Chapter 10

Lu Fei opened the door and took in the scene before him—  

His handsome face instantly morphed into the classic “old man squinting at his phone” expression.  

Seriously, was this Little dirty dumpling even salvageable?  

The tiny figure, barely reaching his thigh, was dragging a burlap sack at least three times her size.  

You You’s round, adorable face broke into a beaming smile. “Brother, look! You You can support you now!”  

Her proud expression only deepened Lu Fei’s existential crisis. Reflexively, he stepped forward and took the oversized sack from her.  

Luckily, it wasn’t too heavy—probably filled with empty plastic bottles?  

Lu Fei shot A Jiu a glance. “…The kid’s acting up, and you’re enabling her?”  

A Jiu wiped sweat from his forehead. “You won’t believe this, Fei Ge, but it all happened so suddenly…”  

It really was sudden.  

You You had held his hand and led him up floor after floor, knocking on every door.  

At first, he thought it was absurd—who would give a kid their recyclables?  

But to his surprise, the neighbors’ eyes lit up the moment they saw her. They marveled, “Wow, even kindergarteners are doing work-study programs now?” and eagerly dug out recyclables to give her for free, each more enthusiastic than the last.  

One overly kind old lady even prepared a burlap sack and a handcart for You You…  

Things quickly spiraled beyond A Jiu’s control…  

By the end, they had two carts full of scrap.  

……  

Since storing this stuff indoors wasn’t an option, Lu Fei reluctantly allowed them to contact a professional recycling service through the property management. The deal was settled on the spot—You You made a whopping 550 yuan!  

Clutching the cash in her chubby little hands, sweaty and exhausted, she grinned like a tiny miser. “Brother, are you happy? Is You You amazing?”  

“…Very amazing. With such a talent for scavenging, it’d be a shame if you didn’t run a recycling plant someday.”  

Unfazed by his sarcasm, You You gleefully ran around the room, waving her earnings.  

A Jiu was utterly stunned, caught between awe at the toddler’s effortless 550-yuan profit and the sudden urge to recall the resumes he’d just mass-emailed on Boss. Maybe following You You into the scrap business was his true path to riches.  

Doing the math, her hourly rate was nearly 300 yuan…  

When Lu Yan returned and heard the story, he was equal parts amused and exasperated.  

He was starting to think there was something extraordinary about this kid.  

Whose genes gave her such a quick wit?  

Though Lu Fei didn’t approve of You You’s bizarre venture, it did stir something in him.  

If a three-year-old could take action like this…  

Maybe he shouldn’t be hiding indoors gaming to avoid his problems.  

……  

Lu Fei reached out to the administration of Yanjing No. 6 High School.  

They knew the truth of what had happened back then better than anyone.  

Soon after, he posted a concise, firm clarification on Weibo.  

The school’s official account reposted it, backing his statement: Lu Fei had left school not because of bullying, but to train as an idol in Korea.  

If Lu Fei hadn’t confronted them, the school would’ve stayed silent.

Lu Fei was incredibly popular this year, and all the public scrutiny was directed at him. No one even questioned why such an incident could happen within the school premises.

The school authorities avoided responsibility as much as possible—after all, the incident had indeed occurred, but the real perpetrator was someone else entirely.

With both Lu Fei and the school issuing clarifications, the situation improved significantly, though controversies still lingered.

[Oh, so just because you say there was no bullying means there wasn’t? Where’s the proof?]

[Hey, do you even understand the law? The burden of proof lies with the accuser. Why should the accused have to prove their innocence?]

[Lu Fei’s got too many resources—people are just jealous.]

[Yanjing No. 6 High is a prestigious school. They wouldn’t dare lie. Netizens these days can dig up anything.]

[I’ve always thought that so-called victim’s brother’s post was ridiculous. It reads like it was written by a professional new media writer, full of emotional manipulation techniques.]

