clear, you might get yourself into a corner. After you apologised to me, I didn’t know whether I should forgive or not, I really didn’t know.”

“After all, you were indeed the culprit, keeping me and Zhuopu apart for seven years, and involving Zaizai into this separation for seven years. But I was really happy to finally wait for you to apologise. At least you realised that you were wrong.”

Lu Ying said bluntly, “Now I don’t know what you think of me, anyway, even if I get married to Zhuopu, I can’t call you ‘Mom’… I really can’t.”

Lu Ying rubbed his son’s hair and continued: “I believe you will really love Zaizai, as much as Zhuopu loves him. …in short, you don’t have to force yourself to deliberately be ‘nice’ to me, compensate me, give me this and give me that. I feel very awkward and can neither accept nor decline it. In addition to that, you feel guilty and depressed and this is not what I want to see.”

Mrs. Qin was still whimpering, but slowly calmed down a lot, staring with her red and swollen eyes in a daze.

“You are only happy if Zhuopu is happy. And the other way round, if you are safe and healthy, my Zhuopu will not be so tired.” Lu Ying exhaled, took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket and slipped it to Mrs. Qin, “This is a special tonic made by Dr. Hu to replenish qi and nourish blood. It’s not likely to be effective against depression, but it should be suitable for you. Don’t waste 500,000 yuan pills. Don’t be afraid of that depression, I’ll ask Dr. Hu how to cure it.”

Mrs. Qin covered her mouth, afraid she would cry again.

“It’s no use for me to continue staying here, you should rest. I’ll take Zaizai to have a look at his school.”

Lu Ying said that and immediately took his son away, shutting out the crying behind him.

“Lu Ying, Zaizai…”

“Grandpa, you’re here too, huh?” Lu Ying saw the old man and greeted him with a smile.

“Great-grandpa,” Lu Zaizai jumped forward and held the old man’s cane, taking the opportunity to duck down and touch it a few times.

“Hahaha, Zaizai is even more handsome today.” The old man praised, smiling at Lu Zaizai, the love on his face simply amazing.

Lu Zaizai tilted his head and smiled: “Really? Great-grandpa is also very handsome! This cane looks really cool, I really want to borrow it to play.”

“Haha…” The old man laughed.

Lu Ying was speechless and reminded his son tactfully: “Zaizai, speak softly at the hospital.”

The old man coughed a few times and said with a sigh, “Lu Ying, take the child to play, I’ll go in and see Zhuopu’s mother. This sudden illness of hers is all my fault… hey, I couldn’t help myself for a moment and told her that Zaizai was Zhuopu’s own son, and she had an… emotional breakdown at that moment.” Seeing his daughter-in-law being sick, he did blame himself but he didn’t regret it. She needed to face what had to be faced and sooner or later she had to go through it. In the future, when he passed away, she would be the elder in the family. If she couldn’t bear things, how could she be the elder?

“Grandpa, it’s called depression. Outside emotions are one thing, but the most important thing is to listen to the doctor and take the medicine properly to treat it.” Lu Ying explained.

The old man nodded: “Yes, yes, have to treat it, treat it well. It’s hard for you… go ahead, you’re busy. Grandpa wants to go to your place for dinner tonight, is it okay?”

“Sure, Grandpa can come over anytime. I’ll cook you something light and delicious.” Lu Ying was all smiles.

Personally sending the old man into Mrs. Qin’s ward, Lu Ying closed the door and left.

With one less thing on his mind, Lu Ying happily followed Jin Dachu to see Zaizai’ new school. This was a famous private school in Guanlan City. Lu Ying walked around to learn about the school’s facilities. How could there be any dissatisfaction? The environment in classes was already outstanding, and the canteen was the level of a high-end restaurant, particularly suitable for the appetites of both father and son.

It was a five-minute walk from the school to the bakery, and when Lu Ying arrived at the closed shop, his heart exploded like a firework. The beautiful and chic shop had two floors, with clean, transparent glass walls, a simple and stylish interior, and a large and well-equipped baker’s workroom, so that even with thirty employees working in it, it would not be crowded. There was also an elegant secluded courtyard at the back of the shop. Under the sun umbrellas, the beautifully carved iron tables and chairs were the best for afternoon tea.

“Wow, it’s just what I wanted…” Lu Ying looked around excitedly, focusing on the various baking equipment in the workroom, which was both professional and sensible. A blind man could see Qin Zhuopu’s intentions.

Lu Ying was secretly moved: “Mr. Qin has put a lot of thought into this, hasn’t he? Is this shop particularly expensive?”

Jin Dachu said, “Mr. Qin specially asked Boss Yang to come over and set it up, and Boss Yang said you would definitely like it.”

“Ah… so it was Brother Yang.” Lu Ying suddenly realised.

Jin Dachu smiled: “Actually, in about a five-minute walk to the left from the shop there is Guanlan University where Boss Yang works, so it will be convenient for you to visit in the future.”

“This is really…” Another surprise! Lu Ying no longer knew what to say.

The bit-by-bit arrangements all showed Qin Zhuopu’s intentions.

Reluctantly leaving the shop, Lu Ying was in high spirits and took the child to walk directly to Guanlan University. It happened that Lu Qianchuan, who was pushing the pram, was at the entrance of the campus.

“Lu Ying!”

“Grandpa Lu!”

“Sister Xiaolu!”

Lu Ying happily ran over, “I was just coming to look for you, Grandpa Lu, I will also live in Guanlan City from now on, Zaizai and I can’t bear missing you…”

Lu Qianchuan smiled, “Your Brother Yang was right, you really will come after us, so it’s to the best. Yanyang and I are now living in a community across the street from the university, and in good weather I take Xiaolu to the campus for a walk. Yangyang still has something to do at school and hasn’t gotten off work yet.” As expected of Yanyang, his decision to move propelled Lu Ying too. That was fine; for the sake of his daughter, he and Yangyang would have to enter the world sooner or later. With Lu Ying around again, Lu Qianchuan was finally at ease.

Seven years ago he had been displeased with Qin Zhuopu, but now he had changed his mind. The fact that Qin Zhuopu could break through his confinement and get Lu Ying back was proof enough of his true feelings for Lu Ying. Otherwise, all memories would have faded away in the river of flowing years and eventually Lu Ying would have completely disappeared from Qin Zhuopu’s mind.

“Grandpa Lu, let’s eat together at noon today…”

After meeting with Grandpa Lu and having a good meal at noon, Lu Ying returned home in the middle of the afternoon in a good mood. In the evening, Qin Zhuopu came back from work, and as soon as he entered the door, he was hugged around his waist and spun around.

That’s right, he was hugged, picked up and spun in a circle.

“……”

When he was put down, Qin Zhuopu looked down at his lover, who was half a head shorter than him, and blushed.

There was nothing he could do about it! It was so annoying and so cute!

“Haha, I’m super happy! I love you the most!”

Wrapping his arms around Qin Zhuopu’s waist, Lu Ying smiled brighter than the sun. The overflowing affection that turned into a smile was really sweet and scary.

Qin Zhuopu had difficulty breathing and was dizzy.

Lu Zaizai at the table made a face: “Shame on you.”

“Ahem, Lu, Lu Ying, ah…” In the dining room, the stunned Elder Qin spoke slowly: “You, you kid hurry up and let go of Zhuopu. Dinner is important, dinner is important! This spinning around… Zhuopu will faint.” His old heart was also close to fainting. If not for the fact that Zaizai was born to Lu Ying, he would have suspected that his tall, big grandson was… never mind, it didn’t concern him. No wonder the child’s body was so sturdy, all because of Lu Ying’s good genes, ah… this physical strength was something.

Seeing his grandfather, Qin Zhuopu couldn’t help blushing, pinched Lu Ying’s ass angrily, and said fiercely: “Let’s hurry up and eat!”

“Yes, yes, I’ve been hungry for a long time, I’ve been waiting for you.” Lu Ying pulled Qin Zhuopu straight to the table.

For this dinner, Qin Zhuopu ate a few more pieces of meat.

The next day Lu Ying was still sleeping when Qin Zhuopu was already up early to go lift iron.

Why did he work so hard? What else could he do! o(╥﹏╥)o

In a couple of days, Elder Qin delivered a lot of supplements.

Lu Ying was grateful: “Is this all for me? Thank you, Grandpa.”

“Er… hmm.” No, no, no, it’s for my grandson. The old man hung his head slightly, not daring to make a sound.

Fortunately, soon he heard Lu Ying mutter again, “Hey, these tonics don’t taste good at all… better give them to Zhuopu, I see he likes eating weird things.”

“En en en, Zhuopu is busy working and staying up a lot, he needs to take tonics.” The old man nodded seriously.

Lu Ying sighed, “Yeah, it’s really hard being a big boss.”

The old man was busy reassuring him, “Don’t worry, now is the busiest time at the end of the year. It will be very leisurely when the spring starts and Zhuopu can take a break for a while. When that time comes, I will cover up for him for a month or two and you can go out on vacation with Zhuopu! It’s better to go to a foreign country and get a marriage certificate.”

Lu Ying blushed slightly: “That, that’s not urgent. I’m going to be very busy in the spring, I need to open the bakery right away before I can go on vacation. I’m going to get mouldy if I’m idle.”

The old man didn’t hesitate to support Lu Ying’s decision to open a bakery. As long as the young man was hardworking and diligent, it didn’t matter what industry he was in and it didn’t matter how much he earned. The Qin family was not short of money. Lu Ying’s life would be more fulfilling if he had his own career to pursue. Besides, his craftsmanship was so good that the old man had already told his old friends that if they wanted to play chess or have afternoon tea in the future, they had to go to his grandson-in-law’s shop! Anywhere else? No, no, no.

As the New Year approached, although Lu Ying didn’t go out much, he was already busy recruiting employees. The company had posted information on all the major job boards and advertised in WeChat. Qin Zhuopu wanted to help but Lu Ying didn’t let him.

“There are some specifics in the industry, I’d rather recruit people myself. Not only do they have to be good at their craft, but also have to catch my eye.”

