Chapter 45
The young couple left the hospital in harmony and good spirits. Lu Xiao drove Meng Xueyuan to the film set. As they were almost there, his mouth betrayed him and he asked, “Did anyone go with you for your first prenatal checkup? Weren’t you worried it might be real and affect your filming?”
Meng Xueyuan said, “I never thought it would be real.”
Lu Xiao: “So—did anyone go with you?”
Meng Xueyuan gave a compromise of an answer: “Yes. Lin Xilan and Bai He. They have connections at a private hospital. I was afraid I’d be recognized if I went alone.”
Lu Xiao’s tone softened. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve flown back immediately to be with you.”
Meng Xueyuan replied, “I was afraid you’d come back right away. It wasn’t a big deal.”
Lu Xiao said, “Even if you didn’t let me come back, I could’ve asked my dad to go with you.”
Meng Xueyuan said, “It was just a pseudopregnancy. How could I notify the elders and the juniors over something like that?”
But you notified two outsiders.
Lu Xiao felt a tightness in his chest again, but when he saw that his name was written in the ‘spouse’ column of his wife’s prenatal report, his anger slowly subsided.
“Tell me when you get off work. I’ll come pick you up,” Lu Xiao instructed.
Meng Xueyuan said, “I can go back by myself. You’re working too hard like this.”
Lu Xiao replied, “I’m willing.”
If it weren’t for the fact that having no career and living off his wife would damage his tall, handsome image in his eyes—and if his eldest and second brothers weren’t both on business trips, leaving him to hold down the company—Lu Xiao would rather have stayed at the set to keep watch.
Meng Xueyuan was experiencing pseudopregnancy; that ‘other man’ would surely be itching to show up and ‘visit,’ competing with him for the position of the one and only biological father. If that bastard dared to show his face and pester him, Lu Xiao would punch his head clean off.
After sending Meng Xueyuan into the set and handing him over to the assistant, Lu Xiao got back into the car, started it, and turned around in one smooth sequence.
He had a lot on his plate—not only work, but also finding ways to quietly drive all potential love rivals out of Nan Cheng without letting Meng Xueyuan sense anything amiss.
Lu Xiao still remembered that before Meng Xueyuan moved into Crown Apartments, his “mahjong buddies” had already come to scout the place. They’d thought it was good, and only then did Meng Xueyuan decide to move.
Back then, he had no standing to be jealous; he could only take a small sip. After time fermented it—damn, it turned into aged vinegar.
Visitors to Crown Apartments all had to register. Lu Xiao easily found the mahjong buddies who’d come to scout earlier.
At the Lu Group building, Lu Xiao took the elevator straight up to the president’s office. His unsmiling expression made many employees avert their eyes.
The Third Young Master had returned; the Group President and Second President were both away on business, avoiding his edge at the same time. Since the brothers had taken the helm of the Lu Group, this was an unprecedented act of compromise.
The depth of Third Young Master’s scheming and the ruthlessness of his methods were impossible to gauge. Those who saw him immediately discarded the stereotype of the love-brained Third Young Master from variety shows and obediently addressed him as “President Lu.”
“President Lu,” the assistant said as he pushed the door open. “The information you asked for.”
Lu Xiao took the files on the mahjong buddies. Judging by their places of origin, they were all from Meng Xueyuan’s hometown.
Papa Meng and Mama Meng were warm, hospitable people with strong hometown ties. They must have often told their son to look after fellow townsfolk, which explained why Meng Xueyuan gave them so many privileges.
Lu Xiao pressed his pen. He couldn’t just drive them away crudely; Meng Xueyuan wouldn’t be able to explain that to his hometown people.
……
The next day, on set, Meng Xueyuan received several temporary farewell messages from worker bees.
[A homicide happened in Z County. I’ve been dispatched to assist. Take care.]
[I’ve been transferred to a subsidiary as the boss. I’ll work there for a year or two and then return to headquarters for a promotion. If you need anything, I’ll be back in Nan Cheng immediately.]
[The university arranged for me to go abroad for two months of further study. I have to relearn the language.]
[……]
“What a coincidence?” Meng Xueyuan suspected something for three seconds, then immediately figured it out. These worker bees had probably long had plans for self-improvement; they’d just coincided with his pseudopregnancy and tacitly held off for two months. Now that Lu Xiao was back, they felt reassured and accepted promotions to go out and gain experience.
Meng Xueyuan replied to each of them: “Congratulations. I wish you brilliant futures—take care. Don’t worry about me; I’ll take good care of myself and the clan.”
