Chapter 21 "Now..."

The afterglow of the setting sun gradually dissipated in the sky, and the staff at the horse farm had already begun to clean up the venue.

Lin Che reluctantly got off the horse, his legs trembling slightly from riding for a long time for the first time.

"careful."

Lu Yu reached out and held his arm at the right time, his warm palm supporting him firmly.

Lin Che looked up and met Lu Yu's deep eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. "Thank you. I'm fine."

Lu Jinshu walked over with Lu Yu'an by his hand. The little boy excitedly circled around Lin Che, "Uncle Che, you look so handsome on horseback! Will you come again next time?"

"Of course." Lin Che smiled and ruffled his hair, but out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of the slightly raised corner of Lu Yu's mouth.

"It's getting late, let's go back." Lu Yu said, and naturally took the whip from Lin Che's hand and handed it to the staff.

On the way back, Lu Yu'an fell asleep in the back seat because he was tired from playing, and Lu Jinshu considerately turned down the music volume.

Lin Che leaned against the window, looking at the darkening scenery outside, and her body relaxed as the car swayed slightly.

"Are you tired?" Lu Yu's low voice came from the side.

Lin Che turned around and found Lu Yu looking at him. His always sharp eyes were now somewhat gentle. "A little bit, but very happy."

He answered honestly, "Thank you for your guidance today."

Lu Yu seemed to want to say something, but his cell phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the caller ID and frowned slightly: "What's the matter?"

"Mr. Lu, I may need you to come to the company." Cheng Yi's voice on the other end of the phone was rarely filled with a sense of urgency.

Lu Yu's expression instantly turned serious: "Explain clearly."

"The core data of the new project may have been leaked, and the competitor has just released an almost identical product concept."

Lin Che saw Lu Yu's jawline suddenly tense up, and his knuckles turning white as he gripped the phone.

"I'll be there in half an hour." Lu Yu said briefly and hung up the phone.

"What happened?" Lu Jinshu turned his head from the front seat and asked worriedly.

Lu Yu's voice returned to calm, but Lin Che noticed the vein throbbing slightly under his temples: "There's something going on at the company that needs to be addressed."

After sending Lu Jinshu and the sleeping Lu Yu'an back to the Lu family's old house, Lu Yu turned to Lin Che and said, "Sorry, we may have to end today early."

"I'll go with you." Lin Che blurted out.

Lu Yu looked at him scrutinizingly and finally nodded: "Okay."

The Lu Group headquarters was brightly lit. Even though it was nine o'clock in the evening, the entire building was still as bright as day.

The elevator went straight to the top floor. Lin Che followed Lu Yu and felt the sudden tense atmosphere around him.

Cheng Yi came over quickly, holding a stack of documents. "Mr. Lu, the technical team has confirmed that our design drawings and algorithm models have been completely replicated."

Lu Yu took the document and quickly glanced at it, his steps still moving: "Conference room, everyone."

The spacious conference room was filled with heads of various departments, and the atmosphere was so heavy that one could almost squeeze water out of it.

Lin Che stood quietly in the corner, watching Lu Yu standing in front of the projection like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath.

Lu Yu's voice was low, but it silenced the entire conference room. "I understand the situation. Now I need to know three things: damage assessment, remediation plan, and the source of the leak."

Over the next two hours, heads of various departments took turns reporting.

Lin Che was surprised to find that in the face of such a major crisis, Lu Yu did not panic at all. Instead, he accurately grasped every key point, raised sharp questions, and directed various departments to work together.

"Marketing Department, prepare a statement immediately, emphasizing our originality and technological advantages. Legal Department, collect evidence and prepare for litigation. R&D Department, I need you to come up with an upgrade plan within 48 hours." Lu Yu's instructions were clear and powerful.

"Done?" Lu Yu pushed the door open and walked in. Lin Che, who was unable to help, could only sit on the sofa and look at the paper data on his mobile phone to pass the time.

The deep sense of fatigue between Lu Yu's brows showed that the situation was difficult.

