Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Helpless, Liang Qiuye swung his long legs over the motorcycle seat and settled himself securely. He waved for Old Zhou not to chase after him and said lazily, “Let’s leave it to fate. If we’re meant to meet, we will.”

The motorcycle sped away, rolling over the last fallen leaves of late autumn. Beneath his scuffed helmet, Liang Qiuye’s eyes were clear as water.

【Author’s Note】

Xie Rong is the gong; Liang Qiuye is the shou.

Chapter 2: Attending the King

The autumn air was crisp, and the sky a clear, deep blue, with great billows of soft white clouds drifting across it.

Liang Qiuye parked his motorcycle in the lot behind the vacation resort.

“Morning, Brother Liang.”

Two young men in resort uniforms greeted Liang Qiuye with grins.

“Woof! Woof!” A brindled hunting dog had heard the motorcycle from far away. Wagging its tail, it bounded toward Liang Qiuye. The dog had been brought in at great expense six months earlier to patrol and guard the grounds.

“Pineapple, don’t lick me. Let me up. Shoo, shoo.”

Liang Qiuye held the dog by its paws. The Great Dane was one of the largest dog breeds in the world, muscular and strong, and renowned as the Sun God’s hound.

But now, the dog was full of longing. After knocking Liang Qiuye down, it rested its head on his neck and shoulder, sniffing him frantically. Its tail nearly twisted into a pretzel as it whimpered like a puppy.

“It’s Apollo! Apollo! With a name that mighty, and you call him Pineapple.” Luo Ming lent a hand and pulled Liang Qiuye to his feet. “You were off for two days, and he missed you to death. He wouldn’t eat or even move around.”

Liang Qiuye ruffled the dog’s head a couple of times, making it press and rub against his legs.

“What, jealous? Big Pineapple and I get along best.” Liang Qiuye was shameless enough to gloat about it.

“You little stray mutt.” Luo Ming brushed the grass off Liang Qiuye’s back and teased him. “Dogs still love you best.”

Luo Ming and Liang Qiuye had been classmates in elementary school and had also attended the same high school. He knew most of Liang Qiuye’s story.

And that “stray dog” remark wasn’t entirely made up. Word was that after Liang Qiuye was abandoned, he’d spent some time living with the wolfdogs nearby.

This place was sparsely populated and lush with vegetation; the wolfdogs and other animals were naturally among the masters of Xiaocang Ridge. Having lived alongside humans for a long time, the wolfdogs were quite perceptive. Perhaps they knew that a frail infant wouldn’t survive the winter and needed to live among the two-legged humans, so they would wander around the village with the half-grown child in tow.

In the end, it was Teacher Liang from the village primary school who found and adopted Liang Qiuye.

It sounded like an unbelievable tale, but it was a favorite topic of the old ladies beneath the great banyan tree at the village entrance.

Luo Ming only half believed it. What he knew for sure was that Liang Qiuye really did have a way with dogs. No matter how ferocious a dog was, it would roll over and show him its belly to win him over.

After soothing the dog, Liang Qiuye headed toward the warehouse with Luo Ming.

Seeing how leisurely Liang Qiuye was, Luo Ming chided him in exasperation. “You just can’t settle down. You could at least become a junior manager. That’d still be better than doing odd jobs.”

“You know I can’t get away. I’ve got both old and young at home.” Liang Qiuye stretched, then slung an arm around Luo Ming and raised an eyebrow. “What, do temp workers not get paid?”

“You’ve always got something going on, you big shot.” Luo Ming slapped his hand away.

Two years ago, a businessman had taken an interest in Xiaocang Ridge’s location and bought up three hundred mu of land for development. A year later, this fully equipped vacation resort had been built. Taking advantage of the natural mountain scenery, it was a high-end entertainment complex offering recreation, leisure, dining, and lodging.

Once it was built, it brought in nearby agricultural businesses and recruited a large number of service staff. But during the training period, anyone who slacked off or tried to coast through was weeded out, and every management position was filled by someone with a high level of education.

Of course, with such strict screening, the pay was generous.

Liang Qiuye had worked there for over half a year. He was efficient, serious, cautious, and popular with the people around him. Luo Ming kept urging him to sign a formal contract and get insurance, but Liang Qiuye knew the resort’s rules: employees had to be available for rotating shifts, and they couldn’t take leave during the holiday rush.