“Okay. You’ll probably have no problem choosing people.” Qin Zhuopu trusted Lu Ying’s intuition.

“Great! Fei Qiqi said she’d come over after the New Year.”

“That young girl? Not bad.”

“En. I really didn’t expect her to be willing to leave her hometown.”

Qin Zhuopu thought it was normal, “The wages are higher in Guanlan City and young people aren’t afraid to move.”

“Is your mother doing better?” Lu Ying changed the topic and asked softly. He had asked Dr. Hu for advice on the treatment of depression, and although Dr. Hu could not come over personally, the medicine he prescribed would be delivered by Ji Xiaofeng after the New Year.

Qin Zhuopu hugged his neck and kissed him: “She has been discharged from hospital and returned home. Now she’s very energetic, the medicine you gave her works very well, thank you.”

“That’s fine.” Lu Ying smiled and took out the bottle of kidney tonic, “This bottle of kidney tonic, do you want to try it?”

“!” Qin Zhuopu’s face was suddenly as black as the bottom of a pot as he rubbed his hands, “Looks like your ass is itching again…”

Lu Ying quickly let out a miserable scream, “I said no slapping! No slapping!”

In terms of recruiting people, Lu Ying didn’t bother Qin Zhuopu. However, the pricing of the merchandise was a real headache, so he deliberately asked Brother Yang and Qin Zhuopu to discuss it together before deciding on the level of consumption.

After all the hustle and bustle, everything was ready, and the two of them had many arguments over the name of the shop.

With the auspicious date on the calendar set, Lu Ying’s heart settled down. He continued to cook a lot of food at home every day, from old classics to new creations. The family always had a hearty breakfast, and Lu Ying gave a lot of things to the neighbours to taste. Three days a week, he visited his little niece at Grandpa Lu’s place and had a meal there.

This was the kind of life that Lu Ying enjoyed and was at ease.

All the people who loved him, who he loved, were all around him.

In a blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve again, and as the twelve o’clock bell sounded, the Year of the Pig was completely over.

Lu Ying held the hands of his beloved and his child, smiled and looked at the fireworks in the sky, full of gratitude. Many years ago, he was born in the Year of the Pig in 1911 and had nothing. Many years later, in the Year of the Pig, he had a happy and complete home.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, a new year had begun.

The Chinese zodiac once again entered a new cycle.

***

Mini-theatre:

Grandpa Qin: This is a tonic, Zhuopu, you should take more of it.

Mr. Qin: Oh, thanks.

Grandpa Qin: This one is also tonic, you should take more of it, Zhuopu.

Mr. Qin: Okay, thanks.

Grandpa Qin: This is even more tonic, you should take more of it.

Mr. Qin: …… (drop!)

Translator’s note: This ends the main text and there are six extras that will answer very important questions, like: is Lu Ying really a deer? 🙂 How did Lu Ying and Qin Zhuopu meet? The fate of the baldness pill… and the future of the family 🙂

Previous / ToC / Next

The familiarity of the embrace was warm and reassuring. All the way, the journey was unhindered. It was as if Lu Ying had never left. It was really as if he had just gone away for a while, and when he returned there was still someone waiting at home with the light on.

After eight years, he had finally returned to this place, bringing the child of the two of them with him, into a home full of happy memories. From then on, they were truly a family of three, never to be separated again.

Lu Ying couldn’t help but rub against Qin Zhuopu’s shoulder, raised his head slightly and looked at Qin Zhuopu’s handsome, gentle appearance, and said with a wink, “I’m sorry, Zaizai is a big eater, I can’t feed him. Zaizai’s primary school homework is too difficult, I can’t do it. I’ll give you guardianship from now on! Can you let me go to your construction site to move bricks? Zaizai, call Dad!” 

“…you, ah!” Qin Zhuopu’s eyebrows twitched; he gave Lu Ying’s waist a fierce pinch and once again took him into his arms, wishing he could never let go. How wonderful the warmth of Lu Ying’s body was! He really looked forward to this moment. The house had not changed at all, the password had never been changed, the access control of the community had always preserved Lu Ying’s appearance, and every bit of the place, including him who had lived alone for eight years, had always been waiting for the return of another owner.

At last, he had waited for the love of his life. There was also the gift given to them by Heaven. From now on, a family of three, three meals a day… The greatest happiness in life was nothing more than this.

Qin Zhuopu was immersed in a shuddering sense of happiness when he heard Lu Ying’s voice filled with a brilliant smile, “I mean it, from now on, Zaizai and I are stuck with you and will never leave again. Eat, drink, sleep and sleep and sleep at your place! Ahem. Zaizai, say ‘Dad’!”

Lu Zaizai pushed the two away, aggrieved, “Dad, Dad, Dad, two bad dads! Forgetting me completely, shame on you! Am I still your favourite baby or not, huh? I’m so hungry and tired, I’m dying of anger!” He glared at the two men who didn’t take him seriously at all. Dad said that he would have two fathers from now on and that both of them would love him very much. It wasn’t like that at all!

Lu Ying laughed awkwardly and pushed Qin Zhuopu away as he stroked his son’s little head, “I haven’t forgotten about you, of course you’re my favourite little baby.”

Qin Zhuopu laughed and bent down to pick up Lu Zaizai and give his chubby cheeks a smooch, “Sorry, I did accidentally leave you out just now. Uncle has prepared a lot of good food, come, I will take you to eat.”

“Hmph, that’s more like it. If it’s really good, I’ll forgive you.” Lu Zaizai burst into laughter, looking at the table full of good food and swallowing his saliva. Then he remembered something, looked at Qin Zhuopu and said, “Not Uncle, but Dad! Are you happy that I will call you Dad?”

“!!!” Qin Zhuopu closed his eyes deeply, his smile almost spilling out from inside. He gave Lu Zaizai a fierce hug and exhaled, “Happy, Dad is happy!” The double happiness came suddenly, and Qin Zhuopu almost lost control.

A hand pressed on his shoulder, and it was Lu Ying who was giving him strength. Qin Zhuopu picked up the child and whispered sincerely in Lu Ying’s ear, “Thank you, Lu Ying.”

“Fool…” Lu Ying smiled at him, “Zaizai is originally your son, do you believe it?”

Qin Zhuopu nodded, “I already knew that a long time ago.”

“……???” Lu Ying was dumbfounded. He had heard wrong, right?

But Qin Zhuopu didn’t wait for him to ask more questions and was busy urging the two of them, “You must be hungry, go and eat. I’ll talk to you after you’ve had enough to eat and drink. We’ll have plenty of time later.”

“I want to eat first!” Lu Zaizai climbed onto the chair and couldn’t wait to start enjoying the food.

Lu Ying’s nose twitched, smelling the rich aroma of food in the room, and his stomach rumbled with hunger. He didn’t have enough food on the train today. After getting off the train, he was busy on the road again. It was indeed the most important thing to eat at this moment.

The table was full of sumptuous dishes, most of which he and Zaizai particularly loved, hot and obviously prepared in advance. Lu Ying was both touched and depressed. He thought he could give Qin Zhuopu a super surprise, but he didn’t expect that he would be sitting at home waiting for him to come to his door o(╥﹏╥)o

“This is delicious, did you make all this, Dad?” Lu Zaizai couldn’t stop nodding as he ate, looking at Qin Zhuopu with starry eyes in adoration.

Qin Zhuopu was all smiles: “Most of these were taught to me by the housekeeper auntie. In the future, if you want to eat anything, Dad can make it for you whenever he has time.”

“Wow, happy.”

At the dinner table, Qin Zhuopu was very busy, serving dishes to his son one moment and to Lu Ying the next. One little baby, one big baby, no one could be left behind.

“Heh, it seems you knew we would arrive today. So you’re not surprised at all? I’ve been so secretive for so long.” Lu Ying ate the shrimp indignantly. Had he known, he might as well have asked Qin Zhuopu to go directly to the station to pick them up. In order to create a surprise, he deliberately held back from calling and came all the way here.

Qin Zhuopu coughed lightly and shook his head, “No, no. I’m surprised, really.”

“Who would believe it, it must have been Jin Dachu who told you.”

Qin Zhuopu smiled, “Don’t accuse him wrongly.” Lu Ying didn’t know that he personally went to the airport to pick up Boss Yang and Grandpa Lu’s family when they arrived in Guanlan City. How could he not wonder if Lu Ying would be coming or not? Boss Yang said that Lu Ying would definitely come to him, and he was looking forward to it, but he still had doubts. These days of waiting were like years.

“Forget it, I won’t bother with you.” Lu Ying smiled and fed a piece of beef to Qin Zhuopu who swallowed it without hesitation.

Lu Ying smiled, “From now on, we can eat together every day, that’s good.”

“I’ve waited a long time for this day.” Qin Zhuopu smiled and sighed.

Under the table, their hands were clasped, and the air was full of joy.

Everything had long been prepared for Lu Ying and his son coming. Although Qin Zhuopu didn’t want to change the furnishings of his home, he changed the original large room on the second floor into a child’s room. The room was full of cartoon-shaped furniture. The wide room had a connected study room. One wall was filled with books, and the other wall had two cool transformers of equal height, as well as a glass toy showroom with a wide range of cartoon models in it.

Lu Zaizai fell in love with the new room at a glance and jumped in with a cheer, rolling on the soft floor and laughing: “Great! It’s great! I love it here! I love you, I love you, I love you the most,” he said as he darted in and out of the room, without the slightest anxiety and discomfort of coming to a strange environment.

His son was happy, and so was Qin Zhuopu, “That’s good that you like it. The lower level is all your playground too, do you want to go and have a look?”

“Let’s go, of course!”

Lu Ying helplessly followed behind the two of them, quite a bit afraid that Zaizai would be spoiled by this big-spending father.

The entire basement level was more than two hundred square metres. Now it was like a bright and spacious indoor amusement park full of fun for children, with all kinds of cartoon elements harmoniously coexisting in the same room. Lu Zaizai was smiling from ear to ear.

Shortly afterwards, the two dads accompanied their child and blissfully played in the amusement park, making the family of three happy.

