MTY chapter 7

Lu Ziqing nearly choked. “What did you say?”

Lin Yu: “I asked if you’re jealous.”

Lu Ziqing held up a finger. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

Lin Yu looked at him blankly for a moment before answering, “One.”

Lu Ziqing: “What’s two plus three?”

Lin Yu: “Five.”

Lu Ziqing: “No fever… then why are you suddenly daydreaming in broad daylight?”

He then asked, “What’s 367 multiplied by 295?”

Lin Yu: “Is this also a test to see if I’m dreaming?”

“No,” Lu Ziqing said. “I just don’t like you and want to make you do something pointless.”

Lin Yu: “Feeling better now?”

“So-so,” Lu Ziqing replied. “If you’re going out for dinner with someone else, get out of the car. I’m heading home.”

Lin Yu obediently got out.

Standing in the parking garage, he watched Lu Ziqing’s black sports car speed away, feeling a little lost.

He could tell that Lu Ziqing was unhappy, but he couldn’t figure out why.

There was no way Lu Ziqing liked him.

Asking “Are you jealous?” was just an excuse to shut him up so he wouldn’t keep pressing for answers.

He hadn’t expected Xie Shaoyang to call.

As a busy dentist, their last meal together had been a month ago. Back then, Xie Shaoyang had messaged him out of the blue late at night, asking if he wanted to grab some Vietnamese pho. Even though Lin Yu had been about to sleep, he had immediately replied, “Sure.”

They had known each other for over a year, and every time they met, it was like this. The initiative was always in Xie Shaoyang’s hands, steady and unshakable—just like a pair of gleaming dental forceps.

…..

By the time Lin Yu got home, it was nearly eleven.

The neighborhood was quiet, with only the occasional cicada chirping in the trees before falling silent again.

He carefully opened the door and, noticing the light and sounds inside, realized Lu Ziqing was still awake. Relaxing, he stepped in.

After closing the door, he rubbed his stomach.

As expected… he’d eaten too much.

They had grilled meat for dinner. Xie Shaoyang seemed exhausted from work and had ordered a lot of pork belly and fatty beef. When they couldn’t finish, he had smiled and kept putting food into Lin Yu’s bowl.

Lin Yu had tried to refuse, but with just a few words of persuasion, he had unknowingly eaten it all.

People always seemed to become obedient children in front of doctors, following their instructions without thinking—even when they weren’t in a hospital.

Now, feeling the greasy fullness in his stomach, he could only rub it and hope for a quick digestion.

From behind the study’s closed door, the intense sound effects of an action game could be heard.

Lu Ziqing was probably watching a movie, Lin Yu thought.

It was late, and sleepiness was creeping in.

He quickly showered, changed into pajamas, and was about to return to his room when the study door suddenly swung open.

Lu Ziqing stood there in loose sleepwear, looking at him expressionlessly.

Lin Yu, still damp from his shower, with steam rising from his forehead, asked, “Finished your movie?”

“I was playing a game,” Lu Ziqing replied, stepping slightly aside to reveal a gaming controller and screen behind him.

“Oh,” Lin Yu said. “Well… sleep early.”

He wasn’t much into gaming. In the past, he had downloaded a few mobile games for social purposes but only played occasionally.

Just as he turned to leave, Lu Ziqing stepped forward, blocking his way.

“When did you get back?” Lu Ziqing asked.

“Half an hour ago,” Lin Yu replied. “The door was closed, so I didn’t notify you.”

Lu Ziqing nodded. “A bowl of plain noodles took quite a while.”

Lin Yu flushed, remembering the lie he had told in the car. “We hadn’t seen each other in a while, so we chatted a bit…”

“I never said you couldn’t eat with another guy,” Lu Ziqing said, glancing at the briefcase on the floor. “But was lying necessary? Your bag reeks of a barbecue joint. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”

Lin Yu was stunned. He had scrubbed himself thoroughly with soap and shampoo, hoping to mask the grilled meat smell, yet he had still slipped up.

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care who you have dinner with,” Lu Ziqing continued. “But please, do your job properly. Don’t let anyone who knows us see you and don’t cause me unnecessary trouble.”

“And set your alarm tomorrow morning. Take your suppressant on time. I don’t want another incident.”

Without waiting for a response, Lu Ziqing shut the door and went back to his room.

Lin Yu stared at the closed door, then sighed.

From the suppressant incident to tonight’s dinner, Lu Ziqing was obviously displeased with him.

It was only fair—after all, he was taking the Lu family’s money. He had to do his job properly and play the role of their “daughter-in-law.”

Some things just had to be avoided.

Certain freedoms of being single had to be sacrificed.

After hesitating for a moment, he knocked on the door. “Sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Silence.

After a while, a quiet scoff came from inside—acknowledgment that he had heard

……

The next morning, Lin Yu woke up at six to his alarm. He dressed, washed up, took his suppressant, and prepared breakfast—all in one smooth motion.

Just as he carried the breakfast tray to the table, Lu Ziqing walked out of his room.

“Morning,” Lin Yu greeted, setting the tray down. “Milk or soy milk?”

“You’ve made breakfast two days in a row,” Lu Ziqing noted. “That’s not part of your job.”

Lin Yu took off his apron and wiped his hands. “It’s fine. I have to make my own breakfast anyway, so making an extra portion isn’t a big deal.”