Thinking of his younger sister, who could only come home during her holidays, he finally put the idea out of his mind.

“Hey, why’s everyone rushing around today? You barely see anyone—they’re so busy.” Liang Qiuye glanced at the unusual activity around them, using the chance to change the subject.

“Shh. I heard this through the grapevine.”

Luo Ming covered his mouth and leaned in to gossip. “The Lu Group, which invested in our resort, has a young master who came to inspect the place the day before yesterday. That’s why the general manager’s been nitpicking for the past two days. We’ve got to stay on our toes.”

“A secret inspection, huh? No wonder.”

“It’s not that big a deal, though.” Luo Ming checked that no one was nearby before confiding further. “Xiaodong from the guest rooms saw the general manager talking to that young master. He’s young, with a head of white hair. Probably just here to have fun, not to get involved in anything.”

“Oh.”

Liang Qiuye answered, but his expression turned strange. A white-haired young master—could it really be that much of a coincidence?

Unaware of Liang Qiuye’s expression, Luo Ming pulled a supply list from the warehouse ledger and explained, “These supplies need restocking. Same as usual—they’ve already been ordered. Just sign for them when you get there.”

“And there’s Pineapple’s food, too. Pick that up while you’re at it… Afterward, there are a few things that need to be delivered to the logistics department…”

“You’re so long-winded.” Liang Qiuye made an OK sign. He knew these procedures by heart.

After getting the keys to the small truck, Liang Qiuye checked the pickup addresses and had his route planned out in his head.

The roads had been built wide and smooth when they developed the resort.

The trip went smoothly. On his way back, Liang Qiuye also picked up the auto parts Old Zhou had ordered. After a quick, hasty lunch, he efficiently checked the quantities, then carried two boxes to the guest-services department.

“Wait, Young Master Lu…”

Hurried footsteps came from around the corner.

“Young Master Lu, it’s my fault. I’ll replace him right away! I’ll find someone more conscientious, and I guarantee there won’t be any problems. Please forgive my oversight this time.” The middle-aged man panted, his tone earnest and flustered.

“You’ve been posted away for years. Have you gone senile?” The young man’s voice was icy, as though he was already furious and barely holding back.

“No, no… My nephew’s a decent fellow; he just got carried away and said too much. I’ll find someone else for you, and I guarantee there won’t be any more complications.”

Liang Qiuye stopped in his tracks. He recognized the general manager’s voice; he’d never heard him sound so obsequious before. The other man’s voice was familiar, too.

Lu Weiyan turned the pinky ring on his little finger, impatience spilling from his eyes.

It was an urgent matter, and he didn’t want to make a big production of it, so he hadn’t brought many people along. But the person he’d told to drive had been hopelessly obtuse, probing him with every sentence and focused solely on figuring out how to get ahead.

The general manager was so anxious that cold sweat broke out across his back.

The last time he’d seen Young Master Lu, he’d only been fourteen or fifteen. Now that he saw him again, he was still just as rebellious and flamboyant.

With his silver hair and flashy earrings and rings, the general manager had let his guard down and mistaken him for some brainless hoodlum from town.

He really had been away for a long time, and he’d also wanted to get transferred out of this remote place as soon as possible. So he’d told his nephew too much about the Lu family’s wealth, making the young man eager to curry favor with Young Master Lu and commit a grave taboo.

“Replace him.”

Lu Weiyan was in a hurry to find someone and didn’t want to waste his breath. He gave the order coldly.

“Yes, yes.” Relieved, the general manager hurried to agree. “I’ll find someone right away…”

Their voices drew closer. There was nowhere to hide in the wide, straight corridor, so Liang Qiuye held the boxes over his head and pressed himself against the wall, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

If his immediate superior found out he’d seen him in an unbecoming state, things might get awkward the next time they met. He could easily come up with some excuse to get rid of a temp worker like Liang Qiuye.

Liang Qiuye wasn’t ready to give up that paycheck.

Fortunately, Lu Weiyan and the resort manager were both distracted. They passed right by him, and Liang Qiuye hurried away with quick, small steps, relieved to have narrowly escaped trouble.

“It’s you, Liang Qiuye?”

Hearing his full name called out without warning, Liang Qiuye nearly dropped the box in his hands. He slowly turned around and met Lu Weiyan’s faintly delighted gaze.