“I’ve already arranged the school for Zaizai, don’t worry about it.” Late at night, the two of them shared a bed, enjoying a quiet and beautiful moment after their passion.

“I don’t worry about it.” Lu Ying smiled and sighed, “If it weren’t for Zaizai’s education, I wouldn’t have bothered to leave my hometown to come to you.”

“Hypocrite. Who was it that cried and begged me to take you in earlier today?”

“You’re the one who’s daydreaming.”

“Heh.”

“That’s right!” Lu Ying rolled over and got up, “I almost forgot to ask you. Tell me the truth, you bastard, you knew Zaizai was your own son? No way!”

Qin Zhuopu didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh, “I’m so smart, it would be strange if I didn’t know all along. That scar on your stomach, you think I wouldn’t care?”

“You…” Lu Ying was stunned, covering his belly and stammering, “You knew about it so early?” He didn’t expect Qin Zhuopu to get suspicious over a small scar, while he had been kept in the dark himself.

Qin Zhuopu nodded, “Once I got suspicious, I needed to find the truth. A few hairs could give me the answer, and whether it was yes or no, I had to carry it in my heart. As a result, I could barely believe that you, in fact, gave birth to my child… At that time, I was not only stunned, but also in deep self-loathing.”

Suddenly, Lu Ying remembered the abnormal Qin Zhuopu that night. He thought that the other party was nostalgic for his dead father but Qin Zhuopu, who shed tears silently, was actually full of excitement and guilt in his heart.

“I never had the chance to tell you. Lu Ying, I’m sorry.” Qin Zhuopu hugged Lu Ying and murmured deeply, “Thank you.”

Lu Ying was unable to speak for a while, and only after a long time did he say sullenly, “There is nothing to be sorry for. I was willing.” Everything follows the will of the heart. He and this man had gone from getting to know each other in the beginning to being hand in hand today.

When they woke up the next day, the two couldn’t help but look at each other and smile, kiss, get up, brush their teeth together, and make breakfast together. After the meal, Qin Zhuopu went to work. Lu Ying and Zaizai, who was on vacation, stayed at home. After a while, Housekeeper Lin brought three aunties to do daily cleaning. Qin Zhuopu lived alone and didn’t eat at home during the day. Usually, the aunties came over every day to clean, but they didn’t stay at home at night. Housekeeper Lin received a notice from Mr. Qin and hurriedly came over today to meet the other owner of the house.

“Mr. Lu, it’s good that you’re here, Mr. Qin was looking forward to your return every day. Now the house is lively. If you have any orders, just let me know. I will be in charge of all kinds of chores over here.” 

Housekeeper Lin stood respectfully in front of Lu Ying and looked at Lu Zaizai blankly. Anyway, no matter what the outside world said, as an employee of the Qin family, Housekeeper Lin knew how to mind his own business and would never discuss his employer’s personal matters.

Lu Ying smiled: “Nothing for now. I’ve just eaten and I’m going to take the kid for a walk around the community, is that okay?”

“Of course, I’ll accompany Mr. Lu.”

“No, we’ll be back after a walk.”

Leading Lu Zaizai around the community slowly, Lu Ying had a constant smile on his face. The surroundings were still basically the same as he remembered. Even the beautiful flower shop at the entrance of the neighbourhood was still open for business; he had worked at the flower shop for a while back then. The flowers and plants made him feel close to home.

It was good to be back.

When Lu Ying returned home, he found the house bustling with activity.

Elder Qin and Mrs. Qin were both here!

“Lu Ying! Zaizai! You guys are finally back!” The moment Elder Qin saw the two who had returned, he immediately stood up from the sofa in excitement, his eyes burning like flames. His urgency touched Lu Ying’s heart. He had always been quite fond of Elder Qin.

“Great-grandpa!” Lu Zaizai shouted loudly, “Are you here to see me?”

“Yes, yes! Great-grandpa came over just to see you, Great-grandpa misses you every day.” The old man’s hands trembled as he tried to touch Lu Zaizai’s head.

Lu Ying, who was watching, knew in his heart that the old man probably already knew that Zaizai was his great-grandson. Thinking of this, Lu Ying couldn’t help but glance at Mrs. Qin. No matter what, Zaizai would be happy now and in the future. Other than that, he could care less.

“Grandpa.” Lu Ying stepped forward and greeted the old man.

“Lu Ying, good boy! It’s been hard on you all these years. It’s my family that wronged you, good boy… Grandpa can’t tell you how happy he is to see you, to see you and Zhuopu getting back together.” The old man was overwhelmed with feelings and was quite emotional. “Don’t worry, if Zhuopu is not good to you, I will never cover him up. In the future, no one in the Qin family will treat you badly. If you have any grievances, just look for Grandpa. Grandpa will take care of everything for you!”

Lu Ying smiled, “Grandpa is very serious, there is no problem with me. Don’t worry, Grandpa, since I’m back, I’ll live a good life with Zhuopu. Your health is the most important thing, don’t worry too much.”

“Yes, yes, it is most practical to live a good life. You are really a good and down-to-earth boy, Grandpa is never wrong looking at people.” The old man sighed. Even though Lu Ying had nothing, he had a sincere heart. It was rare to find such a person. It was a blessing for his grandson, Zhuopu, to find such a person as his lifelong companion, and a blessing for the Qin family as well. Even though he was so old he could be gone any moment, he was no longer afraid to leave his grandson and the Qin family any longer.

“Grandpa, let’s eat together at noon. I’ll ask if Zhuopu has time to come back for a meal.”

“Good, today, our family is finally reunited!”

Mrs. Qin stood by and tried not to interrupt, looking on, always feeling that something was wrong. She had always known that the old man was fond of Lu Ying and his son. But… the way he was acting, it looked a bit strange. He was just too excited.

“Zaizai, play with Great-grandpa for a while, Dad will make something delicious.”

“Sure. Do you like Transformers, Great-grandpa? Look, my Transformer can turn into four modes!” Lu Zaizai held up the transformer toy and happily showed it off to the old man.

The old man smiled and nodded straight away, even though he knew nothing about Transformers.

“This toy is fun, Zaizai is so smart.”

“Hehe, that’s for sure…”

Mrs. Qin stayed by the side, watching the old man and the little guy behaving like two urchins. The more she looked, the more in a daze she was. The old man, when had he ever been so indulgent to a child? He took off his shoes and sat on the floor cushion with Lu Zaizai, as they sparred with Transformers. He seemed to have completely forgotten that he was an old man in his eighties, who needed help to walk.

Now, together with Lu Zaizai, the old man was laughing like a child.

At noon Qin Zhuopu hurried back for dinner, and the family was reunited in a harmonious atmosphere.

After lunch, the old man, who was used to taking a nap, showed his tiredness, and Mrs. Qin took the initiative to say goodbye and send him back to the old mansion to rest.

“I’m going back to the office too, Mom, I’ll go with you.”

“Take care on the road.” Lu Ying waved to everyone.

Closing the door, Qin Zhuopu put the old man and his mother in the car and turned around after giving the driver a couple of instructions.

“Zhuopu!” Mrs. Qin called out to her son.

Qin Zhuopu turned around: “What?”

Mrs. Qin wanted to say something but shook her head.

“Nothing, take Lu Ying and Zaizai to the old man’s place when you have time.”

“Okay.”

The car started and turned the corner to go far away.

Mrs. Qin sighed silently; just now she had an urge to ask her son, but she didn’t know how to ask.

“I know what you want to ask.”

The old man suddenly spoke.

Mrs. Qin raised her eyes to look at him, and the old man’s faint voice was like thunder, blasting Mrs. Qin into pieces.

“Zaizai is Zhuopu’s own son.”

***

Mini- theatre:

Zaizai: Say, who is your favourite baby?

Lu Ying: Of course it’s you.

Mr. Qin: Of course it’s you.

Lu Ying: Say it again, who is your favourite baby?

Mr. Qin: You’re my favourite big baby!

Reporter: What does Mr. Qin call you in private?

Lu Ying: Lu Ying, Little Piggy Lu and…

Reporter: What else?

Lu Ying: Big baby!

Reporter: ……(I never thought Qin Zhuopu would have such a taste)

Previous / ToC / Next

The entire staff of the bakery was silent.

“Closing??” Fei Qiqi covered her mouth and exclaimed, “Are you kidding, boss?”

“Brother Yang, what are you talking about?” Lu Ying stared at Yang Sigu in disbelief.

Yang Sigu smiled calmly: “Due to my personal reasons, I have to take my family to live in another city. So I don’t have the energy or time to continue running the bakery. Therefore, I have decided to close down. Don’t panic, I will pay you three months’ salary.”

“Boss, are you serious? This is so sudden!” Fei Qiqi cried out, “Our shop is doing so well, it’s a shame.” And there was a lot to learn, and the atmosphere was always good.

Lu Ying was dumbfounded, unable to speak. It was the happiest job he had ever had, and he thought he would continue to do it. Now Brother Yang suddenly wanted to close the bakery; he was really taken by surprise. But Brother Yang was the boss and the bakery was his, so he was free to make any decision he wanted.

“You can’t be serious, Boss Yang! Are you really going to close down? Where are we going to buy bread from now on? After eating your bread, we won’t be able to eat any other!”

“That’s right, that’s right, Boss Yang, why don’t you keep on doing this? I’m used to buying your food for breakfast.”

In addition to the shocked staff, customers in the shop came up to ask questions.

“It’s a waste to close when business is so good. What about the membership cards we recharged?”

Unmoved, Yang Sigu continued, “I will ask the shop staff to inform every member who recharged that they can come in anytime in the near future to get their money back. I’m sorry, but my life is more important and I have to close the bakery. Thank you all for your recognition and support all along.”

“Boss, don’t you want to just sell the store? There are so many professional machines here.” Brother Qiang squeezed forward, staring at Boss Yang with scorching eyes; his heart was itching. He had been working for many years and now his skills matured; he had long had the idea of opening a shop. What a good opportunity it was now, everything in the store was ready-made, and there was an accumulated old customer base.

