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

Chapter 367 Wang Shu's Mother (6k views, please subscribe)

Human memory is a powerful tool for traversing time.

Therefore, an individual's future is affected by the past. If you don't understand this, think of a sudden event like "your ideal love suddenly returning to China".

If he had a younger mindset, Lü Yao might have actually been moved by Rong Nianqing's message in the group chat, but for Lü Yao, the aging of his mindset is even more impossible than going back to the past.

So when Lü Yao saw Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie's chat in the group, he wisely chose to remain silent. He put down his phone, made himself a cup of coffee at the office bar, and then returned to his desk, looking at the motionless chat box through the computer version of the private chat software.

After Rong Nianqing sent this message, Jian Xiaojie, who was still traveling abroad, was delighted.

She knew perfectly well why Rong Nianqing had said those things in the group chat. Her real purpose was not to invite Jian Xiaojie to the founding ceremony of Xizi University. Rong Nianqing was mainly saying those words to Lü Yao.

Jian Xiaojie knew.

Lü Yao naturally knew this as well.

But Lü Yao chose to remain silent at this point.

After a few minutes of silence, Jian Xiaojie finally sent another message: "I just boarded the plane. It's the founding ceremony of Xizi University. It's a great occasion to make a big splash. By the way, will Xiaoyu come along for something this important?"

Rong Nianqing quickly chimed in, "Yes, for such an important occasion, she should be on her way right now."

Jian Xiaojie: "@Lv Yao, I remember you were the honorary dean of Xizi University, aren't you going?"

Looking at the refreshed chat, Lü Yao smiled, then typed on the keyboard to reply: "I won't go. It's just an honorary dean ceremony. Besides, it's just an announcement ceremony, a way of making a statement to the outside world. Whether I go or not doesn't really matter."

"I remember government approvals don't come through that quickly, do they?"

Rong Nianqing said in the group: "Yes, the establishment of this private higher research university is a vision jointly promoted by many parties, but there are still many hurdles to overcome in order to get approval from the Ministry of Education. However, this matter will definitely be successful, it's just a matter of time."

Lü Yao: "Then you guys go first this time. My status is still too low, so my going won't make any difference."

Jian Xiaojie asked in surprise, "You really aren't going?"

Lu Yao typed back: "I'm not going."

Rong Nianqing: "Alright then."

Then no new messages appeared in the group. After drinking coffee and resting for a while, Lü Yao continued with his work.

But behind the scenes, Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie continued their conversation.

Jian Xiaojie sent Rong Nianqing a private message: "Tsk tsk tsk, this kid Lü Yao is scared. In this world, there really is one thing that can subdue another. Hahahaha, I didn't expect Xiao Yu to be able to control Lü Yao so well."

Rong Nianqing looked at the message Jian Xiaojie sent, laughing and shaking her head. She replied, "He's not afraid."

Jian Xiaojie was surprised: "No way, you've let go? That shouldn't be the case. If you've let go, it wouldn't be like this."

Rong Nianqing thought for a moment and said, "It's not that I've let go, it's that I can face it calmly, without sadness or joy, with composure. It's a state of allowing everything to happen."

Jian Xiaojie was a little confused. He texted her with a blank face: "What are you talking about? When did you become so literary? Are you writing poetry with me? Let me tell you, I don't understand it."

Rong Nianqing smiled.

Jian Xiaojie doesn't really study these things, and the "world" she lives in doesn't allow for their existence, so it's normal for her to react this way.

After thinking for a moment, Rong Nianqing said in a way that Jian Xiaojie could understand and empathize with: "Let me put it this way, when I went to western Sichuan to find Lü Yao, the heavy snow made my journey to find Lü Yao a blinding white expanse."

"The continuous mountain ranges were covered with pure white snow."

"The only color is the trees standing on the slope, which look like black lines."

"In such circumstances, Lü Yao lived alone in a small wooden house. There were no traces of trampling on the snow around the house. Lü Yao just sat there blankly under the eaves of the house."

At this point, Rong Nianqing recalled the image of Lü Yao when she first saw him, and her emotions were involuntarily stirred: "Tell me, what would Lü Yao be thinking in that kind of environment? Zen Buddhism talks about enlightenment. When I saw Lü Yao, he was in a sorry state, but his eyes were very clear."

"He must have figured out a lot of things."

Jian Xiaojie remained expressionless, then tapped her phone screen in the same blank manner to reply to a message: "You guys are so neurotic, do you think about these things all the time?"

Rong Nianqing laughed; people can really laugh for no reason when they're speechless: "So what do you think about when you're not doing anything?"

