Chapter 91 Chapter 91

Many partings are sudden and unexpected and are only realized after a while.

An Jiyue had thought that her farewell to Lu Ye at the airport was just an interlude, barely a pause. Yet, by some strange twist of fate, it became their last meeting in the long years to come.

Xu Mu had also believed that his own director, An, was incredibly talented and dedicated, and that his promotion to director group leader would surely produce even more hits and hold a bright future. However, he was surprised that less than a week after the promotion email was sent, An Jiyue had already initiated the resignation process.

Xu Mu continued to ask, "Why?"

He didn't believe the reason written on the resignation application such as "temporarily suspending work to adjust status", nor did he believe the rumor that "Director An is moving to City S to live with Lu Ye".

Director An would never be in love - all the colleagues who participated in the recording of the program "Last Day Lovers" firmly believed this.

Xu Mu guessed: "Are you going to switch jobs and find a better position elsewhere?"

Xu Mu asked again: "Or do you plan to go it alone?"

An Jiyue smiled faintly, remaining noncommittal. Xu Mu's intuition was half right; she was indeed planning her own show. Perhaps a self-media platform, perhaps a documentary.

Producing programs in large studios, with their professional teams and equipment, is of course much smoother. Creating hits is easy, but the core of most programs still revolves around entertaining the public, lacking much in the way of self-expression.

Deep down, An Jiyue didn't want to keep doing this kind of program.

But this wasn't the direct reason for her resignation. What truly made her decide was her father's limited life. Yue Hui had already arranged for Amber to be transferred to another hospital. City S had the closest and best medical resources, which would help him pass his final journey as comfortably as possible.

The temple and nunnery where Amber and Chen Xian practiced were not far from City S. An Jiuyue wanted to stay with her father and take some time to visit her mother more often.

On An Jiyue's last day at Huayi, the Interactive Entertainment team held a farewell ceremony for her. The young and energetic Interactive Entertainment team members showed no signs of parting, but beamed with smiles, as if they were the ones resigning.

Everyone raised their banners and shouted out their resignation declaration for An Jiyue:

"Pretty baby quit!"

An Jiyue, who had been preoccupied recently, smiled for the first time, waved goodbye to her colleagues, and blew kisses to them.

An Jiyue lived a peaceful life.

The weather in City S isn't as scorching as in City P, but the pace is just as intense. The air conditioners hum all day, releasing steam that licks at everyone navigating the city.

She would go to the hospital to accompany Amber every day, looking for food on the way, and if she felt like it, she would buy some ingredients and go home to cook. When Lu Ye was not on a business trip, they would often have such opportunities to have dinner together, and Lu Ye would take the initiative to wash the dishes and clear the table.

An Jiyue had always remembered Lu Ye's schedule as being packed. She'd noticed he wasn't home often when she'd first arrived at the house in City S. But lately, he seemed to have a lot more free time than before.

Lu Ye's external statement is: "We will no longer cast a wide net, but focus on providing precise services."

Lu Ye's explanation to the insiders was: "Jiyue's cooking was so delicious that I couldn't help but leave work when it was time."

Even though the "time" he mentioned was already 9 o'clock in the evening.

He wasn't always so lucky. An Jiyue didn't have many opportunities to cook, so her first priority in her free time was to come up with content for her documentary. She had already drafted several proposals, and she had one or two that she particularly liked, which she had shared with friends in the industry.

One time, Lu Ye was driving home at noon to retrieve some documents when he happened to see An Jiyue stewing fish head soup. The milky white fish soup was bubbling and looked particularly delicious.

Lu Ye leaned against the kitchen door, his smile growing wider: "How could I have such a good fortune?"

An Jiyue, who was tasting the food with a frown on her face, turned her head. Her sky-blue apron made her look innocent and virtuous. She raised her eyebrows and said sarcastically:

"I made this for Dad. Can you help me test the saltiness? I just drank soda and couldn't taste anything."

Lu Ye raised his eyebrows: "Uncle An? Hasn't he already--"

An Jiyue blinked mischievously: "I've returned to secular life. Dad said that during this last period of time, I still want to eat and drink well and don't want to put myself in a difficult position."

Lu Ye delivered the fish head soup to the hospital for An Jiyue. Amber smiled kindly, completely different from the ruthless investment tycoon she once was.

He called Lu Ye: "Xiao Lu, please sit down."

Lu Ye declined politely: "Uncle, take your time eating. I'm going back to the company first. I'll come to see you later and bring the thermos bucket back with me."

Amber insisted: "No hurry, sit down."

Lu Ye was a little surprised, but he still sat down obediently, his dignified and straight back handsome and unrestrained. Amber glanced at him and drank slowly while blowing.

"You and Yue'er have been together for ten years?"

Lu Ye opened his mouth. It seemed that this couldn't be calculated. But the breakups and reunions between young people were too complicated to explain.

He nodded. "Yes."

Amber glanced at him again. "Some things can be put on the agenda. What do you think?"

Lu Ye breathed a sigh of relief, and his serious expression relaxed.

His expression was gentle, and as a junior, he nodded respectfully, "You're right. I've always had this idea in mind."

Amber praised: "Yes. I heard from Yue'er that you have also met her mother. I am here to express my opinion. Your character and ability, whether as a senior in the industry or as Yue'er's elder, I recognize them very much. In the future, you must also treat Yue'er well for the rest of your life, understand?"

