Since we are both reborn, of course I would choose the rich woman!

Chapter 294 Lü Yao is Missing (6k views, please subscribe)

Beneath the magnificent sky, which gradually turned from deep blue to purple, stood the sacred mountain, its golden light becoming ever more dazzling. Against the backdrop of towering, snow-capped peaks, the rolling hills and all of this formed the background beside Hu Xiaoyu.

At this breathtakingly beautiful moment, Hu Xiaoyu used the gold ring she had prepared to marry Lü Yao.

When a woman goes to this lengths for you, what man could say no in this situation?
Lü Yao couldn't answer either.

At this moment, he was completely controlled by the chaotic thoughts surging in his mind.

How dare she say such a thing?

Is it because there's no one around here?

But this is indeed incredibly romantic: to love you when no one is around, to marry you with the sacred mountain as witness... An indescribable impulse surged in Lü Yao's chest, an impulse like a raging fire, wantonly burning his soul.

So much so that Lü Yao had to admit that Hu Xiaoyu was much braver than him.

So, Lü Yao gritted his teeth, knelt down, and put the simple, round-on-the-inside-square-on-the-outside ring on Hu Xiaoyu's left ring finger.

Lu Yao looked up at Hu Xiaoyu in front of him. Her beautiful face reflected a warm and lovely arc of light under the setting sun of the Sichuan-Western Plateau, making Hu Xiaoyu's image in Lu Yao's mind almost perfect at this moment.

Sincerely, Lü Yao said earnestly, "Thank you."

Hu Xiaoyu smiled, and with the hand that was wearing the ring, she took Lü Yao's hand and pulled him up from the ground. Then, Hu Xiaoyu took out another large lacquered wooden box from her pocket, opened it, and revealed Lü Yao's gold wedding ring inside.

She not only prepared a wedding ring for Lü Yao, but also prepared a wedding ring for Lü Yao.

With the sacred mountain as our witness, we celebrate together under the setting sun.

The snow and wind of the plateau and the continuous mountains are the audience.

Hu Xiaoyu put another ring on Lü Yao's finger, then looked up at him with eyes full of tenderness. Their hands, both wearing wedding rings, clasped together, and Hu Xiaoyu said, "No matter what happens in the future, no matter what the future holds, I have married you."

"I do not regret."

Lu Yao felt dizzy, as if he had suddenly started experiencing altitude sickness.

In both his past and present lives, Lü Yao had never encountered a woman like Hu Xiaoyu. Although he had been in contact with many girls from art colleges, the most valuable thing about those girls was their title of "art student."

In terms of intellectual depth, romanticism, and even sincerity, none of the others can compare to Hu Xiaoyu.

seriously.

Since Lu Yao first came into contact with Hu Xiaoyu, Hu Xiaoyu's every move has been unpredictable and difficult for Lu Yao to handle.

This made Lü Yao feel like a complete novice in Hu Xiaoyu's eyes.

With his head spinning, Lü Yao couldn't help but think of Brother Chen, who used to sell mooncakes in his live stream. Brother Chen, who had been a prominent figure in the film and television industry and walked the line between good and evil, had seen all sorts of storms. Yet, in that mooncake-selling live stream, he was as stunned as a greenhorn.

Knew it.

When people are in unfamiliar territory, their past experiences can become obstacles.

Taking advantage of the beautiful scenery and timing of the "Golden Mountain Sunrise," Hu Xiaoyu finally accomplished what she had always wanted to do. Then she pulled Lü Yao back under the sky to enjoy the last beautiful sight of the Golden Mountain Sunrise together.

As the sky here gradually turns white and purple, and finally becomes a deeper and more ethereal blue, the last rays of daylight are about to disappear.

Sitting side by side, nestled together, Lü Yao and Hu Xiaoyu couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

Hu Xiaoyu said, "It's time to go back."

Lü Yao nodded: "Okay."

After their initial surprise and excitement, Lü Yao and Hu Xiaoyu became somewhat silent, much like the ending of the movie "The Graduate," where the male and female protagonists excitedly board a bus after eloping, but as the initial shock and excitement faded, confusion gradually appeared on their faces.

