LABMY CH89.2

At this moment, Jian Yuanbai stood nervously at Lu Qianyun’s door, holding a large bouquet of flowers and a ring. He paced back and forth so much that the carpet beneath his feet was nearly worn out, yet he still didn’t dare to knock on the door.

Taking a deep breath, he gathered all the courage he had in his life and knocked on the door.

Jian Yuanbai thought Lu Qianyun wouldn’t open the door, and he was already prepared to beg and plead. However, unexpectedly, the door opened.

Lu Qianyun looked at him expressionlessly, his gaze cold, “What do you want?”

Jian Yuanbai’s heart skipped a beat. He wanted to propose, but when he opened his mouth, what came out was: “I’m sorry, wifey, I was wrong.”

He knew that Lu Longlong had suffered an unjust disaster. It was already humiliating enough in the banquet hall, and then he had to endure the slander and insults from the entire StarNet. Every word was like a knife, sharp and hurtful.

But what did Lu Longlong do wrong?

Was it just because Jian Yuanbai liked him that he deserved such treatment?

The more Jian Yuanbai thought about it, the more his heart ached. Guilt and remorse flooded him. What made him feel even more ashamed was that, from beginning to end, he had never thought of letting go, even if Lu Longlong regretted it.

At this moment, Jian Yuanbai felt like the worst person in the world.

Lu Qianyun didn’t let him in and blocked him at the door, speaking coldly, “Since you’re apologizing, shouldn’t you show some sincerity?”

“I don’t want the flowers. I just want you to do one thing.”

Jian Yuanbai quickly hid the flowers behind his back and asked eagerly, “What is it?”

“Post this on your social media where the entire StarNet can see: ‘I am Long Aotian. Unhappy? Come fight me!'”

For a full three minutes, Jian Yuanbai stood there dumbfounded, like an idiot.

Lu Qianyun sneered, “Unwilling? Then forget it.”

He was about to close the door.

“I’ll post it right now!!”

Jian Yuanbai scrambled to open his light brain, quickly edited the post, and sent it out. He even made sure to have Li Wenshu contact the media to push the message across the entire empire, ensuring everyone would see it.

Seeing him complete the task, Lu Qianyun suddenly smiled. His dark, bright eyes were filled with laughter, and his delicate features seemed to melt like ice and snow.

Jian Yuanbai was stunned and cautiously asked, “Wifey, you’re not mad anymore?”

“I was a little mad at first,” Lu Qianyun bit his lip awkwardly, “but I was only angry at those media outlets.”

Looking at the nervous Jian Yuanbai, Lu Qianyun smiled brightly and directly threw himself into his arms, planting a sudden kiss on his lips. His eyes sparkled like tiny stars, obedient and adorable. “Because I know you were in your susceptible period. Your brain doesn’t work well on normal days, so doing something stupid during your susceptible period is understandable.”

“This wasn’t your fault.”

He only pretended to be mad to force Jian Yuanbai to post such an outrageous, cringe-worthy message.

Usually, Jian Yuanbai embarrassed him in public, so he took this chance to get revenge and let Jian Yuanbai experience the kind of shame that made him want to escape the planet.

Jian Yuanbai, holding his soft, blushing wife in his arms, felt dizzy. His mind was filled with one thought: My wife is so adorable.

He gently kissed Lu Longlong and murmured sweetly, “I love you so much.”

The sight of a “tough guy” acting cute made Lu Qianyun a bit flustered. He wasn’t good at expressing love, and even saying “I like you” was difficult for him, except on very special occasions. His ears turned red as he whispered softly, “I love you too.”

Looking at the soft, flushed beauty in his arms, Jian Yuanbai couldn’t help but want to… No, he really wanted to…

But he could only think about it. He glanced bitterly at Lu Qianyun’s still-flat belly and quickly shifted his focus. Pulling out the bouquet from behind, he said, “I posted the message. Can you accept the flowers now?”

Jian Yuanbai kissed Lu Longlong’s forehead and added, “If you don’t accept the flowers, how can I bring out the ring?”

Lu Qianyun took the flowers. But when he saw the large, exquisitely crafted blue diamond ring on his finger, he asked, “How much did this cost?”

Jian Yuanbai kissed his hand with pride, “Not expensive, only a little over seventy million star coins.”

Seventy million?!

Lu Qianyun’s vision went dark. He immediately took off the ring and handed it back. “Return it. You’ve already given me a ring.”

Under Jian Yuanbai’s confused gaze, Lu Qianyun calmly took off the clothing bracelet on his wrist, which was worth eight million star coins, changed its appearance to a ring, and slipped it onto his finger.

Jian Yuanbai: ?

Is that even allowed?

He tried to persuade him, “But this is just a piece of clothing. How can we use it as a wedding ring?”

