YA Ch71: Full Attendance

Ming Yan, both crying and laughing, said: “Is this really what you care about?”

Lu Yu replied with a serious expression: “Of course, this is very important to me!”

Ming Yan stared at him for a while, then suddenly hugged Lu Yu tightly. But since Lu Yu was bigger than him, it looked more like Ming Yan was throwing himself into Lu Yu’s arms.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Yu was startled.

After the sudden relaxation following intense nervousness, Ming Yan felt a bit drained, so he simply leaned all his weight on Lu Yu, gently shaking his head.

Seeing that Ming Yan wasn’t speaking, Lu Yu lay on his shoulder, immediately forgetting his earlier concerns about his own benefits, and hugged the person in his arms, feeling him up and down: “Did Lu Shuangcheng bully you? That bastard, I’ll go beat him up!”

As he said this, he prepared to pick up Ming Yan and put him into the car, ready to go have a free-for-all with Lu Shuangcheng.

“No,” Ming Yan held down his hand that was reaching for his knee, “Let me hold you for a while.”

Lu Yu obediently stopped moving, feeling the soft sensation in the crook of his neck. After a moment of quiet, he whispered, “Don’t mind what he says. Let me tell you, all the Lu family members are sick in the head, and Lu Shuangcheng is the worst. When we were kids, he didn’t like me and used to secretly call me a bastard behind my back. He and his daughter are part of that uncultured group. They can spout all kinds of nonsense.”

He guessed that Ming Yan, having grown up in a cultured and privileged environment, probably hadn’t encountered someone like Lu Shuangcheng, a thug, and hearing such foul words must have been hard for him.

Listening to this off-topic consolation, Ming Yan raised his hand to ruffle Lu Yu’s hair: “Aren’t you afraid I’ll sell you?”

So silly, not asking any questions.

“Go ahead, sell me by weight or by the piece, whatever you want,” Lu Yu said generously, then, feeling wronged, sneakily licked the pink tip of Ming Yan’s ear, “But before you sell me, could you at least let me have one good meal?”

Ming Yan felt something warm and wet slide over his ear, and the licked spot quickly heated up. Covering his now completely red ear, he pulled the pitiful Lu Yu and said, “Let’s go!”

Lu Yu couldn’t believe what he heard, both surprised and overjoyed: “Really? You’re really letting me eat? But… it’s not even the weekend yet.” The happiness came so suddenly that Lu Yu didn’t know where to put his hands, letting Ming Yan stuff him into the passenger seat. His head was spinning, and it took him three tries to buckle his seatbelt.

One moment, he thought he should quickly review what he’d learned in the past two days so he wouldn’t mess up later. The next, he wondered which words had made Yan-ge pity him, so he could figure it out and use them again in the future.

In his excitement, he couldn’t stop rambling: “How about you see the Lu family again tomorrow, I’ll go beat them up, and then we can have another meal.”

Ming Yan ignored him, focusing on driving.

Lu Yu hurriedly covered his mouth: “Mm, I was just talking nonsense.” He hadn’t even gotten to eat yet, so he’d better watch his words.

An hour later.

Lu Yu sat at the Ming family’s dining table, looking miserable.

Mother Ming eagerly scooped a large spoonful of food, piling his bowl high with pork trotters and drizzling it with thick gravy: “This is a northern dish I learned to make, it’s really delicious.”

Lu Yu took a bite. The pork trotter, stewed until soft, was fully infused with the braised sauce, melting in his mouth. It was indeed delicious: “It’s good!” He quickly finished half of the pork trotter, the delicious food healing him a little, but he still felt aggrieved.

Mother Ming, seeing his expression like a little wife who had been wronged, curiously asked: “What’s wrong with Little Fish today? What made you upset?”

Lu Yu, looking at his future mother-in-law’s encouraging gaze, couldn’t help but complain: “Yan-ge and I were playing a game, and he promised to treat me if I won, but now something unexpected has happened, and I might not get to eat.”

“You can’t just let Little Fish win?” Mother Ming scolded her son, then turned to comfort Lu Yu, “What do you want to eat? Auntie will make it for you.”

Lu Yu looked at Ming Yan.

Ming Yan was eating and suddenly choked a bit.

After dinner, Lu Yu, still feeling down, ran off to play in Ming Yan’s room.

Ming Yan hadn’t stayed in this room much. By the time they moved here, he was already married to Lu Yu. The bed was covered with sheets he used before going abroad, which now seemed a bit outdated.

The fabric, checkered in light blue, smelled faintly of laundry detergent. Lying on it, Lu Yu could imagine what Ming Yan looked like lying on these sheets back in high school.

Lu Yu lay down, took a deep breath, and couldn’t help but roll around.

After dinner, as usual, Ming Yan went to the study to talk business with his father.

“Dad, I’ve decided to be with Lu Yu.” Before Father Ming even sat down at the desk, Ming Yan suddenly blurted out this statement.

Father Ming looked at his serious-faced son with a dark expression: “Have you really thought this through? Why did you suddenly decide this?”

Ming Yan pressed his lips together, pulled a chair to sit opposite his father, and after some deliberation, said: “Dad, do you remember when I came back to the country?”

