Chapter 129

Chapter 129

The Du family's rise to prominence dates back two hundred years, beginning with Du Danren's great-grandfather, who fled across the ocean to escape war and settled in a small French town.

The great-grandfather was a tailor, while the great-grandmother excelled in embroidery. The couple opened a tailor shop, which quickly gained fame in the town for its unique cuts and delicate embroidery.

Later, a duke's steward approached them, asking the couple to tailor clothes for the duchess. The great-grandmother's distinctive embroidery skills won the duchess's favor, and their reputation spread among the nobility.

The tailor shop began recruiting apprentices, with the great-grandmother generously teaching her embroidery techniques, while the great-grandfather rose from a mere tailor to a celebrated fashion designer in southern France.

This marked the beginning. With the great-grandparents' shrewd minds and strategic maneuvering, they arranged for their son to marry a noblewoman and their daughter to wed a wealthy industrialist. The siblings supported each other and, by their forties and fifties, had monopolized the largest trade route at the time.

By Du Danren's generation, the family had begun to decline. With the rise of globalization, the Du family was no longer the preeminent family in Europe, and competition in trade routes grew fiercer.

Seeking new opportunities, Du Danren "returned" to his homeland and met Ruan Mengling, the daughter of a modest family in Su City. After falling in love at first sight, he wooed her with daily bouquets and eventually persuaded her to marry him, taking her abroad with him.

The only two things he hadn't anticipated were: first, the disappearance of his younger son; and second, both of his sons preferring men.

Well, what's done is done—there's nothing to be done about it.

Du Danren lay flat on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Madam Du, clad in a light lilac nightgown, sat at her vanity, applying skincare to her face, hands, and neck. Glancing at her husband through the mirror, she noted how a man in his fifties still enjoyed daydreaming from time to time.

"Danren, go to sleep first. I'm putting on a mask," Madam Du said.

Just as Du Danren was about to lie down, his phone rang. Reaching for it, he groaned, "Madam, I think I threw out my back."

"..." Madam Du stood up and walked to the bedside, picking up the phone. "Henbie, what's the matter so late at night?"

Du Henbie: "I'm flying to France at dawn. Have Dad cover my duties here for now."

"Did something happen with the company in France?"

"It's not about the company. I'm tracking down He Lansi."

"That child He Lansi went to France?" Madam Du chuckled. "Why didn't he tell us? We could have taken him horseback riding at the estate."

Du Henbie: "Once I find him, I'll take him for a horse ride... or something."

Madam Du laughed. "Be careful over there. With the recent party factionalism, it's best for our family to stay uninvolved. There's nothing to gain from it."

"I'll handle it myself."

Soon after, Du Henbie threw together a bag and boarded a flight to France.

Though not on the same plane, he landed at the same airport. Departing at night, the fourteen-hour flight brought him there in the morning, as though racing the sunrise.

Exhausted in body and mind, Du Henbie arrived at a hotel and knocked on the door of a penthouse suite.

"No room service," came a sleep-thickened voice from inside, tinged with a youthful cadence.

Realizing he had spoken in Chinese, the person inside awkwardly repeated in halting French, *“Pas de service en chambre, merci.”*

Du Henbie knocked again. "It's me."

"..."

A full five minutes passed before the door cracked open slightly, revealing a small, fine-boned face with rosy cheeks like dawn-lit clouds.

Du Henbie's eyes dropped.

Tian Ruan's face was fair with a rosy tint, his slender neck as smooth as jade, marked by two faint red traces. His clothes were disheveled, and even draped in an oversized coat, he couldn't hide the sensual, post-coital air of someone who had been caught in a passionate moment.

Du Henbie: "Sorry to interrupt."

Tian Ruan feigned calm as he stepped aside, letting his so-called big brother enter. Inside, both the sofa and carpet looked pristine, showing no sign that anyone had rolled around on them.

Meanwhile, Yu Jingmo sat impeccably dressed, sipping morning tea with perfect composure, giving no hint that just minutes ago he had pinned the young man to the sofa, forcing his knee between the youth’s legs...

Even his hair was perfectly in place.

Tian Ruan glared at Yu Jingmo, who was putting on such a show, but could only seethe silently, shooting him a couple of sharp looks.

"Welcome," Yu Jingmo said, gesturing to the seat across from him at the tea table.

Du Henbie sat down and got right to it: "If you happen to run into He Lansi while you're here, don’t alert him—just let me know."

"Mm."

"I’ll start searching from the north first. You two can check the south."

"Our plans don’t overlap."

"Good." Du Henbie stood to leave. "I’ll leave you to your... activities."

"Take it easy."

Tian Ruan added a little too eagerly, "Mr. Yu and I are going out later—we’re planning to visit Notre-Dame, Versailles, and Fontainebleau Palace. We might even run into He Lansi."

Du Henbie: "Hopefully."

But hope was in vain. Even after Tian Ruan waited in line to enter Versailles and admired masterpiece paintings, sculptures, and murals, there was no sign of the champagne-blond Asian beauty among the crowds of visitors.

Over the next few days, Tian Ruan visited many other places, including high-end shops, yet still saw no trace of He Lansi.

If none of these stylish, artistic spots had him, it meant one thing—he had already left Paris.

After informing Du Henbie, they headed to the countryside in southern France for a vacation.

Their hotel was set in a quaint village, surrounded by beautiful scenery and mild weather. Even in winter, flowers were in full bloom, and the landscape was lush and green.

It had all the amenities—a restaurant, pool, private garden—and within a short walk was a vineyard offering wine tastings.

Though he didn’t speak French, Tian Ruan couldn’t help greeting everyone he met with a cheerful “Bonjour!”

