After Snagging a Stuffy Giant-Wealthy Daddy - Chapter 7

Li Chu did not fall flat on his face, and he felt a small shred of gratitude toward Shao Tingyue. He thought to himself that although the man looked cold, strict, and stern, he was not exactly a bad person.

However, that tiny bit of gratitude vanished into thin air very quickly.

Because the third rule of the household code had to be copied one hundred times, and he had to keep going!

Wuu wuu, Li Chu copied it with tears in his eyes for an entire day. When he went to sleep at night, his mind was still filled with dense, scribbled characters.

What was even more suffocating was that he had just discovered the bedroom next door was Shao Tingyue’s. This meant they were separated by only one wall, and they even shared a terrace.

This small terrace had an excellent view, overlooking the garden and the distant mountains, which Li Chu loved very much.

He especially enjoyed the feeling of sitting on the lounge chair in the afternoon or evening, catching the breeze, and reading a book; it was incredibly comfortable.

But the prerequisite for that comfort was that there were no other people on the terrace.

Because he was afraid of running into Shao Tingyue, Li Chu had endured for several days without daring to go out, only able to gaze longingly through the glass windows.

Today, he finally saw Shao Tingyue’s Rolls-Royce drive out of the Shao Mansion.

After happily finishing breakfast with the Old Madam, Li Chu grabbed a book and slipped out to the small terrace immediately.

The sun was just right, the breeze was gentle, and Uncle Ming had even specially arranged for someone to set up a tent to shade him.

Li Chu lay in the chair and flipped through a few pages of his book, but for some reason, he was distracted today.

He had been living in the Shao Mansion for half a month now. Although he was eating well and living well, the problem was that he had not earned a single cent!

Even the time he went to the dance hall, it was paid for by James, a friend of Shao Mingzhu. That is to say nothing of his desire to slip out to catch up with Wen Sitong and save up money to run away.

Li Chu did not know how much longer he could keep up his facade; he just felt that things were not as simple as they seemed.

While he was brainstorming, a sudden pain surged from his lower abdomen.

“Hiss,” Li Chu gasped, and the book in his hand almost fell to the ground. He was lactose intolerant, and although he had hesitated before eating that milk and bird’s nest soup at breakfast, he did not expect it to actually upset his stomach.

Li Chu clutched his stomach and stood up, wanting to hurry back to his room to use the restroom. However, when he reached out to twist the handle of the terrace’s glass door, it would not budge at all!

He tried twisting it harder, but it still did not move.

Li Chu’s heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat broke out instantly. He could not help but recall: could it be that he had accidentally locked the bolt from the inside when he came out?

These old-fashioned European-style glass doors could not be opened from the outside!

Li Chu’s lower abdomen tightened with every passing second, and his forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. He anxiously tapped on the glass door, hoping a servant would pass by and hear him. However, the terrace was in a secluded area, and the swimming pool and garden downstairs were completely empty at this moment.

What should he do? Was he going to have an accident right here?

No! Absolutely not!

Li Chu’s eyes were red with anxiety, and his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the side. Shao Tingyue was not home; would his terrace door be unlocked?

Regardless, he had to go over and check.

Li Chu gritted his teeth, clutched his stomach, and tiptoed to that glass door, giving it a gentle push.

The door was actually unlocked!

Li Chu was so moved he almost teared up, and without caring about anything else, he went straight inside.

Shao Tingyue’s bedroom had a larger layout; the color palette was dominated by dark walnut, and the furnishings had sharp, rigid lines. The air was filled with the man’s cold, crisp scent.

Li Chu had no intention of looking around; the abdominal pain urged him to get straight to the point.

The en-suite bathroom was equally spacious and luxurious, with a massive full-length mirror and a round bathtub by the window, connected to a walk-in closet nearby.

After Li Chu resolved his life’s urgent matter and flushed, he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if half his life had returned.

He walked to the sink and turned on the faucet, washing his face in the process.

The items on the counter were arranged very neatly: aftershave, razors, various toiletries. In the laundry basket next to it sat the pajamas and men’s briefs that Shao Tingyue had just changed out of.

Li Chu glanced over casually, and his pair of peach-blossom eyes widened slightly; his ears turned so red they looked like they would bleed.

The shape of the fabric stretched out like that; was that for real?