Lu Ye bowed to indicate that he remembered it.

Amber's eyes turned and suddenly regained their usual sharpness and wisdom. It was obvious that she would use courtesy before force.

"Yue'er possesses spiritual energy, but she's unwilling to use it to manage the family business. You've already made considerable progress in this field, but from now on, the Anshi family fortune will require your continued care.

"But you must remember that Anshi is tied to Yue'er. There are many smart and capable people in Anshi who can help you. While you are busy with your career, don't neglect her."

Lu Ye saluted again, neither servile nor arrogant, his expression calm and composed. It's pitiful how much parents care about Amber. Even at this stage, they still care about their only daughter's happiness.

He was knocking, testing, and keeping on guard. Lu Ye accepted it all.

-

One Friday night, Lu Ye came home early for the first time. After a simple dinner, he took An Jiuyue out shopping.

He drove her directly to a huge warehouse-style membership supermarket.

Lu Ye was pushing the shopping cart, while An Jiyue beside him looked around, puzzled: "Why are we here? What do we want to buy?"

They had just gotten off the elevator. The man, frustrated by her question, pulled out a handful of fragrant, pink hydrangeas from a nearby flower bucket and stuffed them into her arms.

"Yes. Came to buy you flowers."

An Jiuyue, who was wearing a loose white T-shirt and knee-length shorts, was stunned. She was not wearing any makeup at the moment and had no time to wash her hair. To save trouble, she put on a baseball cap.

This look is more suitable for holding a basketball than flowers.

After being pestered for several times, Lu Ye finally told her: He planned to take her back to his parents' home tomorrow weekend.

Lu Ye's parents lived in the neighboring province of S City, less than a half-day's drive away. But because they were so close, he rarely had the opportunity to visit. With a busy work schedule of constant business trips, his parents sympathized with his hard work, and he always felt he would have plenty of time in the future.

His parents were a pair of clear-minded teachers. Their regular work schedules didn't foster a sense of privilege, but instead placed special emphasis on Lu Ye's character development. While kind, they raised their son with exceptionally high moral standards from a young age, and all three of them bore the legacy of a scholarly family.

"Although, why didn't you tell me in advance?"

Lu Ye glanced at her anxiously twisted face in a strange way: "Is this important? Can't you just buy the gift a day in advance?"

He reached out and pinched her face, and said with pride from the bottom of his heart: "Our Jiyue has nothing to fear. Her appearance, family background, and cultivation are all first-class. I brought such a wonderful girl home, and they couldn't be happier."

An Jiyue's cheeks flushed red, and she didn't know why she felt so flustered for no reason.

Meeting the parents was a big deal, and she should have started preparing for it long in advance.

For example, what kind of clothes should she wear? "The one you're wearing is fine. If you really want to dress up, the cheongsam I gave you is also nice."

For example, if there are many relatives, how should she address them? "Uncle, aunt, do you still want to change your name? Our family is relatively low-key, and we won't invite all the aunts and uncles to come and watch, don't worry."

Also, when asked about what to do with my parents, I said, "I've already told them in advance that your parents are not in the country so it's not convenient for us to meet. I'll talk to them later."

Lu Ye seemed to have solved all her problems with ease, but An Jiyue was still nervous and uneasy.

The original plan was for her and Lu Ye to drive a distance each, but Lu Ye was worried about her condition, so he simply drove all the way to her doorstep.

"Dad, Mom, I'm back——"

Mother Lu came forward before his voice was heard, and held An Jiuyue's hands kindly and amiably. She then personally took out the prepared women's cotton slippers from the shoe cabinet, completely ignoring her son who was carrying gifts of various sizes.

"Is this Yue'er? Come in, it's raining outside and the temperature is low. Have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up."

The two of them walked into the living room, leaving Lu Ye alone in the entrance to change his shoes, and then carried the gifts into the house one by one.

After downing half a cup of hot green tea, An Jiyue finally felt at peace. Father and Mother Lu smiled kindly, their gazes filled with love and affection, giving her immense encouragement.

An Jiyue called out in a clear voice: "Hello, Auntie, hello, Uncle. I'm An Jiyue, you can call me Jiyue or Yue'er."

She looked around the house Lu Ye had grown up in. The whole house was bright and simple. The coffee table and TV cabinet were both Chinese-style wooden furniture, while the dining table and sofa were Western-style. The color scheme was very consistent, exuding a mixed yet harmonious atmosphere.

Lu Ye mentioned that his father is an English teacher and his mother is a history teacher, but his father is fascinated by Chinese style, while his mother has a special liking for Western style. Perhaps this is the source of the mixed feeling?

Lu's parents treated her with warmth and respect, never treating her as a junior. When An Jiyue mentioned she was preparing to film a documentary, they were unanimous in their praise and anticipation, not at all dismissing her as a distraction.

An Jiyue felt the two elders were very friendly, and she had unconsciously relaxed completely. Lu's mother was obviously even more open than An Jiyue. It didn't take long for her to start revealing the current financial situation of the Lu family and what heirloom jewelry she planned to give to An Jiyue.

Mother Lu was so excited that she stood up and went to the bedroom to look through her bankbook and jewelry box, but was stopped by Lu Ye.

Lu Ye was furious at her lack of resistance, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Mom, be reserved. If you continue like this, my true identity will soon be revealed."