Lu Qianyun replied seriously, “It’s both clothing and a ring. Double the value.”

Jian Yuanbai: …Why does this sound so familiar?

“But it’s just a ring in appearance. At its core, it’s still clothing.” Jian Yuanbai struggled, “Besides, we already bought it. Returning it is embarrassing.”

Lu Qianyun stared at him and said, “After we get married, won’t your money become our shared property?”

Jian Yuanbai nodded dumbly.

“You spent over seventy million on a ring. That’s way too expensive. As one of the owners of this shared property, do I have the right to ask you to return it?”

Jian Yuanbai thought back to what Lu Qianyun once said after filming a movie: “In the future, I’ll save money for my future wife. My wife will manage the finances, and I’ll only get a small allowance.”

With a bitter face, Jian Yuanbai cautiously asked, “Wifey, after we get married, can I get a little more allowance?”

“This ring was bought before we got married. Can’t it count as my personal expense?”

Lu Qianyun: ?

He only wanted Jian Yuanbai to return that ridiculously large, impractical, and expensive ring. Seeing that this approach wouldn’t work, Lu Qianyun softened his tone and gently touched the ring made from the clothing bracelet, saying:

“This is the first gift you ever gave me. In my heart, it holds a different meaning from all the others. I just want to wear it as my wedding ring. Is that okay?”

Jian Yuanbai’s first gift had already left Lu Qianyun silent. After that came the photos, the movie, the academy competition name—each one more shocking than the last.

Since Lu Qianyun had spoken like this, of course Jian Yuanbai had no objections. However, he still hesitated: “Returning it is really embarrassing. How about we just keep it for fun?”

Despite all the sweet talk, Lu Qianyun’s face darkened. “Return it.”

Jian Yuanbai immediately responded with crisp efficiency, “I’ll go return it right now.”

He carefully helped Lu Qianyun to the bed and sat him down. “Good Longlong, don’t be angry. I’ll return it now.”

Wouldn’t want to spoil his little temper.

While they were talking, Jian Yuanbai’s post had spread across the entire StarNet at an alarming speed. Given his previous remarks at the press conference, his personal social media post naturally drew massive attention.

Jian Yuanbai: “I am Long Aotian. Not convinced? Come fight me.”

Yet, the top comment under his post was:

“I wouldn’t dare to be unconvinced. If Boss Jian says he is, then he is.”

What followed was a flood of diverse and colorful responses.

— “When Boss Jian looked down coldly in the video and said, ‘If you don’t go bankrupt, I won’t stop,’ who can understand? That aura was simply too cool.”
— “Rich, handsome, strong, and devoted to his wife—Jian-ge, please, Long Aotian is nothing compared to you. He has three wives and countless concubines.”
— “Visualizing Jian-ge standing on top of a mech, saying, ‘Come fight me.'”
— “Where do I have to knock my head to find a partner like this? Waiting online, very urgent.”
— “This is probably Jian Yuanbai’s version of ‘The Emperor’s Downfall.'”
— “I was already obsessed with Jian Yuanbai and Lu Qianyun while watching the livestream, and now it’s real!”
— “Honestly, though, saying something like this—doesn’t it feel awkward? My second-hand embarrassment is acting up again.”
— “Jian always called Lu Qianyun ‘Longlong’ during the livestream. He really posted this to match his wife. I’m crying.”
— “I heard there were a lot of Omegas at the banquet. Jian was in his sensitivity period but still held onto Longlong without being affected by anyone else. Stop loving him so much, Boss Jian.”
— “I was really touched when Jian protected his wife so fiercely at the press conference, but after seeing this post, I feel like I’m about to die of second-hand embarrassment. This is too much for me to handle.”

On his way to return the ring, Jian Yuanbai scrolled through the comments and replied to a couple.

Jian Yuanbai: “Not embarrassing. As long as my wife likes it.”
Jian Yuanbai: “Can you not call him ‘Longlong’? Thanks.”

After sending the replies, he stepped into the jewelry store, completely unaware that his responses had reignited the already high StarNet frenzy.

— BuffettFishIsNotAFish: “So he posted it because his wife told him to? AHHHHHHH!”
— RandomTriviaManHasFiveToes: “I get it. No one else can call him ‘Longlong’—only you can.”
— MilkBubble: “Not even allowing one ‘wife’ call? Deducting 200 star coins from the wedding gift money.”
— MagicSpinning: “Hello, please hold your wedding immediately. I need to see your ceremony tonight.”
— BoilingWater200Degrees: “Sending 1,000 star coins as a wedding gift. Charge it to Boss Jian’s tab.”

…

After leaving the jewelry store, before Jian Yuanbai even made it home, Fan Youjin found him. Given how much of a stir the press conference had caused, Jian Yuanbai wasn’t surprised that Fan Youjin came looking for him.

