The short break flew by, and just like that, it was Monday again.
Lin Wangye almost never got up on time, but today, for once, he actually dragged himself out of bed early and rushed to the kitchen to make sandwiches. Since he had to whip up a few all at once, it was like racing against the clock. He hustled around nonstop and managed to finish everything just in time as Lu Chengxuan came downstairs for breakfast.
Full of energy, Lin Wangye greeted him cheerfully, “Morning, Brother Lu!”
“Morning.”
Maybe it was all arranged by Lu Chengxuan, but breakfast at the Lu household was surprisingly simple—nowhere near as fancy or over-the-top as Lin Wangye had imagined at first.
Just your usual milk and bread, or some light congee and side dishes, maybe a more traditional spread like soy milk and fried dough sticks.
The moment Lu Chengxuan saw the sandwiches on the plate, he instantly knew what Lin Wangye was up to. He walked over, sat down at the dining table, and took a sip of milk.
“These for Xu Suinian and Lin Shen?”
“Yep.” Lin Wangye snapped the lids onto two sandwich boxes and stuffed them into his backpack. Then he joined Lu Chengxuan for breakfast. “I specially fried bacon and ham—there are a bunch of layers inside!”
“Mm.” Lu Chengxuan took a bite and gave a straight-up review, “Not bad.”
“You bet it’s not!”
Lin Wangye’s tail practically wagged with joy. After basking in his own glory for a bit, he turned to the housekeeper and said, “I made a sandwich for Auntie too—it’s in the fridge. Remind her to eat it when she wakes up, okay? I didn’t put cucumbers in it—she doesn’t like those.”
The housekeeper smiled and nodded. “Alright, got it.”
“You go ahead and get busy,” Lu Chengxuan said to her as he turned his head. “I need to talk to him about something.”
Hearing that, the housekeeper gave a small bow and quietly left the living room.
“What’s up, Brother Lu?” Lin Wangye asked, holding his glass of milk.
“Got any plans?” Lu Chengxuan asked. “The college entrance exams are just around the corner. After you graduate, have you thought about what you want to do? Or are you just planning to follow the usual route—go to college, graduate, and get a job?”
Honestly, Lin Wangye’s original plan was to get into Ningchang University, study marketing and management properly, then go help out at Lin Group and support his dad.
That’s how he’d planned it out in his past life, too.
Only back then, it wasn’t something he took as seriously as he did now.
Lu Chengxuan never wasted words—every time he spoke, it was because he’d already figured out the reason and the goal behind it.
Lin Wangye blinked and answered honestly, “Brother Lu, are you asking me about my plans for the future?”
“Something like that,” Lu Chengxuan nodded.
“Well, obviously it’s college first, then get a job or something,” Lin Wangye scratched his head. “It’s not like I’ve got a throne waiting or a pile of cash lying around—what else can I even plan for?”
Lu Chengxuan spoke casually, “If you’ve got any ideas—starting a business or doing something worth investing in—you can tell me.”
It took Lin Wangye a few seconds to fully process that sentence.
But then something clicked, and he snapped his head up. “Brother Lu, are you saying… you wanna help me chase my dream?!”
Lu Chengxuan glanced at him sideways. “If you have one, feel free to say it.”
Lin Wangye clenched his fists, full of fire, “My dream is to become a billionaire!”
“That’s easy,” Lu Chengxuan said with a straight face. “Just go back to bed and keep dreaming.”
“Hahaha…”
Honestly, the fact that Lu Chengxuan even made a joke was funnier than the joke itself. Lin Wangye burst out laughing for a moment before getting a little serious again. “To be honest, I’ve never really thought about it that way. I wasn’t heading in that direction before.”
“Well, think about it,” Lu Chengxuan said. “If you come up with a plan I think is solid, I’ll help you.”
At that, Lin Wangye finally sensed what was really going on—and his jaw just about hit the floor.
What the hell?
Am I… about to become Lu Chengxuan’s business partner?
God help me—if I end up working at the Lin family’s company, who am I even supposed to be loyal to?
A double agent?
If these two ever fall out, I’ll be the first one they execute, no doubt about it!
“Brother Lu, are you seriously thinking of investing in me?” Lin Wangye’s voice actually shook a little. “You… you really don’t need to! You’ve got money—you can just do whatever you want, right? Why drag me into it? Isn’t that just hardcore venture capitalism?”
Lu Chengxuan said, “Every investment has risk. I wouldn’t come to you without a reason.”
Lin Wangye was stunned. “What kind of reason…”
Lu Chengxuan picked up his milk and finished it in one go. His tone was calm. “Over the years, no matter what I do, my dad always finds out. The money comes from him, so technically, it’s all his to begin with. I don’t want him controlling my every move. I need a variable.”
“I’m the variable?” Lin Wangye was even more confused. “But that doesn’t make sense—if you invest in me, won’t your dad still find out?”