He pulled down his own waistband to take a look; why was there such a huge difference between people?

Actually, it was not just that; the difference in their height and build was also stark. It was very obvious when he fell into the man’s arms yesterday, and he did not know how the muscles on his chest were trained to be so hard and solid.

Li Chu stood there for a moment, carefully putting everything he had touched back to its original place.

However, at this moment, the sound of a key turning in the bedroom lock suddenly echoed. Li Chu’s movements froze, and water droplets slid down his cheeks.

No way? Did he not just leave? How could he be back so soon?

Li Chu regretted not holding it in a little longer and running back to his own bedroom. The main issue was that the Shao Mansion was too big; the master suites were all at least one or two hundred square meters.

He was afraid he would not be able to hold it on the way.

Li Chu scrambled to turn off the faucet. Not even bothering to wipe his face, he rushed out, still dripping wet.

Click. The door was opened from the outside.

Li Chu froze in place instantly, his mind going blank.

Shao Tingyue’s tall figure appeared at the doorway. He was wearing a crisp dark suit, a classic English three-piece set that outlined his broad shoulders and narrow waist. He wore a matching vest underneath, his shirt collar was stiff and upright, and he was knotted in a dark brown silk tie with a geometric pattern, the Windsor knot full and proper.

Their eyes met, and the air was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Water was still dripping from Li Chu’s cheeks, and he had lost one of his slippers somewhere. He stared at Shao Tingyue, his face full of embarrassment.

The man’s aura was deep and heavy, his eyebrows dipping slightly as if waiting for him to take the initiative to explain.

Li Chu organized his words, attempting to explain: “Second Uncle, I… the terrace door in my room was accidentally locked from the inside, and my stomach hurt very badly. So I came to your room to borrow the bathroom. I am sorry, Second Uncle! I did not mean to barge in!”

The softer he spoke, the more his face flushed with embarrassment, making him look both miserable and pitiful.

Shao Tingyue did not speak; he simply stepped inside and casually grabbed a document from a low cabinet nearby.

Li Chu guessed that he must have left something behind, which was why he had turned back.

“Does your stomach still hurt?” Shao Tingyue asked, his tone still devoid of any fluctuation.

Li Chu was stunned, not expecting him to ask that. He quickly shook his head: “No, it does not hurt anymore. It is already better.”

“Ask Uncle Ming to arrange for a private doctor to come over and give you a check-up.”

“Second Uncle, there is really no need. I am just a little lactose intolerant, no need to trouble a doctor to come over.”

Seeing his reluctance, Shao Tingyue frowned as if to say something, but in the end, he did not. He turned and walked toward the walk-in closet, seemingly intending to change his clothes.

Li Chu remained rooted to the spot, not knowing whether to leave or stay, so awkward that his toes curled. Should he run out immediately? But Shao Tingyue had not given the word yet.

Just as he was at a loss, Shao Tingyue’s voice drifted out from the walk-in closet, appearing somewhat deep from the distance: “Next Saturday, the Shao Corporation has a new ship being launched.”

Li Chu did not understand the implication and could only respond: “Oh.”

Shao Tingyue walked out in a soft loungewear set. While adjusting his cuffs, he continued: “The Old Madam specifically requested that you accompany her to attend.”

“Me?” Li Chu’s eyes widened, his finger pointing at himself.

The launch ceremony for a new ship of the Shao Corporation would certainly be packed with celebrities from all over Hong Kong, with media outlets focusing their cameras and microphones on the event.

“Yes.” Shao Tingyue walked up to him. The distance between them was quite close, like a mountain-sized shadow. Li Chu could smell the faint, lingering scent of cigars on him.

“This kind of occasion requires formal attire.”

Li Chu understood what Shao Tingyue meant. As his current “young master” identity, he indeed could not dress too casually, or he would lose face for the Shao family.

“Uncle Ming will prepare it for you.” Shao Tingyue stopped halfway, his gaze landing on Li Chu once more. He frowned, wondering what he was thinking, then changed his tone: “Forget it. I have time tomorrow afternoon; I will take you to get it tailored.”

Take him to get it tailored? Li Chu was stunned again. Shao Tingyue managed such a large conglomerate; could not these trivial matters be left to the butler or an assistant?

