Chapter 50: A Tranquil May

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At dawn, Lu Yu awoke in the gentle light of the morning sun. Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian had already left for the company some time ago. After rising and washing up, Lu Yu, as usual, took the subway to the library. On the train, he couldn’t help but notice—perhaps it was just his imagination—that three young women nearby were glancing at him, whispering and pointing while furtively holding up their phones. Lu Yu looked himself over from head to toe, puzzled, but found nothing out of the ordinary, and soon put it from his mind.

He exited the station, entered the library, and made his way to the biomedical section. Selecting a few books, he found a seat and began to read intently. What he didn’t know was that the three young women from the subway—who had secretly taken photos and short videos of him—had followed him into the library. They searched floor by floor until they spotted Lu Yu sitting and reading, then once more discreetly aimed their phones at him to capture more photos and videos.

Soon after, they posted these on Weibo and various short video platforms: “Ran into the boss of Pink-White-Black Cosmetics on the subway in Shudu! So mature and manly, and still working hard to study—what an inspiration~” The photos and videos featured Lu Yu: sometimes gripping the subway handrail, other times frowning in concentration over a book in the library. Not content with just posting, they tagged “Pink-White Girl” in all their uploads.

It was clear the three were fans of Pink-White-Black cosmetics, having participated in every flash sale and achieved excellent results with the products. “Pink-White Girl” promptly replied, “How is our boss still working so hard? As someone aspiring to become a charming little enchantress, the pressure is real!” Almost immediately, people nearby proclaimed they were coming over to witness the scene in person. Some even joked about wanting to become the boss’s wife!

...

After finishing a few books, Lu Yu massaged the bridge of his nose, stood up to return them, and went to select several more. Immersed in the world of knowledge, he remained oblivious to the trio of young women nearby, who occasionally snapped photos of him without ever disturbing his reading. As he pondered a difficult passage, suddenly his phone rang—Qin Xiaomian was calling. Lu Yu stepped into the hallway. “Little Cotton, what’s up?”

Qin Xiaomian huffed, “I’m not little, it’s Zixuan who’s too big! Besides, aren’t you aware you’re being mobbed by fans?” Lu Yu was baffled. “What fans? What are you talking about?” Qin Xiaomian sighed, “Just check your Weibo and the company’s account and you’ll see.” She hung up before he could ask more.

Staring at his phone for a moment, Lu Yu logged into Weibo and immediately understood the situation. Was simply reading a book cause for a photo livestream? Turning off his phone, he returned to his seat with a calm expression, packed up his books, borrowed another seven or eight, and took a cab home.

In the taxi, scrolling through Weibo, Lu Yu couldn’t help but wonder—would he have to start wearing masks or sunglasses whenever he went out? Surely not; today was just a coincidence, a fluke. All he did was sell face masks—maybe now some shower gel, too. Why would anyone pay such attention to him? Shouldn’t the focus be on the company’s products? Watching him wouldn’t make anyone more beautiful—don’t lose sight of what matters!

Lost in these rambling thoughts, he soon arrived at his neighborhood, got out, and returned home to continue reading.

...

That evening, when Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian came home from work, Lu Yu finally put down his book and went out running with the two women. After exercising, they all sat on the floor to rest. Qin Xiaomian brought up the morning’s fan encounter, and Lu Yu admitted he hadn’t thought anyone would notice him—he hadn’t even realized it was happening.

Then the two women showed him numerous sensationalist articles by unscrupulous media accounts, as well as the number of views and comments he was getting on Weibo. Lu Yu twitched his lips as he read, finally realizing this might not be as simple as he’d imagined.

After some thought, he asked, a little uncertain, “So, does this mean I really have to start wearing a mask or sunglasses when I go out?” Shi Zixuan nodded. “Looks that way. Not everyone will recognize you, but with so many following the company’s account, there’s still a pretty good chance.”

