Chapter 65 – Extra: Second Brother, Brother Shancha, and the Drone Bees
Lu Xiao was just asking casually. Did his wife drink it or not—how could he not know? They’d been together all day; he’d been keeping an eye on him. Asking was just double insurance.
After laying out the soft, pure-cotton bedsheets and setting the air conditioner to a comfortable temperature, Lu Xiao left the bedroom and saw Meng Xueyuan eating sweet zongzi.
Meng Xueyuan really liked candied-date zongzi. Ideally, one zongzi should have three dates inside—or even more.
Lu Xiao no longer let Meng Xueyuan eat boiled eggs, but he discovered that his wife looked adorable eating zongzi too. Because the surface was sticky, Meng Xueyuan took small bites, one at a time, serious like a little squirrel.
Lu Xiao stared straight at him until he made Meng Xueyuan’s cheeks turn red.
His wife’s skin was really thin.
Meng Xueyuan was just feeling guilty. Being watched the first time he tried to fool someone wasn’t a big deal—do it a few more times and he’d be able to keep a straight face.
After finishing the zongzi, he washed his hands and brushed his teeth. The two of them cuddled and kissed sweetly on the bed, and Lu Xiao didn’t notice anything amiss.
Holidays were really nice.
Meng Xueyuan took a standard forty-five-minute afternoon nap, then got up and went to help at the clan cafeteria. That night was a full-clan dinner. They didn’t need to serve dishes according to banquet standards, but feeding that many people was still plenty of work.
Ten people per table—twenty tables in total.
Lu Xiao decided to show off his skills. His second brother was only fit to wash vegetables.
Meng Xueyuan stood by the large stove, wanting to help tend the fire, but Lu Xiao ordered him farther away. “Your bee clan is afraid of smoke. Call someone over who isn’t.”
Just report Lu Yushu’s ID number—that’d do.
The great lawyer came over to tend the firewood, showing not the slightest reluctance. A man who knows the times is a hero; using Third Brother as cover, he could neatly hide the fact that he couldn’t tell grains apart.
Lu Xiao said, “You can only tend the firewood. I’m afraid you’ll give yourself away if you do anything else.”
Lu Yushu said, “Many thanks.”
Lu Xiao said, “No need. Take out the biggest log—the fire’s too strong.”
Competitive as they were, Ning Dad had said it before: when you’re outside, brothers must work together; united, they can cut through metal.
Although his second brother hadn’t gone all out to help him woo his wife—like helping him set up a company for him—he had contributed in other areas, such as drafting the marriage agreement to look very professional and fair, perfectly hiding Lu Xiao’s forced-love tendencies.
Lu Yushu, whose hands usually only approved contracts, pulled out a thick log blazing fiercely and pressed it into the pile of ash. With insufficient oxygen, the fire quickly went out.
The rough, cracked bark of the longan wood stood in stark contrast to Lu Yushu’s fair, slender fingers.
The stove was the hottest spot. The brothers worked the hottest job, sweat dripping down their sharply contoured foreheads, only to be pressed and wiped away with a damp towel.
“Thanks, wife,” Lu Xiao said, tilting his head slightly to make it easier for Meng Xueyuan to wipe his sweat.
Meng Xueyuan wiped his forehead and neck. Lu Xiao was wearing a tank top, so his arms needed wiping too.
Lu Xiao smiled broadly, enjoying it.
Lin Xilan handed Lu Yushu a cup of water and a towel—this was part of his duties as a secretary.
Bai He logged into the public email to help the CEO review documents—also part of his secretarial duties.
Lin Xilan said, “Why not go to the office and enjoy the air conditioning?”
Lu Yushu thought of Big Brother, alone in the office working overtime under the AC, then looked at Third Brother nearby and said firmly, “It’s better here.”
Lu Yushu was about to return the towel to Lin Xilan when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lu Xiao drape his towel around his neck to absorb heat, like a construction worker.
Lu Yushu hesitated, then tried to imitate him.
But he wasn’t as casual as Lu Xiao. Even while wearing a tank top, the great lawyer still had on a white collared shirt, with only the top button undone. Looking down, there was nowhere to hang a towel—it’d be more appropriate to hang a tie.
With a perfect example right there, Lu Yushu naturally knew how to learn. Just as he was about to casually drape it over himself, the towel was snatched away by his secretary, who apparently couldn’t bear to watch anymore.
Lu Yushu smiled faintly and closed his empty palm.
Lu Xiao observed quietly. His second brother didn’t look like he was working—he looked like he was selling misery. Put someone like that on a farming variety show and the audience would scold him from start to finish.
Chef Lu finished his work. He and Lu Yushu went home for a quick, no-nonsense shower, then returned to take their seats for dinner.
Adding air conditioning to the cafeteria was truly a smart move.
It wasn’t a formal banquet, and there were no opening speeches. Everyone ate freely. At Meng Xueyuan’s table, they deliberately waited for the two brothers to return before picking up their chopsticks.
