Chapter 50

At five o’clock in the morning, the sky began to show the first light of dawn.

After two days without sleep, Shen Kuo was exhausted. So that night, with his head resting on Lu Yan’s lap, he closed his eyes and fell asleep immediately, sinking into a deep, restful sleep.

At six o’clock in the morning, Shen Kuo’s biological clock kicked in, and he woke up.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the girl trying hard to keep her eyes open, forcing herself to stay awake.

The little girl really hadn’t slept all night, pushing herself to stay alert.

She really couldn’t sleep, she didn’t dare to. Dad Shen was still in danger, and any sudden changes could require an urgent call for the doctor.

After all, a life was at stake.

When Lu Yan saw him wake up, her tired little face broke into a smile, her eyes sparkling with light. “Did you sleep well? You were really sleeping soundly, even snoring.”

Shen Kuo immediately sat up. “No way.”

There was no way he could snore.

Lu Yan was just teasing him. She reached out and ruffled his messy, tousled hair. “Did you feel better after sleeping?”

“Mm.”

“That’s more like it. Don’t worry, Dad Shen will be fine tonight. The doctor just came by and said his condition is improving.”

“Thank you,” he muttered, thanking her in a low voice.

A nurse carrying a tray walked by and overheard their conversation. She smiled at Shen Kuo and said, “Your girlfriend is really great. She stayed up all night to support you. At 3 a.m., I saw her almost falling asleep, pinching her hand with her nails to stay awake…”

“Huh?”

Lu Yan quickly interrupted the nurse, saying, “Well, I’m a bit hungry. Shen Kuo, could you go buy us some breakfast?”

Before she finished speaking, Shen Kuo grabbed her hand. Sure enough, there were crescent-shaped nail marks on the back of her left hand, slightly reddened.

Lu Yan quickly pulled back her hand and casually said, “I think I smell some soup dumplings. I’m so hungry.”

Shen Kuo remained expressionless. After the nurse left, he silently pulled Lu Yan close, resting his chin on her forehead, leaving a trace that was almost a kiss on her bangs.

In the twilight of dawn, the first light of morning pierced through the layers of clouds, spreading like crimson dye.

Lu Yan felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

Soon, Shen Kuo let go of her, slightly embarrassed.

Lu Yan touched her forehead, her lips curving into a sweet smile. “Were you kissing me?”

“No, no, don’t think too much.”

“It clearly was…”

Maybe because her dad’s condition was improving, Shen Kuo also felt much more at ease. He asked her, “Did you do something to me last night?”

Lu Yan froze.

What the hell… didn’t we both fall asleep?

“You were pretending to sleep!”

“No, but I felt something.”

“I didn’t do anything. There was nothing… how could I do anything…”

She mumbled, trying to explain, “It’s impossible. I’m a girl. I could never…”

Shen Kuo silently looked at her, his long and beautiful eyes making her feel guilty, as if nothing could escape his gaze.

Lu Yan’s earlobes turned red.

So embarrassing.

She stammered, “Anyway, you don’t want to kiss me, and with me being so proactive, it must seem… well, you know…”

Shen Kuo’s hand rested on her lips, his rough thumb gently brushing over the soft center of her lips.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just that it shouldn’t be rushed.”

Lu Yan looked at him in surprise. He said very seriously, “You should be prepared. The first time might take a while.”

He had thought about it for a long time, imagined the scene countless times, and had been patient and restrained until now. No matter what, it shouldn’t be done too recklessly.

Lu Yan’s eyes widened slightly, feeling a bit dumbfounded.

Although…

She knew he was talking about their first kiss, hearing him say it like that made it impossible not to think about other things.

How long would it take?

Her cheeks instantly turned cherry red.

Boys from that era were probably all very pure and upright.

It was Lu Yan who had corrupted it.

Shen Kuo grabbed the doctor’s prescription and went downstairs to pay and get the medicine. Lu Yan yawned and closed her eyes.

At that moment, a doctor came out of the office. Seeing Lu Yan waiting by the patient’s room, he mistook her for the patient’s daughter and handed her a medical form that needed to be signed.

Lu Yan didn’t know what it was. She took it, glanced at it, and explained, “Sorry, I don’t think I should sign this…”

Before she finished speaking, Lu Yan suddenly saw the column on the medical form where Shen Dad’s former workplace was listed, and it clearly read—

Henghui Cement Factory.

