Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Two days later, the café officially opened. It was hard to gauge the actual customer traffic, as a significant portion of it comprised people coming to support Xia Shiyue.

However, the young master of the Xia family wasn't concerned with how much profit he made. He was brimming with passion for his entrepreneurial venture and in high spirits.

"I wonder how many customers we'll have tomorrow," Lu Yao said, having been busy all day. He seemed even more anxious than Xia Shiyue. "Even though there's a university nearby, we didn't see many students in the shop today."

Xia Shiyue propped his chin in his hand. "It should be fine. Business will naturally pick up as we go along."

"Alright," Lu Yao conceded. "We could try promoting on campus or setting up an online account."

But Xia Shiyue was clearly more preoccupied with something else.

"Why has the Shen family suddenly gone quiet these past two days?" Xia Shiyue leaned closer to Lu Yao and whispered, "Everyone's saying Shen Jinyan upset Fu Yanhuai, but that can't be right, can it? Would Shen Jinyan dare offend him?"

At the mention of Fu Yanhuai, Lu Yao's eyes softened with warmth and focus. He replied with a hint of shyness, "I'm not entirely sure what happened, but Fu Yanhuai said he knows my dropping out wasn't my fault."

Xia Shiyue felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. Lu Yao looked utterly smitten, as if deeply immersed in the sweetness of new love.

Worried this might be a one-sided infatuation, Xia Shiyue paused, then changed his approach. "So, has Fu Yanhuai been the same as usual these past two days? Has the partnership been affected or anything?"

Lu Yao thought for a moment. "No, I don't think so. He's still the same."

Fu Yanhuai remained unchanged, but Lu Yao's demeanor was vastly different from a month ago.

"Then... do you like your life with him now?"

Lu Yao's eyes sparkled as he smiled. "I like it very much."

Xia Shiyue felt a complex mix of emotions seeing Lu Yao so content. He hoped he was just overthinking it. Lu Yao was easily satisfied; even a small gesture from Fu Yanhuai could put him at ease. Yet, the imbalance in their relationship still stirred a nagging worry within Xia Shiyue.

However, Xia Shiyue didn't show his concern. "That's good. Working together during the day and resting with Fu Yanhuai at night—that sounds pretty nice, actually."

Lu Yao nodded. "I think so too."

Xia Shiyue checked the time. "It's getting late. Let me take you home."

The Fu residence was not on the way to Xia Shiyue’s place, and Lu Yao didn't want him to go out of his way. "Just drop me off at the subway station nearby."

The two were well-acquainted with each other's habits. Xia Shiyue stood up, gathering his belongings. "Honestly, even if you had the butler pick you up every day, it wouldn't be a big deal."

As if Fu Yanhuai would be bothered by a little extra gas money. He was constantly busy, raking in money, yet he never seemed to give much to Lu Yao.

Lu Yao, however, always felt he would be troubling others and was accustomed to handling everything in his life himself.

"I'll say something if it's too late next time."

Lu Yao followed Xia Shiyue out. "Actually, walking outside isn't bad either. The weather's nice today."

Casually chatting about everyday things, they pushed open the door. The evening sky was dimming, and a black stretch limousine was parked outside the shop.

Lu Yao paused, the car looking somewhat familiar.

Xia Shiyue peered at it doubtfully. "Did the butler arrange this? But why would he call for such a car?"

No way, it was far too ostentatious.

The car door opened, but it was Fu Yanhuai's assistant who stepped out.

"Mr. Lu."

The assistant nodded politely to Xia Shiyue before turning to Lu Yao. "Mr. Fu finished work early today and thought he'd pick you up on his way home."

Lu Yao hadn't expected Fu Yanhuai to come for him. His face lit up with surprise. "Is he in the car?"

The assistant gestured behind him. "Yes, he's been waiting for you for a while."

Lu Yao quickly turned to Xia Shiyue. "Then I'll get going—"

Xia Shiyue understood. "Go on, I'll head home too."

Lu Yao's excitement was evident even from his retreating back. Watching him hurry into the car, Xia Shiyue muttered to himself, "Well, at least he's behaving himself today."

It seemed he had truly turned over a new leaf. Good.

Unaware of Xia Shiyue's thoughts, Lu Yao, wearing a scent patch, wasn't emitting any pheromones, but he carried the sweet, unique scent of the dessert shop.

In Fu Yanhuai's eyes, he truly was a sweet, soft, and delicious treat.

"Why did you come today?" Lu Yao's large, dark eyes were filled with affection and joy as he cautiously asked, "Did it interfere with your work?"

"No."

Fu Yanhuai gently pinched Lu Yao's cheek. "Isn't today your first day open? How was it?"

"Not bad," Lu Yao said, blushing slightly. "The orders were distributed pretty evenly among the pastry chefs. It's much easier than my last job."

Only then did Fu Yanhuai recall the other shop Lu Yao had worked at. He casually asked, "Has the previous owner come looking for you again?"

Lu Yao shook his head. "No, not anymore."

The fully authorized lawyer had indeed been effective. Satisfied, Fu Yanhuai said, "If you like it here, then stay. The Xia family is decent enough."

By "decent enough," he meant Xia Shiyue had no malicious intentions and, despite his repeated entrepreneurial failures, didn't seem particularly sharp—someone suitable for Lu Yao to befriend.

Lu Yao's complete reliance and pure affection truly pleased Fu Yanhuai. A slight stir in his heart, he lowered the car's partition.

