DCISBS chapter 76

On one sunny weekend, Lu Nanyang was caught off guard by a sudden call from Lu Hongzhen.

When the call came in, Lu Nanyang was at a shopping mall, picking out bedsheets. He was just debating whether to go ahead and buy a whole new bedding set when his phone rang.

Assuming it was Xie Quan, Lu Nanyang didn’t even glance at the screen and picked up right away.
“I’m almost done, just ten more minutes and I’ll be back.”

A deep male voice replied on the other end,
“Oh? Where are you heading back to?”

Lu Nanyang’s steps froze instantly. He tried several times to speak but couldn’t get the words out properly.
“Mr. Lu…”

“What did you call me?”

Lu Hongzhen’s voice was calm—not loud, not sharp—but it carried a weighty pressure that made it hard to breathe.

“…Dad,” Lu Nanyang gave in.

Lu Hongzhen made no comment on this concession—neither pleased nor displeased. He simply continued speaking in a level tone,
“Nanyang, are you free today?”

Lu Nanyang closed his eyes and exhaled softly.
“Yes.”

Lu Hongzhen had already taken the initiative to call him—no point in trying to avoid it now.

“Then come out of the mall,” Lu Hongzhen said. “My car’s parked right out front.”

With that, the call ended.

Lu Nanyang lowered his gaze to look at the phone.

Classic Lu Hongzhen—always the same. Either completely hands-off, or once involved, everything had to proceed strictly on his terms, leaving no room for negotiation.

Lu Nanyang turned off the screen, slipped the phone into his pocket, and headed out.
Behind him, the shop assistant called after him,
“Hey, aren’t you taking the bedsheets?”

“Next time,” Lu Nanyang replied with an apologetic smile.

Lu Hongzhen’s car was easy to spot—a black extended luxury van. Even though the family had many more expensive sports cars and SUVs, this was always his vehicle of choice.

Without a word, Lu Nanyang opened the car door and got in, enduring the curious gazes of passersby.

The car started and cruised forward smoothly. Lu Hongzhen sat in the front passenger seat, never once turning around—he only glanced at his long-estranged adopted son through the rearview mirror.

Lu Nanyang noticed that the graying hair at Lu Hongzhen’s temples was now quite pronounced.

In his memories, Lu Hongzhen had always been imposing, capable, and full of vigor. Yet in just a few years, gray had crept into his hair and wrinkles had formed at the corners of his eyes.

For a fleeting moment, Lu Nanyang felt that Lu Hongzhen now looked less like a corporate president and more like… a father.

“Shuixie Pavilion. That okay?” Lu Hongzhen asked from the front.

He was referring to a restaurant.

“Mm. Anything’s fine, I’m not picky,” Lu Nanyang replied.

“You’re not picky,” Lu Hongzhen echoed.
“Michelin three stars are fine with you, street food fried in gutter oil is fine too. You’ve always been like that since you were young—easy to feed.”

Lu Nanyang caught the implication in his words. He pressed his lips together and said nothing more.

The extended business car brought them to the most upscale branch of Shuixie Pavilion in the entire city. The driver got out and opened the door for Lu Hongzhen and Lu Nanyang.

From the car emerged a well-dressed man in the front passenger seat—clearly a high-ranking figure from the upper echelons of society—and from the back seat came a college student with a disheveled appearance, wearing a twenty-yuan shirt from a bargain app like Pinduoduo.

There was no need for public commentary—even Lu Nanyang himself felt completely out of place with the Lu family.

He hadn’t lived the life Lu Hongzhen had hoped for him. Instead, he had grown into someone entirely different.

Lu Hongzhen walked ahead, and five or six waitstaff respectfully approached to greet him. They treated Lu Nanyang politely as well, but beneath that courtesy, there was a subtle, almost imperceptible sense of distance.

There was nothing Lu Nanyang could do about it. He could only brace himself and follow Lu Hongzhen. After enduring the stares along the way, he finally sat down in a private room.

Lu Hongzhen didn’t say much at first. He calmly ordered dishes, instructed the server not to set the air conditioner too low, and asked them to use his own tea leaves for brewing tea.

Lu Nanyang sat across from him in silence, anxiously picking at the tablecloth with his fingers, enduring the invisible pressure.

Lu Hongzhen liked to use calm, deliberate silence to assert his authority and status. Lu Nanyang had seen him use this method to pressure people across the table many times—he just hadn’t expected that, one day, he would be the one sitting opposite.

The tea was served first. Lu Hongzhen picked up the cup, gently blew on it, and took a delicate sip. “Xinyang Maojian—good tea. Try some.”

Lu Nanyang forced a smile, picked up the cup, and took two sips.

“Ah, when you went home the year before last, Yunyao gave you some to take back to school, didn’t she?” Lu Hongzhen asked. “Did you drink it yourself, or give it to someone?”

“…Neither,” Lu Nanyang replied. “It’s still sitting in my dorm.”

Lu Hongzhen leisurely finished his cup of tea, refilled it from the teapot, and then asked, “Didn’t give any to that little boyfriend of yours?”

“…”

This old fox had finally circled around to the main point.

Sometimes, Lu Nanyang wondered—didn’t someone like Lu Hongzhen ever get tired of talking in such a roundabout way?

