My Boss Always Wants to Join My Family - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Fruit Candy (4)

Lu Qian was stunned. He hurriedly handed over a bunch of tissues and slapped the back of Lu Yao’s head, whispering: “Stop playing! Sis is crying!”

Lu Yao had just finished a match with random teammates, bagging six kills. He turned around only to find the corners of Lu Yue’s eyes rubbed a brilliant red, and half a box of tissues already used up.

He panicked instantly.

“Holy crap, bro, what happened?” Lu Yao was terrified. “Why is Big Sis crying?”

Lu Qian snapped: “How should I know? Hurry up and go comfort her.”

The two brothers stared at each other. After a moment of silence, Lu Yao silently handed his phone over. Looking at Lu Yue as she raised her head, he cleared his throat: “Sis, stop crying.”

His expression was deathly serious. After holding it in for a long while, he managed to squeeze out five words: “Sis, wanna play some games?”

Lu Qian was bewildered. What is this guy doing?!

Lu Yao cleared his throat and proposed enthusiastically: “Let’s play a round of Honor of Kings. Your little brother will take you to the low-tier ranks to smurf—it’ll be a blast!!”

Lu Yue: “…………”

“How’s that? Great idea, right?”

Lu Yao added confidently, “My main account is a Grandmaster. Last season I was ranked in the top 100 nationwide. I’m freaking awesome!”

The boy was actually getting proud of himself. Lu Qian felt a massive headache coming on; he reached out to cover Lu Yao’s mouth and cursed in a low voice: “Shut up!”

Lu Yao refused to back down, shouting “Why are you pushing me?” and swinging back at Lu Qian. The two boys started pulling and shoving, on the verge of a full-blown scuffle.

Right then, a soft chuckle came from the back seat.

Lu Yue truly had the temper knocked out of her by these two. She let out a “pfft” of laughter and said helplessly: “Alright, you two, stop it.”

“I’m fine now,” she rubbed her forehead, the corners of her eyes curving slightly, her voice still a bit hoarse. “Let’s go.”

Lu Yue lowered her head and let out a soft breath. The tissue in her palm was crumpled into a tiny ball, like a withered, shriveled paper flower.

She said softly: “Let’s go home.”

Lu Qian glanced at her cautiously several times. Seeing that Lu Yue had indeed calmed down significantly, he let go of Lu Yao’s arm and sat back in the driver’s seat to start the car.

“Hmph,” Lu Yao tugged at his messy school uniform, crossing his legs like a boss and looking back. “Sis! Let’s play games! We’ll use smurf accounts!”

He offered his phone again, eager to go, egging Lu Yue on: “Come on, one round?”

Lu Yue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She said, “Forget it. If you keep playing like this, have you forgotten how Mom confiscated your phone and cut off your allowance for six months?”

That sentence hit him like a bolt from the blue.

Lu Yao wilted instantly, dejectedly stuffing his phone into his bag and hugging it like a treasure, as if afraid someone else would covet it.

The car drove on, and before long, they returned to the villa district halfway up the mountain, where one could overlook the scenery of the West River.

There were three children in the Lu family. Lu Yue was the eldest sister, Lu Qian was interning during his junior year summer break, and the youngest, Lu Yao, was only a senior in high school this year.

Lu Qian had to take Lu Yao to a cram school, and both Mr. and Mrs. Lu were not home yet. Only Auntie Wang, who cooked and cleaned, was in the house.

Auntie Wang saw Lu Yue’s red eyes and her bright red over-the-knee dress; her eyes widened in a tremble: “M-miss—”

Lu Yue quickly fabricated a random excuse. After much persuasion, she managed to fool Auntie Wang. She tossed her handbag aside and grabbed clean clothes, intending to take a bath.

With a soft “shhh,” warm water fell like fine rain, soaking her voluminous long hair and pitter-pattering onto the floor from the tips of her strands.

The water temperature was adjusted just right, pouring over her skin like a warm embrace, delicately wrapping around her.