So many worker bees flew away from the “Nan Cheng branch hive” at once. Subordinates elsewhere immediately grew anxious: “Should I resign and come to Nan Cheng to find a job? The boss can’t be alone.”
Meng Xueyuan hurriedly said, “Your job is stable and good—don’t resign lightly.”
“Then I’ll go over.”
“You don’t need to either.”
“Don’t worry, everyone. I’ve been posted back to China and will work in Nan Cheng for a while.”
In the “Southwest Main Hive” group chat, people chimed in: That’s great! Brother Cha is the strongest worker bee. With you there, we feel at ease.
Meng Xueyuan replied: @Meng Shancha, welcome back to China.
Meng Shancha was Meng Xueyuan’s cousin, around thirty-two this year—a railway engineer at a central state-owned enterprise. He’d been stationed in South America for three years and had finally completed the project and returned this year.
This cousin had grown faster than them since childhood—1.9 meters tall, solidly built, extremely capable. Physical strength, intelligence, diligence—he was suited for overseas assignments in every respect and could keep local workers in line.
Meng Shancha sent a private message: “Will you be home tomorrow? I can arrive at eleven. I’ll come see you.”
During his three years abroad, aside from the first year when he returned once with thirty days of annual leave, he’d saved all later leave due to the project.
As a worker bee, he hadn’t seen Meng Xueyuan for a full two years—unable to sense the queen.
In hive terms, he was like a worker bee without a queen—becoming restless, disordered, even developing more serious adverse reactions.
He had to see the queen immediately.
……
Meng Xueyuan replied: “I’ll be back at noon.”
……
After work, Lu Xiao went to the set to pick up Meng Xueyuan. Having done something shady, he probed his wife’s reaction: “Did anything unpleasant happen today?”
“No, just something a bit strange.”
Lu Xiao: “What was strange?”
Meng Xueyuan muttered, “Why does everyone seem to be on business trips lately?”
Lu Xiao thought: their contact really is frequent. To avoid arousing suspicion, he said, “The economy’s picking up lately. Companies big and small in Nan Cheng have growing business volumes, so there are more trips. The airports and ports are almost overwhelmed. Look—even my brother went on a trip.”
He watched his wife’s expression. “I haven’t told you yet—I have a short trip tomorrow too. I’ll leave in the morning and should be back before midnight. Go to sleep first; don’t wait for me.”
Now he was completely above suspicion, right?
Meng Xueyuan said, “Why not stay the night there? Don’t rush.”
Lu Xiao replied, “No. I said I wouldn’t go on trips.”
Having dealt with potential love rivals, Lu Xiao immediately used the excuse of going on a business trip to pin Meng Xueyuan down on the bed and bully him.
Continuing to explore his multi-talented wife.
This time, Meng Xueyuan was conscious, but bullied until his mind went blank, his gaze hazy and confused.
So—so fingers could be this powerful too. Worthy of an F1 champion.
……
Afterwards, with Meng Xueyuan’s fingers held down, Lu Xiao whispered in his ear.
“Wife, will you miss me when I go on a business trip?”
Meng Xueyuan closed his eyes, too weak even to nod, and softly hummed, “Mm.”
Lu Xiao said, “You seem to have never posted about me on your Moments. My Moments are all about you.”
Meng Xueyuan’s eyelids twitched. Embarrassed and annoyed, he said, “Stop it.”
That day, after looking at Lu Xiao’s phone, he’d learned that Lu Xiao often posted about him—and set them to “visible only to a specific group.”
That group didn’t include Meng Xueyuan, Shen Ning, or other key people. It seemed to include only his agent, Chu Hao, and his two brothers.
Lu Xiao’s behavior didn’t look like posting on Moments; it looked like going crazy.
Meng Xueyuan suspected that the eldest and second brothers had long since blocked Lu Xiao.
Lu Xiao produced a ring box from who-knows-where and opened it. A dazzling diamond ring appeared before his eyes.
Meng Xueyuan was momentarily blinded by the sparkle. He blinked and turned to Lu Xiao. “For me?”
Lu Xiao kissed his finger. “An engagement ring. Mr. Meng Xueyuan, may I put it on for you?”
After finishing the variety show, he’d designed it and commissioned top craftsmen. It had taken three months and had just arrived.
An engagement ring’s diamond had to be dazzling—dazzling enough to blind the blind.
When they held their wedding and exchanged rings, they’d switch to a pair of simple bands for daily wear.
