Chapter 72 "Freshness?" - Fuck freshness.

When Lu Yu appeared at the restaurant door holding Lin Che's hand, the originally noisy box suddenly became quiet for a few seconds.

Under the crystal chandelier, Lu Yu was wearing a black turtleneck sweater and a dark gray coat, with a slender and upright figure. He casually glanced at the box, and where his eyes fell, several young investors who were originally sitting had subconsciously stood up.

"Damn, they didn't say Lu Yu was coming today..." someone muttered in the corner.

"Given his relationship with Zhou Xubai, he's definitely coming." Another person lowered their voice and replied, "Lu Group is the largest shareholder of this ski resort. Don't you know?"

Zhou Xubai was the first to come forward and patted Lu Yu's shoulder with a smile: "Finally you're here. If you were any later, the food would have been cold."

Lu Yu nodded slightly, and stepped aside to make way for Lin Che, who was blocked by him. "It took a while."

Lin Che was wearing the cream-colored sweater with Lu Yu's scarf wrapped around his neck, looking soft and warm. He noticed the vague gazes in the box and subconsciously moved closer to Lu Yu.

The waiter started serving the dishes, but everyone's attention was clearly not on the food.

A man in a dark blue suit approached, holding a wine glass, and said respectfully, "Mr. Lu, I've long heard of you. I'm Zhao from Mingsheng Investment..."

"Don't talk about work while eating." Lu Yu didn't even look up, concentrating on peeling shrimp for Lin Che. "If you have anything, contact my assistant on Monday."

The man stood there awkwardly, and Zhou Xubai smiled and smoothed things over: "Old Zhao, today we're just playing, come on, have a drink."

Lin Che sipped her hot cocoa and stole glances at Lu Yu's profile. This man's decisive aura in the business world and his gentle demeanor in private were two completely different people.

"What are you looking at?" Lu Yu put the peeled shrimp meat into his bowl.

"Look at you..." Lin Che leaned close to his ear, "Why are you so fierce?"

Lu Yu raised his eyebrows: "I'm fierce?"

"Mr. Zhao was almost sweating from fear just now."

Lu Yu chuckled softly, and pinched Lin Che's palm under the table with his fingers: "That's for outsiders."

The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for a few people nearby to hear.

Zhou Jiming almost spit out a mouthful of red wine, while Gu Wangyi looked meaningfully at the two people's interlocked hands.

"Lu Yu." Zhou Xubai suddenly raised his glass. "Here's a toast to you. Thank you for your honor."

The box fell silent again. Everyone knew that there were only a few people in the entire circle who could make the Crown Prince Zhou speak in such a formal tone.

Lu Yu raised his glass calmly, and the clinking of the glasses made a crisp sound: "You're welcome."

As he tilted his head back to drink, his Adam's apple rolled up and down, and the black turtleneck sweater made his neck look even more slender.

Lin Che stared at him intently until Lu Yu put down his cup and whispered in his ear, "If you keep looking at me like that, you won't be able to sleep tonight."

Lin Che immediately lowered his head to eat, his ears red as if they were about to bleed.

Halfway through the dinner, Lu Yu's phone vibrated. He glanced at the caller ID and frowned slightly: "I'll take a call."

After he left, the atmosphere in the box became noticeably more relaxed. Some people began to whisper:

"I heard that Lu Corporation acquired that century-old European ski brand last month?"

"Not only that, but we are also negotiating the operating rights of two top-tier ski slopes in Switzerland."

"No wonder Zhou Xubai's ski resort has access to so many scarce resources..."

Just as he was lost in thought, a pair of warm hands rested on his shoulders.

"Hi, Teacher Lin." Jiang Jinjin had appeared behind him without him noticing. She had changed into a light yellow coat, which made her look even more gentle. She greeted Lin Che with bright eyes.

"Jinjin?" Lin Che turned around with his eyes full of surprise. Apart from Lu Yu, Jiang Jinjin was the only person here he was slightly familiar with.

"I'll take you out to play after dinner." Jiang Jinjin leaned over and whispered in Lin Che's ear, glancing at Lu Yu who was answering the phone outside the window.

Zhou Jiming came over without knowing when, his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses carrying a warning, "Jiang Jinjin, don't lead our Doctor Lin astray."

"What do you mean by a bad influence?" Jiang Jinjin's eyes widened immediately, the fur collar of her yellow coat swaying slightly as she moved. "I really enjoy playing with Teacher Lin."

She turned and stared at Lin Che for a few seconds, then suddenly held her face in her hands and sighed, "How can someone be so good-looking? Handsome and cute? Really sweet and salty..."

Lin Che's ears felt hot from her straightforward praise. He lowered his head and took a sip of hot cocoa to hide his shyness.

"Oh, I'm almost becoming a mom fan." Jiang Jinjin continued to mutter, her fingers unconsciously curling a strand of her hair.

"Jiang Jinjin" - Zhou Jiming interrupted coldly, "Does Lu Yu know that you like to harass him so much?"

