Chapter 20: The Duplex Residence
Lu Yu asked for Shi Zixuan’s Alipay account and transferred her thirty thousand as well. After all, one must be trustworthy; since he had promised to support them, he intended to follow through. Covering their food, lodging, clothing, and expenses, plus thirty thousand every month—Lu Yu felt he was practically a saint and deserved recognition for his generosity.
The restaurant soon delivered their meal, and the three ate and chatted idly. After dinner, Shi Zixuan suggested going shopping, and Qin Xiaomian eagerly agreed. Having accompanied them on several shopping trips already and having had a busy day, Lu Yu let them take the hotel car on their own this time.
He instructed them to buy a good laptop for their future use. As for the clothes and other purchases, he would reimburse them when they returned. Though the two young women hoped Lu Yu would join them, seeing him absorbed in his coding in the study, they left reluctantly.
But their disappointment vanished as soon as they arrived at the shopping district, and their spree began in earnest.
Meanwhile, Lu Yu sat at his computer, tapping away, refining his compression algorithm. He had already planned out the approach; what remained was step-by-step verification and debugging, solving problems as they arose. When one is immersed in coding, time passes especially quickly.
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It was nearly eleven o’clock when Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian returned. Not only were they laden with bags themselves, but two hotel staff followed, carrying more. They stacked their purchases in the living room, then peeked into the study to check on Lu Yu.
Seeing him engrossed in his code and uninterested in their return, they exchanged glances and went back to the living room to admire their haul. After snapping some photos, they headed to the bedroom to shower, exhausted from their evening of shopping.
Fresh from their baths, the two girls exchanged looks and began trying on the clothes they’d bought, switching outfits, taking photos, and enjoying themselves immensely.
Lu Yu continued coding late into the night, only stopping when fatigue finally crept in. When he left the study for the bedroom, he found the two women already asleep, so he washed up and went to bed himself.
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Upon waking, Lu Yu felt dazed. After a day out and a late night coding, he found himself stiff and sore. He realized it was time to prioritize developing a physical enhancement formula; otherwise, adding the two women to his life, he feared he would wear himself out before he ever reached the stars.
Holding their soft, warm bodies in his arms, Lu Yu’s thoughts raced. Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian stirred, enjoying the quiet warmth of the morning in his embrace.
After lingering in bed, the three rose, washed up, ate breakfast, and left the hotel.
Shi Zixuan wore her traditional attire again—this time in bright red, with a matching scarf in her hair. Qin Xiaomian remained youthful and dazzling, the very picture of a campus goddess.
On the subway, Qin Xiaomian clung to Lu Yu’s arm, smiling radiantly and calling him “uncle” without a care for the stares around them. Fortunately, Shi Zixuan maintained her graceful composure with only a gentle smile; had she behaved like Qin Xiaomian, Lu Yu doubted he could make it out of the subway.
...
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Niuwang Temple Station. Exiting at B, they found themselves at Xinwangshu Mansion, a high-end complex in a prime location with luxurious residences and upscale commercial areas.
Having scoped out the area beforehand, the three went straight to the sales center.
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Upon entering the hall, they were promptly greeted by a warm, attentive staff member, with none of the snobbishness often depicted in novels. Lu Yu found this amusing: Why, as the protagonist, did he miss out on all those dramatic face-slapping scenes? How was he supposed to pad the word count?
Initially he’d intended to rent, but after some hesitation, decided to buy to avoid future hassles.
When the staff heard they were buying, they brought out materials and began their introduction. The two women were soon captivated by a duplex of over 260 square meters, two stories connected by a spiral staircase.
The apartment was exquisitely finished, and Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian’s eyes sparkled at the renderings, wishing they could move in immediately.
Seeing their enthusiasm, Lu Yu agreed to view the property in person.
The staff took the keys and led them to the unit. The complex was well landscaped, and the apartment itself was elegantly decorated, though sparsely adorned. The furniture was complete.
...
Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian gleefully explored both floors, utterly delighted, even choosing their rooms.
Their expectant glances fell on Lu Yu, who asked the staff about the price and property management.
Given its prime location and proximity to the subway, prices were high—the duplex approached fifty thousand per square meter.
Lu Yu considered this reasonable and decided to settle on the spot, signing the contract and paying in full.
