‘I’m late!’
Lu Yunze’s first thought upon waking up was:
‘It’s over. I have to go apologize to Uncle Luo!’
Luo Tianyu was supposed to return this morning, and he had agreed to go with Luo Heng. But when he opened his eyes, he found that there were less than three minutes left before the scheduled time to enter the study.
He had no idea what Luo Heng had planned to win Luo Tianyu’s forgiveness, but knowing him, he wouldn’t go empty-handed.
Lu Yunze flipped out of bed, suddenly remembering why he’d slept so late.
“Where’s Jiang Sui?”
At some point, he was the only one left in bed. The little maid was long gone.
“Couldn’t she at least wake me up after getting up?”
Lu Yunze couldn’t help but complain that he’d slept like a log.
Just as he was getting out of bed, his phone rang.
No surprise—it was Luo Heng.
“Hey, Lu Yunze, why aren’t you here yet? Don’t tell me you’re chickening out?”
“I’m on my way.”
After a quick reply, Lu Yunze hurriedly changed into proper clothes, thinking there was no time for breakfast.
That was when he noticed a plate on his bedside table. On it was a sandwich, with a large heart drawn in ketchup on top.
He didn’t need to think twice about who left it.
Even without seeing her, he could already imagine her expression and words.
“Young Master, do your best today too~”
Lu Yunze grabbed the sandwich and wolfed it down, then took a sip of water.
“Then I’ll take your kind words to heart.”
He picked up his repaired coat and rushed straight to Luo Tianyu’s study.
Meanwhile, inside the study.
“So, my coat is missing because you broke it?”
Faced with Luo Tianyu’s question, Luo Heng kept his head down, not daring to meet his father’s eyes.
He had originally planned to wait for Lu Yunze to arrive, but that guy was taking forever for some reason.
To make matters worse, Luo Heng had run into Luo Tianyu while waiting at the study door.
Seeing his son skulking around the study entrance, Luo Tianyu didn’t need to use his brain to know something was up. He ordered him inside to explain himself.
Left with no choice, Luo Heng had to steel himself and take the heat first.
After Luo Heng explained the situation, a long silence fell over the study.
“Heng’er, do you know how old you are now?”
“You’re twenty-five years old. Why are you still acting like a child?”
“Uh, twenty-five, huh…”
“Hmm?”
“A man is never too old to be a boy?”
Luo Heng himself didn’t know why he said such a thing.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he could even hear Luo Tianyu draw in a sharp breath.
It’s over.
As expected, he couldn’t do it alone, huh?
Fortunately, he wasn’t completely unprepared.
“Father, I think Second Brother and Brother Lu didn’t mean it.”
Luo Yao—the poor soul who had been pestered relentlessly by Luo Heng until she finally gave in and agreed to be his backup—seized the moment to speak.
Everyone knew Luo Tianyu doted on Luo Yao the most.
With her present, maybe she could quickly extinguish Luo Tianyu’s anger and get through this crisis.
Luo Tianyu glanced at his daughter’s face, then looked at Luo Heng.
“You dragged Yao’er into this too?”
“Ahem, Father, Sister came on her own. It has nothing to do with me.”
Luo Heng had to thicken his face and lie.
Luo Yao had initially refused to get involved.
Just because he asked, she had to show up?
Where would her pride as the eldest daughter be then?
He screws up and then comes running to her for help. If word got out, people would think she was some pushover. And then what if others did the same?
But Luo Heng mentioned Lu Yunze.
Luo Yao’s stance immediately changed.
After a visibly pained hesitation, she finally caved.
“Father, please forgive them just this once.”
“Yao’er, are you starting to act reckless too?”
“Father, no matter what, they didn’t mean it, right? Because… because…”
Luo Yao rarely saw Luo Tianyu with that expression, so she was a bit flustered.
“Because what?”
“Because a man is never too old to be a boy.”
“…”
Not just Luo Tianyu, even Luo Heng looked up with a “what the hell are you saying” expression.
The aura radiating from Luo Tianyu grew heavier.
Even Luo Yao felt that she had become a target, and goosebumps rose on her skin.
They were all doomed.
Now Luo Tianyu probably thought both his son and daughter were making fun of him.
The veins on the back of his hand, resting on the armrest, bulged from his grip.
The head of the Luo family, who hadn’t handled family affairs in a long time, might have to resort to family discipline today!
Just as Luo Tianyu was about to speak, heavy, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.
Then the study door was pushed open forcefully.
“Did I come too late?!”
Panting, Lu Yunze stood at the door.
Feeling the atmosphere in the room, he knew he was still late.
“You’re finally here… No, why are you so late?!”
Luo Heng shot him a look, thinking what good would it do to show up now? The outcome was already set. None of them would escape punishment.
Lu Yunze took a deep breath and stepped forward in front of Luo Tianyu.
“Uncle Luo, can I say a few words first?”
