Banquet

"Wait, Shi, I haven't finished yet..."

Before Machida Sonoko could finish speaking, Utaha Kasumigaoka hung up. She picked up her phone and checked, only to find that Luo Yu's post already had many comments beneath it.

Teacher Meng Yu actually recommended a book!

Teacher Meng Yu has read Love Metronome too?

Since Teacher Meng Yu recommended it, this novel should be pretty good, right? I'll buy a copy when I get the chance.

Looking at the readers online who had been drawn in by Luo Yu's recommendation, Utaha Kasumigaoka sighed. I feel like I owe him a huge favor.

Then she picked up Flame Chasers and started reading.

So this person was a Luo Yu fan too!

As for what was happening here, Luo Yu stopped paying attention after posting that message. Instead, he began packing his things. After all, May Day Golden Week was coming soon.

"Mashiro, didn't get enough sleep?" Luo Yu asked the bleary-eyed girl beside him.

"I drew until very late last night..." As she spoke, Mashiro leaned against Luo Yu's shoulder and fell asleep.

Luo Yu merely looked at Mashiro indulgently, then stroked Chocolate and Vanilla in his arms.

Today was already the start of Golden Week. Luo Yu and Mashiro were waiting for a car at the entrance. Since they would be staying at Luo Yu's parents' house during Golden Week, he didn't dare leave the two little ones at home.

Before long, a car stopped in front of Luo Yu.

"Uncle Shiraishi, you came to pick me up?" The man was Shiraishi Kenshin, Luo Xingchen's personal driver. He had followed Luo Xingchen since the very beginning of his business venture and could be considered one of the old guard. Luo Yu had ridden in his car often as a child.

"The boss had something to take care of, so he sent me to pick you up, Young Master. Get in."

After getting into the car, Luo Yu let Mashiro rest her head on his lap and continue sleeping. Chocolate and Vanilla also obediently lay on the seats without running around.

"Come to think of it, Young Master, it's been a long time since you last went home, hasn't it?" Shiraishi Kenshin started a conversation with Luo Yu.

"About four months, I guess..."

Along the way, Luo Yu chatted with Shiraishi Kenshin and didn't feel bored at all.

Before long, they arrived at their destination.

"Mashiro, wake up. We're here." Luo Yu gently shook Mashiro awake from his lap.

"Yu, are we here?" Mashiro rubbed her eyes.

"We are. Let's get out." Luo Yu picked up Chocolate and Vanilla. "And you two little ones too."

Standing before the front door, Luo Yu looked at his family home and couldn't help sighing. It's been a while since I came back.

"I'm home!"

After entering, Luo Yu shouted. The next moment, a figure hugged him.

"Little Yu, you're finally back. Let Mom see if you've gotten thinner."

"Mom, don't do this. Mashiro is watching right beside us." Though he said that, Luo Yu didn't pull away from Luo Qingqiu's embrace. After all, who wasn't still a child in front of their mother?

"Mashiro came too?" Luo Qingqiu released Luo Yu and looked at Mashiro beside him.

"Hello, Mashiro. Welcome to my home."

"Hello, Mom."

"You're calling me Mom?" Luo Qingqiu was surprised by Mashiro's form of address.

Luo Yu said to Mashiro with a headache, "You should call her Auntie. Didn't I tell you that?"

Mashiro only tilted her head in response.

"It's fine, just call me Mom." Luo Qingqiu watched the interaction between Luo Yu and Mashiro with a smile all over her face.

Looks like her father's plan succeeded. I don't mind having Mashiro as my daughter-in-law either.

Mom, can you stop smiling like that? I know you sent Mashiro over in the first place because of this, but at least don't make it so obvious in front of me.

So Luo Yu decided to change the subject. "Mom, where's Dad?"

"There's something at the company, so he went to handle it," Luo Qingqiu answered. "You rarely come back, so stop asking about your father and keep me company properly."

