Chapter 49 He’s Not Short!

Chapter 49: He's Not Short!

On Monday, the Lin'an Group headquarters issued a personnel announcement.

To support the group’s overseas development and in response to national policies, Old Mr. Zhou, despite his advanced age, volunteered to go to Country F to supervise and oversee operations.

Zhou Yu sighed at his father’s age and repeatedly tried to persuade him to stay. Unfortunately, Old Mr. Zhou was determined to leave, and there was nothing Zhou Yu could do but give up.

In the office, Guo Shengyao almost laughed herself silly.

After double-checking that the door was securely closed, she collapsed onto the sofa, clutching her stomach as she laughed uncontrollably.

“Shifu, you have to admit, our boss really has a flair for the dramatic—hahahaha! ‘Old and sturdy,’ ‘determined to leave’—oh my god, I’m dying! The man’s leg is broken and he’s still lying in the hospital, and they’re redefining ‘old and sturdy’!”

“And what ‘volunteered’? More like exiled! So funny, just so funny!”

She gave a big thumbs-up.

Lin Yunshu handed her a glass of water. “Alright, that’s enough laughing. Sit properly now.”

Guo Shengyao then straightened up, leaning against the armrest, and looked at Lin Yunshu with sparkling eyes. “Shifu, let’s go eat together after work.”

“I won't be going,” Lin Yunshu said with a smile. “You go ahead without me.”

Guo Shengyao immediately looked disappointed. “Ah… Then what are you doing after work?”

“Going to look at the wedding venue,” Lin Yunshu sighed.

Getting married was exhausting—truly exhausting. Especially when dealing with an Alpha like Zhou Yu, whose energy surpassed human limits, Lin Yunshu felt completely drained of energy and ideas.

Things that could easily be outsourced, Zhou Yu insisted on doing himself.

Those trivial tasks were beyond just “tedious.” Even just sitting and watching made Lin Yunshu tired.

But Zhou Yu showed no sign of annoyance. He handled everything with ease and even seemed to grow more energetic as he worked.

Lin Yunshu thought to himself that this man might have been a wedding planner in his past life.

He shook his head helplessly and looked up to find Guo Shengyao right in front of him.

The girl blinked her big, sparkling eyes, clasped her hands together like a school drama female lead, and said, “So sweet! Can I come along and see?”

Lin Yunshu chuckled. “Of course. You can also try on your bridesmaid dress while we’re there. Pick a dress you like.”

“Yay!”

Guo Shengyao started spinning around in place.

Lin Yunshu smiled helplessly.

·

After work.

Lin Yunshu put on his coat and glanced at Zhou Yu, who was full of resentment.

“What’s wrong now?” he asked, using his kindergarten-teacher tone.

Zhou Yu grumbled, “Why are we bringing along a young girl to check out the venue?”

The “young girl” pointed at herself, confused. “?”

“There’s no harm in bringing her along,” Lin Yunshu said. “She can also try on her bridesmaid dress while we’re there. Two birds with one stone.”

The wedding venue was set at a castle manor in the suburbs. The plan was to hold an outdoor ceremony on the lawn, followed by a banquet inside the castle.

All the dresses had already been delivered to the venue. Bringing Guo Shengyao along to try on her dress now would save them the trouble of making a separate trip later.

Zhou Yu thought it over and found Lin Yunshu’s reasoning sound.

“Fine then,” he said generously, turning to Guo Shengyao. “You can come along.”

With that, he put his arm around Lin Yunshu and swaggered out the door.

Guo Shengyao: “…”

She grumbled a little under her breath but excitedly followed them.

·

The wedding venue was over an hour’s drive from the company.

Guo Shengyao got into a large business van with the two of them and was promptly presented with a thoughtfully prepared dinner from her boss.

She was touched.

But the next second, when she saw Lin Yunshu’s portion, she couldn’t help but sigh at Zhou Yu’s blatant favoritism.

Her “premium box meal” looked dull next to Lin Yunshu’s feast.