Lu Yu smacked his lips. “If they recognize me, so be it. I’m not a celebrity—no one’s going to chase me down, right?” Qin Xiaomian added, “But people will stare. If you go out shopping with us, you might get photographed and posted online.”

Lu Yu replied, “Let them post. Didn’t you post about us, too? Who knows—maybe someone will dig it up and expose me as a scumbag.” Qin Xiaomian, considering this, found it amusing and chuckled along. Shi Zixuan looked at the two of them—one unconcerned about being exposed, the other almost hoping for it, as if it would be entertaining—and could only shake her head in exasperation. Sipping her warm water, Shi Zixuan thought, Life isn’t easy. It’s so hard!

Lu Yu glanced at Shi Zixuan and began massaging her calf. “Don’t worry. They’re just watching out of curiosity. There’s nothing much to see. In a few days, nobody will pay attention anymore.” Shi Zixuan thought about it and felt a bit more at ease. After a short rest, the three had dinner and took showers. Later, in the quiet of night, they went for a walk around the neighborhood before heading home to sleep.

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In the days that followed, Lu Yu continued his routine: returning and borrowing books at the library, then reading at home, rarely lingering outside. As the days passed, the attention faded, just as he’d expected. After all, there was nothing sensational about his life—he was, at present, merely the owner of a cosmetics company. Even though the products were popular, only a small number of people cared about the private life of the boss. It was just a bit of early curiosity, quickly forgotten. He wasn’t the head of a giant like Ali or Xunteng—what was there to gawk at?

Lu Yu’s life remained unchanged. He read, studied biomedicine as it existed on Blue Star, and in his spare time researched the basic technological data stored in his mind—also focused on biomedicine.

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On the sixteenth, Lu Yu remembered it was Shi Zixuan’s birthday. The night before, he had told her to take the day off. In the morning, Qin Xiaomian left for work, looking rather aggrieved. Lu Yu took Shi Zixuan by the hand and asked if there was anywhere she wanted to go. She thought for a long time, hesitantly confessing she wanted to visit an amusement park.

Her parents had divorced early and each had remarried and had other children, leaving her with little parental love or care. They had never taken her anywhere to play. Lu Yu guessed as much, and gently squeezed her hand. Shi Zixuan gave him a small, reassured smile.

They went to Happy Valley, bought tickets, and Lu Yu accompanied Shi Zixuan from one attraction to another. Not only did they ride the gentle carousel, but also braved the roller coaster and drop tower. Shi Zixuan clung to him, sometimes pulling him along, sometimes snuggling in his arms—completely unlike her usual self. Lu Yu could see how happy she was, and simply let her do as she pleased.

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For their final ride, they took the Ferris wheel. Shi Zixuan leaned against Lu Yu’s shoulder, gazing out the window in a daze, lost in thought. Lu Yu looked at her—normally a strong girl, optimistic despite her unhappy family life. She loved money a bit too much, but that was due to her environment. She was a little vain, but only because she had never truly owned anything and longed to show off. Looking at her now, he realized that no matter how tough someone appeared on the outside, there was always a softness within—only rarely revealed.

Lu Yu’s heart ached for her. She had been deprived of so much, yet gained nothing in return. He reached over to smooth a strand of hair behind her ear and said softly, “If you like it, I’ll bring you here often.”

Shi Zixuan looked up at him. She knew Lu Yu disliked making promises, but he always kept his word. Hearing this, the softest place in her heart was touched, and her beautiful eyes shimmered with emotion.

They stayed out late, returning home only after night had fallen, where Qin Xiaomian awaited them with a look of wounded resentment, like a lonely wife in her boudoir. Lu Yu comforted her and promised to spend her birthday with her alone as well, which finally made her smile.

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After celebrating Shi Zixuan’s birthday, Lu Yu returned to his quiet life of reading and study. Days slipped by unnoticed. One day, as he was absorbed in his books, Chen Xiaofei called to say he was back. He’d spent ten days abroad with family and relatives, and now, at last, he was free—today, he had to celebrate.

