Chapter 48
Meng Xueyuan booked the earliest available flight back to his hometown.
Meng Shancha was on the same flight, seated with him in business class.
Meng Xueyuan: “I didn’t delay your work, did I?”
Meng Shancha: “No. We’ve got several engineers—let them do the reports. My parents miss me to death.”
He hadn’t seen his worker-bee brothers for two years either. Just seeing the queen bee wasn’t enough. His body was under control, but his thoughts had developed habits of their own. Only by returning to the big, sexually indifferent family could he avoid letting his imagination run wild while staring at coworkers giving presentations onstage.
“So you’re in such a hurry—is it because Lu Xiao got suspicious?”
Meng Xueyuan nodded coolly, not elaborating. “Mm.”
Meng Shancha had been fairly idle lately and had caught up on some edited clips of their queen bee’s romance. His impression of Lu Xiao had improved a bit. “He’s pretty smart. He’ll figure it out sooner or later.”
Meng Xueyuan: “…So-so.”
A full assembly of the worker bees was a major event for the clan, especially after entering industrial society. The traditional collective agricultural labor had turned into children working all over the country, making reunions difficult.
Thus, in a southwestern village nestled in the embrace of the swarm—Baihua Village—the atmosphere was even livelier than during the New Year. After all, some capitalists don’t give time off during the holidays, and some big stars have to perform to make money.
The new housing renovation project was at its midpoint. Rows of freshly poured concrete house frames stood neatly in order. The ground, crushed into potholes by trucks hauling materials, had prompted the villagers to order a huge red carpet online, stretching from the village auditorium all the way to the entrance.
When Meng Xueyuan got out of the car, he was startled by the red carpet. His white canvas sneakers stepped onto the brand-new carpet, followed by a pair of straight, long legs.
“A big star has to walk the red carpet, of course.”
“Exactly, exactly.”
Embarrassed, Meng Xueyuan bowed to everyone.
Honestly… the awkward storm of everyone liking the first post on his Moments hadn’t even passed yet, and now he had to pretend to be calm while convening the full assembly.
The queen bee’s face had been thoroughly lost because of a certain man.
Meng Xueyuan was the first to arrive home. Gradually, cars came winding around the mountain bend one after another.
Those who lived nearby drove themselves; those farther away took taxis from the station or airport.
Young talents, dressed to the nines, walked down the red carpet one by one. Wasn’t this even better-looking than a film festival?
Young and old villagers waited at the entrance to welcome them back, clapping and snapping photos.
Bai He returned earlier than Lin Xilan and accompanied Meng Xueyuan to inspect the first phase of the project.
Hexagonal row villas, each side adjoining the next, orderly and symmetrical—so perfect even bees would want to live there.
Holding a sample book of marble-textured paint, Bai He asked, “How should we choose the exterior colors?”
Meng Xueyuan said, “Start a vote in the group. Besides that, everyone can paint their favorite flowers on their own walls.”
Bai He: “Got it.”
“Our Bai He could even be a secretary at the United Nations,” an auntie said with a beaming smile as she looked at him. Such a promising child—a chief secretary at a major conglomerate, unlike her own son…
Lowering her voice, the auntie asked Meng Xueyuan, “Yuan-yuan, aren’t there any rich ladies among your fans who like pretty boys?”
Meng Xueyuan answered honestly, “There are, um—but Auntie, with my job, it’s not easy for me to play matchmaker.”
This was the eighteenth time the auntie had felt regret. Yuan-yuan’s fans were definitely full of looks-oriented people. “Our Xiang Jin’s looks are impeccable—he’s just lazy.”
Within the clan, there was one queen bee working diligently in the entertainment industry, a large number of worker bees shining in various sectors of society, and besides that, two lazy drones.
Drones didn’t need to nurture young or gather resources; they were supported by the colony. When they came of age, they went out to exchange genes. Those who succeeded died afterward; those who failed and returned to the hive would be driven out.
Baihua Village had never been that strict. With hundreds of working people, couldn’t they afford to support two lazybones? Everyone’s habits were respected.
Still, seeing neighbors’ children all working made the auntie want her son to contribute to the family too. After thinking it over, she felt the only option was to get him married early.
She then told Bai He to keep an eye out and said, “You didn’t come back for the Dragon Boat Festival and missed the zongzi. I’ll go wrap some now—tomorrow everyone can take a pack with them.”
Back at his own house, Meng Xueyuan found that his father had already made the bed. After dinner, his mother pulled him aside for a heart-to-heart talk.
“Yuan-yuan, did you have a quarrel with Lu Xiao?”
“No.”
His mother’s eyes were sharp. “You were picking at your food just now. The false pregnancy reaction hasn’t passed yet, has it? Didn’t you say it already had? If you two didn’t quarrel, how could Lu Xiao be at ease letting you come back alone?”
