YA Ch98: The Satisfying Plot

Ming Yan hung up Lu Yu’s father’s video call and found the contact information from the invitation card. He scanned it with his smart assistant and dialed the number.

The call was quickly answered, and the person on the other end spoke in English, “Hello, this is Blake, Professor Li’s assistant.”

Ming Yan inquired about the invitation.

The assistant explained that it was the professor’s private schedule. Even after hearing Lu Yu’s name, there was no change in tone—precise and formal: “The professor wishes to meet with Mr. Lu. Of course, if Mr. Lu does not agree, it is not an issue. Please notify us by 2 p.m. on Friday to cancel.”

A cold invitation, a formulaic process, as if this were just a business meeting rather than a reunion between a mother and her long-lost son.

Ming Yan couldn’t help but ask, “Does Professor Li have any special relationship with Lu Yu?”

The assistant replied that they were unaware.

After hanging up, Ming Yan stood there for a while, clenching his fists in anger. His upbringing prevented him from throwing chairs or smashing cups, so he merely punched the arm of the sofa lightly.

At that moment, Lu Yu called, “Yan-ge, are you done? Come over quickly, it’s about to start.”

Ming Yan rubbed his face, composed himself, and went to the streaming room. Seeing Lu Yu joking around with the top supporter, he said nothing and simply walked over to pat his head.

“What, missing me after just ten minutes apart?” Lu Yu teased, taking the opportunity to give Ming Yan a quick peck on his smooth, soft cheek while fastening his safety belt.

Ming Yan looked at him steadily and returned the kiss—this time, on the lips. Then, taking advantage of Lu Yu’s moment of daze, he pushed him into the gaming pod and closed the lid.

When Lu Yu snapped back to his senses, he was frantic. This was the streaming control room, and Yan-ge usually didn’t allow him to do anything too intimate. Even a peck on the cheek was the limit. Just now, Yan-ge had unexpectedly kissed him on the lips—this was as rare as winning the lottery.

Before he could pry open the pod lid to return the kiss, Lao Yang had already pushed him into the gaming pod, leaving him scratching his head as he entered the novel’s world.

Time that had been frozen began to flow again.

Hua Wenyuan stood on a high hill, looking across the river, and let out a long sigh.

Separated by a small river, on this side were crisscrossing fields and waves of green. It was lunchtime, and smoke rose from the chimneys of every household. On the opposite side of the river, wild grass grew rampant, and houses lay in ruins.

Over there was the territory of another rebel. This one was a more traditional type, only interested in seizing land without caring for the people. His followers were a bunch of bandits who would loot first, regardless of whether it was someone else’s territory or their own. Wherever they went, it was like a plague of locusts, leaving people destitute.

Turning around, he saw Lu Yu hurrying over. Hua Wenyuan was about to exchange some heartfelt words with his second uncle when he heard Lu Yu loudly ask, “Xiao Yuan, where’s your second aunt?”

Such a simple and rustic call made Hua Wenyuan feel a sense of illusion, as if he were a snot-nosed child playing in the fields, with his second uncle in the distance, holding a hoe, asking if he had seen his second aunt.

The single call of “Xiao Yuan” stifled all of General Hua’s lofty ambitions for conquest within his chest.

Hua Wenyuan sighed helplessly and pointed to Ming Yan by the distant riverbank.

Lu Yu waved without looking back and ran in the direction of his “wife,” having no interest in paying attention to his nephew’s youthful sentiments.

Ming Yan was busy enhancing the scenery on the other side of the river. Soon, some refugees would row over on bamboo rafts, and he needed to ensure the clarity of both sides’ settings.

Lu Yu dashed over, pushing Ming Yan against a dead tree by the riverbank, grinning mischievously. “Flirting with me and then trying to run away? No way, dear second aunt.”

Hua Wenyuan looked at the overlapping figures in the distance; his extended hand retracted. The path to conquer the world was always lonely, especially when his second uncle’s “wife” was a man who could stay by his side, whispering sweet nothings. It was like solitude amidst the snow.

