Brother Yi, Can I Take a Bite of You?

Although Su Ningyue felt unsettled, she showed none of it on her face, maintaining her loving demeanor.

Yu Qingchuan was still rather afraid of Su Ningyue. Anyone would feel uneasy around someone who had harmed them for more than a decade. He sat far away from her, avoided looking at her, and barely even wanted to speak.

But in Yu Chenyi's eyes, his good-for-nothing eldest son had finally grown into someone steady and dependable.

"This project of ours focuses on smart homes. We embed AI software to provide convenient services," Yu Chenyi explained carefully to Yu Qingchuan. "Our biggest uncertainties right now are whether the AI can integrate seamlessly and whether the smart home systems can upgrade themselves adequately throughout their service life."

With the development of artificial intelligence, the age of interconnected devices had arrived, and every major company was scrambling for a share of this market.

The Yu Corporation owned a household furnishings brand known nationwide. Its performance had declined year after year because it had fallen behind market demand. If nothing changed, it would have no choice but to file for bankruptcy.

To bring the brand back from the brink, Yu Chenyi had boldly ventured into the smart home sector.

But the project's success was far from guaranteed, so Yu Chenyi did not dare approach a bank for a loan and could only seek angel investors. As it happened, Starbright International was fairly interested in the project, so he had been actively communicating and coordinating with them.

"Xingyi currently wants us to handle thirty percent of the technological research and development and forty percent of the marketing, with a three-year deadline."

"Qingchuan," Yu Chenyi said, "if you could bring those percentages down by ten percent and shorten the deadline to two years, that would be ideal."

Although Yu Qingchuan did not know much about business, he knew that negotiating on those terms was essentially asking Xingyi to do charity.

Barring a surprise, Xingyi would never agree.

"Dad, I can only do my best. I can't guarantee it'll work," Yu Qingchuan replied cautiously.

"All right. Negotiate as best you can, and keep me updated," Yu Chenyi said.

Su Ningyue spoke up at just the right moment. "All right, all right, enough work talk. Darling, you can teach Qingchuan little by little later. Let's eat first."

Yu Qingchuan glanced at Su Ningyue, then quickly looked away.

Because he was trying to lose weight, Yu Qingchuan ate very little. In a rare display of concern, Yu Chenyi asked, "Why are you eating so little?"

"I'm trying to lose weight," Yu Qingchuan said with a smile. "All those delicious things Auntie had made for me before were so good that I couldn't resist. But eating that much made my life really inconvenient. Now I get out of breath after just a few steps, and it's really uncomfortable. My boyfriend also said losing some weight would be good for my health."

His words subtly suggested that Su Ningyue had not truly cared about him.

Su Ningyue's heart lurched, and she hurriedly said, "That was careless of me. I thought young people like you all enjoyed late-night snacks, and you were always saying you got hungry in the middle of the night, so I told the kitchen to make them for you. But Qingchuan really has grown up now. You even have a boyfriend. That's wonderful. Still, with two boys together, you won't have any children in the future. I really do worry about you both. Once Qingluo gets married and has children, I'll have him have a few more so they can look after you later."

There was no denying the power of skillful phrasing. Su Ningyue had effortlessly steered the conversation toward children.

Hearing this, Yu Chenyi frowned slightly. Clearly, he did mind that Yu Qingchuan being gay would leave him without descendants.

Yu Qingchuan decided to hit back. "Your thinking is still a little outdated, Auntie. Don't you get together with those other wives very often? Families like ours hardly need to raise children to support us in old age. Besides, if a child we have turns out to lack ability, they might even ruin the Yu Corporation. Plenty of companies hire professional managers these days. All that matters is keeping the shares in our hands. Have you heard of that, Auntie?"

Su Ningyue nearly lost control of her expression. Since when had Yu Qingchuan become so sharp-tongued?

Had being with Lu Shiming really changed him?

Yu Chenyi knew that Yu Qingchuan and Su Ningyue were not particularly close, but what Yu Qingchuan had said today made perfect sense. Though Su Ningyue was gentle and a good wife, she really was rather narrow-minded.

So he said, "Ningyue, you should listen to Qingchuan's suggestion too. Attend more gatherings and broaden your horizons."

Su Ningyue gritted her teeth with resentment. "All right."

Yu Qingluo wanted to speak up for his mother, but Yu Qingchuan's argument was impossible to refute. All he could say was, "You really are a completely different person from before, Brother."

He paid a great deal of attention to Yu Qingchuan, and the changes in him were enormous, almost impossible to miss.

Yet no matter how clever Yu Qingluo was, he would never imagine that the world he lived in was a novel, and that Yu Qingchuan had transmigrated into it.

Even though Yu Qingchuan knew his identity probably would not be exposed, hearing the main bottom say that still gave him a fright, and he did not dare say anything more.

The meal had played out like a palace intrigue drama, leaving even Yu Qingchuan exhausted. Fortunately, Lu Shiming sent a message saying he had arrived. Yu Qingchuan seized the chance to stand. "Dad, Shiming's here to pick me up. I'll be going now."

The last time Yu Qingchuan left, Yu Chenyi had been utterly indifferent. This time, he actually saw him out and even offered a few caring words, telling him he could come home if he found living elsewhere uncomfortable.

The moment Yu Qingchuan got back into the car, he slumped in his seat. He rubbed his stomach. The little he had eaten that evening had all been digested during the battle of wits. Now he desperately wanted roast duck, fried chicken, barbecue, a seafood feast...

Listening to Yu Qingchuan mutter a list of dishes, Lu Shiming could not help laughing. "If you really want some, sister-in-law, should I buy you a little? You've lost so much weight already. Having a small portion won't hurt!"

"No." Yu Qingchuan cradled his soft little belly and summoned his willpower to shake his head. "I'm not eating."

While waiting at a red light, Lu Shiming gave him a thumbs-up. "You truly are a role model for us all, sister-in-law."

After driving Yu Qingchuan back to the hospital, Lu Shiming stayed with his brother for a while before leaving. Yu Qingchuan first cleaned Lu Shiyi's body, then climbed into bed himself and used Lu Shiyi's hand to warm his stomach.

Yet even after the physical discomfort faded, Yu Qingchuan still mentally craved food. Lying beside Lu Shiyi, he murmured, "Ah, Brother Yi, I'm so hungry. Can I take a bite of you?"

He really was delirious with hunger now. Lu Shiyi's hand can stop my physical hunger. Maybe taking a bite of him will stop the cravings in my head.

Lu Shiyi could respond now, but afraid of frightening Yu Qingchuan, he lay still.

Yu Qingchuan said furtively, "Brother Yi, if you don't object, I'll take that as a yes."

His gaze roamed around, searching for the best place to bite. In the end, he decided the collarbone was especially sexy. It looked so much like a fragrant braised duck collarbone!

With a little "nom," Yu Qingchuan bit down.

Lu Shiyi almost opened his eyes, but fortunately managed to hold back.

Only after biting down did Yu Qingchuan realize that hunger really had gone to his head.

For the first time, Lu Shiyi discovered just how sensitive his collarbone was.

Lu Shiyi thought it over slowly, hoping Yu Qingchuan would not be frightened.

Though one moved while the other lay still, the scene was unusually intimate and harmonious. Outside, a phone captured it all.