Lu Bai didn't have the time to tell him that an unexpected mishap occurred while the new company was trying to win over the new project when Mao Bei called him over to resolve the incident. He relently rushed over, but would've guessed that in that time, Chu Hua went to find Zhan Yu and spoke rudely to him. He looked at the video on Weibo and felt anger rising from within him. He just wanted to immediately head over to see how Zhan Yu was feeling.
If the lights weren't on, did that mean Zhan Yu didn't know yet? It's good that Zhan Yu didn't. He will clean up the mess before Zhan Yu wakes up. Lu Bai suddenly shook his head and bitterly laughed. Zhan Yu was someone that could even endure people bullying him, but he also discovered that Zhan Yu didn't seem to really care about anything in particular. Since the ancient times, people said 'one is mighty without any desires'. Is it because of this that Zhan Yu didn't really place his own heart on anything, besides his work? Where was his bottom line? He couldn't seem to guess it.
When Lu Bai was abroad, he also asked himself: why must he choose Zhan Yu? What's good about him? After thinking about it, he couldn't find anything about Zhan Yu that was bad. Maybe the only bad thing about Zhan Yu was that he had a heart of stone regarding him. He thought: since he subconsciously started to care about Zhan Yu, why not care for Zhan Yu until the end?
Regarding the fact that Zhan Yu didn't like him - He had time and ways to make sure Zhan Yu will end up liking him anyway. When Lu Bai came to this conclusion, his phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.
"Hello?"
"A Bai?" A soft voice gently said the name.
"You are?"
"A Bai, I am Chu Hua. I want to explain to you what happened on Weibo...A Bai, can I meet you?"
Lu Bai's slender fingers softly knocked against the steering wheel. He sneered quietly and said, "I only have half an hour."
When he drove into the neighborhood, he noticed that some reporters were around. He already ordered for Assistant Wang to dismiss them. In the morning, he planned to bring Zhan Yu to work. When Lu Bsi arrived at the meeting place, he saw Chu Hua sitting gracefully on the seat, wearing a white dress. Yet, there was no one in the brightly lit restaurant. Lu Bai glanced around while Chu Hua who was originally disappointed looked ecstatically at him when he arrived. She gently explained, "I know you don't like outsiders present so I had the manager clear the third floor."
Lu Bai just slightly peered at her before he sat down. Chu Hua looked tenderly at his handsome face and she called him, "A Bai..."
"Miss Chu, we haven't seen each other for a long time. It's better to call me Mr. LU."
"A Bai..."
Chu Hua felt awkward and hurriedly said, "Are you angry at me for going abroad for my studies and leaving anything behind? A Bai, I have my own difficulties as well. Plus, didn't I tell you about it back then? I went abroad for the two of us! You hadn't urged me to stay either. Now, are you going to blame me?"
"It's Miss Chu's business if you want to go abroad. I have no right to ask about it." Lu Bai looked expressionlessly at her teary face. He continued, "But I do want to advise Miss Chu that although Zhan Yu looks like he is easy to bully, when he wants to scratch someone with his claws, it can be very sharp. For the sake of giving Mo Bei some respect, I will just consider Miss Chu to be a blind person. If this happens again, you should believe that I won't let this go as easily next time. Of course, Zhan Qiancheng obviously wouldn't let outsiders bully his brother."
Lu Bai didn't even look at Chu Hua's pale face as he stood up. He said faintly, "Miss Chu, that's all I have to say."
Chu Hua frantically stood up and bumped her thigh against the edge of the table. She was in pain for a few seconds and felt the area numbing, but she couldn't attend to it. She hurriedly went up to stop Lu Bai, "A Bai, who do you take me to be? I went abroad for you and endured all these years outside. I finally returned and became famous. How could you...how could..." She couldn't help but to weep and unable to form her words.
"Right, I already forgot." Lu Bai pushed the hand she placed on his arm off and said, "All these years, I already forgot what should be forgotten. Chu Hua, if you didn't go abroad, maybe we would've had a chance together since I had some feelings for you. What a pity that you were overly confident."
