Mr. Zhou Doesn’t Want to Work Hard Anymore!

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The two of them arrived at the Zhou residence in the afternoon. Zhou Mingxuan was a bit annoyed by Zhou Chenxi’s behavior of sneaking out without a word. However, with guests starting to arrive in the afternoon, Zhou Mingxuan was too busy with socializing and didn’t have the energy to pay him any mind.

Zhou Chenxi and Lu Ji weaved their way through the arriving guests and eventually stopped in front of a security guard.

“Please show your invitation,” the security guard said mechanically, without looking up.

“Zhou Wu!” Zhou Chenxi snapped his fingers in front of the guard, signaling him to pay attention. “These are my invited guests. Let me introduce you properly. This is Mr. Lu Ji, the CEO of the Lu Group.”

Before the guard could react, the nearby guests turned their heads in surprise.

Lu Ji from the Lu Group?

Lu Ji was here today too?

Was Zhou Xin planning to collaborate with the Lu Group or something?

With such a powerful alliance, what could others possibly hope to achieve?

The heads of other companies and big bosses who had come to discuss business with Zhou Mingxuan felt a sense of unease.

Amidst the commotion, Lu Ji cleared his throat.

Who would have thought that he, a regular guest invited by the main character’s younger brother today, would cause such a stir?

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Zhou Wu took a closer look and realized it was the young master who had sneaked out in the morning and hadn’t returned for lunch.

He quickly said, “Young Master, Mrs. Zhang was just looking for you. She said you missed lunch. Let her prepare something for you to eat.”

Zhou Chenxi waved his hand dismissively. “I already had lunch. Let’s go inside!” He said as he pulled Lu Ji along with him.

Zhou Wu finally came to his senses. What had the young master just said?

This was his invited guest, Mr. Lu Ji from the Lu Group?

Other guests were equally puzzled. Lu Ji from the Lu Group was invited by the Second Young Master of the Zhou family? What kind of relationship did Lu Ji have with the Zhou brothers?

As Zhou Chenxi continued to introduce Lu Ji along the way, there were multiple encounters. First, they met Zhao Yiqian, the bodyguard who guarded the garden, whom Zhou Chenxi wanted to introduce to Lu Ji (Zhao Yiqian expressed that there was no need for an introduction). Then, when the housekeeper, Chang, came over hastily upon learning that Zhou Chenxi had returned, he also received a formal introduction to Lu Ji.

Lu Ji was practically given the red carpet treatment throughout the entire Zhou family.

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Usually, during such banquet occasions, Zhou Chenxi had nothing to do at home. All the necessary work was being taken care of by others, and he was at most considered a mascot.

In the past, when Zhou Mingxuan celebrated his birthday, Zhou Chenxi had tried to help, but he was rejected by Zhou Mother in the garden, dismissed by Zhang the housekeeper in the kitchen, and frowned upon by Chang the housekeeper at the entrance when he tried to greet guests. Zhou Mingxuan and the guests discussed business, and Zhou Chenxi couldn’t join the conversation, so he could only hide in his room until his brother called him down.

Today, he finally had something to do.

His brother’s guests were his brother’s responsibility, but Lu Ji was his guest, and he was determined to take care of him.

Zhou Chenxi and Lu Ji walked through the garden and didn’t see Zhou Mother. Zhang brought a bowl of snacks and handed it to Zhou Chenxi, who immediately passed it to Lu Ji. They had lunch together earlier, and if Zhou Chenxi got hungry later, Lu Ji would be hungry too!

Lu Ji found it somewhat amusing, feeling like he was receiving special treatment.

Zhang had no choice but to go back and fetch another bowl of snacks for Zhou Chenxi.

As they were enjoying their snacks, Zhou Mother entered from the backyard.

“So many people arrived so soon?” Zhou Mother whispered.

She was dressed in a beautiful evening gown, having just finished inspecting the rose garden in the backyard.

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It seemed that Zhou Mingxuan had managed the family business quite well over the past two years.

As she thought about this, she noticed her younger son standing in the corner and eating.

“Mom!” Zhou Chenxi waved.

“Chenxi, where did you just go?” Zhou Mother said as she approached. Suddenly, she noticed Lu Ji standing beside Zhou Chenxi.

