After Transmigrating into a Cannon Fodder Submissive, I Became Popular by Foraging on the Beach - Chapter 3

Shen Qiu’s gaze was erratic, and he felt a sudden surge of alarm.

The man in front of him looked about seventy to eighty percent similar to Lu Fu, only less frivolous than Lu Fu.

He was tall and imposing, with defined brows and bright eyes, deep and handsome features, and carried a steady composure honed by time.

He was so handsome that countless young men and women would exclaim, “The face of the CEO in novels has finally materialized!”

Even the last bit of hope that he had mistaken the person vanished into thin air.

Shen Qiu only wanted to shout: “The face of my nightmare has finally materialized!”

Yet, this man was currently looking at him with an inscrutable expression.

Shen Qiu lowered his head, avoiding Lu Yidong’s gaze, not daring to speak.

Feeling Lu Yidong’s silent, assessing look, he gritted his teeth, minimized his presence, and played dead.

After a while, Shen Qiu stole a glance at him and saw Lu Yidong looking at Lu Fu with displeasure.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, realizing the man was no longer looking at him.

Lu Fu suddenly came back to his senses, burning with rage, and pointed at Shen Qiu: “You dare to say that again, you bastard…”

The moment the words left his mouth, he met Lu Yidong’s deep, dark pupils. The black eyes were like an endless abyss, filled with warning, making people afraid to approach.

Lu Fu’s anger suddenly deflated, and he instinctively silenced himself.

The atmosphere froze for two seconds. Lu Fu instinctively shrunk his neck in fear, habitually covering up: “I, I didn’t curse, I won’t do it next time.”

Lu Yidong looked at him disapprovingly, his voice low: “Don’t disgrace the Lu family.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Fu’s face flushed red and then paled. The look in his eyes, as he lowered his head, was full of malice.

He hated this condescending, disdainful look from Lu Yidong the most.

It was as if his very existence was a humiliation to the Lu family, a stain on their name, constantly being warned to mind his words and actions.

He was clearly the legitimate grandson of the Lu family; what right did Lu Yidong have to constantly pressure him with the attitude of an elder?

But in every aspect, he had no chance of winning against Lu Yidong. He could only slowly exhale, suppressing his anger.

Lu Yidong finished speaking and ignored him, giving Shen Qiu a long, hard look.

In the end, he walked away without saying anything.

Shen Qiu instantly felt a weight lift from his heart. He turned around to look at Lu Fu.

Lu Fu was still stunned by this bizarre turn of events, not quite reacting for a while.

Shen Qiu decisively cut the cord: “You’ve seen it too, I don’t like you anymore. Don’t bother me again.”

After saying that, he immediately turned and walked away, giving Lu Fu no chance to respond.

Lu Fu was momentarily stunned. He wanted to chase after him and demand an explanation, but he suddenly remembered the look in Lu Yidong’s eyes just now.

Coldness mixed with a subtle warning.

He knew clearly what kind of person his young uncle, Lu Yidong, was.

If this matter were false, Lu Yidong certainly wouldn’t let it go. Yet, he hadn’t even denied it.

Could Shen Qiu really have some relationship with Lu Yidong?

He shivered, instinctively feeling a little afraid.

Clenching his fists, he hesitated, thereby missing the best time to catch up.

After lecturing Lu Fu, Lu Yidong walked away, heading forward. Just as he turned the corner, he suddenly heard someone call out to him from behind.

He turned and stopped, seeing Shen Qiu awkwardly rubbing his nose: “Did you hear that just now?”

Shen Qiu took a deep breath: “I know I was wrong. I was annoyed by his harassment and just blurted it out. I didn’t mean to offend you…”

“I’ll treat you to a meal to apologize, is that okay?”

Lu Yidong looked down and saw Shen Qiu’s apologetic smile, his eyes sincere, fidgeting with his fingers a little nervously.

His fair neck was slightly tilted upwards, and the elegant curve extended into his thick, soft coat.

He paused slightly, pulling back his wandering attention.

His slightly irritated mood was somewhat soothed by Shen Qiu’s polite apology.

He glanced at the seafood in Shen Qiu’s hand, recalled the smell of grilling he had caught a few days ago, and asked, “You cook it yourself?”

