Chapter 77: Reluctance

After Shen Qingyi washed her hands in the backyard, she called out, "I'm starving, let's wash up and eat." She shouted at An'an, who was sitting on the sofa watching TV.

The three of them sat at the dining table. The absence of one person felt strange and unfamiliar.

Lu Caiqing asked again, "Do you know that man too?"

Shen Qingyi certainly recognized Wang Xuemei's son. She had seen him several times before when Wang Xuemei brought him over after her father refused to take them in.

"Yes."

"Is he from the capital?" Lu Caiqing probed further, her expression showing keen interest.

Shen Qingyi hesitated, then decided not to hide anything from her. After spending the past few days together, she found this sister-in-law to be quite agreeable—at least direct and forthright, never scheming behind one’s back.

She told her about Wang Xuemei’s situation. Upon hearing the story, Lu Caiqing immediately puffed up with indignation. "What kind of people are these? That man didn’t seem like much either. I thought Chen Haixia was marrying up."

Shen Qingyi couldn’t help but laugh. "She’s not marrying up—she's better looking and more educated than him."

"You're so fair in your judgment, but she had her eye on my second brother for a long time," Lu Caiqing said, sneaking a glance at Shen Qingyi.

She always felt that there was something off about her second brother’s marriage. What sort of couple sleeps in separate beds if there aren’t problems? But she wasn’t the mother-in-law, so it wasn’t her place to meddle. Actually, she had grown fond of this new sister-in-law. Though she herself was particular and refined, she never made things difficult for the couple.

Shen Qingyi just smiled and said nothing.

Thinking of Lu Yan, she recalled that moment earlier—when she’d chased after him and the car was about to leave, she had given up hope. But then the car stopped, and Lu Yan came rushing over to her. In that fleeting moment when he looked at her, she had the illusion that he was reluctant to let her go.

After the meal, Lu Caiqing went to clear the dishes while Shen Qingyi took An’an for a nap.

At noon, after Shen Qingyi woke up, Lu Caiqing came looking for her. "Second sister-in-law, do you think we should start a small business together?"

She had mentioned it before, and Shen Qingyi hadn’t been interested. But now, with the thought of buying a house, she reconsidered. "You’re out and about every day. What kind of business do you think would work for us?"

Lu Caiqing had an idea but no capital. "I want to go to Yangcheng to buy a batch of small wallets and purses—delicate little things, shouldn’t cost much."

Shen Qingyi considered this. "You’d go to Yangcheng alone? Do you have sources? It’s a whole day and night by train."

With An’an in tow, it would be inconvenient for her.

Lu Caiqing froze. True, just sourcing goods in Yangcheng would be hard for her alone.

Shen Qingyi smiled. "It’s not that difficult. My boss’s factory is in Pengcheng, not far from Yangcheng. He’s in business, has his own car, and often travels between the capital and Pengcheng. I’ll ask him to bring a batch for us."

Lu Caiqing remembered that distinguished man. "Would he be willing?"

"I’ll do more work for him—he’ll agree," Shen Qingyi replied. As long as there was profit, Xia Xiyue wouldn’t refuse.

Lu Caiqing hesitated. "What about the capital…"

"I’ll provide the money. You handle everything else. We’ll settle the accounts daily and split the profits fifty-fifty. How does that sound?"

Lu Caiqing’s eyes lit up at the terms. She almost wanted to jump up and spin her around. "Sixty-forty—you take sixty. You’re providing the money, contacts, and supply. I’m only offering my effort."

She’d lived in the capital long enough to know how important connections were, even for a small business.

Shen Qingyi didn’t object, nodding with a smile. "Alright."

"I’ll go with my friend to find him tomorrow afternoon, but I might not be able to meet him. You’ll have to watch An’an for me."

Lu Caiqing was full of confidence. "Don’t worry, second sister-in-law. An’an likes me a lot now!"

With her dream of making a fortune, she went off to play with An’an.

But she soon found out she couldn’t keep up with any of An’an’s games—Rubik’s cubes, picture books, robots, endless questions.

An’an felt exhausted playing with her aunt—she couldn’t teach, couldn’t understand. In the end, like a little adult, she pressed her forehead in resignation. "Never mind, auntie. Just watch TV with me."

Lu Caiqing preferred the most popular soap operas, while An’an liked science shows and puzzles, and sometimes cartoons, though there were none on now.

So they watched Lu Caiqing’s favorite. An’an stared at the TV, watching a man and woman embrace and weep. She suddenly missed her father terribly.

Meanwhile, Lu Yan lay back in the car, eyes half-closed. Su Yang nudged him. "I’m a bit hungry. Do you have a can of something to tide us over?"

Lu Yan glanced at him, hesitated, and then slowly took out two bottles from a bag, handing one to Su Yang.

He unscrewed a bottle himself and took a sip. The broth was sweet, rich with the taste of oranges, with tender slices of fruit floating inside.

Su Yang grinned. "Refreshing and tasty. Your wife thought of everything. But it doesn’t fill you up!"

Lu Yan didn’t move. "Then endure it a bit longer. We’ll eat soon."

They ate at six, arrived at their destination at nine. In Lincheng, there was an official reception team. The group was settled into a brand-new research institute, with Lu Yan’s room and lab already arranged.

"Mr. Lu, thank you for your hard work. If you have any needs or inconveniences, please let us know," the staff said respectfully.

The research institute was a repurposed facility from a previous project—remote, not luxurious, but not bad. Everything provided for Lu Yan was the best available.

"Thank you," he replied.

"You have tomorrow off. There will be a cultural performance for the staff," the receptionist added, smiling.

Su Yang was delighted. "What a treat! I’ll definitely go watch."

After getting acquainted with his lab, Lu Yan followed the staff to his dorm. He put his things away, took a shower, and went to bed early.

The next morning, after breakfast in the canteen, he returned to his dorm, opened his suitcase, took out his notebook, and began calculations for his project.

He was a focused man—once immersed, he forgot everything else.

A knock at the door made Lu Yan frown with displeasure. He paused, set down his pen, and went to open the door.

Su Yang came in. "The performance is about to start. Why are you still here?"

Lu Yan sat back at his desk and picked up his pen. "I’m not going. You go ahead."

Su Yang was speechless. "Come on, this is a rare chance. I heard one of the performers has even been on TV—a great singer. Go listen and relax."

"I’m not going," Lu Yan replied flatly. He truly had no interest in such things.

Su Yang glanced at the manuscript on his desk. "No wonder you’re always so dull. How do you even talk to your wife? Do you chat about orbital dynamics? Or binary system equations?"

Apart from his research, he seemed to have no other hobbies. Really, he was dull.

Hearing Shen Qingyi’s name, Lu Yan set down his pen, gave Su Yang a sidelong glance, and said, "Who says I have no interests? I enjoy listening to music."