This table was filled with young people. The older generation preferred to sit together at another table, chatting about the weather forecast and international affairs.
Lu Xiao sat with Meng Xueyuan on his left and Bai He on his right, with Lin Xilan further over—struggling to claim a seat to the right of the queen bee amid the worker-bee encirclement.
This time, someone finally saved a seat next to Lin Xilan for Lu Yushu.
Both brothers felt the seating arrangement was more humane than at home.
Meng Xueyuan picked up two bites of cold dishes for Lu Xiao—cold-tossed pig ears and chicken feet that he had prepared himself.
Lu Xiao took a bite of the sour-and-spicy dish, and out of the corner of his eye accidentally saw Bai He’s phone screen.
Yes—the group headquarters cafeteria was also humanely closed for Dragon Boat Festival. Young Master Lu was working overtime with nowhere to eat.
Since Lu Xiao and Lu Yushu weren’t home, Shen Ning and Lu Fengge had gone to Harbor City to reunite with the Shen family. There was no one at home either.
The group’s chief secretary, Bai He, ate the lamb chops cooked by the second and third young masters while scrolling through a food delivery app with one hand, ordering takeout for President Lu.
Bai He frowned slightly. President Lu often ordered from a particular private kitchen—why did it seem unappealing today?
Oh—it was because what he was eating now was too delicious.
Lu Xiao swore he wasn’t snooping; Secretary Bai’s phone was just held too low.
He held back, but couldn’t resist a bit of schadenfreude, thinking it was a pity his second brother hadn’t seen this scene.
So he asked, “Bai He, are you ordering takeout for my big brother?”
Bai He nodded. “Mm. The eldest young master is still working overtime.”
The elders at the neighboring table overheard and couldn’t help praising President Lu for being more of a workaholic than a bee—saying they’d definitely like to meet him sometime.
A childish smile appeared in Lu Xiao’s bright eyes. “So diligent. Right, Second Brother?”
Lu Yushu replied seriously, “Mm.”
Though he couldn’t quite hide the smile in his tone.
The little bees, meanwhile, all felt the two brothers were quite childish. What was so funny about working overtime? It should inspire respect. Truly worthy of being the eldest brother.
Lu Xiao said, “Order him a salad. No need for something too greasy at night.”
The full-clan dinner proceeded in a cheerful atmosphere. After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Bai He straightened his clothes and went onstage to host the all–worker-bee meeting.
“This meeting is to vote on the admission of a new member into the bee clan.”
The process was the same as last time. As Lu Yushu listened, he straightened his back, as if awaiting a verdict in court. So accepting new members into the bee clan required a meeting.
He watched Lin Xilan go onstage and type the name of the prospective new member on the display screen.
That person was Lu Yu—Shangguan Ning???
Who was that?
Lu Yushu’s racing heart calmed down. So it wasn’t him.
He had thought Lin Xilan was accepting him and giving him a surprise.
Lu Xiao took it all in and felt intellectually superior. “Are you stupid? If you can sit here and listen in, what does that tell you?”
Shangguan Ning was Brother Shancha’s partner. Brother Shancha wanted to explain why he’d “handed in his salary card and sent flowers to someone else,” so he applied to let Shangguan Ning learn the secret of the bee clan.
Brother Shancha explained the necessity onstage; Shangguan Ning himself was not present.
Lu Yushu processed this, then when Lin Xilan came down, he looked at him deeply. “Learning the bee clan’s secret—was it you who applied for my eligibility?”
“It seems only partners have that kind of eligibility.”
Lin Xilan replied calmly, “No. You were included as a bonus when the queen bee applied.”
At the time, the scope of the application was Lu Xiao’s entire family.
Lu Yushu: “……” Getting official status was really that hard.
Second Brother began to understand why Lu Xiao had gotten married first and pursued later.
The bee clan voted unanimously and congratulated the strongest worker bee on finding a partner.
Lu Xiao warmly congratulated Brother Shancha on recognizing his true self.
Although Meng Shancha was no longer straight and had fallen for his coworker, he still didn’t quite understand. He asked Lu Xiao in a low voice, “I still feel like I’m not the same as Yuanyuan, Xilan, or Bai He.”
Could it be he hadn’t bent completely?
Meng Shancha panicked a little, afraid that if his coworker found out, he’d break up with him.
Lu Xiao: “?”
Oh—it might be a bit difficult for an asexual brain to understand this.
“You can’t just compare within the bee clan. Why not step outside and take a look?”
Meng Shancha: ?
Lu Xiao could only say, “Relax. It’s very thorough. Just wait.”
Wait for your wife to teach you himself, straight guy.
After the feast ended, Meng Xueyuan and Lu Xiao took a walk home. Listening to the insects chirping around them, it felt like being back on the farming variety show.
The difference was that they hadn’t worked during the day, so now it was even more pleasant.
