Three days flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day Yu Li and Lu Qing had agreed upon.

To avoid drawing attention, Qin Yue switched to a low-key colored Bentley today and drove Lu Qing to the halfway point up the mountain where the Yu family’s old residence was located.

The road leading to the old residence was blocked, and only registered vehicles of the Yu family could enter, so naturally, Qin Yue’s car couldn’t go in.

Lu Qing got out of the car at the roadblock. Qin Yue, still in the car, raised his hand to give Lu Qing a cheering gesture and said while turning the steering wheel, “Go on, Old Lu. Even though it’s all uphill from here, I believe this short distance is nothing for you.”

Lu Qing rolled his eyes at him, ruffled his hair, and started walking uphill.

The Yu family’s old residence isn’t exactly remote, but it’s a bit of a distance from the commercial area for the sake of tranquility.

The estate is situated halfway up the mountain, and a few minutes’ drive down the hill will get you to the city center.

Although the asphalt road extends all the way to the entrance of the Yu family’s old residence, the steep slope and numerous bends mean you have to press hard on the gas pedal to drive up, let alone climb it on foot. Anyone with average fitness would be panting and sweating halfway up.

But as Qin Yue said, this short distance was nothing for Lu Qing. By the time he reached the imposing new Chinese-style estate, he was still as composed as when he got out of the car, not even slightly out of breath.

The security guard at the estate’s entrance spotted him from afar. Seeing Lu Qing’s tall and sturdy build, approaching the old residence silently, the guard was a bit wary and asked from behind the gate, “Do you have business here?”

Lu Qing replied, “I’m here to see the Little Young Master.”

The guard was taken aback but quickly remembered that Uncle Chen, the butler, had mentioned someone would come to see the Little Young Master around noon today. He hurriedly pressed the button to open the gate.

As soon as Lu Qing stepped inside, the guard called Uncle Chen.

By the time Lu Qing reached the main entrance on the first floor, Uncle Chen was already waiting there with a smile.

Before Lu Qing could speak, Uncle Chen said, “The Little Young Master instructed that if you arrived, you should go straight up to find him. At this time, the Little Young Master should be awake. His room is the innermost one on the left on the second floor.”

Lu Qing thanked Uncle Chen and made his way up the redwood staircase.

Yu Li was still enjoying his post-high school graduation break, making up for the sleep he missed during his senior year by staying in bed until he naturally woke up. But the rest of the Yu family had work, and Cen Rujun had her own beauty business, so she left early.

In the vast old residence, apart from the occasional chatter of the servants, the only sound was Lu Qing’s footsteps on the floor as he ascended the stairs.

Probably to avoid disturbing the Little Young Master’s sleep, there were hardly any servants visible on the second floor, making it very quiet.

Lu Qing glanced at his phone, seeing that Yu Li hadn’t replied to his message, and instinctively lightened his steps.

Yu Li had a bit of a temper when waking up; if disturbed, he’d glare with those clear eyes of his.

Very fierce, yet very beautiful.

Soon, Lu Qing stopped at the door of the room at the far end of the second-floor hallway.

He leaned in to listen, but the room was silent, not a sound to be heard.

Could he still be asleep?

But Yu Li hadn’t said goodnight too late last night, so by this calculation, he’d been asleep for almost twelve hours.

The Little Young Master’s sleep quality is truly a mystery…

Just as Lu Qing hesitated whether to knock, his phone vibrated. He looked down to see a message from his only pinned chat contact.

Little Young Master: [Where are you?]

Lu Qing’s fingers moved slightly: [At your room door]

The other side seemed surprised at how quickly he moved, pausing for a moment before sending two words: [Come in]

Seeing this message, Lu Qing gently pressed down on the doorknob, and the door to Yu Li’s room opened a crack.

Sunlight from the hallway rushed into the room, and as it entered, the dimly lit room with drawn blackout curtains revealed a slight bulge on the bed.

Lu Qing’s throat moved slightly, and he called out, “Little Young Master.”

As soon as he spoke, a fluffy little head popped up from behind the bulge in the bed. Seeing it was Lu Qing, the head immediately fell back onto the pillow.

Yu Li had slept too long, and even though he was awake, his mind was still a bit foggy, his whole body feeling lazy and unwilling to move.

He didn’t speak, and Lu Qing didn’t step further in, just stood at the door, seemingly waiting for Yu Li to get up.

Yu Li lay there for a while, slowly reaching for the edge of the bed, revealing a pair of watery eyes: “Lu Qing, turn on a small light, the second button.”

The boy’s voice was still a bit sticky from just waking up, making the listener’s ears itch.

Lu Qing’s fingers curled slightly, obediently reaching up to press the second button on the wall.

Two soft spotlights instantly lit up, allowing them to see each other’s current appearance clearly.

Lu Qing was no longer wearing the suit from the banquet that day but had changed into a plain black cotton T-shirt.

