BTMDY Chapter 122

After he spoke, the other three people in the hospital room fell completely silent.

Lin Wangye’s face went blank, frozen for a long moment before his eyes suddenly widened in realization.

No wonder! It all makes sense now!

He’d been wondering why Shengtian—a platform he’d never even heard of in his previous life—had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He had been quietly uneasy, worried that if his father and Lu Chengxuan didn’t clash head-on this time, a new business rival might appear.

After all, what Lu Chengxuan said earlier wasn’t wrong.

Business is like war; there’s never a shortage of competitors. No one can dominate everything. At most, you can control more or less of the market.

In his previous life, his father had ridden the wave of e-commerce to build an empire, but this time, things were different. He was aiming for Ningchang City’s most valuable commercial district, focusing on physical business instead.

The ones shining in the e-commerce world this time were Chengfeng and Shengtian.

Outwardly, Lu Chengxuan built the Chengfeng online shopping platform under the Lu family name. Behind the scenes, he also secretly created Shengtian, essentially copying the model of Lin Hong and Chengfeng from the previous life to build a competitor for himself.

And the plan worked perfectly.

Now, e-commerce was booming, and the spotlight belonged almost entirely to these two companies, battling neck and neck, grabbing all the attention.

Chengfeng was funded by the Lu family and mostly staffed by family members. Lu Chengxuan was the founder and had plenty of power, but that power came from his father.

As long as Lu Chenghan wanted, he could easily strip Chengxuan of it.

What the Lu family could never have imagined was that the eldest son and legitimate grandson, Lu Chengxuan, would be scheming behind the scenes—running Chengfeng while secretly creating a rival that could match it blow for blow.

Starting a company isn’t like playing a game and creating a new character.

Building a skyscraper from the ground up, launching such a successful internet platform, attracting such a huge user base—it all requires meticulously detailed business planning. One misstep and it all falls apart.

And Lu Chengxuan had done double the work in just two years.

At this moment, Lin Wangye finally understood just how terrifying this man’s abilities were.

The Lu Group he led in the previous life had been enough to make people tremble. But this time, coming back at eighteen with the memories of his past life and a godlike perspective, Lu Chengxuan’s skills and tactics were simply overwhelming.

He even outsmarted his own father, down to the tiniest detail.

This game was far too big.

It was almost beyond what a human being could achieve.

Lin Wangye took a deep breath and couldn’t help exclaiming, “No wonder I was wondering where the hell Shengtian came from—there was no such thing in my previous life! So it was your doing, Brother Lu! Damn it, when I heard you weren’t supposed to meddle in Lu family matters anymore, I was ready to take care of you in your old age with righteous indignation… Turns out I was just a little kid riding a kiddie ride all along!”

Even Lin Shen, who didn’t have twenty years of prior memory of Lu Chengxuan, was completely shocked when he learned this.

The surprise was real, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Some people plan five to ten steps ahead, while others, like Lu Chengxuan, seem to take it one step at a time.

But Lu Chengxuan was definitely not someone who acted recklessly without considering the consequences.

The moment he took his first step, he had already mapped out the next hundred.

So from the very day he learned that Lu Chengxuan had been sidelined by the Lu family, he knew there was no way Lu Chengxuan hadn’t prepared a backup plan.

Only… this backup was ridiculously huge.

If the Lu family ever found out, Lu Chengxuan would essentially be declaring war on his own father. The risk was enormous, potentially costing him all the privileged resources he’d had since birth.

And yet, he still chose to go through with it.

Lin Shen didn’t ask why—he wanted to hear it straight from Lu Chengxuan himself.

And if Lu Chengxuan didn’t say it, he didn’t necessarily need to know.

Right now, watching Lin Wangye’s reaction and hearing the nonsense spilling from his mouth was pretty entertaining to Lin Shen. He lounged lazily on the inflatable sofa, grinning, clearly just sitting back to enjoy the show.