*

Liang Qiuye stood at the entrance to the villa compound.

The compound had been built even before the vacation resort. At first, he’d thought some wealthy family in the village had put up a small house, but after seeing its astonishing scale and elegance, he’d realized its owner was no ordinary person.

The tall walls were wrapped in ivy, with nameless little flowers climbing along them, blending the compound into its surroundings.

“Beep—”

Liang Qiuye used Lu Weiyan’s card to unlock the heavy gate.

He’d passed by a few times by chance, but this was his first time entering this heavily guarded compound.

The courtyard’s scenery blended with nature, yet bore the marks of careful design. Green pines and cypresses stood alongside red maples; the landscaping was artfully arranged, with a little path of patterned pebbles winding beneath it all. Each step brought a new view.

Half of the main building’s wall was made up of floor-to-ceiling windows. An old plum tree had been planted there; its gnarled branches looked withered, yet its spirit was still vital, lending the place a half-hidden, half-revealed air.

Liang Qiuye paused and took out his phone to check the message Lu Weiyan had hurriedly sent.

“Clear the clutter from the living room before five.”

Besides the terse order, there was also an attached file with detailed instructions.

Liang Qiuye hadn’t meant to get caught by Lu Weiyan, but after just one encounter, he’d become the young master’s capricious backup choice.

After assigning him the task, Lu Weiyan had hurried off again. Liang Qiuye had been dragged into trouble for no reason and had thus offended the general manager.

The general manager had clearly wanted to arrange for someone to get close to Young Master Lu, but somehow Liang Qiuye had wound up taking his place. Liang Qiuye knew Wu Wenjie, the general manager’s nephew who’d been fired. He was the type who couldn’t stand even a grain of sand in his eye.

But in that situation, Liang Qiuye couldn’t exactly refuse and slight the domineering Young Master Lu.

When they’d first met, Liang Qiuye hadn’t known who Lu Weiyan was. There’d been nothing wrong with standing together, smoking and chatting. But now that their positions were clear, he couldn’t pretend not to know and carry on as though they were friends, trading favors and pleasantries.

Once Young Master Lu wrapped up his visit, Liang Qiuye would inevitably be unable to keep working at the resort. He let out a quiet sigh.

“Hm?”

After entering the main building and seeing the scene before him, Liang Qiuye’s brow twitched sharply.

The courtyard outside was magnificent, but inside, the place was a mess. Cardboard boxes were scattered all over the living room, and items wrapped in foam were sitting half-unpacked to the side. There wasn’t even anywhere to step.

It was easy to imagine the chaos that had come before. Wu Wenjie must have done something to upset Young Master Lu, who’d returned the goods in person and humiliated the general manager.

Liang Qiuye took off his jacket. After a moment’s thought, he decided not to put it on the soft fabric sofa and set it down on the rug instead.

Rolling up his sleeves, he knelt on one knee and started clearing the boxes along the outer edge.

The file listed in detail where every item in every box was supposed to go. It was meticulous, specifying even the angle of the vase.

Following the instructions wasn’t difficult. Since his adoptive father had passed away, Liang Qiuye had been used to taking care of the house, let alone doing a job like this that required no thought.

There were bamboo and wooden tea trays, ceramic teapots, and all manner of tea-drinking implements, as well as various kinds of incense meant to clear the mind. Liang Qiuye felt that these elegant, affected things didn’t suit Young Master Lu. Their owner seemed more like an old-fashioned, leisurely gentleman.

Liang Qiuye looked down at the calluses on his rough hands. Holding such precious items gave him a strange, indescribable sense of incongruity.

Carefully placing everything where it belonged, Liang Qiuye put on gloves and sorted out the remaining suitcases of clothes and personal items. Men’s leather shoes, hiking shoes, casual shoes, and soft indoor slippers were lined up neatly in the shoe cabinet.

The clothes were mostly made from comfortable fabrics and had no brand labels—perhaps they were custom-made. Though they were solid colors, each piece had its own character, thanks to the refined tailoring. He hung them in the wardrobe in order of thickness and color.

Liang Qiuye folded the last bathrobe neatly and set it in the master bathroom. Then he cleaned away every trace of himself. When he raised his wrist to check the time, it was already nearly five.

The white-haired boy’s profile picture on his phone hadn’t sent any more messages. Liang Qiuye picked up his old jacket from the rug.