—This was Lu Ji from the Lu Group?

A thought crossed Zhou Mother’s mind, but she asked calmly, “And who is this?”

“This is Lu Ji,” Zhou Chenxi introduced Lu Ji again with utmost formality.

Zhou Mother greeted politely, “Hello.”

Lu Ji set down his snack bowl and shook her hand politely, “Hello.”

Indeed, he was the leader of the Lu Group, and he carried himself with remarkable grace.

Thinking to herself, Zhou Mother noticed the snack bowl that had just been held by Lu Ji.

The afternoon tea snacks for the guests included almond walnut cookies, with green tea and coffee available on the side.

Zhou Chenxi didn’t like any of these, so Zhang, the housekeeper, had specially prepared sweet rice balls for him, fearing that he might get hungry in the afternoon. And now, there was a bowl of them in Lu Ji’s hands.

Zhou Mother smiled and said, “Chenxi, take care of our guest. I’ll go chat with the other elders.”

Zhou Chenxi had a strong sense of responsibility, “Of course.”

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Soon after, Zhou Mingxuan also arrived.

He had just finished a business discussion, looking serious in a well-tailored suit. Accompanying him was a middle-aged man dressed similarly, with furrows on his forehead and holding two documents.

They had stepped out of the meeting room on the first floor. Zhou Mingxuan extended a hand to the man and said, “Please make yourself at home. We have afternoon tea and snacks in the living room, as well as the Mingqian Longjing tea that I specifically had someone bring back from Hangzhou. Please enjoy. I apologize for any inconvenience.”

The middle-aged man smiled and then left.

Zhou Mingxuan raised his head and noticed Lu Ji standing beside Zhou Chenxi.

Lu Ji: “…”

Zhou Mingxuan: “…”

Zhou Mingxuan adjusted his expression privately, then turned to Zhou Chenxi and asked, “Chenxi, where did you go just now?”

“Brother?” Zhou Chenxi turned around and said, “I went to pick up Lu Ji. He’s never been to our house before, and I was afraid he might get lost.”

Complete nonsense.

Zhou Mingxuan thought to himself, how could an adult get lost nowadays with GPS? Even if he did, did he have to go pick him up and not return for lunch?

Although he had these thoughts, Zhou Mingxuan maintained a serious expression. He extended his hand to Lu Ji and shook it gently. “Hello, Zhou Mingxuan.”

“Hello, Zhou Mingxuan.”

As Lu Ji prepared to retract his hand, he suddenly felt Zhou Mingxuan exerting a bit of force.

Lu Ji: “…”

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Zhou Chenxi, completely unaware, suddenly remembered. “Brother, Lu Ji brought a gift specifically for you. Would you like to open it now?”

There weren’t too many guests who needed attention at the moment.

If they opened the gift now, it would signify that Zhou Mingxuan attached enough importance to this particular guest.

In this kind of business-oriented banquet, there was a protocol to follow. There was a designated area in the living room for stacking gifts. Every year on Zhou Mingxuan’s birthday, that corner of the living room would be filled with gifts. In truth, all these gifts were quite expensive, and Zhou Mingxuan couldn’t open each one of them. After his birthday, he would have the housekeeper, Chang, arrange them and make a list of special ones for Zhou Mingxuan to give back when attending similar events. For those that weren’t special, they mostly ended up in the storage room.

As for returning gifts, Chang and the secretary would handle it.

The only gift that Zhou Mingxuan would open right on the spot during the banquet was the one from Zhou Chenxi.

For him, Zhou Chenxi was the most special, being his little brother. No matter what gift Zhou Chenxi gave him, Zhou Mingxuan wanted others to know about it.

Even their parents didn’t receive this treatment.

Besides, due to his age and status, it wasn’t appropriate for Zhou Mingxuan to open his parents’ gifts right there during the party.

No matter how you looked at it, Lu Ji’s gift wasn’t particularly special. But in Zhou Chenxi’s heart, it seemed to carry great significance.

So Zhou Mingxuan had no choice but to agree.

Zhou Chenxi then pushed Lu Ji forward to fetch the gift.

Lu Ji walked over to the area where the gifts were piled up and took the gift he had just set down.

“Master Zhou, it was rather sudden,” Lu Ji politely handed over the gift and said, “I didn’t have the chance to prepare anything valuable. Let’s find a time to meet privately.”