Shen Qiu was momentarily stunned: “Of course, I can. You just helped me, so consider it a thank you gift.”

After all, he wasn’t in the habit of owing favors.

Lu Yidong’s hand paused on the doorknob; he hadn’t expected himself to actually agree.

He heard Shen Qiu ask doubtfully, “Should I change my shoes when I enter?”

He cleared his throat to cover up: “The shoes are on the left side.”

He scrolled through the WeChat Moments he had just added, seeing picture after picture of delicious food.

He was slightly distracted. Perhaps the food Shen Qiu made truly looked too delicious and tempting.

Shen Qiu skillfully tied on an apron, busy in the warm yellow kitchen, even humming a cheerful tune to himself.

This was starkly different from the reputation of a pathetic lickspittle that circulated in their circles.

Lu Yidong was unconsciously staring at the Moments when Shen Qiu’s voice brought his attention back.

“By the way, you eat seafood, right?” Shen Qiu asked while cleaning razor clams.

“Mhm.”

“Any other dietary restrictions?”

“No.”

Shen Qiu chuckled: “That’s good.”

He added cooking wine and shredded ginger to the water, blanched the razor clams, and then took them out. Cold pot, cold oil. He added seasonings and chili peppers, slowly coaxing out the aroma.

When the oil was hot, he stir-fried the razor clams over low heat. The cleaned razor clams were white, plump, and beautiful.

He added dark soy sauce for color and thickened the sauce with cornstarch water. Every razor clam was coated in the rich sauce.

Lu Yidong couldn’t see what was being cooked in the pot, but the exclusive savory, spicy, and fresh scent of seafood was slowly diffusing. He involuntarily swallowed.

The look in his eyes towards the kitchen held a hint of anticipation.

Shen Qiu also quickly stir-fried garlic baby cabbage and sliced pork with chili peppers.

The pungent spice of the chili peppers shot straight up his nose, making people want to sneeze from the fragrance.

The minced garlic was also his specialty: half was fried in oil until cooked, and the other half was kept raw. He also added oyster sauce and abalone juice for seasoning, drizzling it over the baby cabbage to enhance the aroma and freshness.

Lu Yidong looked at him, his nose surrounded by the fragrance: “…You are very good at cooking.”

Shen Qiu’s eyes instantly lit up, and he humbly smiled: “You helped me, so I must put in a hundred and twenty percent effort.”

The kitchen’s range hood was still whirring loudly when the doorbell suddenly rang.

Lu Yidong opened the door, and a head immediately squeezed inside.

“Why aren’t you replying to my WeChat messages?” Zhuo Yifan asked, shrugging his nose. His eyes suddenly lit up: “Why does it smell so good? No wonder you didn’t want to go out to eat!”

He lived next door to Lu Yidong and had been his old friend for many years, so he wasn’t intimidated by him.

Seeing Shen Qiu, he teased: “Not bad.”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Lu Yidong frowned. He introduced: “This is Zhuo Yifan, this is Shen Qiu… my friend.”

He ignored Zhuo Yifan winking at him.

Zhuo Yifan turned to Shen Qiu, being very familiar: “Did you make this? It smells so good.” He blinked his eyes, pretending to be pitiful: “Can I join in?”

Shen Qiu looked at Lu Yidong, unsure, signaling him to decide.

This obedient look pleased Lu Yidong, and his expression subtly softened.

He turned and shot a cold look at Zhuo Yifan before nodding.

“Dinner is served!” Shen Qiu brought the dishes to the table and took off his apron.

None of the three had the “no talking during meals” rule, and they chatted casually for a couple of sentences at the dinner table, making the atmosphere harmonious.

Zhuo Yifan shoveled down his rice, genuinely praising: “Your cooking skills are amazing! What is this? It’s so fresh!”

“King Razor Clams, dug up this afternoon, so they’re quite fresh.”

Shen Qiu explained to Lu Yidong: “I went beach foraging this afternoon.”

Lu Yidong nodded calmly.

Shen Qiu smiled awkwardly, feeling involuntarily reserved around Lu Yidong.

Someone as serious and formal as Lu Yidong surely wouldn’t be interested in novelties like this.