Yu Jingmo taught him a few simple phrases to get by for the next few days.

Watching Tian Ruan eagerly say hello to everyone, Yu Jingmo pinched his cheek and said, "I don’t want a robot partner—I want a flesh-and-blood lover."

Tian Ruan: "?"

The weather stayed perfect those days—bright sunshine, crisp air, and the exotic allure of a foreign land. Tian Ruan soaked in the sights and snapped photos to send to Lu Qiuyan.

He also chatted with Lu Qiuyan: "No clue where He Lansi’s hiding. Views and buildings like these aren’t common back home."

The natural scenery wasn’t that special—similar landscapes existed all over Earth—but the architecture here was unique. Even without any knowledge of architecture, Tian Ruan felt the stone houses had a timeless, historic charm.

"If I had two billion, I might even go explore the North and South Poles," Lu Qiuyan mused casually.

"...Seriously?"

"He Lansi doesn't seem like someone who can endure hardship, so he probably wouldn’t go that far."

"Mmm..." Tian Ruan strolled leisurely through the vineyard, where a winery stood. The winery owner had invited Yu Jingmo to taste the new vintage.

The winery owner said rapturously, "These grapes were stomped barefoot by the eighteen most beautiful unmarried maidens in town. The wine they produce has a long, lingering fragrance, utterly unforgettable."

Yu Jingmo: "My wife and I just took a walk and saw a few strapping lads stomping those grapes."

The winery owner waved his hand dismissively, "Don’t sweat the small stuff, or you’ll miss out on a lot of fun—and they were wearing shoe covers, rest assured."

Yu Jingmo smiled without responding. These grapes had gone through destemming, crushing, fermentation, pressing, clarification, and filtration—machines had completely replaced manual labor. The grapes those men treaded were mostly for show to tourists—though the tourists weren’t exactly thrilled watching burly men doing the treading.

When Tian Ruan saw the men grape-treading, he wanted to try too.

The winery owner generously allowed it.

Tian Ruan put on shoe covers and joined the grape-treading line, holding onto a post as he stepped into a wooden barrel filled with dark purple grapes.

Squelches, splashes, glugs.

The sound was weirdly therapeutic, with a peculiar "foot feel." Especially when crushing the grapes, the green flesh and purple juice, wrapped in a rich grape aroma, felt like a fancy foot treatment.

Tian Ruan was having the time of his life, bouncing around gleefully.

Then Yu Jingmo said, "The grapes you treaded can be made into wine and stored just for you."

Tian Ruan: "Huh?"

Yu Jingmo: "We’ll call it 'Tenderfoot Wine.'"

Tian Ruan: "..."

The winery owner, who didn’t understand Chinese, just said, "Good, good!"

Tian Ruan waved his hands repeatedly, "Nah, I’m good. I don’t like drinking."

Yu Jingmo translated, "The Mrs. can’t hold her liquor."

The winery owner: "No problem, we can make grape jam or a grape pie instead."

So that evening, during a candlelit dinner in the vineyard, Tian Ruan was served a grape pie made from the grapes he had treaded—murkily green-black, looking like some kind of suspicious-looking dish.

He hesitated, "You sure this is safe to eat?"

Yu Jingmo cut a small piece and tasted it. "I’ve got no complaints about the grapes you treaded, but this is way too sweet."

Tian Ruan took a bite and was surprised to find it unexpectedly delicious.

Under the flickering candlelight and a sky full of stars, the two enjoyed the meal in easy quiet. Tian Ruan sighed, "This place is wonderful. Life is slow-paced and worry-free here. It’s a shame we have to leave the day after tomorrow."

"If you like it, we can come back another time."

"Yeah."

On the last day of their vacation, Tian Ruan woke up early and called Du Henbie: "Boss, any leads on He Lansi?"

Du Henbie paused briefly before replying, "Every time I’m about to catch him, he sneaks out randomly."

You know what they say—a cunning rabbit has three burrows—but He Lansi probably has a solid three-sixty. He changes hiding spots daily, throwing off any trail entirely.

Tian Ruan couldn't help but admire He Lansi. Even in Du Henbie's stronghold, he was having such a grand time.

Thinking about how Du Henbie led his men every day to catch He Lansi, only for He Lansi to twist away effortlessly, dodging him with ease, Tian Ruan suddenly felt like laughing. "Go get him, bro!"

Du Henbie: "..."

Yu Jingmo finished getting dressed and asked, "Should we buy some souvenirs to take back?"

Tian Ruan: "? Have you even looked in my suitcase?"

Yu Jingmo opened it and found, to his surprise, that Tian Ruan had managed to pack an entire suitcase of "souvenirs"—wood carvings, wreaths, picture frames, bracelets, music boxes, rocks...

Tian Ruan pulled on his pants and said, "I wasn’t just sightseeing all week."

Yu Jingmo didn’t say anything. As long as Tian Ruan liked them, and these things weren’t expensive.

The two went downstairs and had a simple meal of a salad made from handpicked vegetables and fruits, paired with croissants and coffee. Tian Ruan found himself missing Liu Ma’s shengjian bao (pan-fried pork buns), and soy milk and youtiao—those were the real comfort foods for a Chinese stomach.

Nibbling on his bread, Tian Ruan turned his gaze to the sunlit, flower-filled hotel courtyard, where a young East Asian man with champagne-blond hair strolled leisurely, pulling a white suitcase behind him.

Tian Ruan: "…………"

Yu Jingmo followed his gaze and remarked, "Look who just waltzed in."

Ten minutes later, Tian Ruan knocked on He Lansi’s guest room door. "Hey sis-in-law, open up—it’s your bro!"