Walking out of the private room, Lin Wangye trotted along behind Lu Chengxuan like a little tail, picked up the red envelope from earlier, and gave it a little shake to feel how thick it was. He scratched his head, a bit confused.
Why doesn’t it feel like there’s more than five hundred in here?
Could it be they just stuffed a few scratch cards in it, letting me participate for the fun of it?
“You can open it and take a look,” Lu Chengxuan said.
Well, since he said that, and there was no one else around in the hallway except the two of them, Lin Wangye opened the red envelope. He pulled out about half of what was inside—and was nearly blinded on the spot by the gold-like shine that flashed in his face.
Lin Wangye blinked in shock. “This…”
“Commemorative banknotes,” Lu Chengxuan explained. “Each one’s worth a thousand. You can exchange them at the Bank for the same amount in RMB. The other red envelopes you’ll get later are the same.”
Got it.
These commemorative bills were super thin, only slightly thicker and firmer than gold foil. Easy to carry around.
With this many people in the Lu family, if they used regular cash—like stacks of hundred-yuan bills—everyone might’ve had to show up dragging a safe behind them.
This way, with the commemorative notes, things were a lot easier.
Big families like this weren’t short on money anyway.
Most of the younger ones probably just kept the red envelopes as collectibles instead of spending them.
Lin Wangye tilted the envelope to the side for a peek, confirming it added up to ten thousand yuan.
In his past life, Young Master Lin wouldn’t have even blinked at ten grand.
But now, holding it in his hands—it felt like rain after a long drought.
They were almost at the end of the hallway. Lin Wangye quickly stuffed the money into his pocket, stomped his feet twice in excitement, and gave himself a big mental high-five for his brilliant move.
Freaking awesome!
Wearing these cargo pants with the most pockets to a family dinner—what a genius move!
He glanced down at his pants.
Perfect!
Could probably fit a cool one or two million in here easy.
If it had been a different group of people, maybe Lin Wangye would’ve felt a bit guilty.
But the second he remembered it was the Lu family—the same folks who gave his dad so much grief in his last life—only three words popped into his head:
‘Serve them right.’
‘Rob the rich to feed the poor!’
Inside the banquet hall, even though everyone was standing around in little groups chatting away, it was obvious their eyes kept drifting toward the hallway leading to the second floor. The moment Lu Chengxuan showed up and started walking down the stairs, the room that had been buzzing with noise seemed to quiet down a little. Every pair of eyes turned toward the same spot.
Gotta say—Brother Lu really is Brother Lu.
Just standing next to him made your sense of security shoot through the roof.
If Godzilla barged in right now, Lin Wangye honestly felt like he’d be brave enough to stand up and bust out a full set of radio gymnastics moves.
But the difference between old money and newly rich families was night and day.
The Lu family’s relatives weren’t like the ones at the Lin family banquets—where people all fought to talk over each other, sucking up to Lin Shen like their lives depended on it, turning the whole thing into a circus. Here, people just shifted their attention, but no one moved from their spot. Everything stayed chill, just the way it was.
After coming down the stairs, Lu Chengxuan greeted people with polite nods along the way, heading straight toward the table where the older, higher-ranking elders were seated.
Clearly, he wasn’t always the man of few words.
He paused at the table and, using a perfectly respectful and well-mannered tone, started greeting each person one by one.
From the way he addressed them, Lin Wangye figured out they were all elders from Lu Chengxuan’s father’s side—some even siblings of his grandfather. The family tree got so tangled up that after a while, Lin Wangye couldn’t even tell what generation they were anymore.
But he did learn one thing—Lu Chengxuan’s grandfather wasn’t the eldest son. He had an older brother.
And Lu Chengxuan’s dad had a sister, a brother, and a younger sibling too.
Yet despite not being the eldest branch, they still got to inherit the family business and run the entire clan. Which meant one thing—the Lu family picked successors based purely on strength. Whichever branch had the most capable person, they took the lead.
And Lu Chengxuan’s dad only had one child.
With Lu Chengxuan’s brains and skills, the Lu family’s future was definitely going to end up in his hands.
Once Lin Wangye sorted out the family ranking in his head, he couldn’t help letting out a little sigh.
No wonder the Lin family’s relatives used to mock the Lu family in his past life, sarcastically calling Lu Chengxuan the ‘first-born grandson heir,’ just like Lin Shen. Their tone had been so sour it could’ve curdled milk.
Looking at it now… they weren’t wrong.
No wonder someone got salty enough to choke on their own jealousy.
The elders of the Lu family, though, treated Lu Chengxuan with warmth. None of them pulled rank. Everyone had a smile on their face while chatting with him, not a hint of arrogance.
Right on cue, a server brought over glasses of red wine. Lu Chengxuan took the lead, raising a toast and clinking glasses with the whole table. Once the round of drinks was done, everyone’s eyes naturally shifted over to Lin Wangye.