Chu Hua shook her head, "No, I don't believe it. You like me. The feeling of liking someone can't disappear that easily. A Bai, I have been abroad all these years and struggled so much and the only reason that kept me going was the longing for you. I don't believe that you're ruthless. I don't believe it..." Chu Hua's tears fell down like rain.
Yet, Lu Bai looked elsewhere and said slowly, "Zhan Yu is right. You should know what's best for you."
After Lu Bai left, Chu Hua cried heart-wrenchingly. How come she had no time to prepare for all these changes when she returned to the country?! Right, Zhan Yu. Shi Shi was right about Zhan Yu. He was the change! He shouldn't be like this! Shouldn't be!
Lu Bai called his assistant after he left the restaurant. Then, he immediately drove over to Zhan Yu's neighborhood and hadn't forgotten to buy breakfast for the two of them.
Zhan Yu woke up around six and he carefully opened a corner of the curtains to peek outside the door. He didn't notice anything abnormal. Could Xia Qiao be overly anxious? Maybe the reporters aren't that curious about him? Zhan Yu couldn't explain where exactly he felt like it was wrong. But his instinct told him that it wasn't normal. After he rinsed himself and changed his clothes, the doorbell rang. Zhan Yu alarmingly asked who it was. Who knew he would hear Lu Bai's deep voice say, "It's me, open the door."
Why did he come?! Zhan Yu was about to keep the door shut on Lu Bai , when Lu Bai continued to say, "If you don't want to let me in, it's ok too. When the reporters chase you up here, I'll just tell them that we are about to get married..."
"Lu Bai, you're purposefully causing me trouble!" Zhan Yu fiercely opened the door, showering him with scoldings.
Lu Bai didn't mind Zhan Yu's tone. After he openly walked in with breakfast, he leisurely looked at Zhan Yu's apartment. Hm, it's clean and organized. Zhan Yu seems like someone who can tidy up the house. Lu Bai placed the breakfast on the coffee table then turned around to look at Zhan Yu. Seeing that he wore a white chiffon long sleeves, Zhan Yu said, "It's a bit cold outside in the morning. Remember to wear a jacket when you go out."
"Heh, Lu Bai, what are you doing?"
"I'm hungry. Let's eat breakfast. Where's the dining table?"
"President Lu, my house is small and can't provide your needs. If you want to eat, go to your own place to do so."
Lu Bai didn't wait for Zhan Yu's response and went to find the dining table. He placed the breakfast on top and began to untie the bag. "I haven't slept last night. Stop saying things to anger me."
"How does you not sleeping last night have anything to do with me? I...uh..."
Zhan Yu who stood a bit from the sofa was about to dismiss him when he bumped into Lu Bai who was heading over from the dining table.
Lu Bai had restrained his anger for the past few days regarding Zhan Yu's stubborn attitude. Now that he heard Zhan Yu's mockery and sarcasm, he had the impulse to shut Zhan Yu's mouth up. As he thought of this, his body was very honest and actually did so. He pulled Zhan Yu in his arms by Zhan Yu's thin slim waist and held onto the back of Zhan Yu's head with his other hand. He harshly bit down on Zhan Yu's soft lips. Zhan Yu just rinsed his mouth so there was a faint mint scent. Lu Bai firmly kissed Zhan Yu and felt Zhan Yu's limbs struggling violently in the meanwhile. Zhan Yu even lifted his knee, wanting to knock against his lower half. Good thing that he was agile and quickly restrained Zhan Yu's foot with one foot. He laughed helplessly, "Well, you're quite harsh!"
"Not as harsh as you and Chu Hua! Both of you guys are sneaky which makes a perfect match."
Lu Bai lowered his head to see Zhan Yu's red and plumps lips from him kissing it. Zhan Yu's cheeks were flushed and he was glaring with his big and watery eyes at him.
Lu Bai shivered from Zhan Yu's look. His gaze landed on Zhan Yu's lips for a while and he pressed the wing of his nose against Zhan Yu's small nose. He laughed, "You can't be nice for once."