Lu Ying looked at Brother Qiang, wanted to say something but stopped. He actually wanted to take over the shop, but he was too close to Brother Yang, so he wasn’t comfortable asking. Moreover, such a large store also included all equipment, and the selling price was not cheap. If he was given a cheap price, he would be even more embarrassed.

“Of course I want to sell it, and it’s best if my colleagues take over. But the transfer fee, the equipment, plus the rent, all together, is not cheap. I’ll list the price through the agent later, and if any of you are thinking of taking over, you can call me and tell me if you find the price reasonable.” Yang Sigu looked at the time and waved his hand, “That’s all I have to say, you guys get on with it. I will inform you of other minor matters in the work group.”

“Brother Yang, wait!” Lu Ying couldn’t resist and chased after him.

When Brother Qiang saw his impatient look, his face sank and he cursed silently. He looked at his other colleagues and asked sharply, “What do you think? Is there anyone who wants to take over the shop? I don’t have much money, we can partner up!”

“It’s really a shame not to do it, the shop is doing particularly well…” One male employee was obviously interested.

Another asked curiously, “How does Brother Qiang want to cooperate?”

Brother Qiang’s face showed joy: “Let’s go for a walk and talk in detail. Now the question is whether Lu Ying, who is related to Boss Yang, will shortcut….”

“Him? What’s the point of opening a bakery when his boyfriend is so awesome…”

“That’s not for sure…”

Fei Qiqi felt angry when she heard them muttering. She wished Lu Ying would take over the shop, then she would continue to work here and not have to worry about the reputation of the shop dropping without Boss Yang. Although Lu Ying was the latest of them to join, his craftsmanship was obvious to everyone. Who was good and who was bad, the sales were not going to lie.

“Brother Yang, tell me honestly, why do you suddenly want to close the bakery? Didn’t you say before that you were going to wait for Xiaolu’s kindergarten before moving to the capital? There was no sign at all.” Lu Ying followed behind Yang Sigu in confusion.

Yang Sigu smiled as he walked, “The plan can’t keep up with the changes. I just happened to receive an offer from Guanlan University and decided to go back to teach at the university. Both Guanlan City and the capital have good education, so I’ll simply take Lao Lu and Xiaolu to live there with me. I’ll entrust Liu Dichuan to deal with the house and shop here, and we’ll come to Qixia Mountain to get together for the New Year holidays in the future.”

“This, this has already been decided?” Lu Ying didn’t expect Brother Yang to make such proper arrangements so quickly. It seemed that he was determined to move. Lu Ying was very upset, but could only wish him sincerely, “Congratulations, Brother Yang. It’s great to go to the university and become a teacher and it’s definitely more appropriate for Xiaolu to live there.” He knew that Brother Yang had always been very good, he had been a university professor before returning to Qixia Mountain. Now he was going back to his old job for the sake of his child and his family. It was obviously a good thing.

Yang Sigu encouraged, “Your Grandpa Lu and I will leave, but your life will go on. Do you want to take over the bakery? It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the money, we’ll see what we can do about it.”

“…I have to think about it.” Lu Ying hesitated.

Yang Sigu let out a long sigh, “Your Grandpa Lu has always felt guilty about you in his heart.  He didn’t teach you how to survive, and he didn’t leave you any property. If you’re willing, why don’t you take Zaizai with you and go with us, don’t forget we’re family. My house in Guanlan City is big enough, so it’s no problem at all to live together. Once you go there, I can also help you open a bakery and you can be your own boss. Believe me, you can definitely do it, even better than me. You’re single-minded in what you do and really more committed than I am. I have a lot of interests and am easy to get distracted and lazy.”

“I’m such a big guy and I have Zaizai with me. How can I go and disturb your family? There’s no need for Grandpa Lu to feel guilty about me, it was hard enough for him to raise me. Thank you, Brother Yang, for your kindness!” Brother Yang’s offer sounded wonderful, but Lu Ying wasn’t tempted. If Grandpa Lu was alone, he would not hesitate to live with him and take care of him for the rest of his life. But Grandpa Lu had his own lover and child, he wouldn’t be that insensitive.

Yang Sigu patted Lu Ying’s shoulder, “No matter what your decision is, you should think about it seriously again. I’ll be gone in half a month. Tell me the answer when you think about it, and I won’t sell the bakery to anyone else until you reply. Let’s go, you are busy.”

Seeing Yang Sigu leave, Lu Ying was torn for a moment. He returned to the bakery sadly, ignoring the stares of the others, and sulked, doing his own work. He had to do a good job while at work anyway.

While his hands were busy, his mind was spinning. Firstly, this was a great opportunity, and once he took it, he was confident that he would be able to run the business without ruining its reputation. However, if he became the boss, he would have much less time to spend with his child. Although there was Jin Dachu to pick up and drop off Zaizai, it wasn’t the same. Moreover, he was serious about getting a good primary school for Zaizai, and the nearby ones had long been ruled out. Once he took root here, where Zaizai would go to school was a problem.

And…

The relationship between him and Qin Zhuopu had gone so far that almost all relatives and friends on both sides knew about it. With them living separately in two places, Qin Zhuopu would have to continue to travel back and forth, and sometimes seeing him come and go in a hurry made Lu Ying feel guilty. And recently, so many inexplicable things on the internet involved Qin Zhuopu; Lu Ying was already very upset.

Those people had nothing to do with Qin Zhuopu.

He was clearly Qin Zhuopu’s real lover!

On his way home from work, Lu Ying swiped the news on his mobile phone and the star called Lu Ying could no longer jump up and down. The netizens were all captivated by Qin Zhuopu’s frankness. It was him, not her! With such an obvious statement, those who were following Qin Zhuopu were shocked.

Netizen A: Crap, the big boss is coming out of the closet!

Netizen B: Dad is worthy of being Dad, he’s just so open and honest!

Netizen C: I’m going to buy a lottery ticket! I’ve always suspected that Qin Zhuopu is gay, I’ve actually won!

Netizen D: Crying a river, why do good men like men?

Netizen E: Damn, that Lu Ying’s (actress) face must have hurt, so embarrassing! Hahaha, change your gender and maybe everyone will believe you.

Netizen F: boing boing, I envy that Mr. ly!

Netizen G: Where did the two men get the child? Did they adopt him? Please bring the news, I want to eat melons.

Netizen I: The boss of a dignified company is gay! It’s disgusting! May your stocks fall to death!

……

Lu Ying swiped through a whole bunch of online comments, and the more he read, the more anxious he became. He sent a message to Qin Zhuopu: “Is it okay for you to say that online? Will it affect your company’s stock? Will the company executives blame you?”

Qin Zhuopu quickly called and smiled as he said, “You’re so concerned about me?”

“No kidding! Of course I want everything to go well for you.”

“Ha, what if I go bankrupt and end up on the streets one day?” Qin Zhuopu asked, smiling. Even though he felt it was childish, he just wanted to hear Lu Ying’s answer.

Lu Ying rolled his eyes at the phone, “You underestimate me, even if you go bankrupt, you won’t live on the streets! I’m not as good at making money as you are, but if it comes to that, I’ll have no problem supporting you.”

Qin Zhuopu laughed darkly, “What if I go bankrupt and owe a huge amount of money?”

“Your company’s stock hasn’t really fallen, has it? Otherwise why are you asking these questions…” Lu Ying held his breath nervously.

“You still haven’t answered me, what if I’m in debt?”

Lu Ying sighed: “Then what else can I do! I’ll help you pay it back slowly, ah! You don’t have to ask questions, tell me if there is any effect or not? Otherwise, you should delete your Weibo, we can just be happy in our relationship, there is no need for others to talk about it.”

Qin Zhuopu, who was sitting in the boss’s chair, turned around and smiled widely, “Don’t worry, the post will not affect the stock. Never mind saying that I chose a man to be with, even if I choose a pig to be with, it won’t be anyone’s business.”

“……” Lu Ying was silent. What else could he say? With him, with a pig, it’s perfectly fine! (*^▽^*)

Qin Zhuopu looked out of the window at the sunshine and lush green plants in a pleasant mood, “One day I’m going to marry you in front of everyone. We will be frank and honest so that our child will be frank and honest.”

Lu Ying was taken aback: “What you say makes so much sense.” If two people were cowering and hiding because they were together, after a long time, the child’s heart would definitely change and he might feel that his family relationship was ‘unmentionable’ to outsiders. He didn’t want his child to become like that.

“Did you sign the documents I left you?”

Lu Ying pulled his hair, “I forgot about that, I haven’t read it yet. I’ll take a look at it when I get home, what is it? You didn’t buy me another house, did you? Actually, two are enough.”

Qin Zhuopu snorted, “You’ll know when you see it.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll video chat with you tonight.”

Lu Ying returned home, closed the information after reading it and let out a long breath.

He didn’t expect such a big gift from Mrs. Qin after her apology. Although he was not sure how much the 10% share dividends of the jewellery company were, it was definitely an amount that was beyond his imagination. As for the farm that Mrs. Qin gave Zaizai, he was rather calm.

Lu Ying told Zaizai about the farm in detail, and the little one really liked it. Lu Ying smiled and put the information away carefully.

Lu Ying didn’t tell Qin Zhuopu that the bakery was closing. In the early morning, he stepped into the bakery in a complicated mood; soon everyone arrived one after another. When Brother Qiang saw him, he looked clearly nervous and uncomfortable.

Lu Ying ignored him with a faint glance and went to work on the membership refunds, sending a message to Brother Yang in the meantime.

Brother Yang, I thought about it all night yesterday, but I don’t plan to take over the shop. You’d better transfer it to others as soon as possible, but I advise you to keep your signboard, it’s all your hard work.

Yang Sigu immediately replied: I understand. I had no intention of selling the signboard even if you didn’t say so. It’s okay to tell you secretly, it actually means Qianchuan, at least in my heart.

Lu Ying’s eyes lit up, and he smiled and typed: I suspected it before, but I didn’t dare to confirm it. It turns out that there is really a story, hehe, so sweet!

Brother Yang: Initially I wanted to call it ‘deer’ but it seemed too shameless, so finally I changed it to be more subtle.