Lu Yue tilted her head back slightly, looking at the white porcelain ceiling with gold patterns. Heat surged slowly around her, clinging to the glass door like a draped veil.

“Hah.” She let out a breath and reached up to brush her long hair behind her. Water droplets flowed down her hair, sliding over her slender white neck and leaving mottled water marks on her skin.

Clusters of white mist rose up, filling the entire bathroom. Lu Yue felt a bit hot, so she turned off the hot water and pushed the glass door open slightly.

Cold air rushed in, clashing with the heat to weave a hazy shroud.

The ventilation fan hummed. As the cold air hit her flushed skin, Lu Yue’s body trembled slightly. She leaned her back against the wall, and several images suddenly flashed through her mind.

Because she had been drunk before, she hadn’t deliberately tried to recall the details. But now, drenched by hot water and hit by cold air, her memories seemed to have conspired to rush before her eyes all at once.

Zhou Ran’s collar had been tugged into a mess by her. Her long hair was scattered across her back as she comforted her in a soft voice, yet her movements showed no intention of stopping.

Her fingers were slender, her pads carrying thin calluses. Even a light touch caused Lu Yue to shudder, losing control completely.

Fingertips traced down her neck inch by inch, softly touching her skin, tracing the hollow bones of her back, and drawing small circles on her pubic bone.

She felt a bit itchy, a bit distressed…

With a soft “thud,” Lu Yue knocked over the shower gel. She watched helplessly as the bottle hit the ground, the body of the bottle becoming dented.

What’s going on, what’s going on?! Her brain was burning, her thoughts muddled. She quickly covered her face with her hands and crouched down against the wall.

Even though the hot water had stopped, her earlobes grew redder and redder. Lu Yue covered her face tightly, biting her lip, her eyes clouded with mist.

What’s wrong with me? This is ridiculous!!

Lu Yue was going crazy. She forced herself to calm down, but her mind grew more chaotic. Her breathing trembled, and her knees felt slightly weak, making it hard to stand steadily.

Falling hair, damp lashes, slender bones, a curved waist, and those slightly red, watery fingertips…

Lu Yue took a deep breath, turned the water temperature down, and drenched herself in ice-cold water.

She spent a good while cooling off before she finally regained her composure.

What is truly wrong with me? Why am I always entangled with the same person? It was Zhou Ran in high school, Zhou Ran four years ago, and four years later, it’s still Zhou Ran.

Lu Yue sighed. The business in high school was one thing; after all, she was young and aggressive back then, with an unyielding spirit.

But she had been away for so long. Just when she thought she had let everything go and could start anew—she encountered Zhou Ran again.

Who knows what kind of cursed fate this is.

Lu Yue had no heart for a soak anymore. She rinsed herself off hurriedly, changed into a loose loungewear shirt, wrapped a towel around her neck, and fled back to her room in a panic.

At dinner time, a sumptuous meal was spread across the table. Mother Lu picked up some food and stuffed it into Lu Yue’s bowl, nagging: “Look at you, you’ve been away for four years and you’ve gotten so thin.”

“Mom, that’s enough, that’s enough,” Lu Yue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “My bowl is almost full.”

Mother Lu didn’t even look up, adding even more to the pile, her voice unable to hide her joy: “It’s nothing, eat more.”

The ignored Lu Qian sat in the corner, silently picking at his rice, while Lu Yao wolfed his down. After a few bites, he hurried to run upstairs.

“Going to play games again?” Father Lu shook his newspaper and said coldly, “Stand right there!”

Father Lu had been vibrant, sunny, and handsome in his youth. Who would have thought that after making money, his face would get rounder and his body fatter until he had become a sphere.

Furthermore, people in business are usually a bit superstitious; he had specifically sought out a Buddhist prayer bead string to wear on his wrist. With his beer belly protruding, from a distance, he looked just like Amitabha Buddha.

Lu Yao slunk back down dejectedly and was scolded by Father Lu. Lu Yue was observing from the sidelines as if it were none of her business, but unexpectedly, Father Lu took a sip of water and changed the subject: “Yueyue.”