"Eat, drink, play, and have fun."

Chien Hsiao-chieh earnestly shared her philosophy on life: "Unlike your comfortable lives, I might suddenly be gone one day. Maybe my private jet will crash; maybe I'll be in a car accident; or maybe I'll even die suddenly in my own bathtub from a heart attack."

"For me, there are too many uncertainties and dangers in this world, so I can enjoy the present moment and won't think about your sentimental things."

Carpe Diem--

This is Jian Xiaojie's life motto.

That's why she's a pleasure monster.

Looking at the message sent by Jian Xiaojie, Rong Nianqing couldn't help but sigh. This world is a huge cage for everyone. If you can't be invincible, then people like them will always have an indelible "survival anxiety". They use everything, even unscrupulous means, to climb to the top of this world. What they pursue is no longer wealth, glory, or power itself.

What this group of people truly desires is "freedom from fear and chains."

However, this very thing is almost utopian, a "possibility" that is nearly impossible for human beings to achieve.

Therefore, even they have all sorts of troubles. It's just that because they have accumulated a lot of wealth in the process of climbing to the top, they can enjoy great material wealth while thinking about or fearing the greatest fear in the meaning of life.

Just like that saying that later appeared on the internet—

"Money and power are certainly not everything, but they can make you cry your heart out under the Eiffel Tower, make you reflect on life on the vast blue sea, or make you worry about the future while overlooking the night view from the highest point in New York."

In terms of relieving her emotions, Jian Xiaojie's choice was completely different from theirs.

……

The following day, Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie jointly attended the founding ceremony of Xizi University.

The ceremony announcing the establishment of Xizi University was attended by many social celebrities and business tycoons, including the current richest man. This is because the private university has received considerable support from various quarters, and top figures from all walks of life who have heard the news are very willing to come and provide funding, become sponsors, and get involved with these top academic figures.

However, although the ceremony for the establishment of the company was of a very high standard, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that "all those who attended were celebrities", it did not generate much public opinion or news on the Internet.

Unless you specifically search for it, you won't even see any information about this event.

Only a few official media outlets in Zhejiang Province and the official media account of Xizi University reported on this matter on the Internet. Lu Yao watched the establishment ceremony at home and naturally saw Hu Xiaoyu's beautiful and charming face on the screen.

Even in a gathering full of celebrities, Hu Xiaoyu still looked exceptionally beautiful and had an ethereal air about her.

When the live stream camera focused on Hu Xiaoyu, Lü Yao would watch for a while longer.

After the ceremony announcing the establishment of Xizi University, Lü Yao turned off his tablet and leaned back on the sofa at home to rest with his eyes closed.

The villa they live in now seems to have become quiet after Jian Xiaojie left. After all, when Jian Xiaojie was at home, she would wake people up in the middle of the night to drink, or drive to the mountains, or even fly directly to another city for morning tea, breakfast, or dinner.

And then he would often invite people over to his house to play.

When Jian Xiaojie is not around, these unexpected and temporary events will not happen, and the entire villa will be as quiet as a paradise.

The landscaping around the villa, as well as the functional areas and decorations, are all very well done. Even though they live in a villa community in the southern part of the city, they don't feel the presence of "neighbors" in the community.

This villa was reportedly designed by Mr. Jian Ya, a renowned domestic design master. The design fee alone was over ten million yuan. The cost of the interior decoration, including the soft and hard furnishings and the surrounding greenery and landscaping, was simply outrageous.

The cost is outrageous, but the experience of staying here is truly amazing.

Living here, Lü Yao gained a deeper understanding of the saying, "The most precious thing that money can buy in this world is distance."

In the rare tranquility, Lü Yao gradually gathered his distracting thoughts through meditation until the subject of his meditation became blurred and faded, and his whole mind became very relaxed.

In this state, Lü Yao was unaware of the passage of time, so when a pair of soft, warm hands rested on both sides of Lü Yao's head and gently massaged him, Lü Yao had no idea how much time had passed.

Lu Yao did not open his eyes, quietly enjoying the massage Wang Shu was giving him.

After a long while, Lü Yao couldn't help but let out a long sigh and said, "Thank you, Sister Wang."

Sister Wang's gentle voice came from behind Lü Yao: "Are you very tired?"

Lu Yao kept his eyes closed and smiled, "I'm not very tired, but it's rare that Sister Jian isn't home, and I've almost finished what I was doing, so I can take a break."