And right away, Lu Chengxuan stepped in to explain, “This is Lin Wangye. It’s the first day of the New Year, and Mom couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him home alone, so she brought him along.”
That short explanation hit the perfect tone—neither humble nor arrogant—and subtly showed that this person held a certain place in Lu Wei’s heart.
The elders exchanged glances and instantly got the message.
Lin Wangye quickly stepped forward and picked up his wine glass.
“Nice to meet you all. This glass is my way of showing respect as the younger generation. Wishing you all a happy New Year and good health.”
Given Lin Wangye’s age and status, when offering a toast to this table of elders, it wasn’t necessary for them to raise their glasses in return. So once he finished speaking, he didn’t hesitate—tilted his head back and downed the red wine in one go. Then he gave them a bright, well-behaved smile.
The oldest one at the table—the one Lu Chengxuan had called ‘Bo Gong’—was the first to speak.
“I’ve heard about you. You really are a well-mannered kid.”
As soon as he finished, the whole table chimed in with praise, all compliments aimed at the younger generation. Lin Wangye greeted and thanked each one in turn, fast on his feet and quick with his words.
“I heard you’re going to school with Chengxuan now?”
Bo Gong stroked his beard and asked.
Since the old man was up there in age, Lin Wangye raised his voice a bit and slowed down his speech when he replied, “Yes, Brother Lu and I are in the same senior year class.”
“So that means college entrance exams are right around the corner.”
Bo Gong nodded and exchanged a few glances with the others, then spoke in a heartfelt, serious tone: “Young people should work hard. Study for the rise of China, and don’t waste the peace our ancestors fought and bled for.”
In that moment, Lin Wangye felt like someone had just tied a red scarf tight around his neck—he immediately straightened up and nodded at the old man with full sincerity.
“I will, for sure!”
Bo Gong looked very pleased with his firm response. He gave a slow, approving nod, then reached for a red envelope from someone next to him and gently held it out.
Not sure whether it was meant for Lu Chengxuan or him, Lin Wangye stayed put and didn’t move a muscle, just stood quietly behind Lu Chengxuan. It wasn’t until Lu Chengxuan shifted to the side, creating space, and whispered, “It’s for you,” that he stepped forward.
Lin Wangye bowed quickly and accepted the red envelope with both hands.
“Thank you, Uncle! Wishing you blessings as vast as the sea, and may everything go your way!”
The New Year was always a time for joy and fresh beginnings. Elders gave out red envelopes to spread good fortune and cheer. And once Bo Gong handed his over, the rest of the table followed suit, pulling out red envelopes one after another and stuffing them into Lin Wangye’s hands.
Luckily, he’d memorized a bunch of New Year greetings in advance. And unlike Lu Chengxuan, he didn’t need to be super precise with names—just calling everyone Uncle or Auntie was enough.
After collecting the full round of red envelopes and some polite small talk, Lu Chengxuan led Lin Wangye away from the table.
Stuffing the thick stack of envelopes into his pants pocket, Lin Wangye leaned in close and whispered, “Brother Lu, why are they all giving me red envelopes and not you?”
After hearing the question, Lu Chengxuan turned his head to glance at him—but didn’t say a word.
Lin Wangye kept thinking it over and finally started to get the picture.
Even though Lu Chengxuan was technically still part of the younger generation, his position in the family was crystal clear. Even the elders at that table earlier—who were the most senior ones around—had to speak to him with full respect.
Giving red envelopes, after all, was usually something elders did for the juniors. Once you were grown and had status, it wasn’t really appropriate anymore.
Plus, New Year red envelopes were originally meant to be ‘ya sui qian’—money to ward off evil.
Uncle Shi had once explained it to him: the word ‘sui (岁)’ sounded like ‘sui (祟)’, which referred to monsters from old legends. Back in the day, these spirits would show up on New Year’s Eve and try to harm sleeping children. So parents and elders would slip money under the kids’ pillows, hoping the ‘monsters’ would take the bribe and leave their kids unharmed. Over time, this turned into a holiday tradition.
But come on—with Lu Chengxuan’s energy and presence, what monster would even dare to mess with him?
And besides, the guy was mixed-race. Who knows if he even believed in all that superstitious stuff about ghosts and demons?
The more Lin Wangye thought about it, the more it made sense. So he dropped it and just followed behind Lu Chengxuan, politely greeting every Lu family relative they came across. Whenever it was time to speak, he stepped forward, played the good kid, tossed out festive blessings, and collected red envelopes like a pro.
Everyone who saw Lu Chengxuan was all smiles—and by extension, they treated Lin Wangye with the same kindness.
Earlier, he’d felt like a total imposter walking in, scared out of his mind. But now? Chin up, chest out—he was standing tall.
In that moment, he understood better than anyone the meaning behind that old fable about the fox who borrowed the tiger’s might.
