Chapter 33 "Didn't I tell you... to eat your meal properly?"
Inside the Lu Group's top-floor conference room, the atmosphere was solemn. Complex market analysis charts and graphs were displayed on a massive projection screen. Department heads sat at attention, their reports echoing throughout the empty space.
Lu Yu, sitting in the main seat, had a subtle trace of fatigue between his brows. The phone screen on the desk silently lit up, its faint light particularly conspicuous on the dark conference table.
Lu Yu lowered his eyes slightly and glanced at the prompt that popped up on the screen. His slender white fingertips subconsciously stroked the edge of the screen.
The reporter's voice continued, but Lu Yu leaned slightly closer to his assistant Cheng Yi and lowered his voice to a very low tone, "Any plans for tonight?"
Cheng Yi immediately swiped quickly on the tablet in front of him and replied in a low voice: "Mr. Lu, I have a dinner with Mr. Wang from Qiyue Group at Genting at 7 o'clock this evening to discuss the South City project. He has already made several appointments with me, so I can't postpone it."
Lu Yu's gaze fell back on the words on the phone screen. "Are you... going home for dinner tonight?" Something seemed to gently scratch the tip of his heart.
He was silent for two seconds, a barely perceptible thought flashed across his eyes, and then he returned to his usual coldness.
Lu Yu picked up the phone, tapped quickly on the screen with his slender fingertips, and replied concisely.
[LY]: I have a dinner party tonight and can't turn it down. You should eat well.
Send. He placed his phone face down on the table and motioned the reporter to continue.
Lin Che wasn't surprised at all when he received Lu Yu's message. Lu Yu had been incredibly busy for the past month. He understood, considering it was exhausting for Lu Yu to manage such a large group on his own.
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However, the dinner with Qi Yue went exceptionally smoothly.
Mr. Wang had clearly heard of Lu's strength and Lu Yu's style, and given the project's attractive prospects, they quickly reached an agreement on the core terms. The tug-of-war, originally scheduled to last at least three hours, drew to a close in less than two.
"Mr. Lu, it's such a pleasure to work with you!" Mr. Wang raised his glass with a beaming face. "I wish our Nancheng project a great success!"
Lu Yu raised his glass and took a sip. His deep eyes looked particularly profound under the gorgeous chandelier in the box.
He looked at the scene of clinking glasses in front of him, but his mind had already drifted away.
At home... that person curled up on the sofa writing a paper, the one who posts cat emojis... what's he doing right now? Did he actually "eat properly"? Or is he just trying to get by with some chips?
"Cheng Yi," Lu Yu put down his wine glass. His voice was not loud, but it made the assistant beside him listen attentively. "You handle the rest. I'll leave first."
A hint of surprise flashed across Cheng Yi's eyes, but he nodded immediately: "Understood, Mr. Lu."
After Lu Yu briefly greeted Mr. Wang, he stood up and left the box amidst everyone's surprised or understanding gazes.
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I opened the door and was met with unexpected silence. A small sensor light sat in the entrance hall, emitting a soft, warm glow. In the living room, only the floor lamp remained quietly lit, casting a small, warm glow across the vast space.
Lu Yu took off his cold suit jacket and walked lightly. When he looked at the sofa area, he paused.
Lin Che lay on his side on the large sofa, his body slightly curled up, holding a soft pillow in his arms. He was obviously waiting for something, or perhaps he had accidentally fallen asleep while watching TV or reading.
The warm yellow light outlined the soft lines of his profile, his eyelashes drooped quietly, casting a light shadow under his eyelids. His breathing was even and long, and he was sleeping soundly.
He was wearing a soft gray housecoat, the collar slightly open, revealing a small section of his white collarbone. One leg was casually stretched out on the armrest of the sofa, while the other leg was bent, with soft cotton socks on his feet.
Lu Yu's heart seemed to be gently bumped by something. He walked over silently and squatted on one knee on the carpet next to the sofa, just wanting to get a closer look at the defenseless sleeping face.
Perhaps it was the outdoor chill brought by Lu Yu, or perhaps it was the focused gaze itself that carried an invisible pressure.
Lin Che seemed to sense something in his sleep. He moved uneasily and frowned slightly.
Then, the leg that was originally bent kicked upwards without warning, as if unconsciously in sleep!
The foot wearing soft cotton socks landed squarely on Lu Yu's shoulder.
"Hmm..." Lin Che mumbled vaguely, her long eyelashes trembled a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.
His eyes, having just woken up, were misty with a layer of water vapor, and he looked at the figure nearby in confusion.
After a few seconds of blankness, the chaotic consciousness gradually returned to normal.
He saw clearly that the person in front of him was Lu Yu, and instantly realized... his foot was stepping on the shoulder line of the other person's expensive, high-quality shirt. Through the thin fabric, he could even feel the firm muscle outline of the other person's shoulder.
“!!!” Lin Che felt as if she was scalded and suddenly tried to pull her foot back.
However, the moment he moved, a warm and dry big hand precisely grasped his slender ankle.
Lu Yu's palm was large, his knuckles distinct and powerful, and he easily encircled the ankle. The warmth of his palm penetrated the thin cotton socks, clearly imprinted on the skin, carrying with it an unquestionable sense of control and... an indescribable intimacy.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Lin Che's ankles were firmly grasped, unable to move. He half-reclined on the sofa, his posture made even more... delicate by the kick and the current clamp.
