Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

Du Lingling did not give Lu Yang an immediate reply.

Instead, they remained silent.

After feeding the baby, she handed the baby back to Lu Yang and asked, "Let's not talk about anything else for now. Have you decided what to name the baby?"

He left in a huff and went to a foreign country.

Although I went through childbirth and came back from the brink of death.

Du Lingling has figured it out.

However, she still found it difficult to open her mouth and agree to this man's request right now.

Only after Du Lingling was sure the child was fast asleep did she gently hand the tiny, swaddled body to Lu Yang, her movements carrying a maternal instinct for protection.

"Let's not talk about anything else for now." Her voice was clearer than when she was breastfeeding, less hoarse and tired, but still calm and composed, skillfully avoiding Lu Yang's offer. "Have you decided what to name the baby?"

Lu Yang steadily took his son's calloused fingertips and carefully touched his delicate cheek, feeling the throbbing of blood ties.

Seeing Du Lingling's attempt to change the subject, he felt a sense of clarity.

A knowing smile appeared on Lu Yang's lips. He followed her words, his tone gentle yet somewhat matter-of-fact: "Let me think about it carefully—"

He paused, then looked at Du Lingling with a smile, deliberately drawing out his words, "This child will definitely have the surname Lu, it can't possibly have your surname Du, can it?"

These were meant to lighten the mood and were meant to be playful and affectionate remarks.

Du Lingling suddenly looked up, her once sharp and intimidating eyes widening instantly. The unyielding aura of a former deputy director-level cadre seemed to return in an instant, and her tone took on a cold sharpness: "Why not? He is my son. I carried him for ten months and crawled back from the brink of death to give birth to him. Why can't he take my surname, Du?"

Lu Yang was taken aback by her sudden counterattack, but he quickly realized that it wasn't really about the surname, but rather that she had found an outlet for her pent-up emotions, and it was also a small retaliation against his previous "taken-for-granted" attitude.

He immediately adopted a wronged and submissive look, as if overwhelmed by her imposing manner, and hurriedly said, "Okay, okay, how about that? As long as you're happy, the surname Du is fine, I have no objection! How about Du... what's a good name for Du?" He even began to think about it seriously.

This overly hasty and seemingly indifferent "compromise" was like a bucket of cold water poured on Du Lingling's newly emerging momentum.

She was unhappy.

I am very unhappy.

Du Lingling glared at her.

They adopted the attitude of a former deputy director-level official, saying, "What's wrong with that? He's my son, so why can't he take my surname, Du?"

Lu Yang: "..."

He held his son, watching the woman's ever-changing, yet incredibly vivid, expressions of anger, and felt both amused and exasperated.

Well, she's right no matter what.

Neither way is right.

But at this moment, he felt no impatience, but rather tenderness and pity.

"Okay, okay, I was wrong." Lu Yang immediately softened his tone, hugged his son and moved closer to the bedside, gently nudging her with his shoulder. "Our son is of course the most important person, whether he's surnamed Lu or Du, he deserves the best. You can have whatever surname you want, as long as you don't get angry. Seeing you angry makes our son frown."

He deliberately exaggeratedly gestured to the child in his arms.

Du Lingling glanced at the little guy who was sleeping soundly and completely unaware of what was happening, and then looked at Lu Yang's face, which was full of helplessness but with gentle eyes. All her anger deflated like a punctured balloon, leaving only a hint of awkwardness that she herself found amusing.

She rolled her eyes at Lu Yang, gently straightened her son's swaddling clothes, and said nothing more.

A minor dispute over surnames quietly subsided in the warm hospital ward.

Time, like the Rhine River, slipped by quietly in the peaceful town on the outskirts of Frankfurt for a month.

Lu Yang truly turned down all urgent and non-urgent domestic affairs and communications, like a stubborn nail, firmly "nailed" to Du Lingling and her son.

He is no longer the business tycoon who can turn the world upside down with a flick of his wrist, but more like a clumsy yet incredibly earnest new father and a dutiful "caregiver".

Changing diapers and preparing formula leaves me flustered and overwhelmed. I wake up immediately in the middle of the night to soothe my baby when he cries. I awkwardly learn how to bathe and dress my child.

After a month, the sharp aura he had always possessed, which stemmed from his high position, had been worn down considerably, replaced by a down-to-earth and approachable gentleness.