What will the future hold?
How will they make a living?
Will they, living such a passionate and exciting life, achieve a happy ending in the end?

None of these questions have answers.

These same questions were also churning in Lü Yao's mind, so much so that after returning to the guesthouse, Hu Xiaoyu and Lü Yao became somewhat estranged, their eyes trembling slightly every time they met.

There are too many problems that cannot be ignored standing between them.

So after having dinner at the guesthouse, Lü Yao and Hu Xiaoyu simply said goodnight to each other and went back to their respective rooms.

Lu Yao had no idea what Hu Xiaoyu was thinking. Anyway, once back in his room, Lu Yao started to think about how likely it was that they would be together in the future, and how much resistance they would encounter if they ignored the advice and got together.
If this were today, Lü Yao's current achievements would still not be enough to impress Hu Xiaoyu's family and get them to accept him.

Therefore, he must achieve enough merit to become a hero in the eyes of the world in order to break through all obstacles and gain the approval of Hu Xiaoyu's family.

at this point.

Lü Yao had already been making plans and taking action.

Microlight International is one of his trump cards against the future.

Five or six years later, when the West began to blockade the domestic chip design and manufacturing industry, preventing Dongda from obtaining the right to use high-end chips, Lu Yao and his team, with Weiguang Design, launched their products after years of quiet development, which were enough to shock the world.

His achievement of breaking the Western world's blockade in one fell swoop was enough to make Lü Yao a hero in that period of time, and he would use this emotion to quickly build his golden image.

With such a halo of prestige, Hu Xiaoyu's family situation should be manageable.

However, before that, it's best to keep Lü Yao and Hu Xiaoyu's secret engagement a secret.

but.

The most difficult thing to deal with next wasn't Hu Xiaoyu's family, but the personal relationships involved with Lü Yao.

Wang Shu, Jian Xiaojie, Zhou Bella, Cheng Xinyu, and even Li Rongzhen, who is already pregnant... How will Lü Yao face them? It's not that he can't be as brave as Hu Xiaoyu, but these people are not only close to him, but also important partners in his career.

Is Hu Xiaoyu able to accept this?

Lu Yao didn't even dare to ask, and it was precisely because these things were unsolvable that Lu Yao returned to his room in a daze.

This is a problem that is almost unsolvable.

Therefore, Lü Yao plans to have a good, frank discussion with Hu Xiaoyu about this topic tomorrow.

Since they first met, Lü Yao and Hu Xiaoyu have been avoiding this issue, but it's time to bring it to the forefront and resolve it.

So how should we start?

Will Hu Xiaoyu be very angry?

What if we can't reach an agreement?

One question after another surged through Lü Yao's mind, but ultimately, these were questions he himself could not answer. Even so, these questions appeared uncontrollably in Lü Yao's mind, causing his spirit to be constantly drained by them.

Finally, Lü Yao fell into a deep sleep due to mental exhaustion.

Lu Yao slept straight until almost 10 a.m. the next day. Even though he had slept for a long time, when he woke up, Lu Yao still felt that his head was foggy and unclear.

Since returning from studying abroad, Lü Yao hadn't felt this bad in a long time.

This is not the weariness after physical exertion, but the mental exhaustion from a depleted spirit.

Fortunately, this problem can be solved today.

Lu Yao made himself a cup of coffee, smoked a cigarette while drinking it, and after his mind finally cleared up, he washed up properly. After dressing himself up in a particularly smart way, the numb and tired mind that he had when he first woke up recovered a lot.

He looked around the guesthouse, upstairs and downstairs, but couldn't find Hu Xiaoyu.

This puzzled Lü Yao. Was she getting up so late today? Could it be that she had insomnia last night, just like him, because she was overthinking things?
Lu Yao smiled and went to Hu Xiaoyu's room. He knocked on the door, but after waiting for a while, there was no response from inside. During those few seconds of waiting, Lu Yao suddenly had a very bad feeling.

