Chapter 30

It was past midnight, and traffic had slowed considerably. Lu Jiyu sat alone by the flowerbed outside the police station, gazing up at the giant billboard of the shopping mall across the street. A breeze picked up, and kittens, seeking their mother, meowed in the bushes. Lu Jiyu glanced back and met a pair of large, round eyes: a small, fine-looking calico cat.

In fact, he had a pet when he was just in junior high school. It was a German Shepherd given to him by Lu Lin's friend. Lu Lin was a little afraid of dogs and didn't want him to have one at first, but she was away from home all day at that time. With only Lu Jiyu and the nanny at home, Lu Lin couldn't bear it and reluctantly relented.

Lu Jiyu likes this dog very much. It is smart, beautiful and majestic. He has raised it for almost a year. He takes it out for a walk whenever he has time, and also takes it with him when he plays basketball with his friends.

However, later the dog inexplicably bit Lu Lin when he returned home after a three-month business trip. Lu Lin immediately became furious and ordered Lu Jiyu to send the dog away without saying a word.

He was also conflicted. He thought, it was just a bite, wouldn't a few rabies shots be enough? At worst, he could let Lu Lin beat him up to vent his anger. But Lu Jiyu soon figured it out. Thinking back to Lu Lin's hesitant look when he wanted to keep the dog, he suddenly understood: Lu Lin didn't like dogs, he never had.

So even if he reluctantly kept the dog this time, she would always find a chance to send it away in the future.

Because Lu Jiyu was only twelve years old at the time, he had no choice.

The little Sanhua seemed to be very outgoing. Lu Jiyu just hooked his finger at it out of boredom, and the next second it came up and rubbed against his trouser leg.

Lu Jiyu rested his elbows on his knees, hunched over and lowered his head. His well-defined back looked a little lonely in the night wind.

"It's no use rubbing against me. There's nothing on my body that you can eat." He reluctantly retracted his feet, but the human-cat was indomitable and kept chasing him all the way, meowing non-stop.

Lu Jiyu finally turned his overalls pockets upside down in front of it. There was really nothing inside except a cell phone and a pack of tissues. He looked up and saw that the mall had been closed for a long time, and there was nothing nearby that looked like a store.

He was at his wit's end, and feeling a bit playful, he took the initiative to put his left index finger close to the kitten's mouth and scratched its soft whiskers twice: "If you really want to get rid of your anger, how about I let you take a bite?"

The words were said in a joking tone, but the mentality was serious.

Little Sanhua sniffed his fingers curiously, back and forth, left and right. When Lu Jiyu was almost about to lose his patience, it suddenly stuck out its tongue and licked Lu Jiyu's fingers.

"You're teasing cats and dogs again. Looks like you're in a good mood?" The sound of high heels hitting the floor tiles startled the kitten. It looked up and quickly glanced in the direction Lu Lin was coming from, then turned around and quickly hid in the grass.

The place licked by the cat felt wet and sticky. Lu Jiyu put his wrists on his knees, spread his hands upwards, and slightly opened his five fingers, just like a beggar.

He didn't expect Lu Lin to come so quickly.

Lu Jiyu glanced at the black Mercedes parked across the street in the night, and couldn't help but kindly remind Lu Lin: "You are not allowed to park here casually."

Lu Lin sneered: "Then the fine will be on you."

"And Lu Jiyu, you are really capable." Lu Lin stood in front of Lu Jiyu with his arms folded. She had just gone to another place for a meeting. After the meeting, she originally wanted to stay overnight in the local area, but she received a call from Cheng Xiang in the middle of the night and had to rush back.

"Why are you fighting with others?" Lu Lin was really curious. After all, she knew Lu Jiyu to some extent. This man had done a lot of bad things since he was a child, but he would never do stupid things like joining a group fight and getting killed.

Lu Jiyu stared at the long shadow that Lu Lin dragged on the ground, smiled softly, and looked up at her: "I really didn't fight. If you don't believe me, go to the police station and ask the police. I am an eyewitness and a righteous passerby."

Lu Lin couldn't stand it any longer and raised his hand to hit him. Lu Jiyu pretended to turn his head aside and said, "If Cheng Xiang's driver hadn't come forward, I would have been waiting for you outside the emergency room of the hospital."

When Lu Lin received Cheng Xiang's call, he honestly felt quite complicated. For so many years, Lu Jiyu had lived with Lu Lin and had rarely contacted relatives in the capital. On the one hand, Lu Lin was still holding a grudge, angry that they had looked down on his brother and his family, so he was unwilling to contact them. On the other hand, he was also worried that Lu Jiyu would one day come to her senses and go back to live with them. She always knew that even though her business had been booming over the years and she could hear people calling her "Mr. Lu" wherever she went in Nanyuan City, her wealth and strength were still a little lacking compared to those in the capital.