He clearly felt the heat from Lu Yu's palm, which spread along the skin of his ankles and instantly burned his ears and neck red.
He could even feel Lu Yu's thumb tip unconsciously rubbing the protrusion of his ankle, bringing a subtle, heart-pounding electric current.
Lu Yu remained crouched on one knee, looking up at him. His eyes, still tinged with the lingering scent of alcohol from the social gathering, held a lazy yet aggressive ambiguity. But at this moment, a thick swirl of emotions surged in his eyes that Lin Che could not comprehend.
Lu Yu's gaze slowly slid from Lin Che's eyes to the ankle he was holding, then moved upwards along the bent leg line, swept across the slightly open neckline, and finally stopped at his lips that were slightly opened due to shock and embarrassment.
The air seemed to stop flowing, leaving only the silent electricity crackling between the two of them.
Lin Che could hear the sound of his heart beating wildly in his chest, thump, thump, thump, almost bursting through his chest.
His cheeks were burning hot, and even his breathing became cautious, as if a little heavier breath would break this tense and ambiguous balance.
Lu Yu's Adam's apple rolled up and down, and his deep gaze seemed to carry real warmth, burning Lin Che's skin inch by inch.
The hand that was holding Lin Che's ankle seemed to tighten a little more. The thin calluses on his fingertips transmitted a clear friction through the cotton socks, making Lin Che's whole body tense up, and his toes curled up unconsciously.
It seemed like a century, or maybe only a few seconds.
Lu Yu finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, with a hint of barely perceptible tension, breaking the suffocating silence:
"Didn't I tell you to eat well?"
His gaze never left Lin Che's. It was filled with a more primitive and direct desire, mixed with blame, inquiry, and a concentration that almost devoured her.
Lin Che's heartbeat was so fast that it seemed like it was going to jump out of his throat. He opened his mouth, wanting to say, "I ate something," or "I waited for you until you fell asleep," but his throat was so dry that he couldn't utter a single complete sound.
Lin Che subconsciously moved his ankle, which was restrained by Lu Yu, in exchange for a tighter grip from him. The warmth from his palm sent a tingling sensation throughout his limbs.
"I..." Lin Che's voice was as thin as a mosquito, with the softness of just waking up and the panic at the moment, "I... am not hungry."
"Not hungry?" Lu Yu's voice rose slightly, carrying a dangerous magnetism. He leaned forward, his one-kneed squatting position bringing him closer to Lin Che, who was sitting on the sofa.
Lu Yu's gaze slowly moved down and landed on the foot he was holding, which was slightly tense due to the owner's nervousness.
He raised his free hand extremely slowly.
Lin Che's breath hitched for a moment as he watched helplessly as that bony hand, with an almost playful grace, gently rested on his bent calf. Through the soft fabric of his trousers, the warmth and weight of the fingertips were clearly discernible.
The fingertips slid upwards an inch along the curve of the calf, extremely slowly and with a kind of teasing temptation.
The friction of the fabric made a slight rustling sound, but to Lin Che it sounded like thunder.
His body trembled violently, as if struck by an electric current. His bent legs subconsciously wanted to straighten and escape, but Lu Yu's hand on his ankle held them firmly in place, forming a more passive and more seductive posture - his legs were forced to be slightly bent and lifted up, and the lines of his calves were stretched tight under Lu Yu's palm.
"Potato chips? Or biscuits?" Lu Yu's voice became even lower, almost whispering against his ear. His warm breath brushed over Lin Che's hot earlobe and the sensitive skin on the side of his neck.
His eyes were burning as he locked onto Lin Che's eyes, which were filled with water due to embarrassment, as if he wanted to penetrate his soul and see whether he was really "eating well".
Lin Che felt like he was being roasted on a fire, or as if he were drowning in a bottomless whirlpool.
Every action and every word of Lu Yu was highly aggressive, yet wrapped in a suffocating atmosphere of ambiguity.
The hand that moved slowly on the calf was like a branding iron with sparks, igniting a prairie fire wherever it went.
He wanted to escape, but his body was firmly nailed to the spot.
He wanted to deny it, but the hand on his foot kept lighting the fire. He could only bite his lower lip in vain, trying to suppress the shameful and unfamiliar whimper that was about to burst out.
Lu Yu looked at his lips, which had been bitten white, and his eyes suddenly darkened. The hand holding Lin Che's ankle exerted a little force, pulling his foot closer to his body, almost touching his solid chest.
The other hand on the calf also stopped moving, and the palm completely covered the slightly taut muscle lines, with an irresistible heat.
The distance between the two people could not be closer, their breathing was entangled and their eyes were glued.
The only light left in the living room was the dim glow of the floor lamp, and every tiny movement tugged at his nerves, which were stretched to the extreme.
Lu Yu's thumb once again increased the force on the slender ankle bone, rubbing it slowly and with a sense of declaration.
Lin Che's entire body trembled violently, his toes curled up to the limit in his cotton socks. An uncontrollable, trembling gasp finally leaked out from between his tightly clenched lips.
This gasp, like a drop of water thrown into boiling oil, instantly ignited the last trace of restraint in Lu Yu's eyes.
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