How terrifying was it to be a lovesick fool?

Xu Youyou had only heard her mother emphasize it repeatedly before. In reality, Lu Haoyu should have been the first one she had met.

From childhood, Xu Youyou remembered that every time her mother mentioned the phrase ‘lovesick fool’, her expression was one of deep disgust and disdain. She knew from a young age that this thing wasn’t good.

Her mother said that lovesick fools would lose themselves. In their eyes, family, friends, and even careers were not as important as love. Love is everything in their lives.

If they lose love, they would wither away as quickly as a plant without water, feeling life had no meaning.

Goodness, such thoughts were indeed strange.

Love was only a part of life. It doesn’t matter whether you have it or not. How can it occupy everything?

Xu Youyou couldn’t understand the concept of a lovesick fool person when she was young, and even as she grew older, she still couldn’t comprehend it.

But from the examples her mother provided, she also grasped one truth, which was, for lovesick fools, money was easy to earn!

As for why she thought so, Xu Youyou could list out many reasons one by one.

For instance, her mother mentioned that lovesick fools wouldn’t care about their careers. No matter how urgent, busy, or important their current job was, it couldn’t compare to a phone call or a request to meet the person they like.

If such a person became an opponent, wouldn’t that be a definite weakness?

Another example is when preparing things for a partner, lovesick fools could pay for everything regardless of the price.

Once someone loses their rationality and sense of self because of something, they become the easiest to manipulate. Xu Youyou only thought about making good money.

In case there were truly unscrupulous individuals, these lovesick fools might even commit illegal or unethical acts and justify it as being for love, which was quite self-deceptive.

And Lu Haoyu, from what he had done so far and the information available about him, was just a slightly hidden lovesick fool.

He had, on more than one occasion, dropped important matters in hand to meet Yao Yunyou upon her call, regardless of any potentially serious consequences.

Although it was unclear whether it’s coincidental, these instances haven’t resulted in extremely negative consequences thus far, but that doesn’t mean they won’t in the future.

Xu Youyou doesn’t see a conflict between career and love, nor does she believe that one must prioritize career over love. However, Lu Haoyu’s behavior clearly seemed excessive, undoubtedly fitting the description of what her mother referred to as a lovesick fool.

Dealing with such a person naturally required targeted treatment.

Yao Yunyou was evidently that medicine.

After dinner, because of Xu Youyou’s new idea, Qin Xiao returned to the company to work overtime.

Obtaining Yao Yunyou’s contact information wasn’t difficult, but he needed to first determine how to impress her and handle things after reaching an agreement.

“Aunt Qin, do you think Lu Haoyu will fall for it?”

Watching Qin Xiao leave in a hurry, Xu Youyou also felt a bit nervous, after all, it was her idea.

If it doesn’t work out, it would be a waste of time and energy.

Qin Yiren smiled and said, “You don’t need to worry, Youyou. Whether it works out or not, we won’t lose anything. If it did, that’s great. If not, we’ll just be back to where we are.”

This matter wasn’t illegal anyway. At most, if Yao Yunyou truly confided everything to Lu Haoyu because she’s genuinely devoted to him, then so be it.

So what? Both sides have already fallen out, one more thing or one less thing doesn’t matter at all.

However, even Qin Yiren didn’t expect Lu Haoyu to not only fall for it but fall completely and utterly!

It’s unclear how Qin Xiao communicated with Yao Yunyou, or how Yao Yunyou operated. Anyway, Lu Haoyu disappeared for a week after going abroad. It’s not accurate to say he completely disappeared, he simply responded swiftly to anyone who tried to contact him, whether it was his subordinates or Old Master Lu, with a curt, “I’m busy, don’t bother me.”

Old Master Lu was so furious he almost spat blood, and the shareholders and employees of the Lu Group were all stunned.

The group was already on a downward slide due to losing several projects to the Qin and Qing families. Now, with this major project being so crucial, Lu Haoyu simply dropped everything and ran off after receiving a phone call, faintly hearing a woman crying on the other end.

Apart from saying, “Sort it out yourselves”, he left everything hanging!

Come on, what are we supposed to sort out?

Wasn’t it you who said that to prevent the Qin family from planting spies in the company, only you can have the final drafts of the project documents and so on?