"I'm too lazy to argue with you, Lu Bai. You better let me go."
"I naturally will let you go. I'll do it later." As Lu Bai said this, he pushed Zhan Yu down against the sofa and accurately captured his lips. He began to attack him. When Zhan Yu got his freedom back, he felt like he was unable to breathe normally. When he finally adjusted his breathing, he saw Lu Bai smoothing his (Zhan Yu's) hair. Without thinking, Zhan Yu slapped Lu Bai's hand away and asked sternly, "I can take it as an accident the first time, but what about this time Lu Bai? Do you want me to find an excuse for you and say that you can't help yourself?"
"Indeed, I can't help myself. But, why do I need an excuse? Do I need a reason when I want to kiss someone?"
"Leave me alone!" Zhan Yu immediately stood up and pointed at the door. He said firmly, "Quickly leave!"
"I'm too tired. I'll borrow your bed to sleep after breakfast."
"Lu Bai, can you not be so shameless?"
"I'm only shameless to you."
Zhan Yu was speechless.
Bastard.
Zhan Yu looked at Lu Bai and sneered, "Will I need to think of ways to repay President Lu for breakfast?" he still remembered clearly what happened in A College.
Lu Bai looked up and shook his head. "I noticed that you're only defensive with me. Can you not gauge the heart of a gentleman with your own measures?"
Zhan Yu laughed. "I don't dare. I'm scared that I won't even know how I died in the end."
Lu Bai scrunched his eyebrows at this. He didn't like Zhan Yu mentioning death at all. Why did Zhan Yu always feels like Zhan Yu will die a violent death? The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Lu Bai was about to talk when he heard the doorbell ringing. Zhan Yu looked at him before walking to the door. Zhan Yu inquired who it was as usual, and it was Xia Qiao. Zhan Yu heard his (Xia Qiao) voice and opened the door for him. When Lu Bai heard 'Xia Qiao', his gaze darkened and he unbuttoned the buttons on his shirt.
When Xia Qiao walked in, before he could say anything, he heard Lu Bai's voice. "Host Xia is pretty early."
When Xia Qiao realized that there was a another man in Zhan Yu's house, he couldn't help but be shocked when he saw the disheveled Lu Bai. Lu Bai received Xia Qiao's shocked gaze and suddenly realized something. Calmly, he said sorry then buttoned up the buttons on his shirt with his slender and white fingers.
Zhan Yu was surprised at Xia Qiao's reaction so he looked at Lu Bai. He was at a lack of words. "You..."
"I already told you not to unbutton it before, but you insisted. See, now you're letting others get a laugh out of it." Lu Bai glanced at Zhan Yu and said helplessly with an affectionate voice.
"Lu Bai, you..." Zhan Yu's outlook of the world refreshed again. Lu Bai, no one could be as good as you in being shameless.
Xia Qiao's surprised gaze landed on Zhan Yu's face to see his flushed cheeks. His lips were a different shade of red as well. They had gotten much closer with each other while he wasn't paying attention? Zhan Yu moved in with Lu Bai? Xia Qiao was uncomfortable with this piece of knowledge. He tried his best to ignore this feeling and said to Zhan Yu, "Although I didn't see any reporters on my way up, it's better to be careful..."
Lu Bai added on the side, "There won't be any reporters. I had people handle this already."
"President Lu, you..."
"Host Xia, I can protect my own man. Thank you for your concern."
Xia Qiao was speechless and he looked at Zhan Yu, "What do you plan to do today?"
"Go to work as usual." Zhan Yu said. "After all, I can't delay my work due to some boring video."
"Boring?" Lu Bai was the one who repeated the words.
Lu Bai really resented Zhan Yu's actions. Chu Hua dared to diss Zhan Yu like that and Zhan Yu could still act like it was nothing and say it was boring?
"I will handle this." Lu Bai said.
