The Cannon Fodder Dad of Three Villainous Cubs - Chapter 19

The Lu Group had a dedicated charitable project that included an orphanage. To burnish the company’s public image, the CEO of the Lu Group personally attended the donation ceremony, where flashes from cameras lit up the venue in a continuous stream.

After the ceremony concluded, the director of the orphanage wore a sycophantic smile, eager to exchange pleasantries. However, after walking just a few steps, he found himself unable to move forward.

The CEO of the Lu Group stood with his back to him. His shoulders were broad and his frame tall. Dressed in a long coat, he possessed a steady, composed aura, yet it carried the noble, detached air of someone in a position of power a truly intimidating presence.

Seeming to sense his presence, Lu Yunian turned around. The lines of his profile were sharp and three-dimensional, and his eyes, tinged with a hint of blue-gray in the light, appeared even colder. Yet, his posture was not overbearing. His gaze lingered on the director for a second, devoid of emotion, before he gave a slight nod polite yet distant.

That brief acknowledgment left the director feeling inexplicably flattered. He couldn’t help but stand straighter, bowing repeatedly to Lu Yunian to express his gratitude.

A slight curve seemed to touch the corner of Lu Yunian’s mouth, but upon closer inspection, the hint of a smile had already vanished entirely. His personal assistant walked over with an impeccable attitude, speaking in such a perfect, charming manner that the director was left completely dazed and overwhelmed with gratitude toward Lu Yunian.

After handling the scene, the assistant, fearing a delay, hurried forward. To his surprise, he found his workaholic boss not sitting in the car reviewing documents, but standing under a tree, looking slightly upward. His expression was calm, his heart as deep as the sea.

The assistant immediately sensed something was wrong. It felt as if his head had been struck hard; the world spun, and he nearly lost his footing.

His job was to ensure things went smoothly, and just as he rushed to compensate for the lapse, a gust of wind blew. A yellow leaf drifted down, carving a graceful arc in the air before landing precisely on Lu Yunian’s broad shoulder.

The assistant couldn’t even catch his breath.

“…”

No, why did a leaf have to fall?! And why is it so uniformly yellow, so thick with the essence of autumn? Are you trying to kill me!!

Enduring his dizziness, he stepped forward quickly, wanting to remove the leaf. However, a hand with distinct knuckles reached out first, taking the leaf away.

Lu Yunian looked at it very intently. The blue-gray hue in his eyes was even more prominent, revealing an inorganic, icy coldness that made his emotions impossible to guess.

The moment the assistant saw this, he knew President Lu had fallen into his memories again.

No one knew what had happened in the past, but President Lu had been deeply wounded to the point where he hated autumn so much he wanted to delete it from the cycle of the four seasons.

Yet, it was contradictory.

When the Lu Group launched a new project previously, the assistant had thought that since President Lu hated autumn so much, they could seize the opportunity to move to a new city that enjoyed spring-like weather all year round. But President Lu refused to move, as if stubbornly guarding something in this city.

He dared not ask, nor dare he think too much. He could only fulfill his duty by ensuring President Lu was not exposed to anything related to autumn. But today, one oversight this single leaf had disrupted his entire rhythm.

Fortunately, while President Lu had his eccentricities, he was a good boss. He did not lash out, merely saying, “Wait for me for a while; I’ll walk around for a bit.”

The assistant watched his boss’s retreating figure and let out a long sigh.

Autumn is so wonderful refreshing and bountiful. It’s such a beautiful season; why does President Lu hate it so much?

…

Ji Yanyan was still diligently searching for a stepfather. He stared at every stranger who passed by, but his expression grew increasingly distressed.

This one won’t do, he’s too ugly. That one won’t do either, he’s too fat. This one is even worse; he wouldn’t be able to fit into this smart family. Oh, this one buys ice cream… but, wuwuwu, how does he already have a child?

Having gained nothing after such a long time, Ji Yanyan began to panic. He picked up his pace, eyes scanning everywhere so frantically that he didn’t see the path ahead and bumped into something.

Ji Yanyan stumbled, losing his balance. Before he could fall, a warm, large hand gripped his shoulder, carrying a scent that brought instant peace of mind.

From Ji Yanyan’s height, he could only see the straight lines of a pair of trousers. He followed them upward, craning his neck as far as it would go, until he finally saw the man’s face.

“Wow…” Ji Yanyan’s mouth slowly fell open.

Children are visual creatures, and Ji Yanyan was completely captivated by the man’s face, his eyes sparkling with stars. He had always hated contact with strangers, but this time, he proactively reached out and hugged the man’s leg, terrified he might leave.

Lu Yunian was also looking at this strange little child dressed like a little duck. He was covered from head to toe, and from his angle, he could only see a pair of clear, clean eyes under the brim of a hat.

Lu Yunian ignored the little duck bag poking into his knee. There was no softness in his eyes, and his expression remained unchanged, but he couldn’t help but soften his tone: “Little one, where are your parents?”

Hearing this, Ji Yanyan snapped out of his infatuation and remembered his objective: “Uncle, are you single?”

It wasn’t a question a three-year-old would normally ask. Lu Yunian was silent for a few seconds before answering: “I am.”

Ji Yanyan had considered many things, but now he had been bought off by a handsome face. He didn’t bother to investigate the man’s entire family history and instead asked the question he cared about most: “Uncle, do you have money? Will you buy me ice cream?”

It was normal for a child to be greedy, and Lu Yunian looked around, his expression calm as he watched him: “I can buy it for you, but you must have your parents’ permission.”

Ji Yanyan’s eyes widened slowly. He consciously ignored the second half of the sentence, overjoyed.

This is the stepfather I wanted! Great, I finally found him!!

Ji Yanyan tightened his grip, holding onto the leg for dear life: “Uncle, I like you. Can you be my stepfather?”

Lu Yunian: “…”

He knew that children said things without thinking, and he didn’t want to argue, but this was still far too unexpected.

A child finding his own stepfather it could be considered a novelty.

Lu Yunian’s heart had been dead and silent for many years, and he had never spent time with children. For a moment, he couldn’t think of a polite way to decline. Ji Yanyan, misinterpreting his silence, began to promote himself urgently.

“Uncle, I’m very well-behaved! And my daddy is also very good. For example, he thinks he’s a baby too; he never lets me win at games, won’t give me candy, and he pinches my butt and steals my food! But, but, but…” Ji Yanyan’s frustrated face scrunched up. After racking his brain, he finally found one advantage: “But he is good-looking!”

Although Lu Yunian had never met the child’s father, and the child wasn’t exactly saying good things about him, he could sense that the father-son relationship was actually quite good. The child was fair and tender, and it was obvious he was well cared for.

He squatted down, looking the child in the eye. As the words reached his lips, he suddenly paused. He felt that the child’s brows and eyes were incredibly familiar, a familiarity that pricked at his mind like a needle.

“You…”

Ji Yanyan, fearing he was about to be rejected and wanting to keep the man there, hurriedly held one of his fingers while using the other hand to search inside his little duck bag.

“Wait a second, I’ll show you my daddy. You will definitely like him!”