Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Principal Li and Director Hu couldn’t bear to watch and urged in unison, "Mr. Yu, your status is too prestigious to take such risks. Let us handle this."

In truth, Yu Jingmo could have broken free, but for some reason, he remained still, silently staring at the restaurant's entrance and windows.

Tian Ruan held on for one minute, was nothing but anxiety.

Tian Ruan held on for two minutes, felt a flicker of relief.

Tian Ruan held on for five minutes, his pulse began racing.

Tian Ruan held on for ten minutes, his arms were killing him...

The two stood like statues thirty meters away from the restaurant, forming a stark contrast to the wailing, tear-streaked, and panic-stricken students fleeing in terror.

The students, their pretty faces blanched, paused briefly at the sight of this monument to affection before continuing their escape.

Tian Ruan: "..." When exactly are the main couple going to come out?

Seeing no secondary explosion in the restaurant, Yu Jingmo slightly turned his head. "How long do you plan to keep holding on?"

Tian Ruan wanted to let go. "Ah, my hand... my hand’s numb."

Yu Jingmo lifted the lunchbox from his grip and moved one of his hands aside. Tian Ruan, limp as a puppet, couldn’t exert any strength. Noticing the sandalwood bead bracelet on his wrist, Yu Jingmo finally seemed somewhat satisfied and swung his hand back and forth.

Tian Ruan puffed his cheeks. "I’m not your toy."

Yu Jingmo released him. "Feeling back yet?"

"I’m numb, not disabled."

"No backtalk."

"..." Tian Ruan shut his mouth—fearful yet defiant.

Yu Jingmo’s phoenix eyes swept around, the stern lines of his face relaxed slightly as he tilted his chin up, watching his son emerge while supporting a young man.

Tian Ruan’s eyes widened slightly. According to the original text, Zhu Jueshou—Lu Qiuyan—was 180 cm tall, with delicate yet masculine features. Though not exceptionally good-looking, his fair skin, cold gaze, and frequent bruises gave off a rebellious edge that ignited a fierce desire for conquest among his peers.

Lu Qiuyan had once been a young scion, but his family went bankrupt when he was fifteen. His father drowned himself in alcohol, while his mother pulled strings to enroll him in Deyin High School, hoping he’d mingle with the elite and restore their family’s fortunes.

As a result, the Lu family was buried in debt. With the sins of the father fell to the son, Lu Qiuyan was often harassed by loan sharks. The exorbitant costs of the elite school were beyond his means, forcing him to pinch every penny, which only deepened his isolation.

Then, Yu Shang appeared. As the student council president, it was his duty to look after academically outstanding but financially struggling students. Lu Qiuyan, hovering within the top twenty of his grade, fit the criteria perfectly.

And so, Yu Shang began his journey of "looking after" Lu Qiuyan.

At first, Lu Qiuyan found Yu Shang—the flawless student council president and quintessential heir to a wealthy family—utterly irritating. His so-called concern felt more like a calculated move to polish his own academic record.

Initially, Yu Shang did weigh the cost-benefit. Raised in a merchant family where profit was paramount, he had few genuine friends. But as he got to know Lu Qiuyan better, his feelings grew into a nuanced, complicated sentiment—though that’s getting ahead of the story. Right now marked a pivotal moment in their relationship.

Spotting his two fathers, Yu Shang faltered mid-step.

Seizing the moment, Lu Qiuyan pushed him away and muttered a "Thanks," though his leg still limped, and his pushed-up sleeves revealed hairline cuts from shattered glass.

Yu Shang frowned slightly. "Go to the student infirmary."

Lu Qiuyan shrugged it off: "Just a scratch. The infirmary’s probably swamped right now."

"Then let's go to the hospital."

"Quit fussing. I'm fine."

"..."

Tian Ruan almost gave Zhu Jueshou a thumbs-up—only he and Yu Jingmo had the guts to sass Yu Shang.

Lu Qiuyan turned his head, saw Yu Jingmo, dropped his eyes, ignoring him, and tried to leave. Yu Shang grabbed him. "The student council has a first-aid kit. Come with me and patch up."