Hahaha……

After talking to Yang Sigu, Lu Ying’s whole mood became particularly bright. He felt more and more anxious to have his own bakery, give it his favourite name and make his own favourite desserts.

At night, Lu Ying had a dream in which he opened his own bakery and named it ‘pig’, only to have Qin Zhuopu jump out and strongly oppose it, saying that the name was too unpleasant and tasteless and didn’t fit the style of the bakery!

When he woke up in the morning, Lu Ying rubbed his messy hair and wondered what the best name would be.

“What do you think would be a good name for Dad’s bakery?”

Lu Ying was excited, “Wow, is Dad going to open his own shop and be the boss?”

Lu Ying shook his head, “No.”

Lu Zaizai sighed, “Then what’s the point of asking. First, you have to have a shop.”

“……”

There was no way to retort.

The cold wind quickly blew into December, bringing the rain along with it. In an instant it felt like winter, and people put on their warm clothes. The bakery was deserted, everyone was there, but the atmosphere was very negative.

Lu Ying and Fei Qiqi sat at the front desk, dealing with the members who came by from time to time to return their cards. The others stayed in the workshop and were not in a good mood. Because Brother Yang was unwilling to transfer the signboard, Brother Qiang, who wanted to take over, felt very upset, but in the end he gritted his teeth and found some people to take over the bakery in partnership. Now they were waiting for the final handover.

Lu Ying buried his head in taking notes, while Fei Qiqi was responsible for answering the calls.

“Right, this is Mr. Qin’s membership fee, the balance is 18,000. Here, now I’ll transfer it all to you, Brother Lu.” Fei Qiqi said with a smile, pointing to the information.

Lu Ying was stunned, “Did you tell him?”

“Of course, I am responsible for informing every member. Mr. Qin is also our member but Mr. Qin told me that the balance can be paid directly to you.”

Lu Ying held his forehead. He thought he had been hiding well but he had forgotten about this. Qin Zhuopu obviously knew he was unemployed now, yet he didn’t talk to him about it at all… Didn’t he want to take advantage of this opportunity and ask him to go to Guanlan City?

What the hell was he thinking…

In the blink of an eye, on December 10th, it was still raining and the bakery belonging to Brother Yang was officially closed.

The old signboard had been taken down and the shop was fenced off. Brother Qiang couldn’t wait to call in the construction team and was determined to get the new signboard installed and re-open quickly. The shop was already equipped with all the equipment and furniture and he had no intention of changing them. Just change the signboard and the customers would come back. 

“Goodbye, Brother Lu, goodbye, Boss Yang!” Wearing her casual clothes, Fei Qiqi waved with a wide smile and was the first to leave the bakery where she had worked.

“Bye, Qiqi.”

After sending Fei Qiqi away, Lu Ying didn’t want to stay, picked up his umbrella and walked into the rain with Yang Sigu.

“Brother Yang, now that I’m completely free, I’ll take you to the airport the day after tomorrow.”

Yang Sigu didn’t refuse: “Okay, it’s just as well since we have a lot of baggage and it’s inconvenient to carry the baby, so it’s better if you help. It’s just a pity, why don’t you come with us?”

“Haha, I don’t want to be a light bulb!” Lu Ying was light on his feet in the rain, and although he was out of work, he felt very relaxed.

Yang Sigu smiled like a spring breeze, “You must remember that in Grandpa Lu’s and my eyes, you will always be the child of our family.” He had already done as much as he could, and he believed that Lu Ying would gather the courage to pursue his own happiness.

“…en! I know!”

Lu Ying nodded vigorously, forcing himself not to let his tears fall. How lucky he was that Grandpa Lu had adopted him when he was at his weakest and had given him support. From then on, he had many friends who laughed at his young age while loving him as he grew up. It was these friends who made him an optimistic person, and it was the most considerate companionship and encouragement that gave him endless courage.

On the day that Grandpa Lu’s family left, Lu Ying went to see them off and didn’t look away until they had passed the security check. When Lu Ying returned home alone, he was still in a bit of a daze. It was too awkward for him to do nothing, so he was at a loss. Sitting on the sofa, he watched the news and programs on the English channels for a day until Lu Zaizai came back from school.

“Dad, is it true that Grandpa Lu and Uncle Yang and Sister Xiaolu are gone?” Lu Zaizai asked with a depressed look on his face as he grabbed Lu Ying.

Lu Ying nodded, “Yes, they have gone to Guanlan City.”

Lu Zaizai instantly deflated and wanted to cry: “Why did they have to leave… I miss Grandpa Lu and I miss my little sister too. Why do they all have to go to Guanlan City? Uncle also lives so far away!”

“Good boy, don’t cry. We can still see each other later, Guanlan City is not far, it’s the next city.”

“So when are we going to go to them?” Lu Zaizai was instantly looking forward to it.

Lu Ying smiled, stroked his son’s head and assured him, “When you have the winter vacation, Dad will take you there.”

“Wow!”

“But you have to promise Dad one thing.”

“What thing?” Lu Zaizai asked hurriedly.

Lu Ying squatted down to be at his son’s level and looked seriously into his innocent eyes, “After we go to Guanlan City, we will live with Uncle. From now on, you have to call him Dad, okay?”

Surprised, Lu Zaizai stared into his father’s eyes and asked in confusion, “Why?”

Lu Ying smiled, “Because he is your father.”

Lu Zaizai cocked his head, still not understanding, and couldn’t help but raise two fingers, “So I’ll have two dads in the future?”

Lu Ying nodded decisively, “Yes, from now on you have two dads, one more than anyone else.”

“Wow, that sounds so cool and amazing!” Lu Zaizai’s eyes lit up but the next moment he questioned, “But are you married? I can’t call him Dad until you’re married, right?”

“Married or not, he and I are your dads and we love you very much. You just have to remember that.”

Lu Zaizai nodded seriously and grinned, “Okay, then I’ll do as you say. Next time I see Uncle, I’ll call him Dad, right?”

“No, no, no! Wrong!” Lu Ying immediately admonished his son mysteriously and said quietly, “We have to surprise him, we can’t let him know about our actions, so you have to…”

Father and son muttered for a long time and finally agreed on a plan.

When he woke up the next day, Lu Zaizai was still chanting ‘secret, I’m going to keep it secret’.

Lu Ying smiled as he sent his son off to school, and when he got home he couldn’t rest anymore. He pulled out the oven he bought for more than 400 yuan and prepared to make some desserts at home. He was afraid of getting rusty from not doing anything all day. He had a full range of baking ingredients and tools at home, all of which he used to practise. The oven was very simple and the tools were not as professional as those in the shop, but he took his time and enjoyed the process, finally baking ten six-inch chiffon cakes and making three more chiffon pieces to carefully shape, resulting in two beautiful and delicious fruit cakes.

Lu Ying was so pleased with the finished products that he put them on the table and decorated them, then made a picture and sent it to his Moments!

Perfect Dad: Freshly baked six-inch chiffon cakes! Anyone want them? As long as it is not far away, it will be delivered to your door!

There were many customers and residents of the community in his WeChat, as well as former colleagues from all walks of life, but before posting his Moments, he had blocked Brother Qiang and others.

Soon, there were several messages under his post.

Fei Qiqi: Wow! Good job, Brother Lu! Support you!

Lu Ying replied: I call this freelancing ^_^

Fei Qiqi: Bang bang da! I’m going to start my own freelance business in the community like you!

Lu Ying: Go for it, you can definitely do it!

Yang Sigu: Thumbs up! That’s not bad, that’s what I did in the beginning, too.

Lu Ying: Thank you, Brother Yang.

Pure Mom: Xiao Lu, I want one!

Lu Ying: Private chat.

Lu Ying quickly sold his first cake for 188 yuan. He took a screenshot and wrote down Pure Mom’s building number, and soon another resident sent him a private message.

There were still people leaving messages on WeChat. The cakes were all booked out, and Lu Ying made an appointment with his customers In the evening. He took Zaizai to deliver the cakes to the customers’ homes.

After selling ten cakes a day, the money he made was so good that Lu Ying was smiling, and Lu Zaizai, who was delivering cakes, was even happier than he was, finding it fun.

When Qin Zhuopu had time to look at his phone, Lu Ying’s Moments stunned him and then he smiled helplessly. This lover of his, he really couldn’t stay idle for a day. But doing this was actually more cost-effective than working part-time, and Lu Ying was definitely happy.

“Hehe, guess how much money I made today?” In the video chat, Lu Ying was smiling like a lucky cat.

Qin Zhuopu held up his forehead and teased, “You made so much money, do you want to give me a red envelope?”

Lu Ying nodded readily, “No problem!” He quickly sent out a red envelope.

Qin Zhuopu clicked on it and saw that it was actually ‘1314’ (1314 means “forever”). His heart was suddenly hit hard, oh wow!

“I’m generous, right?” Lu Ying was happy, “I was worried whether anyone would want it, but luckily those customers trusted me. It was sold out in one go today, and some of those who didn’t get it reserved desserts for tomorrow and the day after. Unfortunately, the weather has cooled down and I don’t have all the equipment at home, so toast and bread don’t ferment well at all and the cakes are the only ones that can be done well. Tomorrow I plan to cut them and sell them piece by piece, the profit is higher!”

Qin Zhuopu said sincerely, “My wife is awesome! You look best when you’re serious!”

Lu Ying blushed: “Calling me wife is so unpleasant, it’s so corny!”

“What should I call you then?” Qin Zhuopu asked with a smile.

Lu Ying looked magnanimous, “Call me baby!”

“Pffff, yes, baby, baby,” Qin Zhuopu said in a long, deliberate voice, causing Lu Ying to blush. He got a scolding before he stopped.

Lu Ying went to the market the next day after dropping off the kid and bought all the boxes he needed, and then went back home and started working. Today he only baked five cakes. After all of them were made, he cut them and divided them into 30 small cakes. He packed them, 15 yuan per box, took pictures and posted them, and sold them! Anyway, he had grown bold; he could sell as much as he wanted and even if he couldn’t sell them, Zaizai could eat them! Absolutely not at a loss.

