MTY chapter 62

The hall fell silent for a second, then erupted into chaos.

Mi Lan jumped up high in the crowd, shouting, “I knew it! I knew it!”

Liang Zhi choked on his cake and frantically drank water to wash it down.

The department heads were dumbfounded.

At the far end of the hall, Xie Shaoyang had just been knocked to the ground by Wu Yu’s high heel.

Meanwhile, Wu Yu, having witnessed the scene on stage, let out a scream and fainted.

Lin Yu’s face flushed as he hurriedly pulled Lu Ziqing off the stage.

Amidst a flurry of chaotic blessings, the two held hands tightly, barely managing to squeeze their way out of the crowd.

Leaning against the door pillar outside the hall, they exchanged a smile.

Lu Ziqing asked him, “Do you regret it?”

Lin Yu pursed his lips. “Would it even matter if I did?”

“Not really,” Lu Ziqing tilted his head slightly, intertwining their fingers and gripping his hand firmly, like a proud little dog who had just snatched a juicy bone. “From now on, everyone knows I’m your boyfriend.”

Suddenly, someone patted Lu Ziqing’s shoulder from behind.

“Mr. Lu, President Lu is in the car. He requests to see you.”

Lu Ziqing and Lin Yu turned around.

A slim man in a black suit gave a slight bow and gestured for Lu Ziqing to follow.

Lin Yu’s expression shifted.

He recognized him—it was Assistant Qiao, a regular presence by President Lu’s side. Every time President Lu visited the branch company, Assistant Qiao was always there.

Lu Ziqing: “…When did you arrive?”

“Since the start of the banquet,” Assistant Qiao replied. “President Lu was here too.”

Lu Ziqing’s expression darkened.

Assistant Qiao continued, “He hadn’t planned to come, not wanting to disrupt your birthday celebration. But he missed you and wanted to see how you were doing, so he stood in the corner for a while.”

“And then he saw you two…”

Lu Ziqing’s face remained cold. “What does he want?”

“President Lu would like to speak with you in the car. Also, he wants to remind you that you haven’t been home in a long time. Your mother misses you very much.”

Lu Ziqing: “What if I refuse?”

Assistant Qiao looked troubled. “I’m just following orders…”

Lin Yu gently squeezed Lu Ziqing’s palm. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll go with you.”

Assistant Qiao said, “Director Lin, I’m sorry. President Lu specifically instructed that he doesn’t want to see you right now. Also, regarding the contract issue, he said he’ll personally settle it with you in a few days.”

Lin Yu lowered his gaze.

Lu Ziqing pulled Lin Yu behind him. “I was the one who breached the contract. If you have issues, take them up with me. Don’t make things difficult for him.”

Assistant Qiao: “Then please, get in the car.”

Lin Yu clung to Lu Ziqing’s arm.

“Don’t worry, go home and rest,” Lu Ziqing said softly. “I’ll talk to him and then come back.”

Lu Ziqing walked away, glancing back with every step.

Lin Yu was anxious but could do nothing except stand there helplessly.

…..

Lin Yu waited at home for three days.

On the morning of the fourth day, he realized he couldn’t just sit around endlessly—he had to take action.

The problem was… what could he do?

He didn’t know where Lu Ziqing’s family lived. His calls to Lu Ziqing weren’t going through, and his messages were all left unread. Most likely, Lu Ziqing’s phone had been confiscated.

He suddenly realized how little he actually knew about Lu Ziqing.

If Lu Ziqing disappeared from his life, he had no idea where to even begin looking for him.

The only useful clue was… he had been to Lu Ziqing’s grandparents’ house before.

But the elderly couple lived in the suburbs, and Lin Yu wasn’t familiar with them. It would be too abrupt to show up uninvited, asking for their grandson.

As he was lost in thought, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Lin Yu ran to open the door.

A young man with an American-style forward-spiked haircut peeked his head in. “Hey, is Lu Ziqing home?”

Lin Yu: “You are…?”

The young man extended a hand. “I’m Xu Yunyi. Nice to meet you. You’re Lin Yu, right?”

Lin Yu shook hands with him.

He vaguely felt that Xu Yunyi looked familiar.

It seemed like… he had seen him before in one of Lu Ziqing’s video calls.

Xu Yunyi glanced behind Lin Yu. “Lu Ziqing isn’t home?”

Lin Yu explained, “After the birthday banquet the other night… his father took him home.”

Xu Yunyi’s expression shifted as if he had expected this.

He scratched his head, looking frustrated. “I figured this would happen. I told him to hold back for now, but he said he just couldn’t stand it anymore. His old man keeps forcing him to do things he doesn’t want to do. He said it was better to take a gamble, to break everything down and start anew.”

