After Marrying Bigshot Vegetable Boss - Chapter 32
In his heart, Yu Lan had already set a rule for himself: if Chu Wang said anything he didn’t want to hear, he would label him as “lacking vision”.
But fortunately, Chu Wang’s response was even quicker than he had imagined.
And maybe he also had a hunch. After all, Chu Wang had never shown any interest in Yu Ling before. When Chu Wang had come to him that time, he had only thought about how to help himself.
Yu Lan felt relieved. He didn’t bother to hide his emotions about Yu Ling from Chu Wang. His expression visibly brightened a bit as he nodded, “That’s good.”
He knew asking such a question was reckless. In his less than nineteen years of life, the emotion he should least have was recklessness.
Whether it was due to changes since arriving here or for other reasons, even though Chu Wang was still essentially in a coma, Yu Lan suddenly felt supported.
Although this support might come with a price.
But Yu Lan thought it over and realized he didn’t have much to lose. It even added a bit of ease.
So he raised his face and smiled at Chu Wang, more cunning than cute, “Mr. Chu, don’t you think I have a bad temper?”
He paused, “I thought… you all would like someone like my brother.”
The first sentence was okay, but when he said the second sentence, Chu Wang lowered his head and couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Didn’t we agree not to pretend in front of me?”
Chu Wang’s tone was soft, as if he didn’t mind Yu Lan’s question at all. He seemed to want to reach out and touch the soft curls at the ends of Yu Lan’s hair.
But before he could extend his hand, Yu Lan looked up with a dissatisfied expression.
His gaze seemed to say, “I forgot,” “I’m just used to saying these things out of habit,” “What harm does a little pretending do?”
Yu Lan’s pupils were clear and beautiful, shining brightly. When he pretended to be weak in front of others, his eyelids drooped slightly, giving him a naturally innocent and pitiful look.
Although Chu Wang knew—clearly knew—that this was just Yu Lan’s usual way, he still found himself abandoning all principles under that gaze. After a two-second pause, he spoke, “Alright, alright, I know you don’t like him.”
“We’re in this together, after all. Like you, I don’t like him,” Chu Wang assured helplessly.
Sure enough, as soon as these words came out, Yu Lan’s eyebrows lifted slightly, and all those little gestures disappeared without a trace. He immediately smiled, “Okay, Mr. Chu!”
Yu Lan was genuinely happy, but he couldn’t quite explain what exactly made him happy. Plus, the object of his happiness was still hanging on the office fireplace. To relieve this happiness, he casually reached out and touched Chu Wang’s body next to him, wiggling his fingers twice.
Since Chu Wang had made his stance clear, he felt he should reciprocate a bit. He took the initiative and said, “Mr. Chu, is there anything else you need help with? Anything at all, just let me know.”
Chu Wang, infected by his jubilant demeanor, usually would have just replied with a simple “No need,” to such questions. But this time, he paused for a moment and deliberately asked, “Really?”
“Of course,” Yu Lan replied nonchalantly. He felt that even if Chu Wang let him wreak havoc in the company, it wouldn’t matter much, and if Chu Wang was happy, his days ahead would be better. “And you can trust me. I never break my promises.”
Chu Wang’s soul hovered above the fireplace, seemingly pondering. He appeared to be thinking, but in reality, he was about to nod, “Okay.”
Yu Lan added, “If you’re not sure now, I can keep it in mind. Just tell me when you’re ready.”
Chu Wang maintained his usual calm and composed executive image, “Hmm.”
It was strange. Clearly, he was now just a soul without a physical body and should not have any feelings at all.
Chu Wang wondered why he still felt so light-hearted.
“I brought cinnabar today, but everything went smoothly, so I didn’t use it,” Yu Lan calculated the number of boxes inside, “Saved another pack.”
Although the two of them had stumbled upon the effectiveness of cinnabar, they had not yet found a proper use for it. They treated it like a treasure, always thinking, “Just in case.”
But when Yu Lan spoke these words, Chu Wang was reminded of that moment late at night.
The other’s fingers were warm, with soft fingertips.
He had only touched him briefly, yet it was enough to make him unforgettable.
Chu Wang took a brief moment to think. If he were to ask Yu Lan to open up now, what reason could he use to persuade him? Or what excuse could he find to make it not seem abrupt for him to agree to such a request?
However, he lacked experience, and for the moment, he couldn’t think of any useful methods.
After that moment just now, after giving himself an answer, Chu Wang had completely accepted his own thoughts.
He was never one to deceive himself.
However, recognizing this thought and figuring out how to proceed were completely different matters.
Chu Wang looked somewhat regretfully at the cinnabar Yu Lan had brought over, watching as he put it back into the box. On one hand, he felt he should find an opportunity to use it, but on the other hand, he worried that if this little amount was all the Master had given, he should perhaps plan carefully and use all the cinnabar on the blade edge.