However, what did surprise him was what Fan Youjin said.

Fan Youjin: “The news this time—Lu Family and First Imperial Academy helped fan the flames behind the scenes.”

“The slanderous articles against Lu Qianyun were also written under Lu Family’s instructions. I overheard this from my father.”

“But if you continue pressing charges against those media outlets, you’ll probably uncover this yourself soon.”

Jian Yuanbai’s expression darkened slightly. “Thanks.”

Fan Youjin asked, “What do you plan to do?”

He stirred his coffee and sighed before getting to the point. “Actually, I came with my father’s message. You know, the old emperor isn’t going to last much longer.”

“At times like this, we have to be extra cautious. The Lu Family supports the First Prince. As an old noble family, they lean towards the legitimate heir.”

Jian Yuanbai looked at him and said with certainty, “I consider you a friend, so I won’t hide it from you—I won’t support the First Prince.”

As for the Lu Family and First Imperial Academy, if they wanted to play dirty, Jian Yuanbai would just counter them openly.

He said to Fan Youjin, “The Lu Family’s strongest foundation is their military power. No one knows when the Zerg will become active again. When that time comes, whoever rises up will have the greatest chance of taking military power from them.”

Jian Yuanbai raised an eyebrow and, with a hint of pride, said, “I think it will be Lu Longlong.”

“As for First Imperial Academy… To be honest, a school’s reputation doesn’t come from the school itself. It comes from the students.”

The more Fan Youjin listened, the more serious his expression became. “You say you won’t support the First Prince, but if you do these things, the one who will lose the most power is him.”

First Imperial Academy usually stayed out of such political battles, but the Lu Family was actively supporting the First Prince.

Jian Yuanbai thought for a moment and then chose not to hide anything. “At that banquet, my sensitivity period hit me too suddenly. It happened right when the First Prince invited me to talk.”

Fan Youjin was surprised. As someone who had been through it, he said, “Sensitivity periods are always sudden. That’s normal.”

Jian Yuanbai’s tone was indifferent. “Then what about the sweet Omega who just happened to walk in and spill tea on me the moment my sensitivity period started?”

“What about the other Omega, who avoided the servants at the door, walked in, and immediately started undressing—conveniently in heat—right after the First Prince left?”

He looked at Fan Youjin and said in a low voice, “I know that many Alphas, when they first enter a sensitivity period, momentarily lose their memory due to the sudden surge of pheromones—but I remember everything.”

Fan Youjin was silent for a moment before asking, “Then will you support the Second Prince?”

Jian Yuanbai: “Maybe.”

“The Second Prince is young and arrogant, naturally talented but not malicious. However, he seems… too trusting of his older brother.”

Fan Youjin was completely stunned. He looked at Jian Yuanbai like he was seeing a different person. “I thought you knew nothing about this kind of stuff.”

“Are you really the Jian Yuanbai I know?” He suddenly remembered the public post Jian Yuanbai had made and joked, “Did Long Aotian swap places with you?”

Jian Yuanbai gave him a sideways glance. “You think running an enterprise with countless mining planets smoothly doesn’t require any brains?”

But Fan Youjin countered immediately, “Doesn’t it? From what I see, you just sit back and let others do the work every day.”

Jian Yuanbai: …

He had no rebuttal.

But come on, he only became a hands-off boss after he had stabilized the Jian Corporation!

Too lazy to argue further, Jian Yuanbai cut to the chase. “Anyway, you can tell your father not to worry. I may not necessarily support the Second Prince, but I definitely won’t support the First.”

Fan Youjin was even more shocked. “How did you know my family supports the Second Prince?”

Jian Yuanbai got up to leave without wasting another word.

Who didn’t know that the Fan Family and the Lu Family had been at odds for years over military affairs? If the old emperor hadn’t kept things in check, the two families would have been fighting endlessly by now.

He felt like the Fan Family had protected Fan Youjin too well—he was completely disconnected from political affairs and only interested in having fun.

Fan Youjin grabbed him and said, “What’s the rush? Let’s chat. It’s still early.”

Jian Yuanbai looked at him with a hint of pity in his eyes. He pointed at him and said, “Do you know the biggest difference between us?”

Fan Youjin: “What is it?”

“You’re richer? You have the Jian Corporation?” He hesitated, unwilling to admit the last point, “You’re taller?”

Jian Yuanbai shook his head, the pity in his eyes deepening. With a solemn tone, he said, “I have a wife at home.”

“You don’t.”

…

Damn!

Fan Youjin stared dumbfounded at Jian Yuanbai, who walked away with the stride of a victorious general. His expression slowly twisted with rage.

So what if you have a wife?!