All we have are scattered materials, and we don’t even know the final bid. It would take a miracle, not talent, to sort things out in this situation!

Naturally, the Lu Group had no chance for this major project.

With the Qin family being so well-prepared and Qin Xiao personally showing up to express the importance they put into this project, anyone with common sense would understand which one to choose!

However, it didn’t end there. Lu Haoyu went off the grid for a whole week for true love’s sake, causing numerous projects to be put on hold. This move resulted in massive losses for the Lu Group.

It’s not just about the financial aspect, it’s also about losing the trust and respect of people.

Why did all these people work tirelessly, burning the midnight oil for this project?

Was it because of their love for the company?!

Of course, it’s for the bonuses and performance rewards!

Some of them even had plans for what they would do with the bonuses, like buying houses, cars, or even going on a week-long vacation. But now, all of that was gone.

The reason wasn’t because their plan wasn’t good enough. If they lost in a fair competition against the Qin family, they would understand and there wouldn’t be much they could do about it.

But now? Because the boss was an idiot, all their hard work had gone down the drain!

The crucial point was that this wasn’t the first time; it’s just that the consequences weren’t as severe in previous instances. Plus, they managed to secure several projects afterward, which helped to soothe the employees’ feelings to some extent.

Everyone goes to work for money, after all.

Just the thought of such incidents happening again in the future makes both the executives and the ordinary employees look grim.

However, the executives were more constrained. Unlike ordinary employees who could simply walk away, they couldn’t show any dissatisfaction on the surface. But deep down, they’re already starting to plan their next moves for themselves.

Otherwise, if they continue to be tied to the Lu Group, they might not even have to wait for bankruptcy proceedings to start before they’re driven to their wits’ end.

Lu Haoyu wasn’t three years old, he’s an adult! He’s not just a small employee of the Lu Group where if he’s missing, then he’s missing. The loss wasn’t that significant.

He’s the chairman!

He’s the one responsible for leading Lu Group forward, accountable for nearly ten thousand employees under his command!

Even the shareholders who initially underestimated Lu Haoyu but later became impressed by him were feeling regretful now.

If they had known earlier that Lu Haoyu was just like his father, they wouldn’t have bothered and would have simply disbanded on the spot.

There were no permanent friends, only permanent interests.

Lu Haoyu might think it was just one project, and if he lost this one, there would be another. But he didn’t realize that some things were like the story of 《The Boy Who Cried Wolf》—— Once lost, they can never be regained.

Of course, he’s still basking in the joy of being the hero saving the beauty, especially with Yao Yunyou looking at him with admiration and trembling in fear as she clings to him.

Seeing Yao Yunyou in such a vulnerable state, needing someone to be with her, how could Lu Haoyu possibly leave her?

When Lu Haoyu returned to the Lu Group a week later, he keenly sensed that something was off. The people were the same, but the atmosphere was peculiar.

“What’s going on with those people? They look so lax! Do they even want to stay at Lu Group anymore?”

Lu Haoyu returned to his office and angrily cursed under his breath.

The next moment, as his assistant entered the office with him, he nervously presented the documents that required Lu Haoyu’s approval during his absence. Then, with a tone of resignation, he continued, “Mr. Lu, the HR department just sent a message. There have been a total of eighty-six resignations submitted this week. What do you think……?”

For a large company, there were usually new employees joining and old employees resigning almost every day. Unless it’s at the executive level, these routine personnel changes were handled independently by the HR department and department heads, without needing to report to Lu Haoyu.

Otherwise, as the chairman, he’d spend all his time conducting interviews instead of actually getting work done.

But the HR department wasn’t just causing trouble, it’s just that the number of resignations submitted this week was unusually high. On average, there have been over a dozen resignations every day, and according to the HR department’s observation, this was far from over.

Some people haven’t submitted their resignations immediately because they’re simply looking for better opportunities elsewhere.

“How come there are so many people resigning?”

Lu Haoyu obviously knew that this number was abnormal. “Which shareholder is causing trouble again?”

His statement wasn’t without precedent.