"No need," Lu Qiuyan refused.

Yu Shang stared at him coldly.

"..." Lu Qiuyan looked away, annoyed. "Fine."

Yu Shang introduced, "This is my father."

Only then did Lu Qiuyan grudgingly mumble, "Hello, Uncle."

Yu Shang didn’t introduce Tian Ruan. After nodding to his father, he prepared to take Lu Qiuyan to the student council. Tian Ruan quickly stopped them, shoving the lunchbox at them. "Your food."

Yu Shang took the lunchbox, nodded to his father, and left.

Lu Qiuyan glanced at Tian Ruan a couple more times before catching up to Yu Shang and asking, "Who’s that? Your younger brother?"

Yu Shang: "...Do I look older than him?"

"Yeah."

Yu Shang fell silent, seething silently.

On the drive back, Tian Ruan made up his mind—he would never again go out of his way to bring food. No telling what trouble might come for those who strayed from the original path.

If it were just himself, it wouldn’t matter, but if anything happened to Yu Jingmo, he’d never forgive himself.

Yu Jingmo received a call from his assistant and said, "Tell Smith I’ll arrive in about twenty-five minutes."

After hanging up, Yu Jingmo zoned out, seemingly lost in thought—Tian Ruan truly couldn’t decipher any extra emotions from that stone-faced expression.

"Like what you see?" Yu Jingmo cut him a glance.

Tian Ruan instinctively replied, "Yes."

"..."

The car turned uphill, passing through the ritzy neighborhood. Tian Ruan hadn’t paid attention to its name before, but through the window, he quickly glimpsed the engraved stone plaque: *Gold and Glory*.

Fittingly over-the-top.

The mountain was called Red Leaf Mountain, and the temple atop it was named Purple Cloud Temple—all red and gold, like living luck. Like the place printed money.

It had to be said that Yu Jingmo had vision—back before *Gold and Glory* existed, he had already recognized the potential of this undeveloped area and struck gold.

Autumn colors blurred past the window. Yu Jingmo snapped, "Slow down."

The driver was sweating bullets. "S-Sir, the brakes are out."

"No response?" Yu Jingmo frowned, his deep eyes pitch-black and unreadable.

"Yes... yes, no response..." The driver, with over thirty years of experience, held the wheel steady. "Maybe I should ram a dirt slope?"

"Are you sure?"

"...I’m not sure, sorry."

Yu Jingmo made a decisive call: "Bail out!" With that, he opened one of the doors, turned back, and grabbed Tian Ruan’s hand. "Jump with me."

Tian Ruan: "!!!"

Are we gonna survive this?!

The cold mountain wind rushed in, tangling their hair. Yu Jingmo noticed the panic in Tian Ruan’s eyes and reassured him, "We'll be okay."

Tian Ruan was on the verge of tears: "Don't say that!"

Without further delay, Yu Jingmo timed it right and leaped out of the speeding Rolls-Royce with Tian Ruan.

As they fell, Tian Ruan was pressed tightly against Yu Jingmo’s chest. The two tumbled down the slope on the concrete, landing in a thick layer of pine needles. Tian Ruan’s back and head were firmly shielded by Yu Jingmo’s hands. Everything spun wildly, as if in a dream, leaving him dazed.

Suddenly, Tian Ruan recalled the original plot—Yu Jingmo had indeed been in a car accident, only briefly mentioned. The brakes had been sabotaged, and Yu Jingmo, after bailing out, injured his leg and worked from home for a week before returning to the company.

Of course, this close call was swiftly resolved. Yu Jingmo paid them back in the same coin, ensuring his opponent broke both legs, and the matter was settled.

What had been a trivial footnote in the original story felt entirely different when experienced firsthand. Tian Ruan’s heart pounded wildly, his body trembling with fear, acutely aware of the hair-raising danger.

Yu Jingmo, cushioning Tian Ruan beneath him, slowly loosened his arms and heaved a deep sigh.

Minutes passed - one, five, ten - before Yu Jingmo reminded him, "You planning to stay there all day?"

Tian Ruan: "..."