Chapter 132

Chapter 132

The police towed the Maserati away and told Yu Linluo to come to the traffic station in a couple of days to register and retrieve it. Seething but too intimidated to argue, Yu Linluo had no choice but to comply.

As soon as the man with smelly feet rode off angrily on his electric scooter, Yu Linluo kicked the wall in frustration—only to immediately turn pale, grab his knee, hop back a few steps, and curse loudly again.

Assistant Xu peered around confusedly, missing the best part of the drama, and humbly asked, “Mr. Yu, what happened?”

Yu Jingmo’s expression remained indifferent as he replied coolly, “Nothing.”

Hearing this, Yu Linluo shot him an angry glare, his smudged eyeliner making him look like he’d overindulged the night before, and gave a weird, mocking chuckle. “Uncle sure is heartless, standing there while your own nephew gets pushed around.”

Yu Jingmo didn’t react, but Tian Ruan shivered slightly. This guy really was a villain—his tone dripped with scorned bitterness.

“Let’s go,” Yu Jingmo murmured to the young man in his arms.

Tian Ruan nodded vigorously.

Yu Linluo stared at Tian Ruan and suddenly said, “My parents have always respected our ancestors. I wonder how many times Uncle has visited them since coming back?”

Finally, Yu Jingmo looked down at his distant nephew and asked, “Are your mother and father in good health?”

“My parents are perfectly fine.”

“That’s good. They only have you as their son. If you would just apply yourself more, they might live a long life.”

Yu Linluo thought for a moment before suddenly realizing—was Yu Jingmo calling him a failure? He was about to lash out when the other man had already taken the good-looking young man into the Rolls-Royce and driven away from the alley.

“Do you know Yu Linluo?” Yu Jingmo asked.

Tian Ruan’s face had been pale since earlier. He was afraid that the story’s plot might self-correct, causing him to do something irreversible without realizing it.

Tian Ruan nodded solemnly. “A… small-time villain.”

“Him?”

“…He almost ruined Yu Shang—like someone who slipped and fell into the gutter.”

“How did he slip?”

Tian Ruan laid out the original story beat by beat—how Yu Shang nearly lost his reputation due to fake accounts, and how Lu Qiuyan joining the military during his lowest point sent him spiraling even deeper.

They drifted apart during those bleak years. The protagonist grew stronger through loneliness, finally coming into his own. Five years later, he became the new head of the Yu family and reunited with Zhu Jueshou in a time of crisis, overcoming countless trials before managing to piece their relationship back together.

Those five painful years made countless readers hurt for them, intensifying their hatred toward anyone who had contributed to the couple’s separation.

That’s why the wealthy stepfather “Tian Yuan” was killed off—to the readers’ quiet satisfaction.

Tian Ruan pleaded, “I don’t want to be killed off.”

Yu Jingmo asked, “Why didn’t Yu Linluo give ‘you’ up?”

“…”

“He liked ‘you.’”

“That’s not the point.”

Yu Jingmo didn’t confirm or deny it. “You’re not involved with him anymore. Keep your distance—I’ll take care of it.”

Tian Ruan hesitated, "Is that even legal?"

"Just *giving* them a taste of their own medicine."

"?"

Yu Jingmo smiled without answering. Rarely are company books completely clean—everyone picks through legal loopholes, and the higher-ups play dumb. As long as it doesn’t involve huge sums and stays hidden, it’s "'mutual benefit' as long as it's hidden."

But once someone grabs hold of those loopholes and reports upward, good luck walking away clean without serious resources.

Tian Ruan stayed at a hotel overnight, and the next day he accompanied Yu Jingmo to handle business matters—Yu Jingmo was so busy he barely touched the ground, while Tian Ruan mostly acted as his glorified mascot.

On the third day, the couple returned to Su City.

The estate gates swung open before them, and the Maybach slowly drove in.

The butler, maids, and bodyguards stood in two rows, bowing in unison: "Welcome home, sir and madam!"

Tian Ruan experienced the joys of being part of a wealthy family—the homecoming fanfare was next-level.