“Sure, I was actually thinking of talking to you,” Zhou Mingxuan accepted the gift with a somewhat enigmatic smile. “Mr. Lu, you don’t need to be so polite. Since we’ve already met, there will surely be opportunities for us to cooperate in the future. When that time comes…”

He opened the box, but his expression suddenly froze.

Seeing his brother’s expression change, Zhou Chenxi hastily said, “This tie clip is something Lu Ji and I picked out together. Brother, do you like it?”

“Oh…” Zhou Mingxuan sighed deeply with a meaningful expression, glancing at the tie clip on Lu Ji’s tie.

This gift was better off not being opened.

Zhou Mingxuan clicked his tongue inwardly. If he remembered correctly, the tie clip on Lu Ji’s tie was from the same brand as the one in his hand. Lu Ji probably didn’t have the leisure to wear matching couple items with Zhou Mingxuan. As soon as he gave it some thought, he understood what Zhou Chenxi had been up to during the missing lunchtime.

“Brother, do you like it?” Zhou Chenxi still wore an expectant expression, just like when he randomly bought gifts for Zhou Mingxuan. Zhou Mingxuan, helpless, closed the lid of the box. “I like it.”

He then turned to Lu Ji and said, “Mr. Lu, please make yourself comfortable. I apologize for not being attentive enough. There are still a few more elders to greet. I’ll go say hello to them.”

Lu Ji politely said, “I apologize for the interruption.”

Zhou Mingxuan left with the gift, and Zhou Chenxi sighed, saying, “Big brother seems to have a good impression of you.”

Lu Ji was speechless and couldn’t see what was so good about Zhou Mingxuan’s impression of him. However, Zhou Mingxuan, as a protective older brother, did genuinely care about his younger sibling.

During the party, many people took the opportunity to get closer to Lu Ji. However, since Lu Ji wasn’t the main focus of the event, he stood with Zhou Chenxi, and everyone just exchanged polite greetings without fully understanding the situation. Feeling a bit bored, Zhou Chenxi suddenly suggested to Lu Ji, “Let’s go upstairs.”

Lu Ji raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is that okay?”

“Of course, you’re my guest, why wouldn’t it be?” Zhou Chenxi replied.

Lu Ji had been feeling somewhat overshadowed by Zhou Chenxi since he arrived. It was his first time attending this kind of event without needing to engage in business discussions or being surrounded by a crowd. He was practically idle.

Zhou Chenxi led Lu Ji toward the stairs and noticed a painting hanging on the wall near the dining room. Following Lu Ji’s gaze, Zhou Chenxi discovered it was a family portrait he had drawn when he was a child.

Four stick-figure little people, with two of them having expressions like this “=_=” and a lady with wavy long hair with a smile on her face. Finally, there was the shortest boy with light chestnut short hair, and his expression looked like this “:D.”

It was a masterpiece, full of personality.

Lu Ji smiled, “You drew this so well.”

Zhou Chenxi blushed from his praise and pulled him by the wrist as they continued upstairs, saying, “Oh, don’t look at that! Let’s go upstairs!”

The two of them went upstairs.

Zhou’s mother observed their interaction and took the opportunity to approach Zhou’s father, who was coming down from the other side of the staircase. She hooked her arm around his and said, “Before, we were worried about our younger son’s lifelong matters, fearing that he would be alone outside without anyone to take care of him. Do you think we’ve been overthinking it?”

Zhou’s father replied, “Lu Ji? He may not look it on the surface, but this matter ultimately depends on our son’s feelings. I think Mingxuan is more anxious than we are.”

They both turned their attention to Zhou Mingxuan.

As Zhou Mingxuan conversed with the elder guests who had come to celebrate his birthday, he occasionally glanced towards the stairs. He noticed his parents watching him, so he cleared his throat and took a sip of water from a nearby glass.

Zhou Chenxi pushed open the door to his art studio to show Lu Ji. The room was filled with various paints and easels.

“You see, this is where I paint,” Zhou Chenxi proudly said. “I used to be inconsistent with everything else, but I’ve been persistent with painting. My dad even set up this art studio for me. But I still prefer to paint in my room because I’m lazy, and I can just lie down after I’m done.”

