After he recovered, Lu Yunye returned to the company.
Chinese New Year is only a few weeks away, and there are piles of New Year’s goods to be distributed to employees. The busiest period at the end of the year has passed, and the whole company fell into a lazy atmosphere as everyone packed up and prepared for the holiday.
The sales and operation department of Fleeing Rabbit was also merged in, and a separate floor was set up. Yunye Media underwent a major shake-up, and the entire atmosphere was completely different.
At the same time, Lu Yunye had people investigate the incidence of Shi Yi being drugged. The IT department restored the surveillance from that day, and in the blurry image, one could see Shi Yi being stopped by Meng Wen, and then accept the inducer spray offered by the other party without any precautions.
“Go ask Meng Wen where the spray bottle is now.” Lu Yunye felt a wave of fear, wondering what consequences they would have to bear if Meng Wen had no conscience and didn’t provide Shi Yi the inhibitor.
“Tell him that the sentence can be reduced if he confesses,” Lu Yunye paused. “And Lu Jingyan will get a heavier sentence.”
Tang Yi nodded clearly, “I’ll ask someone to do it.”
“President Lu, there is one more thing,” she took out another document.
“The property Shi Jinpeng mortgaged to you before has passed the review period. You can dispose of it at will now. What are your plans?”
Lu Yunye pondered. Shi Yi moved out to live by himself early on, and had no interest in Shi Jinpeng’s castle-like villa. “How much did the things inside sell for?”
“Most of the precious antiques, paintings, and furniture were sold to pay off the debt,” Tang Yi reported. “It’s basically empty now, and the remainder are small items of little value.”
“I’ll take a look first.” Lu Yunye took the document detailing the inventory, flipped through it, and then took out his mobile phone to call Shu Wen.
After Shu Wen moved out from the nursing home, he moved into Dr. Shen’s house, a duplex suite with a courtyard on the first floor. When Lu Yunye arrived, he was lying on a rocking chair basking in the sun.
The two cats lay obediently beside his feet, and squinted at him, probably sensing the aura of strangers. When Lu Yunye approached, they looked over vigilantly.
Shen Qing’an was tidying up in the house, and saw him through the floor-to-ceiling glass door. Before he could take off his apron, he put a finger in front of his mouth. “Shh, he just fell asleep.”
Lu Yunye stopped in front of the yard, waiting for Shen Qing’an to open the door. When they passed by the recliner, Shu Wen felt something and opened his eyes.
Shu Wen was wearing warm clothes, and his movements to get up were a little clumsy. “Ah, Xiao Lu is here?”
“Be careful,” Shen Qing’an opened the courtyard door, and then went back to help Shu Wen hold the rocking chair steady. “Yunye, is there something wrong?”
“Shi Jinpeng’s house has been transferred,” Lu Yunye said. “I’m going there today, and wanted to ask Uncle Shu if he wants to come with me.”
Shen Qing’an glanced at Shu Wen with some concern, but heard him say, “Then I’ll go back and have a look. It happens that I have some things I haven’t brought back.”
“Okay, then keep warm.” Dr. Shen went back to the house, took a scarf, gloves, and a cotton cap, and helped him put them on. Finally, he kissed Shu Wen’s nose and said, “Remember to come back and finish your meal.”
“Oi, someone is watching.” Shu Wen pushed him away unnaturally, only to find that Lu Yunye had already left the yard and went outside to start the car.
Like Shi Yi, Shu Wen was cold on the outside and hot on the inside. He’s not good at speaking and was very quiet on the ride over.
Lu Yunye could only find something to say, “Dr. Shen knows how to live.”
Shu Wen raised the corners of his lips slightly. “He is a man with many rules, he is very careful about his diet, and he regularly exercises.”
Although his words were all complaints, his tone was sweet, making Lu Yunye relieved. After all, like Shi Yi, he wanted Shu Wen to find his own happiness.
“Well… How are you and Xiao Yi?” Shu Wen asked.
He already knew about the complete recovery of Shi Yi’s glands, but he also worried about Shi Yi’s thoughts.
After so many years, he couldn’t give Shi Yi the correct guidance like other omega parents. So his child needed to figure out how to be a normal omega in his twenties, instead of during childhood.
“I will take good care of him,” Lu Yunye looked at the road firmly. “I plan to hold a grand wedding in the future.”
“Shi Yi is very lucky to have met you.” Shu Wen said.
“No, don’t say that,” Lu Yunye retorted. “Without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Haven’t you guys only known each other for half a year? Shu Wen was puzzled, but he just shook his head and didn’t ask any further.
The ten-minute journey flew by quickly, and the Shi family’s villa’s original appearance could hardly be seen.
The fence was overrun with weeds due to lack of maintenance, the paint on the gate was scraped off, the fountain was dried up, and the grounds were full of fallen leaves.
Lu Yunye took out his key and opened the door, and was immediately greeted with the smell of dust. Everything inside the villa was labeled, and recorded in the inventory book.
Shu Wen went straight to the second floor, a small windowless room less than 20 square meters, where he lived for more than ten years.