The staff were thrilled; a sale like this brought substantial commission, and their enthusiasm grew.
Shi Zixuan took numerous photos of the apartment, capturing every corner, saying she’d soon buy decorations to furnish the home.
Lu Yu waited patiently as they snapped away, with the staff offering suggestions.
Once they’d finished, they returned to the sales center to print the contract, transfer ownership, and handle banking. Paying in full meant a slight discount.
Lu Yu requested that someone inspect the wiring and appliances, lest the water heater turn out to be broken after they moved in.
The staff readily agreed and promised to arrange it immediately.
...
By the time they left the sales center, it was noon.
The three found a restaurant for lunch. Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian spent the meal inspecting their apartment photos and discussing how to decorate, occasionally asking Lu Yu’s opinion.
Lu Yu told them, though the apartment was his, they would be living there most of the time, so the decoration was up to them—so long as they liked it.
He had only one request: the master bedroom bed must be large enough for three.
This remark earned simultaneous eye-rolls from the two women. Though their relationship was well established, and every interaction brought new delight, girls by nature are shy.
Some things are best done discreetly—why speak of them aloud? Isn’t secret joy even more thrilling?
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After lunch, the two women dragged Lu Yu off to IKEA.
Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian began shopping from the moment they entered, examining every kind of decoration and comparing to their photos, considering what matched and what didn’t.
From living room decor to tiny windowsill ornaments, nothing escaped their attention. They even bought numerous decorative candles, insisting they were not only attractive but smelled wonderful when lit.
In the end, Lu Yu lost track of how much they’d purchased, only wondering how he’d collect all the goods from the warehouse.
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Each item required a separate pick-up code for self-collection. Fortunately, they’d bought enough that, after negotiating with the staff, delivery was arranged.
After paying, Lu Yu left the address, and the staff said delivery could be arranged for the next day. Lu Yu thanked them.
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By the time they returned to the hotel, it was eight in the evening. After ordering dinner on the tablet, the three lounged on the sofa to rest.
Lu Yu handed them the apartment keys and access cards, explaining, “Tomorrow, IKEA will deliver the items you bought this afternoon. You can go over and arrange everything yourselves.”
“If anything’s too heavy, contact property management and have them send someone—you just direct them. Best to hire housekeeping for a proper cleaning as well.”
Qin Xiaomian pouted at Lu Yu. “What about you, uncle?”
Lu Yu glanced at her. “I have other things tomorrow. I’ll be secluded for a while.”
Qin Xiaomian was curious. “Secluded? Like cultivating? Can you take me with you? Dual cultivation is fine too.”
Lu Yu tapped her forehead. “What are you thinking all day? Dual cultivation! Are you planning to become immortal?”
Qin Xiaomian blinked innocently. “Can we really become immortal? Uncle, do you have a cultivation method?”
Lu Yu looked up at the ceiling, ignoring her.
Shi Zixuan watched videos nearby, chuckling at their exchange.
Seeing Lu Yu ignore her, Qin Xiaomian sighed to herself, “If only I could really become immortal, then I could always stay beautiful and be with uncle forever.”
...
Lu Yu turned to her, pondering the technological data in his mind.
The technology currently unlocked was only basic; it didn’t yet contain methods to greatly extend human life, though modest lifespan extension was possible.
There were also techniques for perpetual youth, but those hadn’t been unlocked—only anti-aging data was available.
This anti-aging was quite different from what Blue Star considered anti-aging.
If the basic anti-aging tech were achieved, it would essentially grant perpetual youth by Blue Star standards, keeping physical changes minimal throughout a human’s life—more like the difference between adolescence and maturity.
Sadly, with Blue Star’s current tech foundation, neither could be realized yet.
Moreover, Lu Yu’s knowledge in biology, medicine, and pharmacology was severely lacking.
If he were more proficient, even partial results could be achieved.
Applied to humans on Blue Star, the effect would be striking, especially for women—it would drive them mad with desire.
The more he thought, the more Lu Yu felt he needed to return to study.
Where was he now, really?
He’d only learned a smattering of internet basics and was already relaxing, enjoying comfort!
This was a grave mistake—a violation of principle—worthy of a written self-critique!
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