After that, Luo Qingqiu pulled Luo Yu and Mashiro into a room to talk about recent events. Luo Yu also got to enjoy the feeling of being with family again after a long time.

It would have been even better if his mother hadn't stolen his cats. That was right, Chocolate and Vanilla had both been snatched up and held by Luo Qingqiu. At first, Luo Qingqiu hadn't noticed them. It was only when she brought her son into the room that she discovered he had brought two kittens with him. Before Luo Qingqiu rushed over to hug Luo Yu, Chocolate and Vanilla had jumped out of his arms and hidden behind him.

But the two little ones were quite adorable. Luo Qingqiu liked them immediately, then unceremoniously snatched them from her son's arms, placed them on her lap, and began petting them.

And so, Luo Qingqiu stroked the cats while chatting with her son and future daughter-in-law.

"So you're here."

The three of them looked toward the newcomer. Luo Qingqiu spoke first. "Xingchen, have you finished dealing with the company matters?"

"It's all taken care of," Luo Xingchen replied. Then he looked at Luo Yu. "How does it feel to be back, brat?"

"Pretty good, I suppose." Luo Yu smiled at his father. "Especially seeing that you're still so healthy, Dad. That makes me even happier."

"I feel like you're being sarcastic, brat. Forget it..." Luo Xingchen looked at Mashiro and asked, "Mashiro, how has it been living with Luo Yu?"

"Yu treats me very well, Dad."

Dad! Luo Xingchen stared at Mashiro in shock, then looked at his wife. Luo Qingqiu nodded at him.

So... it worked?

Chapter 50: Banquet

After lunch.

Luo Yu and Luo Xingchen found a place to talk alone.

With a subtle smile, Luo Xingchen said, "How have things been between you and Mashiro lately? From the looks of you two, Mashiro is already your girlfriend, right?"

"Not yet." Luo Yu felt that there was still something missing between his relationship with Mashiro and that of a couple. He believed Mashiro still didn't understand the concept of being boyfriend and girlfriend.

How could Luo Xingchen, as his father, not know what his son was thinking? So he said, "Not yet? Fine, handle your young people's affairs yourselves. In any case, your mother and I don't object to Mashiro becoming our daughter-in-law."

You don't object? From the look of things, you can't wait for Mashiro and me to get married.

"Oh, right." Luo Xingchen seemed to remember something. "There's a banquet tonight. You're coming with me."

"I knew you didn't call me home just to spend the holiday. Can I not go?"

"What do you think?"

"But haven't I already gone three years without attending a banquet?"

"That's exactly because you haven't attended one in three years," Luo Xingchen said. "You never showed up during your three years of middle school. If you don't make an appearance soon, people might not even know what the heir of Luo Corporation looks like. You're in high school now. It's about time you started taking over some family affairs."

After saying that, Luo Xingchen quickly left, giving Luo Yu no time to argue.

A banquet... I haven't been to one in three years. But it'll probably be just as boring as before.

That evening, inside the banquet venue.

"So nothing has changed after all. It's still this boring."

After appearing before the other guests with Luo Xingchen and then dealing with several guests with a standard smile, Luo Yu found a corner and sighed.

"Still those hypocritical smiles." Remembering the people who had come to greet him with fake smiles on their faces made Luo Yu feel sick. "They're worse than Haruno."

"What's wrong with Haruno?"

The familiar voice made Luo Yu turn around, and a familiar figure appeared before him.

"It's Tsumu-tsumu. Why are you here? No, it makes perfect sense for you to be here. Is this the banquet you said you were attending?"

"Yeah, my father asked me to attend this banquet," Tsumugi Kotobuki said. "But I didn't expect to run into you here, Luo Yu."

Luo Yu merely sighed. "Neither did I."

After that, the two of them stood there chatting. It was clear that Miss Tsumugi Kotobuki didn't like banquets very much either.

"Hey, that's the Kotobuki family's eldest daughter over there, right? Who's the person beside her?" A passerby asked his companion.