Lu Chengxuan’s face didn’t show a flicker of emotion—like he had no idea he’d just dropped an absolute bomb. “I’ve got a hidden account in Northern Europe. The starting funds came from my grandfather. I’ve been using it to trade stocks, manage money, and play the futures market. My dad doesn’t know about it.”
Lin Wangye chewed in silence, swallowing a mouthful of shocking rich-family secrets before he even realized it.
From the sound of it…
The Lu family patriarch and his wealthy father-in-law from Northern Europe weren’t exactly on friendly terms.
And the relationship between Lu Chengxuan and his own dad wasn’t so great either.
He glanced around nervously, then lowered his voice and asked, “Brother Lu, do you, like… hate your dad or something?”
“No,” Lu Chengxuan shook his head. “He’s just always treated me like the next version of himself. But I don’t want to become him.”
As soon as he said that, Lin Wangye locked eyes with him—and for a long moment, neither of them said a word.
All of a sudden, he thought about the Lu Chengxuan from his past life.
By then, he was already the head of the Lu family. No doubt about it, he’d turned into exactly the kind of person his father had raised him to be.
Decisive. Ruthless. Always in control.
Just like how Lin Shen had supported the Lin Group all on his own, Lu Chengxuan had carried the weight of the entire Lu family on his shoulders.
But now he was saying he didn’t want to become that kind of person?
For a second, everything felt surreal. Lin Wangye couldn’t even tell what was real anymore.
He pushed away the thoughts in his head and looked straight at the man in front of him.
At least right now, in this moment, there was no reason for Lu Chengxuan to lie to him.
“But if you’ve got this hidden account,” he asked, “can’t you just do whatever you want? Why even come to me?”
Lu Chengxuan explained, “It’s fine in Northern Europe. But here in China, if it goes through my hands, he always finds a way to trace it.”
“…”
Lin Wangye still hadn’t met the Lu family patriarch in person.
But just from a few offhand comments, he could already tell what it must feel like to grow up in a world like that—suffocating.
He couldn’t help but think his own dad was way better.
Strict when needed, gave him proper training, but also let him be free.
Still, the more he thought about it, the guiltier he felt.
“I don’t really have any experience… What if I lose everything?” Lin Wangye asked, uncertain.
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Lu Chengxuan said calmly. “I’ll give you room to make mistakes.”
The two of them stared at each other across the table. Lin Wangye tried to spot any trace that Lu Chengxuan might be joking, but from start to finish, the guy was completely serious—and it was obvious he wasn’t the type to joke about this kind of thing.
Ever since he landed in this timeline, Lin Wangye had been trying to avoid getting too close to Lu Chengxuan.
Because in his last life, he never really had the chance to meet him. All those whispers from the Lin family’s relatives and friends had painted Lu Chengxuan as this cold-blooded, power-hungry businessman with ruthless methods.
So he’d built up this huge stereotype in his head.
But once he actually spent time around Lu Chengxuan, he realized it wasn’t like that at all. Yeah, the guy was quiet, reserved, and kind of aloof—but Lin Wangye could feel that he was still human underneath.
More importantly, since the moment he arrived, even as a total stranger, Lu Chengxuan had helped him over and over again.
He definitely wasn’t the cold and heartless person everyone made him out to be.
At least, not yet.
Lin Wangye sat there holding his half-finished cup of milk, thinking hard.
Lu Chengxuan, who had already finished eating, wasn’t in any rush. He just sat there quietly, eyes downcast, waiting patiently.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Lin Wangye made up his mind. He took a deep breath. “So what exactly do I need to do to help you?”
“Just come up with a plan,” Lu Chengxuan said. “And keep this whole thing a secret from my family. That’s all. We’re partners—I’m not your boss. You don’t have to feel any pressure. Do whatever you want. If we lose money, I’ll take the hit. On the flip side, I get the bigger cut if we make a profit.”
Even though he said it so casually, it honestly sounded like one of those too-good-to-be-true deals.
Translation: ‘I’m your money tree. As long as you’ve got what it takes to shake it, I don’t care if you shake the leaves right off.’
Right then and there, Lin Wangye saw Lu Chengxuan in a completely new light.
Given how powerful the Lu family was and who Lu Chengxuan was within it, he really wanted to ask—
‘Your Majesty, why are you planning a rebellion?’
But of course, Lu Chengxuan would never respond to that.
And he didn’t dare ask anyway.
All he could do was quietly update his mental image of this man: born at the very top of the pyramid, the rightful heir—and yet somehow, a complete rebel at heart.
“Alright,” Lin Wangye nodded, then leaned in sneakily and asked, “Brother Lu, have you bought any property inside the Third Ring Road?”
Lu Chengxuan said calmly, “Yeah, I do. But real estate stuff is all managed by the whole Lu family. It’s not under me personally.”