Luo Tianyu interlaced his fingers, leaned back in his chair, and raised his chin to signal he could speak.
“Uncle Luo, I’m really sorry about your coat. I know it means a lot to you.”
As he spoke, Lu Yunze reached out and showed him what he had finished last night.
“So I did a little stitching myself. I used a similar colored fabric. I hope you like it.”
“What? You stitched it yourself?”
Luo Tianyu raised an eyebrow.
Luo Heng and Luo Yao exchanged glances, looking dumbfounded.
Taking the coat Lu Yunze held out, Luo Tianyu carefully examined the spot where the burn had been.
A patch of similarly colored leather filled it in.
It wasn’t the most perfect technique, but it was clear the person who did it took it seriously.
“I’m not asking for your forgiveness, Uncle Luo. I just hope you understand my intentions. I’m sorry.”
After speaking, Lu Yunze stepped back to stand beside Luo Heng.
Then—
All three remained silent, waiting for Luo Tianyu to pronounce judgment.
Luo Tianyu kept a cold face, studied the patch closely, and even touched it a couple times.
After a long while.
Luo Tianyu didn’t continue to rage. Instead, he suddenly laughed twice.
“Interesting.”
“Huh?”
All three thought they heard wrong.
“Who would have thought you knew needlework, Lu Yunze. When did you learn?”
Lu Yunze decisively chose to skip that topic.
Luo Tianyu stood up forcefully and walked over to the three of them.
“Am I angry? Of course I am.”
“Um… you’re not angry anymore, Uncle Luo?”
“But seeing that all of you worked so hard to make up for it, I choose to forgive you.”
“Really?!”
Luo Heng’s expression immediately changed.
“But there still has to be punishment.”
“Huh?”
Not one of the three could escape.
“Yao’er, since you just wanted to help, I’ll temporarily deduct your allowance for next month.”
“…Yes, Father.”
Luo Yao’s lips twitched. She thought the new cosmetics she’d planned for next month would have to be put on hold.
“Lu Yunze, you must get first place in next month’s piano competition. If you don’t, expect a second round of punishment.”
“Ah, okay.”
Lu Yunze was still a bit stunned.
What kind of punishment was that?
Seeing how easy it was for the two of them, Luo Heng thought he still had a chance and smiled, waiting for Luo Tianyu to speak.
“Luo Heng, you’re one of the main offenders. The workshop is suspended for a year. Use the time to study other things. From now on, all workshop expenses and material sources are your own problem. Don’t come begging me again.”
“What?! How can this be?!”
Among the three, Luo Heng got the heaviest punishment.
He nearly dropped to his knees to beg his father for mercy.
As they left the study, Lu Yunze could only pat him on the shoulder to comfort him.
“Look on the bright side. It’s just one year.”
Luo Tianyu had his own reasons for doing this.
He gave him a year to settle down and prepare to run the workshop again.
Hearing that, Luo Heng’s expression improved somewhat, and he simply accepted his fate.
Who would have thought the crisis would actually end like this?
Lu Yunze still felt a bit unreal.
First place in the piano competition?
He was already working toward that goal anyway, so it was essentially a reprieve.
As for the supposed second round of punishment, it might or might not happen.
On his way back to his room, Lu Yunze saw Jiang Sui lingering by the door.
When she saw him, she immediately smiled and approached.
“Young Master is back. Looks like it went well.”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
Lu Yunze felt most grateful to Jiang Sui.
If not for her help last night, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.
“What are you saying? Last night, I should be the one thanking the Young Master.”
Jiang Sui’s expression turned subtle.
“It was so comfortable in bed last night. Truly worthy of the Young Master.”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about again?”
“Nothing, just telling the truth.”
Jiang Sui stuck out her tongue.
“The Young Master’s bed is way more comfortable than mine. When I woke up, I felt too relaxed to move. I almost thought the bed had slept me.”
Lu Yunze couldn’t help but laugh.
Slept by the Young Master’s bed—roughly the same as being slept by the Young Master.
Lu Yunze couldn’t help but roll his eyes again.
The day after everything was settled, someone came to see him again.
This time it wasn’t Jiang Sui, but Luo Yao.
“Something up?”
Lu Yunze asked.
“Brother Lu, about yesterday—Father didn’t come find you separately afterward, did he?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Good. I was worried Father was just using a delaying tactic.”
That kind of punishment meant nothing for Brother Lu, didn’t it?
Lu Yunze’s lips twitched at that.
Don’t overestimate my piano skills. Compared to those prodigies, there’s still a big gap.
If he really didn’t get first place, Luo Tianyu would probably be furious.
“Is that all you came to talk about?”
“Father sent me.”
Luo Yao’s expression suddenly turned serious.
“What’s wrong?”
Lu Yunze sat up straight.
“Father said it’s time for you to get involved in some family affairs.”
Lu Yunze blinked, then slowly opened his mouth wide.