He knocked on the door again, and when there was still no response, Lü Yao pushed the door open forcefully.

Then--

Lü Yao stood there, stunned.

Hu Xiaoyu's guest room looked tidy, but it wasn't the kind of professional tidying style you'd find in a guesthouse or inn. You could tell at a glance that Hu Xiaoyu had tidied it herself. Everything in the room was arranged neatly, and it was very clean.

But all traces of Hu Xiaoyu have disappeared here.

Lu Yao suddenly felt a pang of fear, as if his heart had been grabbed and then slashed hard with a knife.

Hu Xiaoyu is gone?
But why?

What about all that stuff we made yesterday?

Standing in the spacious and tidy room, Lü Yao felt a tremendous sense of unreality, as if a mountain had collapsed and a tsunami had crashed down upon him, to the point that Lü Yao began to doubt his memories of yesterday.

Did they really go to see the sunrise over the sacred mountain yesterday? Did Hu Xiaoyu really get engaged to him in front of the sacred mountain? Or—

Did Hu Xiaoyu really come on this trip with me?
Could it be that all of this is just my imagination?
So he called Hu Xiaoyu, but no one answered the phone.

Lu Yao staggered out of Hu Xiaoyu's room and, almost distraught, found the guesthouse manager and asked, "Where is the guest in that room? Do you know where she went?"

The butler asked, puzzled, "Gone? Could they have gone out?"

"call--"

Lu Yao breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the housekeeper also knew of Hu Xiaoyu's existence. Hu Xiaoyu was no longer in the room; she wasn't just a hallucination.

Then Lü Yao went to the supply vehicle and asked about Hu Xiaoyu's whereabouts. The team members in the supply vehicle were also puzzled, as they did not know where Hu Xiaoyu was. Even the butler in the bus and RV did not know where Hu Xiaoyu was.

We can't get in touch with them.

Even when they called Hu Xiaoyu's home, no one answered.

Having no other option, Lü Yao went to find Xiao Ayi, who was herding yaks outside, and asked her if she knew anything, but Xiao Ayi looked completely clueless.

Where did Hu Xiaoyu go?!

They searched from a little after 10 a.m. until after 11 p.m., but no one at the guesthouse knew where Hu Xiaoyu was. Since this was in China, there shouldn't be any surprises; it just meant that Hu Xiaoyu had left on her own.

But why?

Lu Yao returned to the inn and, after thinking for a while, took out his phone and sent a message to Rong Nianqing: "Do you know what Hu Xiaoyu's plans are lately?" A minute or two later, Rong Nianqing replied: "What plans? Didn't I hear she went on a trip with you recently? Did something happen between you two?"

Lu Yao looked at the message that came back, but he didn't react or reply.

A minute or two later, Rong Nianqing sent another message: "I heard Xiao Yu mention before that she's going back to England for further studies to help restore some cultural relics that have been exported from China. But that's a trip for the foreseeable future."

Lu Yao replied expressionlessly: "Okay, thank you very much, President Rong."

Putting his phone away again, Lü Yao finally accepted the current situation.

If nothing unexpected happens, Hu Xiaoyu should already be on a plane heading abroad.

and so……

She arranged this trip before going abroad.

and so.

This was both a meticulously planned wedding and a long-planned farewell.

Sitting in the courtyard of the guesthouse, Lü Yao couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Hu Xiaoyu, oh Hu Xiaoyu..."

"So you've just pushed this difficult problem away like that?"

At this point, Lü Yao finally learned about all of Hu Xiaoyu's recent arrangements and thoughts.

She knew there were huge obstacles between them, and she understood that she couldn't face all the women around Lü Yao, nor could she resolve the interests and personal relationships involved in those women; at the same time, she understood her own feelings better than anyone else.

If we cannot stay together forever, then let us have a brief moment of brilliance and fleeting beauty.

That's how this trip to western Sichuan came about.

At the most glorious and dazzling moment when the sun shines on the golden mountains, witnessed by the sky and the earth, the snow and the mountains, the wind and the hills, marry the person you have always loved and cherished.