“What are you staring at?” Zhou Yu shot her a sidelong glance. “Don’t complain when you’ve got food. There won’t be time to eat once we get to the venue.”

Guo Shengyao hurriedly started eating quickly.

Zhou Yu, satisfied, turned to Lin Yunshu and immediately switched to a gentle tone. “Here, baby, sorry it's not much. Just a quick bite.”

“Cough!”

Guo Shengyao nearly choked on her food.

In all fairness, Lin Yunshu’s meal was anything but simple. It was clearly a meticulously made, healthy meal—visually appealing, aromatic, and mouthwatering just to look at.

“And what are you staring at now?”

Zhou Yu, like a chameleon, scowled the moment he addressed Guo Shengyao. “Do you not know how his stomach is? He can’t just eat anything! I’m even worried this might upset his stomach—”

“But you’re different. You have a great appetite—you could eat a whole cow! That’s a good thing. Hurry up and eat instead of looking at others' meals.”

Guo Shengyao: “???”

She felt picked on and whined tearfully, “Shifu!”

*Shifu, look at him!*

*What kind of husband did you pick? His words are more poisonous than arsenic!*

Lin Yunshu had nothing to say and once again had to step in and play the role of a kindergarten teacher.

"Alright, both of you, simmer down," he said, picking up his chopsticks. "You’ve worked all day—aren’t you hungry? The food will get cold if we don’t eat soon."

The two called a reluctant truce.

·

Zhou Yu could pick a fight with anyone.

At the venue, he spent over ten minutes arguing with the landscaper about the placement of a potted plant.

Guo Shengyao watched with a furrowed brow, looking concerned. "Master," she said, "don’t you think the boss is a bit too controlling?"

Lin Yunshu was long accustomed to it. "That’s just how bosses are."

"True," Guo Shengyao mused. "Otherwise, how could he have grown up under Old Mr. Zhou’s influence and still ended up with a personality like this? It shows he has a very strong will!"

Lin Yunshu smiled but didn’t respond.

"But I’m still a little worried," Guo Shengyao added. "What if he—"

Guo Shengyao: o.o [wide-eyed]

"Defending him already, huh?" she teased with a grin. "Who would’ve thought, Master? You’ve become so protective since getting married."

Lin Yunshu coughed slightly, a bit awkwardly. "I’ve always been protective, okay? Haven’t I been protective enough of you? Besides, how can the boss be considered a weakness? He doesn’t need my protection."

The phrasing sounded ambiguous at first.

Guo Shengyao’s expression turned a little strange, her lips twitching as if holding back a laugh.

She knew Lin Yunshu was simply defending his superior—the boss’s dignity mattered. But as someone well-read, her mind couldn’t help but wander to some… playful interpretations.

"What’s with that look?" Lin Yunshu asked, puzzled.

"Nothing…" Guo Shengyao stifled her laughter even more, changing the subject. "Can I go see my dress?"

Lin Yunshu found it a bit odd but replied gently, "Of course, I’ll take you there."

Guo Shengyao followed excitedly, sneaking looks at Lin Yunshu’s profile as they walked.

Lin Yunshu had nothing boyish about his appearance—his features were calm, his demeanor gentle.

His lean face lacked any excess soft tissue, giving him sharp, defined features. Walking across the flower-strewn lawn, he was a refreshing sight.

Guo Shengyao couldn’t help remarking, "Master, you can be quite innocent sometimes."

Lin Yunshu: "?"

It was the first time someone several years his junior had called him innocent. He paused, taken aback. "Why do you say that?"

Guo Shengyao just grinned cryptically and skipped off happily to try on dresses.

Lin Yunshu, baffled, waited outside and took a seat to rest.

Not long after, Zhou Yu arrived. The first thing he did was wrap Lin Yunshu in a hug and kiss him.

Lin Yunshu, still holding a water glass, nearly spilled it. He shot Zhou Yu a scolding look. "Easy there, will you?"

Zhou Yu adored this fussiness—it made his heart flutter. He agreed to everything. Taking the water glass from Lin Yunshu, he chugged it in one gulp and plunked it back on the table. "Now it won’t spill."