Du Lingling has recovered well, and the glow of motherhood has restored a captivating radiance to her pale face.

Looking at this man who was once strong and domineering, but now willing to give up everything for her and their child, the last bit of ice in her heart quietly melted away with the daily care and the cries and laughter of the little life.

On the day the baby turned one month old, the sun shone brightly outside the window.

The little one, dressed in a festive red outfit, lay in his crib waving his tiny fists, his dark, grape-like eyes curiously looking around.

Lu Yang was carefully teasing his son with a rattle drum, a pure and satisfied smile on his face.

Du Lingling leaned back in the soft chair by the window, quietly watching the scene.

The sunlight outlined Lu Yang's focused profile and the child's innocent appearance.

After a long silence, she spoke softly, her voice calm yet possessing a penetrating insight that seemed to see through everything:

"You just abandoned all your work back home, and all those...personal relationships, to stay here and waste a month with me,"

She paused, her gaze falling on Lu Yang, "Do you really have no regrets at all?"

Lu Yang continued teasing his son without pausing, not even raising his head, his tone as natural as if discussing the weather: "Regret? What's there to regret? I've said it before, unless you agree to come back with me, I'm staying here. The company won't go bankrupt a month away from me, and the world won't collapse a month away from me."

His nonchalant attitude made Du Lingling frown slightly. "What about your company? Century Group is such a huge operation, with many subsidiaries, supporting tens of thousands of people. As the boss, you've suddenly disappeared for so long without a word. Aren't you afraid the company will fall into chaos? Aren't you afraid your subordinates will take the opportunity to cause trouble?"

She listed the obvious risks.

Lu Yang then raised his head, his eyes resolute, radiating confidence that he was in control of the situation: "Don't worry. It's not like I haven't taken longer vacations before. If something really happens, phone calls and video calls are enough to handle critical decisions. The core team is very stable; they know how to operate." Du Lingling looked at his composed demeanor and knew that what he said was true.

This man's control over the group is far deeper than outsiders imagine.

But there was another question, deeper and more personal, that had lingered in her mind for a month, and she finally asked it now:
"Then...where's your wife?" She uttered the word with a barely perceptible strain in her voice, her gaze shifting to the window. "And your female confidantes...you've suddenly vanished for so long, won't they look for you? Won't they cause a huge uproar?"

Lu Yang's smile faded. He put down the rattle drum, stood up, and walked to Du Lingling. His tall figure blocked part of the sunlight.

He crouched down, his gaze level with hers, his deep eyes looking directly into hers, unwavering, revealing only frankness and an almost cold honesty:

“They are my women, and you are my woman too.” His voice was deep and clear, each word like a pebble thrown into a lake. “Losing any one of them would make me sad and reluctant. Likewise, losing you would make me sad.”

His gaze was intense, carrying an undeniable weight. "I will also be sad, I will regret it for the rest of my life. Since losing anyone is painful, why can't I choose not to lose any of them?"

Such straightforward and frank "scumbag quotes," without any embellishment or explanation, were laid bare before Du Lingling.

Du Lingling was stunned.

She had imagined his excuses, his predicaments, his promises, but she never expected such a frank declaration of "I want it all".

A sense of absurdity, bitterness, and a touch of indescribable relief intertwined.

Looking at his self-righteous demeanor, she finally managed a bitter smile, followed by an uncontrollable, self-deprecating chuckle.

"Heh...hehe..." She shook her head, laughing so hard that tears almost welled up in the corners of her eyes. "Lu Yang, you really are...the number one bastard in the world."

She cursed, but her tone no longer held the resentment of before; instead, it carried a sense of helpless resignation.

Yes, what else can we do?

She had already given birth to his children, and her heart softened.

Du Lingling has always been able to let go easily. Since she chose to turn back and see his clumsy efforts and sincere companionship over the past month, she has to accept him as a person and everything behind him that is complicated and messy.

Love or resentment, in the end, nothing can overcome the pure smile of her son and the bond of blood.

"Fine." She let out a long breath, as if a huge burden had been lifted, her voice calm as she looked directly into Lu Yang's eyes. "Have your men book the plane tickets."

She finally relented!

A tremendous light of surprise instantly flashed in Lu Yang's eyes!