“Mom, Lu Xiao has a group meeting tomorrow. His brothers aren’t around, so he has to attend.”
That was one of the reasons he hadn’t let Lu Xiao come with him.
His mother said, “Then why didn’t you postpone it by two days? You clearly said on the phone this morning that you’d come back together in early September.”
Meng Xueyuan was about to say, “Because 028 going abroad won’t wait,” but when he met his mother’s gentle gaze, he lowered his head and said softly, “Because I had a second false pregnancy. But I didn’t sleep with Lu Xiao, and I can’t explain it clearly right now.”
His mother took a moment to process it. “Lu Xiao knows about the second false pregnancy?”
“He does.”
“Did he lose his temper with you?”
“No. He found out but refused to say anything.”
At a loss for words, his mother could only say, “Neither of you has bad intentions. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, it’ll be fine.”
Meng Xueyuan’s phone rang—it was Lu Xiao.
His mother smiled. “You take it. I’ll step out. If he scolds you, just hang up.”
Meng Xueyuan watched his mother leave and answered the call.
Lu Xiao let out a sigh of relief. If his wife refused to answer, he really would go mad. “Have you had dinner? Are you uncomfortable?”
“I ate. I’m fine.”
Lu Xiao’s words had come true. He’d argued with his wife during a prenatal checkup at the hospital—and worse, he’d driven his wife back to his parents’ home while he was carrying a child whose existence was uncertain. If Meng Xueyuan suffered any harm because of arguing with him, he’d feel guilty for the rest of his life.
“Wife, I’m wrong. I really know I was wrong. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow, okay?” Lu Xiao paced back and forth in Meng Xueyuan’s apartment. The trigger for Meng Xueyuan’s second hormone surge had been two days ago; the gestational sac hadn’t formed yet, so its presence or absence couldn’t be used to judge. Though it was most likely a false pregnancy, every unknown had to be treated with utmost caution.
Meng Xueyuan planned to finish meetings at the same time as him tomorrow and then head back. With worker bees accompanying him, being picked up and dropped off was too troublesome. “No.”
“Then I’ll send an assistant over?”
“No. Haven’t you already had your assistant watching me on set lately? Have you found the mistress—oh no, the fourth one yet?”
“…”
“Let’s both calm down for two days. If you’re unwilling to calm down, then divorce—”
“I’m willing,” Lu Xiao cut in. “But you’re not allowed to mention divorce again.”
Three consecutive refusals from Meng Xueyuan: “No. I’m helping you desensitize. The premise of a marriage continuing is honesty.”
Lu Xiao was completely pinned. After hanging up, he took two bright red marriage certificates out of the safe and stuffed them into his pocket without hesitation.
The safe was no longer secure. He had to carry them with him, lest someone steal them.
Then he began arranging meeting gifts for the folks in Meng Xueyuan’s hometown. Even if he couldn’t be there in person, the gifts had to arrive.
The next day.
The Bee Clan’s 29th full assembly convened.
Their ancestral hall, which also served as an auditorium, had long since adopted modern screens.
Bai He presided over the meeting.
He had stayed up all night preparing the PPT. The first slide read “The 29th Full Assembly,” the second outlined the agenda.
The first item was to commend Uncle Deng, who had received the National Model Worker title, and to commend forensic examiner Fang Furong, who had received this year’s May Day Labor Medal.
Thunderous applause filled the hall. Everyone looked at Uncle Deng with envy, hoping that in another twenty years they too could become model workers—worthy of the clan and the country.
Uncle Deng beamed, showing his teeth, and placed the red-star medal into the display case in the hall.
Meng Xueyuan presented the bonuses and took commemorative photos.
The second item, before voting, was for Lin Xilan to reiterate the importance of the Bee Clan’s secrets.
Lin Xilan, dressed in a white top and black pants, spoke solemnly: “Before voting, I’ll once again recount the lesson from a hundred years ago. The clan keeps no written records; everything was passed down orally. If there are discrepancies, please forgive us.
“According to recollections from the queen bee before last, there were originally several spiritual-energy clans in our southwestern region. Bees and flowers depended on each other, and there was at least the presence of a Flower Deity’s spiritual energy.
“When imperialists invaded this land last century, due to a leak of information, the invaders learned of China’s spiritual-energy secrets and sent people to search for and capture humans with spiritual energy for experiments. Those of the Flower Deity lineage, because of their striking appearances, were hit first. With the help of other spiritual-energy clans, they were forced to flee overseas, never to be heard from again. The clans that helped the Flower Deity were slaughtered, relocated again and again, and their traces lost.”
“From the moment of separation, our ancestors agreed never to divulge clan secrets and never to mention others’ spiritual energy.”
The younger members’ eyes brimmed with tears; the elders fell into memory, as though the years were still before them.