“We don’t need you to look after us in our old age,” he said cheerfully. “You just focus on driving your kiddie ride properly, that’s enough. Don’t worry so much.”

Lin Wangye’s brow twitched. Suddenly, he leaned forward.

“So… why’d you just assume you two are bound together even in old age, huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

The question hit Lin Shen like a hammer out of nowhere. He froze, caught completely off guard, and didn’t even dare glance at Lu Chengxuan’s face before snapping back, “Bound together? What are you talking about? I’m your dad, and he’s the guy investing in you. I just said ‘we’—what’s wrong with that?”

He deliberately emphasized the word we.

Lin Wangye gave a mock look of realization and nodded. “Alright, alright. Whatever you say.”

Though he was being agreeable, his tone was just a little irritating to Lin Shen.

His gaze shifted to Shi Yuan, roaming back and forth between himself and Lu Chengxuan with growing interest. The itchy feeling in his body became unbearable, like ants crawling everywhere. He immediately bounced up from the inflatable sofa and turned to leave.

“I can’t sit in the hospital jail with you guys. I’m going back to sleep.”

“Don’t forget to take your ice cream,” Shi Yuan reminded him carefully. “I’m afraid Xiao Lin might steal it while I’m resting.”

Lin Wangye’s face went pale with shock, and he turned back in anger.

“No trust at all between people!”

“You’re too greedy. The trust you lost when I caught you sneaking cake while I was out getting hot water can’t be restored overnight. Until your body’s better, I’m not going to trust you.”

Thinking of how he’d secretly eaten the half piece of tiramisu Lin Shen left in the cabinet yesterday and got caught while kissing, Lin Wangye slumped like a deflated balloon, pouting and sighing: “Fine, fine…”

Lin Shen grinned from ear to ear, bending to pull a chocolate ice cream out of the fridge, waving triumphantly.

“Bye-bye, little unlucky one.”

“Go on! Next time, don’t bring snacks! So annoying!”

After leaving the hospital room, Lin Shen and Lu Chengxuan retraced their steps to the parking lot as usual. Once in the car, Lin Shen first answered a call from Lin Qianqian.

It just so happened that during the days Lin Wangye was in danger, ‘Singing Heavenly Voices’ was reaching its final, intense championship rounds. Considering that even if Lin Qianqian knew, there was little she could do beyond worrying, Lin Shen had simply chosen not to tell her.

True to expectations, Lin Qianqian had gone on to win the annual championship.

With the competition over, she completely rose to fame in the entertainment industry, taking on all kinds of work. As her popularity grew, her personal freedom became somewhat restricted, and getting around wasn’t as easy as before.

It wasn’t until Lin Wangye’s condition stabilized that Lin Qianqian learned he had been in an accident. She had been eager to visit, but hospitals aren’t exactly convenient places.

Any sudden appearance could attract fans and media attention, potentially causing trouble for the doctors. So she didn’t come in person; instead, she made it a point to call every day and check in.

After hanging up, Lin Shen set his phone aside and asked, “Where to?”

“Aren’t you going to work?” Lu Chengxuan asked.

“Taking a day off for myself. Don’t feel like going.”

These days, Lin Shen lived at the company whenever he wasn’t at a hotel. His question was obviously less about work and more about fishing for a suggestion.

Lu Chengxuan thought for a moment before replying, “Come to my place.”

“Your place?” Lin Shen turned to confirm.

“Not my parents’,” Lu Chengxuan said, tapping a location into the car’s navigation system. “Here.”

Lin Shen knew Lu Chengxuan owned multiple properties, but he hadn’t realized he had a personal home aside from the Lu family estate.

He glanced at the navigation—an upscale residential area—and stepped on the gas, heading toward the destination.

Lu Chengxuan’s home wasn’t like the sprawling mansions typical of wealthy heirs. Instead, it was a very simple three-bedroom apartment, decorated in his signature minimalist, cool-toned style. There were no unnecessary trinkets or ornaments anywhere.