Meng Xueyuan spread his fingers, watching as Lu Xiao slowly slid the ring onto his ring finger. The diamond face was shaped like a pink peony.
Normally, diamonds are only cut and polished. They’re extremely hard and brittle; carving them is difficult—only diamonds can carve diamonds.
The craftsman hollowed out the center of the rough stone. The facets on the layered peony petals reflected the fire perfectly into the central stamen.
The artisan cursed nonstop when he received the design and ruined two perfect pink diamond roughs before achieving the effect Lu Xiao wanted.
White diamonds formed leaves extending from both sides of the flower, covering half the band.
Wearing it, Meng Xueyuan felt as if he could do nothing at all—only wait to be served by Lu Xiao.
“Meng Xueyuan, marry me.”
Meng Xueyuan: “Okay.”
Lu Xiao revealed his true aim and struck while the iron was hot. “Shouldn’t you post on Moments?”
Meng Xueyuan: “Alright.”
He aimed the camera at their hands, clicked a photo, opened WeChat, selected the image, and added a queen-bee-exclusive cute emoji.
o(???)o
He’d just pulled that emoji from his frequently used list when Lu Xiao hooked his neck and kissed half his face full of saliva.
Lu Xiao’s heart surged—every time his wife used that emoji to send his private photos, was he thinking of him?
Meng Xueyuan tapped “Post.”
Lu Xiao curled his lips. Such a huge diamond ring was enough to deter anyone in his wife’s Moments with ill intent.
His gaze swept the screen, and suddenly he saw the mahjong buddies’ Moments.
The latest was from 005—a photo of fresh-cut flowers at a workstation. Next was 017—a florist wrapping a huge bouquet. Next was 077—a photo of flowerbeds in a park.
Why were they all flowers?
Meng Xueyuan loved flowers most—were they secretly trying to lure his wife into liking their posts?
Lu Xiao focused his eyes—and sure enough, his wife had liked every single one.
“Has anyone liked our official announcement post?”
Meng Xueyuan scratched his cheek. “Yes.”
But not many—because it was late at night. Worker bees went to bed early; those still awake were working overtime and wouldn’t constantly check their phones.
Lu Xiao snorted. They didn’t even dare like his wife’s announcement post—useless love rivals.
Meng Xueyuan glanced at Lu Xiao, who cared deeply about likes, and quietly sent a message in the [Southwest Main Hive].
[@All members, please like the first post on Moments.]
[Received.]
[Received +1]
Meng Xueyuan pressed his lips together. He was good at spoiling Lu Xiao too, wasn’t he? Lu Xiao was the type who really wanted likes on his Moments.
“Wife, can you post another one?”
Meng Xueyuan: “Post what?”
Lu Xiao: “Complain that I just proposed and already have to go on a business trip for a day—that you haven’t even separated yet and already miss me.”
Meng Xueyuan’s cheeks slowly reddened. That—that was too explicit.
Lu Xiao: “I always post three or more in a row. You posting two isn’t much, right?”
Wave after wave of blows to the love rivals.
Meng Xueyuan: “Okay.” One more bit of pampering.
He posted it following Lu Xiao’s exact wording. Almost the moment it went up, it got ten likes—and more kept coming, as if bees were calling friends and waking up the whole village.
“……”
Wait—the clan members liked the wrong post. Not this one!!!
Meng Xueyuan felt like his whole body was on fire, like an overripe peach—so embarrassed he could rot on the ground.
Posting a whiny complaint about his husband going on a business trip, then @-ing the entire clan to like it in the middle of the night—this was really perverted!
Meng Xueyuan didn’t dare delete it. He buried his face in the blanket and played dead. He wouldn’t be able to face his hometown folks this year.
Lu Xiao, meanwhile, ground his teeth. They didn’t like the announcement post—but the post about him going on a business trip? Each and every one liked it enthusiastically.
Were they really hoping he’d go on a trip?
……
The next day, Lu Xiao left home but didn’t go on the planned business trip. Instead, he stood downstairs, looked around, and walked into a brand-new metal shed directly facing the entrance.
The shed was a large green metal donation box for used clothes—especially big, about two meters in both length and width.
Lu Xiao wasn’t satisfied with the eco-friendly color and said to the assistant, “Couldn’t we pick pink?”
Assistant: “Sorry, there wasn’t time to repaint.”
Lu Xiao clicked his tongue, bent over, and entered through the back door. Inside were two elementary-school desks pushed together.
With his long limbs, Lu Xiao sat cramped in the chair, opened his laptop to work, and occasionally scanned outside through the clothing drop window.
