Lilies

"Do you suspect someone caused your car accident?" That seemed to be what they had meant earlier.

"Although it looked very much like an accident, I still think someone did it deliberately," Lu Cizhou replied.

[Wow, so this is what power struggles in wealthy families are like.]

Lu Cizhou had no comeback for that. Of course, he could hardly deny it either.

When it was time for Lu Yu to get out of kindergarten, the two of them went to pick him up together again.

Lu Yu had been delighted these past few days. Both his dads came to pick him up every afternoon.

After dinner, the two of them watched cartoons with Lu Yu.

As they watched, Lu Yu suddenly said, "Dad, Papa, kindergarten is going to have a parent-child activity soon. Will you have time?"

"Did they say exactly when?" Lu Cizhou asked.

"The teacher hasn't said yet. She just said there would be an activity."

"Papa will definitely have time. I just don't know whether your dad will." With that, both father and son looked at him.

"Tell me once the teacher sets a date. I'll clear my schedule."

"Okay!" Lu Yu said happily.

Lu Yu felt warm and happy inside, wishing the day would come sooner.

"Oh!" Lu Yu suddenly cried out again.

"What's wrong?" Shen Zeyu hurriedly asked.

Without answering, Lu Yu jumped off the sofa and ran to his playroom.

When Lu Yu came back out, he was holding a box of modeling clay. Shen Zeyu had yet to realize how serious the situation was, until—

Lu Yu walked up to him and said sweetly, "Papa, our kindergarten wants us to make a plant we like out of clay."

Now realizing the gravity of the situation, Shen Zeyu asked in a trembling voice, "When is it due?"

Noticing Shen Zeyu's unusual reaction, Lu Cizhou looked over.

"The teacher said to make it over the next couple of days and hand it in on Friday. She'll look at them carefully over the weekend, then give the kid who made the prettiest one a little red flower."

"Papa, I want a little red flower too. Will you teach me?" In his soft, sweet voice, Lu Yu spoke words that were cruel to Shen Zeyu.

[Help! Is my lifelong reputation about to be ruined?!!!]

Hearing that, Lu Cizhou raised an eyebrow. What did he mean?

Shen Zeyu noticed Lu Cizhou beside him and hurriedly spoke as though he had found his savior. "Yuyu, how about letting your dad do it this time? He hasn't had a turn yet."

Wanting to watch the show, Lu Cizhou was still thinking of an excuse to refuse when Lu Yu spoke first. "No, I've never seen Dad make anything out of clay. I trust Papa more."

[Haven't you seen me make things out of clay too? Why do you trust me so much?]

Shen Zeyu wanted to cry but had no tears. Hearing those words, Lu Cizhou grew even more interested.

"Papa, I want a lily," Lu Yu added.

Thinking about what a lily looked like, a glimmer of hope slowly appeared in Shen Zeyu's eyes.

[I should be able to manage a lily, right?] Shen Zeyu thought uncertainly.

Seeing Lu Yu's trusting expression, Shen Zeyu gritted his teeth. "All right, I'll teach you tomorrow evening. It's a little late tonight. You should go to bed."

"Okay! Thank you, Papa!" Lu Yu cheered.

[I refuse to believe I can't get it right if I secretly practice all day tomorrow while Lu Cizhou is at work.]

Shen Zeyu gave himself a pep talk.

Hearing that, Lu Cizhou decided he would not go to work tomorrow.

When Shen Zeyu woke up early the next morning, Lu Cizhou was out of the room as usual. He assumed Lu Cizhou had already left for work.

After going downstairs, Shen Zeyu hurried to Lu Yu's playroom and took out the modeling clay.

"What are you doing?" Lu Cizhou's voice suddenly rang out, startling Shen Zeyu.

"Why are you home at this hour?" Shen Zeyu asked calmly.

"There's nothing important going on at the company today, so I'm taking the day off."

[This guy actually takes days off?] Shen Zeyu looked at Lu Cizhou in confusion.

[No, that's not the point. The point is that if he doesn't go to the office, I can't practice freely!] Shen Zeyu screamed inwardly.

"So what were you doing just now?" Lu Cizhou asked again.

Shen Zeyu answered calmly, "Yuyu needs to make a lily, right? I'm getting some practice in first."

Lu Cizhou looked interested. "Perfect. Practice in the living room, and I'll learn a little too."

"No."

"Why not?"

[Because I know exactly how bad I am at this!!!]

"This is my exclusive technique. I don't share it with outsiders."

"All right, then." Shen Zeyu had barely breathed a sigh of relief when Lu Cizhou added, "Can you show me once you've finished?"

It was hard to find a reason to refuse that, so Shen Zeyu gritted his teeth and agreed.

By lunchtime, Lu Cizhou still had not seen him come downstairs, so he had to go up and knock on the door. After a while, Shen Zeyu poked half his head out.

"What is it?" he asked, looking utterly miserable. His expression told Lu Cizhou how things were progressing. Suppressing a smile, he said, "It's time to come down for lunch."

"All right, got it."

The Lu family did not enforce a rule against talking during meals or before bed. Usually, no one spoke while eating anyway, but today was a little different.

[Aaaah, why is one stupid lily so hard to make?]

[I have to teach Yuyu tonight. What am I going to do?!!!]

Looking at the man who was raging inside while appearing perfectly calm, Lu Cizhou thought he really did care about saving face.

"Are you almost finished?"

[He really knows how to bring up the one thing I don't want to talk about.]

By now, Shen Zeyu no longer had the energy to make any shameless boasts. "Almost, I guess," he said listlessly.

Yet Lu Cizhou refused to let it go. "What do you mean, 'almost, I guess'? Is there any uncertainty about this?"

Shen Zeyu grew angry. "Do you think this stuff is really easy?"

"Isn't it?"

Shen Zeyu could not take it anymore. "If you're so good, do it yourself."

Some time later, Shen Zeyu stared in silence at the flawless lily in Lu Cizhou's palm before saying obsequiously, "How about you teach Yuyu tonight?"

"Yuyu wants you to teach him, not me."

"It doesn't matter which of us teaches him. There's no difference."

"I suddenly feel a little thirsty," Lu Cizhou hinted.

Shen Zeyu caught on instantly. "Wait here. I'll get you some water."

"My shoulders feel a little sore."

"I'll massage them for you." Shen Zeyu immediately stepped forward.

[This old bastard*. If it weren't for Yuyu, I wouldn't put up with this.]

"Do you think I'm old?" Lu Cizhou suddenly asked.

"Of course not. You're not old at all. This is the perfect age for a man."

[Yeah, right. How is he not old? He's a whole five years older than me. Does he have no self-awareness?]

Watching the man smile cheerfully while furiously roasting him inside, Lu Cizhou ultimately decided not to push him too far. He feared that if this continued, Shen Zeyu's insults would strip him of his humanity altogether.

"All right. I'll teach him tonight."

"Thank you, boss," Shen Zeyu said sincerely.

This way, his image in Lu Yu's eyes would remain intact.