Mr. Chu, who had a very commercial mind, was now troubled by a box of seemingly worthless metaphysical items.
Ten minutes later, the office door was knocked on again, and Zhang Yan’s voice, devoid of emotion, sounded from outside the door.
Yu Lan’s face still blushed a moment before he let her in.
In the time just now, following the steps Chu Wang had mentioned, he had completely resolved the matter concerning Chen Lin.
He said to Zhang Yan, “This matter has caused you trouble.”
Zhang Yan waved her hands repeatedly, looking as if she could not bear to trouble Yu Lan. “Not at all, Mr. Yu, you are Mr. Chu’s beloved, and these are things I should do.”
If it were just now, Zhang Yan might have been shocked that Yu Lan could manipulate the company system and Chu Wang’s office computer so smoothly, but after seeing that scene, she was already used to it. In any case, how many surprises her boss still had in store for her was still unknown.
But she was very professional in her work, and after checking everything was correct, she looked at Yu Lan, who was again next to the comatose patient, suppressing the urge to twitch the corners of her mouth, and bowed politely. “I’ll take you both back.”
Yu Lan nodded and pushed the wheelchair next to the comatose person, then looked at Chu Wang not far away before leaving his room.
On the way back, Zhang Yan politely said, “If you need anything else later, Mr. Yu, just let me know.”
Yu Lan shook his head. “This matter has already troubled you. There is also Auntie, whom you should explain.”
Zhang Yan said, “Actually, regarding the matter of Chen Lin, you’ve really helped us. He has connections with some people, and we couldn’t find a good way to dismiss him before. Your willingness to act as the subject of our concern, we’re already very grateful.”
“And recently, the company has some major collaborations, which is beneficial for the group.”
Yu Lan didn’t quite understand these matters and just nodded along, “Oh, I see.”
He thought for a moment, “Is there anything else I can help with?”
His idea was quite simple. Even though Chu Wang was currently unconscious, he still held a position here, and could genuinely communicate with Chu Wang. If he could contribute in any way, everyone would benefit.
However, he couldn’t reveal this to Zhang Yan completely.
Fortunately, she now fully regarded Yu Lan as the true lady of the house and straightforwardly said, without avoiding it, “The partner is a foreign brand that places great emphasis on charity. There’s a charity gala coming up soon. If you’re willing, you could attend with Mr. Chu, representing the Chu family.”
Yu Lan had heard about this incidentally from discussions at the dinner table with Xi Yun, but he didn’t expect it to be related to their collaboration.
But he was completely clueless about such matters and agreed in a daze.
After returning home, Yu Lan mentioned this to Chu Wang. Obviously, Chu Wang heard it in the car, but he replied casually, “It’s alright. If you want to go and have fun, go ahead. If you don’t want to go, just decline.”
Chu Wang then thought of something else, “However, the auction in a few days is indeed quite grand, with many collections that aren’t usually seen…”
“You could also go take a look and buy some little trinkets you like.”
Even though Yu Lan didn’t have much of a concept of money, he had some basic understanding of auctions.
Chu Wang’s tone seemed to be encouraging him to buy candy downstairs.
Yu Lan was somewhat taken aback, “I don’t think that’s appropriate…”
“What’s wrong with that?” Chu Wang pondered for a moment, then changed his approach, “Don’t you enjoy picking out outfits for me?”
“In that case, go pick out something that you think suits me. Consider it as if you’re choosing for me.”
Chu Wang said.
“…” His words left Yu Lan speechless, and in the end, he could only nod, “Alright.”
Because they couldn’t find the surveillance, Yu Ling noticeably quieted down for several days. Yu Lan finally started to enjoy the idyllic campus life he had longed for.Â
Perhaps because he didn’t need to live on campus, he made a few friends in class. However, his best friend was still Zhong Jiale, who Chu Wang said had a sharp mind and could be used for watering flowers.
Fortunately, Zhong Jiale also understood his place and kept Yu Lan’s identity at school a secret. When others asked, he said he didn’t know, except for the occasional complaint when he heard others mention Yu Ling.Â
Yu Lan didn’t care at all. Since he had resolved Chen Lin’s matter at the company and was praised by Xi Yun the next day, he had been living a smooth life.
That day, he went to the tiered classroom with Zhong Jiale. As the latter forgot to bring his book and arrived late, they sat in the last row to avoid disturbing anyone.Â
Usually, such large classes had professionals from other departments and people earning credits or spending time. Once the class ended, it became lively, with people discussing all sorts of things.
Yu Ling was quite well-known across the entire university city, so he wasn’t surprised to hear his name again from others.
