Chapter 46.1
Not long after, Yu Le received a call and went upstairs alone after returning the three younger cousins to their family downstairs.
The guests had just left, and Yu Le’s father was cleaning up the mess left from the meal in the dining room and kitchen, while his mother sat on the sofa leisurely peeling fruit.
It seemed Lu Yao was busy, and Yu Le didn’t want to disturb him too much, so he ended the call after leaving the park.
“Dad, I’ll take care of this.”
He placed his phone on a partition shelf and went over to clean the table, then took a broom to carefully sweep the floor. Since the relatives hadn’t changed their shoes when they came in, the floor was not only dirty but also covered with a lot of dust. It looked like just sweeping wouldn’t be enough; mopping was also needed.
“Le Le,” Yu Le’s mother asked while eating an apple, “Are you leaving soon?”
Yu Le replied, “I’ll be leaving after two days.”
His mother suggested, “How about staying one more day?”
Yu Le asked, “Do you need any help?”
“Help?” His mother said, “Do you remember the matchmaking I mentioned before? I’m thinking of arranging a meeting for you in the next couple of days.”
Yu Le almost forgot about it and sighed, “Hasn’t the other party found someone else yet?”
His mother responded, “They’re not someone who breaks promises. They’ve said they’re waiting for you, so naturally, they wouldn’t consider others.”
Yu Le said, “Please let them know that I can’t go through with this matchmaking. I’m sorry for delaying them for so long.”
His mother: “Can’t go through with it? Why not?”
Yu Le started to say, “Because I already—” but abruptly stopped as he realized something.
It wasn’t appropriate to mention having a boyfriend right now. Given his parents’ nature, they might ask questions he couldn’t answer, and he didn’t want to give Lu Yao a bad impression inadvertently.
For now, it was better to first ask Lu Yao if he was interested in relocating and discuss how to tell his parents if he wasn’t.
Yu Le’s mother asked, “You already what?”
Yu Le said, “I’ve had an epiphany.”
His mother’s mouth twitched, “What?”
Yu Le said seriously, “Matchmaking doesn’t yield good results. The success rate is only fifty percent. Free love is more suitable.”
“…” His mother, expressionless, raised the fruit knife. “Do you believe I’ll directly chop off your head? Speak plainly.”
Yu Le shrank his neck and threw the garbage into the bin, “I’m still busy, can’t spare the time.”
His mother said, “Then wait until you’re done. After making others wait for so long, you want me to tell them that it’s all in vain? I don’t have the face to do that. You should tell them yourself.”
Yu Le asked, “How should I say it?”
His mother said, “How else? Just say it when you meet.”
Yu Le understood. It seemed he had to meet them after all.
…Well, he thought, it wasn’t urgent. He’d deal with it later. For now, work was the priority, and everything else could wait.
Early the next morning, Yu Le sent a message to Old Song’s assistant using the contact number he had saved, asking if it was convenient to meet today.
The response came about twenty minutes later. The assistant apologized for not seeing the message right away due to a meeting and then scheduled the meeting for 2 PM that afternoon at Old Song’s studio located in the city center of Wucheng.
Yu Le had passed by Old Song’s studio a few times. It was in the city center, so he was somewhat familiar with the route, but the high foot traffic made parking difficult.
After circling the area several times, he finally found a parking spot in a mall’s underground garage. After parking, he had to walk a bit to reach the surface.
The weather was as sunny as the day before. The air outside the garage felt like it was roasting him, and his exposed skin even had a slight burning sensation.
Yu Le had checked the weather forecast before leaving home, which predicted a high of 41 degrees Celsius in Wucheng today.
He had thought it was a bit exaggerated; this was Wucheng, not Turpan. But now, he felt like it was Turpan’s mini version.
He missed the cool breeze that came down the mountain streams, which could give you goosebumps.
He bought a bottle of water from a vending machine on the roadside. The bottle was covered in a layer of mist from the cold storage as soon as he took it out.