"If you don't handle your own man, who are you expecting to do so?" Zhan Yu retorted in confidence. Once he finished his words, one person was happily surprised while the other was stunned. He then realized what was wrong with his words and hurriedly explained, "I was referring to Chu Hua not me! Lu Bai, you better handle her. Don't let any cats and dogs just appear on my face."
[meaning - disturb or come in the way]
Lu Bai chuckled and smiled then he said, "Ok."
Zhan Yu felt like there was something wrong with Lu Bai'd smile. What was he smiling at?
Conveniently, the driver sent by Zhan Qiancheng arrived too. He said that he was supposed to bring Zhan Yu home and Zhan Yu felt that his brother was overly worried. So, he said to Zhan Qiangcheng's assistant, "I can't leave right now. After I finish the work in my hands, I will go back to visit my parents in a few days. Nevermind. I'll just call my brother and tell him."
"Young master, President Zhan ordered for me to make sure you return to Shengjin City safely."
"I will be careful."
"Young master..."
"I will talk to my brother. Sorry for the trouble." After Zhan Yu finished hiswords, he continued, "I will be going to work." Since it was still early in the morning, it's safer to leave right now.
"I will bring you." Lu Bai and Xia Qiao looked at each other as they simultaneously said the same words.
Zhan Yu detected the strange gaze between the two of them and he hurriedly explained, "It's fine. It's easier if I drive. Xia Qiao, thank you." Once he was done speaking, he ignored Lu Bai.
Lu Bai said to himself, "You won't need to say thank you to your family." He slightly raised his chin to look proudly at Xia Qiao.
Xia Qiao felt uncomfortable. Do they really have an unusual relationship?
When Zhan Yu was about to leave, Lu Bai forcibly shoved the breakfast in his hands. Zhan Yu was unwilling to accept but he said, "You must finish this under my watch. You can choose whether to eat in the car or in the office."
Zhan Yu clenched his teeth but accepted it in the end. When he walked out the door with Xia Qiao, he just remembered something. "President Lu, please leave after you're done eating and close the door for me on your way out. I won't ask for the fee for staying in my house. In the future, you should eat somewhere else. Please cooperate with me."
Lu Bai's face darkened as Zhan Yu said the words.
Once Xia Qiao watched as the door closed, Zhan Yu clearly became ecstatic. He asked, "You're very happy?"
"Yes, didn't you see his face? Hah, it's so satisfying. I finally won him."
"Heh." Xia Qiao felt his heart gradually becoming bitter as he looked at Zhan Yu's radiant and delighted expression.
Zhan Yu was very busy today. When he buried himself in his laptop and prepared a draft, he noticed his colleagues would intentionally stop and sneak a few glances at him while they passed by. After a few times, Zhan Yu felt like his work efficiency was seriously affected by this. He suddenly raised his head to see a female colleague standing in front of him and observing him. The female colleague watched as he raised his head and she smiled at him, continuing to stare.
Zhan Yu was a bit irritated, "What's the matter with you guys today? Why are you guys looking at me?"
"We're curious!" The female colleague moved closer to Zhan Yu and said, "Xiao Yu, are you and Lu Company's Lu Bai together?"
Zhan Yu was speechless. "No, where did you hear this from?"
"From yesterday's video. Didn't you say that he likes you?" That female colleague was confused.
"Is there any direct relationship with him liking me and the two of us being together?"
"Yes!" That colleague hurriedly explained. "If you're with him, then if we want to make an appointment with Lu Bai for news, it will definitely be easier. How would we still have trouble calling him right now then? Plus, if you're with him, then we're keeping him with us, instead of letting someone else have him! So, Xiao Yu, you must try your hardest!"
Zhan Yu was speechless. "What?"
This morning, his work efficiency was really slower than what he anticipated. Zhan Yu didn't have any appetite when he ate in the dining hall in the afternoon. He was focused on thinking about something when he heard a familiar voice, "Mr. Zhan is right. I am indeed pursuing after him right now."
"What?" Zhan Yu turned around and looked at the crystal TV in the middle of the dining hall. In the middle of the screen, wasn't that young man wearing a gray suit, Lu Bai?