While speaking, Zhou Chenxi led Lu Ji towards his own room.

Lu Ji smiled and asked, “So, what about acting? What does it mean to you?”

“Acting?” Zhou Chenxi thought for a moment, then said, “It’s like a belief.”

He summarized it in one word.

Only belief could keep him persevering.

Lu Ji’s expression softened.

Zhou Chenxi pushed open the door to his room and let Lu Ji in.

“Come on in!” Zhou Chenxi said. “My room is quite comfortable. Since we have time, let’s sit for a while, and we can go back downstairs after we finish eating.”

“Alright.” Lu Ji experienced this kind of relaxed guest experience for the first time. He was wearing a finely tailored suit and felt somewhat out of place in Zhou Chenxi’s warm-toned room.

Lu Ji loosened his tie, and the collar of his shirt opened slightly. “It’s nothing, your room is just too comfortable, and I feel a bit restrained.”

Zhou Chenxi dared not look at him and gestured for Lu Ji to sit wherever he wanted.

His bed was beige, over two meters wide, adorned with numerous stuffed animals that had been with him for a long time. A soft, furry carpet covered the floor, and Zhou Chenxi, standing barefoot, seemed particularly gentle.

“Would you like some cola?” Zhou Chenxi asked nervously. “I have several cans hidden in my mini-fridge. My brother keeps saying that drinking too much of it can lead to high blood sugar. Can you believe him? He’s only a few years older than me and constantly nags about staying healthy. It’s driving me crazy!”

Zhou Chenxi made every effort to tease his brother, hoping to ease his own nervousness. However, Lu Ji felt that Zhou Mingxuan was a good older brother and said, “He’s doing it for your own good.”

Zhou Chenxi opened a can of cola and handed it to Lu Ji. Lu Ji noticed a sketchbook on the table that looked quite similar to the one Zhou Chenxi had used to secretly draw him during the filming of “Carp.” Lu Ji hesitated for a moment and asked Zhou Chenxi, “Can I take a look at that?”

Zhou Chenxi suddenly became more nervous and said, “No, you can’t!”

He rushed over to the table, accidentally knocking over his own can of cola. The carbonated liquid spilled out, but Lu Ji acted quickly, saving Zhou Chenxi’s sketchbook and preventing Zhou Chenxi from tripping over his own feet.

“I’m so clumsy,” Zhou Chenxi said, lying in Lu Ji’s arms. “I almost fell flat again.”

Lu Ji held his waist and reassured him, saying, “I’ve never seen you fall flat before. This is the first time, so you’re not clumsy.”

Zhou Chenxi blinked his round eyes and smiled, “Thank you for saving my sketchbook. But my carpet is dirty now; I need to call the cleaning lady to replace it.”

Lu Ji said, “Before you call her to replace the carpet, can you let me see one of the paintings inside as a thank-you for saving it?”

He emphasized “one,” as he simply wanted to see the original drawing of the colorful painting Zhou Chenxi had given him.

“No, you can’t,” Zhou Chenxi said.

“Why not?” Lu Ji asked.

—Because there are too many drawings of you inside, and I’ve been drawing more and more since I met you. It’s almost filling up the whole book, and I don’t know how to show it to you.

Zhou Chenxi was about to figure out how to explain this when they heard a knock on the door from outside.

“Chenxi, your Uncle Cheng is here. Go downstairs and greet him…”

Zhou Chenxi’s room door wasn’t closed, and Zhou Mingxuan thought he could enter without much thought. He pushed the door open and found his younger brother and Lu Ji in a rather peculiar posture.

Zhou Mingxuan: “…”

Lu Ji: “…”

Zhou Mingxuan stared at the hand Lu Ji had on Zhou Chenxi’s waist, as well as Lu Ji’s now widely unbuttoned collar, which had been intact just moments ago.

Zhou Mingxuan’s temple vein twitched slightly, and he said to Zhou Chenxi, “Chenxi, come with me.”

Author’s note: Big brother’s got his principal face on.

Thanks to “鵷雛” for the landmine!

Thanks to “星柒,” “梁女士 who doesn’t want to reveal her name,” “Mysterious Passerby,” “楓中凌亂,” and “虞胖胖” for the nutrients!

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ”

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ”