CH 29.1

Lu Chengyu had not expected to meet any classmates when he came out to play. 

In front of him stood Chen Ya, a subtle dusting of makeup accentuating her features. In the few months since he had last seen her, Chen Ya had changed. The air of a green and naive university graduate had been stripped away, leaving the confident and mature figure before him now. Lu Chengyu hadn’t liked any girls in his past life, but Chen Ya was the sort of girl he could appreciate: Someone not arrogant or impatient;  who knew what she wanted and how to get it.

“I haven’t seen you for several months. It seems that you’ve been doing well.” Chen Ya took a step back to get a better look, her eyes wandering up and down Lu Chengyu’s body. She smiled and said: “My mother praised you the other day, saying that you usually call to inquire about her and my father’s health—which is something she can’t say the same about her daughter.”

Chen Ya had been travelling on a business trip. When she came back, her mother boasted that Lu Chengyu is a warm-hearted and considerate person; which made Chen Ya, as a daughter, feel a little embarrassed.

“Every time I call aunt, she is very energetic. Basically, I feel relieved whenever I hear her voice.” Lu Chengyu knows what sort of character Aunt Du—Chen Ya’s mother—has. While enduring the lowest points of his last life, this aunt often asked Uncle Chen to bring him food. Even weeks before his death, she still fussed over Lu Chengyu’s marriage prospects.

Amused by Lu Chengyu’s words, Chen Ya nodded and said, “my mother is just like that. If our fates had entwined, I’m afraid your position in my mother’s heart might surpass mine.“

“Now that Sister Ya has become so beautiful and capable, if we lined up all the gentlemen chasing her, it would stretch from the capital all the way to the sea. Don’t waste your time on a toad like me.” Lu Chengyu pointed his finger on top of his head and chuckled. “I’m afraid God would not stand idly by.”

“That’s right,” Chen Ya crossed her arms under her breasts, thrust one, delicate stiletto-heeled shoe forward, and proudly raised her chin, “you’d better go bother some other woman.”

Lu Chengyu half-bowed. “Yes, my queen.” When Lu Chengyu raised his head, they laughed at the same time, releasing old feelings and past regrets.

Chen Ya looked at this man who wears such a gentle smile. She reminded herself, What woman hasn’t fallen into an impossible love at least once in her lifetime? Turn around and let it go. Maybe the next person you meet will be the one that suits you best.

“Xiao Lu, is this your friend?” When Yan Mu came over, he overheard Lu Chengyu call Chen Ya a queen. He walked up to Lu Chengyu, stood by his side, and nodded in greeting. “Hello, I’m Xiao Lu’s colleague.”

“Hello,” Chen Ya noticed an unusual atmosphere between the people in front of her. She guessed that this man might be Lu Chengyu’s boss. Afraid that she would cause trouble for Lu Chengyu, she politely introduced herself, “I’m Lu Chengyu’s classmate. I happened to meet him just now. I hope I’m not bothering you.”

“We also came out to play. Since you are Xiao Lu’s classmate, we might as well go to sit together,” Yan Mu glanced at Lu Chengyu for a moment. “Why not invite your classmate to sit with us?”

“Thank you, but there’s no need. We are just chatting.” Aware that the boss seemed to have a good relationship with Lu Chengyu, Chen Ya casually pointed to one side with a smile. “All of my family is still waiting for me there. I’ll go first.”

When Lu Chengyu saw that Chen Ya really didn’t want to stay behind, he said, “Send my regards to uncle and aunt.”

“I will. Come to my house when you have time.” Chen Ya nodded, said goodbye to Yan Mu and strolled away.

Yan Mu looks at Chen Ya’s departing figure and says slowly, “It seems like your classmate is pretty good.” He could glean the meaning of Chen Ya’s actions, just now. Although he disapproved of her inviting Lu Chengyu to her house; he would not deny that this kind of woman possessed great appeal.

After hearing such an ambiguous assessment of his classmate, Lu Chengyu looked Yan Mu up and down, observing him carefully. He hesitated, then said, “Uncle and aunt would prefer a son-in-law with a gentle personality who knows well how to express their feelings.” He averted his eyes by looking at the ceiling, “But if you really are interested, I can put in a good word for you.”

After a long silence, Yan Mu said, “That wasn’t what I meant. I don’t have any such intentions.”

Lu Chengyu smiled and nodded, “I understand.”

Yan Mu saw Lu Chengyu’s smile and suspected that Lu Chengyu hadn’t taken his words seriously. Yan Mu frowned slightly and insisted, “I’m really not interested.”

“I really understand.” It dawned on Lu Chengyu that Yan Mu really wasn’t interested in Chen Ya, so he said with a smile, “I’m just joking boss, don’t worry.” Lu Chengyu pointed in the direction of the restrooms. “Are you going to the toilet?”

Yan Mu nodded calmly. “Yes.”

“Then I won’t disturb you.” Lu Chengyu waved and watched Yan Mu walk towards the toilet briefly, before turning back to his seat.

Zhuang Yu, observing Lu Chengyu’s return, pretended to be indifferent. “Your classmate looks very beautiful. I’m somewhat interested.”

Lu Chengyu knew that Zhuang Yu liked beauties; moreover, was quite a player. He looked at him warily and said: “My classmate doesn’t like womanizers.”

Zhuang Yu’s mouth twitched, “I think you’re misunderstanding something…” 

Lu Chengyu smiled at him and said: “I just said it casually; don’t take it to heart.” While thinking, I will listen to whatever you have to say, but I will absolutely not believe you.

“Forget it,” Zhuang Yu waved, “I prefer a sister with big boobs.”