[Spreading rumors is despicable. As a neutral observer, I think *Fallen Immortal* is pretty good.]

[Lu Fei’s acting is solid. Why’s everyone suddenly hating on him?]

…

Meanwhile, hidden behind screens in the shadows, the person manipulating multiple marketing accounts to smear Lu Fei noticed the shift in public opinion and promptly deployed more troll army and hired writers…

After posting his clarification on Weibo, Lu Fei paid no further attention to the unfolding situation.

He had done what he could, with a clear conscience.

Since he had no intention of staying in the entertainment industry, the online world no longer concerned him.

A Jiu was thrilled that Fei Ge had spoken up. Moreover, he could sense that, influenced by You You, Fei Ge wasn’t as closed off as before.

A Jiu suggested, “Since big brother’s here too, why don’t we all go out for a nice meal tonight?”

“Yes, yes! You You will treat her brothers to a feast!”

Lu Yan initially hesitated, worried it might be inconvenient for Lu Fei to appear in public. But Lu Fei agreed without hesitation, seeming completely at ease, so Lu Yan didn’t want to ruin the mood.

In the little one’s mind, a “feast” wasn’t about the price—it was whatever her mom rarely let her eat and what she personally loved.

You You chose the last option among her favorites: McDonald’s, KFC, or Pizza Hut.

As the little dumpling pulled out her 550-yuan “fortune” from her tiny pocket and ordered a table full of delicious food, her chubby face beamed with satisfaction. “You You finally knows why she crossed over!””

At first, she had felt helpless and unhappy—her beloved family didn’t remember her, and she had become an outsider.

But now she was brimming with motivation. Stuffing onion rings into her mouth with her little chubby hands, she mumbled ambitiously, “You will work hard to earn money and pay off the brothers’ debts!””

Lu Fei scoffed. “You really think collecting waste can make you 200 million?””Lu Yan couldn’t help but ask, ‘In the past… were the brothers financially well-off?””

For You You, the “past” might actually be their future.

You You gestured with her short, plump arms, mimicking a small mountain. “The brothers were very rich and loved You You so much!” The gifts you bought are piled up in my toy room!”

Lu Fei shot a puzzled glance at his older brother. “Bro… you don’t actually believe in this time travel nonsense, do you?”

Before Lu Yan could respond, You You’s baby voice chattered on: “Second Brother, last time you picked me up from school, you even took my friends to Pizza Hut. All the kindergarten teachers liked you too—they secretly called you the Handsome Top Tier Star Daddy.”

“???” Picking up a brat from kindergarten? Just imagining the scene gave Lu Fei the chills.

Being called a daddy was out of the question. He would never, ever be some damn daddy.

“No way, kid. Stop making things up. Me, Lu Fei, will never be called a daddy. Hurry up and eat. I’ve got games to play when we’re done.”

He thought to himself that this kid might seem clever, but she was too clever—maybe something was wrong with her head.

Lu Yan, worried the two might start arguing, intervened: “Stop bickering. The DNA test results will be ready in fourteen working days.”

Lu Fei grumbled, “That’s too slow. Isn’t that over half a month?”

Lu Yan hesitated.

He had considered telling his brother about the watch, but after learning about his bipolar disorder and how emotional instability could worsen his condition, he held back.

Yet that dream lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.

After the meal, You You timidly brought up wanting to visit a place called Junyue Bay.

Lu Fei frowned. “What bay? Never heard of it.”

The little girl had only dared to ask because both brothers seemed in decent moods today.

Truthfully, she had wanted to go for a while but didn’t know the way and had no money for the subway…

Hanging her head low, she said without much hope, “I know you’re both busy, but I really, really want to go…”

She was hoping she might find her parents there…

Lu Yan furrowed his brows slightly, guessing her intention. “This Junyue Bay… is it where you used to live?”

The little one nodded, digging out the leftover money from her pocket. “I only have these ten-something yuan left… Big Brother, can you take me?”