The flowers lining the path to the main house had been freshly replaced, the ice and snow long melted to reveal faint green grass tips. A few wintersweets perfumed the air; distant red maples and osmanthus trees stood silent, broken only by a finch’s wings.

"It’s so good to be home." Tian Ruan breathed in the air of the Yu family estate, finding it refreshing—better than anywhere else in the world.

Yu Jingmo watched the young man’s enraptured expression and curved his lips. "Here’s your Peach Blossom Spring."

……

Tian Ruan personally delivered souvenirs to Lu Qiuyan.

Lu Qiuyan stared at the heap of “treasures,” and under Tian Ruan’s sunbeam grin, couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He picked out a woven straw hat and said, "This is good for sun protection."

Tian Ruan enthusiastically recommended, "This painted rock can be a decoration, and this wind chime sounds lovely—you can hang it by your window."

"Okay." Lu Qiuyan took them all, since Tian Ruan had brought them all this way.

Tian Ruan crouched on the ground, cupping his face in his hands. Sunlight lit his pale skin, making it glow, his brown eyes bright. "Lu Qiuyan, how have things been between you and Yu Shang lately?"

"Eh, same old." Lu Qiuyan turned his face away, tossing the painted rock into the air with a sharp *smack*, catching it, then throwing it up again.

"Did you ambush him again?"

"...No."

"The hell I am?"

"I’m scared of what?" Lu Qiuyan bit out, then immediately regretted his tone—because, well, he *was* scared of something.

Tian Ruan chuckled.

Lu Qiuyan waved a fist. "Laugh again and I’ll hit you."

Tian Ruan put on a wounded act. "I brought you souvenirs, and you want to hit me? Some thanks I get!"

Lu Qiuyan rolled his eyes. The stone he tossed slipped from his grasp and *cracked* against the windshield of an approaching car, webbing cracks across the glass, the driver’s stunned face framed by the fractures.

"..."

A lean man around thirty stepped out from the back seat. His steel-brown eyes were calm, his complexion fair. He said to the driver, "Thanks—I’ll handle it."

The Chinese wasn't perfect, but the tone was sincere.

The assistant took out money to pay, throwing Lu Qiuyan an exasperated look.

Lu Qiuyan: "First go file an insurance claim. I'll cover whatever it costs."

Sab waved his hands frantically, "No need, no need, we'll cover it."

The driver couldn't be bothered to argue. He took the money and left, letting them sort it out among themselves—this was the first time he'd seen people fighting to pay. Truly, the world was full of wonders.

Their eyes met, and Sab exclaimed joyfully, "I never expected to run into you here. This is wonderful!"

Lu Qiuyan: "You're bad luck. Not wonderful."

"What?" Sab didn't understand.

The assistant, an overseas Chinese, was annoyed after paying up and replied in English, "They mean you're a hindrance to them, like a curse."

Sab was shocked: "I didn't!"

"But that's how they see it."

Lu Qiuyan retorted coldly in English, "Thinking people can't understand this global gibberish and then gossiping behind their backs—how laughable."

"..."

Tian Ruan: "Yes, ridiculous!"

Lu Qiuyan took out five hundred-yuan bills from his wallet and tossed them to the assistant. "Today's earnings. Consider it charity."

The assistant turned red with anger, glaring at Lu Qiuyan.

Lu Qiuyan ignored him, leaning against the hotel entrance with a disdainful look. "Not everyone who can afford a five-star hotel is high-class."

Sab apologized, "I apologize for my assistant's rudeness. Please forgive us."

Lu Qiuyan: "No need to apologize. After all, I'm no saint myself."

"Oh, I find you fascinating. Would you be willing to model for me? I can pay you 800 RMB an hour."

Lu Qiuyan paused. "How much?"

Sab: "800 RMB an hour. How about it? If this handsome young man joins, I can offer 1,000 an hour."

Tian Ruan, used to big money, wasn't tempted, but for Lu Qiuyan, this might be a good opportunity. He decided to stir the pot: "Just 1,000? We usually get 10,000 an hour."

Sab wondered if he'd misheard. "How much??"

Tian Ruan said without blinking, "10,000 RMB an hour. Cash only, no haggling."

"..."

