Chapter 42#
Playboy (12)#
After Lu Yi returned to the country, he followed Rong Huan to visit the Rong family’s old mansion. In just a year or two, the boyish immaturity had faded from him, replaced by a more mature and steady demeanor.
Although Old Master Rong still wouldn’t verbally relent, he didn’t take any harsher measures either. He simply told Rong Huan to stay longer at the old mansion, saying, “Don’t forget your old man just because you’ve got a man.”
Since there was no strong opposition, it was essentially tacit approval of their relationship. But just as he started to change his opinion of Lu Yi, Lu Yi’s parents came knocking.
Because they were dressed decently and brought their household registration book to prove their identity, the Lu couple was let into the mansion.
Lu Yi’s stepmother gazed at the spacious, luxurious mansion, envy filling her heart. She had originally thought that her husband’s ex-wife’s son hooking up with a man would be nothing impressive, but it turned out the other party was this rich.
So what if it was a man? Rich people could always go for surrogacy and still have descendants. In this era, people sneered at the poor, not the immoral. With money, nothing was impossible.
She felt a pang of jealousy. As for Lu Yi’s father, he harbored both envy and hesitation. “Say, maybe we should just say a few words and not go through with it?”
Lu’s father reasoned that he had raised Lu Yi for over a decade, never skimping on food or clothing. The money Li Tang promised might be a lump sum, but it was only temporary. If Lu Yi latched onto such a big family, he could bring in steady income.
His wife, Lu Yi’s stepmother, shot him a glare. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of patching things up with your son. Did he ever contact you during those two years abroad? Think about it: he had money to study abroad, but did he ever send you any? Don’t get your hopes up.”
She didn’t want the father and son to reconcile. After all, they were blood relatives, and she was the outsider. The closer they got, the less room there would be for her children.
Besides, with the money Young Master Li promised, they could start a business themselves. As for Lu Yi, even if they had a good relationship—which they didn’t—he wouldn’t hand over much cash.
Even if Lu Yi made millions a year, giving them a hundred thousand annually would be extremely generous. With inflation running rampant, that money would be worthless in a few decades.
Lu’s father, who had never had much affection for his unlikable eldest son, wavered again after his wife’s words.
Lu Yi’s stepmother continued, “And besides, our little Bao needs money for school, finding a wife, everything. Housing prices are skyrocketing. We have to prepare for his future now. Do you really think your eldest son will buy a house for his little brother?”
It made sense. Even if Lu Yi might still feel some obligation to his father, he would certainly be stingy with his half-brother.
Once inside, they met Old Master Rong. Lu’s father began with polite small talk, heaping praise on his son, calling him brilliant and capable.
Parents always liked to boast about their own children, but the way these two went about it made Rong’s father uncomfortable. It sounded like they were implying that Lu Yi was good enough to marry a prince or a princess, and their family was the one lowering their standards.
His expression soured. Lu Yi’s father’s wife tugged his sleeve, signaling him to ease up on the praise. He then shifted to flattering Rong Huan, which finally improved Old Master Rong’s mood.
But then he turned the conversation to borrowing money.
Lu Yi’s biological father said, “In-laws, it’s not that I’m desperate for cash, but you know our situation. Your family is wealthy, and now that the kids are married, we’re one big family. Families help each other out, right? If we get on our feet, that reflects well on you too. But if we’re dirt poor, and you don’t lend a hand, it won’t look good for your reputation either.”
Old Master Rong’s face darkened immediately. He asked, “How much do you want to borrow?”
Lu’s father replied, “Not much, just five million.”
Originally, Li Tang had told him to ask for three million, but after stepping into this house, he thought: The Rongs are so rich, five million is probably like pocket change to them, just pulling out a leg hair.
Moreover, Old Master Rong was so wealthy that he certainly wouldn’t have the nerve to demand repayment from his in-laws. So the money would essentially be a gift.
That way, with one payment from the Rongs and another from Li Tang, they could become millionaires.
Old Master Rong snorted coldly. “Five million? Indeed, not much.”
Seeing Lu’s father’s face light up with hope, he added, “But why should I lend it to you?”
Did they think his money fell from the sky? Forget five million—he wouldn’t even lend five thousand.
When Lu’s father realized he wasn’t getting what he wanted, his expression twisted, and he started cursing. In the end, the Rong family had him forcibly escorted out.
