Chapter 18: You All Belong to Me
(1/3)
The pure-hearted young lady was lounging on the sofa, playing a mobile game. She wore a pale yellow winter dress adorned with white flowers, her hair simply tied up with a white ribbon, giving her an especially fresh and charming appearance.
Lu Yu stared at her in a daze. It was his first time seeing her dressed in ancient attire, and the light yellow dress made her fair, delicate face stand out even more—she was truly stunning.
Just as he was about to make a move, their food delivery arrived.
Feeling a bit frustrated, Lu Yu went to open the door, wheeled the food cart in, and called the two girls over to eat.
Throughout the meal, Lu Yu couldn’t take his eyes off the pure-hearted young lady. Her features were already innocent to begin with, but in this outfit, she seemed almost ethereal, untouched by the mundane world.
She caught his gaze and smirked slightly, “Eat your food—why do you keep staring at me?”
Lu Yu swallowed his bite and replied, “Well, I’m definitely looking at something I want to do.”
She was momentarily taken aback before huffing, “Hmph!”
Watching the two girls in ancient costume eating so gracefully, Lu Yu’s mind swirled with mischievous plans as he devoured his meal with gusto.
...
After dinner, before Lu Yu could put his wicked plans into action, the elegant young lady suggested they go see a movie since there was a theater right next to the hotel. The pure-hearted one agreed.
Left with no choice, Lu Yu had to postpone his plans and accompany them.
When they arrived at the cinema, it was fairly crowded. With the two girls in ancient dress, they instantly captured the attention of almost everyone in the lobby—men sneaking glances, women quietly comparing themselves.
Lu Yu felt that if the girls latched onto his arms like they did back at the hotel, he’d be killed by jealous stares.
Thankfully, he was only playing the role of the bag-carrying assistant for now.
There weren’t many movies showing—only one, “Devotion of Suspect X,” a suspenseful crime film.
He couldn’t imagine why the girls chose that—were they here for the suspect’s love story? Were they hinting that he should feel free to play the villain and snatch the beautiful girls?
They bought the tickets, headed into the theater, and picked seats in the very last row, right in the middle. The two girls sat on either side of Lu Yu.
When the lights went out, the theater was plunged into darkness, and the glow from the screen faintly illuminated the girls’ delicate faces.
Lu Yu glanced left and right and realized that only the three of them occupied the last row. He couldn’t help but feel a bit restless.
...
To Lu Yu, the movie was neither suspenseful nor scary; the ending was obvious from the start. He had no idea what the screenwriter was thinking.
But the girls watched with rapt attention. In tense moments, they clung to Lu Yu’s arms, then turned to glare at him in annoyance.
But Lu Yu, determined to play the mischievous rogue, refused to back down—so he redoubled his efforts.
Eventually, the girls had to hold his hands down to stop him from moving.
Ah, wrong place—what a pity!
...
When the movie ended, Lu Yu couldn’t remember a single plot point, but he still declared it entertaining.
The two girls walked out, discussing the storyline, appearing quite moved.
Girls are just more emotional—it’s a matter of instinct, embedded in their genes.
The three of them strolled through the streets for a while before returning to the hotel.
Once inside, Lu Yu collapsed onto the sofa, pulled the elegant young lady over and used her lap as a pillow, beckoning the pure-hearted one for a massage.
(2/3)
The pure-hearted young lady had wanted to keep playing her game but, with a pout, used her small fists to pound on his legs.
After a while, Lu Yu turned over, lying face down on the sofa, signaling for her to massage his back and shoulders.
The elegant young lady gently cradled his head and massaged his temples.
The pure-hearted one, cheeks puffed in annoyance, climbed onto his back and vented her frustration by pounding away, while Lu Yu occasionally requested she use even more force.
Unable to resist, she knelt on his back and pressed her knees into him for a massage.
Lu Yu closed his eyes in bliss.
She, of course, noticed his subtle movements and let out a coquettish hum.
...
Late at night, the two girls nestled in Lu Yu’s arms, savoring the warmth of the moment.
Lu Yu stroked their waists and said thoughtfully, “In the next few days, I’ll probably be busy from time to time and may not be able to spend every day with you.”
The elegant girl, having watched him at his interview that afternoon, knew a bit more about his situation. “You mean work for your company?”
Lu Yu nodded, “Yeah, and I might have to leave town for a while.”
