Chapter 103

Chapter 103

With Japanese and the mock exams piling up, Tian Ruan was struggling to keep up. To his surprise, Yu Jingmo also spoke this "bird language," which he had learned as his second foreign language in junior high school, before switching to French due to its simplicity.

By the age of eighteen, Yu Jingmo could speak five or six languages from different countries. In the following years, he seemed to have unlocked a cheat code, learning Spanish, Greek, and French with ease.

Yu Jingmo said that once you grasp the origins of language families, such as the Indo-European or Sino-Tibetan, many pronunciations are similar, making it easier to master multiple languages.

Tian Ruan, who had always been interested in translation, saw learning an additional language as opening another door. Thus, he followed Yu Jingmo's advice and started studying from the perspective of language origins...

It was complex and challenging, but truly impressive once everything clicked into place.

After the mock exams came the final exams. De Yin, adhering to a humanistic educational philosophy, offered a winter break twenty days longer than ordinary schools, during which students could enrich their life experiences and write articles about their "joyful winter vacation" for submission within the school.

With only a week left until the finals, Tian Ruan noticed that his classmates' minds were already wandering, showing little concern for their mock exam results.

Tian Ruan remained the second-best student in his grade.

De Yin adopted a laissez-faire approach; all that mattered was showing up for the final exams.

Class 1 suddenly lost seven or eight students, leaving the classroom with just a dozen or so, making it unusually quiet.

Wang Weiqi, acting like someone with ADHD, would jump around restlessly as soon as class ended, eagerly inviting Tian Ruan to go out and play.

"How did you do on the mock exams? Did your score drop compared to last time? Are you confident about the finals? What will you tell your parents if you don't do well?" Tian Ruan fired off a series of soul-searching questions.

Wang Weiqi: "Dude, you're too intense. My mom says studying isn't everything in life."

Tian Ruan shook his head, "If one does not work hard when young, one will only grieve in old age."

"..."

Tian Ruan gave an example: "Look at that bald guy, he knows to focus on his studies and not bother you with love anymore."

Wang Weiqi was utterly relieved; the bald guy finally stopped pestering him, and he felt like burning incense to thank Buddha.

What made Tian Ruan even happier was that Lu Qiuyan had performed well, ranking in the top ten of his grade. Not only did this mean an additional five hundred yuan in monthly scholarships, but also a total of twenty thousand yuan from the national scholarship and school subsidies at the end of the year.

Tian Ruan happily went to find Lu Qiuyan and asked, "What do you plan to do during the winter break?"

Lu Qiuyan: "Work."

Tian Ruan: "Besides working, don't you want to go on a honeymoon... ah, I mean, travel?"

Lu Qiuyan looked at him with a half-smile, "You want to go on a honeymoon?"

"…Yeah." Tian Ruan felt a bit embarrassed; they had been married for almost half a year, and it would be their first honeymoon.

Lu Qiuyan said, "Since you're choosing to go on a honeymoon in winter, we should definitely go skiing. The snow scenery at Changbai Mountain is beautiful, and there's also a wildlife park. I've been there before, and the food is great too."

Tian Ruan was very tempted, "Then let's go together?"

"Together?" Lu Qiuyan chuckled, "Are we a couple? Be careful, or you might get a spanking."

"It won't happen, Mr. Yu won't be jealous without reason."

"Do you really believe that?"

"…"

Tian Ruan recalled the original protagonist's winter break during their senior year of high school. Unfortunately, nothing significant happened; they barely saw each other. The main plot points of their youth were mostly centered around school.

Apart from Lu Qiuyan frequently getting into fights and being threatened by loan sharks, Suzhou was generally a law-abiding city with a low incidence of theft and robbery.

If there were no conditions, then create them.

Tian Ruan asked, "Are you still working at the hotel?"

Lu Qiuyan replied, "During the day at the hotel, at night in the bar."

Tian Ruan worried, "Then don't drink anymore. What if you encounter bad people..."

