Volume 14
Chapter 16: Retiring in Success
In the following days, Lu Li ran between two places. He would accompany the long-unseen Chu Jingyi at the Chu family’s, and then he would run to the Yan family, ten miles away, to accompany the Zhu sisters. Occasionally, Zhu Qiao would also follow Lu Li to meet with the Silly Goose. These two girls, perhaps because their personalities were compatible, hit it off right away. They would often gather to discuss topics that made Lu Li not know whether to laugh or cry. It was also occasionally from their private conversations that Lu Li learned that Little Qiao had always used tampons…
After returning from the prison that day, Lu Li returned the Colored Stones to the ancestral hall. This time, just like last time, he still didn’t see Grandma Zhu in person. The ancestral hall was filled with swirling incense smoke, making it hazy and hard to see clearly. Grandma Zhu’s voice still seemed to come from beyond the heavens, floating and elusive, and uncertain. Lu Li wondered if Grandma Zhu was about to become an immortal, the kind that ascends to heaven in broad daylight as recorded in the ancient books. She was already like an immortal; it wouldn’t be strange if she really did ascend one day.
…
The matter of the Chu and Yan families merging also proceeded steadily. A week before the New Year, the antitrust lawsuit against the Shenzhou Energy Group was postponed on the grounds of procedural illegality. A huge sum of money from a collateral branch of the Chu family saved the dying Shenzhou Energy Group. The news was full of speculation about whether this newly promoted Chairperson Lu had reached some agreement with the Chu family. There were also conspiracy theorists who said that Lu Li was a traitor to the Yan family, that he had colluded with the Chu family to sell the Shenzhou Energy Group for a good price.
In the middle of it, Chu Xiaodong came back once, but he only had a hasty meal with Lu Li and Jingyi before he left. Before he left, Lu Li expressed his wish to take Jingyi back to Mulan for the New Year. Chu Xiaodong didn’t say anything, just told him to take good care of Yibao.
As the New Year drew closer and closer, Lu Li’s phone vibrated more and more frequently. It was all the girls at home, urging him to come home soon. The streets outside were decorated with lanterns and colored streamers, and the traffic was heavy. Lu Li estimated that his mission was also considered complete. He had both helped Zhu Xi solve her urgent problem and had successfully brought back the Silly Goose. It was time to go back and have a full and happy New Year.
…
At the end of January, Lu Li handed his repeatedly revised resignation letter to Zhu Xi in the office of Shenzhou Energy.
“What’s this?” Zhu Xi sat in the office chair, still holding the group’s latest work report. Lu Li had heard that she had even scolded the leadership team at a regular meeting before, the cause seeming to be that someone’s PPT format and font were wrong. She probably didn’t care about what format or font, but just wanted to scold this group of good-for-nothing idiots.
“A resignation letter,” Lu Li said. “Also, get angry less. Getting angry makes you age faster.”
“I’m not accepting it.” Zhu Xi didn’t even look at the resignation letter. “Are you trying to make me angry too? Aren’t you doing a good job as your chairperson? Why do you have to resign? Do you look down on my Yan family that much?”
“I want to go home for the New Year,” Lu Li said with great sincerity.
Zhu Xi turned her head and looked out the window. Lu Li followed her gaze and saw that the building opposite was already empty; they had started their vacation three days early. She said, “Can’t you stay and celebrate the New Year with Little Qiao?”
“I can take Little Qiao with me.”
“Then what if I say, stay and celebrate the New Year with me?”
Lu Li was stunned for a moment. He vaguely saw a hint of moisture in Zhu Xi’s eyes, and her eyes were a little red. Was she going to cry? Why cry? Was there anything to be sad about? Right, how had Zhu Xi spent the New Year before? With the Yan Matriarch, or sitting alone… Lu Li walked up and gently hugged her. “You should come back with me too. Don’t go to the royal family. You don’t get along with them anyway.”
“I don’t get along with anyone.”
“How did you spend the New Year before?”
“…”
“Alone?”
“…”
It seemed he had hit the nail on the head. Lu Li felt this woman was both hateful and pitiful. Looking at her stubborn face, Lu Li said, “You should come back with me this year too.”