“Five years ago,” Father Ming replied.

“Chenyu Technology was founded five years ago,” Ming Yan spoke slowly, as these words were difficult for him to say, “I didn’t dare to think this way before, it sounded too self-centered. But this company may have been created to help me.”

He knew that when Lu Yu was younger, his dream was to stay at home and write novels. His highest ambition was to become a world-renowned writer and win the top NB Literature Prize. In Lu Yu’s life plan, there was never a place for founding a company and becoming a millionaire.

Of course, it was possible that Lu Yu’s thoughts had changed over the years since their breakup, but the news Ming Yan received from Lu’s second uncle today seemed to confirm this suspicion again.

The sale of the DCM manufacturing plant had been rumored two years ago. OEM production was sporadic, and DCM barely survived for a long time. Last year, it briefly started a bidding process, which was later suddenly halted, only to resume recently.

Ming Yan showed his father the photos taken by his SmartBrain.

The project plan that Lu’s second uncle showed him today was made last year. The clever Shen Baishui had even clearly captured the date stamp.

Father Ming, looking at the pictures, was a little surprised but said nothing.

“He wants to acquire a smart brain manufacturing plant so we can take orders to make smart brain wristbands. He…” Ming Yan’s throat tightened, “He’s even willing to collaborate with the Lu family for this.”

Lu Yu had been estranged from the Lu family for ten years, so it was odd that Lu Zhenni had been appearing in their lives over the past year.

Father Ming’s frown deepened, and he interrupted Ming Yan: “What you’re talking about are interests and feelings of being moved. Think carefully. You can’t decide to be with him just because he likes you and has done a lot for you. Being moved is not love.”

Interests, emotions, and love are three separate concepts.

Father Ming twisted the wedding ring on his finger: “When I was young, I met plenty of people who moved me. Some sacrificed a lot, even risking their lives. But I couldn’t marry them just because of that. It would have been irresponsible.”

Ming Yan listened curiously; it was the first time he’d heard his father mention his romantic past.

“It’s not just that I was moved,” Ming Yan firmly shook his head. “I love him too. I was just a bit too cowardly before. He’s always been protecting me. Now, I think it’s time I stand up and protect him.”

It was a bit embarrassing to talk to his father about this. Ming Yan lowered his eyes and stared at his fingers, which were nervously intertwined.

Father Ming, feeling fed up, waved his hand: “Fine, fine, do what you want. I can’t control you.”

“You have to,” Ming Yan looked up, revealing the same expression he had when he used to ask his father for pocket money as a child, “Dad, don’t you have those kinds of connections? Can you help me find out who Lu Yu’s biological mother is? I’ve investigated before and only know she was a college student back then, but I don’t know exactly who she is. Also, how did the Lu family get their Intelligence Data Alliance entry permit?”

Father Ming leaned back: “Nonsense, what kind of connections do you think I have? We’re a proper watch-selling family.”

Ming Yan raised an eyebrow at his father, who was pretending to be serious: “Oh, then I’ll go ask mom and maybe find out who moved you so much when you were young.”

Father Ming stared at his son as if he didn’t recognize him: “Where did you learn all this?”

Feeling amused, Ming Yan returned to his room, only to open the door and show the same shocked expression as his father earlier.

The once neatly made bed now looked like a typhoon had swept through. Lu Yu was lying in the middle of the bed, rolling around like a dog tearing up the house.

Ming Yan: “What are you doing?”

Lu Yu leaned his head back to look at Ming Yan: “Rolling on the bed.”

Ming Yan grabbed him by the ear and pulled him up: “Come on, let’s go home.”

Lu Yu groaned as he tidied the bed again and grabbed the snacks given by his mother-in-law. As they left the Ming family home, he couldn’t help but emphasize: “Eating the food made by my mother-in-law doesn’t count, you know that’s not what I meant.”

Ming Yan chuckled softly but said nothing.

Lu Yu pouted: “Today’s situation wasn’t my fault. From the beginning, we agreed that encounters like this wouldn’t count, so my reward shouldn’t be canceled!”

Ming Yan snickered but still didn’t respond.

Lu Yu rambled on for a while without getting a clear answer, growing anxious. He puffed up his cheeks and threatened fiercely: “It’s only the beginning of the week. If you cancel my reward, I’ll go beat up Lu Shuangcheng tomorrow, and then I’ll head to school and punch Lu Tingze!”

Ming Yan raised an eyebrow as he parked the car in the garage but didn’t unlock the doors. He tilted his head, looking at Lu Yu with a dangerous gaze: “Are you threatening me?”

“No, no, I’m not,” Lu Yu immediately backed down, swallowing nervously. “I’m just making my case. You know, even the website’s full-attendance award allows for one day of missed updates.”

His voice grew smaller as he spoke, clearly intimidated, but he stubbornly refused to back down.

Looking at the timid guy who didn’t dare to speak up but was still clinging stubbornly to his reward, Ming Yan was finally amused. He reached out to pinch Lu Yu’s cheek: “Alright, today doesn’t count. Your reward still stands.”