Chapter 39
Tang Yao raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly: “Isn’t it unnecessary to tell me all this?”
“It’s fine.” Lu Bei smiled too, putting his luggage into the room.
Back in this familiar room, Lu Bei’s restless heart, which had been adrift in the capital, finally settled down.
A few days ago, during his busiest period of handing over his work, Lu Nan would often hover around him with his phone when he wasn’t busy, scrolling through videos and Weibo.
He would mutter to himself from time to time.
"Isn't that Boss Tang? She's gotten even more beautiful since I last saw her."
"Look at this comment section, everyone's calling her 'wife'! This guy even said he's going to the guesthouse to pursue Boss Tang. Let me see, he's average-looking, but quite young, just graduated from university, full of energy."
"Old Wang said he wanted to introduce his grandson to Boss Tang, and asked me to put in a few words. I know Old Wang's grandson. He just returned from country M and is taking over the family company. He's quite promising."
Whenever Lu Nan started rambling, Lu Bei would look up from a pile of documents with a blank expression and stare at him: "Elder Brother, are you bored? Is our company going to go bankrupt? If there’s nothing to do, go do housework."
Lu Nan would then heartily laugh and then leisurely walk out under Lu Bei's icy gaze. He couldn't tease him too much.
Although Lu Bei didn't show any abnormality afterward and was acting much like usual, Lu Nan noticed that the light in Lu Bei's room had been on all night for the past few days.
"Elder Sister, are you alright?" Lu Bei had wanted to say a few more words to Tang Yao, but Xu Haocheng's voice came from outside.
Tang Yao hurried to the front door.
The departure of the person beside him took away that little bit of warmth, leaving Lu Bei feeling somewhat lost.
Despite wearing a mask and sunglasses, his charisma was undeniable as someone nearby noticed him and tried to strike up a conversation.
A smile had barely formed on her face when the person in front of her turned and left without even glancing at her.
The girl could only regretfully take a picture of his back and post it online to discuss with her best friend.
Looking at the figure from behind, her best friend, a fan of Lu Bei, jokingly remarked, "That guy looks like God Lu, haha."
"How could that be? Isn't God Lu in the capital?"
"Yeah, it's been a long time since we've seen him. According to inside information, God Lu might be retiring from the entertainment industry."
"That's a real shame."
...
Tang Yao reached the front door just in time to see sweat-covered Xu Haocheng jogging in.
Seeing that the guesthouse was still orderly, no one had been affected, and Tang Yao stood safely in front of him, he let out a breath.
Xiao Yue handed Xu Haocheng a towel and water, inviting him to sit in the courtyard and rest.
"Why run so fast? Do you think I'd be at their mercy?" Tang Yao scoffed.
“Dad…Xu Anguo will do anything for money these days. He’s been looking for opportunities to start a business again, even considering mortgaging our current house, but I stopped him.” Having drunk a glass of water, Xu Haocheng caught his breath.
It was rush hour today and he couldn’t even get a ride. So he had to run all the way here.
“They did want to find me, but they left before they even got through the door,” Tang Yao said.
Xu Haocheng knew his elder sister was capable. He scratched his head, feeling he had worried for nothing. Perhaps they didn’t even need his reminder.
“But thank you for reminding me anyway.” Initially, Xu Haocheng had been a little disappointed, but Tang Yao’s words soothed him.
He looked up at her, smiling sweetly, like a golden retriever.
Tang Yao couldn’t resist ruffling his hair: “Go get something to eat with Xiao Li first, then find something to do.”
“Okay!” Xu Haocheng agreed at once. Then he followed Xiao Li to the kitchen to start a private stove.
Since he was already there, Xu Haocheng wanted to stay a few more days. With so many troubles at home, this was the only place where he could truly rest.
Not wanting to appear in front of everyone, Lu Bei could only stand on the balcony after unpacking and searched for Tang Yao.
Only when his gaze was firmly fixed on her did he settle into a chair, contentedly sipping his coffee.
Today, there were many diners and guests. Tang Yao was practically running around non-stop.
After finishing his meal, Xu Haocheng quickly came to help, relieving some of the pressure.
After seeing the diners off, Tang Yao finally had a moment to herself. She took the lunchbox Xiao Li had left for her. The food inside was still steaming hot and all were Tang Yao's favorite dishes.
There was boiled sliced pork, pan-fried shrimp, mushrooms, and a bowl of steaming soup underneath.
Xiao Li had separately prepared it.
Tang Yao sat in the courtyard of the guesthouse, eating her lunchbox, while Xu Haocheng sat next to her, fawningly massaging her shoulders.
"You're not going back? Won't they come looking for you?"
"Not for now. They probably can't afford to bother with me. I still have some savings, but I don't want to give them any. It's better for them if the Xu Group falls apart and let them calm down first. Anyway I need some fresh air," Xu Haocheng said.
The once arrogant young man now looked much more weathered.