“Oh, have you heard? A few days ago, the Law School couldn’t raise enough funds for their party, so it seems that Yu Ling from the next school over brought sponsorship from his family’s branch company.”
“Yeah, I heard about it. Didn’t he also donate money during the art festival before? What a living bodhisattva.”
“He just likes it. What’s wrong with that? If I had money, I’d love to show off and sponsor things every day.”
“And every time there’s a fundraising event like that, he’s always the first. Ah, he truly lives differently as a child of a wealthy family, with a good education. It’s not the same as us.”
Zhong Jiale rolled his eyes silently and turned his book louder.
Before he could comment on this, a stranger’s voice came from the side.Â
“But I heard that the Yu Family has been going downhill these past few years, with their hotels having food safety issues exposed a long time ago. Several have been closed down recently.”
“And he’s still giving away money everywhere at a time like this? Isn’t he afraid he won’t be able to hold up in the end?”
People discussing nearby stopped.
After a few seconds, they began chatting again, seemingly not believing it.
“How is that possible?”
“Where did you hear this news? Stop spreading rumors. Even if he’s doing good deeds, why do you care about his family background?”
The voice sounded puzzled, “I didn’t hear it from any news. It’s just that my family used to work there, and they told me after getting laid off. Plus, you can verify this kind of news easily. Why would I lie to you guys?”
But Yu Ling was well-known among college students, so almost everyone who heard about this incident didn’t believe it and spoke up in his defense.
Yu Lan found it quite amusing listening to this. He half-covered his face with the book and slowly turned his head to look over.
The speaker was a boy who could be described as small and thin, dressed very simply, and wearing slightly old glasses.
He seemed genuinely disinterested in campus celebrities and usually didn’t keep up with gossip. He continued to explain straightforwardly, “Really, I’m not lying to you guys. I don’t even know him personally, so there’s no reason for me to spread rumors. My dad used to work as a driver for them, and I only heard about this name when he got unexpectedly laid off a couple of days ago…”
He scratched his head in bewilderment, as if puzzled by the attention given to this topic of conversation.
The people around him continued to argue, but the small, thin boy seemed easygoing and reasonable, “I just mentioned it casually after hearing you guys talk about it. I really don’t know much about the actual situation. Just consider me not fully informed about this.”
Yu Lan listened with great interest.
Zhong Jiale couldn’t help but sneer and leaned in close to Yu Lan, whispering, “I think what he’s saying is true.”
Yu Lan actually thought the same.
Come to think of it, when Yu Ling came to find him that day, a large part of it might have been to embarrass him, but Liang Zhiyu asked him for money and he didn’t give it… Maybe the Yu family really was facing some difficulties and wanted him to maintain a good relationship with them.
However, Yu Lan couldn’t quite understand Yu Ling’s extreme vanity in this regard. He simply felt it was foolish to have a group of people around him who weren’t sincere. Once something went wrong, they would definitely scatter.
He shook his head, closed his book, and said, “Forget it, it doesn’t concern me anyway.”
Yu Ling should just stop bothering him.
With that thought, he didn’t pay attention to what the others were discussing behind him. He quietly finished the class and left with Zhong Jiale.
This incident was like an insignificant interlude, but before the next day arrived, in the afternoon of the same day, when they returned from the laboratory, things took a turn.
Their group project wasn’t difficult, and Yu Lan was smart enough in this area, so he could finish the report and get out of class early.
Today, Zhong Jiale had talked quite a bit about Yu Ling. He said he had asked his parents, and it seemed that the Yu family really was facing some financial crisis or something.
Yu Lan chuckled and his tone gave nothing away, “Is that so? But didn’t he want to buy clothes for me last time?”
As they walked and talked, Zhong Jiale pressed the elevator button, “Why is it under maintenance?”
“Anyway, it’s only a few floors up, let’s just take the stairs,” Yu Lan said.
Zhong Jiale nodded and they took the emergency exit stairs together.
“Oh, by the way, my mom mentioned that there’s an auction in a few days. She was talking to my aunt. Are you going?” Zhong Jiale usually only brought up family topics when no one else was around. Yu Lan nodded, “Yeah, just to take a look around.”
“Just to take a look around,” Yu Lan repeated what Chu Huang said.
Zhong Jiale looked envious, “I want to go too! Wait for me to beg my mom again, maybe I can go with you——”
Before he could finish his sentence, the two had only descended one floor when they heard a muffled noise not far away.
Yu Lan and Zhong Jiale stopped simultaneously and looked in the direction of the sound.
This floor generally had few people passing through, being an emergency exit, and now it was during class time, so very few people would be here.
The sound seemed like someone hitting the wall with their body, and before the two could figure it out, there was another similar sound, followed by someone cursing disdainfully—
“Why do you always have something to say? Why are you so talkative? I told you this morning not to talk nonsense. Not only did you not listen, but you kept blabbering. Do you think everyone wants to hear what you have to say?”