"I'm really not stupid, okay? If I hadn't seen my Uncle Li, I would have run away long ago." Lu Jiyu had already received Cheng Xiang's message when the fat man deliberately bumped into him. With help, he naturally became unscrupulous.

"Then I should praise you for being smart?" Lu Lin was too lazy to argue with him and glanced at him sideways: "You are so smart that you don't listen to a word I say."

"I didn't refuse to listen to a single word."

"Last time you told me to get out, didn't I just obediently pack up my things and get out overnight?"

Speaking of this, Lu Lin became even more angry: "After the college entrance examination, when you understand all the nonsense, move back here quickly."

She reached out to grab Lu Jiyu's hand, but the latter dodged for an inexplicable moment. Lu Lin immediately became suspicious and took his left hand to examine it. He saw a large swelling on his right wrist.

Lu Lin couldn't help but raise his voice: "Didn't you say there was no fight? And no beating?"

＊

"No - definitely not." It was eleven o'clock when Jiang Wan got home. It was almost two o'clock now, and she was still tossing and turning in bed, not feeling sleepy.

So she simply sat up and took out her cell phone to search Baidu.

What happens if your arm is hit by a glass bottle?

In the chaos, the fat man had taken advantage and thrown a beer bottle at Jiang Wan. It was about to hit her, but Lu Jiyu blocked it with his hand. The bottle smashed to the ground, scattering shards everywhere. Jiang Wan had wanted to ask about his hand, as it was his right hand that had been hit. But then the police arrived, and in the chaos, the troublemakers were pinned to the ground. Lu Jiyu exchanged a glance with Zhou Zifang, and Jiang Wan was dragged away by Li Mu and Zhou Zifang, one on each side. She didn't bother to ask.

On the way, Zhou Zifang saw that Jiang Wan didn't look very good, so he gave him a tactful explanation.

"Don't worry, Lu Jiyu is fine. The person who stood up for him just now was from his grandmother's family."

"His grandmother's family will take care of everything for him from now on. Besides, you can't blame him for this, right? It's all caused by others."

Jiang Wan wasn't worried about Lu Jiyu getting into trouble; he seemed like the type who was good at avoiding trouble. She had also heard from Chen Meiyu that Lu Jiyu had some pretty powerful relatives in the capital.

She didn't care how powerful he was. The only thing that bothered her was Lu Jiyu's hand. After all, he was hit because he blocked the blow for her.

But he never replied to the WeChat messages she sent him.

＊

Lu Jiyu went to the hospital yesterday to have his wrist treated briefly, and then was taken back to his original home by Lu Lin to stay for one night.

The nanny hadn't seen him in a long time and was almost moved to tears. She surrounded him, asked him how he was doing, made a bowl of sweet soup, and waited until he finished drinking it before letting him go to bed. Before leaving, she didn't forget to whisper in Lu Jiyu's ear: "I haven't seen Mr. Lu smile like this in a long time. Xiaolu, I say you should move back home soon."

Three question marks flashed through Lu Jiyu’s mind.

From the time Lu Lin entered the door to the time she went upstairs, Lu Jiyu had never seen her show any expression that resembled a smile, except for rolling her eyes at him three times and calling him crazy at the entrance.

So he kindly advised the nanny to buy a new pair of reading glasses when she had time.

Lu Jiyu couldn't sleep that night, either because of the aching arm or the rice dumplings with Longjing wine his nanny had cooked for him. It wasn't until around 4 or 5 a.m., just as dawn was breaking, that he finally managed to fall asleep. When he woke up again, it was already 1 p.m.

There was no one at home. There was cold breakfast left on the dining table and a handwritten note from the nanny asking for leave - the child at home had beaten someone in kindergarten and she needed to go home urgently to deal with it.

The living room was empty, with only the clock ticking.

Lu Jiyu sat at the dining table, facing the pot of cold porridge, and time seemed to have gone back to the past.

Regardless of whether there was a nanny or not, Lu Jiyu always ate dinner alone in his memory. He moved from an old and dilapidated house in the city to a large flat in the city center. Everything around him was changing and getting better, but the person at the table was always himself.

But he also knew he already had everything he needed, and that holding onto such a small point was truly hypocritical. Everyone has their share of hardships and difficulties in life.

This is how he persuaded himself, and he always managed to keep himself well. But one day, he saw a post on the school forum by another student. The content was about his popular science, and the title of the post was quite sensational.

——A few things I must say about that boy whose parents have both passed away and who got into our school through the backdoor.

He was bored so he clicked on it and took a few glances, but he didn't see any gossip about himself. Instead, he saw other people's sympathy for him, or pity mixed with jealousy.

However, the post was quickly deleted.