Lu Chengyu nodded: “Oh.”

Zhuangyu: “…”

After three o’clock in the afternoon, when the sun’s heat had lessened, the three of them went to the garden to pick vegetables.

Zhuang Yu looked at the vegetable field surrounded by fences and strange smells. He hesitated to step in and turned around to see that both Yan Mu and Lu Chengyu had already entered. He couldn’t help saying, “Hey, you really want to do this yourselves?”

Yan Mu bent over and pulled out a green vegetable. He looked up at Zhuang Yu and said, “I never thought that you would ask such a trivial question.”

Zhuang Yu became speechless. It’s here! Mu-ge’s taunting skill is here!

“Asking a question even though you know the answer is disrespectful,” said Yan Mu. He plucked another small green vegetable and shook mud from its roots. “Even a child in primary school would know better.”

Rendered speechless, Zhuang Yu entered the vegetable field, mopping sweat from his brow. Perhaps his biggest mistake was not to ask a rhetorical question, but to be overheard by Mu-ge talking about boobs.

If someone complimented another man in front of a girl that he liked, he…would probably get upset?

Thinking like this, Zhuang Yu suddenly felt that Yan Mu was pitiful. How lamentable that Yan Mu can’t confess to his secret crush! He should not argue with such a pitiful person.

Because of the content of their conversation, Lu Chengyu couldn’t help but look up from harvesting to watch these two friends bicker. Then, he discovered that Zhuang Yu, unexpectedly, was actually smiling. Lu Chengyu couldn’t help but think that the world of the wealthy was truly weird. After being mercilessly mocked by a friend, Zhuang Yu was still capable of being this happy—what kind of illness was this?

The group amused themselves around the farmhouse until the evening. After supper, they made preparations to return home.

Lu Chengyu walked up to the car and was about to open the door when he noticed Yan Mu approaching. Hand resting on the door handle, he asked: “Boss, is there anything?”

Yan Mu touched one of the pockets of his suit absentmindedly. His eyes avoided Lu Chengyu’s confused gaze, “I heard that the movie was selling well. I asked someone to book two tickets for me yesterday. If you haven’t seen it, would you mind accompanying me? “

And here he thought it was something important when he saw the other side’s serious expression. Lu Chengyu said with a smile, “Perfect timing. I was also planning to go watch the film. You’ve saved me the trouble of having to buy a ticket!” 

In fact, as an investor, Lu Chengyu had been given complimentary tickets. However, since the boss had already purchased tickets, if he said he didn’t need one wouldn’t he be trampling on good intentions?

“Hmm, the company’s product sales have increased significantly in recent days. The film had a great influence.” Yan Mu took a movie ticket out of his pocket and gave it to Lu Chengyu. “Let’s go.”

Theoretically, Yan Mu did not seem like a person who would be interested in this kind of movie. But if it was a matter of sales volume, then everything made a lot more sense.

Noticing that Yan Mu seemed ready to take his own car, Lu Chengyu didn’t pursue the topic. He opened the front passenger door for Yan Mu, then went around and climbed into the driver’s seat. Moments later, they were on their way.

Yan Mu sat quietly in the front passenger seat, observing Lu Chengyu’s profile. After a while, he turned to watch the neon lights of the street flash past. He didn’t know why he developed an affection for a young man six or seven years his junior—but he wasn’t shocked or embarrassed.

In this life, how many people had he met that he genuinely liked?

The car stopped at a red light and, noticing that Yan Mu remained silent, Lu Chengyu began to search for topics that would enliven the atmosphere. “There used to be a delicious hot pot shop on this road. But the owner had to close it.” His father and mother particularly enjoyed going there to eat hotpot. But even after the shop shuttered and the boss left, Lu Chengyu and his parents would still reminisce about the shop whenever they passed by. “How long has Boss been abroad? How do foreign hot pot shops taste?”

“I stayed abroad for seven or eight years.” Yan Mu turned his attention from the pedestrians on the street only to catch traces of nostalgia in Lu Chengyu’s expression. It seems that this street reminded him of something bittersweet. He struggled to find words that would make the other party feel better, but he lacked experience in this area. He could only mechanically answer the question he was asked. “The hot pot abroad doesn’t taste good. Later, after I returned, I had gastrointestinal problems because I liked domestic hot pot too much.”

“Boss, you too have times when you’re in such a mess?” Lu Chengyu looked at Yan Mu with surprise, then he saw the traffic light change. Pressing the accelerator again, he said, “I can’t believe it.”

“It’s very normal that people who come back from abroad will feel that domestic food is the most delicious food on earth.” Seeing Lu Chengyu’s recovery, Yan Mu continued to talk about his own troubles abroad, “While overseas, a friend brought a bag of hot pot ingredients from home, and we were all reluctant to finish it up.”

“On TV, aren’t rich people often using airplanes to fly food and fruit across the sea? Yet this bag of hot pot ingredients was your only supply?” Lu Chengyu said with a smile, “Boss, you are too down-to-earth.”

Yan Mu thought for a moment, “I don’t know many people who would do such a thing. Even if they did, they are not in the same circle as us.”

Listening to Yan Mu, Lu Chengyu sighed. “I was misled by the rich people depicted in novels and TV series, again.”

“The rich people on TV are probably looking for attention in the first place—but there are people like that,” Yan Mu consoled. “You don’t have to care too much.”

“Poof,” Lu smiled. “I stopped caring.”

Yan Mu, with his serious personality, can be really interesting, Lu Chengyu thought, then lamented internally: Such a good man has remained single for 8 years—this is truly a great sin.