What was he doing? Didn't Lu Bai dislike showing his face on the media? Zhan Yu knitted his eyebrows and his instinct told him that something bad was about to happen.
As expected, Lu Bai continued, "I held this news conference to announce two things. First, Miss Chu, Chu Hua, and I are not in a relationship. Second, I am pursuing the Host Zhan, Zhan Yu. But, I haven't completed my mission. Hopefully everyone won't pressure him. Thank you." Once Lu Bai finished this, he slightly bowed to express his gratitude. Then, he directly left and without paying attention to the reporters and friends. The eager reporters excitedly threw question after question at him, but they were stopped in their tracks by Assistant Wang and the others.
Zhan Yu, who was stunned momentarily, suddenly detected his colleagues' gazes on him; some of them were familiar to him while there were some whom he didn't know. Zhan Yu hurriedly covered his face with his hand and escaped from the scene, not even having the time to eat. He was scared that he would be pestered endlessly by his colleagues with questions. Zhan Yu left the dining hall and turned a corner by the stairs. He was about to call Lu Bai when he saw the caller ID. Director's call? Did something significant happen? He just picked up when the Director asked, "Host Zhan, did you eat yet? We're planning to head out so let's go out for lunch." The confused Zhan Yu agreed to eat out with them. When the meal was about to end, he heard the Director say, "In the future, if we need President Lu's help, we are going to trouble Host Zhan to give a good word for us in front of President Lu."
Zhan Yu said, "Director, you're being too polite..." He finally understood the 'hidden meaning' behind this meal.
Zhan Yu was really speechless with today's events. What made him even more shocked was how the lights were still on at home when s
he tiredly returned and was about to take off his high sneeker shoes. He was shocked and he straightened his back to look inside. He stared at Lu Bai who stood in the middle of the living hall wearing black pajamas. He asked naturally, "You're off work?"
Zhan Yu was speechless.
Wait!
He hurriedly interrogated Lu Bai, "Why are you in my house?! Wait no, how do you have the key to my house?!" Hee clearly saw him attending a news conference in the afternoon. That meant he left, so how could he still come in?
Lu Bai pointed at his shoe cabinet and said as though it wasn't his fault, "You placed a backup key in the left drawer of the shoe cabinet."
Black lines fell down Zhan Yu's forehead. "LU BAI, do you know that you're trespassing my home like this?!"
"Why don't you go and sue me? I want to see which police officer will care about the grudges of a married couple." Lu Bai said with smirk on his face.
"Who's married to you? Don't lie through your teeth!" Zhan Yu irritated by Lu Bai said.
"I did everything that I should already. I already made it known to millions and millions of audience that I was going to pursue you. How are we not a couple? Even if we aren't right now, we will be in the future." Lu Bai smiled shamelessly.
"Heh, you're too confident." Zhan Yu replied.
"No, I'm just discussing the matter as it stands." Lu Bai said while shrugging his shoulders.
"I don't care. Give me the key." Zhan Yu said.
"You want the key that is in my pocket? Then, come and get it yourself." Lu Bai chuckled.
Zhan Yu ran out of words again. He really couldn't win, Lu Bai who was too shameless. Zhan Yu directly shooed him out the door. His temple hurts from being angry. Lu Bai knocked on the door a couple of times. Seeing that Zhan Yu really won't open the door for him, he was able to take out the backup key to open the door when he received a call from Zhuang Zhu.
"A Bai, let's go out to eat! Bring sister-in-law as well!"
Lu Bai answered in irritation. "I don't have time and I'm not in Sheng Jin City."
"I know, I know. So, I came to A City. Quickly come. I'm waiting for you!"
Zhuang Zhu waited a good half an hour before he saw Lu Bai. But, it was just him.
Zhuang Zhu was confused, "Where's sister/brother-in-law? How come I don't see ?"
"Is Zhan Yu someone you can easily see?" Lu Bai glanced at him.
Zhuang Zhu immediately responded in an exaggerated tone, "Oh my! The fact that you treasure Zhan Yu so much... are you still the Lu Bai I know?"
