Chapter 41

Chapter 41

What is the most despair-inducing thing for readers in a BL novel?

When the second male lead who was originally pursuing the protagonist (shou) ends up getting involved with a side character gong.

When two gongs meet, one must submit—and clearly, in the pool at this moment, He Lansi was at a disadvantage. Pressed against the pool wall by Du Henbie, beneath the dark blue ripples, one could faintly see a long leg lifted, as pale as a mermaid’s tail.

Their lips met, four pressed together. He Lansi seemed to struggle, but was quickly pushed back down by Du Henbie, sinking underwater, drowning in the kiss… entangled…

Tian Ruan: "..."

If he kept watching, he’d get an eyeful. Horrified and flustered, Tian Ruan fled.

By the time he reached the revolving door of the lobby, he was still clutching the branch, his face burning red as he tossed it beside a trash can and patted his cheeks to calm himself.

Even after calming down, Tian Ruan still had no idea what to do.

Compared to the original novel’s plot, the current storyline was like a runaway train.

He Lansi was one thing, but how could Du Henbie—such an important character—also go OOC? Though the aphrodisiac bore most of the blame, was Du Henbie really so unable to resist? And why the hell was He Lansi even at the pool??

Tian Ruan felt like he was losing his mind.

Unable to focus on anything, Tian Ruan went to find Yu Shang.

"Second Grandpa was sent to a nursing home?" Yu Shang said calmly.

"Yeah." Tian Ruan desperately needed a distraction—otherwise, his mind would keep circling back to Du Henbie and He Lansi, that damn pair. "What’s Eternal Enterprise?"

"A state-owned company in publishing and media."

"No wonder…" Tian Ruan nearly choked on his words. "No wonder Du Henbie wanted to snatch it."

"Honestly, the partnership isn’t worth much financially—it’s more about networking," Yu Shang explained clearly. "For the Du family’s business to develop domestically, they naturally need more connections."

Tian Ruan finally understood. Aligning with a state-owned enterprise was the most convenient shortcut, something everyone coveted, but only a handful could actually manage it.

That Du Henbie could steal the Yu family’s opportunity spoke volumes about his methods.

This connection wasn’t some unbreakable lifeline for the Yu family—at best, it was a china plate. But having it snatched away mid-bite was like biting into steel.

The Yu family’s assets weren’t so easily taken.

In terms of foundation, the Yu family still dominated Su City. That was why Yu Shang remained so composed—he believed that no matter how capable Du Henbie was, in the face of the absolute best solution, the Yu family remained Eternal Enterprise’s ideal partner.

Unless Du Henbie had leverage over the CEO. But that would be career suicide in government ties—even if Du Henbie had leverage, he wouldn’t recklessly reveal his hand, or he’d be deported by tomorrow.

...

Half-asleep, Lu Qiuyan opened his eyes, his head foggy as he blinked groggily at the ceiling. The ornate crystal chandelier was turned down low, casting a soft glow against the off-white wall covering.

The central air conditioning blew a gentle stream of warm air, making him sweat all over, so he kicked off half the blanket, leaving his front cool.

Lu Qiuyan exhaled a scorching breath, though it was already much better than before. On the nightstand was a sheet of pills, the large bed beneath him soft yet firm, the air faintly scented with a fresh, crisp fragrance.

For a moment, Lu Qiuyan thought he’d returned to the days before his family’s bankruptcy—when waking up to staff waiting on him was just the norm.

He still remembered the surname of one of their maids and murmured reflexively, "Nanny Liu…"

Tian Ruan entered: "?"

Yu Shang asked curiously, "Why did you call for Liu Ma?"

Lu Qiuyan came to upon seeing Tian Ruan and Yu Shang, realizing he was in a hotel room. "Oh, the servant in my old household was called Liu Ma."

Tian Ruan was astonished and asked Yu Shang, "Did Liu Ma leave Lu Qiuyan’s house to work for you?"

Lu Qiuyan: "?"

Yu Shang: "Impossible. Liu Ma came from Lanzhou."

Lu Qiuyan: "Oh, then it’s not the same one."

Tian Ruan sighed, "What a crazy coincidence—you both had a Liu Ma!"

Lu Qiuyan: "Not anymore."