Meng Xueyuan’s pseudopregnancy symptoms were at their tail end, and he himself was “conveniently on a business trip.” Any love rivals he hadn’t dealt with could very well seize today to show up and pester Meng Xueyuan, competing for the sole biological father position of his virtual baby.
That’s right—Lu Xiao was running a sting operation.
Surveillance wouldn’t cut it. He had to watch with his own eyes and beat the third party up at first sight.
Half an hour later, Lin Mu came to pick up Meng Xueyuan for a business event.
Lu Xiao silently watched his wife’s retreating figure.
All morning, under the stifling August heat, Lu Xiao worked inside the cramped eco box. Luckily, it was under tree shade, and the assistant had prepared two large ice blocks for cooling.
No one appeared.
Lu Xiao worked calmly and even called the assistant. “Bring the ingredients I asked for.”
At eleven, the assistant delivered all the dumpling ingredients.
After handling complicated group affairs, Third Young Master Lu relaxed in the eco shed and began making dumplings for his wife.
Chives, fresh pork, diced abalone, diced fresh shrimp, beaten egg—mixed evenly, fresh and nutritious.
Even wearing disposable gloves, Lu Xiao’s skill wasn’t affected. The dumplings he pinched were plump and white, with perfect pleats.
Delicious dumplings. A virtuous husband.
When his wife returned, he’d have the assistant send them up—wrapped downstairs, eaten upstairs.
At eleven-thirty, Meng Xueyuan finished the business event and hurried upstairs, glancing at the big box that had suddenly appeared by the door.
Lu Xiao remained calm. The donation box’s opening angled inward, with a rain flap—no one could see inside from outside.
Just as he was about to have the assistant bring up a plate, a man entered his field of vision.
The man had healthy wheat-colored skin from the sun, stood 1.9 meters tall, had short stubble hair, rugged features, and sharp contours. Because it was hot, he wore a work vest and carried a jacket in his hand. He strode forward with purpose, heading straight to Meng Xueyuan’s building.
His expression was anxious. He looked up at the building, then turned and spotted the used-clothes donation box. He lifted his hand and tossed the jacket inside, as if even holding it felt too hot.
Lu Xiao watched the jacket fly in, tilted his head to dodge it, his face darkening. Did he take this for a trash can?
Suspicious. Extremely suspicious.
Being sent to the Middle East wasn’t enough—there was land connection, no ocean separating them. Still too close to his wife. This one needed to be sent to South America at least!
Meng Shancha vaguely smelled dumpling filling but didn’t pay much attention. He pulled out his phone. “Xueyuan, it’s me—Meng Shancha.”
“Have you come down yet?”
Alarm bells blared in Lu Xiao’s head. Excellent—this setup hadn’t been in vain!
What kind of name was Shancha? Even the tone sounded both ‘third’ and ‘tea’!
The dumpling in his palm was crushed into a ball; his other hand clenched the rolling pin.
He’d known those pretty boys didn’t look competitive—his wife wouldn’t like that type. Damn it, the real rival had finally surfaced.
Ten years older than him, in his thirties—definitely deep scheming, with many tricks.
Lu Xiao was about to spring up when he saw his wife hurry out of the elevator—almost running—so he held back.
Meng Xueyuan had just gone up to wash his face when Meng Shancha arrived. He hurried down, saw that his cousin was safe and sound—still the strongest worker bee—and showed a faint smile.
“Brother.”
Seeing the queen, Meng Shancha took a deep breath; his agitated state finally relaxed. “Sorry—there was a reason.”
In nature, a queen bee’s pheromones suppress the development of worker bees’ reproductive systems. Without a queen, some worker bees continue to develop, gaining the ability to lay eggs.
Meng Shancha had thought humans would be fine.
He’d been careless.
Although his reproductive system wouldn’t change like a worker bee’s, still…
A tough, straight man like him had actually developed those thoughts about his bunkmate coworker!
Sure, the coworker was handsome, jade-like in appearance, standing above the rest—unlike their group of rough engineer guys. But you had to know, worker bees were supposed to be sexually indifferent.
Being without a queen was terrifying. As a straight man, he shouldn’t—couldn’t—have such thoughts about close comrades… tsk.
Thank goodness. Meng Shancha inhaled. Seeing the queen, he’d become sexually indifferent again.
Lu Xiao watched with reddened eyes as the rival looked at his wife with an intoxicated, infatuated expression.
Damn it—he himself didn’t even dare be that frivolous.
Exile my ass. Just put a sack over his head and drag him away!