“No. What kind of logic is it for a superior to follow a subordinate back for the New Year? I’m your superior, and I’m not approving your resignation—wuwu—”
Lu Li directly blocked Zhu Xi’s fragrant lips, his tongue swirling wildly in her mouth, his other hand smoothly unbuttoning the first button of her shirt, his restless large hand slipping into her collar. When the two of them were alone, it often unfolded like this. Sometimes it was Zhu Xi who initiated, and sometimes it was Lu Li. So she didn’t resist, gradually relaxing her body and letting her subordinate do as he pleased.
Today, Lu Li was particularly energetic. He did a thorough job with the foreplay, sweet words combined with his oral skills, making Zhu Xi a complete mess. Her face was flushed, and she forced a stern face. “Don’t call Little Qiao’s name again later, you hear me?”
Lu Li actually didn’t want to agree, because he had discovered a not-so-small weakness of Zhu Xi’s. As long as he called out Zhu Qiao’s name while they were doing that, she would clamp down particularly tight. The soul-stealing pleasure of it was not something that could be described to outsiders. He hummed and hawed perfunctorily and skillfully became one with her. Lu Li carefully felt Zhu Xi’s body movements, feeling the contraction of the woman’s vaginal walls, feeling her arching feet gradually straighten, until the eve of climax, Lu Li finally revealed his true colors. “Zhu Xi, are you coming back with me for the New Year this year or not?”
Zhu Xi didn’t like Lu Li calling her Zhu Xi. “No!”
Lu Li stopped his thrusts, letting little Lu Li remain in the warm nest. Zhu Xi was at the peak of her passion and a little anxious. She subconsciously clamped her legs around Lu Li’s waist. Seeing that Lu Li was not only not moving, but also slowly pulling out, her tone became a little coquettish. “Don’t you stop…”
“Unless you promise to go back with me for the New Year.”
“…” She bit her lower lip, stubbornly refusing, but at this moment, her body was particularly sensitive, and she couldn’t say no.
Seeing this, Lu Li thrust his hips forward fiercely, letting little Lu Li completely enter. Lu Li rarely thrust so aggressively. Among the women he had been with, only Yameng and Zhu Xi could withstand such an impact. Zhu Xi’s voice became more and more alluring, her half-unbuttoned shirt soaked with sweat, her nails digging into Lu Li’s back. It was likely she was leaving a few more scratches on his back.
“Mmm—”
Lu Li felt Zhu Xi’s lower body begin to spasm slightly. He once again slowly pulled little Lu Li out, maintaining a position of being on the verge of entering. “If you don’t agree, I’m pulling out.”
Zhu Xi shot him a resentful look, then murmured with a mixture of allure and petulance, “I’ll agree, I’ll agree… quick…” At this moment, she was a complete contrast to the usual decisive and fierce bad woman. Lu Li swallowed hard, cast aside his little schemes, and completely drowned in Zhu Xi’s land of tenderness.
…
The next morning, the leaders of the Shenzhou Energy Group finally breathed a sigh of relief, because the princess who had been finding fault and scolding people these past few days had finally left. As for where she had gone, no one dared to inquire.
Zhu Qiao sat on Lu Li’s lap, looking at the blue sky and white clouds outside the window with envy, making “vroom vroom” sounds with her mouth. “Flying~ vroom vroom~ flying~” Lu Li wondered if he shouldn’t have let this girl get so close to Yibao. How did she seem to be getting sillier and sillier? Were they infecting each other? And, this girl, Zhu Qiao, was a little heavy. It was a little hard for him to hold on when she was moving around on him—those two things took up too much space, and Lu Li’s hands had nowhere to go.
To Lu Li’s right, Chu Jingyi was leaning on his shoulder, catching up on sleep. The little girl’s sleeping posture was sweet, looking quiet and beautiful.
To his left was Zhu Xi, who was deliberately putting on a cold face. Seeing Lu Li sizing her up, Zhu Xi snorted at him through her nose. She must have been holding a grudge about yesterday.
Lu Li smiled with particular happiness. This year’s Lu family New Year would definitely be incomparably lively.
