Chapter 64: New Product Promotional Video
When Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian returned home, they found Lu Yu running on the treadmill in the exercise room. The two women went upstairs to change clothes, then came down to join him for a run.
After finishing their set distance, the two women slumped breathlessly onto the floor, a few strands of sweat-dampened hair clinging to their foreheads and cheeks. Lu Yu also stopped. Though not obvious, he could still feel his constitution had improved—at the very least, running no longer exhausted him as it used to.
He took towels from the cabinet to wipe his sweat, handed two fresh towels to the women, and went out to fetch them some warm water. Seeing them purposely sprawl on the floor after running, he could guess what was on their minds. This kind of little display of coyness didn’t annoy Lu Yu; in fact, he found it rather endearing.
After bringing them their warm water, he took a bottle of cold water from the fridge for himself, sat down beside them, and gently massaged their legs. After a break and a few sips of water, Qin Xiaomian caught her breath and asked, “Uncle, have you been at the company a lot lately?”
Lu Yu nodded. “More or less. You two work in the publicity department, so you should have heard about the new product, right?”
Both women nodded. Shi Zixuan smoothed her hair and said, “We got the notice this afternoon, just like the first time—we’ll be filming a documentary again.”
Qin Xiaomian asked curiously, “Uncle, does the product really work like the ad says? Use it and wrinkles disappear, skin becomes firmer?”
Lu Yu, still kneading their calves, didn’t look up. “Mm, it should be about the same as described.”
Excited, Qin Xiaomian waved her hand. “Yay! That’s great!”
Lu Yu couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you so thrilled? You’re so young, your skin is perfect, you don’t need it yet.”
Qin Xiaomian gazed at him, eyes sparkling. “Who says I don’t? I want every inch of my skin to be even firmer—so it feels even better to the touch!”
Her words sent a surge of heat through Lu Yu, and he unconsciously increased the pressure of his massage, eliciting a protest from Shi Zixuan: “She’s the one who said it, why are you squeezing my leg?”
...
While resting, Shi Zixuan ordered takeout using a delivery app. By the time the food arrived, they’d recovered. The three gathered around the dining table for dinner. Lu Yu asked the women, “How is work going? After all this time, are you having any trouble adjusting, or is there anything you really want to do?”
Shi Zixuan took small bites and shook her head. “No trouble at all. I quite like what I’m doing now.”
Qin Xiaomian nodded in agreement. “Yes! Since I started working, I’ve learned so much. I really like my job and don’t want to switch.”
Lu Yu added a piece of lean meat to each of their bowls. “As long as you’re happy. By the way, Xiaomian, aren’t your family asking about you not coming home for the summer?”
Qin Xiaomian replied, “I told them I’m interning at the company, and I even sent them a lot of pictures from work.”
Lu Yu asked, “I never asked, but how long is your program at school?”
“Two years—I’ll graduate next year.”
Lu Yu chuckled. “Will you really graduate? You hardly go to class.”
Qin Xiaomian retorted, “Of course! I hardly went this semester either, and still passed everything. Don’t you know who I am?”
Lu Yu just smiled and turned to Shi Zixuan. “Have you thought about going back to school? If not an adult university, you could apply to a business school.”
Shi Zixuan paused, looking at Lu Yu. “Why do you want me to go back to school?”
Lu Yu answered, “No particular reason. I just think you should experience it. If you want, you and Xiaomian can go together. Since you both like your current work, getting specialized training will help your careers later on.”
...
After hearing Lu Yu’s suggestion, the two women fell silent. Qin Xiaomian looked at him, pouting. “Uncle, are you planning to get rid of us?”
Shi Zixuan also turned to look at him seriously.
Seeing their reactions, Lu Yu realized they’d misunderstood. “What are you thinking? Asking you to go to school doesn’t mean I’m abandoning you. Don’t overthink it. It’s just to help you learn more, see more of the world. Haven’t you seen me reading? I’ve been out of school for years and I still study. You should be learning even more—this is laying a foundation for your future careers. Besides, even if you go to school, things are just as they are now. I never said I’d change anything, did I?”
Qin Xiaomian immediately grinned. “Hehe, that’s good. I’ll do whatever you say—if you want me to study, I’ll study.”
Shi Zixuan also smiled. “Do you really want us to go back to school?”
Lu Yu nodded. “You’re both still young and don’t have a clear sense of career development. The more you learn, the better—it can only help you. I’m thinking of your future, silly girls.”
Shi Zixuan thought for a moment and nodded. “Alright, if I’m going to study, Xiaomian has to go with me.”