Father Lu spoke with earnest gravity, making Lu Yue’s heart skip a beat. She guiltily put down her chopsticks: “Dad.”

“You’ve been away for so long, it’s time to come back, isn’t it?” As expected, Father Lu sighed and said, “Those two rascals are sensible, I’d feel more at ease if you managed the Group.”

He had been pondering this for a long time. Of his three children, the second, Lu Qian, had a timid personality and lacked independent judgment, while the youngest, Lu Yao, was still immature and fooled around.

No matter how he looked at it, only his eldest daughter, who had been obedient and sensible since childhood with outstanding grades and a balanced way of handling things, was a talent worth molding.

“That… we’ll talk about that later.”

Lu Yue lowered her head, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the tablecloth. Her gaze fell on the distance, her voice very light: “I’m not ready yet.”

“It’s fine,” Father Lu urged. “Back when you were interning at the hotel, didn’t you manage everything in an orderly fashion—”

He wanted to continue, but Mother Lu wouldn’t have it. Her chopsticks hit the table with a clank, and she gave him a cold glare.

“Why are you forcing her?” she scolded mercilessly. “My baby wouldn’t even care for that little broken company of yours, okay!”

Father Lu: “…………”

Yinglu Entertainment is one of the top media companies in the country, after all. In Mother Lu’s mouth, it somehow became worthless.

“Don’t lower yourself to that fat man’s level,” Mother Lu patted Lu Yue’s shoulder, comforting her. “Our baby is so smart, she surely has her own ideas in mind.”

Lu Yue pursed her lips and gave a forced smile, but her mind was wandering. She was distracted throughout the meal, giving ambiguous answers to various questions.

Mother Lu saw that her daughter had something on her mind. After dinner, she specifically stepped forward and stopped her daughter from returning to her room.

“Baby, it’s a rare occasion for you to be back,” Mother Lu said with a smile. “Tomorrow, I’ve made an appointment to go shopping with Auntie Zhou. Why don’t you come along and buy some new clothes?”

Lu Yue happened to want to go out to clear her head, so she nodded with a smile and said: “Okay.”

The heavens were cooperative; the weather was exceptionally good.

Clouds piled lazily on the horizon, catching the sunlight from behind and moving slowly, looking like giant golden marshmallows.

Because she was meeting her mother’s friend, Lu Yue had specifically dressed up with care. She pinned up her voluminous curls neatly and applied elegant, light makeup.

They met Auntie Zhou in the shopping mall’s open-air garden. She had a beige silk scarf around her neck and wore a pair of thin-framed glasses, sitting quietly on a bench.

Unlike Mother Lu’s flamboyant brightness, Auntie Zhou had subtle wrinkles around her eyes, but her gaze was warm and gentle. Her voice was light and soft, and she had even brought some home-baked cookies for Lu Yue.

The cookies were still warm, decorated with crystalline icing. They melted in the mouth, crisp and soft.

While the two mothers chatted, Lu Yue secretly nibbled on several cookies, eating with great joy, her heart feeling like it was setting off fireworks.

Auntie Zhou has such a great personality, and her cookies are delicious. She’s truly a good person, Lu Yue thought gratefully.

“I’m glad Yueyue likes them,” Auntie Zhou said with a smile. “These cookies were made by my daughter. Her company happens to be on holiday today, so she said she’d come to keep me company.”

As she spoke, Auntie Zhou stood up and signaled to someone in the distance: “Over here.”

Lu Yue followed her gaze and saw someone walking toward them. She wore a crisp white shirt, her legs straight and long, her collar buttoned carefully to the very top.

The person was carrying three cups of hot tea. Her gaze fell on Lu Yue, pausing in astonishment for a second or two before quickly shifting away.

Her voice was cold, and her expression was so thin that not a trace of emotion could be seen. She greeted them calmly: “Hello.”

Lu Yue’s hand trembled, nearly dropping her cookie.

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