Chapter 39: Sneaking in Private Goods
Bang!
It was as if a firework had exploded in Mu Lantu’s chest, blooming into a dazzling light. A joyful, unfamiliar melody played over and over in his mind, refusing to fade.
So this is what it feels like to be confessed to by someone you like?
There was a touch of wonder hidden in Lantu’s joy. He hadn’t said anything yet, but he was already smiling. His previously calm face was once again tinged with a light blush, and his beautiful eyes shimmered with soft warmth and affection.
Xu Huazhang smiled too. At that moment, he suddenly felt that even if the young man didn’t accept his confession this time, just seeing that smile was enough.
Mu Lantu had already agreed in his heart, but what he said aloud was:
“Getting an official title won’t be that easy. Let’s talk after you pass the probation period.”
“Alright.” Xu Huazhang could feel his intent and was no longer in a hurry. “Aside from one mandatory event I have to attend in a few days, I’ve got a long break this time—I’ll spend it with you.”
Mu Lantu understood. A successful career only made someone more attractive, no matter their gender.
The two of them stood there foolishly, gazing at each other for quite a while before snapping back to reality.
Mu Lantu glanced at the things Xu Huazhang brought.
“What are all these?”
Xu Huazhang opened one of the boxes.
“These are cherries from Green Farm—sweet, nutritious, hard to find in stores. Keep them and eat slowly. Once they’re gone, I’ll send more. This is a cake I bought on the way here. And this—grilled chicken feet and crispy wings, homemade by the housekeeper. Try them?”
“They smell amazing. Let’s eat together.”
Mu Lantu pulled him into the kitchen to wash hands, and the two of them sat on the sofa, enjoying the grilled chicken feet and crispy wings together.
After tasting them, Mu Lantu couldn’t stop praising,
“Delicious.”
“If you want more later, just tell me. I’ll have the housekeeper make them again.” Xu Huazhang looked at him indulgently—now that he could openly stare, he found he couldn’t look away.
Mu Lantu noticed another box.
“What’s that?”
“The Lego set you gave me—I finished building it.”
Xu Huazhang set down his chicken wing, removed his disposable gloves, opened the tape on the box, and pulled out the model inside.
Mu Lantu moved the food containers on the coffee table aside so he could place it there.
He had told Xu Huazhang to create freely—and Xu Huazhang had built a three-story villa. It had both luxury and elegance, power and warmth.
Xu Huazhang enthusiastically gave a tour:
“Here’s the living room, here’s the dining room… this is our room—the biggest one…”
Sneaking in romantic hints even in a Lego build—Mu Lantu wasn’t the least bit surprised. Calmly, he picked up another piece of chicken foot and began nibbling.
“This is our walk-in closet. This is our study. I even gave it a special design—it can split into two separate rooms when we need to focus on important tasks. This is our bathroom. It’s really spacious. We can even—”
Mu Lantu shoved his half-eaten chicken wing into Xu Huazhang’s mouth.
Xu Huazhang stopped talking but kept smiling at him.
Mu Lantu examined the villa from top to bottom.
“I’ll keep it for now. Let me display it for a few days.”
“Sure. Just don’t forget to return it,” Xu Huazhang said with a straight face.
My Lantu laughed, half-exasperated.
Xu Huazhang didn’t notice. Seeing that Mu Lantu had finished his chicken feet, he handed him another one—unknowingly coaxing him right back into a good mood.
Mu Lantu accepted it without resistance. He really was starting to get used to this.
After finishing their food and cleaning up, the two sat down to chat properly.
Xu Huazhang asked about the Lego competition.
Mu Lantu briefly summarized it for him.
Xu Huazhang took his hand and placed it on his lap, giving it an approving squeeze.
One of the keys to Mu Lantu’s success was his keen understanding of livestream audiences. For example, in prize distribution—more sign-ups meant higher hosting costs (venue rental, Lego sets, promotion), and thus a smaller prize pool. This created a psychological effect: those who didn’t believe they could win were still motivated to register—either for fun, to troll, or out of contrarianism. As a result, sign-up fees increased and the stream’s traffic exploded. In the digital age, traffic is money.
Then there was the final round: viewers could vote to force contestants to use a specific Lego piece—boosting audience engagement. Contestants could also assign pieces to each other, essentially sabotaging or challenging one another, which viewers found endlessly entertaining. No wonder the show’s planning proposal sold to a variety production team for four million yuan.
Xu Huazhang believed that among this year’s graduates, Mu Lantu was by far the most outstanding.
Mu Lantu also had a question for Xu Huazhang.
“Was it you who dealt with Zhu Feiyu?”
At the mention of that name, Xu Huazhang’s expression darkened with disgust.
“I gave my brother a heads-up. Did he bother you again after that?”