Eventually, once Lu Chengxuan had made the rounds with the elders, Lu Chenghan and Lu Wei finally came down from upstairs. The spotlight instantly shifted. Meanwhile, Lin Wangye clutched his mountain of red envelopes, grinning from ear to ear as he quietly faded into the background.
The Lu family business had spread into all kinds of industries. Each branch of the family had its own turf, its own battlefield. A get-together of this size probably only happened once a year.
And that, really, was the biggest strength of a family-run empire.
As long as the head of the family had the leadership to keep everyone united, then when one person thrived, the whole clan did. And when one fell, everyone felt it. That kind of unity could make a family unstoppable.
Maybe that’s why his grandfather, Lin Pengcheng, had always been so keen on helping out their own relatives—he wanted to build something like this too.
But even between relatives, there were differences.
Creating such a well-structured family system wasn’t something one person could pull off.
Hell, it wasn’t something one generation could pull off.
Even though this banquet was packed, Lu Chenghan didn’t give some big, passionate speech as the family head. Once he stepped in, he just brought Lu Wei around to greet a few relatives, then sat down in the main seat to eat, like it was nothing more than your average family dinner.
The one who actually stole the show was Lu Chengxuan.
Lu Chengxuan really could handle things on his own. No matter which Lu family member he spoke to—no matter the field or topic—he was totally at ease, like he knew a bit about everything. And clearly, he was very familiar with how the family business ran from the inside.
A bunch of plans that were still kind of up in the air? He cleaned them up and sorted them out like it was nothing, made quick decisions, settled them in just a few sentences.
Following behind him, Lin Wangye slowly started to catch on to how things worked.
Nowadays, the Lu family didn’t seem to rely on outsiders at all for business. Like when launching some new electronic product—it was all in-house. From the very first steps of design and invention, to building out the assembly line for every component, all the way to marketing and sales—one complete, self-contained system.
Some companies in the market even looked like competitors on the surface: different names, different legal owners.
But behind the scenes? Same factory. Same family.
Deals like the ones they used to do with the Lin family in wholesale and retail? Not happening anymore.
That made Lin Wangye even more curious.
How had his dad, in their last life, managed to carve out a chunk of the e-commerce market from a family like this? Actually stole away customers from Lu Chengxuan and still made a profit?
Thinking back to his dad—who used to be glued to video games all day long—Lin Wangye fell silent. Then came to a conclusion in two words:
‘Freaking legendary.’
After this whole red envelope tour, Lin Wangye had downed quite a bit of red wine. Not much in each glass, sure—but enough glasses and it started adding up. Now the buzz was kicking in, and his steps were starting to feel a little floaty.
Noticing he looked a little woozy, Lu Chengxuan led him to a quieter corner to sit down.
Lin Wangye had been asleep all afternoon, then came straight here. He hadn’t eaten or drunk anything all day, and now he’d had a ton of wine—his head was spinning, and it felt like he was halfway to immortality.
There were some fancy little pastries on the table. He grabbed a few and started chowing down without a care, not even realizing he’d gotten whipped cream all over his mouth.
“I’ll call Lin Shen to come pick you up?” Lu Chengxuan asked.
“Hmm?” Lin Wangye blinked, dazed, and patted his bulging pants pocket. “Are there still any uncles or aunties I haven’t wished a happy new year yet?”
“All done. You’ve got everyone.”
“Alright then.” Lin Wangye nodded. “Don’t call Lin Shen. He finally got some time at home—let him stay with his family.”
Lu Chengxuan asked again, “Want me to call Xu Suinian instead?”
That was exactly what Lin Wangye was hoping for. He nodded like crazy. “Yes, yes, yes.”
Once he got the okay, Lu Chengxuan stood up and went to make the call.
Still sitting, Lin Wangye kept munching on little cakes. At some point, he noticed someone had sat down next to him. He thought Lu Chengxuan had come back and was about to ask how long Suinian would take to get here—when he turned his head and realized it wasn’t him.
The person next to him had sharp features and a bright, clean look. He was dressed casually, something more everyday, and had a warm smile on his face as he looked at Lin Wangye.
Lin Wangye stared, confused. There was something both unfamiliar and strangely familiar about this face.
He had seen this guy before—he was sure of it—but he couldn’t remember when or where.
He blinked, trying to jog his memory. The more he thought about it, the more certain he felt—but with all that alcohol fogging up his brain, the answer felt like it was floating somewhere behind his head, just out of reach.
“It really is you, Xiao Lin,” the man said with a soft chuckle.
That smooth, gentle voice—slow and warm—snapped Lin Wangye back to his senses. He stared at the man like he’d just seen a ghost.
“Dr. Bai?!”
Just then, Lu Chengxuan came back from his call. His eyes swept across the two of them and landed on Dr. Bai.
“You two know each other?”
Lin Wangye’s head was spinning, his brain low on oxygen.
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)
![Assistant Lin Has Something To Say [BL]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Assist.jpg "Assistant Lin Has Something To Say [BL]")