After losing his job, Lu Ying started a brand-new business in this way. It happened that Christmas and New Year’s Day were coming, and Lu Ying’s orders soared. However, he worked single-handedly, so he could only watch a lot of orders slip away. On the two days of Christmas, he didn’t have five hours of sleep all together. He worked hard to make the largest number of orders in his history. He was so tired during the delivery that he couldn’t finish it. In the end, Jin Dachu took Zaizai to help him complete the delivery.

When he got up from a nap and was ready to continue to work, Lu Ying’s oven quit and went straight on strike.

“…woo!” Lu Ying wanted to cry without tears; he didn’t hesitate to throw away the broken oven and hurriedly went to the supermarket to buy another one. At night, he couldn’t help muttering to Qin Zhuopu: “This is too wasteful. The household oven won’t last long. Think about it, it isn’t cheap.”

“That’s why it’s better to open a shop if you want to get bigger. Professional large-scale equipment is durable.”

“Yeah.” Lu Ying knew that but didn’t say anything to Qin Zhuopu.

In the blink of an eye it was New Year’s Day, the end of the Year of the Pig in the Gregorian calendar, ushering in the Year of the Rat. But in the lunar calendar it was still the Year of the Pig, and Lu Ying was inexplicably nervous and looking forward to the future, hoping that before the Year of the Pig ended, he would go to the place he wanted to.

On January 20, Primary School 12 officially closed for winter break. A week later, Lu Ying and Lu Zaizai went to school to get Zaizai’s report card.

“Headmaster, thank you for taking care of Lu Zaizai this semester.”

The headmaster smiled and sighed, “You’re welcome, Mr. Lu, it’s something I should do. The library you donated to the school has helped the children immensely and I will be forever grateful to you. Lu Zaizai, you must study hard at your new school.”

“I will, goodbye, Headmaster.”

“Bye.”

The two of them pushed their suitcases and left the campus to board the train to Guanlan City.

Lu Zaizai said he had never been on a train before, so this was a good time to experience it.

As he walked out of the Guanlan City train station, Lu Ying exhaled a long breath. This place; after seven years, no, already eight years, he had finally returned here.

Dragging his luggage and pulling his son through the crowd, he hailed a taxi and gave the familiar community address.

Yes, a very familiar address that was always in his heart.

It was a smooth arrival at the community, another smooth face-scan to enter the community, and finally a smooth standing at the door of the house.

As he stared at the closed door, a nostalgic smile appeared on Lu Ying’s face.

Lu Ying stretched out his finger and pressed the code he knew by heart. Beep beep, the door opened and the warm light bloomed in front of him.

It seemed to have opened the door to the mysterious fairy tale world, and the ending of the fairy tale would definitely be happy.

A pair of large hands reached out and fiercely pulled him into a hug.

“Lu Ying, welcome home.”

***

Mini-theatre:

Mr. Qin: Finally, I’ve waited for you to come back! Excited!

Lu Ying: I wanted to surprise you, but it seems like you knew.

Mr. Qin: No, I didn’t know anything.

Lu Ying: Liar, you must have guessed.

Mr. Qin: How could I? I was surprised by you.

Lu Ying: Really?

Mr. Qin: Really.

Lu Zaizai: Do you two devils remember having a son outside the door?

Lu Ying: ……

Mr. Qin: ……

Zaizai: Woohoohoohoohoohoohoo

Mini-theatre-2:

Zaizai: Uncle.

Lu Ying: Call him Dad.

Zaizai: Okay, Dad, which room do I sleep in?

Mr. Qin: Be a good boy, Dad will make a phone call.

Zaizai: ???

Mr. Qin: Grandpa, come quickly, pick up your great-grandson! There’s no room for him here.

Zaizai: ……

Previous / ToC / Next

In the quiet of the night, after the video chat with Lu Ying, Qin Zhuopu was still working in his study. The electronic screen next to him suddenly played music and his mother’s face appeared on it. It was ten o’clock in the evening, and his mother came over at this time; probably it was for something important.

Qin Zhuopu immediately unlocked the door and got up to walk out of the study.

“Mom, why are you here?”

Qin Zhuopu actually knew what his mother had done today. To be honest, he was surprised, but he also felt that he had expected it. The conflict between him and his mother had long since been resolved, and afterwards they were still mother and son. But the conflict between his mother and Lu Ying could only be resolved by his mother. No matter how many kind words he said, no matter how much he compensated, he could not replace his mother to say sorry in person.

Mrs. Qin put down her bag, “Come here, I want to talk to you about something.”

“Okay.” Qin Zhuopu poured tea for his mother, cut some fruit and handed it to her personally.

Mrs. Qin picked up the briefcase she had brought with her and handed a document to Qin Zhuopu: “This is a letter of transfer of equity, a gift from me to you and Lu Ying to make amends. Just sign it.”

“I have a share too?” Qin Zhuopu opened the document and looked at it. There was a jewellery company under his mother’s name, one of the dowries given to her by his grandmother, and it was run well over the years. Now his mother generously gave 10% of the shares to him and Lu Ying.

Mrs. Qin nodded: “Although all of mine will be yours in the future, this is a small sign of my intention for now.” As she said that, she took out another document and handed it to Qin Zhuopu again.

“And?” Qin Zhuopu’s smile deepened. His heart was definitely happy. Who doesn’t like money? What’s more, it was given for nothing. Even when he borrowed money from his mother, the interest was pretty high, and it was rare for her to give him money for nothing.

Mrs. Qin opened the document straight away: “My gift for the little one, I hope he will like it.”

Qin Zhuopu’s eyes lit up. It was a farm in France, also one of his mother’s favourite private properties. The farm was large, containing a beautiful sea of flowers, a variety of crops and a winery. The family usually ate agricultural products from there. 

“Zaizai will love it, going there to pick fruit to fill his tummy. Mom, thank you.”

Mrs. Qin pulled up the corners of her mouth and smiled, “Don’t stay up too late, take care of your health. I’ll leave now.”

“Mom, I’ll see you off.”

Qin Zhuopu personally escorted his mother out of the courtyard, and waved his hand when he saw her get in the car.

Mrs. Qin smiled and left. Once the words of apology were spoken, the gloom in her heart seemed to break open a gap and more and more light poured in, not only relieving herself but also infecting those around her with that warmth. The gift was the one she willingly gave, and it was given without a trace of heartache, but rather as if she had done something very comfortable. 

“I’ve been so confused and foolish all these years. I helped so many strangers I don’t know, and seeing them happy made my wish to do good deeds stronger. At the same time, I also gained the satisfaction of helping others. But I was less tolerant and patient with the people around me. In fact, even without Lu Ying, I would still have fallen out with Zhuopu over other things; it was my stubborn heart demon.” Sitting in the car, Mrs. Qin held her mobile phone and spilled her heart to her closest cousin, “It’s only when I took a step back that I understood. In fact, as long as I can see that my Zhuopu is safe and happy, my original wish is fulfilled…”

She remembered the day her son was born, more than 30 years ago. She and her husband cried tears of joy as they looked at their son in their arms. At that time they both had the same wish, wishing for their son to be healthy, happy and safe for life.

But as the child grew up and as they grew old, the years that flowed by unknowingly destroyed and took away a lot, and they were the ones who lost it.

Early in the morning, inside and outside the bakery, Lu Ying and a few employees were diligently scrubbing the glass, while the owner of the flower shop next to them hauled in various potted plants they had ordered, giving the shop a new look inside and out.

Liu Dichuan got out of the car and strode towards the bakery, saying loudly, “Lu Ying, let’s go to Brother Yang’s house for dinner tonight, I’ve bought a lot of ingredients.”

“Sure, I’ll definitely be there tonight.”

Ji Xiaofeng and Dr. Hu both arrived at Brother Yang’s house in the evening, and the group gathered around Yang Xiaolu for a while to tease her. Lu Ying personally cooked some of his best dishes; he and Brother Yang worked well together, and the table was full of delicious food.

Lu Zaizai ate happily as usual and definitely had the best appetite at the table. Dr. Hu couldn’t help laughing when he saw it: “When was the last time Lu Ying fed him the pill?”

“Let me see.” Lu Ying checked the mobile phone date record, “It’s been 26 days, less than a month…”

Dr. Hu raised his eyebrows: “It’s time for him to take medicine.”

“I’ll give it to him when I get home at night.” Lu Ying said immediately.

Dr. Hu smiled like a cunning fox, “I have formulated new pills, inspired by the birth of Yang Xiaolu. The new pills are more effective than the old ones, but more expensive. Would you like a bottle?”

Yang Sigu heard it and said, “My Xiaolu is taking the new formula now. It has a lot of aura and is really good.”

Lu Ying’s teeth ached: “How, how expensive is it?”

Dr. Hu held out his fingers, “150,000.”

“!!!” Lu Ying vomited blood: “It was only 50,000 before, and it tripled straight away! You are too…”

Too black-hearted… Lu Ying hurriedly covered his mouth. He could afford to offend anyone but couldn’t offend the doctor, especially Dr. Hu.

Dr. Hu raised his eyebrows and hummed lightly: “What, aren’t my pills worth that price? I’m telling you, this is already a price for a friend. I’m not going to use the old recipe anyway now since the new one is selling well. No big deal if you buy it or not, your little aunt will take care of it.”

“I’ll buy!” Lu Ying gritted his teeth.

Grandpa Lu said, “I’ll pay for this. Before Grandpa didn’t know how to help ease your burden, but now I can.”

Lu Ying hurriedly shook his head, “Grandpa Lu, don’t be like that, you and Brother Yang still have to raise Xiaolu. I can take care of Zaizai myself, I really can… and I still have Zhuopu, ahem.”

Ji Xiaofeng suddenly laughed: “Tsk tsk, so affectionate now.”

Liu Dichuan laughed: “I see that Mr. Qin is quite good to Lu Ying. Anyway, if there are any misunderstandings, it’s good to solve them in time. Since they like each other and are the happiest together, just have fun.”