Lu Jiyu told Cheng Xiang that he didn't mind at all, but how could he possibly be? He knew the delicate balance between his two families, and there were many times when he had no choice but to meet everyone's expectations. Fortunately, he did manage to do his best. But he also doubted himself, wondering if only Lu Jiyu was worthy of attention and love.

He always remembered what his mother said to him when she was alive: Family members should sacrifice for each other and fulfill each other. I hope you understand this truth, but I don't hope you will understand it one day.

After he finished his breakfast, he cleaned up the pots and pans, then took a taxi back to Luoying Lane. During this time, Lu Lin sent him a WeChat message asking if he was awake, but Lu Jiyu read it but didn't reply.

On the way there, Lu Jiyu called Cheng Xiang.

He took a private car, the driver was neatly dressed, and the car smelled normal. He wasn't a pampered person, and usually spent money sparingly, but after a few consecutive encounters with smelly cars, Lu Jiyu realized he couldn't afford to be frugal.

Cheng Xiang answered the phone very quickly.

"Just woke up?"

"Yes. Please thank Uncle Li for what happened yesterday. I was impulsive and got him hurt."

Cheng Xiang heard his voice was a little low and he sounded listless. She remembered that the driver Li Zhi had mentioned this to her when he came back yesterday. There was a girl at the scene at that time and he was hit by a wine bottle in order to protect her.

"How's your hand? Have you been to the hospital?"

"The doctor said there's nothing wrong." Lu Jiyu said casually as he looked at the passing scenery outside the window.

Having said that, both sides were silent for a while.

Cheng Xiang took a sip of water on the other end of the phone and continued, "Doesn't your aunt know about your future plans yet?"

Lu Jiyu wondered, what did she mean by not knowing? How could someone as smart as Lu Lin not understand Lu Jiyu's thoughts, especially after he repeatedly rejected all her arrangements.

It’s not that Lu Lin doesn’t know, she just doesn’t want to know. She just wants to arrange Lu Jiyu’s life according to her own wishes.

But no matter what, this is a matter between Lu Jiyu and Lu Lin.

"I'll explain it to her clearly. You don't have to worry about this matter."

Cheng wanted to fully respect Lu Jiyu's position in saying this, and the two of them talked a few more words before hanging up the phone.

The driver dropped Lu Jiyu off at the alley entrance. After paying, he looked up and his eyes happened to see the glass door of Rosen at the alley entrance. A man with a particularly slumped figure was reflected in the glass door.

Lu Jiyu pushed the door open and went in to buy a cup of coffee, then turned and walked into the alley.

Today was the weekend, and the alley was busier than usual. Seeing parents coming and going with their children to cram school, Lu Jiyu suddenly remembered that Jiang Wan's studio had been closed for a few days. Zhou Zifang had also asked Chen Meiyun about this, and it seemed that Jiang Wan's father had gone on a trip and had left the studio to Jiang Wan, who had been absent-minded.

Thinking of Jiang Wan, Lu Jiyu couldn't help but think of the scene after the police arrived yesterday.

Although Uncle Li was outnumbered six, he was a professional after all, so dealing with a few thugs was no problem for him. So when the police arrived, the situation was still under control.

Except for the fat man in the middle who was angry with Lu Jiyu and launched a sneak attack, he was kicked in the chest and lay on the ground for a long time. When he woke up, he picked up a wine bottle on the table and threw it towards Jiang Wan. Lu Jiyu was standing next to her and raised his hand to block it for her.

Fragments flew everywhere, splashing onto Chen Wulin behind Jiang Wan. She heard the sound of a police car and hurriedly turned back to say to Chen Wulin, "The police are coming, hurry up."

Lu Jiyu heard every word clearly, it was like thunder in his ears, so the next second he deliberately turned his head away from Jiang Wan who seemed to be hesitant to say something to him, and asked Zhou Zifang and Li Mu to send Jiang Wan away first.

Jiang Wan didn't move or leave at first, but just looked at Lu Jiyu straight.

The two of them stood in a strange standoff for a few seconds, and it was Zhou Zizai who stepped aside to act as a peacemaker: "It's better to have less trouble than more, and it's better to save one less person than one more. There's nothing fun in the police station. Let's go first. Ji Yu can handle the rest of the journey."

The pain in Lu Jiyu's arm began to become more pronounced, but he chose to remain silent.

Today's coffee seemed to have too much water in it, making it rather bland. Lu Jiyu drank half a cup and didn't want to drink anymore. As he passed the studio, he habitually glanced into the closed door.

He knew she hadn't been living here lately.

But Lu Jiyu still looked inside intently for a while as if he had lost his soul.

Until, on the second floor, in front of his house, a familiar girl's voice suddenly came.

"Hello, are you looking for me?"