Lü Yao slumped back on the bench, gazing at the clear, azure sky above western Sichuan...

But why did you leave me here? Lü Yao remembered what Hu Xiaoyu had said: the sacred mountain not only stands tall between heaven and earth, but also weighs heavily on people's hearts.

Lu Yao didn't know if Hu Xiaoyu had left the sacred mountain, but he knew that he was also trapped inside it by Hu Xiaoyu.

A complex mix of emotions surged within Lü Yao, almost threatening to overwhelm him.

Along with the surge of emotions came countless scenes that Lü Yao and Hu Xiaoyu had experienced during this period.

At Hu Xiaoyu's residence in Hangzhou, the talented Hu Xiaoyu cooked for her, then asked herself, "How is it, Lü Yao? Is it delicious?"

As she came out of the Chinese painting gallery after finishing her work, she said with a smile, "Let's go~"

When they were at Tianmen Cave...

In Bipenggou...

"Lu Yao, this place is so beautiful!"

"Lu Yao, aren't you tired?"

"Lü Yao, I'm scared."

"Lü Yao~"

“Lü Yao…”

Scene after scene from the past strung together in Lü Yao's mind, almost forming a memoir of his deceased wife. Lü Yao closed his eyes in distress, but even with his eyes closed, those sounds and images still flickered in his ears and before his eyes.

When Lü Yao saw Hu Xiaoyu's exquisitely beautiful face, reflecting the pure sunlight of the plateau, close to his eyes, she smiled and said, "Lü Yao, I'm leaving now~"

call--

Lu Yao exhaled a breath of stale air, which transformed into a long, thick dragon of energy in the frigid winter of western Sichuan.

"Leaving before even consummating the marriage is so irresponsible."

……

February 8th, the Spring Festival of 2016.

Wang Shu, who was far away in New Zealand, took out his phone again to send a message to Lü Yao, sharing what had happened to her recently and asking how Lü Yao was doing and if her trip was going smoothly.

However, the chat box on her phone had stopped two days ago, and all the messages after that were from Wang Shu. Lü Yao hadn't replied to a single message from her yet.

Yesterday, Wang Shu didn't care much. Lü Yao was very busy and it was normal for him not to reply to messages. Moreover, Wang Shu knew that Lü Yao had many people around him, so she was quite restrained when chatting with him. But it was still rare for him not to reply to messages for two days.

But the thought that Lü Yao might be with Hu Xiaoyu at this time made Wang Shu feel a tightness in her chest, so she forced herself not to think about these things.

Perhaps their journey was enjoyable, and Lü Yao also enjoyed the time he spent with Hu Xiaoyu.

But that evening, Wang Shu suddenly received a Chinese New Year greeting from Yao Qiguang, the president of game business operations at Lü Yao's company. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Yao Qiguang asked, "Ms. Wang, do you have our boss's contact information? I can't reach him."

Wang Shu was immediately confused: "Can't get in touch?"

Yao Qiguang said on the phone, "Yes, I originally wanted to congratulate President Lü on the New Year and give him a quick update on the company's recent situation, especially the launch of the new game a few days ago and the impact of the annual meeting."

"But I sent the message a long time ago and Mr. Lü didn't reply to me. And no one answered when I called him."

Wang Shu's heart skipped a beat, and a very bad premonition surged into her mind.

In her memory, although Lü Yao was a womanizer, he was very serious about his career and rarely failed to reply to messages from his subordinates. This situation immediately made Wang Shu realize that something was wrong.

Wang Shu immediately asked to confirm, "Is it just you who can't be reached, or is it that no one else can be reached?"

Before calling Wang Shu, Yao Qiguang had already confirmed with everyone else, and even Wang Shu's number was obtained from Gan Xiaoxi. Therefore, Yao Qiguang said with particular seriousness and certainty, "We can't contact anyone here."

broken!

Wang Shu felt a little buzzing in her head, but she quickly forced herself to calm down and said calmly, "Your CEO Lü has gone on vacation. He probably has a lot of worries lately and wants to relax. It's okay, don't worry."