The T-shirt wasn’t particularly form-fitting, but the man’s good physique made even the simplest clothes outline his muscles clearly and neatly.

Yu Li discreetly looked Lu Qing up and down, and a random thought popped into his still sluggish mind: Lu Qing would probably look great in a sleeveless tank top, with those arm muscles on display.

The thought flashed by, and Yu Li didn’t dwell on it. He rubbed his eyes, lifted the covers, and sat up, naturally assigning Lu Qing a task: “Help me squeeze some toothpaste; I need to brush my teeth later.”

It was the hottest time of the year, and Yu Li was only wearing a thin layer of pajamas. The oversized neckline slipped down with his movement, revealing a section of glowing white, rounded shoulder.

Without the cover of the blanket, his two straight and well-proportioned legs were crossed, unabashedly displayed in front of Lu Qing.

The man’s gaze darkened, as if nailed to the spot, his eyes filled with the contrast of the dark sheets and that luminous white, not even hearing the Little Young Master’s instructions.

Yu Li saw him standing at the door, motionless, eyes fixed on him, not like someone who wasn’t listening.

But if he was listening, why no reaction?

Was my voice too soft just now?

Yu Li wondered, puzzled.

He raised his voice and called the man’s name again, waving him over.

Lu Qing paused, then stepped forward, closing the distance in a few strides.

The closer proximity made the white even more glaring. Lu Qing kept a straight face, looking serious: “Little Young Master.”

Yu Li looked up and asked, “Didn’t you hear me just now?”

Lu Qing was taken aback, thinking about what he had just been looking at, and a wave of guilt followed.

Just as he was thinking about how to explain, Yu Li didn’t press the issue but instead repeated the task Lu Qing hadn’t heard.

“Go squeeze some toothpaste; I need to change clothes first.”

This time, Lu Qing heard it.

He responded with a “yes,” and as he walked to the bathroom, he heard the rustling sound of clothes being changed from the room.

It was Yu Li changing clothes.

The man took a deep breath, picked up the grapefruit-flavored toothpaste, and squeezed it onto the toothbrush bristles without looking around.

Yu Li changed quickly, and soon the sound of slippers approached the bathroom door.

Lu Qing stepped out of the bathroom, and as Yu Li brushed past him to grab the toothbrush, he said to Lu Qing, “After lunch, you’ll move with me to the Epiphyllum Mansion.”

The villa at the Epiphyllum Mansion was a coming-of-age gift from Yu Xiangguo to Yu Li. The property deed and another key were still in the bedside drawer of Yu Li’s room.

After freshening up, Yu Li and Lu Qing went downstairs together.

The kitchen had already prepared lunch, and since Yu Li had informed them in advance, they also prepared a meal for Lu Qing.

Yu Li was pampered growing up and was picky about food. As a child, he ate the local Jiang Cheng cuisine, which was mild, but as he grew older, he developed a taste for spicy food. Cen Rujun even hired a Sichuan chef to work at the old residence, preparing different dishes for Yu Li every day.

The kitchen didn’t know Lu Qing’s taste, so they served him a common home-cooked dish that most people would accept. Compared to the fiery red dishes in front of Yu Li, it was quite mild.

Yu Li ate slowly, glancing at the man who was eating heartily, and asked, “You can drive, right?”

Lu Qing had food in his mouth, making it inconvenient to speak, so he nodded, his dark eyes watching Yu Li, seemingly waiting for his next instruction.

“As long as you can drive, the car keys are with you anyway…” Yu Li mumbled, seeing Lu Qing still looking at him, he added, “Just eat.”

So Lu Qing continued to devour his meal, his appetite quite good. It was the first time Yu Li had seen someone eat with such gusto, unknowingly eating half a bowl more than usual.

Uncle Chen, who witnessed all this, watched with bright eyes.

Yu Li had been weak as a child, with a small appetite and poor nutrition absorption, making him much thinner than boys his age.

Cen Rujun tried everything to get him to eat more, but Yu Li would only eat as much as he wanted, not a grain more. Yet now, he had eaten half a bowl more than usual, which was beyond Uncle Chen’s expectations.

He pondered for a moment, then picked up his phone and sent a message to the contact labeled “Eldest Young Master.”

[Eldest Young Master, the new bodyguard is quite appetizing. The Little Young Master just ate half a bowl more than usual (thumbs up) (thumbs up)]

At the Yu Corporation headquarters, in the President’s office.

Yu Huaiyuan looked at the message from Uncle Chen on his phone, his expression somewhat indescribable.

The new bodyguard is quite appetizing…

At first glance, Yu Huaiyuan thought his little brother had turned into Hannibal.

***

After lunch, Lu Qing drove the silver-gray Maybach from the parking lot, following the navigation towards the Epiphyllum Mansion.