Lu Ying made the payment to Dr. Hu on the spot; although it was painful, he was also happy with the new formula’s optimised efficacy.

When Dr. Hu received the money, his smile deepened: “Okay, that’s quick. By the way, I have some other pills here, would you like to consider them, Lu Ying?”

Lu Ying was dumbfounded: “What?” Why did he need any pills?

Even the other guys looked at Doctor Hu curiously.

Dr. Hu spread his hands and arranged several porcelain bottles of different sizes, introducing them one by one: “Pill No. 1 focuses on internal regulation of qi and blood. Pill No. 2 focuses on beauty and rejuvenation. Pill No. 3 focuses on nourishing the kidneys and strengthening the body. Pill No. 4 focuses on baldness. And Pill No. 5 strengthens the muscles and bones. All without side effects, you know my medicine is expensive for a reason. If the effect is bad, I’ll compensate a hundred times.”

Everyone: “……” Damn, it all sounds great, but they don’t need it at all! Even Yang Sigu and Lu Qianchuan would not be taking this medicine at the moment.

“Ahem, I’ll sign up with Dr. Hu first, maybe I’ll have to use it one day.” Yang Sigu was most open-minded and blandly placed his order.

Dr. Hu nodded, still staring at Lu Ying.

Lu Ying blushed and stammered, “I, I can’t use it either…”

“Really? Hey, I thought you would be a big buyer.” Dr. Hu sighed slyly, and Ji Xiaofeng held back his laughter.

“You can’t use it yourself, but Mr. Qin should be able to use it, right? It’s all good for the body anyway. I see a lot of middle-aged men around with bald heads and big bellies, weak kidneys and lack of body energy, oily faces and whatnot. Dr. Hu’s medicine is very marketable.” Liu Dichuan reminded Lu Ying thoughtfully.

Shut up, you! Who is bald? Who has weak kidneys⁽¹⁾? His Zhuopu is fine, absolutely fine!

“Don’t miss out on something good.” Yang Sigu smiled jokingly.

Lu Qianchuan wanted to say something but stopped.

“…you, what do you mean…” Lu Ying wanted to cover his face. He said firmly, “I don’t need it! Can’t afford it either!”

Dr. Hu put away the pills and continued eating.

“Hahaha, buy those pills from Doctor Hu, and the house is probably gone. Don’t blame Lu Ying for not wanting them, I wouldn’t bear to part with it either.”

Lu Ying’s face was flushed and his heart was trembling.

“You really don’t want them?” Dr. Hu asked again, “If you don’t buy them now, you can’t have them later.”

“I don’t want them… oh, I want, I want them…!” Really tempting o(╥﹏╥)o

Dr. Hu delivered the goods readily, “All these are for you at a price of two and a half million, and I will allow you to give me an IOU. Anyway, if you don’t pay it back within a year, I’ll go directly to Guanhai Group to demand the debt.”

“……”

“Two million and a half is too harsh, can’t Doctor Hu offer a discount?” Lu Ying tried to make a counteroffer.

Dr. Hu hooked his lips and smiled, “Two million five hundred ten thousand, no bargaining.”

“……”

This old fox, doesn’t he know anything about moderation!

After the gathering was over, Lu Ying’s legs were completely weak and he was almost swaying as he walked.

From today, he turned from a poor man with the assets of no more than a million to an unhappy man… with the assets of minus 2.51 million.

He really was too arrogant and irrational! The old fox poured him the ecstasy soup and he, who usually deliberated whether to spend more than two hundred on clothes, suddenly lost more than two million …life is unbearable.jpg

Liu Dichuan slapped him on the shoulder, laughing and comforting: “Don’t look so unhappy, ah, more than two million is actually okay. In our place it is really the cost of a house. But in Guanlan City, it’s nothing. Think about it, you have two luxury houses in Guanlan City, don’t be stingy!”

Lu Ying’s heart jumped and he looked at Liu Dichuan in dismay, “I don’t have a house.”

Liu Dichuan glared at him, “Don’t give me that. At the beginning of the year I even asked you to borrow a quota to register for the lottery, but it turned out that you already had two houses under your name, and you bought them seven years ago. Little brother, don’t you know whether you bought a house or not? It’s not surprising that Mr. Qin bought you a house, but you should have signed for it yourself, right?”

Lu Ying was dumbfounded: “I, I really don’t know. I don’t remember… I have no recollection of it.” Qin Zhuopu hadn’t told him at all!

“Brother believes you…” Liu Dichuan was helpless: “Then ask him yourself, it’s not a bad thing anyway. I’m off, see you next time. Zaizai, bye bye.”

“Bye bye, Uncle Liu.”

Lu Ying returned home in a daze and after settling his son down to sleep, he couldn’t wait to call Qin Zhuopu. But the phone rang for a long time and there was no answer.

Lu Ying’s excitement cooled a little and he lay under the blanket in a daze. Seven years ago when he and Qin Zhuopu were together, Qin Zhuopu did buy him a lot of things, food, drinks, games and clothes, but then he left in a panic and even accidentally lost his darling mobile phone. There was no memory of such a thing as buying a house.

Sitting on his bed, Lu Ying propped his head up and sulked.

Suddenly, the sound of the combination lock opening reached his ears, and Lu Ying looked up, a smile instantly brightening his face as he jumped to his feet and ran to the living room, where Qin Zhuopu, who had pushed the door open, collided with him.

“Why are you here?” Lu Ying looked at him with surprise and thoughtfully reached out to help him with his bag and presents.

Qin Zhuopu said with amusement, “Why are you so enthusiastic today? Are you missing me to warm your bed?”

Lu Ying smiled playfully, “If you say so, so be it. Are you hungry? I’ll go and make you a snack!”

“No, just pour me a glass of water.”

Qin Zhuopu sat down on the sofa in the living room and waited for Lu Ying, who was inexplicably excited, to hand him a glass of water. He patted the seat beside him, “Come, sit with me.”

Lu Ying obediently sat down next to him and asked seriously, “Do you want me to sit on your lap?”

“Pfft…” Qin Zhuopu erupted in laughter, “Did you miss me too much?”

Lu Ying blinked, “I was fine.”

“……” Qin Zhuopu choked, “Then why are you so enthusiastic?” Deliberately teasing him! That’s so naughty!

Lu Ying cleared his throat, lowered his voice and asked seriously: “I only learned today that you bought me two houses in Guanlan City seven years ago.”

Qin Zhuopu nodded: “That’s right, the one we lived in was under your name, and now I still live there alone.”

“……” Lu Ying couldn’t help but stare and muttered, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Qin Zhuopu stroked his head, “At that time, I bought the house because I wanted to marry you, but I hadn’t had the time to tell you… later when you disappeared, I was taking care of the place. You may not know but as long as I lived in it, I always felt that no matter how much time had passed, you would still come home and end up living with me.”

“You never told me that.” Lu Ying had mixed feelings. Qin Zhuopu lived in the house registered under his name and waited for him every single day. Yet Qin Zhuopu, whose memory was confused, probably didn’t even understand why he was waiting like that; thinking and thinking, but unable to come to him.

Qin Zhuopu pressed his forehead against Lu Ying’s and whispered, “I realised after seeing you again that as long as you are there, no matter where you live, it is home. There can be many houses, but you are unique.”

Lu Ying smiled as his eyebrow smoothened and he gently bumped his forehead against Qin Zhuopu’s, murmuring, “You’re so good. You’re unique in the world.”

……

Reunion after an absence is sweeter than being newlyweds. The two of them hugged and had a good night’s sleep.

The next morning, Lu Ying had just opened his eyes to get up when his phone rang. When he saw that it was Brother Ji calling, he immediately picked up, “Good morning, Brother Ji.”

“It’s not good at all!” Ji Xiaofeng’s tone was somewhat ominous: “Look at the hot searches on the internet yourself, what’s up with Qin Zhuopu? Isn’t he with you? How can he get involved with a woman?”

Lu Ying’s heart thudded: “What woman?”

“A big female star named Ye Suqin. You’d better ask about it, if it is a misunderstanding, it needs to be cleared up as soon as possible.”

“Thank you.”

Lu Ying hung up his phone and found the Weibo hot search. The first one was ‘Qin Zhuopu holding hands with Ye Suqin’. The second was ‘What kind of divine couple is this!’ The third one was ‘Ye Suqin’s overbearing boyfriend’ and the fourth one was ‘Two childhood sweethearts’.

Several consecutive hot searches were all about the two of them. At the airport, Qin Zhuopu and Ye Suqin, who was wearing a mask, faced each other. Ye Suqin seemed to be holding Qin Zhuopu’s hand, and Qin Zhuopu was smiling warmly and leaned slightly towards her.

Lu Ying stared at the screen and grimaced; what the hell was this? There was nothing of substance, just a picture to create an unfounded story, and a bunch of netizens screaming and clapping, or cursing.

In particular, Ye Suqin’s fans were completely abuzz, partly desperately blessing the two and partly yelling about stopping being fans.

Lu Ying was furious and slapped Qin Zhuopu awake.

When Qin Zhuopu opened his eyes, the blindingly hot gossip came into his view, and he was wide awake at once…-_-||

“Where’s my phone?”

“Here it is, you turned it off.” Lu Ying tossed it to him.

Qin Zhuopu smiled bitterly. Yesterday he and Lu Ying were hot and tangled. At that time, he didn’t hesitate to turn off his phone, just in case he was disturbed in the middle! Once the phone was turned on, there were indeed many missed calls and messages.

Qin Zhuopu called the secretary directly, and the other party sighed: “Mr. Qin, you’ve finally answered the phone. You can quickly give instructions on whether we should manage the gossip and how to manage it.”

“It’s purely a rumour, I happened to be on the same flight as Ye Suqin yesterday. You should contact Ye Suqin’s side directly to issue a statement together.” He believed that Ye Suqin didn’t want to drag him into the gossip, there was really no need for her to do so.

“Understood, I’ll get busy then.”

Qin Zhuopu breathed a sigh of relief, “Alright, this is just a small misunderstanding. Ye Suqin was my neighbour when I was a kid, and her brother and I were childhood friends.”