When Lu Haoyu first took office, some executives were dissatisfied. After a brief confrontation, they even threatened to leave with their own teams. Naturally, Lu Haoyu wouldn’t indulge them. If they wanted to leave, they could leave. Lu Group would carry on without them!

“T-this……” The assistant was speechless. Did Mr. Lu not realize he had any problems at all?

But he was just an assistant. Until he found another job, he had to stay there for the time being. All he could do was mumble something like, “Maybe it’s because of the previous project failure. Everyone might be feeling a bit disheartened.”

“Hmph.” Lu Haoyu snorted coldly. “Can’t even withstand a little test.”

“Let them leave if they want. When Lu Group becomes successful in the future, they’ll regret it.”

Assistant: “……”

He originally wanted to say that during this period of uncertainty, the Qin and Qing families had poached several key technical talents. If things continued like this, things definitely wouldn’t be good.

But seeing Lu Haoyu like this, the assistant decided to hold back and just keep it to himself.

There wouldn’t be any benefits to speaking up, and he might even get scolded. It’s better to pretend he doesn’t know anything and prioritize self-preservation.

Meanwhile, Lu Haoyu noticed that one thing after another had been going wrong since his return, and those old troublemakers had started making their moves again.

The Qin and Qing families were also keeping a close eye on him, making Lu Haoyu feel like he was treading on thin ice.

His grandfather kept urging him to visit the ancestral house in the evening. The old man would undoubtedly repeat the same old lines, probably urging him to get married again.

It’s so annoying!

———pr

At 7:00 PM, on the way back to the Lu residence.

Lu Haoyu, in a bad mood, was dealing with documents when suddenly there was an emergency brake, nearly causing him to stab himself with the pen in his hand.

“What’s going on?! Can’t you drive?”

“Sorry, Mr. Lu. Just now, a woman suddenly darted out, and I……”

The driver got out of the car, seemingly to confront the woman who appeared to be trying to stage an accident, and Lu Haoyu also glanced up. But the next moment, his eyes froze, and his hand instinctively opened the car door.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it wasn’t intentional. Someone was chasing me, I’m really sorry!” The woman who was almost hit repeatedly apologized, bending over in a sincere and pitiful manner.

The driver was also a bit hesitant. If it were just him, as the car didn’t actually touch the woman, he might have let it slide. But now, Lu Haoyu was in the car.

“What’s your name?”

Lu Haoyu spoke up first when the driver was hesitating.

He had already approached the girl without realizing it, examining her with a strange look in his eyes.

The driver glanced at the girl, who had pushed her hair aside, revealing half of her face…… Hey! Why did she look so much like Yao Yunyou? No, she seemed more like someone called Xu Youyou!

As Lu Haoyu’s driver, he obviously knew quite a bit.

But after taking another close look, he felt that there was something slightly strange about the girl’s face. It didn’t look as natural as Xu Youyou’s or Yao Yunyou’s. It seemed like…… it had been altered?

“I’m sorry, my name is Hua Duo’er. If there’s any problem with your car, I will definitely compensate you.”

Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes, but although her body was trembling with fear, her tone was remarkably firm.

“Hua…… Duo…… Er?” Lu Haoyu slowly pronounced the three syllables. “You’re pretty lucky.” He said, noting that she had a face he liked.

Perfect, Xu Youyou was temporarily out of reach, so this girl in front of him, who looked like a poor student, could serve as a nice distraction.

———pr

Xu Youyou, who had no idea that Lu Haoyu had found another substitute, was happily going to Gu Weiyi’s concert with Lu Chenjun.

“Juanjuan, there are so many people here!”

Xu Youyou held Lu Chenjun’s hand, her big eyes blinking as she looked around at the audience wearing shirts with their idol’s names and holding light sticks. Each person’s face was filled with excitement as if they were about to witness something important.

This was Xu Youyou’s first time attending a concert, and she couldn’t deny that the atmosphere was top-notch. It gave her an inexplicable sense of excitement.

“Watch your step.” Lu Chenjun said, shielding Xu Youyou with his body. “Be careful.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Xu Youyou said, looking up at Lu Chenjun with a smile. “I just realized, Juanjuan, you’re so tall!”

He could completely protect her in his arms. When did he get so tall?

Lu Chenjun: “……Let’s go inside.”