"Once was enough." Tian Ruan’s gaze involuntarily drifted to Lu Qiuyan’s chest. "You’re not cold?"

"No." As he spoke, Lu Qiuyan glanced down at himself and froze.

He was wearing a warm velvet bathrobe, mussed up from sleeping, with the collar wide open, baring one shoulder and most of his chest.

Lu Qiuyan: "...Who dressed me?"

Yu Shang: "I did."

"…………"

Lu Qiuyan wordlessly pulled his robe shut without asking whose clothes they were. He glared at Yu Shang. "Who said you could strip me?"

Yu Shang paused before replying, "Your clothes were damp from the rain. I said I’d get you dry clothes, and you agreed."

Lu Qiuyan had no memory of agreeing, but Yu Shang wasn’t the type to lie. His ears turned red, leaving him speechless.

The room grew tense, with Tian Ruan standing there like a third wheel.

Tian Ruan: "..."

Tian Ruan said, "I’ve got stuff to do. You two chat."

Not eager to be alone with Yu Shang, Lu Qiuyan quickly called out to the "third wheel," "What do you have to do?"

Tian Ruan blurted out the first excuse he could think of: "I need to go read 'The Pig Birthing and Aftercare Manual.'"

"...Why would you read that? Do you think you’ll ever need it?"

"Just expanding my horizons." Tian Ruan darted out before they could stop him. "Gotta go—that pig’s in labor!"

With their human buffer gone, the already tense atmosphere got even weirder.

Yu Shang mumbled awkwardly, "How are you feeling? Head still bothering you?"

"No." Lu Qiuyan replied.

"But your face is still red. Still running a little hot?"

"...Still running a little hot."

"I'll get you some water for your medicine—wait, let me order food for you first."

"Oh."

Yu Shang went outside to contact the hotel concierge for room service. At this hour, hardly anyone was dining, so the food arrived quickly. Lu Qiuyan quickly washed up before eating. He was genuinely hungry, wolfing down his food in large bites.

"Why is everything so bland?" That was Lu Qiuyan's only complaint.

Yu Shang ate a little with him and said, "You're just recovering. You should stick to bland food."

Though dissatisfied, Lu Qiuyan was grateful for Yu Shang's care. Whether as a friend or a classmate, he was truly considerate. So he said sincerely, "Thank you, Yu Shang."

Yu Shang paused, mumbled an 'Mm,' and continued eating.

The day passed slowly like this. Tian Ruan, back at school, felt time flew by, but in the presidential suite—despite having games, movies, and unlimited snacks—he still found time crawling.

With nothing else to do, Tian Ruan went to the library and picked up a book about animals.

Soon, his mind was filled with reproduction, mating seasons, and heat cycles...

Silently, Tian Ruan returned the book and decided to follow a guided meditation to clear his thoughts.

When Yu Jingmo swiped his keycard and entered the presidential suite, he saw Tian Ruan sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat like a meditating monk. Ethereal music played from the speakers, accompanied by the rhythmic tapping of a mokugyo. Tian Ruan slowly opened his eyes.

"You're back," Tian Ruan said, pointing out the obvious in a deliberately profound tone.

Yu Jingmo replied, "If you want to be a monk, I can send you to Shaolin Temple."

Tian Ruan broke character instantly. "Shaolin Temple is for martial monks. I'm practicing Zen meditation."

"Zen?" Yu Jingmo hung his coat on the rack and strode toward the bathroom. "And what have you contemplated?"

Tian Ruan thought for a moment. "All form is emptiness, emptiness is all form."

"Then stop staring at my polished oxfords."

"..."

Yu Jingmo was still wearing the same pair of sleek oxfords from the morning—long, with slightly upturned pointed toes, perfect for stepping on people...

Tian Ruan looked away, embarrassed, and defended himself, "'All form is emptiness' means seeing is the same as not seeing."

Yu Jingmo ignored his Zen wordplay. After washing his hands, he dried them with a handkerchief and said, "Then if you eat, is it the same as not eating?"

"...Not eating would kill me."

"Sometimes, seeing what you shouldn't can also kill you."

"Just a pair of stupid shoes. I can't look?" Tian Ruan huffed, hmph-ing under his breath.

Yu Jingmo raised a brow, amused. "You can look. Just don't act all pretentious. Just be honest."