"If you can't speak normally, then leave!" Lu Bai.
"Can I not even joke around?" Zhuang Zhu continued to make fun of him, "I especially came over from Sheng Jin City to see our sister-in-law who could make our President Lu confess in front of the media!"
"Leave." Lu Bai knew that this news conference will probably be a joke amongst Zhuang Zhu and the rest of them for a long time.
Zhuang Zhu didn't make a big deal out of this and he continued to say enthusiastically, "Well, you're not interested in the Chu woman. That is as expected. She's Mo Bei's type and you guys don't even look like a couple together. But, I don't understand. Back then, when Mo Bei was back, how come you didn't deny that the Chu woman was your girlfriend? Aren't you afraid that sister-in-law will misunderstand?"
Lu Bai hadn't explained before because he purposefully had the intention of making Mo Bei worried and anxious. He knew that Mo Bei had feelings for Chu Hua. How could he let Mo Bei successfully gain the woman he loved before when his own path to pursuing his man was full of obstacles? Humph, it's best to have a partner.
When Zhuang Zhu saw that he wasn't responding, he asked again, "How are you so sure that sister-in-law won't reject you because he misunderstood your relationship with that Chu woman?"
"Heh. In short, I won't let him escape."
Not only had Zhuang Zhu come to A City, Mo Bei did too.
Mo Bei looked at the expressionless Chu Hua at the hotel and he couldn't help but be angry, "He made it so obvious. Are you going to continue this and head towards the wrong path?"
Chu Hua bitterly laughed. "If I don't head on the wrong path, what else can I do? Mo Bei, I had persisted and tried my best for him all these years. Now that I made myself famous and well-known, he is no longer mine. Are you going to make me give up right now? I can't convince myself to. I can't."
"If you can't do it, what do you plan to do? Intervene between the two of them and become the mistress?"
Chu Hua never thought that Mo Bei, who had always obedient to her, would say something like this. She reacted intensely and stood up to argue with Mo Bei, "Who's the mistress?! Who! Lu Bai is mine! Zhan Yu was the one who seduced Lu Bai while I was abroad! It's Zhan Yu!"
Mo Bei's reaction, compared to hers, was basically two different extremes. He sat calmly on the gray single person sofa and said emotionlessly, "Chu Hua, you always think that the best should belong to yours. It's the same for clothes, career, and even love. You want Lu Bai but did you ask about his opinion? I just remembered that you probably didn't even ask him if he liked you before you went abroad, right?" As expected, her face turned worse when Mo Bei asked her that. He mocked himself for being stupid. He was actually fooled by Lu Bai and Chu Hua! He calmed down and said meaningfully, "Chu Hua, if he could say that publicly during a news conference, it proves that he doesn't have you in his heart. Why must you lie to yourself?!"
"I'm not lying to myself!" Chu Hua said loudly. "Lu Bwi is supposed to mine. I just went abroad and now, everything changed. Mo Bei, this shouldn't be the case! This shouldn't be!"
"Time can change a lot of things. Chu Hua, give up. Lu Bai likes Zhan Yu."
"No! No! It's not my style to just give up without trying. At least, I won't feel ashamed if I fail after trying."
Mo Bei stared at her determined expression and he suddenly laughed. "Chu Hua, what about me? Who do you take me to be? You think that I would just stupidly wait here for you, no matter how far you walk off to, just like Lu Bai?"
"Mo Bei, didn't we say that we won't mention that matter again?"
Mo Bei laughed helplessly. "Yes, I won't mention it because I'm always the one investing in this. Chu Hua, sometimes I would ask myself, why am I doing all of this for you? But, maybe after a few years, this question wouldn't be as important anymore."
"Mo Bei..."
"I'm just worried for you. Seeing that you have the spirit once again, I think I don't need to stay here anymore. I still need to return to Shengjin City to handle some matters. I'll be going now."
"Mo Bei..." Chu Hua stared at his lonely silhouette and didn't know what to say for some time.
To be continued...