Chapter 39
Lu Wan Qing, of course, knew how many people would like “that person.” He also knew that those who had shown their goodwill would, without exception, be severely punished by Gu Lan Zhu. The difference between him and them was that they could enter that destined story, while he was an outsider, separated from the story by an invisible line.
“That person” would never look at anyone else. In his empty eyes and tumultuous life, there was only Gu Lan Zhu.
But Shu Ci was different.
He fluttered his butterfly wings, ignoring the invisible line, and ran towards him that night under the Central Hotel. Since that was the case, he could also run towards others, towards the distant place he wanted to go, and stop for the people he wanted.
Lu Wan Qing watched Shu Ci’s absent-minded expression, glanced at his plate, lowered his head, and ate silently.
Previously, when asked, Shu Ci said he would eat anything except boxed lunches, but people always have preferences when faced with choices. Therefore, Lu Wan Qing specifically found the cafeteria manager, set a two-week menu, and prepared to change the dishes to make them more varied. This way, by simply seeing which dishes he let the chef serve, he could roughly know what he liked to eat.
Now, he suddenly felt that this was a little absurd.
So what if he knew what he liked to eat? How many chances would they have to eat together?
Shu Ci’s gaze was so clear and firm. He was bound to break the shackles of fate and pursue his free life.
There would be a day when they would divorce.
Thinking of this, Lu Wan Qing lost his appetite and hastily swallowed all the food silently in large mouthfuls.
General Lu was always good at hiding his emotions, always calm and composed, no matter what. Cui You and Yu Xingxing, two big men, didn’t have such delicate minds and couldn’t see the abnormality in his emotions. They were chatting about the recent sea trials of a new type of warship, considering their cooperation excellent, leaving enough private space for the couple.
After Lu Wan Qing finished eating, he picked up his bowl and drank vegetable soup, his peripheral vision falling below the table.
Shu Ci’s legs were together and extended straight towards him. His straddle-legged sitting posture perfectly enclosed Shu Ci’s long, straight legs. He didn’t know what he was thinking. The shoelaces of his white sneakers swayed with the rhythm of his toes, and his trouser legs occasionally rubbed against them, revealing his beautiful ankles.
General Lu’s eyesight was excellent, and the protruding ankle joint and fair skin caught his eye, causing his heart to tighten.
He actually felt an unprecedentedly strong urge towards someone with a 1% match.
He wanted to hold his ankle, to… pull his legs closer to himself.
The marriage with Shu Ci seemed to have become a stolen candy, quietly held in his mouth, nervously tasting a trace of subtle sweetness, afraid that the next second someone would make him spit it out, or that one day it would melt away silently.
Under the guise of drinking soup, Lu Wan Qing greedily took a few more glances.
Shu Ci reviewed the plot about Shen Lin. He was a traditional, gentle male supporting character who wholeheartedly and selflessly treated him well until he realized that his existence would cause trouble for Shu Ci and Gu Lan Zhu, at which point he gradually faded from view, choosing to silently guard from afar.
Such a person was difficult to equate with the parliamentarian who had climbed to the highest position in the election on television.
Shu Ci turned his head to look at Yu Xingxing and decided to accept Lu Wan Qing’s theory and stop dwelling on the predetermined plot. He just hoped that this Parliamentarian Shen wouldn’t fall in love with him again.
Just kidding, having the Gu family’s young master and a national parliamentarian vying for him was like being imprisoned for him.
Thinking this, Shu Ci raised his head to look across. Lu Wan Qing’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he ate, and his heart rose and fell with it.
He actually hoped Lu Wan Qing could just remain his cheap husband. With a legal partner, he wouldn’t have to worry so much about all sorts of people and things, but he didn’t want to restrict Lu Wan Qing with marriage.
His feelings had never changed. As he had said to Shen Ti, he hoped that Lu Wan Qing could have a warmer, more loving embrace.
Unlike him, he would only cause him pain.
Cui You belatedly discovered something was wrong.
Usually when he ate with his wife, his wife’s mouth was almost never idle, they chatted while eating, eager to talk about everything that happened when they weren’t together.
Lu Wan Qing and Shu Ci, on the other hand, ate on their own, let alone communicating; they hadn’t even greeted each other!
Did they have a fight? With the General’s personality, he wouldn’t be the one to actively coax his wife.
He cleared his throat, deciding to contribute to his superior’s family harmony and break the silence at the table: “Director Shu, I heard you went to a meeting to finalize the plan today? How did it go?”
Shu Ci hadn’t heard anyone call him “Director Shu” in a long time, and he felt much more energetic.
His eyes lit up, and he looked at his best friend’s husband with satisfaction: “I combined the highlights of several plans into a more coherent and story-rich plan. The publicity team has compiled it and sent it to the Marshal. It’s been finalized.”
Yu Xingxing interjected: “When will it start filming?”
Shu Ci thought for a moment: “The base content will probably take three to five days. I’m quite efficient. If you cooperate well, I think I’ll be able to finish filming before I start school. The aerial shots of various landscapes and special content from different military branches will be handled by the publicity team. I’ll be in charge of post-production and editing.”
Yu Xingxing was surprised: “You haven’t graduated yet! Then you’re about the same age as me.”
Shu Ci: …
I’ve been a director for almost twenty years, who is the same age as you, you little brat. Probably only Lu Wan Qing, who has lived twice, has a mental age above his.
Unbeknownst to him, in Cui You’s eyes, he and Lu Wan Qing were the perfect example of an old husband and young wife.
Cui You glanced at Lu Wan Qing.
Thinking, the age gap is even bigger than his and Shen Ti’s, why doesn’t Lu Wan Qing know how to take care of people?