Lu Yan’s heartbeat instantly slowed for a moment.

She couldn’t possibly not know about Henghui Cement Factory. It was the first industrial factory founded by the Lu Group, and the cement used by Lu Real Estate for its initial housing developments came from Henghui Cement Factory.

When she was little, Lu Zhen used to take her for walks, and they would pass by Henghui Cement Factory from a distance. He once pointed it out to her, saying, “Your grandfather made his fortune by starting this industrial factory.”

At that time, Lu Zhen, now in his middle years, spoke of their family history with a trace of melancholy and helplessness in his eyes.

Young Lu Yan didn’t understand the complexity in her dad’s gaze. She gazed far into the distance and saw vast fields of green wheat across from the factory. Thick smoke billowed from the factory’s tall chimneys, turning the clouds in the sky a dark, ashen color.

In the years that followed, the Lu family invested substantial resources into transforming the factory. The workshops were converted into dust-free environments, and the pollution was gradually reduced to a minimum.

“Little girl, what are you thinking about?” The doctor’s voice suddenly sounded in her ear, interrupting her thoughts.

Lu Yan raised her head and hoarsely asked the doctor, “Is Uncle Shen’s illness related to his previous work environment?”

“Of course, his chronic lung disease is caused by long-term exposure to industrial dust,” the doctor answered.

While speaking, the doctor noticed that Lu Yan was tightly clutching the medical form, and the paper was wrinkled from the pressure.

“Well… when the boy comes back, have him sign the form,” the doctor suggested.

Lu Yan slumped back in her chair, a chill running down her back.

She knew Dad Shen had been ill for several years, but she never imagined that Dad Shen had once…

Worked for the Lu family!

She looked at her own clothes—beautiful dresses and skirts—and realized that everything she wore, from head to toe, was brand-name, the best quality.

Then she looked back at Dad Shen, lying unconscious in the hospital bed, a man who had been worn thin by illness…

Shen Kuo didn’t even have a pair of brand-new sneakers.

This was so unfair.

When Shen Kuo returned with the medication, the corridor was empty, and Lu Yan was nowhere to be found.

“Lu Yan?” He called her softly, but there was no response.

Had she left?

Shen Kuo frowned slightly, walking over to the seat where he saw the wrinkled personal information page of the medical form, with his dad’s former workplace clearly visible.

His heart tightened.

She had seen it.

The doctor, who had just come out of another patient’s room, saw Shen Kuo and said, “Oh, you’re back. Hurry up and sign the pathology form.”

Shen Kuo mechanically took out a pen and signed his name on the form before handing it back to the doctor.

As the doctor went into his office, he turned and said, “That girl, your friend, right? She didn’t look too well.”

Shen Kuo pressed his fingers to his forehead, closing his eyes.

His thoughts drifted back to the first time he met Lu Zhen, back when he was in first grade.

Lu Zhen had entered the classroom wearing a red Nike jersey, like a blazing sun, drawing everyone’s attention.

Shen Kuo had keenly noticed that even his sneakers were stylish and clean, the shoe tips shining brightly and the laces free of dirt.

When he entered the classroom, all the students turned their attention to him.

At that age, Shen Kuo had never realized that boys could wear such vibrant, clean clothes.

As for himself, he only ever wore a few dark, worn-out clothes. His rough sneakers had black, grimy laces, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t wash off the dirt. The grime seemed to have seeped into every fiber.

His first self-introduction was to say his name was Lu Zhen, and then he proudly patted his chest, saying, “Lu Jian is my dad,” his face full of pride and honor.

The classmates didn’t know who Lu Jian was, so he pointed out, “Do you know the big smokestack across from the wheat fields on the other side of Nanjing Road? That’s where my dad works.”

Now the classmates understood. The large smokestack on Nanjing Road, where thick black smoke billowed out every day, seemed like a big deal.

From then on, they all looked at Lu Zhen with a bit more respect.

When they were young, everyone had someone they looked up to, and the person Lu Zhen admired most was his dad.

In the corner, Shen Kuo lowered his head, and his gaze gradually dimmed.

The person he admired most was also his dad, but…

The large smokestack across from the wheat fields was the place that made his dad cough every day… the place that made him seriously ill.