He jumped to his feet, his excitement overflowing like a child who had just received candy. Forgetting to lower his voice, he shouted loudly towards the door, "Hey, you outside! Did you hear me? Book your tickets right now! The fastest flight back home!"

"Be gentle!" Du Lingling was startled by him and glared at him reproachfully, "You're scaring the child!"

The little one in the swaddling clothes indeed whimpered twice in dissatisfaction.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Dad was wrong..." Lu Yang quickly bent down and gently patted his son, but his face was still full of a bright smile. He turned to Du Lingling and said, "I'm so happy! Lingling, let's go home!"

Seeing his undisguised joy, Du Lingling felt as if the last trace of gloom in her heart had been dispelled by the sunshine.

Her lips curved slightly, but she quickly regained her composure and said calmly, "Don't be so happy or apologetic yet. Tell me. When we go back this time, you're definitely planning to settle me in Hong Kong again, right?"

Lu Yang nodded: "The environment at Taiping Mountain is nice and quiet, which is suitable for you and your child."

"You can arrange the accommodation." Du Lingling waved her hand, her eyes regaining their own light as a career woman. "But I definitely can't just stay at home taking care of the baby. After resting for so long, my bones are almost rusty. Now that I'm a month old and my body has recovered, I should find something to do."

Lu Yang was overjoyed upon hearing this!

He knew that Du Lingling's abilities were far from ordinary, and letting her remain idle would be the greatest waste.

He immediately responded enthusiastically: "That's easy! Which of those projects I mentioned before do you want to take over? The townhouses on Victoria Peak for renovation? Or the Cyberport site? Or the Asia Semiconductor Centre? You can choose whatever you like!"

Du Lingling frowned slightly and began to think seriously.

The sunlight streaming through the window fell on her serene profile, making her appear exceptionally focused.

“Little Genius Company…” She hesitated for a moment before directly rejecting the option. “It’s an important cash cow under Century Group, and it’s also the culmination of your hard work. I won’t get involved, lest it cause any complications.” Her tone was calm, yet she clearly drew a line, demonstrating her high emotional intelligence and subtle grasp of complex relationships.

"As for Cyberport's Asia Semiconductor Centre..." She paused and shook her head. "The technical threshold is too high, the professionalism is too strong, and it requires long-term in-depth cultivation. I have been away from front-line technical management for too long, and my energy is limited. I don't want to touch such a large-scale and extremely energy-consuming strategic project for the time being."

Lu Yang listened patiently, his eyes full of encouragement.

Du Lingling's gaze finally became clear and firm. She raised her head and looked at Lu Yang: "Those houses on the top of Victoria Peak are quite interesting. I want to take them over, try to integrate them, replan them, and turn them into detached ultra-luxury villas or top-tier apartments, and then sell them."

"You want to do real estate development in the port city?" Lu Yang was a little surprised, as this seemed to deviate from her previous professional background within the system.

“No.” Du Lingling shook her head decisively, her eyes gleaming with shrewd calculation. “It’s just a one-off deal. This project is of moderate size, with a relatively controllable cycle and quick capital recovery. The high-end real estate market in Hong Kong is relatively mature and stable, and Victoria Peak is a scarce resource. Integrating, renovating, and increasing its value before selling it is a good opportunity to practice.”

She analyzed logically, "Once this project is completed and things are sorted out, I'll see if there are any other areas in Gangcheng or Daya Bay that are more suitable for my long-term development."

Her thinking is extremely clear and pragmatic.

Looking at the renewed fighting spirit in her eyes and the confident demeanor she exuded, Lu Yang felt as if he were seeing Director Du, who had once been so sharp and assertive at the negotiating table.

He was filled with satisfaction and appreciation, and nodded without hesitation:

"Alright! Whatever makes you happy! Those houses on the mountaintop, along with the related renovation funds and teams, are all yours to allocate! Just tell Xiao Jiu what kind of people you need and how much budget you require, or have the person in charge in Hong Kong fully cooperate with you!"

He handed over the top-tier property worth hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars and the huge subsequent investment to his doting daughter as easily as handing over an ordinary gift, without the slightest hesitation or doubt, only complete trust and support.

This courage gave Du Lingling a slight tremor, but more than that, it gave her a warm feeling of being recognized and entrusted with something.

She knew that from the moment she agreed to his request, she could never leave him. (End of Chapter)