"Come closer."

Lu Yao obediently leaned in. Fu Yanhuai wrapped an arm around him and whispered in his ear, "Tired?"

Blushing, Lu Yao lowered his head. "Not tired."

Fu Yanhuai's lips curved upward. "Good. Neither am I. Looks like we can stay up late tonight."

The way Lu Yao shyly looked up and smiled at him was truly captivating. Perhaps, in that brief moment, Fu Yanhuai's heart had indeed skipped a beat for him.

Fu Yanhuai didn't yet realize that such a flutter of the heart was more precious than gold, so he carelessly dismissed the feeling.

This peaceful life continued for a month, with Lu Yao carefully nurturing his hard-won happiness. Lu Yao's condition visibly improved, and Xia Shiyue gradually felt at ease.

But these past two days, Lu Yao had been constantly listless, feeling very sleepy but unable to get enough rest, barely making it to work on time in the mornings.

With customer traffic stabilizing, business wasn't overwhelming, so Xia Shiyue switched to a shift system. Today was Lu Yao's day to rest at home.

Blearily forcing his eyes open, Lu Yao saw it was already nine.

"Slept in again."

Every morning when Lu Yao woke up, Fu Yanhuai had already left. Compared to him, Lu Yao felt a bit lazy.

He climbed out of bed. Ever since his differentiation, Fu Yanhuai had maintained an enthusiastic interest in their bedroom activities. But recently, for some unexplained reason, Lu Yao's lower abdomen always felt sore and uncomfortably distended.

Lu Yao tugged at his still stubbornly tousled hair in the mirror, then yawned and went downstairs for breakfast.

The butler, familiar with the routine, served breakfast while expressing concern about Lu Yao's slightly reddened eyes. "Have you been sleeping poorly lately?"

Lu Yao's appetite had been poor recently. He tried to look more awake. "I've been sleeping a lot."

He was a little embarrassed. Lately, he had spent almost all his free time sleeping, yet he still felt exhausted every day. He didn’t know why.

The butler said gently, "The weather’s gotten colder. It’s normal to sleep longer."

Lu Yao nodded, scooping two spoonfuls of sweet soup into his mouth before he pushed it aside.

"I'm full." He had only taken a couple of bites of the dishes the kitchen had specially prepared, but he really couldn’t eat any more.

Lu Yao gave the butler a pleading look. "I’m still a bit sleepy. I’ll go back upstairs to rest."

The butler watched him worriedly. "Are you feeling unwell? You barely touched breakfast or dinner yesterday."

Lu Yao answered honestly, "I’m not hungry, just tired."

"Since we’re returning to the family estate this weekend," the butler reminded him, "perhaps we should have Dr. Feng take a look at you before then. The sudden drop in temperature might have given you a chill."

Lu Yao also felt his head felt heavy and foggy, as if he might be coming down with something. "Alright. When Yanhuai comes home tonight, I’ll ask him."

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but yawn again. The butler became even more worried. "If you’re feeling unwell, you must say so. This year's seasonal flu is particularly bad—it’s easy to develop a fever."

Lu Yao had always been thin, and he had only just regained a little weight. Getting sick again would be awful.

Lu Yao replied, "Alright, I understand. Thank you, butler. I’ll go upstairs now."

The butler became increasingly concerned. He decided to tell Fu Yanhuai directly that evening about Lu Yao’s condition—it would be best to have a doctor examine him.

Lu Yao’s lower abdomen was indeed sore, with a strange, dull ache and a heavy sensation. He curled up under the blankets in his bedroom. Despite the air conditioning running, he still shivered from the cold.

"Hot and cold flashes… Am I really about to get a fever?"

He pressed the back of his hand to his forehead but couldn’t detect anything. Sniffling, he found no congestion, and his throat didn’t hurt either.

"This is weird." His eyelids grew heavier, and he curled up tighter, pressing a hand to his stomach. "I haven’t eaten anything, so why does my stomach hurt…"

The slight discomfort was no match for the overwhelming drowsiness. Lu Yao slept until one in the afternoon before finally waking up fully.

When he opened his eyes, it was raining outside. The winter sky was already dim, making Lu Yao think he had slept straight into the evening.

Staring at the time on his phone, he drifted into thought. Fu Yanhuai would be home at five. He had planned to test new recipe ingredients at home today, but it seemed his day off was nearly over.

Lu Yao finally realized something was wrong. His stomach, which had barely had any food in almost two days, belatedly made its presence known. He sighed and went downstairs to eat again.

"I think I might really be coming down sick." Lu Yao looked apologetically at the butler. Missing regular mealtimes meant the kitchen had to repeatedly prepare, store, and reheat dishes—he felt bad about the inconvenience.

The butler had the kitchen prepare soup specially. "Your face looks completely pale."

Frowning deeply, the butler said, "There are tonics in the soup. Please drink this first."

Lu Yao took it without protest. Today’s soup was made with silkie chicken, its rich aroma wafting toward him with the steam. He pressed his lips together.

The smell was slightly pungent, but Lu Yao was truly starving. He steadied himself, picked up the spoon, and forced down a sip despite the nausea.

He barely managed to swallow that one mouthful before standing abruptly and rushing to the first-floor guest bathroom.

The butler hurried after him. Lu Yao leaned over the sink, being violently sick.

With a grave expression, the butler turned to the maid outside. "Contact Mr. Fu immediately. Mr. Lu is unwell—ask him to return home at once."