MTY chapter 63

“You finally said what’s on your mind?” Lu Zhaolin rested his hand on the armrest of the sofa. “You came here today to get my approval for your relationship, didn’t you? Then you should know that this will only backfire.”

Lin Yu replied calmly, “I know you won’t approve, so I never planned to fight for something impossible.”

Lu Zhaolin narrowed his eyes.

Lin Yu took a deep breath and clenched the hem of his coat. “If you don’t let him go, I…”

…

In the bright living room, Lin Yu and Lu Zhaolin sat facing each other.

With every word Lin Yu spoke, Lu Zhaolin’s expression darkened.

Madam Tong remained indifferent, her emotions unreadable.

Sitting beside Lin Yu, Xu Yunyi felt like he was facing a formidable enemy, anxiously watching Lu Zhaolin’s reactions.

By the time Lin Yu finished speaking, the powerful man’s composure finally cracked.

Lu Zhaolin suddenly stood up and raised his hand—

Xu Yunyi jolted and rushed to shield Lin Yu.

“Uncle Lu, I’m sorry! I promised Lu Ziqing I’d protect him! If you want to hit him, you’ll have to step over my dead body! If he gets hurt, Lu Ziqing will kill me!”

Lu Zhaolin: “…”

“Are you out of your mind?” Lu Zhaolin scolded. “I was going to get my blood pressure medicine.”

Xu Yunyi’s arms awkwardly froze in midair.

“…Oh, oh.” He sheepishly sat back down. “Go ahead, go ahead.”

With a grim expression, Lu Zhaolin reached for a small black pillbox among the numerous health supplements on the mahogany table. He took a few white pills, tossed them into his mouth, and swallowed them with a sip of warm water.

Watching his back, Lin Yu suddenly realized with stark clarity—

Lu Zhaolin was old.

The once sharp and commanding CEO, always full of energy, now had headaches, difficulties, and burdens.

Before, his troubles were mergers, internal corruption, next-quarter plans, and five-year strategies.

Back when Lin Yu worked under him, Lu Zhaolin taught him, “There will always be endless problems to solve. Just stay calm, plan every minute, every second, and you’ll get through it.”

He used to say, “Xiao Yu, you’re smart and hardworking. You can do it.”

Now, Lu Zhaolin’s biggest problem… was him.

Lin Yu lowered his gaze and whispered, “I’m sorry President Lu… but I really love him.”

Lu Zhaolin remained silent, his face tense.

Madam Tong, who had stayed quiet all this time, finally spoke.

“Enough,” she said softly to her husband. “Why are you getting so worked up? It’s been days, and I haven’t been able to sleep properly.”

She glanced at Lin Yu and said indifferently, “Let him do as he pleases… When he suffers enough, he’ll come back on his own.”

…..

Lin Yu practically flew upstairs.

After Lu Ziqing’s failed escape attempt—jumping from the second floor—he had been locked in a bedroom on the third floor.

Xu Yunyi hurriedly followed behind, dragging Aunt Li along. “Quick, quick! These keys all look the same—where’s the right one? Hurry up and find it!”

Aunt Li muttered, “Don’t rush, don’t rush… Ah! Found it!”

The key was shoved into the lock and twisted left. The door swung open—

Lu Ziqing was still wearing the same clothes from the day he came back. His messy hair stuck out in all directions, making him look like a wild man who had been wandering for three days. Kneeling on the bed, he seemed to be busy with something.

The blanket had been torn into long, ragged strips, scattered all over the place in a pitiful mess.

Hearing the noise, Lu Ziqing didn’t turn around. Instead, he said impatiently, “I already told you—I’m not eating.”

“Lu Ziqing,” Lin Yu called out.

Lu Ziqing’s body stiffened, and he slowly turned his head.

His face was haggard and swollen, covered with scruffy stubble, and dark gray circles loomed under his eyes.

Xu Yunyi was shocked. “Ziqing, what happened to you? You’ve only been locked up for three days—how did you end up like this?”

Lu Ziqing stared at Lin Yu. “…I haven’t slept much.”