Lu Yu replied that he was up for a meal but declined any other plans. Lately, he was too engrossed in study for entertainment. He wasn’t exaggerating. His recent reading had given him deeper insight into why his attempt to develop a body-enhancing and anti-aging drug had failed. While it was unclear how much this understanding would help, it was certainly better than knowing nothing at all. Once he had a more advanced lab, his chances of success would only increase.

So Lu Yu wanted to seize this opportunity to study as much as possible and research the basic technical data in his mind. He truly had no desire for distraction. Study, after all, is a merciless thing. When you’re obsessed with solving a math problem or deducing the unknown from the known, the outside world loses all appeal. Lu Yu was currently in such a state, so absorbed in unraveling mysteries that even Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian—his constant companions—seemed less tempting than before.

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So when Chen Xiaofei invited him out for drinks, Lu Yu really wasn’t interested. Chen Xiaofei, too, found it pointless to just have a meal—it would be more fun to dine with Zhang Kexin, and even better if Qianqian wasn’t there. After exchanging a few words, they hung up, and Lu Yu went back to his reading.

When the two women returned from work, they joined him for a run in the exercise room. After dinner and a shower, Lu Yu once again buried himself in his study. The two women were accustomed to this by now—lately, Lu Yu had been in this state, rarely leaving the study except for daily necessities and library visits. More often than not, they had no idea how late into the night he read.

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Time slipped by in a blur, and May 28th arrived. Throughout May, nothing much of note happened at home or abroad, with only two events attracting some attention. One was the resignation of General Manager Jia from LeMusic, who became solely the chairman, accompanied by the departure of his longtime CFO, Yang Li. It seemed to signal the onset of instability at LeMusic.

The other was the election of Macron as the new president of the Fragrant Nation, an exceptionally young man at just thirty-nine. Not only was he the youngest president in his country’s history, but the youngest ever in the world. Youthful, handsome, energetic—and, as the media soon revealed, famously devoted in love, having married the woman he fell for at seventeen, even though she was twenty-four years his senior and he instantly became a grandfather by marriage. Emmm, such a story—how very Fragrant Nation.

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Beyond that, what interested Lu Yu most was domestic technology news. The maiden flight of the C919, a large civil jetliner with independent intellectual property rights, was a success. The field, long dominated by Airbus and Boeing, now had a new contender: the C. Also, the successful trial mining of combustible ice in the northern South Sea—a clean energy source with reserves nearly double those of traditional fuels. Lastly, the Satellite Navigation System Management Office announced the full launch of the third phase of the Beidou system, moving toward global coverage.

As for technology news, late May brought a particularly hot topic: Google’s AlphaGo had defeated Go prodigy Ke Jie in three consecutive matches. This sparked heated discussion online. Many feared that artificial intelligence would spiral out of control, as in science fiction films.

In Lu Yu’s view, however, the runaway AIs of science fiction are no longer artificial intelligence—they are intelligent life. Even strong AI falls short of that threshold. Only with the advent of superintelligence, after unknown eons of evolution, could intelligent life emerge. Most people’s worries, he thought, were like fearing the appearance of humans the moment a paramecium is born—a bit of groundless panic. To go from a paramecium to complex multicellular life took countless ages.

Lu Yu also followed news about AlphaGo’s development. To be frank, with his current programming skills, if he assembled a large team and dedicated enough time, he could create an AI as advanced—or even slightly more so. Yet, in his view, current AI was only in its most elementary stage, a mere beginning, far from being truly practical.

The AI Lu Yu wanted to develop had to be able to assist him in learning or research. Otherwise, it was hardly worth the effort. Smart applications were already being developed successfully by numerous companies, both domestic and international. If he couldn’t get significantly ahead, investing too much time and energy would be pointless.

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