He took a few sips, pressed the bottle against his face, and tried to cool down.
Passing by the entrance of an office building, where cool air continuously flowed out, Yu Le slowed his pace, thinking that any moment of coolness was precious.
“What’s this? We agreed on tonight, and now you’ve changed the time?”
A young girl with a high ponytail walked out, carrying a box of documents and other items. She was frowning, arguing on the phone.
Her voice sounded somewhat familiar. Yu Le glanced over but confirmed he hadn’t seen this girl before.
“I had already arranged everything with my parents, and now I’ve been sent out to fetch documents… Anyway, I’m only free tonight. I can’t make it at any other time. Don’t blame me for standing you up—ah!”
The girl struggled with the heavy box, almost losing her grip. Fortunately, Yu Le quickly helped steady it, preventing the documents from spilling everywhere.
“Wow, you scared me. Never mind, I won’t keep you.”
Lu Xingxing hung up the phone, steadied the box with both hands, and looked up to thank him. When she saw his face, her eyes lit up like little light bulbs.
So bright and handsome!
“Thank you!” Her cheeks flushed with excitement. She said again, “Thank you, thank you.”
“It’s okay, just be careful.”
Yu Le was scheduled to meet Old Song at 2 PM. Glancing at the time, he had less than ten minutes left and hurried along.
Lu Xingxing watched Yu Le’s departing figure, replaying the encounter in her mind. After getting into her car, she happily texted her brother, who was deep in the mountains:
Lu Xingxing: [I told you, there’s always someone better out there! Bro, you’re done for. I’m so tired of your old face. You’re no longer the top in my eyes.]
Lu Yao: [What’s with you?]
Lu Xingxing: [I just met a guy who’s absolutely stunning! I’m shocked! My whole family is!]
Lu Xingxing: [Including you.]
Yu Le: “Sorry for the wait.”
Assistant: “No problem, Mr. Yu. You’re very punctual. Thank you for making this trip. Please, follow me.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Yu Le followed the assistant to Old Song’s office. “Opportunities for collaboration are rare. Being selected from among so many outstanding candidates, I should be the one thanking Mr. Song.”
The assistant smiled and said, “To be honest, Mr. Yu, ever since we returned your manuscript last time, Mr. Song has not accepted any new submissions.”
Yu Le was puzzled, “Why?”
The assistant explained, “Because Mr. Song wanted to wait an additional three months. He firmly believes that with your talent and skills, you will deliver a satisfactory piece within that time.”
Yu Le was taken aback, “But I never told Mr. Song I would submit again. How could he be so sure?”
“It’s because he has greater expectations for you than anyone else,” the assistant said gently. “Besides, you did submit, didn’t you?”
“Mr. Song has some minor matters to attend to in the conference room. Please wait a moment, and feel free to call me if you need anything.”
Yu Le: “Alright, thank you for your trouble.”
The assistant soon left, and Yu Le was alone in the office. He couldn’t help but send a message to Yan Jia.
Yu Le: [I take back what I said about Old Song before.]
Yan Jia: [?]
Yu Le: [I was short-sighted / kneel / kneel]
Yan Jia: [Are you an elementary school student?]
Now it was Yu Le’s turn to be puzzled.
Yan Jia: [Only elementary students would backtrack on what they said and try to retract it. Are you an elementary student?]
Yu Le: [……]
Yu Le: [Do you see anyone paying attention to you?]
Because of what the assistant said, Yu Le couldn’t help but feel a bit flattered when facing Old Song.
The conversation went smoothly. Both parties had no objections to the draft contract, laying a solid foundation for future collaboration.
Contrary to Yu Le’s expectations, Mr. Song was surprisingly easy to talk to. It might have been because he had already started preparations after making the decision, and the subsequent collaboration was very clear. He was willing to provide all the resources of the studio for Yu Le’s use, including staff, factories, fabrics, and promotional resources.