The trunk held two packed suitcases containing Yu Li’s essentials for moving to the Epiphyllum Mansion. As for the rest of the daily necessities, the new house was already stocked with new ones, so there was no need to move them.

Lu Qing drove steadily, and Yu Li sat in the back seat, watching the man’s sharply defined profile for a while. As if remembering something, he suddenly asked, “You haven’t moved your luggage yet, have you?”

Lu Qing paused, unsure why Yu Li suddenly asked, but he nodded and replied, “Not yet. I’ll go back this afternoon to move it.”

Yu Li thought for a moment and said to Lu Qing, “Since you haven’t moved yet, let’s go straight to your place now. There’s still plenty of room in the trunk, so we can move it all at once while we’re on the way.”

Lu Qing was about to find an excuse to refuse when Yu Li added, “You still have to go shopping with me this afternoon, so moving now will save time from running back and forth. Let’s go.”

There was no room for negotiation in his tone, leaving Lu Qing no chance to refuse.

The words he was about to say were swallowed back down, and he agreed, using the excuse of changing the navigation to stop the car at the foot of the mountain. He then hurriedly sent a message to Qin Yue.

[Is that house in the new street alley still there?]

Qin Yue replied quickly: [Yes, I signed a half-year contract, and it’s not up yet. Why?]

Lu Qing typed rapidly: [Have someone throw in a few of my clothes and daily necessities, make it look like someone’s living there]

Qin Yue: [???]

Lu Qing: [No time to explain, I’ll be there in an hour]

Qin Yue: [..]

Qin Yue: [(middle finger) (middle finger)]

In the back seat, Yu Li peeked at the man who was still tapping away on his screen: “Why aren’t we moving yet?”

Lu Qing quickly opened the navigation app and replied, “The network’s a bit slow, we’ll be off soon.”

A few minutes later, the Maybach was back on the road. After entering the city and luckily hitting traffic, by the time Lu Qing drove to the vicinity of the new street, Qin Yue had already sent a gesture indicating everything was set.

Lu Qing, who had been tense, gradually relaxed. He parked the car in a roadside spot and turned to Yu Li, tentatively suggesting, “The car can’t go in there. Little Young Master, why don’t you wait in the car while I go in and pack?”

However, Yu Li had already unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the car door: “No need, let’s go.”

Jiang Cheng is bustling, with a large number of migrant workers every year, and countless large and small commercial streets, surrounded by many rental houses for these people.

The house in the new street alley was rented by Lu Qing after returning to the country to pass the Yu Corporation’s bodyguard recruitment background check, just for show.

Originally, it was just a facade to cover his identity, but now it had truly helped Lu Qing out of a bind.

Lu Qing had been to this house once, so he wouldn’t get lost. He led the way, guiding Yu Li into the dimly lit alley.

This place rarely saw sunlight, and with ground-floor residents often pouring water outside, even with the sun shining brightly outside, there were still puddles in the alley.

The alley didn’t smell pleasant, with yellowed walls, eroded with patches of mold, and a stinking ditch filled with silt of unknown age, covered with a layer of moss, with murky water slowly flowing down the drain.

The delicate and handsome Little Young Master walking through this damp alley was like two completely different art styles overlapping, creating a strong sense of dissonance.

Yu Li had almost never been in such an environment. Although a bit uncomfortable, he merely pinched his nose with one hand and lightly shook Lu Qing’s arm with the other.

The warm and soft touch made Lu Qing feel a bit flattered. He looked down at Yu Li, seeing the boy pinching his nose, his watery eyes full of urgency.

Lu Qing turned his hand to hold Yu Li’s hand on his forearm, pulling him along to quicken their pace and leave the dim alley.

This area didn’t have any strange smells, and Yu Li released his pinched nose, taking small breaths.

Lu Qing looked at his slightly reddened eyes from holding his breath and said softly, “Sorry, the environment here isn’t great.”

Before returning to the country, Lu Qing had left the fabrication of his identity to Qin Yue. Originally, he thought a simple ordinary person’s background would suffice, but Qin Yue’s creative juices overflowed, crafting a backstory of a former ace fighter who fell on hard times and was discovered by a discerning benefactor.

This benefactor was naturally Qin Yue himself, as it was Qin Yue who introduced Lu Qing to Yu Huaiyuan.

And because of this identity, Qin Yue rented him the cheapest and worst environment house in all of Jiang Cheng, saying it would highlight the character’s downfall and make Yu Huaiyuan more convinced.

Yu Li didn’t say anything, just gently pulled his hand away from Lu Qing’s grip.

The sudden emptiness in his palm made Lu Qing reluctantly rub his fingertips together, asking again, “Little Young Master, why don’t you wait downstairs?”

Yu Li stared into Lu Qing’s eyes: “We’re already here.”

Lu Qing: “…”

We’re already here, it’s the New Year, and he’s just a kid.

A perfect answer, 99% of Chinese people couldn’t argue against it.