Wang Shu stopped the massage, walked around the room, and sat down on the sofa: "That's great. Is there anywhere you'd like to go to relax lately? We can go together."

Lu Yao glanced at Wang Shu's belly, which was already protruding but not particularly noticeable, and laughed, "In your current state, you should just stay at home. I really don't feel comfortable letting you go out."

Moreover, judging by the time, Wang Shu is almost due to give birth.

Lu Yao then asked, "Are you still going to New Zealand for Chinese New Year today? Should we make some arrangements in advance?"

Wang Shu smiled and shook his head: "Forget it, let's stay in China. New Zealand is nice, but when it comes to the speed of response of the medical system, China's is still much better. We'll feel more at ease in China." Lü Yao nodded: "That's fine too."

Wang Shu looked at Lü Yao and said, "My mother already knows I'm pregnant, so she plans to come and take care of me in a while."

"what?"

Lu Yao was stunned by the news.

Isn't this ridiculous?
Lu Yao was even a little alarmed. He immediately sat up, his whole body tense up as if he had been wound up. He started making a lot of small movements, scratching his head, scratching his chin, or biting his lip, clearly thinking about something.

He was never good at dealing with elders, especially those he was very close to. Even after returning from studying abroad in the future, he still didn't know how to handle these issues. As a result, he sent money home every year, and the amount kept increasing. But even after all these years since returning from studying abroad in the future, he hasn't gone home to visit his family.

His relationship with Wang Shu is rather complicated, and now that they have a child, he is even more unsure how to get along with Wang Shu's mother.

What would Wang Shu's mother think if she knew her daughter was pregnant out of wedlock?
What are her thoughts when she sees herself living with Wang Shu and Jian Xiaojie?
If Wang Shu's mother were to guess his relationship with Jian Xiaojie, or even see Lü Yao's reputation on the Chinese internet and all those scandals he'd been involved in before, what would the old lady think?
What will Lü Yao do next?
One question after another churned in Lü Yao's mind like boiling water, to the point that he was now somewhat at a loss as to how to face Wang Shu.

Wang Shu found Lü Yao's strange behavior amusing and asked somewhat speechlessly, "What's wrong with you? Don't worry, my mother is a professor teaching in New Zealand. Although she's not young, she's still very open-minded."

She may be open-minded, but if she knew that her daughter was with someone like Lü Yao, she would definitely have some thoughts.

The only difference is whether it's expressed or not.

Lu Yao felt a little numb, so he asked, "So, what did you tell your mother? How did you find out you were pregnant?"

When Wang Shu talked about this, he laughed and said, "I have to thank Sister Jian for this. She took all the blame and said that she was afraid I might not be able to have children in the future, so she helped me contact the process of artificial insemination."

The process of assisted pregnancy is actually a more medical term.

That's actually how it is.

Although doing so is still somewhat unconventional, Wang Shu's mother, who has lived abroad for many years, should not be too opposed to it.

Because the occurrence of this event lacked a "subject" in this process, and the other main "subject" was Wang Shu's mother's daughter, she really couldn't blame anyone.

But it's different if Lü Yao stays here.

His relationship with Wang Shu would definitely be obvious at a glance.

Lu Yao asked, "Will your mother definitely come? Can't we stop her? If so, I won't be able to stay by your side to take care of you."

Wang Shu looked at Lü Yao, who was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and couldn't help but laugh. Knowing the answer already, he asked, "Why?"

Lu Yao looked at Wang Shu, feeling somewhat helpless: "You clearly know that if your mother were here, she would definitely be able to see through our relationship at a glance. How can I expect to get away with this?"

Wang Shu leaned closer to Lü Yao, even tilting his head to stare at the anxiety on Lü Yao's face, and said, "Don't worry, my mother won't make things difficult for you. Even if she finds out, she won't hold back. You're not an unknown person anymore, you're Lü Yao, President Lü."

Lu Yao forced a smile.

He was grateful for Wang Shu's comfort, but no matter how great his reputation was, it carried no weight compared to someone else's daughter, especially someone else's pregnant daughter.

Seeing that Lü Yao was still unable to relax, Wang Shu asked, "I remember, you've met other people's parents before, right? Who was it?" Wang Shu thought for a moment, and then remembered, "It was Zhou Bella. I remember you spent Chinese New Year at Bella's house one year."

Lu Yao suddenly felt a little embarrassed: "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"

Wang Shu asked with a smile, "Was you this nervous when you met Bella's mother?"

Lü Yao laughed speechlessly: "How can that be the same?"