Lin Yu walked over, took the scissors from his hand, and looked at the strips of fabric scattered on the bed. “What were you doing…”

Lu Ziqing pressed his lips together and said softly, “Have you ever read a fairy tale called ‘Rapunzel’?”

Lin Yu nodded.

Rapunzel was locked in a tower, letting down her long hair all the way to the ground. The prince bravely climbed up her hair and rescued her.

“The window is reinforced with bars and won’t open, so I thought I could make a long rope out of fabric, use it to pull off the bars, smash the window with scissors or a chair, tie the rope to the bedpost, and then, when it’s late at night and quiet, slide down the rope and escape…”

As Lu Ziqing spoke, even he realized how far-fetched it sounded. He let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “…ridiculous, right?”

“Absolutely,” Xu Yunyi chimed in. “Might as well have Grimm’s Fairy Tales write a special edition for you—’Rapunzel the Lad,’ ‘Tomato Uncle,’ and ‘Eggplant Granddad.'”

Lin Yu ruffled Lu Ziqing’s messy, bird’s-nest-like hair.

Lu Ziqing shrank away. “I—I haven’t showered in three days. I’m ugly and dirty, I haven’t tidied up…”

Lin Yu grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

“Not ugly at all,” Lin Yu gently stroked his ear. “You look just as good as when I first met you at the civil affairs office.”

Lu Ziqing, who was usually cocky and playful, blushed.

……

The group went downstairs.

Lu Zhaolin and Madam Tong were sitting on the living room sofa. Hearing the commotion, they turned to look.

Lu Zhaolin had calmed down a bit after being persuaded by his wife.

Without a word, Madam Tong signaled the housekeeper, who returned Lu Ziqing’s phone to him.

Lu Zhaolin saw Lu Ziqing and Lin Yu holding hands and let out a cold laugh. “Starting today, your bank cards are frozen. No objections, I assume?”

Lu Ziqing’s expression remained calm. “No objections.”

Lu Zhaolin sneered. “Don’t come crying back when you run out of money. That’d be pathetic.”

Madam Tong gave her husband a light shove.

Lu Zhaolin still wore a stern expression.

After a brief pause, Lu Ziqing let go of Lin Yu’s hand and took a few steps forward.

Madam Tong’s eyes brightened slightly.

But in the next second, Lu Ziqing said, “At first, I wanted to keep my relationship with him a secret—to avoid affecting his job, his future promotions, and to prevent any contractual disputes that might cause trouble for him.”

“But later, I realized… our family owes him too much.”

“In Zhou Youyu’s case, he barely got anything in return. We both know why, but he never brought it up because he didn’t want to make things difficult for me.”

Lu Ziqing’s voice softened. “The position originally meant for Lin Yu was given to my cousin—that useless fool who just returned from abroad, right?”

Madam Tong glanced at her husband.

Lu Zhaolin remained silent.

Lu Ziqing continued, “He revived a failing project and turned things around, but he got nothing in return… Since I’m part of the Lu family, sacrificing myself a little seems fair, doesn’t it?”

“You don’t even care about company matters, so who exactly are you questioning?” Lu Zhaolin said. “It’s only natural for a son to inherit his father’s business. Yet you ran off to do jewelry design and you even plan on opening a studio… Ridiculous.”

“My grandfather was a farmer. Why don’t you go farm too?” Lu Ziqing shot back.

Lu Zhaolin’s face froze. “…”

Xu Yunyi turned away, desperately holding back laughter.

Lu Zhaolin stood up and pointed at Lu Ziqing’s nose. “I should have had another son to compete with you for the inheritance! Then we’d see if you still dare to act so recklessly!”

Lu Ziqing was about to retort.

But Lin Yu gently squeezed his hand from behind.

Lu Zhaolin had high blood pressure and was getting older. At his age, heart and cerebrovascular issues were a real concern.

Lu Ziqing took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.

“I’m leaving,” he said. “…I’ll visit during the holidays.”

Lin Yu supported Lu Ziqing as they slowly walked toward the door.

Lu Ziqing hadn’t eaten properly in days. After talking so much just now, his steps felt weak, and cold sweat formed on his forehead.

