As the lunch break was about to end, Lu Ziqing returned from outside.
Lin Yu wanted to talk to him, but since they were at the company, he swallowed his words for now.
In the afternoon, he finished his work early and, on his way home, took a detour to the market to buy some fresh white jade mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and prawns.
Lu Ziqing hadn’t had much of an appetite these past two days, so Lin Yu decided to make him a three-mushroom seafood soup for dinner.
Wearing an apron, Lin Yu was in the kitchen, deveining the shrimp, when he heard the soft sound of a door closing behind him.
Without looking up, he casually said, “There are sliced plum tomatoes on the table. Have some first to tide you over—dinner will be ready soon.”
He had made the plum tomatoes himself. The cherry tomatoes were freshly bought from the market—ten yuan for a big box. The dried plums were ordered online—just over ten yuan for a large pack. He had stuffed the plums inside the cherry tomatoes, creating a sweet and tangy appetizer that was quite appetizing.
A moment later, footsteps approached from afar.
Suddenly, he was hugged from behind.
Lu Ziqing rested his chin on Lin Yu’s left shoulder, his arms loosely wrapped around his waist.
Warm breath tickled Lin Yu’s neck, making him feel itchy—like being hugged by a big bear.
Lin Yu tried to turn his head, but Lu Ziqing held him tightly, preventing him from moving.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Yu put down the shrimp and asked softly, “Are you tired?”
“Not really,” Lu Ziqing mumbled, burying his head in Lin Yu’s neck. “Why did you buy so many shrimp? Can we even finish them?”
“They look like a lot, but they’ll be gone in no time. There’s only a little meat in each one,” Lin Yu explained. “If you’re tired, go rest on the sofa for a bit. Dinner will be ready soon.”
But Lu Ziqing tightened his embrace and refused to let go. “No, I just want to hold you for a while.”
Lu Ziqing rarely showed such a clingy side.
Lin Yu wasn’t quite used to it, but he didn’t dislike it either. In fact, he found this version of Lu Ziqing quite endearing—like a child acting spoiled.
Lin Yu: “If you keep hugging me like this, I can’t devein the shrimp.”
Lu Ziqing: “Then don’t do it, I’ll take over.”
“No, your hands are clean, mine are already dirty. You shouldn’t touch them,” Lin Yu said. “If you really can’t sit still, go eat the plum tomatoes before they go to waste. They don’t keep well, and if we don’t finish them, we’ll have to throw them away.”
Lu Ziqing went to get the plate of plum tomatoes, feeding one to Lin Yu before popping one into his own mouth.
As the sky darkened, lights from homes flickered on one by one.
In the small, warm, and brightly lit kitchen, the two of them stood side by side, taking turns eating the tomatoes while chatting.
Lin Yu softly asked, “What did President Lu say to you at noon?”
“…The same old thing,” Lu Ziqing said, indifferent. “Telling me to hurry back to headquarters, stop wasting my youth here doing nothing, and that I’m making him lose face in his circle.”
Lin Yu: “President Lu said he wanted you to annul the marriage with me, but you refused.”
Lu Ziqing clicked his tongue. “The old man is going crazy—why should I care?”
Lin Yu: “But our contract is about to expire.”
Lu Ziqing’s brows visibly furrowed. “You want to divorce me?”
Lin Yu lowered his head and whispered, “I’m just stating the facts.”
Their relationship had started as a transaction. The Lu family provided money, and he completed the job—it was only right to uphold professional ethics.
Lu Ziqing quickly caught on. “You don’t want to keep living with me. You want to go back to headquarters, don’t you?”
“I probably won’t be going back,” Lin Yu said slowly. “Today, President Lu spoke with me. He said I’ve been doing well here and that the company hopes I’ll continue and not give up halfway.”
Lu Ziqing froze.
“President Lu telling you to return probably means the same thing,” Lin Yu added. “You’re at the right age now—he wants to push you forward in your career and arrange a proper marriage.”
If Lin Yu went back to headquarters, his identity as Lu Ziqing’s “ex-husband” would create unnecessary trouble.
The best solution for him, of course, was to stay exiled at this remote branch office, never returning.
Perhaps President Lu had planned all of this from the start. But Lin Yu had been too naive, dreaming of climbing the corporate ladder once he returned, never realizing the trap set for him.