Lin Yunshu: "…"

Guo Shengyao emerged from the dressing room after trying on several dresses, asking what they thought.

"Master, Boss, which one do you think looks best?"

She seemed troubled, having put a lot of effort into not embarrassing her master at the wedding.

Lin Yunshu, who was indecisive, thought young women looked good in anything. "I feel they all look nice."

Zhou Yu, on the other hand, couldn’t tell any difference. He whispered to Lin Yunshu, "Seriously? Besides the colors, is there any actual difference between these dresses?"

Lin Yunshu was astonished. "The styles and materials are all different—isn’t it obvious?"

Zhou Yu gave him a sidelong glance.

All he saw were layers of fluff and net. He even suspected the designer was ripping him off.

"Look, for example, this one has very fine craftsmanship," Lin Yunshu explained softly. "That one is more elaborate but really highlights one’s elegance when styled properly…"

His voice was calm, patient, and detailed.

Zhou Yu was even more shocked—he hadn’t expected Lin Yunshu to actually try to teach him.

His own taste didn’t go much further than not being colorblind.

Moreover, Lin Yunshu was speaking right by his ear, his breath tickling Zhou Yu’s neck and making him tingle.

Lin Yunshu’s eyelashes were long and thick, his pale lips parting occasionally to reveal a glimpse of pearly white teeth, as cute as a bunny.

Zhou Yu watched for a moment, his gaze zoning out.

Soon, his hearing faded too, his head spinning, unable to focus on anything else.

"And that’s it."

After a lengthy explanation, Lin Yunshu wrapped up, looking at him expectantly. "Can you see the differences now?"

Zhou Yu: "…"

He didn’t have the heart to admit he hadn’t heard a word.

After a two-second pause, he cleared his throat, fighting a smirk, and pretended to understand, putting on an expression of sudden enlightenment.

"Alright," he nodded, turning to the equally expectant Guo Shengyao. "Go with the priciest one."

The boss could afford it!

Guo Shengyao: "…?"

Lin Yunshu: "…………"

·

After they were done for the evening, Zhou Yu hired a car for Guo Shengyao, and the two of them took another car back.

In the car, Lin Yunshu remained silent, staring intently out the window, as if deep in thought.

Zhou Yu noticed and squeezed his palm: "What's on your mind?"

Lin Yunshu snapped out of it and smiled: "Nothing much, just something Shengyao said this afternoon."

"Oh?" Zhou Yu frowned, clearly annoyed he was thinking about someone else while sitting beside him: "What was so important?"

"It was just that I stood up for you earlier, and she said I was being protective of you—"

"You stood up for me?" Zhou Yu's eyes lit up as he hugged him: "You spoke up for me in front of others?"

Lin Yunshu hesitated, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

"That's not the point—I denied it," he looked away: "I said you weren't 'short' and didn't need my protection."

Zhou Yu's expression shifted subtly.

Unaware, Lin Yunshu continued: "For some reason, Shengyao concluded from that one sentence that I'm very naive."

He looked curious: "I still haven't figured out the logic behind it."

Zhou Yu: "..."

"Sweetheart, you..." His expression changed rapidly.

Lin Yunshu tilted his head slightly: "?"

Zhou Yu was utterly charmed by his expression, turning away to take several deep breaths before barely regaining his composure.

"It's not that hard," he declared grandly, putting on a righteous air: "I'll tell you."

"You know?" Lin Yunshu was skeptical: "What is it?"

"It's actually simple," Zhou Yu said: "You just haven't connected the dots yet. With a little hint, you'll figure it out immediately."

Lin Yunshu's curiosity grew stronger: "Tell me already!"

Zhou Yu laughed, wearing a deliberately provoking expression: "I'll keep you in suspense—I'll tell you when we get back."

He wrapped an arm around Lin Yunshu's shoulder: "I won't even need to say a word—one gesture and you'll understand."

Lin Yunshu raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

-----------------------

Author's note: Shushu (innocently): My husband isn't short!

His husband (proudly patting his head): Time to show off my real strengths [pants].