Chapter 211: Weakness
The children rarely had opportunities to receive pocket money, so upon hearing the news, most of them couldn’t hide their joy.
Some of the more observant children, however, had already learned to read the room. They didn’t rush forward to collect the red envelopes but instead cautiously observed Director He’s expression.
The distribution of red envelopes had already been discussed in advance between the Lu family and Director He, and she had no intention of stopping it. She smiled and said to the children, “Hurry up and thank Grandpa Lu and Grandma Lu.”
The children immediately cheered and loudly expressed their gratitude.
The Lu couple’s eyes crinkled with delight as they repeatedly said, “Good kids! Everyone gets one—don’t leave anyone out!”
They were thoroughly enjoying their role as the God of Wealth, handing out red envelopes with great enthusiasm.
Since she had developed a healthy routine over the past year, Xu Youyou had no intention of staying up late. However, before she could leave the dining hall, she was stopped by Mother Lu.
“You child, how could you forget to collect your red envelope?” Mother Lu stuffed two red envelopes into Xu Youyou’s hands.
Xu Youyou was stunned. “Auntie, why are there two?”
“One from me and one from your uncle. That’s the tradition in our family, and it wouldn’t be right to suddenly change the rules.” Mother Lu smiled.
Only then did Xu Youyou notice that all the children at the orphanage had also received two red envelopes, confirming that Mother Lu was telling the truth.
“But I’m not a child anymore,” Xu Youyou said casually.
Mother Lu lightly patted her arm and replied, “In our eyes, you will always be a child.”
Xu Youyou could only smile helplessly and accept the red envelopes. After all, she had just seen Lu Jingyao being forcibly given two red envelopes by Father Lu as well, and even Assistant Liu and Xu Fang had received two.
After finally making her way out of the dining hall, Lu Jingyao caught up to her again.
“I’ll walk you back to your room. Be careful—the road is slippery,” he said.
The orphanage was brightly lit, and the distance to her room was only a few dozen meters—hardly a trek that required an escort.
Still, Lu Jingyao reached out and held Xu Youyou’s hand. His usually cold face couldn’t hide his smile. Part of him wished the path were longer so they could walk together for a little while more, but another part worried that the cold night air would make her uncomfortable.
Lost in his thoughts, they had already reached her door before he knew it.
“Happy New Year,” Lu Jingyao said softly. Then, as if performing a magic trick, he pulled out a small, palm-sized gift box and pressed it into Xu Youyou’s hands.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“A New Year’s gift.”
“You prepared this in advance?”
Lu Jingyao nodded lightly.
Xu Youyou looked at the tall and handsome man in front of her. Even with the orphanage’s old, peeling walls behind him, he still looked dazzling.
She casually opened the gift box and found a jade bracelet of deep green color.
The quality was excellent, clearly valuable, and it even carried a warmth that spoke of its age.
“This doesn’t look like an ordinary bracelet. Does it have a special background?” she asked.
For once, Lu Jingyao looked a little conflicted. In a low voice, he admitted, “It’s a family heirloom.”
Xu Youyou suddenly felt that the gift was too significant. “If I hadn’t agreed to give us a try, would you still have given this to me?”
“No matter what, I always wished for it to belong to you.”
Lu Jingyao’s deep voice was as smooth as a cello, and hearing such a confession made Xu Youyou’s ears burn.
“Happy New Year,” she whispered. Then, on an impulse, she stood on her tiptoes, pressed a quick kiss on his cheek, and fled into her room like a startled butterfly.
Hearing the door close behind her, Lu Jingyao stood there, frozen for a long time.
It felt like a dream—but the warmth lingering on his skin told him it was real.
Behind the door, Xu Youyou leaned against the wall, her face growing hotter in the darkness. She suddenly felt a little regretful. Had she been too bold?
But then she thought about it again—faced with such an attractive man, especially one who was usually so proud yet had treated her with such tenderness, who could resist?
“Whatever. I’m a filthy rich woman now—I deserve a man this good,” she muttered to herself.
Ever since becoming wealthy, her confidence had skyrocketed. Her sense of self-worth had grown immensely.
In fact, she thought, she had already been incredibly self-restrained. If it were someone else, they might have been hiring male models left and right, indulging in all kinds of extravagance.
And if Lu Jingyao ever dared to betray her, she wouldn’t be some pitiful woman crying herself to sleep. No, she would be traveling the world, throwing money at the most handsome men to entertain her instead.
With these messy thoughts tumbling in her head, Xu Youyou rolled around in bed for nearly two hours before she finally fell asleep.
The Next Morning
The next morning, as soon as she stepped outside, she saw Lu Jingyao playing with Guai Guai in the courtyard.
Before she could call out to him, he suddenly looked up and waved. “Did you sleep well? If not, you can go back to bed for a bit. If you’re up, I’ll make you some wontons.”
Xu Youyou tilted her head, noticing how unusually quiet the surroundings were. “Where is everyone?”
“Director He went to visit relatives. My parents went to see an old friend. The kids played too hard last night, so most of them are still asleep.”
The children had spent the whole night excitedly discussing how to spend their red envelope money. Since it was the New Year, the adults had been lenient and let them chatter on until late into the night.
By the time Xu Youyou finished freshening up and went downstairs, nearly half an hour had passed.
As soon as she stepped into the kitchen, she saw Lu Jingyao—dressed in his tailored coat—awkwardly stirring a pot with a spatula.
Xu Fang stood to the side, looking like she wanted to help but didn’t dare to.
Meanwhile, the so-called “golden assistant” was sitting comfortably by the traditional stove, expertly stoking the fire. Every now and then, he would ask, “Boss, do you want me to make the fire stronger?”
Watching Assistant Liu handle the stove so skillfully, Xu Youyou couldn’t help but be impressed. If it weren’t for his clearly polished businessman attire, she would have mistaken him for a seasoned cook with ten years of experience.
But as for his “all-capable” boss… well, not so much.
“President Lu, you should take the wontons out now. Any later, and they’ll disintegrate!” Xu Fang finally couldn’t hold back her warning.
When Xu Youyou finally took a bite of the wontons that Lu Jingyao had personally made, she frowned slightly at their disastrous appearance. Then, upon tasting them, her heart filled with dismay—the salt was so heavy that it was almost bitter.
Her relationship had only lasted a single day, and she was already considering breaking up.