It was only in the past few days that he had slowly figured it out.
“Once you go back to headquarters and I stay here, our marriage will naturally be annulled—”
“Why the hell should he just use and discard you?” Lu Ziqing suddenly cursed. “That old bastard—he makes you work and won’t even pay you properly? Just wait, I’m going to settle this with him.”
Saying that, he pulled out his phone.
Lin Yu quickly stopped him. “What are you doing?”
Lu Ziqing: “Calling Lu Zhaolin. Asking him what the hell he means by not letting you go back.”
There had been moments when he secretly didn’t want Lin Yu to leave. He liked the simple happiness of living together in this small place, commuting to work and back each day.
But more than that, he couldn’t stand seeing Lin Yu being treated unfairly.
What his father had done was downright cruel.
Lin Yu pressed down on his hand. “Do you think this is just President Lu’s decision? Major personnel appointments have to be approved by the board. There are many interests at play. And besides, the company never promised that I’d be allowed to return in the first place—those were just our own assumptions.”
“If you make a scene now, President Lu will only think I put you up to it, that I manipulated you into standing up for me. It will only make his impression of me worse.”
Lu Ziqing’s chest rose and fell as he let out a frustrated curse. “…Damn it.”
“You don’t have to worry about me,” Lin Yu forced a smile. “I’m doing fine here. I’m familiar with the business now, and I can handle it easily. The bonuses and dividends will be good.”
Of course, Lu Ziqing knew what Lin Yu was really thinking.
Lin Yu was proud, ambitious, and hardworking. The losses he had suffered weren’t something that could be compensated with a bit of bonus money.
…But what could he do for him?
To his father, he was nothing more than a useless child wasting time, achieving nothing, and embarrassing the family.
Lin Yu was already doing better than him.
How was he supposed to fight for justice on Lin Yu’s behalf?
Throw a tantrum like a spoiled child? Make a big scene?
Lu Ziqing swallowed hard, looked at Lin Yu, and said, “Maybe now isn’t the right time. But… would you be willing to wait for me?”
Lin Yu’s breath caught.
He looked at Lu Ziqing’s anxious gaze, his furrowed brows, his hesitant expression—wanting to say something grand, but afraid he couldn’t live up to it.
It was the frustration of a young man who longed to make promises but feared he wouldn’t be able to keep them.
Lin Yu remained silent for a long time. In the end, he said nothing.
He simply continued, quietly deveining the shrimp in his hands.
Just like he had done for countless nights before, tackling the endless pile of work in front of him.
Lu Ziqing’s clenched fists slowly relaxed.
They finished dinner in silence, neither bringing up the topic again.
….
That night, the light in Lu Ziqing’s bedroom remained on until two or three in the morning.
The faint sound of a pencil scratching against paper leaked through the cracks of the window—soft, yet persistent.
When Lin Yu got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, he saw the light still on and knocked on the door, urging Lu Ziqing to go to bed.
A few minutes later, Lu Ziqing finally turned off the light and fell into a deep sleep.
…..
Despite the emotional blow from the previous day, Lin Yu acted as if nothing had happened the next morning.
He got up early, cheerfully prepared breakfast, and enthusiastically munched on toast while organizing his work schedule.
People who remain emotionally stable in the face of adversity have likely been through enough hardships to get used to it.
As a competent corporate worker, mastering self-regulation was essential—otherwise, how else could he muster the energy to keep grinding away?
He comforted Lu Ziqing, “Actually, going to headquarters is a good thing for you. Once you get there, work hard and strive to take charge as soon as possible. Then you can help me out too.”
Lu Ziqing still looked gloomy.
He ate breakfast in silence, his brows furrowed, clearly troubled by something.
Lin Yu’s phone buzzed.
He picked it up and glanced at it. “HR just messaged me. Headquarters has assigned a new employee to join the design department today. They’re asking if I know anything about it… That’s strange, President Lu never mentioned this to me.”
Lu Ziqing: “Joining our department?”
Lin Yu opened the résumé that Xiao Cai had sent over and found the name oddly familiar.
The next second, he saw the photo on the document. “Wu Yu… Isn’t this the second young master of the Wu family?”