Blushing and irritated, Tian Ruan rolled up his yoga mat, slipped on his shoes, and headed to the dining room.

Yu Jingmo closed the door and followed a few steps behind, his gaze fixed on the kid's stubborn head.

Tian Ruan turned around. "With those long legs, why are you so slow?"

Yu Jingmo replied, "I like watching you walk."

Tian Ruan stopped to wait for him. "Let's walk together."

Yu Jingmo curved his lips. "Alright."

Unluckily, they ran into Du Henbie and He Lansi in the restaurant. The two were dining together as if nothing had happened.

Tian Ruan wanted to look away in disgust and deliberately chose the table farthest from them to sit down.

Yu Jingmo didn’t say anything, opened the menu to order: "French-style baked snails, cream of mushroom soup, two steaks, and seared cod fillet. For dessert, crème brûlée."

The waiter jotted it down. "Would you like some wine?"

"I'll have a glass of red wine, and give him a Sprite."

"Right away."

As the waiter walked away, He Lansi noticed them and raised an arm in greeting. "Hey there~"

Du Henbie, meanwhile, toasted from across the room.

Tian Ruan immediately turned his face away, ignoring them.

Yu Jingmo couldn’t be bothered to respond either.

Du Henbie & He Lansi: "..."

He Lansi snorted in amusement. "A real couple, even their arrogance is identical."

Du Henbie didn’t answer, studying the pissed-off Tian Ruan. "What's he so angry about?"

"Beats me," He Lansi shrugged indifferently.

"Could he have seen something?" Du Henbie remarked offhand.

He Lansi’s careless expression stiffened. "Seen what?"

"The pool..."

"I'm finished." He Lansi got up and stormed off.

Du Henbie continued his meal as if completely unaffected.

Tian Ruan, who had been stealing glances their way, was full of confusion—why had He Lansi left?

Suddenly, a large hand turned Tian Ruan's cheek and chin back. "Don't get distracted while eating."

"...Oh."

Over the next two days, Tian Ruan hardly saw Du Henbie or He Lansi, especially the latter, who seemed to have disappeared without a trace—no clue where he’d run off to.

He only ran into Du Henbie once, who appeared busy and left after giving Tian Ruan a brief glance.

With nothing better to do, Tian Ruan took Lu Qiuyan to an amusement park—though in truth, it was Lu Qiuyan who, upon hearing Tian Ruan had never been to one, felt bad for him and agreed to come along to keep him company.

Since they weren’t paying anyway, and Lu Qiuyan was on the clock to hang out, nobody could complain.

Only Yu Shang grumbled: "You two are always disappearing lately. People might think you've run off together."

Lu Qiuyan fell silent.

Tian Ruan: "..." No, there's no happiness when the submissive one elopes.

On the last day of the long weekend, Tian Ruan packed his bag to return to the manor, only to find Lu Qiuyan insisting on seeing him home.

Unable to talk him out of it, Lu Qiuyan gathered his things and left the hotel with him.

They climbed into the Rolls together.

"Let's go," Tian Ruan said to the driver.

The driver was unfamiliar and seemed to hesitate for a moment before slowly starting the car.

At the same time, another Rolls-Royce passed by and stopped at the hotel entrance. The Yu family’s driver got out and glanced curiously at the departing Rolls-Royce heading down the slope but didn’t dwell on it, just waiting for his lady.

Half an hour later—

The Yu family driver called Tian Ruan, his voice tense as he responded: "Madam, you... got in the car?"

Tian Ruan: "Wait, yeah, didn’t you ask for leave?"

The driver freaked out: "No, I didn’t! I’ve been waiting for you for half an hour!"

Tian Ruan looked at the driver, horrified. "Then who is this?"

The driver: "I don’t know! Madam, get out of the car now!"

At this moment, the driver finally spoke: "Young Master Tian, there’s no need to panic. I’m the Du family’s driver. I was originally here to pick up Mr. Du, but meeting you is a happy accident."

Tian Ruan: "...The Du family?"

"Yes, Madam Du just returned to the country two days ago and has been dying to see you. Mr. Du is too busy, so this old-timer had to do it," he added.

"...If she wants to see me, why can’t she come herself instead of dragging me to the Du family?"

The driver said with a sigh: "Madam Du is unwell and can’t be around crowds."