As expected, the speed at which capital makes moves is always way beyond what regular people can keep up with.
Sometimes, they’re not just playing the game—they’re the ones who built the board.
Lin Wangye pulled his head back. “Ah, never mind then.”
With everything that needed to be said now said, Lu Chengxuan stood up from his chair and headed toward the entryway. “Let’s go, time for school.”
Lin Wangye downed the rest of his milk in one go, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and followed after him.
“On it!”
He’d actually woken up so early just to get those sandwiches done and head to school ahead of time to wait for Shi Yuan. But he and Lu Chengxuan had ended up talking for so long, they were now among the last few students to arrive.
The moment he stepped into the classroom, Lin Wangye spotted Shi Yuan sitting in Fu Xuexue’s old seat.
A student voluntarily transferring out of Class A was something that had literally never happened before.
But Shi Yuan, known by everyone as a top-level academic weapon, was instantly swarmed the moment he arrived—his desk surrounded by excited classmates, all firing off questions and eager introductions like a bunch of buzzing bees.
Maybe he’d been waiting for this moment all along.
Because the second Lin Wangye walked into the room, Shi Yuan’s eyes were already on him. His gaze softened, and a small smile curled up on his lips.
Their eyes met—and everything else faded out.
Even the air between them felt like it was getting warmer.
Right after that, the homeroom teacher walked in, almost right on their heels. He took one look at the chaos and immediately barked at everyone to get back to their seats and settle down for morning study.
Lin Wangye sat down at his desk like a good student, opened his book, and started flipping through vocabulary words.
Once the teacher had strolled a few laps around the room and stepped out, Lin Wangye wasted no time—he reached forward and tapped Shi Yuan’s back, leaning in close. “I made sandwiches. I’ll give you one during break!”
Before Shi Yuan could even reply, Lin Shen whipped around and snapped, “Again with the special treatment? How many times has it been now?”
Lin Wangye pulled out the lunchbox and opened it, showing him the two sandwiches inside.
“You’ve got one too, see? Right here. I know you love bacon—I added a ton. There’s even some luncheon meat.”
“Now that’s more like it.”
Lin Shen nodded, finally satisfied. Just as he was about to turn back around, Lin Wangye grabbed his arm. “Hey—let’s switch seats after this class, okay?”
Already annoyed by the way the two had been making heart eyes at each other right in front of him, Lin Shen frowned and asked even though he already knew the answer, “Why?”
“If I sit closer, I can see the board better,” Lin Wangye said, totally lying with a straight face. “From here it’s kind of blurry—I think I’m getting nearsighted. With the college entrance exams coming up, it’s really messing with my studying. Come on, switch seats with me!”
Lin Shen narrowed his eyes. “Are you seriously telling me you just started having trouble seeing the board today?”
“…”
Lin Wangye’s eyes darted around like crazy as he scrambled to come up with a more convincing excuse—but Lin Shen cut him off again.
“Do I look like some big fool to you? You think I don’t know you’re just trying to trick me?”
Sensing danger, Lin Wangye quickly changed tactics and started whining. “Come on, just switch with me… Didn’t you say sitting next to Brother Lu would mess up my studying? You’re so smart—there’s no way it’d mess with yours!”
Lin Shen looked genuinely offended. “Are you seriously using my own words against me right now?!”
Of course, Lin Shen knew exactly why Lin Wangye wanted to switch. For him, it didn’t really matter where he sat—he just felt like messing with Lin Wangye a little longer to hear him keep sweet-talking.
“Switch with me and I’ll put an extra egg in your sandwich tomorrow!”
“Please, please, just this once!”
“You’re the best—you’re seriously the best!”
After getting flattered nonstop for a solid minute, Lin Shen was starting to feel a little smug. He was just about to say he’d agree if Lin Wangye called him ‘dad’, when suddenly—
Lin Wangye stopped talking.
He didn’t pout or argue anymore. Just turned to Shi Yuan with the most pitiful face ever, looking completely heartbroken.
And it was Lin Shen’s seat—if he didn’t want to switch, no one could force him.
Catching that desperate, puppy-dog stare from Lin Wangye, Shi Yuan first looked at Lin Shen, then suddenly turned his eyes toward Lu Chengxuan.
“Brother Lu,” he called softly.
“I’ll switch with you after class,” Lu Chengxuan said.
Shi Yuan smiled. “Thanks, Brother Lu.”
“Thank you, Brother Lu!!” Lin Wangye clapped like he’d just won the lottery. “Long live Brother Lu! Long live Brother Lu forever!”
The whole thing had built up to such a ridiculous level, Lin Shen nearly choked on air. He glared and shouted, “I’m suing you guys for emotional damage! Until my lawyer shows up, I’m not saying another word to any of you!”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