His companion glanced toward Tsumugi Kotobuki and Luo Yu, then said, "You don't know him? That's the Luo family's eldest young master."

"The Luo family from Luo Corporation?"

"Isn't that obvious? Other than Luo Corporation, what other family in Sakura Province has the surname Luo?"

Hm? The Luo family's eldest young master? Haruno Yukinoshita also looked toward Luo Yu and Tsumugi Kotobuki when she heard that. Once she saw Luo Yu's face clearly, her eyes widened in surprise. How could it be him!

Luo Yu felt a familiar gaze on him, so he turned his head and spotted Haruno Yukinoshita among the crowd.

Luo Yu raised a hand and greeted Haruno Yukinoshita. "Isn't that Haruno?"

Seeing Luo Yu greet her, then noticing the open space the others had left around her and the whispers nearby, Haruno Yukinoshita could only walk over helplessly.

"Young Master Luo has truly given me a difficult problem," Haruno Yukinoshita said in a resentful tone.

"Those people are just minor characters. They shouldn't be much of a problem for Haruno, right?" Luo Yu took a sip of juice to quench his thirst, then looked at Tsumugi Kotobuki. "It would be nice if there were black tea right now."

Tsumugi Kotobuki said, "Even if you look at me like that, Luo Yu, I can't make you black tea right now."

"So, Haruno, did you come over because you had something to say?" After giving up hope on the black tea, Luo Yu asked Haruno Yukinoshita.

Wasn't it because you greeted me just now? Haruno Yukinoshita felt like she could barely keep her smile in place.

"Wasn't it Young Master Luo who called me over?"

"Just call me Luo Yu. Haruno is Yukino's older sister, so we can be considered friends. Also..." Luo Yu looked directly into Haruno Yukinoshita's eyes. "Can you stop smiling like that? It feels too fake."

Haruno Yukinoshita's smile froze instantly. Then she continued smiling as she said, "Oh my, what kind of joke is Luo Yu making? Big sister will get angry, you know."

Watching Haruno Yukinoshita perform, Luo Yu said calmly, "Is it interesting, Haruno? I've been receiving guests since I was little. I've seen that kind of smile on their faces countless times. Though none of them were as good at it as you."

Haruno Yukinoshita finally dropped that smile and looked at Luo Yu expressionlessly. "So? What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I just hate that fake smile of yours, Haruno." Luo Yu looked around and asked, "Where's Yukino? Why don't I see her with you?"

"This occasion is still too early for Little Yukino." When Haruno Yukinoshita mentioned Yukino Yukinoshita, her expression softened as well.

"Haruno really cares about Yukino."

"I'm her older sister, after all."

Haruno Yukinoshita said with a smile.

That smile is much more genuine. Still, Haruno Yukinoshita, you really are a siscon!

Haruno Yukinoshita continued, "Little Yukino is too naive. She isn't suited for attending these things."

Thinking of the Service Club's guiding principles, Luo Yu had to admit that Haruno Yukinoshita was right. Yukino Yukinoshita was indeed very naive right now.

However,

"Haruno, you can't protect Yukino for the rest of her life."

"But at least I can still protect Little Yukino right now, can't I?"

Fine, these two sisters are both hopeless tsunderes.

But Luo Yu and the others didn't notice that, not far away, a group of people was watching them.

"The one beside Luo Yu is your daughter, Kotobuki?" Luo Xingchen asked Tsumugi Kotobuki's father.

"That is indeed my daughter," Tsumugi Kotobuki's father answered. "I didn't expect her to be friends with Young Master Luo."

"I heard she's in the same club as Luo Yu?" Luo Xingchen continued.

"I didn't expect my daughter to join the Light Music Club in high school either."

"Isn't my boy the same?"

"But who's the other one beside that brat?" Luo Xingchen pointed at Haruno Yukinoshita.

"That's the Yukinoshita family's eldest daughter, isn't it?" a new figure said.