Chapter 789 Lu Shichu’s Side Story Part 4
Lu Shichu calmly changed back into his clothes and stepped out to meet Bai Yunan.
He poured a glass of water for Bai Yunan. "We only have plain water here, so please make do with it, General Bai."
Most people in the research institute had certain quirks and similar habits, and they mostly stuck to drinking water and nothing else.
"Thank you," Bai Yunan replied, taking the glass and sipping from it before setting it down.
Lu Shichu sat across from him and remained silent as he waited for Bai Yunan to say something.
"Are you getting used to the place here?"
Lu Shichu looked at Bai Yunan in surprise.
He knew why Bai Yunan came to find him today, but he didn't expect these unrelated questions to be the first ones asked.
Concisely, Lu Shichu answered, "Yeah."
Bai Yunan nodded slightly, taking another sip of water to conceal his unease.
He couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed—he was a grown man, yet here he was meddling in his sister's love life.
Nevertheless, he was determined not to let Cheng Qiulu and Lu Shichu be together.
After some contemplation, Bai Yunan finally broached the subject. "Qiulu always comes to find you and causes you a lot of trouble, right?"
Lu Shichu looked at him and gave a nearly imperceptible nod. "I've indeed been troubled by this, but she won't come to find me anymore in the future."
Bai Yunan's lips twitched. Why does it sound like he is annoyed with Qiulu?
The Bai family was fiercely protective of their members. In his mindset, Bai Yunan always believed that there were no men out there who wouldn't be into his sister, except the one she was not into herself.
"General Bai, let's be honest. I have no interest in your sister. My focus is solely on my research, and I have no intention of pursuing any romantic relationships. If you can persuade Miss Cheng to give up on me, it would be beneficial for both of us, and I would have fewer troubles."
Lu Shichu stood up after finishing his statement. "I have work to attend to. Feel free to take your time, General Bai."
With those words, he walked into the laboratory.
Bai Yunan's voice followed from behind. "Someone wants to see you."
Lu Shichu's steps hesitated for a moment, and he turned to look at Bai Yunan. His eyes flickered momentarily before he regained his composure.
"I don't want to see anyone," he retorted icily, then continued into the laboratory.
Bai Yunan watched Lu Shichu enter the laboratory. After standing there for a few seconds, he eventually walked away.
Before the incident with Gricy, he had crossed paths with Lu Shichu.
Lu Shichu was Lu Qingyou's distant cousin from a different branch of the family. Despite not sharing much blood relation, their families maintained a strong connection and had a good relationship. However, due to the reserved nature of Lu Shichu's parents and the geographical distance between their cities, they didn't interact frequently. Nonetheless, an undeniable bond persisted between them.
Because of this relationship, their families would occasionally come together for gatherings. As fate would have it, Bai Yunan's family lived as neighbors to Lu Qingyou's family, and that was when he first met Lu Shichu.
Upon learning about Lu Shichu's connection with Gricy, Bai Yunan even discussed it with Lu Qingyou's father.
In their conversation, Lu Qingyou's father subtly conveyed that Lu Shichu was a good-natured person and that he should look out for him.
Armed with this advice, Bai Yunan would not cause any harm to Lu Shichu, even if Qin Muchen never sought his assistance.
As time went on, Bai Yunan couldn't help but notice a remarkable change in Lu Shichu. This transformation wasn't merely surface-level, but it emanated from within.
...
Lu Shichu was absent-minded the whole day.
Not for any other reason, but because of Bai Yunan's last sentence.
'Someone wants to see you.'
Who could it be?
In the sprawling city of Jingcheng, he could easily narrow down the possibilities.
It had to be either Qin Muchen or Su Ziyue.
However, he doubted that Qin Muchen would actively seek him out.
So, that left Su Ziyue.
Did he want to see her?
Undeniably.
Yet, at the same time, he was conflicted; there was a part of him that didn't want to face her.
Since the Gricy incident concluded and he arrived in Jingcheng City, Lu Shichu realized that nothing had stirred his emotions—except for matters concerning Su Ziyue.
At noon, his assistant went out to run an errand and returned looking hesitant to speak.
Lu Shichu looked up and inquired, "What's wrong?"
The assistant, being a graduate student, possessed commendable abilities. In contrast to others of his age, he displayed a remarkable level of maturity, a quality that resonated well with Lu Shichu's preferences.
The assistant rarely hesitated like this, as if he had something to say but struggled to find the right words.
"If you don't want to say, then don't force yourself."
If he had no intention of sharing, Lu Shichu had no interest in pressing for information either.
The assistant glanced at Lu Shichu's tall yet indifferent figure and uttered, "Miss Cheng is outside."
It seemed like she had been waiting for a long time.
The assistant was familiar with Cheng Qiulu as she had visited Lu Shichu on previous occasions.
Without even lifting his head, Lu Shichu advised, "Channel that energy into your research. You'll eventually achieve something remarkable."
Blushing at his nonchalant words, the assistant lowered his head and did not dare to say anything further.
Lu Shichu was aware that Cheng Qiulu wouldn't easily give up.
He understood that in their youth, people were filled with passion, patience, and courage.
However, as time passed, these qualities often diminished, leaving them timid and compliant—much like himself.
Though he didn't truly have a passion for research, being a doctor seemed acceptable too.
Yet, his destiny had long slipped out of his control.
Since then, he did many things half-heartedly.
If it hadn't been for his parents, he wouldn't want to enter the research institute. He would have been fine with sitting in jail, and he truly didn't have any concerns about it.
Having done something wrong, he accepted the consequences without fear.
For the next few days, Cheng Qiulu lingered outside the research institute, hoping to see Lu Shichu.
The guards on duty couldn't stand it anymore as they questioned why a young girl would stand outside in such freezing weather.
However, Lu Shichu remained indifferent, colder than anyone else around him.
He simply stayed inside the research institute, and his assistant couldn't take it anymore. "Mr. Lu, why not go and see Miss Cheng?"
When Bai Yunan sent Lu Shichu to the research institute, he kept his relationship with Gricy a secret. Except for the higher-ups, nobody else knew about it.
Given his past as the leader of "K7," the authorities respected him and appointed him as the director.
Lu Shichu didn't object to the position.
With an expression of displeasure, Lu Shichu glanced at his assistant and sternly replied, "She's out there causing trouble in my life every day. Do I have to meet her?"
"Just consider it for Miss Cheng's persistence—" The assistant paused, genuinely feeling sorry for Cheng Qiulu.
Lu Shichu turned back to his work, maintaining his composure as he calmly remarked, "Persistence often goes unrewarded in this world. Don't bother trying to convince me. I won't go to see her. If it's too much for you to handle, you can meet her instead."
No one understood the essence of persistence better than him.
Over the years, he had persistently and patiently loved Su Ziyue, even entertaining thoughts of taking someone's life at some point.
In retrospect, it all seemed futile.
Nevertheless, he held no regrets.
The assistant was taken aback, as the first part of Lu Shichu's sentence sounded particularly melancholic.
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