Shao Tingyue saw his confusion and said flatly: “The Old Madam is in poor health and attaches great importance to your appearance this time.”

This statement left Li Chu with no room to refute; his current standing was indeed tied to the Shao family.

“Alright, okay, thank you, Second Uncle.” Li Chu could only agree. Seeing that there was nothing else, he planned to retreat.

However, Shao Tingyue called out to him: “Wait.”

Li Chu stopped in his tracks, his heart rising again. For some reason, he always felt immense pressure whenever he was in the same space as Shao Tingyue.

Shao Tingyue handed over the document he had just picked up: “Since you are back, you cannot let your studies fall behind.”

Li Chu took it and flipped it open. It was an enrollment packet for the University of Hong Kong, with his “new identity” information already filled out, Shao Chu.

The major preference field was temporarily blank, but there were several optional directions listed on the side: Business Administration, Finance, Economics, International Relations; all commerce-related.

“I have already spoken with HKU; you can transfer in next month.” Shao Tingyue’s tone was matter-of-fact, as if arranging for someone to enter this top Asian institution was the simplest thing in the world. “Take a look at which direction interests you first; if you have other ideas, you can mention them.”

Li Chu clutched the document in his hand, his heart filled with mixed emotions. Was this the true nature of a top-tier wealthy family? Even university enrollment could be arranged so easily. It turned out that no matter which era it was, the rules were always held by a minority.

He had been a freshman in college before he transmigrated; having the chance to enter HKU now, it would be a lie to say he was not moved. This was the educational resource he had once dreamed of.

But, Business?

Li Chu hesitated for a moment, then gathered his courage to speak: “Second Uncle, can I not study business? I am more interested in Computer Science, programming.”

He was actually a bit hesitant, unsure if the other party would find his ideas strange in the eighties when personal computers were just beginning to sprout.

Shao Tingyue indeed raised his eyes to look at him and repeated: “Computers?”

“Yes.” Li Chu bit the bullet and explained, “I think the future might be the information age, and computers and software will be very important.” He spoke somewhat vaguely; he could not exactly spoil the fact that the internet would explode in the future, right?

Shao Tingyue was silent for a moment.

The core of the Shao Corporation was shipping and trading. In recent years, feeling the decline of the shipping industry, the board of directors had held multiple meetings and decided to shift the future focus toward real estate.

Regarding the emerging field of electronic technology, while Shao Tingyue paid some attention to it, he had not delved into it deeply.

However, he was not a person who resisted progress, and he was aware of the massive energy brought by technological innovation.

“Hm.” Shao Tingyue did not dismiss his idea outright, turning instead to another matter: “Starting next week, you will be introduced to equestrian, golf, etiquette courses, and social dance. Uncle Ming will arrange for teachers to come to the house.”

Li Chu’s eyes went dark after hearing this. So, “tiger parenting” was also popular in the eighties?

Shao Tingyue looked at his expression, his tone deepening: “You are unwilling?”

When he was born, his father’s career already had a considerable scale, so he had walked the path of elite education since he was a child. He not only mastered several foreign languages but was also excellent at equestrian and golf.

He went to study in the UK when he was in his teens. At that time, his eldest brother, Shao Tingzhao, had an accident, and the family was shrouded in shadows. Shao Tingyue finished all his courses in a very short time, and after receiving his degree, he returned to Hong Kong to take over the Shao Corporation.

In his view, Li Chu, who had just come of age, was like a small child, young, impulsive, and needing strict discipline to walk the right path.

Li Chu was actually calculating that he would leave once he managed to get some money. The Shao family was investing so much effort into cultivating him because they treated him as a real young master, but the problem was, he was not one!

It was not that he was unwilling, but he felt it was not necessary.

However, seeing Shao Tingyue’s expression, he felt that if he said the word “no,” he would probably end up copying the household code all night. In the end, he had to resign himself to fate and nod: “I understand, Second Uncle.”

After finishing, Li Chu really intended to leave this time, but Shao Tingyue picked up the slipper he had dropped from somewhere: “Put this on before you go. You also need to break the habit of walking barefoot.”

Li Chu stared at the shoe in the man’s hand, which was roughly the same size as his palm. His cheeks suddenly flushed, and he put on the shoe and ran away as fast as he could.