But he didn’t forget his mission, and worked hard to speak well of Lu Wan Qing: “Many Omegas are not allowed to go to school after marriage, our General Lu is extraordinary.”
“What about Ah Ti?” Shu Ci tilted his head and asked Cui You, “Did he drop out of school?”
Shen Ti always had the composed demeanor of a prominent Omega, but Shu Ci vaguely felt he wasn’t very happy. He could sense the satisfaction of his arranged-marriage partner, but when Shen Ti found him idle lately, the subtle envy in his eyes made Shu Ci unable to ignore it.
“No,” Cui You was a little dazed. Clearly, he was trying to comfort them and make conversation, why did the topic suddenly turn to him?
“We agreed before we got engaged that he would graduate before getting married.”
It was called an agreement, but Shu Ci understood that it was merely a negligible condition in the arranged marriage of their two families.
“Um, and after his marriage, his only role is to be your partner,” Shu Ci said softly, “This isn’t any different from not being able to go to school after marriage.”
Cui You choked, staring at Shu Ci.
Whether Omegas should participate in social life as deeply as Alphas is the most fiercely debated topic in the recent election among various families. They had discipline, they couldn’t discuss, couldn’t express their views at the base, they could only silently listen to Shu Ci’s sharp and sarcastic remarks.
In fact, even without discussion, they all knew. In the eyes of most Alphas, they only needed to stay at home to nurture offspring, to be good wives and mothers, and let A and B create a better living environment for them and protect them from harm.
Even if some families proposed policies that favored Omegas, they all assumed it was a gender strategy, just trying to win more votes.
Shu Ci was the first to narrow this topic down from Omegas in general to Shen Ti, and to question the person.
Shen Ti hasn’t been pregnant yet, he doesn’t have the task of being a good husband and father at home, so what does he do every day?
Cui You suddenly realized that his understanding of Shen Ti was limited to his body.
He was most familiar with the things that would bring them mutual pleasure and happiness. Apart from that, there was nothing more. The conversation was always gently dominated by Shen Ti. Apart from the things they knew about each other, the main topic was always about him.
What he thought was heartfelt was only one-sided.
He only knew that it would make Shen Ti angry and unhappy when he was left on read, but he never knew what Shen Ti did when he was unhappy.
“I’m sorry,” Cui You stood up, suppressing the confusion and panic in his eyes, and bowed to Lu Wan Qing. “I have something else to do, I’ll go first, you two eat slowly.”
Yu Xingxing sensed the awkward atmosphere, scratched his head: “Then me too?”
Lu Wan Qing wished he would leave quickly, and with a glance, Yu Xingxing instantly understood. He carried his plate and followed Cui You. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to give Shu Ci the extra fruit he had taken, bribing him: “If there are any solo shots, consider me!”
Shu Ci looked at Cui You’s rather dejected back and withdrew his surprised gaze.
Cui You was much better than the blindly proud Alphas he imagined. The more photos and content he posted on social media recently, the more trolls appeared, but at least Cui You would think about his words and apologize!
Whether he did it out of consideration for Lu Wan Qing or out of discipline, being able to suppress his emotions and not argue was already a high score in Shu Ci’s eyes. He felt relieved for Shen Ti.
Such a partner could change and compromise through good communication.
Thinking this, he peeled the oranges left by Yu Xingxing and gave half to Lu Wan Qing. He raised his eyes to see his hesitant expression.
“Do you also think what I said was a little too much?” He knew that with his way of speaking, it was easy to make Alphas angry.
“No, it was well-said.”
Lu Wan Qing stared at the half-orange, slowly putting it in his mouth. Even after chewing, his tongue lingered on the sweet and sour juice.
“However, sharp expressions may turn others’ anger towards you. Although Cui You isn’t that kind of person, others may not have that kind of self-cultivation.”
He paused, “I’m worried you’ll suffer unnecessary harm for no reason.”
“Is it because you’re older—uh, because you’ve experienced more, so you’re used to showing a caring and protective attitude towards others?” Shu Ci bit into an orange, his feet swaying. “I cried too hard that day, so I didn’t explain it to you. I rarely received that kind of unconditional care, so in my opinion, care and consideration aren’t something you can get for free.”
Lu Wan Qing frowned.
“People always have to pay a price for what they get. I received care, so I must give back something else. But I can’t see anything I can give you, especially our matching rate, which makes it seem like I’m worthless.”
He finally said it.
Shu Ci relaxed a little.
“So, I’m a little at a loss for your concern.”
So that’s how it was, Lu Wan Qing’s eyes showed more heartache.
He understood Shu Ci’s feelings very well. Just like when a teacher chose him, a wild child who was stepped on in the mud, to teach him how to use pheromones, he had also been suspicious for a long time.
Is she trying to use me to do something bad?
She’s so good to me, does she need something from me?
Only after she left without a sound did Lu Wan Qing realize that the teacher had truly wanted nothing from him.
But he wasn’t that kind of good-hearted person. His compassion for those whose destinies he couldn’t control didn’t mean he would care so much about everyone.
He never thought about getting anything in return from Shu Ci.
He was worried, so he spoke up.
“Why would you be worthless?” Lu Wan Qing stood up, speaking down to Shu Ci for the first time, “I happen to have something you can do.”
He wanted him to slowly get used to his concern.
Sure enough, Shu Ci’s expression relaxed: “Tell me, it has to be legal.”
Lu Wan Qing leaned down and said beside his ear: “For the promotional video’s male lead, choose me, okay?”
Author’s Note:
Lu: Actively asking for a promotion!
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