Chapter 21.1
Guan Zheng came through the back yard: “Boss Lu, Yu Le, are you guys going to—”
He stopped abruptly upon seeing the other three people present, his expression darkening several shades.
“Oh, look at who’s here. Really impressive.”
He crossed his arms, his smile more of a sneer, “You were supposed to leave on the 28th. It’s only now you’ve arrived. I almost thought you’d forgotten there’s a practical report to do, and were just here for romance and sightseeing.”
Wang Wenyuan, draped lazily over Chen Fa, yawned, “But we’ve arrived now.”
Zhou Fei: “Yeah, it’s not like you’re the one who has to write it. Why are you so worked up?”
Guan Zheng: “Not the one writing it? How about you repeat that? Wasn’t it me who wrote the group’s proposal report? Who else did it?!”
Zhou Fei: “A proposal is different from practical work; they’re not the same.”
……
It seemed like an argument was brewing.
Yu Le nudged Lu Yao subtly, “So these are the classmates Guan Zheng was talking about.”
Four people, each with distinct personalities, and it’s unclear which brilliant teacher arranged this group. It felt like going out with two ticking time bombs.
Lu Yao: “They’ll handle their own matters. We can’t interfere. Let’s go upstairs.”
Yu Le thought Lu Yao was just helping him carry his luggage upstairs, given the weight of all the assorted items inside. But Lu Yao walked past his room directly to his own.
Yu Le had no choice but to follow, seeing Lu Yao place his suitcase on the ground and start searching in the bottom corner drawer, pulling out a utility knife and a small pair of pliers.
Yu Le thought he was going to help open his suitcase and quickly stopped him, “Wait, wait. There’s no need yet. The lock cylinder isn’t damaged. I can try opening it with the code.”
“Don’t bother.” Lu Yao shook the tools in his hand, “I’ll fix the lock.”
Yu Le was surprised: “You can fix locks too?” He loosened his grip on Lu Yao’s wrist.
Lu Yao: “Something like that.”
Yu Le watched as Lu Yao expertly unscrewed, disassembled, and reassembled the lock with practiced motions, clearly experienced.
“Boss Lu, you really are a jack-of-all-trades.”
Yu Le couldn’t help but marvel, “I was planning to ask around town later if there’s a locksmith. Is there anything you don’t know how to do? Except for sewing, of course.”
“Everyone has something they can’t do; I just know more than most,” Lu Yao gestured for him to extend his hand.
Yu Le obediently opened his hand.
Lu Yao placed a small disassembled part into his palm, “I’m not all-powerful, but handling your issue should be no problem. So if you have any problems in the future, remember to come to me first.”
Yu Le held the small part tightly, “Any problem?”
Lu Yao: “Yes.”
Yu Le asked again, “What if you’re busy?”
Lu Yao replied without hesitation, “I’ll prioritize you.”
So Yu Le received a golden ticket for unlimited assistance, without restrictions on content or frequency.
A warm, peculiar feeling surged in his chest, like being bathed in freshly brewed honey water—warm and slightly overwhelming, making him a bit anxious.
He clutched the small part tightly, his voice lowering, “But it’s so troublesome for you.”
“You’re not a bother.” Lu Yao paused for a moment and added, “If you handle things well, there will be a reward.”
“You’ll give me a reward for helping me?” It didn’t quite make sense logically, but Yu Le decided to approach it from an emotional perspective, “What’s the reward?”
Lu Yao: “I’ll give it to you next time.”
“Alright.” Yu Le propped his chin up and thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and smiled, “By the way, the Buddha you took me to see today is really effective. The luggage came back right away. When can we go again?”
“……”
Lu Yao’s hand slipped, and he couldn’t unscrew a screw.
“Next time,” he replied with a vague answer, “When we have free time.”
It seemed necessary to hurry up and arrange making a golden statue for the Buddha.
Downstairs, Guan Zheng and Zhou Fei had only been talking for a couple of minutes before their argument ended, with each standing on opposite sides, ignoring the other.
Seeing the commotion die down, Wang Wenyuan, lacking sincerity, stepped in to mediate, “Alright, you two, stop pecking at each other like chickens. Don’t just stand around here. Everyone’s here now, so let’s go upstairs.”
Her luggage was with Chen Fa, and she walked in her high heels to Guan Zheng’s side, resting her hand on his shoulder with a smile, “Guan Zheng, why didn’t you tell me the inn’s owner is so handsome? Aren’t we classmates?”
Guan Zheng recoiled in disgust, “Why would I tell you?”
Wang Wenyuan fiddled with her nails, shrugging, “Well, it’s not like it matters. He’s already taken.”
Guan Zheng glared, “What nonsense are you spouting?”
Wang Wenyuan: “What? Isn’t he and that pretty little thing a pair?”
Guan Zheng frowned, “What are you talking about? Can’t you keep your mind clean? They’re just recent guests. Don’t say such things in front of others!”
“Oh?” Wang Wenyuan’s smile brightened, “So that pretty little thing isn’t from the mountains? I thought he looked different.”
Guan Zheng’s expression turned wary, “Are you trying to make a move on him?”
“Of course not,” Wang Wenyuan said, glancing at him, “And why are you so worried?”
Guan Zheng’s eyes flickered, “I don’t want to see you causing trouble for others!”
“Causing trouble?”
Wang Wenyuan snorted with a laugh, “What would I want to ruin him for? That kind of clean and lovable porcelain beauty isn’t my type. As for me, I’m only on the receiving end of affection, not interested in making others suffer.”
She touched her chin, squinting her eyes, “To be honest, Boss Lu’s type is more to my taste. Just looking at him gives a sense of security…”
Chen Fa walked up beside her and gave her a blank stare.
Wang Wenyuan changed the subject, giggling and wrapping her arm around him, “I’m simply expressing my admiration~”
Yu Le’s suitcase contained three categories of items: clothing, electronics, and pure fabrics. He didn’t bring many fabrics, just enough to practice and seek inspiration when bored.
He had been “separated” from his beloved sewing machine for too long.
The fully customized, portable design had his initials engraved on the base, and the machine was compact enough to not take up much space wherever it was placed.
The first thing he did when he returned to his room was to carefully inspect the sewing machine inside and out, confirming it was undamaged before organizing the rest of his belongings.
Of course, he didn’t forget that the clothes he was wearing still belonged to someone else. He took a shower, changed back into his own clothes, and threw the discarded clothes into the washing machine, waiting for them to be cleaned before returning them.
By the time he finished, the sun was nearly setting.
Seeing that it was almost time, he prepared to go downstairs for dinner. Just as he reached the corner of the stairs, he faintly heard a strange noise. It was vague, muffled, and sounded a bit like a cat meowing.
Dahuang’s voice wasn’t like that. Had he brought a female cat to play?
With this thought, Yu Le turned into the hallway. After walking a few steps, he was stunned by the scene at the wall.