"What are your plans for the future?" Tang Yao asked.
"I contacted a university abroad. I want to study for a few years. My current degree..." Xu Haocheng scratched his head sheepishly, "...I got it by paying money."
"You should study more," Tang Yao agreed. "In today's society, it's good to learn more."
"Elder Sister, when I come back after I've finished my studies, it'll be my turn to protect you."
Xu Haocheng's eyes sparkled.
Tang Yao didn't discourage him, nodding, "Then I'll be counting on you."
Xu Haocheng nodded even more vigor.
...
"Yuanyuan, do you want to go for a walk?" Zhang Ru asked Li Yuanyuan as she came out of the bathroom.
Li Yuanyuan shook her head, "I don't want to go."
"I heard there are lots of delicious snacks outside, shall Mom take you?"
"Mom, you can go if you want, I'll stay by myself for a while," Li Yuanyuan said without turning her head.
“Yuanyuan…”
Zhang Ru was about to say something when Li Yuanyuan abruptly turned to look at her, her voice pleading, “Mom, I want to be alone for a while, okay? You go shopping, okay?”
Zhang Ru couldn’t stand seeing her like this. She also knew she couldn’t rush things and couldn’t expect results overnight. She could only give in, “Okay, okay, you stay in the room for a while. Mom will go for a stroll and come back with something delicious.”
Soon, the door closed, but Li Yuanyuan didn’t even turn her head, still lost in her own thoughts.
Zhang Ru went downstairs. At this time, she saw Tang Yao, who finished her meal and had come out of the garden talking to Xu Haocheng.
“Boss Tang.”
Tang Yao heard someone call her, stopped, and turned around. She saw it was a guest staying at the guesthouse.
“Is there something you need?” she asked.
“It’s like this, boss, my daughter hasn’t been in a good mood lately. I’m worried about leaving her alone in her room, but if I stay with her all the time, she gets annoyed. Could you please keep an eye on her? I’m afraid she might do something harmful to herself if she’s upset.” Zhang Ru’s eyes were red and her words were full of pleading. “I know this request is a bit unreasonable, but I really have no other choice. I can pay extra.”
She did want to stay in the room and personally watch her, but if Li Yuanyuan found out, she might lose control again.
Zhang Ru didn’t want to relive the scene of her last emotional breakdown.
“Don’t worry, we’ll have our staff keep an eye on her,” Tang Yao said.
Zhang Ru didn’t actually go out for a stroll. Instead, she sat down in a secluded spot in the small garden, looking worriedly out the window of their room.
She sat there for a long time, so long that numerous people came and went around her, before finally rubbing her numb legs and walking out of the guesthouse.
Li Yuanyuan sat inside for a while before moving to the balcony.
The balcony wasn't far from the neighbor's, so she could clearly hear conversations from the neighbor's balcony.
A moment later, the neighbor's balcony door opened, and a pretty girl stepped out. She leaned on the railing, taking a deep breath and had a contented smile on her face.
Seeing someone arrive, Li Yuanyuan's first thought was to leave and retreat back into her room.
"Hello," the pleasant-sounding girl's voice made her stop in her tracks.
She turned around and stiffly greeted her, "Hello."
She had expected the other girl to start a conversation, but after the greeting, silence returned.
The two maintained their distance, quietly gazing at the scenery outside their windows, until the nearby person was about to leave.
"I have to go back to my livestream now. I had a great time with you today. My name is Xiao Kui, feel free to come visit me!" Xiao Kui waved to Li Yuanyuan and turned to go into her room.
Li Yuanyuan paused for a moment and then realized she hadn't said goodbye.
However, this way of interacting made her feel quite comfortable. She even forgot there was someone else beside her.
At this time, a knock sounded at the door.
Opening the door, she saw Xiao Ling, an employee of the guesthouse.
She had a warm smile on her face and said softly, "The boss gave each room complimentary fruit today. I brought it up for you."
Li Yuanyuan looked down. Sure enough, Xiao Ling was holding a box of mixed fruit pieces of various colors.
"Thank you," Li Yuanyuan smiled.
"No problem." Seeing that Li Yuanyuan was safe and sound, Xiao Ling left as if nothing had happened.
...
When Zhang Ru opened the door, she saw Li Yuanyuan's faint smile. "What made you so happy, Yuanyuan?" Zhang Ru was still carrying a box of snacks, which she had just bought nearby. "Mom went to so many places. This place is so beautiful and the people are so kind."
Li Yuanyuan seemed much happier. A faint smile was on her face.
She even looked at the bag in Zhang Ru's hand and became inquisitive when seeing the things she didn't understand.
Zhang Ru was surprised and pleased by her small change.
That evening, Tang Yao didn't go out to help anymore. She directed Xu Haocheng to move the flowerpots upstairs. She had been wanting to rearrange the layout and now that she had finally found someone to help, she naturally wanted to make use of them.
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