The assistant sneered, "There's a Chinese saying: 'Like a lion demanding a huge bite.' You've certainly mastered the essence."

Tian Ruan replied airily, "There's also a Chinese saying: 'Fortune favors the bold.' If wool is delivered to your doorstep, you might as well take it."

Lu Qiuyan offered no comment, just gaining new respect for Tian Ruan's "audacity."

After wrestling with it, Sab gritted his teeth three minutes later. "Fine, I'll hire you for one hour."

Tian Ruan: "Sure."

The other bellboy gaped. Was he hearing things? Could modeling really be this lucrative? Grinning cheekily, he hustled over and asked, "Teacher, can I be your model too?"

Sab gave him the once-over: "Your face and body aren’t model material. If you're serious, maybe start with a trip to Korea for some upgrades."

"..."

It happened to be lunch break. To keep things aboveboard, Tian Ruan and Lu Qiuyan struck poses in the hotel garden.

Tian Ruan said, "No photos—only sketches."

Sab replied, "If I wanted just pretty boys, there are plenty online. I’m after that lightning-in-a-bottle moment—get closer."

Tian Ruan draped an arm over Lu Qiuyan’s shoulder, mimicking poses from fashion magazines as they interacted.

The moment their eyes met, Tian Ruan burst out laughing: "This is so weird..."

Lu Qiuyan rolled his eyes: "Money’s a b*tch to earn, and sh*t’s nasty."

Sab: "Let’s keep it classy, gentlemen."

After striking poses for over half an hour, Tian Ruan finally understood the hardships of modeling—his back ached, and his muscles were on fire. He groaned, "Those life models in art classes who hold still for three or four hours? They’re superhuman."

Lu Qiuyan was fine—his stance was rock-solid, unlike Tian Ruan, who collapsed onto the edge of a flowerbed after only thirty minutes, slumping like a ragdoll.

Sab responded with a mysterious smile: "Good, very good indeed."

With ten minutes left, Tian Ruan gave up all pretense and simply lay there, playing it cool as a cucumber.

Lu Qiuyan rubbed his sore shoulders until his eyes locked onto Yu Shang marching over—long strides, icy glare, already hinting at his father’s imposing aura.

"What are you doing?" Yu Shang asked coldly.

Lu Qiuyan: "Side hustle."

Sab lit up. "How about being my model? Ten thousand per hour."

Yu Shang: "My time’s worth millions hourly."

"..."

Tian Ruan shot up like a rocket, shouting at the heavens, "My son makes millions an hour while I’m stuck here sweating for a pathetic ten grand! Where’s the justice?!"

KA-BOOM—thunder growled like a warning.

Tian Ruan froze, pressing his palms together like a monk. "Thank you, heavens! Thank you, earth! Thank you, fate—for letting me earn money lying down. I’m *more* than grateful."

The thunder dipped out, the sky turned sunny like nothing happened.

Sab eyed the clear sky, puzzled. "Was it going to rain?"

Tian Ruan pulled out his phone and grinned. "Time’s up! Hand over that 10K, sweetcheeks~"

"..."

All in all, that ten thousand was a damn good deal.

Tian Ruan treated Lu Qiuyan to a lavish meal, and Lu Qiuyan returned the favor with a sweet treat. Yu Shang came along and enjoyed both the feast and dessert, looking like he had finally calmed down.

A few days later, the well-known international BL manga artist Sab released a preview for their new series. In the teaser were two teenage boys—one handsome and refined, the other wild and rebellious—who looked incredibly well-suited to each other.

The next day, a preview chapter was published. Rendered in bright, fresh watercolors, the scene showed the two boys chatting by a flowerbed, their expressions and movements beautifully dreamlike and full of sparks.

Yu Ti, a devoted fan of Sab, quickly noticed that the main couple in the manga strongly resembled Lu Qiuyan and Tian Ruan. After much hesitation, they still sent the link to Tian Ruan.

Unsuspectingly, Tian Ruan opened the link right in front of Yu Jingmo—only to be met with an intimate scene of the two boys lost in a field of flowers, gazing deeply into each other’s eyes.

Tian Ruan: "..."

Yu Jingmo: "Mind explaining?"