To be honest, he had irritated Young Master Lu yesterday. Cooking breakfast was a way to smooth things over.

Lu Ziqing’s gaze lingered on the sandwiches and egg pancakes before he asked, “Did you take your suppressant?”

“…Yeah,” Lin Yu replied, feeling slightly awkward. Having an alpha ask about his glandular suppressant like this was… strange. He tried to ignore the weirdness. “I took it as soon as I woke up. Don’t worry.”

The two sat across from each other at the dining table and began their meal.

Good.

Compared to yesterday, everything was going smoothly.

Lin Yu thought happily as he took a bite of his fried egg.

The soft, runny yolk glowed golden, just like the morning sun streaming through the window.

But his moment of happiness lasted less than five minutes before his phone suddenly rang.

The caller ID read “President Liu”—a steel supplier he’d frequently dealt with when he worked as the chief assistant at headquarters.

Lin Yu had no choice but to put down his half-eaten egg and switch into work mode.

President Liu was the type of person he dreaded dealing with the most—an old hand in the business world, someone who could spin ten lies in a sentence of ten words. He was a master at small talk and empty promises, as well as an expert at prying for information. Conversations with him required full concentration just to extract anything useful.

This time, he was calling to complain about last month’s reduced order volume, trying to probe whether the company had switched suppliers.

“You’re overthinking this.”

“I’ve already been transferred. No, I’m not brushing you off. You can ask President Lu—I really don’t work in the chairman’s office anymore.”

“If there’s any news, I’ll contact you immediately.”

…

He finally managed to end the call, but just as he was about to take another bite, the phone rang again.

“You’re really not lying to me?”

Lin Yu took a deep breath and maintained his polite tone. “You’re overthinking this.”

President Liu muttered something and hung up.

Lin Yu let out a long sigh.

Lu Ziqing commented, “Your work keeps you busy.”

“This is normal,” Lin Yu replied.

Before he could put down his phone, it rang again.

Lu Ziqing took a leisurely bite of his egg pancake. “Persistent, isn’t he?”

But Lin Yu didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stared at the screen with a strange expression.

Lu Ziqing glanced over.

Oh.

No wonder he was hesitating.

The caller ID read “Dr. Xie.”

After inviting him to dinner last night, now he was calling early in the morning?

What was this?

Was this on purpose?

Was he afraid Lu Ziqing wouldn’t notice?

Lin Yu stood up. “I’ll take this on the balcony—”

“Just answer it here,” Lu Ziqing said. “It’s not like there’s anyone else around.”

His tone was calm, but Lin Yu caught the underlying meaning immediately.

Lu Ziqing continued, “Or is there something I shouldn’t hear?”

“No, we’re just regular friends,” Lin Yu denied at once. “I just didn’t want to disturb you—”

“You won’t.” Lu Ziqing swallowed his pancake. “I was just thinking breakfast needed a bit more entertainment. I’d love to listen. Talk away.”

Left with no choice, Lin Yu reluctantly answered the call.

In the quiet room, the voice on the other end was crystal clear.

Dr. Xie started with small talk, asking if Lin Yu had slept well and if work had been busy.

Lin Yu responded normally, but then Dr. Xie suddenly asked, “Are you free this weekend? Want to watch a movie together?”

Lu Ziqing turned to look at Lin Yu.

Lin Yu stared at the table, his voice suddenly faltering. “W-Watch a movie?”

Dr. Xie said, “A colleague gave me some tickets, and I’d like to watch it with you.”

Lin Yu was stunned, seemingly unable to process the invitation.

Dr. Xie’s voice softened. “What’s wrong? Is it inconvenient?”

Lin Yu fell silent.

After a while, he mumbled, “This is the first time you’ve asked me to a movie.”

“I’ve asked you five or six times before,” Dr. Xie said. “Every time, you told me you had to work overtime.”

“The same thing happened with musicals and plays. A few times, you even agreed at first, but then you canceled last minute, saying something came up.”

Thinking back to last night—Dr. Xie’s sudden invitation, his unusual enthusiasm—

Something felt off.

After his brief moment of excitement, Lin Yu was now filled with uncertainty. He didn’t understand why Dr. Xie was acting so differently all of a sudden.

Dr. Xie cleared his throat. “Those times were just bad luck…”

Lin Yu glanced at Lu Ziqing.

With Lu Ziqing there, he couldn’t say much.

He took a deep breath, swallowed all the words he wanted to say, and simply responded, “Sorry, I’m not free.”

Dr. Xie sounded surprised. “You’re not free?”

Lin Yu: “Yeah, I have something to do.”

Dr. Xie: “What about the weekend after that? Or a weekday evening?”

Lin Yu remained silent.

Lu Ziqing stared intently at his glass of milk.

Wow. What a pure, innocent glass of milk.

Dr. Xie pressed on. “Are you never free?”

Lin Yu: “Mm…”

“Did something happen?” Dr. Xie asked perceptively. “You’re not usually like this.”

Silence stretched between them.

After a long pause, Dr. Xie sighed in apparent defeat. “Alright… Then let me ask one more thing.”

Lin Yu: “Mm.”

He prayed that Dr. Xie would just drop it and not say anything more.

Dr. Xie asked softly, “That time you messaged me in the middle of the night, saying you liked me… Did you mean it?”