Lin Yu: “…You knew about that night?”

“I even helped him plan the whole confession,” Xu Yunyi sighed. “He told me that if he went radio silent, that meant he was locked up by his dad, and I should come find you so we could figure out how to get him out.”

Lin Yu: “Do you know where his family lives?”

“I do,” Xu Yunyi said with a wry smile. “But I can only take you to the gate. Whether or not you can get inside… I can’t guarantee.”

…..

Xu Yunyi’s car sped down the road for over two hours, weaving through the city streets before finally stopping in front of an old European-style villa in Shanghai.

A century-old architectural design with white walls, red tiles, and pointed rooftops. The ivy on the second and third-floor balconies had curled up for the winter, forming deep green tangled tendrils.

Xu Yunyi warned Lin Yu, “When we get to the gate, stay in the car. If they see you, they might get mad and refuse to let us in.”

Lin Yu watched as Xu Yunyi hopped out of the car and pressed the intercom at the front gate.

The doorbell rang for a few seconds before a middle-aged woman’s voice came from inside: “Hello, who is this?”

Xu Yunyi put on a big smile. “Auntie Li, it’s me, Xiao Xu. Are Uncle Lu and Aunt Tong home?”

Auntie Li’s tone relaxed. “Yes, they are.”

Xu Yunyi casually added, “Lu Ziqing must be home too, right? I asked him to play basketball yesterday, but he hasn’t replied to me all day. I figured he must have come home, busy enjoying some quality family time, which is why he hasn’t had time to get back to me.”

Auntie Li hesitated for a moment. “Yes… Please wait a moment.”

A few minutes later, the door of the villa slowly opened.

A lean woman strode out, wearing a faded blue apron that had been washed many times. Her hair was neatly tied in a ponytail at the back of her head, giving her a clean and efficient look.

Auntie Li opened the gate.

Xu Yunyi handed her a paper-wrapped package with a grin. “Fresh fox nuts from Suzhou—I remember you love these.”

Auntie Li’s face lit up. “Young Master Xu, you’re too kind.”

As she took the package, Xu Yunyi seized the opportunity. “By the way, I brought a friend with me today. He also plays basketball with Lu Ziqing.”

He subtly gestured for Lin Yu to come over.

Lin Yu quickly stepped out of the car.

Seeing that Xu Yunyi had brought someone else, Auntie Li’s smile faded slightly. “Young Master Xu, I’m really sorry. Madam just told me that if it’s only you, it’s fine, but if you brought anyone else, I can’t let you in.”

“Come on,” Xu Yunyi feigned surprise. “What’s going on? I’ve brought people over to visit Lu Ziqing before, and Auntie Tong never minded.”

Lowering his gaze, he gently tugged at Auntie Li’s sleeve and pleaded, “Did I do something wrong to upset Auntie Tong?”

A handsome young man making such a pitiful expression could easily tug at a middle-aged woman’s heartstrings.

Auntie Li hesitated for a moment, holding onto the package of fox nuts, then lowered her voice. “I’ll tell you, but you mustn’t tell anyone else.”

Xu Yunyi looked curious. “What happened?”

Auntie Li sighed. “Young Master was dragged back by bodyguards three or four days ago. President Lu was furious—he nearly smashed half the house that night. I heard that the young master was dating someone improper outside and even wanted to open his own studio. President Lu locked him in a room to make him reflect on his actions.”

“Someone improper.”

Xu Yunyi glanced at Lin Yu.

Lin Yu didn’t seem to care at all about how others described him.

He only looked anxious. “How can they just lock someone up like that?”

Auntie Li glanced at him. “Who knows? But the young master is just as stubborn—since they won’t let him leave, he refuses to eat. He’s been on a hunger strike for three days.”

Xu Yunyi was shocked. “Three days? And he’s still alive?”

Auntie Li whispered, “He’s doing it to put on a show for his dad. At night, after President Lu and Madam go to sleep, he sneaks out to raid the fridge. He’s already eaten several loaves of bread and quite a few sausages.”

Xu Yunyi sighed. “That sounds just like him.”

“But the young master really has lost a lot of weight these past few days,” Auntie Li said, sighing again. “He argues with his dad when he’s home and with Madam when he’s not. He’s completely worn out—his face has gotten so thin.”

Lin Yu bit his lower lip.

Auntie Li continued, “It’s not that I don’t want to let you in, but Madam specifically said only Young Master Xu can enter. No one else is allowed. She’s probably worried you’d bring that person back. I really have no choice…”

Xu Yunyi looked around the courtyard. “Why is Mao Mao’s kennel locked up?”