“Hmph, I knew it was a misunderstanding as soon as I saw it, I don’t care about this nonsense and boring gossip.” Lu Ying turned his head and tilted his chin to brush his teeth and wash his face.

Qin Zhuopu hugged him from behind, resting his head on his shoulder and rubbing his face against it, “As expected of our Lu Ying, so smart, magnanimous and steady…”

“Wow! Uncle, you’re here!”

Lu Zaizai yelled and rushed towards Qin Zhuopu whose sweet words were interrupted in an instant. With a look of helplessness on his face Qin Zhuopu caught his fat son who rushed over. When will this child turn eighteen and move out?

After the family of three had a lively breakfast, Qin Zhuopu put down a bag of documents and rushed to leave, telling Lu Ying: “Take a look at these two documents when you have time. I have to catch a flight, so I’ll go first.”

“Okay, then take care and have a safe trip.” Lu Ying waved his hand.

“Uncle, take care.”

“Heh…” Every time they parted, it was sad, but this time Lu Ying’s emotions were especially strong.

Putting away the bag of documents, Lu Ying urged his son to go to school. He also had to go to work.

“Ah, I forgot to give Zhuopu the medicine!” Lu Ying choked. The effect of a two million yuan medicine must be very good, right? No more worrying about Qin Zhuopu’s kidney deficiency, baldness or whatever in the future… (*^▽^*)

Lu Ying began a new day at work. The gossip that broke out early in the morning on the internet quickly disappeared, and the most popular item in the hot search was Ye Suqin’s own statement.

Ye Suqin: Everything is a rumour, your elder sister is still a single dog! The rumour mongers will be struck by lightning!

After that, Ye Suqin’s studio also issued a statement. Guanhai Group issued a statement just after that, giving Ye Suqin enough face.

Ye Suqin wanted to apologise and thank Qin Zhuopu in person, but unfortunately she didn’t even have Qin Zhuopu’s personal number. And this man, Qin Zhuopu, didn’t even have a Weibo.

Ye Suqin was groaning about Mr. Qin when her agent suddenly exclaimed, “Mr. Qin has opened a private Weibo!”

“Hehehe, let me see!”

The brand new certified Weibo, with the original big name, indeed belonged to Qin Zhuopu.

Qin Zhuopu: I have a lover and a child, do not disturb.

Ye Suqin squealed, “Crap! He actually got married and had a child? A male or a female?”

The agent sweatdropped: “Watch your image…”

“I so want to follow him and send him private messages asking for gossip…” Ye Suqin burst into tears: “However, he probably hates me for causing trouble…”

“It’s good that you are self-aware.”

“My male god… oh oh, life is unbearable… I’m falling out of love…” Ye Suqin wailed. “I need to eat a table of seafood to cheer up!”

Agent: “……”

A brand new weibo from Qin Zhuopu instantly exploded to the hot search as fans followed it and a group of netizens wailed under the post, their lamenting interspersed with pitiful blessings.

Netizen A: From today on, I will no longer call you husband, I will call you father in the future.

Netizen B: Dad, do you still lack a daughter in your family?

Netizen C: Dad, is there a shortage of drivers in your family?

Netizen D: It’s a pity, Qin Zhuopu and the goddess Ye Suqin are really a perfect match. The poor cp just stood for a second…

Netizen E: Is there any gossip about who Mr. Qin’s lover is? When did they get married? Unwilling to be reconciled!

Netizen F: Shocked! Isn’t Mr. Qin gay?

Netizen G: Fuck, upstairs, I’ve lost sleep when you said that!

The scandal of Ye Suqin and Qin Zhuopu was handled promptly and quickly drowned in the tide. Netizens were more curious about the fact that Mr. Qin himself showed up and admitted to having a lover and a child, and speculated who his lover could be. Countless young girls woke up to find their dreams broken overnight, biting their fingernails and continuing to pay attention. If you can’t catch up with him in person, you have to catch up with his gossip!

“Oh my god, I can’t look at you straight anymore, Brother Lu!”

In the bakery, Fei Qiqi, shocked, held up the picture of Qin Zhuopu on her phone, the evidence she had managed to turn up to prove that the big, handsome man who often came to the shop and was Lu Ying’s boyfriend, also surnamed Mr. Qin, was actually that Qin Zhuopu!

Lu Ying smiled awkwardly, not knowing how to reply.

After the gossip came out today, although the misunderstanding was dealt with, Qin Zhuopu’s identity was also exposed. Everyone in the bakery knew that Mr. Qin was Qin Zhuopu. Fei Qiqi’s careless babbling was a better option; several male employees were silent, talking much less than usual. The atmosphere… was very awkward.

“Brother Lu, you are… oops, how to say it?” Fei Qiqi wanted to say ‘Brother Lu is a wealthy young lady now’!

Before the words were said, Brother Qiang, the oldest employee in the bakery, snorted: “I bet you want to be a male pet of a rich guy?”

Fei Qiqi was taken aback, “You misunderstood. Isn’t the lover and child that Mr. Qin is talking about Brother Lu?”

“Bah, only a stupid girl like you can be this naive!” Brother Qiang didn’t believe it at all. What was Qin Zhuopu’s identity, and what the hell was Lu Ying? A baker with even less education than him and a son born to another woman. What would Qin Zhuopu want from him, just a good-looking face? Superficial.

Lu Ying lowered his head. The reactions of the shop staff were really unexpected. He said, “Don’t just label me crooked like that. Qin Zhuopu and I are in love with each other. My son is his son. You can ignore the two of us if you don’t like it, but don’t insult people!”

“Yes, yes, yes, I believe in Brother Lu!” Fei Qiqi nodded in panic.

“Huh.”

Brother Qiang was noncommittal and turned away disdainfully, not bothering with this. They were just bystanders anyway. If someone wanted to be a male pet of such a rich guy, not to mention twenty years of struggle, two hundred years of struggle wasn’t enough! He just didn’t expect this kind of person to be around; it was really disgusting.

Lu Ying was furious; a colleague, who usually got along with him very well, ended up fighting him indiscriminately over such a small matter. He had always thought that any food-loving baker was wonderful at heart.

It was no longer a question of how he proved his innocence, it was that people simply didn’t trust him, or rather, finally found an opportunity to stop being nice to him. After all, his craftsmanship had surpassed everyone’s.

For the first time in the beautiful bakery, Lu Ying felt tired.

When he went to Brother Yang’s house in the evening to talk about it, Brother Yang smiled and reassured him: “For a mediocre talent to be jealous is their normal reaction. If you’re not happy with their job, you can fire anyone you’d like. As your elder, I was going to give you this shop, anyway.”

“No, no, no, Brother Yang, leave it to Xiaolu.”

Yang Sigu teased, “I see you’re distracted now, are you thinking about Qin Zhuopu?”

“No…” Lu Ying was embarrassed and huffed, “I’m just mad at him for having cheap hands and posting nonsense on Weibo.”

“Haha, what an unwarranted act! He’s clearly trying to show how much he cares about you. You can always go to him if you want him.”

Lu Ying’s heart felt warm, but his mouth just wouldn’t admit it. He shook his head, “Why be so sticky, I still have to go to work.”

Yang Sigu smiled thoughtfully.

Lu Ying didn’t expect the matter not to be over yet, and was once again surprised by the hot search the next day.

‘So Qin Zhuopu’s lover is ly?’

Lu Ying was shocked. Had he already been exposed? The internet is too powerful now! He clicked on the headline with nervous apprehension mixed with excitement, yet his face quickly collapsed and he almost dropped his phone.

Where did this Lu Ying (the actress they met before) come from? What a bad character, trying to piggyback someone’s popularity!

On Weibo, a blogger who seemed to know the inside story broke the news, “I attended a certain elder’s birthday banquet, so I know that Mr. Qin’s lover is definitely not my goddess Ye Suqin. The initials are LY, and you’ll never guess who it is. They do have a son and are very happy.”

It was such a seemingly genuine post that was being clamoured over, with all sorts of comments interpreting who ‘ly’ was. Anyway, by the time Lu Ying went online, there were pictures of Lu Ying (actress) all over the place. Lu Ying was indeed beautiful and young, and coincidentally, she had also updated a weibo at this point. She didn’t write anything, it was just a picture of her holding a boy with his back turned to the photographer in the afterglow of the setting sun. All of a sudden the netizens were abuzz. All of them ran to Lu Ying’s weibo for confirmation, congratulations, insults, all kinds of clamour, and her followers skyrocketed.

Lu Ying was full of anger and suddenly wanted to become a keyboard warrior to scold people, but actually couldn’t find a way to vent. That Lu Ying was smart and didn’t say a word. Even Qin Zhuopu couldn’t blame her.

It didn’t take long for this hot search to go down again, and Qin Zhuopu  posted a second Weibo post.

My lover ly, it’s him, not her, thanks.

Lu Ying looked at his phone, breathing heavily, his heartbeat all in disarray.

“Oh my god, the ly that Mr. Qin is talking about, who else could it be if not Brother Lu! It’s him, not her!” Fei Qiqi covered her mouth and exclaimed, even more excited than Lu Ying.

Brother Qiang’s face was even uglier than yesterday, sullen and silent, without the slightest intention to apologise.

Lu Ying no longer had expectations from this kind of person; he was full of sweetness and happiness.

Yang Sigu pushed the door open and waved with a smile.

“I’ve come today to make an announcement. Our bakery is closing.”

***

Mini-theatre:

Mr. Qin is forty years old

Lu Ying: Kidney supplement pill, would you like one?

Qin Zhuopu: ……(ノ｀Д)ノ

Mr. Qin is fifty years old

Lu Ying: Baldness pill, would you like one?

Mr. Qin: ……(ノ｀Д)ノ

Mr. Qin is sixty years old

Lu Ying: Oh, who’s this 18-year-old boy, so handsome!

Mr. Qin: (づ￣3￣)づ╭? ~

1. It’s not that they are obsessed with kidneys 🙂 Kidneys are considered to be connected to sexual function, so that’s what they are worried about 🙂

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