Lu Xiao said, “Wife, I need to get up early tomorrow. If I wake you, keep sleeping—don’t force yourself up.”
His second brother had just arrived yesterday. Lin Xilan’s parents revered him as a great lawyer—there was no way they’d let him do any work.
But could he really act like a guest? Tomorrow morning would test his self-awareness.
Though Lu Xiao was happy to outdo his brothers, he was actually worried. What if his second brother used a hoe and chopped his own foot?
If he got hurt, the one worrying would still be Shen Ning.
The Lu family’s overall reputation couldn’t be ruined by Lu Yushu.
At four in the morning, Lu Xiao gave instructions over the phone. By five, he was already shouldering a hoe and heading out to work.
When it’s hot, farmers work early or late to avoid the scorching sun. During the summer rice harvest, you can hear farmers cutting rice and threshing all night under flashlight beams.
Lu Xiao and Lu Yushu were fertilizing the paddy fields, wearing rubber boots and moving through the rice stalks. They had to wear long sleeves and pants—otherwise their arms would be covered in scratches.
“Once you step down, don’t wobble—one step, one hole,” Lu Xiao advised, striving for perfection. “The holes we make now will stay. When the rice is almost ripe and the water’s drained, the footprints will show clearly. If people see your footprints are all over the place, it means you can’t stand steadily.”
Lu Yushu: “?”
Lu Xiao accompanied his brother fertilizing for two hours. Only when Lin Xilan came looking for him did he withdraw, mission accomplished.
With Secretary Lin around, no one would discover that Lu Yushu was useless.
Unlike his second brother, Lu Xiao wasn’t a love-brained fool. He still had work arranged to be done here.
His wife wouldn’t let him invest in the bee clan’s new village. After thinking it over, Lu Xiao decided it’d be better to develop a nearby tourist resort—then the economy and transportation would both undergo a qualitative change.
The terrain here was unique, the climate pleasant. Targeting retirees from big cities with high pensions, Lu Xiao wasn’t doing it alone—he even brought two CEOs along to inspect the site.
One of them liked fishing. Catering to his interests, Lu Xiao arranged a beautiful pond as the first stop on the inspection route.
When Meng Xueyuan woke up, he had no idea where Lu Xiao had gone to farm. He asked around along the way and only then learned that Lu Xiao had brought two friends over to play.
Friends?
Meng Xueyuan remembered—Lu Xiao had mentioned a resort collaboration. Meng Xueyuan had even said that when his friends came, he could act as a guide.
But Lu Xiao classified this as “business socializing” and felt his wife didn’t need to accompany him.
On the way to find Lu Xiao, Meng Xueyuan suddenly realized he hadn’t seen Xiang Jin or Lian Qiao since yesterday afternoon or that morning.
Had Aunt Taohua sent them to work the fields?
“Of course not! You’re back and want to eat fish, so she sent them fishing. They can handle something like that. Yuanyuan, don’t be too protective.”
Meng Xueyuan was relieved.
On the other side, Lu Xiao led two handsome, wealthy CEO investors—one surnamed Gu, one surnamed Fu. Both were capable, with keen investment instincts and calm, decisive actions.
Outwardly, Lu Xiao was still steady and serious. Most of his friends in the CEO circle, aside from Chu Hao, were rational, elite types. As they walked, there was no leisurely sightseeing on their faces—only constant evaluation of returns and risks.
If the project’s returns were too slow, even with Lu Xiao leading, they’d have to think carefully. They couldn’t afford to go along with impulsive decisions.
“I brought a lawyer this time. If we like it, we can draft the contract at any moment.”
As Lu Xiao discussed his plans and led the way, they arrived at the pond—and suddenly saw two people lying on long benches by the water, fishing with their eyes closed, clearly not focused on fishing at all.
Green water, grassy banks, stunning beauties—two of them, just right.
When someone approached, the beauties turned their heads and opened their eyes, like lotus blossoms emerging from water—more naturally fresh and eye-catching than the heavily made-up stars in the entertainment industry.
“No fish yet. Wait a bit longer,” the beauty said for the 108th time, voice slightly guilty. Did the queen bee want to eat fish?
President Fu and President Gu fell silent for a moment, vaguely sensing that they had stepped into some kind of trap.
On the surface, it looked like beauties fishing—but in reality, perhaps Lu Xiao was the one fishing. They absolutely couldn’t take the bait.
President Fu said calmly, “We still need to talk business as business.”
President Gu was even calmer, fixing his gaze on the water with a serene, unruffled expression.
It took Lu Xiao a moment to understand. Speechless, he said, “You’re overthinking it.”
For a project worth tens or at most a hundred billion, if Meng Xueyuan weren’t worried that love would cloud his judgment and make him lose money, insisting that he bring in two “clear-headed” investors to prove others also believed in it before developing the resort, Lu Xiao could grit his teeth and do it himself.
Did he really need to resort to a honey trap?
