On the way back, Lin Yu apologized to Lu Ziqing. “About last night… I’m sorry. My sister was really rude.”
Lu Ziqing, who had been gazing out the window, chuckled at his words. “She really loves you.”
Lin Yu sighed. “I already scolded her. No matter what, she shouldn’t have yelled at a guest like that.”
Lu Ziqing didn’t seem to mind. “She’s just a kid. It’s fine.”
But Lin Yu could tell something was on his mind.
Since this morning, Lu Ziqing had been unusually quiet. He kept glancing at his phone, then zoning out while staring at the scenery outside.
It was completely different from his usual carefree, playful self.
“You…” Lin Yu hesitated before asking, “That day, when President Lu called you—did he say something?”
He had a feeling this had to do with President Lu.
Lu Ziqing’s mood seemed to shift right after that phone call.
With Lu Ziqing’s usual devil-may-care attitude, very few things could actually bother him—unless it was something truly serious and difficult to deal with.
Lu Ziqing’s bangs trembled slightly.
He took a deep breath and said, “My dad wants me to go to the headquarters for rotational training so I can prepare to take over the family business in the future.”
“Ah…” Lin Yu didn’t know what to say for a moment. “Do you want to go?”
He had some idea—Lu Ziqing majored in jewelry design in college and had always worked in design and illustration.
President Lu’s intention was probably to have him learn management.
After all, the Lu family could hire hundreds or thousands of designers, but there could only be one future boss.
Lu Ziqing laughed at himself. “Does what I want even matter? Back then, I didn’t want to work for the family business, but he kept pretending to be sick, throwing tantrums, and guilt-tripping me into coming back. If I refused, he’d call me an unfilial son.”
Lin Yu: “…”
He never imagined President Lu could be so dramatic.
“In the end, we reached a compromise,” Lu Ziqing said gloomily. “I reluctantly agreed to work at a branch office, but only as a designer, not in management.”
“Now he probably thinks he’s boiled the frog slowly enough and is starting to push his luck again.”
Lin Yu didn’t want to criticize his boss’s decisions too much, so he carefully offered, “He just has high hopes for you.”
“And you?” Lu Ziqing suddenly asked. “Do you think I should follow the path he laid out for me too?”
“If I don’t meet his expectations, would you also see me as a failure?”
Lin Yu met his gaze.
It was rare to see Lu Ziqing like this. In his eyes, Lin Yu saw uncertainty, disappointment, and confusion.
The bullet train suddenly entered a long tunnel. The green scenery outside whizzed past, then gave way to prolonged darkness and silence.
“No one’s life is a failure,” Lin Yu gently held his hand. “Defining failure is just putting shackles on yourself. Selfishness is the first key to freedom for adults.”
…..
On Monday morning, Lin Yu and Lu Ziqing drove separately to work as usual.
Lu Ziqing still seemed to be in a bad mood the night before. As soon as he got home, he locked himself in his bedroom and barely came out all night.
At dawn, when Lin Yu got up to use the bathroom, he saw light still shining under Lu Ziqing’s door.
He thought about knocking to check on him but hesitated and quietly walked away.
At work, Lin Yu read through documents while secretly listening for any movement from the design department across from him.
When he went to the restroom, he also took a quick glance toward their department.
…
Mi Lan was yawning.
Liang Zhi accidentally farted and got scolded by Mi Lan.
Mi Lan secretly ordered milk tea and generously shared a straw with Liang Zhi.
Liang Zhi accidentally drank it all and got scolded again.
…
Lu Ziqing had been silently sketching at his desk all morning, without making a sound.
The quieter he was, the more worried Lin Yu became.
He was more used to the mischievous, lively Lu Ziqing who loved to joke around.
Around noon, Mi Lan and Liang Zhi got up to go downstairs for lunch.
Mi Lan asked Lu Ziqing, “Ziqing, are you skipping lunch today? Don’t tell me you’re secretly dieting.”
Lu Ziqing said flatly, “What, are you feeling threatened?”
Mi Lan scoffed, “You really don’t appreciate concern. Fine, I won’t bother with you.”
She dragged Liang Zhi downstairs.
The other employees also left one after another to eat.
Seeing that most people were gone, Lin Yu put down his pen and stood up. He wanted to invite Lu Ziqing to a private restaurant nearby.
Since coming back from L County, he had been looking for a chance to have a deep conversation with him but hadn’t found the right opportunity.
Finally, now—
The sound of leather shoes echoed from the hallway outside.
Lin Yu looked out and was surprised to see President Lu.
Lu Zhaolin was wearing a black suit with a stern expression, followed by an assistant and a driver as he strode in.
Lin Yu hurried forward. “President Lu.”
His mind was filled with questions.
A top executive like President Lu never visited without informing anyone in advance. Usually, his secretary would schedule everything meticulously, down to the tea breaks.
But today, he hadn’t given any notice at all.
Could this be a surprise inspection…?
Lin Yu tensed up. “President Lu, I’ll have someone prepare the conference room.”
Lu Zhaolin waved him off. “I’m not here for a meeting today. Where’s that brat? Tell him to come see me.”
Lin Yu was stunned for a moment. Just as he processed what was happening, he heard a calm voice behind him.
“If you have something to say, just say it. No need to act all high and mighty.”