Seeing Xu Youyou half leaning against him, even someone as indifferent as Lu Chenjun couldn’t help but feel some ripples, but he didn’t show any extra movements or inappropriate expressions.

Xiao Lu definitely wasn’t in the mood to think about love right now, and besides, she’s completely clueless about romantic feelings, and……

All these words were just excuses.

Since Xu Youyou’s eighteenth birthday, Lu Chenjun had considered confessing many times, but he never acted on it. Truth be told, he was also a little afraid.

What if he got rejected?

What if Xiao Lu distance herself from him after that?

Lu Chenjun’s personality made him dislike doing things without certainty.

But when it came to Xu Youyou, having a hundred percent certainty was far from simple.

He didn’t want to take a gamble, nor did he dare to. So, he could only do things in the most old-fashioned way, like boiling a frog in warm water^[1]a metaphor cautioning people to be aware of even gradual change lest they suffer eventual undesirable consequences, which drove Liu Miaomiao and the others almost crazy.

In high school, he used to say Xu Youyou needed to focus on studying. Fine! But now that Xu Youyou is in university, if he doesn’t make a move soon, what if someone else snatched her away? Then he would have nowhere to cry!

They almost wished they could personally tie the two of them together with a red string.

This was a classic case of the emperor not being in a hurry, but the eunuchs being anxious.

“Hello everyone! We are TCNone!”

“Aaaahhhh——”

Cheers and screams erupted instantly.

The concert finally began, and due to their excellent seats, Xu Youyou could clearly see Gu Weiyi standing in the center.

Gu Weiyi looked completely different from his usual shy self.

The stage is truly a magical thing!

Feeling the fervent atmosphere around her, Xu Youyou couldn’t help but sway her light stick along with the song’s rhythm.

“Next, we will perform 《That Girl》!”

This song can be said to be TCNone’s signature song, and it was composed and written by Gu Weiyi himself. It tells the story of a secret crush and has become a must-play song at KTVs nowadays.

“I heard this song is based on Leader Gu’s personal experience, is it true?”

Though the surrounding noise was quite loud, Xu Youyou still caught snippets of conversation between the two girls beside her. One of them seemed unfamiliar with TCNone, just like Xu Youyou.

“It’s true! Gu Bao has admitted it himself. Ohhh, I wonder who that lucky girl is. I envy her so much!”

Gu Weiyi’s secret crush? Why hasn’t she heard about it?

Xu Youyou dismissed the thought as quickly as it came. After all, the relationship between her and Gu Weiyi wasn’t one where they shared everything like Liu Miaomiao and the others did.

It’s perfectly normal for someone to have a crush without sharing it with others.

Now she should focus on enjoying the music!

With the familiar melody filling the air, as they reached the climax of the song, the crowd joined in a unified chorus, and even Xu Youyou couldn’t resist singing along.

This was probably the charm of music!

“Juanjuan, you—” Xu Youyou turned her head and was about to tell her companion to join in, but she happened to meet Lu Chenjun’s eyes on her.

Was he looking at her the whole time?

Xu Youyou seldom felt impulsive. She also liked planning, enjoying methodically completing each task she set out to do.

But whether it was because of the current atmosphere being so pleasant or because she had secretly wanted to do it all along, Xu Youyou suddenly grabbed Lu Chenjun’s hand.

Her tender, fair hand tightly clasped Lu Chenjun’s large and powerful palm. In his moment of astonishment, Xu Youyou’s eyes seemed to sparkle with scattered stars.

So beautiful.

Lu Chenjun recalled the first time he met Xu Youyou. It was her pair of clear and agile eyes, akin to those of a deer, that had drawn him in.

After so many years had passed, Lu Chenjun’s excellent memory allowed him to even recall every word he and Xu Youyou had exchanged back then.

“What’s wrong?”

Why did she suddenly grab his hand? Why was she looking at him with such a captivating gaze?

“Juanjuan!” Not even the singing could drown out Xu Youyou’s loud voice. There was an unprecedented joy and excitement on her face as if she were about to do something very significant.

“I! Like! You! Be my boyfriend!”

Snap——

It was the sound of Lu Chenjun’s rationality breaking.