On the left side of the yard, there was a white doghouse designed like a small, beautiful castle, decorated with loops and candy-shaped pet toys. However, it was now tightly locked with a black iron chain.

A large, sturdy Saint Bernard lay lazily in front of the doghouse, basking in the sun without any energy.

Auntie Li turned to glance at it, then whispered, “The night the young master came back, he tried to escape. He climbed out of the window in the middle of the night and jumped straight down from the second floor. Then he hid in the doghouse and let Mao Mao bite the bodyguards who came to catch him. President Lu was so furious that he had the doghouse locked up, and Mao Mao was also put under house arrest. He hasn’t been allowed to go anywhere these past few days—he can only wander around his doghouse.”

“That’s tragic for Mao Mao,” Xu Yunyi said sympathetically. “A casualty in all this mess.”

Auntie Li agreed. “That’s what I’m saying. Even we servants have—hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?!”

Without warning, Lin Yu bolted through the gate and ran toward the villa.

Auntie Li shouted in alarm.

Lin Yu rushed to the front door and grabbed the handle.

The door opened.

A middle-aged woman in a form-fitting gray dress with her hair styled in a low bun stood at the entrance, looking down at him.

Her makeup was meticulously applied, and she was well-maintained, but her slightly sunken eyes and tired expression betrayed her fatigue.

Lin Yu stopped in his tracks.

He had seen her photograph before—on President Lu’s desk, in a family picture from a trip to Europe.

Besides, Lu Ziqing had inherited the exact same high, refined nose and striking black peach-blossom eyes.

Xu Yunyi quickly called out, “Auntie Tong!”

Auntie Li rushed over, panting. “Madam, I didn’t let him in! He ran in on his own…”

Madam Tong silently observed Lin Yu for a moment.

Then she turned around and said coolly, “Come in.”

….

Lin Yu sat quietly on the sofa, his mind racing as he tried to guess where Lu Ziqing was being held.

The interior of the Lu residence matched its luxurious European-style exterior. Even the white leather sofa beneath him felt extravagantly expensive.

Across from him sat Lu Zhaolin and Madam Tong, her expression neutral.

Dressed in a casual gray sweater, Lu Zhaolin leaned back against the sofa, staring at him expressionlessly.

The aura of a man in power was intimidating.

There was no need for anger or harsh words—just a single look was enough to silence people.

Especially since Lin Yu was originally his subordinate.

Xu Yunyi wasn’t one of Lu Zhaolin’s employees, but sitting beside Lin Yu, he could still feel the suffocating pressure in the room.

Clearing his throat, Xu Yunyi tried to lighten the atmosphere. “Uncle Lu, Aunt Tong, sorry for disturbing you today…”

Lu Zhaolin raised his hand slightly.

Xu Yunyi immediately shut his mouth.

Lu Zhaolin looked at Lin Yu. “I was planning to settle accounts with you in a few days, but you’re quite perceptive—came knocking on my door yourself.”

Lin Yu replied, “Ever since you took Lu Ziqing away, I haven’t been able to contact him for days. Naturally, I had to come find him.”

Lu Zhaolin scoffed. “You’ve really surprised me.”

“When I chose you as Ziqing’s marriage partner, it was because you seemed simple and honest—not as scheming as the others. In the end, I underestimated you.”

Lin Yu remained composed. “At first, I just wanted to do my job. But later, I truly fell for him.”

Lu Zhaolin let out a cold laugh. “You do know that breaching the contract requires tenfold compensation, don’t you?”

Lin Yu responded, “The contract states that ‘forcing a relationship against the other party’s will requires tenfold compensation.’ But as far as I know, our feelings are mutual.”

“And if you insist on finding fault with me, I’ll be frank—your son fell for me first.”

Lu Zhaolin’s gaze darkened as he stared at him.

It was the kind of look a predator gives its prey—undisguised intimidation and pressure.

Lin Yu instinctively shrank back but still gathered his courage to meet his gaze.

…

“End it,” Lu Zhaolin suddenly said. “If you end things with him now, I’ll transfer you back to headquarters immediately. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

The contempt in his tone was unmistakable.

Lin Yu was about to speak when his phone suddenly rang.

The ringtone was a segment from the German musical Rudolf, one he had used for years.

Strangely enough, at this moment, it felt oddly fitting.

Lin Yu silenced his phone and looked back up.

“I did want it once, but now, I’ve changed my mind.”

He straightened his back and met the gaze of the man he once respected and admired the most.

“That’s something I deserve—not a price for selling out the person I love.”

 

[mfn]

[Author’s Note]

Super cool Lin Yu!

[/mfn]