Lu Ziqing stood by the door, hands in his pockets, his gaze cold.
Lu Zhaolin snapped, “Do you know how many times I’ve called you? You’ve got some nerve ignoring every single one! Now you’re making me come all the way here to beg you?”
Lu Ziqing said indifferently, “If you’re that upset, you can just fire me right now.”
Lu Zhaolin raised his voice. “Is that how you talk to your father?”
Sensing the tension rising, Lin Yu quickly stepped in. “President Lu, let’s move to my office to talk. I’ll make some tea so you can have a proper discussion.”
He shot Lu Ziqing a look.
Lu Ziqing took a deep breath and turned toward the office.
Lu Zhaolin barely held back his anger and strode in as well.
Lin Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead and instructed the assistant and driver to go eat, warning them not to leak a word about anything.
……
Lu Zhaolin and Lu Ziqing talked for about ten minutes before Lu Ziqing stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
The office had good soundproofing, so Lin Yu couldn’t hear their conversation.
But when Lu Ziqing emerged, his face was dark, his expression full of restrained fury.
Lin Yu was about to chase after him when Lu Zhaolin called out.
“Xiao Lin, don’t bother with him.”
Lu Zhaolin’s voice carried a deep exhaustion, like aged bark peeling from a tree trunk.
“Come in.”
Lin Yu turned his head to look at Lu Ziqing’s back. Seeing that he had already entered the elevator, he had no choice but to turn around and step into the office, closing the door behind him.
He sat stiffly across from Lu Zhaolin.
Lu Zhaolin was someone who didn’t show his age. Successful people often shared certain traits—boundless energy, minimal sleep, constant movement, and exceptional memory.
Lu Zhaolin was exactly that kind of person.
Back when Lin Yu was still at headquarters, he followed Lu Zhaolin every day—attending meetings, arranging affairs, handling daily matters. No matter how dedicated he was, there were times when his energy couldn’t keep up.
But Lu Zhaolin never seemed to tire.
As the company’s chairman, he was always full of energy, always pushing forward.
Yet now, after a heated argument with his son, he finally showed signs of aging and exhaustion.
“These past six months must have been tough on you.” Lu Zhaolin toyed with the lid of his teacup. “You’ve done well.”
Thinking about everything that had happened in the countryside, Lin Yu felt a little guilty.
“It’s all thanks to your guidance, President Lu,” he replied cautiously. “I was only doing my job.”
Lu Zhaolin said, “You played a crucial role in Zhou Youyu’s case. Those old guys who used to gossip about you behind your back are now full of praise whenever they see me.”
Lin Yu tensed up. “It’s all because of your excellent leadership…”
He waited for Lu Zhaolin to continue. Logically, the conversation should now shift to his return to headquarters—after all, he had been sent to the branch office specifically to clean up the financial mess.
But instead, Lu Zhaolin veered off topic, suddenly discussing international affairs, the chaos in the antique market, and the disastrous state of the art industry. The company had lost a fortune on art investments last month, and the highly paid experts they had hired turned out to be nothing but freeloaders.
Lin Yu felt an ominous premonition but remained respectful, listening intently.
Sure enough, after a while, Lu Zhaolin sighed and said, “Originally, I had planned to recall you to headquarters after Zhou Youyu’s case was settled.”
Lin Yu’s heart clenched.
“But at last month’s board meeting, the directors unanimously agreed that you’ve performed exceptionally well at the branch. If we replace you abruptly, all the progress we’ve made might be lost. However, if we seize the momentum and push forward, turning losses into profits, your work here could serve as a model for the company.”
Lu Zhaolin’s sharp eyes gleamed like a radar scanning its target. “This is both an opportunity and an extraordinary challenge. Of course, I won’t force you. You can choose to stay or leave. Either way, I will arrange the best position for you.”
Having worked under Lu Zhaolin for several years, Lin Yu knew exactly what he meant.
On the surface, it was a choice. But in reality, there was only one correct answer.
That was the wisdom of leadership—never giving a direct order, yet always implying the right decision so clearly that subordinates had no doubt about what they should choose.
Lu Zhaolin would never lack assistants at headquarters, but the branch needed a dedicated and experienced manager.
As for personal career growth… well, personal development had always been meant to serve the company’s needs.
Lin Yu was silent for a moment before lowering his head and saying, “I’m willing to stay here. I hope President Lu will give me this opportunity.”
Lu Zhaolin smiled in satisfaction. “I knew you’d make the smart choice. Don’t worry, I’ll allocate more resources here—hire more staff, accelerate expansion. Just focus on your work.”
Lin Yu replied humbly, “Thank you, President Lu.”
“There’s one more thing.” Lu Zhaolin paused. “Just now, I told Lu Ziqing that you two can dissolve your marriage. He reacted very strongly—said I was interfering in his life… Do you know why?”
Lin Yu’s fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of his shirt. “…I don’t know.”
“Strange.” Lu Zhaolin tapped the table. “He was so against this fake marriage at first, but now that I’ve agreed to a divorce, he’s the one unwilling… Is he just being rebellious, deliberately going against me?”
Lin Yu didn’t dare lift his head. “Maybe… maybe so.”
“That stubborn brat.” Lu Zhaolin cursed. “Damn it… He really is just like me when I was young.”