“Oh,” she replied softly.
The three of them fell into silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
They’d enjoyed these past few days together, and now, the topic left a faint sense of farewell in the air.
After a long while, the pure-hearted young lady suddenly rolled onto her stomach, propping her face in her hands and gazing down at Lu Yu, pouting as she said, “Why don’t you just take care of me? I don’t eat much.”
Lu Yu stared back at her, dumbfounded, before finally asking, “Why would you think that?”
She kicked her legs playfully, “I only went to junior college, my grades aren’t good, and I probably won’t find a decent job anyway. Plus, last semester, I borrowed a lot from campus loan services to buy clothes, bags, and cosmetics.”
Lu Yu reached up to pat her head.
...
The elegant young lady considered for a moment before chiming in, “If you’re going to take care of her, you might as well take care of me, too.”
Lu Yu laughed and turned to her, “And why is that?”
She answered matter-of-factly, “No particular reason. My parents divorced when I was young, then each remarried and had kids, so I never really fit in anywhere. I started working part-time in high school—handing out flyers, waiting tables, later selling clothes in malls. I love to spend money, especially on luxury goods, to be honest, out of vanity—I love to show off, and my income never matched my spending.”
“If you take care of me, I’ll have spending money, and I can buy luxury things. That’s all I need.”
Lu Yu stroked his stubbly chin, “You’re both still quite young, aren’t you?”
The pure-hearted one replied, “I just turned eighteen last November.”
The elegant one added, “I’ll be nineteen in May.”
Lu Yu asked again, “Have you really thought this through?”
The pure-hearted girl blinked, “Yeah, I don’t even have a boyfriend. I’ll just treat you as a scoundrel I dated.”
Lu Yu gave her a playful slap on the behind, making her giggle.
(3/3)
The elegant young lady laughed too. “What’s there to think about? You’re not old or ugly. I wouldn’t be losing out.”
Lu Yu felt there was still hope for these two—they were so young, why resign themselves to taking the easy way out?
“Actually, you don’t have to go this route. You know I’m planning to acquire a cosmetics company. Once I do, that company will be making some very popular products.”
“If you want, you can work there—whether it’s in sales, management, administration, HR, or marketing, you can start learning now. In a couple of years, you’ll have gained a lot of experience and skills.”
“That way, whether you stay with the company or go elsewhere, you’ll have a good future.”
“If you work hard enough, you’ll become outstanding individuals, and you’ll meet others who are equally outstanding. Maybe one day, you’ll fall in love and start a family.”
“That’s what a normal life should be.”
“Think about it seriously.”
...
Lu Yu’s words left the two girls in silence. They could tell he genuinely cared about them and their futures.
They weren’t foolish—just hadn’t considered these things before, nor had they had a chance to change.
Now, with this new path laid out before them, it all felt a bit unreal.
It was the pure-hearted one, always quick to jump to conclusions, who finally spoke up after a while, “Are you taking me for a fool because I didn’t study much? Even if you take care of me, I can still work! I’m not just going to sit at home and eat all day!”
The elegant young lady immediately agreed, “That’s right. You can take care of us, and we can work, too.”
Lu Yu could only facepalm, exasperated, “Fine, you win! But I’m possessive—you have to be loyal if I take care of you, at least physically!”
“If you ever want to find a boyfriend, just tell me in advance, and we’ll end things cleanly. Is that a problem?”
The elegant young lady found this entirely reasonable, “No problem at all.”
The pure-hearted one grinned, “Aren’t you my boyfriend? Just a bit of a scoundrel, that’s all!”
Lu Yu looked at them seriously, then extended his hand. “Let’s introduce ourselves properly. I’m Lu Yu.”
The elegant young lady shook his hand, “Shi Zixuan.”
The pure-hearted one did the same, “Qin Xiaomian.”
After clarifying the spelling of their names, Lu Yu crossed his hands, holding each of their small hands in his own.
“From today on, you’re both mine!”
The pure-hearted one—Qin Xiaomian—tilted her head playfully, “Weren’t we already yours a few days ago? You’re my second boyfriend, and you’re way more handsome than the first! I could call you ‘Handsome Uncle’!”
Shi Zixuan, always more mature than Qin Xiaomian, had learned a lot from supporting herself at a young age. “So, what should I call you? Boss?”
Lu Yu replied, “Call me Daddy!”
...