Lu Zhen was assigned to sit next to Shen Kuo, and when he sat down, he took out a can of Gatorade from his bag and handed it to him with a bright smile. “From now on, we’re brothers.”

Under the table, Shen Kuo clenched his fists tightly, the nails of his thumbs almost digging into his flesh…

Lu Zhen completely failed to notice the change in the boy. He opened the can and handed it to Shen Kuo. “If you need anything, just call me. I’m Lu Zhen, my dad is…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Shen Kuo grabbed the can, stood up, and poured the drink directly over Lu Zhen’s head.

No one had expected this quiet boy…

To make such an outrageous move!

The fizzy Gatorade poured over Lu Zhen’s head, dripping down his hair and soaking the front of his shirt.

Lu Zhen stood up with a “whoosh,” immediately kicking over the desk in front of him…

Shen Kuo glared at him fiercely, full of disgust and hatred.

Shen Kuo had never hated anyone like this before. Never, truly never.

From that day onward, a deep-seated enmity had formed between the two.

Shen Kuo believed that he would never forgive Lu Zhen, never forgive the Lu family, never forgive anyone with the last name Lu.

In the long years that followed, Shen Kuo began to focus on Lu Zhen, but it was no longer the blatant, straightforward confrontation from before.

His revenge plan was like a spider’s web, slowly expanding, and Lu Zhen was like a clumsy beetle, strong but unable to break free from the carefully laid trap.

He made Lu Zhen lose the favor of his teachers, gradually lose interest in his studies, and begin heading towards the bottom of the class.

He made him irritable, made him angry…

The fire of revenge burned inside Shen Kuo’s heart, tormenting him day and night.

He planned to stretch out the battle over ten or twenty years, it didn’t matter.

To ruin a person, all one had to do was push them from their peak into an abyss at their highest moment.

Destroy their confidence, their dignity, and their soul.

Shen Kuo’s thoughts ran deep, he didn’t often love someone, and he didn’t often hate anyone either. But once he hated someone, it went to the bone.

Yet strangely, even now, he could still clearly remember the sunny, carefree boy sitting next to him, saying, “From now on, we’re brothers,” with those bright, clear eyes.

In fact, Shen Kuo knew he shouldn’t hate Lu Zhen, but if he didn’t hate him, he didn’t know who else to hate.

Lu Yan was an accident. Shen Kuo never expected her to suddenly barge into his life and disrupt his entire plan…

Lu Zhen was her family, and the way she spread her arms to protect her family was just like how he had protected his own dad.

For the first time in his life, Shen Kuo’s heart softened.

For the first time, he softened, and from that moment on, he would always soften for her.

Lu Yan pushed the cart and returned home, her head heavy with exhaustion. It seemed that her family hadn’t noticed she hadn’t returned all night. Lu Zhen was still locked in his room reading, and Lu Jian was dressed in a suit, tying his tie in front of the mirror, preparing to attend a forum summit.

When Lu Jian saw Lu Yan walking into the house with a dazed look, he was a little surprised. “Little Yan, so early, what are you…”

“Morning exercise.”

Lu Jian didn’t seem to suspect anything. He finished tying his tie, grabbed his briefcase, and prepared to leave. The Mercedes was already waiting in the driveway.

As Lu Yan went upstairs, she suddenly turned around and asked, “Do you know someone named Shen Jianxun?”

Lu Jian changed his shoes and casually said, “Who?”

“A former employee of yours. He’s my friend’s dad…”

“Oh, no impression. I can mostly recall the names of the management team at Lu Group, but the workers below… there are too many.”

Yes, there are too many. How could he remember a trivial worker from the factory?

Lu Yan understood. This was something no one could be blamed for.

The early development of heavy industry in China involved a path of first polluting and then cleaning up. This was the route the country had taken.

The era needed to develop, and the wheels of history inevitably left behind dark wrinkles.

But last night, Shen Kuo almost lost his dad!

Lu Yan returned to her room, lay on the bed, and buried her face in the pillow. Soon, the pillow was damp.

She felt so sad.

Suddenly, her phone rang. She took a deep breath, pulled out her phone, and turned her head to check the message, her wet eyelashes still stuck to her eyelids.

The message from Shen Kuo was short, just two words—

“Don’t cry.”