LNTSWJLY Chapter 17

“Sir, aren’t you going to eat?” Yin Xu couldn’t help but ask when he saw Yu Zhi showing no interest in the food in front of him.

“What about you? Have you had lunch?” Regardless of how troubled he felt inside, Yu Zhi didn’t show it on his face. However, he found it somewhat difficult to accept Yin Xu’s nurturing appearance, so he simply bowed his head and started eating without looking at him.

“Not yet,” Yin Xu replied.

Yu Zhi furrowed his brow and looked up. “Why didn’t you wait until after eating to come?”

Yin Xu smiled at him. “Because it’s my first time here, and I wanted to taste what Sir usually eats at the company. I wasn’t sure if you would be willing to treat me as the host.”

His words sounded somewhat awkward.

Yu Zhi couldn’t be bothered to respond. He simply called his assistant and asked them to bring some food from the cafeteria.

Confused, the assistant on the other end of the line asked, “???”

Wasn’t the boss already eating? Why would he need more? Did Young Master Yin bring an insufficient amount for him? He had never seen the boss with such a big appetite before.

Although he muttered these thoughts to himself, the assistant still diligently selected a few dishes that Yu Zhi usually ate and sent them up.

Yin Xu carefully noted down the dishes, intending to learn them when he had the chance.

After tasting them, he found the dishes to be decent but not as delicious as the ones made at home. He felt a pang of guilt knowing that Yu Zhi couldn’t enjoy better meals due to his busy work schedule.

Xiao Pang, still half-asleep, rubbed his eyes and grumbled, “You guys are eating without me! Didn’t even bother to call me.”

Yu Zhi tapped his chopsticks on the table. “You woke up just in time. I was curious about your gaming performance last night.”

Xiao Pang chuckled, “I won 16 out of 30 matches last night, with a win rate of over fifty percent… Ha!”

His laughter abruptly stopped as the now fully awake Xiao Pang looked at Yu Zhi. The last traces of drowsiness vanished from his mind, and he quickly stood up, obediently saying, “Dad, I was just sleep-talking in my dream just now. Don’t take it seriously.”

Yu Zhi nodded calmly. “Right, then this meal in front of you is also a dream. Don’t take it seriously. Eat when you wake up.”

Xiao Pang: “…”

With teary eyes, he looked to Yin Xu for help, causing Yin Xu to stifle a laugh.

“I’ve already talked to him. Xiao Pang promised to rank in the top five of the class by the end of the term and balance his studies with leisure. Sir, please let him off this time,” Yin Xu came to the rescue as expected.

Xiao Pang felt deeply grateful inside, but after hearing the content clearly, he exclaimed, “…”

What top five in the class? When did he ever say he would aim for the top five in the class?! Don’t make things up!

Yin Xu looked at him with a smile.

Didn’t you?

Xiao Pang’s gaze was firm. No, I didn’t!

Yin Xu narrowed his eyes.

Are you sure about that? Really didn’t?

Xiao Pang trembled, shaking his head vigorously. N-no, none…

Yin Xu’s eyes turned sharp, about to speak.

Xiao Pang grabbed his arm, hanging his head in defeat.

Okay, okay, he admitted it now, right?!

Yin Xu patted his head affectionately. Such a good boy.

For some reason, seeing this scene before him, Yu Zhi’s mind flashed with one phrase: “The doting mother spoils the child.”

Tch!

He discarded that thought, along with the strange feeling, and earnestly focused on eating his meal.

As he tasted one of the dishes, he paused. This wasn’t the taste of the dishes made by the housekeeper.

He glanced at Yin Xu, then quickly averted his gaze, feeling even more tangled inside.

He sensed that this wouldn’t be easy to brush off.

After the meal, Yin Xu was ready to take Xiao Pang home. Before leaving, he looked at Yu Zhi seriously and said, “Sir, work is never-ending, and staying at the company all the time isn’t good. Also… your family misses you a lot.”

Is it my family who misses me, or is it you who misses me?

Yu Zhi silently questioned in his heart and sighed.

With a faint smile on his face, he replied, “Got it.”

He reached out and patted Yin Xu’s head. “It’s not good for someone so young to act like the head of the household. Young people should be lively to be cute.”

But what he wanted wasn’t cuteness.

Yin Xu lowered his eyelids, a hint of disappointment in his voice. “Well, I’ll go back first.”

Yu Zhi watched the two of them leave the company, only turning away and heading upstairs once he saw them get into the car and drive out of sight.

He called his assistant over. “Help me…”

After waiting for a moment without hearing any continuation, the assistant couldn’t help but inquire, “Sir?”

Yu Zhi sighed. “…Forget it, it’s nothing. You can go.”

He had initially wanted to ask the assistant to schedule an appointment with a psychologist. However, he realized that he understood the psychology behind it himself, and he knew the reasons, yet he still felt helpless. What good would it do even if he went to see a psychologist?

Plus, there was the risk of information exposure.

Yu Zhi lit a cigarette, and as he smelled the smoke, he suddenly felt the empty office space becoming suffocating.

The phone rang. “Old Yu, are you in seclusion at home? How long has it been since you came out to have fun? Hurry up and come out. If you don’t come today, don’t blame me for not treating you as my brother.”

Yu Zhi glanced at the caller’s name, a close friend of the original owner.

Different from the original owner, this friend had been a playboy who lived off dividends since childhood until now. Perhaps it was because it was easier to get along with such people that the original owner occasionally dined and drank with him.