Qin Xiaomian had no objections. “Of course. Whatever Uncle wants me to study, I’ll study.”
...
As they chatted, dinner was soon finished, and Lu Yu cleared the table. The two women lounged on the sofa, discussing Lu Yu’s idea about going back to school. When Lu Yu returned after tossing out the boxes, he explained in detail about the business school program at Shudu University of Finance and Economics: a year and a half long, with specialized courses and opportunities to audit other classes. He told them about the benefits such training could bring to their careers.
After hearing his explanation, the women were even more willing. They weren’t foolish; they knew Lu Yu was acting for their sake. The three chatted on the sofa for a while before heading upstairs to wash up and rest.
Lu Yu showered, then lay in bed browsing messages on his phone. July had passed uneventfully, except for one notable event: after resigning as general manager, President Jia of LeRoom Network had now also withdrawn from the board of directors. This meant the entire LeRoom ecosystem had sunk into turmoil and decline. Lu Yu, however, was just an observer—he hadn’t invested or bought any stock related to the company. Watching this once-rising business empire begin to fall and even crumble, he silently took it as a lesson.
...
After their baths, the two women took great care with their appearance before coming to Lu Yu’s room looking fresh and radiant. The air conditioning was strong; the women leaned their heads on Lu Yu’s shoulders, the three of them sitting side by side at the head of the bed, each playing on their phones. Qin Xiaomian was engrossed in a mobile game, while Shi Zixuan watched dramas, occasionally asking Lu Yu if this actor was handsome or that actress was pretty. Lu Yu simply set his phone aside, put his arm around Shi Zixuan, and watched with her, amused by the barrage of silly comments from netizens. He couldn’t blame himself for not focusing on the plot—it just wasn’t engaging.
...
He couldn’t fathom why domestic TV dramas had declined so much in quality; there were so few truly enjoyable ones left. Some actors’ performances were so awkward that even watching from outside the screen made Lu Yu cringe. How did they even manage to keep acting?
Thinking of acting, Lu Yu suddenly remembered his plan to tell the story of another civilization’s final struggle through film. If it relied on acting at this level, wouldn’t it just end up as unintentional comedy?
...
Moreover, that other civilization was highly advanced technologically. Given the current state of domestic special effects, it would be a real challenge. Maybe he should assemble a team to develop a powerful special effects software? But the production of effects for an entire film or TV show isn’t just about the software. Without artificial intelligence, all effects are done by hand. Without top-notch designers, producers, and compositors, even the best software would only yield cheap, unconvincing visuals. That’s why the industry talks about a “special effects industrial system”—it isn’t something that can be solved from just one angle. He couldn’t possibly train all the talent himself—he wasn’t part of the film industry, after all, and this wasn’t some entertainment novel. He simply wanted to tell the story of another civilization, to fulfill his promise, and let more intelligent beings know about them. Even if people thought the movie was fictional, they would still gain some knowledge, wouldn’t they?
Lost in these tangled thoughts, drowsiness slowly overtook him. Even when Qin Xiaomian called his name several times, he barely responded.
...
In the morning, the three were awakened by their incessant phone alarms. Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian grumbled sleepily, reluctant to get up. After some stubborn lingering, they finally rose to wash. The three went out together, had a simple breakfast at a small shop outside the complex, then the women took the subway to the company while Lu Yu went to the library to continue reading about materials science. Life passed by calmly, like water.
Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian followed the company’s publicity team to film with product testers, which meant they’d be away from home for several days. Lu Yu moved back to his place near Shu Yin University.
...
It’s worth mentioning that the exercise area at this home, which had never really been used before, was now seeing regular activity. It started with Lu Yu coming home and running every day. Once Qianqian noticed, she began jogging with him—though she only ran a short distance each day. Later, Zhang Kexin also started running, exhausting herself daily but still proclaiming, “Life goes on, so does exercise!” the next morning.
After exercising, Zhang Kexin and Qianqian would sit on the floor to rest. Lu Yu would habitually fetch them warm water, though he didn’t massage their legs as he did with the others. They would sit a short distance apart, chatting. Sometimes Lu Yu would ask about their livestreams, and they’d share amusing stories from their broadcast rooms.
What surprised Lu Yu was that, despite both Zhang Kexin and Qianqian being music majors—and, like most girls, enjoying the attention of fans—neither had any intention of entering show business. As they put it, girls without powerful backgrounds couldn’t survive in such a complicated industry. The entertainment world was a chaotic mix, best kept at a respectful distance.
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