Chapter 94: Showdown
Chu Yu couldn't remember how long it had been since he had actually seen Chu Yan.
The young man in his memory who always had a nonchalant smile and could easily stir his mood seemed to be gradually fading away, turning into a frozen image in the mobile phone album, or a name occasionally mentioned in the corner of financial news, which was gradually drifting away from him.
Six months ago, Chu Yan, citing "a busy academic schedule and difficulty balancing it," had decisively and decisively handed back management of the cloud-based intelligent control project to the Chu Group. The handover process was clear and standardized, with not a single flaw to be found. Chu Yu couldn't even muster a proper plea to stay, and could only sign his agreement as a matter of course.
Since then, he has lost his only chance to see Chu Yan openly every week. Like a thief peeping into other people's happiness, he can only follow Chu Yan's every move in unknown corners through various fragmented information channels, self-torturingly.
He knew that Chu Yan and Gu Xu were still stable, that they seemed to have gone on vacation to some island, and that Gu Ye was making steady progress within the Gu family and was about to reach the top. He watched Chu Yan's light shine in different places, but none of them had anything to do with him.
Every time he heard news about Chu Yan, it was like pouring salt on his already broken heart. The pain was obvious, but he couldn't get rid of it.
When he learned that Chu Yan had set up his own investment company, he was driven by an inexplicable psychological force. He began to quietly use Chu's resources and connections to secretly pave the way for Chu Yan and clear some potential obstacles, just to make his journey smoother.
And Chu Yan did not "disappoint" him. Under his management, Jinshi Investment became famous in a short period of time and was on the rise.
Chu Yu always felt proud when he looked at those battle records. His A Yan never needed anyone's protection. He was strong enough in himself.
He was already twenty-nine. Thirty, a figure that once seemed so far away, was now looming, like a death warrant tightening in his grasp. The pressure from his family and the increasing concern from his parents were suffocating him.
That day, Mrs. Chu called again, her tone as gentle as ever, yet with a tone that held no room for refusal, asking him to come home for dinner that evening. Chu Yu held the phone, rubbing his brow wearily. He knew it all—another carefully arranged "family dinner," the theme, without a doubt, still to introduce him to a well-matched daughter.
He even prepared an excuse to shirk responsibility in advance.
He drove the car into the familiar driveway of the old house and parked it. Chu Yu sat in the car for a few minutes before pushing the door and getting out.
As he entered the main building, he was slightly taken aback. The living room was unusually quiet. The expected stranger, the woman, was nowhere to be seen, nor were any other relatives present. Only Mr. Chu sat on the sofa, watching the news, while Mrs. Chu busied herself between the dining room and the kitchen, preparing dishes.
"Dad, Mom." Chu Yu greeted them.
"Hey, Yu Yu is back?" Mrs. Chu heard the voice and came out to greet her with a smile. "Go wash your hands quickly and get ready for dinner. Mommy personally cooked your favorite soup today."
Chu Yu washed his hands in a daze and sat down at the dining table. Seeing his favorite home-cooked meals on the table and his parents looking normal, he even began to believe that today might just be an ordinary family dinner.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was initially quite harmonious. Mrs. Chu kept serving him food and asking him about trivial matters at work, with Mr. Chu occasionally interjecting a few words. But Chu Yu could sense that his parents seemed to exchange a few hesitant glances.
Sure enough, halfway through the meal, Mrs. Chu quietly kicked Mr. Chu under the table and gave him a wink.
Director Chu cleared his throat uncomfortably, put down his chopsticks, and looked at Chu Yu. His tone was filled with a rare hesitation and caution: "That Chu Yu..."
Chu Yu's heart skipped a beat. He raised his head and looked at his father calmly: "Dad, what's wrong?"
Director Chu seemed to be having trouble speaking, and after a long moment of contemplation, he continued, "It's just that your mother and I have introduced you to quite a few attractive girls over the past year... but you haven't made any progress."
Chu Yu tightened his grip on the chopsticks slightly and listened in silence.
Mrs. Chu became anxious upon seeing this and could not help but take over the conversation, her tone anxious and full of worry: "Yu Yu, mom and dad don't mean to force you. We just want to know, do you already have someone you like in your heart?" She stared at her son, not missing any subtle expression on his face.
Chu Yu froze in shock, a trace of pain and struggle barely concealed in his eyes. He lowered his eyelids, avoiding his mother's probing gaze, and nodded with a sense of loss. His entire mood plummeted at a noticeable speed, as if enveloped by an invisible haze.
He admitted it. Mrs. Chu's heart tightened, but she felt a little relieved. At least her son wasn't frigid or had any psychological problems. She quickly struck while the iron was hot, her voice softer: "You've liked her for so long, but you never brought her home to meet Mom and Dad. Does she dislike you? Or do you think Mom and Dad wouldn't accept her?"
The last sentence made Chu Yu's suppressed emotions burst forth. He blurted out, his voice so low and hoarse that it was almost a whisper, filled with a strong sense of despair and resignation: "...You won't accept it."
He said this with extreme certainty, as if he had already believed it and had even given up struggling.
Mrs. Chu's brows immediately furrowed. She and Mr. Chu considered themselves open-minded. Although they came from aristocratic families, they didn't have any rigid prejudices against family status. As long as the family background was clean and the person was upright, they would accept him. Why was her son so sure they would never accept him?
Just as Mrs. Chu was at her wit's end, the previously silent Mr. Chu suddenly spoke up. Despite his age and usual solemnity, he'd been surfing the internet frequently to understand the thoughts and dynamics of the younger generation, and had witnessed all sorts of bizarre things. Looking at his son's despair, a bold hypothesis suddenly occurred to him.
Director Chu's voice was a little lower than usual. With a cautious and tentative look, he looked at Chu Yu with a sharp gaze: "Is the person you like a man or a woman?"
Mrs. Chu turned her head suddenly and looked at her husband in amazement.
Chu Yu, however, froze almost imperceptibly the moment his father asked the question. He neither admitted nor denied it, but simply lowered his head even more firmly, pursed his lips, and lapsed into a deathly silence.
This silence, at this moment, is undoubtedly the best answer.
Mr. Chu and Mrs. Chu understood everything in an instant.
The shock on Mrs. Chu's face slowly faded, replaced by an extremely complex mix of emotions. She abruptly stood up and pulled the still dazed Mr. Chu up from his chair. Her voice trembled slightly, but she tried to maintain her composure. She hurriedly said to the lowered Chu Yu, "Yu Yu, you eat first... Mom and Dad are going to the study to discuss something..."
After saying that, she almost dragged Director Chu with her, and quickly left the restaurant with somewhat messy steps, walked into the study, and closed the door tightly.
Chu Yu was the only one left in the huge restaurant. He sat stiffly at the table, facing the steaming dishes that his mother had carefully prepared, but he could no longer taste anything.
He silently picked up his chopsticks and mechanically put the food into his mouth, which tasted like chewing wax. However, his mind had already drifted away, and he was trapped in the fear and confusion of the unknown.
The showdown has begun. What happens next?
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