“He had you live here?” Lu Yunye frowned, a little in disbelief. No matter how he looks at it, it is a remodeled storage room. It’s impossible for a villa with a few hundred square meters to have no room to accommodate an omega.
“Because Shi Jinpeng is very sensitive when susceptible, he is afraid of the wind and light and is uncomfortable staying in a spacious place.” Shu Wen said calmly.
Even though he thought he had let go, seeing this place again, he still felt a palpitation in his heart.
Shi Wen bent down, opened the storage compartment under the bed, and dragged out a large box weighing more than ten pounds. The hidden compartment is not easy to detect, so it was not included in the list of items.
Shu Wen took out a small key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, and with a click, the lock opened. Lu Yunye knew that it was all his personal belongings, so he walked out the door consciously.
“Everything is still there,” Shu Wen murmured. “Xiao Yi’s photo is a bit damp.”
Lu Yunye paused, and almost subconsciously said, “What photo, can I have a look?”
“There’s nothing to hide,” Shu Wen waved with a smile. “Come on.”
A heavy old-fashioned photo album was laid out on his lap. The borders were starting to yellow from age, and inside was a thick stack of photos.
Lu Yunye raised his eyes and couldn’t look away. The child in the photo who looked like a milk dumpling and smiled happily was clearly Little Peach!
He focused his eyes and saw the concentric ring pendant on his chest in the photo.
It seems that from this moment on, he finally connected Shi Yi and Little Peach. He never expected the face which had long since faded from memory to be so clear.
Seeing him in a daze, Shu Wen smiled. “This cute picture was taken when he was five years old, and Shi Jinpeng hadn’t… lost so much of his humanity yet.”
He gently stroked the photo with his fingers. “This is the first time I took him out for a spring outing. He was very happy before we set off, but he twisted his foot halfway, and he couldn’t bear to say anything, so he followed us for a few kilometers.”
“When we arrived, his entire ankle was swollen and he couldn’t even take off his shoes.”
Lu Yunye’s heart trembled. How could a young child walk so far after being injured?
“Xiao Yi is also a child of the Shi family, but since he was born, he lived as if his life was dependent on others. He lived carefully, for fear of causing trouble to others.” Shu Wen pressed his hands on the corners of his eyes, already immersed in his memories.
Lu Yunye stood aside calmly and saw different faces of Shi Yi. Happy, awkward, secretly wiping tears, one after another, bringing some long-preserved memories to life.
Finally, there was a picture of Shi Yi in a small suit, smiling excitedly in front of the camera. Shu Wen’s expression softened a bit. “Shi Jinpeng took him to a birthday party, and the pendant was broken when he came back. But Xiao Yi was still very happy, saying that he made a good friend and ate delicious cakes.”
“That was the first time I saw him so happy.”
Lu Yunye’s breath trembled a little, “What kind of pendant is it?”
Shu Wen blinked, as if he felt that his focus was a bit strange, but he rummaged through the box and took out an old jewelry box.
Lu Yunye saw that he opened the box. Inside was the same concentric ring as the one in his hand, except that the jade surface was wider and the diameter was shorter. It looked like an inner ring.
The two of them should be a set.
“This… can you show me?” He asked softly.
Shu Wen was taken aback for a moment, wondering how President Lu could fall in love with such a cheap gadget, but he still handed it over. “I went to the temple to ask Shi Yi for this when he was young, and they said it would bring good luck. It’s nothing special.”
Lu Yunye realized his gaffe, and added, “Oh… Shi Yi mentioned it to me.”
“I thought he forgot about it after he was injured.” Shu Wen’s eyes lit up.
“He remembered some things recently,” Lu Yunye hesitated. “That’s why…”
“Then you take this back,” Shu Wen said. “See if you can help him remember more.”
Even if Shu Wen didn’t say it, Lu Yunye still held the box tightly in his palm. The jade surface was moist and smooth, as if it still carried Xiao Yi’s residual warmth.
Shu Wen didn’t have many belongings in the house. The most important things were all in the trunk under the bed. Before leaving, Lu Yunye turned around again. The villa is big, but the lighting is not good, making it seem a bit gloomy.
It’s definitely not suitable for people to live long term. It’s better to sell or turn it into something.
He moved the suitcase into the cart, and opened the car door for Shu Wen. “Uncle Shu, I want Xiao Yi to come to my house for the New Year this year. Do you want to…”
“I won’t go,” Shu Wen said with a smile. “Young people should be lively and have fun. It’s enough for me and Qing’an to stay in our small courtyard.”
It was almost dusk when they returned. Dr. Shen had finished cooking and was trimming flowers and plants in the yard.
As the sky darkened, the large and small lights twined on the courtyard wall shone brightly, and the aroma of dinner wafted out.
“Do you want to stay for dinner?” Shen Qing’an asked.
Lu Yunye raised the corners of his lips and squeezed the jewelry box in his pocket. “No, Shi Yi is still waiting for me.”
The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but his world is not here.
Lu Yunye returned to the car, turned on his phone, and sent Shi Yi a message: “Boyfriend, change your clothes. Let’s go out on a date.”
Guess where their date is!
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