Wang Shu smiled, took Lü Yao's hand, and rested his head on Lü Yao's shoulder, saying, "Yes, it's different."

So she was very happy.

Just like how Lü Yao was very reluctant to have contact with his parents, and even didn't go home for the Spring Festival for several years, does that mean that Lü Yao hated his parents and wanted to sever ties with them?
No, it is not.

Lu Yao's feelings for his parents may be complicated, but they are absolutely pure and untainted by any utilitarian motives. However, it is precisely because he cares so much that he is caught in a dilemma and doesn't know where to start.

Sometimes, being too concerned can actually lead to friction in the relationship.

It's so painful to feel like your sincerity is not accepted or even understood, and instead you're blamed.

The fact that Lü Yao is so nervous after hearing the news that Wang Shu's mother is coming shows that Lü Yao cares about her a lot, and by extension, he cares about her mother as well.

This is a good thing.

From the moment Wang Shu officially began contacting Lü Yao, she didn't think too much about it. Being cared for so much by Lü Yao was already a great honor.

Leaning on Lü Yao's shoulder, Wang Shu smiled and let out a satisfied sigh: "Thank you."

Lü Yao froze instantly.

Feeling Wang Shu leaning on his shoulder, Lü Yao couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

王殊
She is indeed a very good woman.

I was so blind to treat her like that when I was studying abroad.

However, after returning from studying abroad in the future, Lü Yao encountered more than just Wang Shu as a good woman... Zhou Bella, Hu Xiaoyu...

It seems I've already wronged too many people in terms of relationships.

Even a seasoned womanizer like Lü Yao would inevitably suffer a blow for his "sincerity" in such a situation.

Lu Yao suppressed the chaotic emotions in his mind and patted Wang Shu's hand.

At this moment, saying anything is better than saying nothing.

……

Moganshan Grand Hotel, Hangzhou.

This is usually a large hotel in Hangzhou used to entertain dignitaries and discuss project cooperation.

From the outside, the Moganshan Grand Hotel looks rather unassuming, blending perfectly into its surroundings. The somewhat old-fashioned main building suggests that it was built many years ago. However, the interior decoration and design are absolutely meticulous.

Even the seemingly dirty floor is made entirely of real ingredients, and you can even see traces of ancient fossils on it.

Everything in the hotel that is made of wood is absolutely genuine. The facilities, water features, and greenery were all purchased at great expense, and even the furnishings were designed by a specially hired interior designer.

So as soon as you step into this grand hotel, you can feel its luxury.

With such high standards of interior renovation, the food, being the soul of any catering establishment, is naturally a hallmark of the Moganshan Grand Hotel.

Although the Moganshan Hotel is a local restaurant, the dishes served here are not Hangzhou cuisine, but local Shanghai cuisine from Dahai City.

It's strange, these two places are very close and have similar tastes, but the Hangzhou cuisine is hard to describe, while the local cuisine in Dahai City, which is just across the water, is quite remarkable.

Also weird.

At the Moganshan Grand Hotel, Jian Xiaojie, Rong Nianqing, and Hu Xiaoyu chatted and laughed with a group of academic luminaries, including Professor Shi, Professor Chen, Professor Pan, and Professor Rao, who were engaged in scientific research.

Meanwhile, many business tycoons from the real estate, manufacturing, semiconductor, and medical industries were also gathered around this group of academic leaders, lining up to toast them.

In terms of wealth, all these academic professors combined don't even amount to the net worth of any one of the company CEOs present.

But as for influence...

Even this year's richest man would lower his glass slightly when offering a toast.

At this moment, the phrase "knowledge is power" became tangible in this context.

Is reading useful?
Of course it's useful.

It's just that most people's reading of the numbers is useless.

As for academic luminaries like Professor Shi, Professor Pan, and Professor Rao, money would fall into their laps like snowflakes if they wanted to, no matter how many times they failed in their ventures. Even Li Guanghua, who was tainted by Liu Zhonglie, is still a leading figure in academia.

Otherwise, Lu Yao and the others wouldn't have been so respectful to Elder Li back then.

Business tycoons came over to offer toasts and build connections, all with the aim of "academic investment."

This is true not only in China, but also abroad. In some particularly important occasions, wealthy businessmen with considerable wealth and luxurious attire may not be as popular as these learned and knowledgeable academics.

Because these bigwigs hold the power to recommend key positions in certain fields, they are even the main trendsetters in certain areas.

People of this caliber deserve utmost respect even from money. While it is often the only force that can silence a true gentleman, the real gentlemen are usually those who wield violence.

(End of this chapter)