"I'll handle them with my fists."

"..."

Tian Ruan decided to take some time to prepare a wife-chasing manual for Mr. Yu to prevent losing his wife.

Tian Ruan had to prepare for the final exams, and Yu Jingmo had to prepare for the annual meeting. For a while, both were extremely busy, but Yu Jingmo still insisted on picking up and dropping off Tian Ruan. Once home, he would work from home until dinner.

After dinner, they didn't have time for intimacy. Tian Ruan studied in his study, while Yu Jingmo continued working in his.

By nine o'clock in the evening, Tian Ruan needed to get ready for bed but really wanted to see Yu Jingmo. He was afraid of disturbing him and hesitated, eventually finishing his bath and tossing and turning in bed.

At this moment, the guest bedroom door opened, and without a word, Yu Jingmo carried Tian Ruan and the blanket away.

Tian Ruan, carried over Yu Jingmo's shoulder like a concubine about to serve, blushed and said, "Mr. Yu, I still have school tomorrow."

"I know," Yu Jingmo placed him on his bed. "Just warm the bed for me."

Tian Ruan watched as Yu Jingmo leaned against the headboard and continued working on his laptop, feeling a mix of bitterness and sweetness. He tilted his head and asked, "When are you going to sleep?"

"Later," Yu Jingmo replied, running his large hand through the young man's messy hair. "You go to sleep first."

Tian Ruan’s eyelids started to droop. "Mm... you should also get some sleep early. Staying up late ages you faster..."

Yu Jingmo: "..."

On Friday, the homeroom teacher said from the podium, "Final exams next week. Remember to review your books. The key points are those we’ve circled. Master them, and you’ll score high."

The students responded half-heartedly. After class, they gathered to discuss overseas trips, luxury goods, and birthday parties—none of which had anything to do with the exams.

Tian Ruan didn’t understand but respected their choices. These NPCs came from wealthy families, had no grand ambitions, and enjoyed the world’s privileges. Any advice now would be in vain; perhaps they’d only realize the truth when they faced bankruptcy.

Tian Ruan focused on one or two classmates. To Wang Weiqi, he said, "You’re different from them. You’re a nouveau riche with no solid foundation. You need to be down-to-earth and take it step by step. For example, your exam scores will determine your university admission and even your major. Do you know how competitive the popular majors at 985 universities are?"

Wang Weiqi shook his head, clearly clueless.

Tian Ruan: "They might only admit a hundred people. Once the quota is full, they won’t accept anyone else, no matter how much you beg or plead."

Wang Weiqi: "Then I’ll choose another major. I’m not picky."

Tian Ruan: "Even dogs fight over food. You’re worse than a dog."

Wang Weiqi: "…………"

Wang Weiqi swore and decided to study hard for two days.

Tian Ruan sincerely hoped that Wang Weiqi would live up to his name and create a miracle, rather than just floundering.

This weekend, Mr. Yu was still busy to the point of being nowhere to be seen. He left before dawn, having only a cup of black coffee and a croissant.

Tian Ruan worried that he might not eat properly and hurt his stomach, so she specially cooked a bowl of egg custard for lunch.

Even Liu Mama praised her to the skies: "Madam is truly considerate towards Mr. Yu. This egg custard is good for beauty and health, nourishes yin and moistens the lungs, ensuring a long life."

The butler added: "This isn't just egg custard; it's Madam's boundless love for Mr. Yu, like the endless flow of a river, eternal and undying!"

Tian Ruan: "...Exaggerated."

One might think she had made not an egg custard but an elixir of immortality.

Liu Mama prepared braised pork belly, stir-fried green beans, sweet and sour spare ribs, Biluochun shrimp, crab meat tofu, osmanthus lotus root, along with the egg custard and winter melon and Job's tears old duck soup—eight dishes in total.

Tian Ruan had already informed Assistant Xu in advance.

Assistant Xu said, "That's wonderful. I was wondering what fast food would be suitable for Mr. Yu."