Hearing Wang Shu say this, Yao Qiguang finally felt a little more at ease.

Yao Qiguang continued over the phone, "Haha, that's good. After you get in touch with General Manager Lü, tell him that everyone in the company misses him and wants to wish him a Happy New Year."

Wang Shu forced a smile: "Okay, definitely."

After the call ended, Wang Shu's smile vanished instantly. She immediately took out her phone and asked in their small group chat, "Do you have any news about Lü Yao?"

A while later, Gan Xiaoxi replied in the group chat: "Didn't I hear that you went on a trip with Sister Xiaoyu?"

"@Lv Yao, come out and say something. Is it that fun outside? We haven't heard anything from you lately."

The group was quiet, and Lü Yao, who had been tagged, did not appear.

Rong Nianqing: "Sister Shu, what's going on?"

Wang Shu: "Lü Yao has disappeared. Not only can I not contact him, but even his subordinates can't contact him. I don't know what exactly happened."

Chien Hsiao-chieh: "[Question] He's gone missing again? What's going on?"

After a while, Gan Xiaoxi replied in the group: "I asked all the senior executives of Lu Yao's companies, as well as the employees who have been in frequent contact with Lu Yao, and they all said that they have not been in contact with Lu Yao recently."

"Damn it, what is he doing?"

Wang Shu was filled with anxiety: "Could something have happened?"

Jian Xiaojie immediately comforted her: "Don't worry, I think Lu Yao is a complete menace. He can leave a lasting legacy of evil for a thousand years. If all else fails, I'll ask a friend to look for him."

Rong Nianqing: "I'll do it. I'll leave tonight."

Lu Yao is now an almost indispensable figure in Rong Nianqing's business empire. The interests involved in Lu Yao alone are quite significant. Unbeknownst to many, Lu Yao has become a very important figure in Rong Nianqing's circle.

Both morally and logically, she should take responsibility at this moment.

Wang Shu said gratefully in the group: "Then I'll leave it to President Rong. Please remember to let us know after you find Lü Yao."

Rong Nianqing: "Okay."

……

February 11th, the third day of the Lunar New Year.

After finally confirming Lü Yao's last known location through various connections, Rong Nianqing took a private plane and then a private car to the vicinity of Mount Siguniang in western Sichuan. She first found the guesthouse where Lü Yao and his group had stayed. After some negotiation, Xiao Ayi, the guesthouse owner, finally mustered up the courage to lead Rong Nianqing and her group to the mountains.

Led by Xiao Ayi, they walked along the winding and rugged mountain road, and finally saw a small wooden house standing far away on the vast white grassland and the edge of the cedar forest.

Upon seeing the little wooden house, Xiao Ayi immediately exclaimed, "Brother Lü is right there!"

There are no roads here, and to protect the natural environment, cars are not allowed to come up, so they came on horseback.

Fortunately, Rong Nianqing was a good horseman, and Xiao Ayi was practically a daughter on horseback. So when she heard Xiao Ayi say that, Rong Nianqing suddenly spurred her horse and quickly rushed towards the small wooden house.

The horse's hooves flew swiftly, kicking up puffs of snowflakes.

Rong Nianqing quickly crossed the remaining distance and arrived at the wooden house, where she finally saw Lü Yao, who had disappeared for several days.

At this moment, Lü Yao was wearing a dirty woolen felt cloak and a woolen felt hat. His once handsome and dashing face had become rough and dull, with high-altitude redness on his cheeks and dry, peeling skin on the red veins.

Lu Yao's lips were also very dry, and there was even a sparse stubble around his mouth.

At this moment, Lü Yao looked just like a somewhat handsome homeless man.

He sat under the eaves of the wooden house, holding a thermos in his hand, and looked up at Rong Nianqing on her tall horse.

Rong Nianqing did not speak.

Dressed in thick, warm hunting attire and a fur coat, she rode her horse with the dashing air of a bandit leader roaring through the mountains. Upon spotting Lü Yao, Rong Nianqing did not dismount but silently watched him sitting under the eaves.

(End of this chapter)