"How could I be harassing you!" Jiang Jinjin puffed up her cheeks in dissatisfaction, but subconsciously glanced at the door to confirm that Lu Yu hadn't returned yet. "I just... simply appreciate beautiful things."

Lin Che was amused by her description, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously raised a gentle arc.

This smile made Jiang Jinjin even more excited. She grabbed Lin Che's wrist and said, "Teacher Lin, I'll take you out to play later! You're sure to like it!"

"I suggest you let go." Zhou Jiming pushed up his glasses, a cold light reflected from the lenses, "unless you want to be thrown into the snow by Lu Yu."

Jiang Jinjin only then noticed her overly intimate actions and quickly let go of Lin Che, sticking out her tongue. "It's an occupational hazard, occupational hazard. We dancers are used to physical contact..."

"What physical contact?"

A low voice came from behind. Jiang Jinjin stiffened and slowly turned around to meet Lu Yu's deep eyes.

He had finished the call without knowing when, and was standing less than half a meter behind her. His black turtleneck sweater made him look dangerous.

"Mr. Lu..." Jiang Jinjin laughed dryly and hid behind Zhou Jiming without leaving any trace. "We were talking about... skiing! Yes, skiing!"

Lu Yu's eyes swept between her and Lin Che, finally landing on the red tip of Lin Che's ear: "Are you having such a good time chatting?"

Lin Che looked up at him, a smile still lingering in her eyes. "Jinjin said she'd take me out to play later."

"Jinjin?" Lu Yu raised his eyebrows, questioning the intimate name.

"Miss Jiang! Miss Jiang!" Jiang Jinjin quickly waved her hands and changed her words with a strong desire to survive, "Teacher Lin is too polite..."

Lu Yu ignored her and walked straight to Lin Che, his fingers naturally resting on the back of his neck and gently stroking: "Are you full?"

"Yeah." Lin Che nodded, and suddenly seemed to remember something and tugged at Lu Yu's clothes. "I'll go play with Jinjin later."

Lu Yu lowered his eyes to look at his expectant eyes, and after a few seconds of silence, he turned to Jiang Jinjin: "Where?"

"It's, right behind the East District Cable Car..." Jiang Jinjin didn't expect Lu Yu to agree, so she answered stutteringly, but she didn't dare to reveal the real location. If Lu Yu knew that she took Lin Che to the bar, she would really be thrown out.

Zhou Jiming shook the red wine glass in his hand, his eyes behind the glasses showing a hint of amusement. "Lu Yu, just let Teacher Lin go. We're going to discuss the acquisition of the Swiss ski resort later, and Doctor Lin probably won't be interested in these business topics."

Lu Yu's fingers gently stroked the back of Lin Che's neck, but he didn't answer immediately.

"Yes, Mr. Lu," Jiang Jinjin bravely chimed in, "I promise to get Teacher Lin back safely before ten o'clock!"

Lin Che looked up at Lu Yu, her fingertips quietly hooking the corner of his clothes: "I'm just going to play for a while..."

Lu Yu lowered his eyes and met Lin Che's expectant gaze. Those eyes sparkled like a small animal begging for food. He sighed softly, "Nine-thirty."

"Ah?" Jiang Jinjin didn't react for a moment.

"Before half past nine," Lu Yu's voice was unquestionable, "I want to see him appear at the door of the suite in good condition."

Jiang Jinjin nodded immediately: "No problem! Absolutely on time!"

Lin Che's eyes lit up, and just as she was about to stand up, Lu Yu grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

In full view of the crowd, Lu Yu leaned over and whispered in his ear: "If you dare to lose even a hair, you know the consequences."

Warm breath sprayed on Lin Che's ears, and the tips of his ears instantly turned red. He muttered softly: "I know..."

Lu Yu finally let go of her hand and watched Lin Che leave with Jiang Jinjin. He didn't look away until their figures disappeared at the end of the corridor.

"Swiss ski resort?" He turned to Zhou Jiming, his eyes sharp. "I don't remember anything like that."

Zhou Jiming calmly took a sip of his wine. "If I don't say that, will you let him go?" He glanced at the door meaningfully. "Dr. Lin needs his own social circle. You can't tie him down to your belt."

Everyone else in the box held their breath. There were only a few people in the entire circle who dared to speak to Lu Yu like that.

"Why are you so confident in Jiang Jinjin?" Lu Yu put his hands in his pockets and teased Zhou Jiming who was smiling.

"I can tell this is your first time falling in love. You really need to ask me for advice on this." Zhou Jiming pushed his glasses, shook the red wine glass in his hand, and smiled calmly.

"If you love someone, you have to give him space. If you keep him around every day, there's no novelty anymore. What if—"

Zhou Jiming took a sip of red wine, paused, and continued, "Teacher Lin is no longer interested in you. What are you going to do?"

"A sense of freshness?" Lu Yu raised his hand to check the time. Lin Che had been gone for five minutes. He felt empty as long as Lin Che was not in his sight.

Fuck the novelty.

As long as Lin Che is around, Lu Yu's gaze is automatically glued to him. There is no such thing as new or not. There are only two words: I want to kiss him.

Four words - kiss to death.