“How come you didn’t think about it when spreading rumors?”
“What’s your identity? Do you just want to attract attention?”
“This is too low, hahaha——”
The voices seemed to come from an empty classroom at the end of this floor.
Yu Lan and Zhong Jiale walked over together and heard a somewhat familiar voice, one that had appeared in the stairwell earlier that morning, talking to someone else.
“I didn’t spread rumors!”
“How would I know who he is? I don’t care about these things. I… my dad was laid off and I found out then!”
“And what’s wrong with me saying a few words? Is his perfect image so important to him?”
“Why are you all so worked up? Why do you care so much on his behalf?”
Zhong Jiale also realized what was happening, widened his eyes, and silently exchanged a glance with Yu Lan.
It seemed… it was the guy who had talked about Yu Ling in the stairwell this morning?
Yu Lan’s expression visibly changed.
Meanwhile, not far away, the conflict and the sound of argument continued. The boy’s words seemed to have angered them, and they retorted angrily:
“Why? Because last time he was generous and sponsored us!”
“He couldn’t possibly be the person you described.”
“I think you’re just uncomfortable with your own life and want to smear someone randomly!”
“What if he decides not to sponsor our department next time?”
“And I have a friend at the neighboring school who says Yu Ling often invites people to high-end restaurants. How could it be like you said, having family troubles?”
The young man seemed exhausted, his voice tinged with a hint of crying, “So I just said that, and you brought me here for this?”
“Okay, okay, Mr. Yu is the kindest person in the universe, I made it all up, okay?”
“I told you, I saw it in the news, my family was also affected, I didn’t spread rumors!”
“I think you’re still harboring discontent—”
Just as the other was about to raise his hand, Yu Lan didn’t hesitate. He hurried over and tackled the person, shouting, “Zhong Jiale!”
Zhong Jiale, being sturdy, rushed over too and used his body to pin down another person, saying urgently, “Got him!”
The troublemakers hadn’t expected their altercation to be interrupted. Their tone was clearly unfriendly, “Who are you guys?”
Yu Lan pinned the person down and said gruffly, “Mind your own business, just know that you’re in trouble.”
Three people were trying to educate the young man. Yu Lan and Zhong Jiale each pinned down one, and as the last one was about to act, Yu Lan preemptively said, “Dare to touch him?”
“Do you know who I am?”
The other didn’t flinch, still refusing to listen. Yu Lan swung his foot and kicked hard. The blow was accurate and fierce, and the other instantly grimaced, clutching his side.
Zhong Jiale was still pinning someone down, surprised to see Yu Lan, who appeared much weaker, had already subdued one. He exclaimed in amazement, “Wow, wow.”
Yu Lan didn’t waste time on chatter now, nor did he explain how he handled such situations back in school. He just turned his head to the boy he’d seen earlier, “Are you okay?”
The boy in the corner was indeed the one he had seen that morning, small and thin, with fresh bruises on his face.
Yu Lan glanced at the three bullies who had picked on him, and unexpectedly recognized one of them—
It was the guy who had been with Yu Ling at the mall last time.
He couldn’t help but sneer, “I originally thought he was just overly vain, pretending to be something he’s not. Whether bankrupt or not, it has nothing to do with me…” He glared at the guy he had kicked, “What era is this? Still resorting to bullying in university?”
The boy wasn’t staying idle either and quickly got up from the ground.
His belongings from his backpack were scattered, and his old glasses were now half-broken.
“Th-thank you…” He hastily gathered his things and thanked the two.
Yu Lan gestured with his eyes for him to “go first,” still crouched down to face the three.
In fact, these guys didn’t look professional, but inexplicably were loyal fans of Yu Ling. The one under Yu Lan struggled fiercely, but Yu Lan used just the right amount of force to keep him immobile.
“Who the hell are you?!” Even though he couldn’t move, it didn’t stop him from speaking, “Why do I keep running into these people all day long!”
“You’re venting for him, does he even know?” Yu Lan ignored his provocation and went straight to the point.
The other’s eyes visibly dodged for a moment, “What, who are you talking about?”
He said nervously, “We just have some disagreements. We came here to talk to him. What’s it to you?”
Yu Lan pressed down with his knee a little harder, “He sent you to ‘chat’ with someone, so why isn’t he here himself?”
The person under him was about to say something when the one being pressed down by Zhong Jiale suddenly remembered something upon looking at Yu Lan’s face and started signaling to the other.
The other hadn’t reacted yet, and Yu Lan spoke up first, “You better really recognize who I am.”
“If he really instructed this, go back and tell him…”
Yu Lan paused and continued, “Next time, it’s best not to actually come face to face with me.”
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Rebecca
Ooooh things are heating up!