Standing outside, Lu’s father wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked his wife beside him, “How did I do just now?”
“Impressive. You have talent.”
She thought to herself that if she weren’t the stepmother, she could have done more—too much meddling might backfire—but Lu’s father had managed well enough.
This was only the first step. Afterwards, he went to Lu Yi’s alma mater and the Rong family’s company.
In this internet age, causing a little trouble here and there didn’t hurt much. Li Tang also orchestrated a full-service package involving parents, classmates, and trending topics.
Originally, Lu Yi didn’t have much goodwill with Old Master Rong. After a few days of this, he had squandered almost all of it.
When Lu’s father called his son back on the pretext of an emergency, he naturally ordered him to break up.
Young people couldn’t avoid the internet. Rong Huan was aware of the Lu family’s antics, and when his father brought it up, he explained the strained relationship between Lu Yi and his father.
He felt wronged for Lu Yi. “I’m with Lu Yi, not his father. Besides, we’re legally married. And it’s obvious Lu Yi and his father don’t get along—they’re clearly trying to take advantage of him.”
Rong’s father said, “Of course I know that. But it also shows how troublesome his family is. If they keep showing up every day to make a scene, do you think you can just ignore them? Besides, that man is Lu Yi’s biological father. Blood ties can’t be severed. Even if he treated Lu Yi badly, he still raised him. Lu Yi has obligations.”
Rong’s father was quite traditional, placing great weight on filial piety. Viewing things from a father’s perspective, he thought anyone unfilial to their own father couldn’t be a good person.
But Lu Yi’s father was also a problem, making Lu Yi himself look bad by association.
“You’re not lacking in options. Why pick someone like this?” Rong’s father was still hung up on the Lu family.
Rong Huan found his father’s attitude contradictory. “That’s so unfair to Lu Yi. I’ll say it again: I chose him myself. His family doesn’t care about him, but I care about my own man. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Fuming, Rong Huan left the Rong mansion and went back to find Lu Yi. Since he had a stake in the piano shop, and they planned to stay for a while this time, he was temporarily teaching there.
But when he arrived at the piano shop, he saw Lu Yi’s biological father and stepmother. The moment they spotted him, their eyes lit up like they’d found gold, and they lunged at him.
Caught off guard, Rong Huan was grabbed. For the money Li Tang promised, Lu’s father began wailing about his son’s unfilial behavior: “You’re Rong Huan, right? Lu Yi’s biological mother only had him as a child! Please, have mercy and let him go! I’m begging you!”
Li Tang’s plan involved them causing trouble everywhere, targeting everyone connected to Lu Yi—except Lu Yi himself. More precisely, they wanted to stir things up when Lu Yi wasn’t around, so the drama wouldn’t collapse from a face-to-face confrontation. He wanted Lu Yi to suffer in silence, making those around him resentful and driving a wedge between the couple.
Rong Huan had a refined appearance and dressed sharply. Lu’s father, on the other hand, deliberately wore shabby clothes and even cut a few holes in them with scissors. Though middle-aged, he was surprisingly strong. He held Rong Huan in a tight grip. It was close to lesson time at the piano shop, so parents bringing kids for lessons and passersby all stopped to watch.
Even though Rong Huan had mentally prepared himself for something like this, being caught in such a situation for the first time—under the scrutiny of so many eyes—he felt an overwhelming sense of humiliation and shame. He even wanted to find a place to hide.
Raised with good manners and a gentle temperament, Rong Huan barely even knew how to curse. Faced with this, he was completely at a loss. He couldn’t bring himself to make a scene like Lu’s father did. Fortunately, a colleague at the piano shop took pity on his helpless look and helped him break free.
Grabbing hold of Lu’s father, the colleague saw Rong Huan still standing there dumbfounded and urged, “Teacher Rong, what are you standing there for? Go inside! The students are waiting!”
Only then did Rong Huan snap out of it. He realized he’d been completely blindsided by the sudden attack. Instead of running away from such a situation, he should have just called the person involved to handle it. “No need. You go ahead. Have Teacher Xiao Cheng take over my next class.”
He raised his voice, as if speaking to Lu’s father and also to the onlookers: “I can’t make decisions on this kind of thing. I’ll have Lu Yi come. If he agrees, then I’ll break up with him.”