MTY chapter 18

Of course, Lu Ziqing had no desire to kiss Lin Yu.

He just had a bit of a mischievous streak—he wanted to see what would happen if someone as extremely disciplined and good at enduring as Lin Yu was pushed to the edge.

However, since Lin Yu had already lowered himself so much, it seemed petty for him to continue being angry about maintaining distance.

The intern had completed the internship period and left the company.

Lin Yu didn’t take any direct action against the rumors. After a while, when the employees saw no reaction from them, the gossip gradually died down.

After all, who would believe that the carefree and unrestrained second-generation rich Lu Ziqing would have a secret affair with the stern and unsmiling boss?

…..

On Tuesday evening, the two of them were having dinner at home.

Lin Yu’s ankle had not fully healed, so Lu Ziqing ordered dinner from a nearby restaurant—scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried lettuce, and braised beef, simple and refreshing.

Lu Ziqing poured the dishes into the home’s bowls and told Lin Yu, “My dad wants us to go to the old house for dinner this weekend.”

Lin Yu: “Is there something going on?”

“No,” Lu Ziqing picked up another piece of braised beef with his chopsticks, “Grandpa and Grandma previously thought we were just dating and not engaged yet. They were quite surprised to learn we had already registered our marriage, so they wanted to meet you in person.”

Lin Yu tightened his grip on the chopsticks. “Are they… suspicious?”

“Maybe, but it doesn’t matter,” Lu Ziqing said, “It’s just a meal. What are you so worried about?”

Lin Yu kept silent.

There were some things he couldn’t say in front of Lu Ziqing. When he used to work as the general assistant at headquarters, he had seen quite a bit while following President Lu around—many big names and leaders—but he had rarely been involved in the internal affairs of wealthy families.

He knew nothing about what those elegantly dressed wealthy ladies liked to hear or talk about.

Especially since he would be there as “Lu Ziqing’s partner”…

Would the Lu family be like those in TV dramas?

A dignified and steady old patriarch, a seemingly kind but actually shrewd old lady, dozens of servants tending to them, a grand mansion filled with hidden dangers and constant threats…

“Are you imagining all sorts of nonsense?” Lu Ziqing waved his fingers in front of his face. “Your brows are furrowed like waves.”

Lin Yu pulled his expression back, revealing nothing outwardly. “No, I was just thinking about what gift to bring this weekend.”

“No need,” Lu Ziqing said casually, “You can’t afford anything decent with your salary. Just bring some kiwis. My grandma has bad teeth and can’t eat hard foods—she loves snacking on those.”

Though Lu Ziqing said so, Lin Yu didn’t dare to really show up with just a box of kiwis.

Before the weekend arrived, he hurriedly reached out to a contact to buy a Chengni inkstone of a soft eel-yellow shade, which he brought with him on the day of the meal.

President Lu had learned calligraphy from a young age and was enthusiastic about participating in calligraphy activities organized by the province, so Lin Yu guessed that the Lu family probably had a fondness for literary and artistic things.

The gift wasn’t particularly expensive, but it did convey a bit of his sincerity.

Early on Saturday morning, he sat in Lu Ziqing’s car, holding the deep blue gift box in his arms.

The inkstone was palm-sized but heavy, feeling solid in his embrace.

Lu Ziqing, while driving, glanced at the gift box wrapped tightly and said, “I told you not to bring anything.”

Lin Yu: “Just a small gesture.”

Lu Ziqing: “What did you buy?”

Lin Yu: “Guess.”

Lu Ziqing: “Fruit? Supplements? Milk?”

Lin Yu shook his head, a bit proud and smug, like a little cat shaking its paws.

The most fulfilling moment for the gift-giver is when the recipient cannot guess what’s inside the gift box, ensuring the greatest surprise when the lid is lifted.

Lu Ziqing looked at Lin Yu’s face, curling his lips: “Could it be an inkstone?”

Lin Yu’s face instantly fell: “How did you know…”

“Are you silly?” Lu Ziqing chuckled while turning the steering wheel. “Yesterday, the package arrived at home. I saw the sender’s address on the delivery box.”

“Fine,” Lin Yu pouted, a bit nervous. “Do you think this gift is okay?”

After all, it was the first formal meeting. He wanted to make a good impression on the grandparents, which would help with his work in the future.

A worker’s spirit, a worker’s soul—work is the true path to success.

If you keep work in your heart, your boss will keep you in theirs.

“Well, that’s hard to say,” Lu Ziqing said lazily. “My grandfather’s collection of inkstones ranges from hundreds to nearly a thousand, from Duan inkstones, She inkstones, Tao inkstones to Chengni inkstones, from Xuande Rock, Ancient Pagoda Rock, Chaotian Rock to White Line Rock—everything you can imagine. Ordinary inkstones don’t catch his eye. Plus, he hates it when people try to curry favor with him by giving him inkstones. Most of those people don’t understand inkstones at all, spending a lot of money blindly, and he feels it taints the art of calligraphy.”

Lin Yu clutched the box in his arms guiltily: “Ah, then… what should I do?”

“I told you to buy fruit earlier,” Lu Ziqing said helplessly. “Forget it. Luckily, I bought enough. When the time comes, we’ll just say you bought them with me.”

There were five boxes of fresh fruits in the trunk, all airlifted from the place of origin early in the morning.

Lin Yu was immensely grateful: “Thank you.”

Lu Ziqing glanced at the box in Lin Yu’s arms: “What about that inkstone? I bet it cost quite a bit.”

Lin Yu also looked troubled. The inkstone was custom-made and couldn’t be returned. He didn’t practice calligraphy, so it was useless to him…

“Seems like I’ll have to reluctantly accept it,” Lu Ziqing sighed. “Let’s just treat it as your share of the fruit money.”

Lin Yu vaguely felt something was off, but since Lu Ziqing had already said this much, he could only watch as Lu Ziqing took the gift box and said, “Then I’ll trouble you.”

Lu Ziqing smiled: “You’re welcome.”