“No,” Lu Nanyang answered honestly. “He’s no longer working at the campus clinic. He said he doesn’t need it anymore, and gave it back to me.”

Lu Hongzhen nodded, his expression unchanging.

Lu Nanyang figured that, with his foster father’s far-reaching influence, even if no one online had looked into it, he had probably already dug up every detail about Xie Quan’s background—going back three generations.

The thought alone made it hard for him to breathe.

Lu Hongzhen wasn’t in any rush to continue. He poured himself another cup of tea, making it clear that he expected Lu Nanyang to speak up on his own.

Lu Nanyang’s phone buzzed twice in his pocket. He guessed it was probably a message from Xie Quan, but there was no way he could check it now.

“Lu Zhanlei…” Lu Nanyang’s voice came out a little hoarse. “How is he doing?”

“He’s at home, reflecting behind closed doors. Doing just fine,” Lu Hongzhen replied casually. “No lack of food or drink. I said he should go a few meals without eating to learn a lesson, but his mother wouldn’t allow it. Last night, she even insisted on sneaking spicy chicken into his room. The moment I walked in, the smell—like she wasn’t even trying to hide it.”

Lu Nanyang gave a faint smile.

“He made such a mess. I think he’s just had it too easy these past few years—needs some real reflection,” Lu Hongzhen said. “He really thinks he’s some big young master, throwing around the Lu family name like a badge of power, causing trouble everywhere.”

“You can’t blame Zhanlei entirely for this,” Lu Nanyang said quietly. “I hold a lot of responsibility too.”

“What responsibility? He was the one who took people to your school to pick a fight. He was the one who caused trouble on the rooftop. If you ask me, a single slap isn’t enough to teach him a lesson. Should’ve been two or three. He should get back everything he gave to you and your boyfriend.”

He gestured with his hand, “As the old saying goes, ‘repay a man in his own coin.’ He stirred up this mess—why should someone else clean it up for him?”

“…” Lu Nanyang felt as though a heavy stone had been slammed down on his shoulders, making it hard to breathe.

Lu Hongzhen spoke with heartfelt conviction, as if he truly believed what he was saying—not just using Zhanlei’s mistakes as an excuse to pressure him.

“…I do have some responsibility,” Lu Nanyang said softly. “Zhanlei came looking for me because… because Mom was hospitalized, and I hadn’t gone to see her.”

“Oh? So Lu Zhanlei did it out of the goodness of his heart?”

“…” Lu Nanyang lowered his head. “I’ll visit her in the next few days.”

Lu Hongzhen neither affirmed nor denied this.

The dishes they ordered began to arrive one by one. Lu Hongzhen rotated the lazy Susan and turned the plates toward Lu Nanyang. “This is the restaurant’s signature dish. I’ve never brought you here to try it. Go on.”

Lu Nanyang silently picked up some food and put it in his mouth. Even after swallowing, he couldn’t taste a thing.

“You’re graduating in a year. Have you thought about what you’ll do after that?” Lu Hongzhen asked.

“…Not yet.”

“That’s no good. Young people should have a career plan. It’s just around the corner. How could you not have thought about it?” He picked up a lobster and placed it into Lu Nanyang’s bowl. “Our legal department at the company is still short of a manager. Are you interested?”

“There’s still a year until I graduate,” Lu Nanyang looked down. “Let’s talk about it then.”

“Oh? So now the Lu family business isn’t good enough for you?” Lu Hongzhen chuckled.

“I didn’t mean that…”

Lu Hongzhen sighed, put down his chopsticks, and said in a calm tone, “Nanyang, I’ve been busy with work these years and haven’t been able to take care of you. We haven’t seen each other for years. Can we just treat this as a heart-to-heart between father and son, alright?”

Lu Nanyang had no choice but to nod.

“Over a decade ago, Yunyao and I traveled across the country, visiting orphanages from the south to the north. There was hardly a single one we missed. But in the end, we chose you. Do you know why?” Lu Hongzhen said earnestly. “Because after searching so many places, only you stood out — the smartest, the most well-behaved, and the most sensible. From that moment on, I believed you were the best candidate to be the Lu family’s future heir. Even now, I haven’t wavered in that belief. Do you understand?”

“I…” Lu Nanyang found it hard to breathe. “I’m not that outstanding, nor am I that capable…”

“Ability can be cultivated, and habits can be developed,” Lu Hongzhen said, his eyes fixed on Lu Nanyang. “No one is born a genius. Good seedlings need nurturing. The Lu family only has the two of you. As your father, I hope you both grow up healthy and happy, and eventually achieve something in your respective fields — not get into petty squabbles and cause a public scene. Do you understand?”

“I understand.” Lu Nanyang took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Something like this won’t happen again.”

Lu Hongzhen nodded, his expression unreadable — it was impossible to tell whether he was satisfied with the answer. Just as Lu Nanyang was about to relax, thinking the worst had passed, Lu Hongzhen suddenly spoke again.

“Of course I believe in my own son, but sometimes, even when you say things, they don’t hold much weight,” Lu Hongzhen said, lighting a cigarette. He waved his hand to disperse the smoke, and a service staff immediately went over to open the window. The sounds of bustling traffic came in from outside. “Let’s talk about your little boyfriend, Nanyang.”