In this desolate wilderness, a young woman in a simple hairpin and coarse dress approached with a bamboo basket. She was stopped by a guard in the distance, “The general is here; you can’t approach.”

It was common for villagers to try to bring food or supplies to Hua Wenyuan. Seeing her hesitating with the basket, the guard said skillfully, “The general does not accept things from the people. Please go back.”

The woman hesitated for a moment before shouting, “General, if you still hate me, just take it out on me. My husband is sincere in his allegiance to you. He is highly talented, yet you only let him serve as a low-ranking clerk. How could you humiliate him like this?”

Hua Wenyuan looked at the woman in confusion. “Madam, who is your husband?”

“My husband…” The woman froze, her eyes widening in surprise. Pointing to her own delicate face, she asked, “You don’t recognize me?”

Hua Wenyuan was puzzled, “Should I recognize you?”

Just then, someone hurriedly reported, “General, an imperial envoy has arrived with an imperial edict and rewards. The Emperor intends to confer the title of Marquis upon you!”

Hua Wenyuan sneered, “Marquis? As my advisor predicted, ‘those who steal hooks are executed, while those who steal nations become marquises.’”

He knew what the Emperor was thinking. The rebels on the other side had taken over Dongting Lake, which was the court’s granary. With the autumn grain collection approaching, without the grain from Dongting, the court would soon face a food crisis.

But the court had no troops and could only cajole Hua Wenyuan into fighting. How would they cajole him? Of course, by restoring the original Hua family title and conferring the title of Marquis, conveniently giving him a pretext to return to the court’s fold.

“Let’s go, meet the envoy,” Hua Wenyuan said nonchalantly as he turned to leave.

The woman stared blankly at Hua Wenyuan’s solitary, pine-like figure, muttering, “

The woman stared blankly at Hua Wenyuan’s solitary, pine-like figure, muttering, “Marquis? Isn’t he a rebel? How could he become a marquis?”

A nearby woman, busy with her work, was displeased upon hearing this and retorted, “What are you talking about? General Hua is no rebel; he’s a living Buddha who saves the suffering! Ever since the general took over here, every household has been able to eat their fill. My family has even started having three meals a day. The real rebel is on the other side of the river. Our general is not only going to become a marquis, but he’ll be an emperor one day!”

A guard then advised the young woman, “Sister-in-law, please don’t make a fuss. Your husband is just a scholar. Here, even those with the highest Imperial examination degrees have to start as minor clerks. Only those with the highest rank can directly become officials. But that’s just for now. Once more scholars join us, even they will have to start small. Things here are different from the imperial court. If your husband is truly talented, he will be promoted soon.”

Lu Yu clicked his tongue in amazement, “Hua Wenyuan, that kid, sure can put on a show. Isn’t this his fiancée, whom he broke off the engagement with before they even got married? And now, just after two weeks, he pretends not to recognize her.”

Ming Yan sighed, “You think it’s been two weeks, but for them, it’s been two years.”

Lu Yu chuckled, “This is a classic satisfying plot: ‘I’ve been made a marquis, while my former lover, who looked down on me, is now down and out, and I don’t even recognize her.'”

Watching Miss Cheng Qi leave in despair, Ming Yan lowered his gaze. “Back then, I thought when you found me at the party, you wanted to play out this very scene.”

Lu Yu shook his head, “How could that be? I was full of regret, chasing after my lost love.”

Ming Yan raised an eyebrow, “You knew that?”

Lu Yu froze. Right, how did he know? Was that his thought, or was it Lu Dayu’s thought? That moment felt almost like it slipped out unconsciously.

This eerie, almost possessed-like state left him feeling unsettled.

Noticing Lu Yu’s pale expression, Ming Yan was about to ask when Lu Yu suddenly seemed to understand and stubbornly said, “I just know. How could I ever humiliate you at that party? Even if you turned into a cockroach, I wouldn’t let you suffer a bit!”

Ming Yan: “…” Can you please stop mentioning cockroaches?