Seeing the two of them enjoying the food, he quickly steered the conversation toward the delicious meal.

He had to admit, Shen Qiu’s cooking skills were genuinely excellent.

The spicy stir-fried razor clams were perfect with rice. Zhuo Yifan even finished the whole dish, mixing the sauce with rice and eating every last grain.

“You don’t need to clean up, the cleaning lady will come,” Lu Yidong stopped him after the meal.

Shen Qiu nodded: “…Then, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going? I’m truly sorry for today, and thank you.”

“It’s nothing.” After eating, Lu Yidong’s expression was much more relaxed: “Since you treated me, let’s consider the slate wiped clean.”

After Shen Qiu left, Lu Yidong heard Zhuo Yifan immediately revert to his true self, yelling and shouting.

“Spill the beans! When I first came in, I thought you were keeping a mistress!” (The idiom literally means “hiding a beauty in a golden house,” meaning keeping a mistress.)

Lu Yidong reached up and rubbed his temple, offering no reply.

Zhuo Yifan, finding himself uninteresting, scoffed, then looked as if he saw through something and fell silent.

“Alright, I came to talk about serious business. There’s been a breakthrough in the matter you asked me to investigate.”

Lu Yidong refocused his attention, signaling him to continue.

Zhuo Yifan carefully chose his words: “The Yu family has shares in the Yu Jia Company, which has been suppressing Sheng Hao Group.”

Lu Yidong’s expression turned cold, and he sneered: “Yu Shilian still hasn’t given up?”

He rubbed his brow, his tone weary: “Is Lu Fu involved?”

Yu Shilian was Lu Fu’s mother and the wife of Lu Yidong’s eldest brother, Lu Yixia.

This woman had a vicious heart and considerable ambition. With such a large family fortune in the Lu family, she naturally wanted her son to inherit it.

However, since she indirectly caused Lu Yixia’s death, he would never allow her to take over the family business.

Any consideration he gave Lu Fu was purely out of respect for his older brother.

Zhuo Yifan pursed his lips: “I haven’t found out how much Lu Fu knows yet…”

“Forget it, no need to investigate,” Lu Yidong waved his hand to stop him, sounding slightly disappointed. “She just wants to use this opportunity to claim I’m mismanaging the company, so the board will replace me with her son.”

“But the funds are indeed running short right now… look,” Zhuo Yifan looked at Lu Yidong’s face, “Didn’t your mother leave you an inheritance before she passed away?”

Lu Yidong sighed lightly: “That money…”

“I know Auntie, fearing you’d be lonely, stipulated that you can only inherit it after you get married. But this is an emergency situation. We mainly need to secure that shareholding to have a stable foundation.”

“You can find someone for a contractual marriage, and then divorce later.”

What Zhuo Yifan said was not without reason.

Lu Yidong frowned and pondered for a long time, ultimately saying nothing.

Zhuo Yifan, wanting to lighten the mood, teased: “But for a lonely old man like you, not only do you lack a suitable candidate, but who can withstand your cold demeanor?”

Lu Yidong looked at Zhuo Yifan and pointed to the door: “Go home if you have nothing else to do.”

“Truly used and discarded.” Zhuo Yifan pouted, instructing before leaving: “Think carefully. I heard some old directors are already dissatisfied with you. Don’t let the Yu family benefit!”

Lu Yidong: “Go home.”

Zhuo Yifan rubbed his chin, half-jokingly saying: “That young man just now was quite good. Handsome, can cook, presentable in the living room, capable in the kitchen…”

Lu Yidong looked at him coldly. Zhuo Yifan shrugged his shoulders, shrunk his neck, and wisely left.

Lu Yidong closed the door and sat silently on the sofa for a long time, so long that the cleaning lady arrived to tidy up and wash the dishes.

There was still a little bit of the chili oil Shen Qiu had carefully stir-fried left on the plate. Even cold, it emitted a fragrance.

The cleaning lady couldn’t help but sigh while washing the dishes: “What did Mr. Lu eat today? It smells so good.”

A picture of Shen Qiu wearing an apron and cooking suddenly flashed through Lu Yidong’s mind. His fingers slightly curled: “…Nothing, a friend made it.”