Lu Ziqing: “Who?”
“You know, the Wu family that runs an entertainment company,” Lin Yu was so shocked he dropped his chopsticks. “Wu Yu has had a crush on you for ages. Back when I was at headquarters, he kept pestering me for your contact information. One time, in front of several high-level executives, he even said he thought the veins on your hands and forearms were sexy and that he wanted to be pinned down on the bed by you.”
Lu Ziqing: “…”
“Great,” he said. “Looks like my dad is really going all out to disgust me since I won’t go back.”
…..
Lin Yu had seen his fair share of things, but someone like Wu Yu—a legendary flamboyant diva—was truly a rare spectacle, a widely acknowledged one-of-a-kind character.
Lin Yu arrived at the company early, bracing himself.
At 8:25 AM, a young man appeared at the entrance, strutting in with a silver tight-fitting tank top, black fishnet stockings, towering black heels, and a pink Chanel heart-shaped bag swinging in his hand.
The receptionist perked up, nearly dropping her cup.
“Um… May I ask who you’re looking for?”
The man fluttered his lashes and snapped his fingers with elegance. “Je suis heureux de vous rencontrer.”
The receptionist blinked in confusion. “Huh?”
“It means, ‘Nice to meet you,’” the man leaned in and sniffed exaggeratedly before dramatically covering his nose. “By the way, sweetheart, your perfume smells so cheap. Did you get a knockoff from an online store?”
He casually pulled out a small, delicate bottle from his bag and handed it to her. With a graceful wave of his hand, he said, “Here, take this. Improve your taste a little. Save up and buy real luxury next time. Treat yourself better, okay?”
Receptionist: “…”
Hearing that a bizarre newcomer had arrived, employees peeked out from their offices to watch the show.
Wu Yu didn’t mind at all. He chatted animatedly along the way, his hips swaying like a twisted pretzel.
Lin Yu pressed his forehead, trying to endure it, but finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. He stepped out. “It’s work hours. Why aren’t you all at your desks?”
The employees scattered instantly.
Lin Yu led Wu Yu into his office and locked the door.
Wu Yu sat down elegantly and admired his fiery red manicure.
“Long time no see, Assistant Lin.”
Lin Yu remained composed. “It has been a while, Young Master Wu.”
“Since you’ve decided to join our company, you’ll need to review the rules and regulations. I’ll take you to HR in a bit—”
“No rush,” Wu Yu interrupted. “You know why I’m here, don’t you?”
Lin Yu: “…No idea.”
“Don’t pretend,” Wu Yu chuckled. “President Lu already told me before I came—your marriage with Lu Ziqing is fake. He knows I still have feelings for Ziqing and was deeply moved, so he agreed to let me join the company to build a relationship with him.”
“You’re just a pitiful tool used by the Lu family for show,” Wu Yu sighed. “Just cooperate with me for now. Once I win over Ziqing, you’ll benefit from it too.”
Lin Yu: “…That’s not part of my job.”
“Where’s my office?” Wu Yu stood up, completely ignoring what Lin Yu said. “I want a desk right next to Ziqing’s, as close as possible.”
Wu Yu stormed out to find the design department.
Lin Yu hurried after him.
The moment he caught up, he found Wu Yu arguing with Mi Lan.
Seeing Lin Yu, Mi Lan straightened her posture and complained, “Director Lin, look at him! He’s being completely unreasonable! I was sitting here just fine, and he insists on switching seats with me so he can sit next to Lu Ziqing… Is he insane?”
Lin Yu felt a headache coming on.
“Wu Yu, the seating arrangements are pre-assigned. You can’t just—”
Wu Yu’s eyes widened. “You seriously can’t even handle something this simple? Fine, I’ll call—”
Lu Ziqing appeared at the doorway, his expression indifferent. “Who are you calling?”
Wu Yu saw Lu Ziqing and instantly softened, walking over coquettishly. “Ziqing gege~”
“Sit down and be quiet,” Lu Ziqing subtly dodged his touch. “Don’t disturb everyone’s work.”
Like a magic spell, Wu Yu immediately shut his mouth and obediently sat at his desk.
Lin Yu finally let out a breath of relief.
As Lu Ziqing walked past him, he murmured, “Go back. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