Bai He said, “Please think carefully before voting. The third item: Meng Xueyuan believes that Mr. Lu Xiao is worthy of our trust. I trust everyone has watched the variety show Harmony of Marriage, so we’ll omit Meng Xueyuan’s detailed explanation.”
What followed was half an hour of silent hesitation—the significance of offline voting.
Bai He projected the key name for this meeting—Lu Xiao—onto the big screen.
His fingers slipped, and he typed “Lu Lou.” “Sorry.”
Meng Xueyuan said, “Actually, you could write his whole family too.”
The historical lesson was heavy, but it belonged to a time of national turmoil. Now the country was prosperous and strong, with powerful backing, and it even helped them suppress the secrets of spiritual energy. They no longer needed to hide. The clan had long since peacefully accepted one new family member after another.
Unless the chosen partner was truly awful—so bad that everyone shook their heads.
Meng Xueyuan sincerely advised, “Because right now you all look very suspicious to your superiors. If one day it’s necessary and you think you can disclose it, there’s no need to convene another meeting.”
Lin Xilan folded his arms and said softly, “Bai He, listen to Xueyuan.”
So Bai He added the names Lu Lou and Lu Yushu and briefly introduced the relationships among the six of them.
Tsk tsk—faces full of pride. Family, our bees are really something! Workers putting capitalists firmly in their place!
Voting began.
Anonymous ballots—just a checkmark or a cross on white paper.
The two chief secretaries of the Lu Group: Bai He presiding, Lin Xilan counting the votes.
The scale of this meeting was on par with a Lu Group shareholders’ meeting.
…
Lu Group conference hall.
Lu Xiao sat silently in the main seat. The redness in his eyes hadn’t faded, and faint dark circles lay beneath them.
He looked exactly like a newly appointed leader exhausting himself day and night for the group—so tired that he radiated a gloomy demon-king aura.
The attendees sat down cautiously, afraid of provoking the demon king and triggering the “three fires” of a new official.
Cough—after all, the group was busy. Lu Xiao had driven off two brothers at once and taken everything on himself. Wasn’t that biting off more than he could chew?
As people gradually took their seats, the hall fell quiet—until two familiar figures walked in. Eyes widened all around.
The eldest young master? The second young master? Didn’t they say they weren’t attending?
Looking at the brothers’ faces, full of post-autumn reckoning, then at Third Young Master Lu’s frazzled state, the executives’ hearts pounded. Were they about to witness a family showdown today?
Lu Lou and Lu Yushu pulled out chairs and sat down below Lu Xiao.
Not a single greeting passed between the three.
Had the eldest and second brother lain low for days just to make a move against the third?
Everyone rubbed their hands nervously and waited.
They waited and waited—and the entire meeting ended blandly. The host announced the adjournment in a flat tone.
“…That’s it?” Just an utterly ordinary Monday morning—not even as lively as a village meeting.
After dismissal, only the three brothers remained in the conference room.
Lu Xiao pinched the bridge of his nose. “Your secretaries—”
Lu Lou cut in, “Where’s your wife?”
There it was—off to take care of his wife again. Lu Xiao closed his eyes briefly. He had neither the energy nor the courage to be jealous anymore. Like someone whose backbone had been pulled out, he said weakly, “Back at his parents’ place.”
Big Brother and Second Brother: “….” Clearly driven away in anger.
Lu Lou said, “Aren’t you going after him? Send my secretary back.”
“What kind of lovesick brain is this?”
For the first time, Lu Xiao didn’t retort. He sat quietly in the armchair, fingers feeling for the marriage certificate through the fabric, as if this were the only place he could draw strength from.
He wanted to chase after him too—but Meng Xueyuan had threatened him with divorce.
Lu Yushu said, “Talk. What happened?”
Lu Xiao replied, “Nothing much. I said some unpleasant things. My wife got angry.”
Mindset decided everything.
He was actually fine now. With two secretaries who could manage even his useless brothers’ work and lives impeccably, taking care of Meng Xueyuan was no challenge at all. When it came to caring for a pregnant husband, those two had time and experience that completely outclassed his.
If he showed up, he’d only make his wife throw up.
Truly killing without spilling blood.
These two brutal contrasts were the reason he was still sitting here.
Lu Xiao took out the marriage certificate, leaned over the conference table, and stared at it unblinkingly—the photo of him and Meng Xueyuan, their ID numbers, the certificate number, the floral patterns—everything was perfect.
If only he’d been a bit braver back then, smiled a little more openly—it would’ve been even better.
“You can only threaten me with divorce once.”
“Next time I’ll— I’ll…”
Lu Xiao closed his eyes in embarrassment. What could a little dog punished one-sidedly do?
Who told him to suspect his wife of having another dog outside?
Now he was just isolated in a cage. If he made more trouble, he’d be kicked out of the house to wander.
Knock knock.
Shen Ning stood at the door of the conference room. “What’s wrong with you three? You look like the company’s about to go bankrupt.”