“And you, you’re fired,” Lu Zhaolin called after Lin Yu. “Once you finish the handover process, you don’t need to come to work anymore.”

Lin Yu paused for a moment but didn’t respond.

Xu Yunyi hastily bowed to Lu Zhaolin and Madam Tong before helping Lin Yu escort Lu Ziqing out.

……

They got into the car, with Lin Yu and Lu Ziqing in the backseat while Xu Yunyi drove in the front.

Lin Yu was twisting the cap off a water bottle for Lu Ziqing when, suddenly, his hand was grabbed.

Lu Ziqing pressed a bank card into his palm, licked his cracked lips, and said, “This has all my savings. It’s yours. I sent you the password on WeChat.”

Lin Yu was stunned. “Why are you giving this to me? I have money.”

“In the end, it’s my fault you lost your job. Since you got fired, you’ll need time to transition and find a new one,” Lu Ziqing said, looking down. “These past few days at home, I was really, really afraid my dad would pull a TV drama stunt—throw five million at you and tell you to leave me. So I decided that as soon as I got out, I had to beat him to it and give you money first, just in case.”

Lin Yu chuckled. “You were afraid I’d take your dad’s money and ditch you?”

“Not really,” Lu Ziqing said, hugging him and burying his head in Lin Yu’s neck. His voice was muffled. “I just think… A husband’s money should be managed together. And once you’re in charge of my money, we’re officially a couple. Even if you regret it later, it’ll be too late.”

Xu Yunyi shuddered in the front seat, scratching at his goosebumps. “Guys, I’m still here.”

Lin Yu’s face turned slightly red.

“I just realized, I haven’t asked you yet,” Lu Ziqing said softly. “What did you say to my dad to make him agree to let me go?”

Lin Yu’s gaze wavered. “Well…”

He hesitated, unwilling to answer.

Xu Yunyi sighed in admiration. “Lin Yu is seriously impressive. Those words—I’d never dare say them to the old man, even if you gave me ten times the courage.”

Lu Ziqing squeezed Lin Yu’s palm.

Lin Yu squirmed a little but still refused to speak.

Lu Ziqing turned to Xu Yunyi.

Xu Yunyi met his gaze through the rearview mirror and said, “He said, since he’s losing his job anyway, what’s there to be embarrassed about? If your dad didn’t let you go, he’d send your kissing photos and bed pictures to the board members and all major business partners, exposing your family as heartless scumbags who start things but don’t take responsibility. That way, your dad wouldn’t be able to arrange a marriage for you ever again.”

Lu Ziqing stared at Lin Yu in shock before bursting into laughter.

Lin Yu’s face turned as red as a tomato.

He muttered a weak defense, “Actually, that kind of talk wouldn’t really scare your dad. He knows I wouldn’t actually do something like that… The real reason was still your mom. She really cares about you, so she persuaded your dad to let go and give you a chance to try things on your own. Who knows, maybe you’ll actually achieve something.”

Lu Ziqing was silent for a moment, then held Lin Yu’s hand tightly.

“Let’s have hot pot at home tonight.”

“Okay.”

“We should get a few bottles of red wine, some beef and lamb slices, fresh eel, and black fish fillets…”

“And crispy bean curd rolls and bamboo fungus.”

“Don’t forget fruit. Let’s get cherries and oranges.”

Xu Yunyi, from the front seat, shouted, “I want in too! I was a key player in this rescue mission! I demand oysters and pig brain!”

Lu Ziqing: “Perfect, you can foot the bill.”

Xu Yunyi protested, “Why?! I did the work, and now I have to pay too?”

Lu Ziqing, completely serious, said, “We just lost our jobs. If you don’t pay, who will? I haven’t even asked you to pitch in for our financial support yet.”

Xu Yunyi groaned, “I regret this. Should’ve just stayed home.”

“Too late,” Lu Ziqing smirked. “If you pass this road, you must pay the toll.”

…

The car sped down the road.

Outside the window, the bustling city was alive with movement and noise.

Early winter had arrived, the weather was clear, the streets were lively, and the clouds had all dispersed.