Stepping into the living room, Lin Shen could have sworn he’d walked into a model apartment.

As he changed his shoes, he couldn’t help but comment, “This place really doesn’t feel like it’s meant for living people.”

“Only I and the cleaner ever come here,” Lu Chengxuan said casually, switching on the living room light. “I hardly use the living room or kitchen. Usually when I’m home, I either rest or work in the study.”

“So you moved out after falling out with your dad?” Lin Shen asked, taking in the room.

Lu Chengxuan shook his head. “No. Since graduating high school, I’ve probably stayed at home less than Lin Wangye. I need my own space—working under my dad’s watchful eye makes it too easy for him to notice what I’m doing.”

“Oh, I see.”

Lin Shen walked further inside and asked, “Where’s your study?”

Lu Chengxuan, who was pouring water, glanced over his shoulder. “To your left.”

Lin Shen turned to the left and, without asking, pushed open the door. He was slightly taken aback by what he saw.

This was nothing like the study he had imagined.

He had assumed that, given Lu Chengxuan’s personality, the study would be stiff and orderly, all business, nothing fancy.

But the room before him, besides a single desk, also held a piano and an easel in the corner. On the walls hung a few scattered watercolor and pencil sketches, seemingly all by the same hand.

Most of the drawings were landscapes.

There were rivers cutting through rice fields, tea trees perched atop hills, grapevines laden with purple gems, and a small courtyard bathed in the setting sun. These weren’t mere flights of imagination—they looked like they had been carefully observed and sketched from real-life references.

Lin Shen wasn’t surprised that Lu Chengxuan could play the piano—Vivian had strong musical skills herself—but he hadn’t expected him to draw.

“You can do this too? Your father ever let you study this? It’s not exactly useful for business,” Lin Shen asked, curious.

“I started learning from a teacher when I was very young,” Lu Chengxuan said, bringing a cup of water and setting it on the desk. Slowly, he added, “My father didn’t approve—he thought it was useless. But my mother wanted me to have my own hobbies, to be able to choose for myself. I chose this.”

Lin Shen moved closer to the watercolor of the grapevines and stared at it for a long while, then asked, “Do you like it?”

“I’m not particularly interested,” Lu Chengxuan answered honestly. “My mother just wanted me to have something I liked. The only reason I even do this is to make her happy.”

In that moment, Lin Shen felt a sharp pang of sympathy for him.

His father had wanted to mold him into the perfect heir of the Lu family, a process that had stifled his true self.

Vivian, when she married into the Lu family, was still a naive girl with little worldly experience. Her instincts as a mother only slowly made her realize the flaws in her husband’s approach. By the time she tried to intervene, it was almost too late.

She hadn’t been able to change Lu Chengxuan.

He had only learned to accommodate his mother as carefully as he had his father.

“Lu Chengxuan,” Lin Shen said, shifting his gaze from the painting to him, “Vivian didn’t want this. She wanted you to find something that genuinely interests you, something you enjoy from your own heart—like how I enjoy playing games. You understand?”

“I understand,” Lu Chengxuan said. “But I’m not really interested in games or drawing.”

Lin Shen sighed quietly, lowered his gaze to the nearby piano, and sat down on the bench. Lifting the lid, he pressed a few keys at random. “From the time you were little until now, has there ever been anything that truly made you happy?”

Lu Chengxuan was silent for a long moment. “Yes.”

Lin Shen paused, fingers hovering, and looked up at him. “What?”

Lu Chengxuan didn’t answer immediately. He stared at Lin Shen in silence, as if carefully choosing his words.

The few seconds of quiet made Lin Shen instinctively ponder what kind of answer could require such careful thought. Recalling the question, a sudden realization—and a rush of emotion—surged through him.

“With me…”

“Better you stay quiet. That’s just biological instinct,” Lu Chengxuan cut in.

Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters.  (๑>ᴗ<๑)