"Does he even eat fast food?"

"When he's busy and can't find time to eat, he has to make do with a few bites."

Tian Ruan felt even more heartache. She held the lunch box tightly on the way, afraid that even a drop might spill out.

In front of the Dongqing Group headquarters, about twenty middle-aged men gathered, all with red silk bands tied around their heads, each bearing two large characters written in calligraphy: Struggle.

Tian Ruan: "?"

The Rolls-Royce stopped at the parking spot, and as soon as Tian Ruan got out, she was protected by bodyguards. "Madam, this way."

The crowd, upon seeing Tian Ruan, suddenly leaped to their feet, raising their banners and shouting, "No to layoffs! No to exploitation!! We demand justice!!"

A dozen security guards stood in unison before the glass doors of the hall, the receptionist occasionally coming out, visibly uneasy.

The leader scrutinized Tian Ruan closely and suddenly recognized him, "He's Mr. Yu's wife!"

This exclamation was like a bomb going off; about twenty people surged forward, with bodyguards pushing them back, "What are you doing?! Back off!"

The leader, bald as a cue ball with a prominent Mediterranean top, had heavy bags under his eyes and jowls that sagged, "We want Mr. Yu to give us an explanation! Why the layoffs? Just because my branch didn't hit two billion in annual revenue? I've worked so hard!"

Tian Ruan didn't understand these matters, pulling up his hoodie and putting it on, he was ushered to the glass doors of the hall by the bodyguards, who dispersed the crowd. Someone pushed Tian Ruan—

He fell to the ground but managed to hold onto the lunch box.

"Madam!" Mao Qi hurriedly helped Tian Ruan up, "Are you okay?"

Tian Ruan shook his head, then heard the sound of police sirens outside.

Seven or eight armed police officers got out of the police cars, surrounding the group causing trouble, "Quiet! Get down on your knees and put your hands on your heads! You too, get down!!"

Under the stern voices of the police, the middle-aged men gradually calmed down, kneeling on the ground with their heads bowed, glaring resentfully at the entire building.

Tian Ruan, as usual, took the private elevator straight to the top floor, where the office of the Chairman and CEO was located. After waiting for a moment, the office door suddenly opened, and Mr. Yu strode in, his long legs and custom-made leather shoes making a loud, somewhat disordered sound on the floor.

"Are you alright?" Mr. Yu held Tian Ruan's arm, examining him from head to toe, his long eyebrows and phoenix eyes cold, "Sit down."

Tian Ruan stood up and sat down again, "I'm fine, Mr. Yu."

Mr. Yu half-knelt, taking off Tian Ruan's sneakers and rolling up his trouser legs. Sure enough, a small patch of his originally pale and smooth knee had turned red and purple.

The rough pads of his fingers pressed gently.

Tian Ruan hissed, his brown irises becoming moist: "It hurts."

Yu Jingmo lifted his face, found a small first-aid kit under the coffee table, and took out some bruise ointment, carefully applying it to Tian Ruan's knee, his expression unreadable.

Tian Ruan knew he was unhappy, so he said, "I brought you some food. I even made egg custard."

"Hmm."

"Let's eat together. I haven't eaten either."

"Hmm." Yu Jingmo finished one leg and then moved to the other.

Tian Ruan's calves were soft, completely enveloped by Yu Jingmo's large hands. His white socks hung on his feet, making him look as if he were almost naked except for the socks.

Yu Jingmo leaned down to kiss the inside of his knee, his voice deep: "Things have been a bit chaotic at the group this year. I'm sorry for putting you through this."

Tian Ruan's cheeks flushed, wanting to pull back his leg, "It's fine, they've already been arrested by the police."

"Hmm." Yu Jingmo kept a mental note of it.

"… Let's eat."

Yu Jingmo kissed higher up, and Tian Ruan's pants, soft and thin, easily slipped down to his thighs.

His large hand had already slipped inside.

Yu Jingmo said, "We're eating."

Tian Ruan: "…"