"It's okay. Let's see the results tomorrow." He loosened his tie, his Adam's apple rolled up and down, and his voice was deeper and hoarse than usual.

Lin Che immediately stood up from the sofa and slipped her phone into her pocket. "You haven't rested all this time, have you?"

Lu Yu looked at his watch, and seemed a little surprised himself. He rubbed his temples and said, "Let's go. I'll take you back."

Lin Che noticed that Lu Yu swayed slightly when he walked. Although he quickly stabilized, this small movement exposed the limit of his physical strength.

This discovery made Lin Che's heart tighten - it turned out that Lu Yu was also tired, but he usually hid it too well.

Lin Che held out her hand, "Let me drive. Give me the keys."

Lu Yu raised his eyebrows: "Are you sure?"

Lin Che deliberately used a casual tone, "Of course, I've had my driver's license for five years. Why, you don't trust me?"

Lu Yu stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly smiled. It was a faint smile, but it made Lin Che's heart skip a beat. "Okay."

In the parking lot, Lu Yu's black Maybach still stands out among many luxury cars.

Lin Che couldn't help but whistle as she approached. "The world of the rich is truly different."

"What are you laughing at?" Lin Che's ears were burning.

Lu Yu opened the car door and said, "Nothing, I just think you're cute."

Lin Che hurriedly got into the driver's seat and pretended to concentrate on adjusting the seat and rearview mirror to hide her burning cheeks.

As the car smoothly pulled out of the underground garage, Lin Che stole a glance at Lu Yu, who was sitting in the passenger seat. The man leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, resting. His long eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes, softening his sharp features in the night.

"You didn't have dinner?" Lin Che asked suddenly.

Lu Yu opened his eyes: "I forgot."

"I'm hungry too," Lin Che turned the steering wheel and changed the driving route, "I'll take you somewhere."

Lu Yu did not object, but just quietly watched the neon lights flowing outside the window.

Twenty minutes later, Lin Che parked the car on a small street opposite a high school.

"What is this?" Lu Yu looked around in confusion.

Lin Che unbuckled her seatbelt and said, "I'm in high school. This noodle shop across the street has been open for over a decade. I used to come here often when I was in school."

He paused, a little embarrassed. "Back then, living expenses were low, and this place was the most affordable. I wonder if you can get used to the food..."

Lu Yu had already pushed the door open and got out of the car: "It smells delicious."

The shop was indeed shabby, with plastic tables and chairs and a yellowed menu on the wall, but it was kept very clean. There were no customers at this hour, and the proprietress was cleaning the stove.

The proprietress looked up and recognized Lin Che with surprise. "Xiao Che? It's been a while since I last saw you!"

Lin Che greeted with a smile, "Auntie Wang, two bowls of beef noodles, one with extra cilantro, and one..."

He turned to look at Lu Yu, "Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

Lu Yu shook his head: "Just like you."

They chose a seat by the window.

Lu Yu looked around, his eyes lingering on the student graffiti and graduation photos on the wall, and finally fell back on Lin Che's face: "Do you come here often?"

Lin Che poured tea for the two of them. "Yeah, I came here almost every day after evening study during my senior year. A big bowl was ten yuan, and the soup was free refills."

He smiled and said, "At that time, I felt that being able to eat a bowl of noodles like this was happiness."

Lu Yu took the teacup, his fingertips brushing against the back of Lin Che's hand inadvertently, like a weak electric current: "Now what?"

"Now..."

Lin Che looked up into Lu Yu's eyes. "I feel so happy to be able to share this place with you now."

He regretted it the moment he said it; it was too blunt.

But Lu Yu just looked at him quietly, his eyes so deep that they made people addicted.

The noodles arrived quickly, steaming hot and fragrant.

Lin Che was starving, so he picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and started eating, gasping for breath due to the heat.

When I looked up, I found that Lu Yu didn't pick up his chopsticks, but was looking at the noodles in the bowl seriously.

"What's wrong? Not to your liking?" Lin Che said anxiously.

Lu Yu shook his head, picked up his chopsticks, took a bite, and commented sparingly: "Delicious."

He ate quickly but with grace.