Even some of the original owner’s lovers were introduced through this friend.

Yu Zhi could easily guess where the friend was calling him and what they would do there.

He wasn’t particularly interested.

Nevertheless, since he had taken over the original owner’s identity, he naturally inherited these interpersonal relationships as well.

At five o’clock in the afternoon, he left work early. Instead of going home, he drove to the place where the original owner’s friend was.

It was a club opened by the friend himself. As soon as he entered, he could feel the extravagance, with colorful lights, wine flowing, and cheerful chatter.

“Mr. Yu, please come in. The boss has been waiting for you for a long time.” The staff here naturally knew Yu Zhi and led him to their boss’s private room.

Upon entering, he saw a well-preserved middle-aged man waving at him. “Old Yu, come over here.”

With that, he nudged the two beautiful women next to him, signaling them to attend to Yu Zhi.

Yu Zhi found a single sofa to sit on, rejecting the women’s advances.

Seeing his refusal, the man didn’t get angry. He let the two girls play with others and approached Yu Zhi himself.

“What’s up? Been focusing on self-cultivation recently?” Wei Rui’an nudged him. “Your accident brother, I was out of town. How’s your health? Recovered?”

Yu Zhi nodded. “I’m fine now, no need to worry.”

Wei Rui’an gestured to the drinks on the table. “I ordered all your favorites, but since you’re just recovering, maybe take it easy on the alcohol.”

He patted Yu Zhi’s shoulder. “After all, we’re not getting any younger. I think you’re doing the right thing, focusing on self-cultivation.” He looked genuinely approving.

Yu Zhi: “…”

Although he usually thought of himself as an old man, it still felt awkward to have it pointed out by someone else.

Was this body really old?

If it was, why would the young ones still be interested?

However, regardless of whether this body was old or not, his soul had already lived for who knows how many years.

So no matter how you look at it, he was still an old man.

Wei Rui’an noticed his change in expression, about to ask what was up, when his phone rang. He answered it with a smile, speaking softly for a few moments before casually dismissing the caller.

Then he showed the phone to Yu Zhi, looking somewhat smug. “You may be old, but I’m not. Who knows how many sisters are thinking of rekindling things with me? Am I the kind of guy who doesn’t go back for more?”

Yu Zhi raised an eyebrow at him. “Seems like you have quite the experience. Quite skilled at sending people off, aren’t you?”

Wei Rui’an glanced at him, shaking his clothes with a smile. “What’s up? Want me to give you advice on pursuing someone? Honestly, with your status, why bother chasing? Just use the money to pave the way. Or at your age, are you still into the whole true love thing?”

Yu Zhi: “…”

“I do have a bit of a problem I want to consult you about.”

Wei Rui’an had known Yu Zhi for so long and had never heard him say something like this before. It was framed as a consultation, but it was essentially a plea for help.

Immediately interested, he asked to turn down the music in the private room, so it wouldn’t be too noisy. While others continued to play, he dragged his sofa over to Yu Zhi’s side. “What’s up? Tell me, make me happy.”

Ignoring his words, Yu Zhi went straight to the point. “How do you subtly reject someone’s advances?”

Wei Rui’an: “Someone’s chasing after you? Isn’t it simple? Just don’t see them.”

Yu Zhi: “I can’t avoid seeing them. At least not for a short period of time.”

Wei Rui’an was curious about who it might be. Could it be the assistant from his old friend’s side? Wait, the assistant was a guy, and the old friend was heterosexual.

Oh, right. Exactly because he was heterosexual, he needed to reject advances from someone of the same sex. Wei Rui’an thought he had guessed the truth.

“In that case, get a new girlfriend, or just get married directly and let him give up.”

Yu Zhi didn’t plan to use such methods. Besides being too harsh on Yin Xu, it wouldn’t be fair to the fake girlfriend or wife either. Deception was never a solution to problems.

After that, Wei Rui’an suggested a few more tactics, all of which were vetoed. By the end, Wei Rui’an was exasperated.

“Why not just tell him you don’t like him? He hasn’t explicitly expressed his affection for you yet, right? Young people care a lot about their faces. Maybe after being rejected face-to-face, he won’t be so stubborn.”

Yu Zhi’s hand paused with the wine glass.

Taking a sip, Yu Zhi nodded at Wei Rui’an. “Makes sense. I’ll cover today’s expenses.”

With that, he hurriedly left.

Wei Rui’an was left somewhat dumbfounded. This was his bar, so what was the point of offering to pay?

Back at home, Yu Zhi still carried the scent of alcohol. He took off his coat, and the smell dissipated somewhat.

When he said “makes sense,” it wasn’t about confronting Yin Xu and rejecting him outright.

It was about the part where young people cared about their image.

Yu Zhi, though reluctant, knew he couldn’t delay this any longer.

Yin Xu’s gradual approach might be effective, but he might not be able to withstand it. He needed to take decisive action.

Hearing the door open, Yin Xu emerged from his room and saw the door to the study open. He felt a surge of joy!

Was Sir back?

He hastened his steps but stopped in his tracks at the doorway.

The man’s voice echoed from inside, seemingly on a phone call.

“…Yes, there’s a kid at home, maybe his mindset is a bit off. I want to ask you to help me take a look at him…”

“What kind of ‘off’? Ignoring young people and liking an old man instead—can that be corrected?”

……………………………

Author’s Note:

Yin Xu: He knows!

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