Chapter 6: The Shen Family
Shen Tan leaned back in his office chair, casually fiddling with his phone while a livestream played on his computer. The phone was silent, and the livestream chat was quiet as well.
“The most valuable platform to acquire in the market right now is Azi Live,” his assistant reported, flipping through the research materials she had prepared on the livestreaming industry as soon as she noticed Shen Tan watching a stream.
The Shen family’s business empire was vast, but they did not yet own a livestreaming platform—only a few popular group streaming teams.
Shen Tan listened impassively, then his phone finally vibrated.
The small animal emoji text read: “Don’t want to.”
He placed the phone on the desk and sat up straight. “I want a detailed evaluation report on my desk by the end of this week.”
The assistant quietly exhaled in relief. The boss had been silent for a while, and the atmosphere had been a bit tense. She had feared he was displeased with her for conducting the assessment without permission.
—-
Seeing that Shen Tan did not respond further, Lu Mi’s tense mood finally relaxed, and he could put down his phone to focus on the screen again. He wasn’t sure if Shen Tan was still watching his stream.
The chat was split: half discussing the user who had sent many bouquets of flowers, the other half begging him to add Amo as a friend.
Lu Mi clenched the mouse. “Thank you to user 97654398 for the 9,990 bouquets, and thank you Amo for the 520 bouquets.”
[Amo, are you in love?!]
[I remember Amo once said his ideal type was a guy like Mi Lu, right?]
[Amo, can you focus on streaming?!]
[Why do big streamers keep begging you to add them? Such a temper!]
[Mi Lu, I’m your hardcore fan!]
Looking at the chaotic chat, Lu Mi moved the mouse to the “accept friend request” window. “Stop saying nonsense—I’m already married, but I can add friends.”
He didn’t want to add Amo, but since Amo was in his stream saying those things and sending gifts, not adding him would surely provoke complaints.
Lu Mi didn’t want trouble.
So he could only use the “already married” excuse.
[What? I don’t believe it!]
[Married? Baby, is your voice really adult?]
Lu Mi responded with a hum and accepted Amo’s friend request, then, fearing Amo would invite him to play games, immediately entered the ranked match screen.
[Amo: Really?]
Lu Mi hummed again, closed the chat, and focused on his ranked matches.
He ignored the chat, but it exploded over his claim of being married.
[What’s that supposed to mean? Even if you want to reject Amo, you don’t need to lie like that.]
[He added Amo anyway! Does Mi Lu really need to lie about this?]
[Why argue? I’m here to watch the gameplay.]
[Who knows? Amo’s handsome, but maybe Mi Lu is so ugly he’s insecure.]
Lu Mi’s fans gradually lost the argument.
After all, Amo was a famous top streamer on the platform, had shown his face, and was good-looking.
Lu Mi, on the other hand, rarely spoke and never turned on his camera.
Nowadays, in the fiercely competitive game streaming world, even slightly attractive streamers showed their faces; skinny ones showed their hands; even ugly but skilled streamers turned on cameras.
Few were like Lu Mi.
His fans slowly fell silent.
Lu Mi himself didn’t read the chat or respond; there was no need for them to fight.
Then, just as Amo’s fans thought they had the upper hand,
[User 97654398 sent the streamer 999 bouquets] x10
Everyone realized that user 97654398 had stayed in the stream all along.
This was the first time Lu Mi had a boss who sent so many gifts at once; his fans immediately revived and quickly thanked the boss.
As soon as they thanked, user 97654398 sent many more gifts, each time 10 sets of 999 bouquets.
Amo’s fans gradually quieted.
In Amo’s livestream, who had remained silent despite the fan chaos, Amo finally said, “Don’t stir trouble in others’ streams. Whether someone wants to play with me is their own choice. But finding good teammates as a support is really hard.”
[It’s his problem! You’re giving him free traffic and he’s ungrateful!]
[Exactly! It’s just playing jungle! What’s with the attitude? Even pro players aren’t this arrogant!]
[What if he’s cheating? Maybe he’s afraid Amo will catch him if they team up.]
Amo didn’t mention Lu Mi again.
If it weren’t for Lu Mi’s voice being his type, Amo wouldn’t have kept trying to find him.
He hadn’t expected Lu Mi to reject him so indirectly.
User 97654398 stayed in the stream all night.
Until Lu Mi went offline, he hadn’t said a word.
Lu Mi only climbed one rank all night.
He played a match to get a feel; his performance was steady, but the higher the rank, the tougher the competition.
After ending the stream, Lu Mi found that his gift income today matched all his previous earnings combined.
It was enough to buy a high-end computer.
He stared blankly for a while before checking user 97654398’s profile.
—-
The other user’s profile was blank; the only watched stream was his.
Their IP addresses were the same.
After hesitating, Lu Mi took out his phone and sent a message to Shen Tan: “Mr. Shen, was it you who sent me those gifts?”
There was no one else it could be.
But Shen Tan did not reply.
Lu Mi didn’t sleep well that night.
Too many things had happened today, too many unknowns.
Like why Shen Tan would send him so many gifts.
Though that money was nothing to someone like Shen Tan.
The next day, Lu Mi was woken by a call from Lu Nande.
Seeing the caller ID, Lu Mi was dazed for a moment before answering.
On the other end, Lu Nande’s voice was filled with concern: “Why are you just answering now? Nothing happened, right? The company had an emergency last night and couldn’t tell you in time. Your phone was dead too.”
Lu Nande always told clumsy lies, thinking Lu Mi would believe him.
Lu Mi, still sleepy, rested his head on his knees and replied softly, “No.”
“Where are you now? Is Mr. Shen with you?” Lu Nande hadn’t planned to contact Lu Mi again, but he had arranged to pay the remaining money this morning with that person, who had gone silent. Unable to reach him, Lu Nande had to call Lu Mi.
He thought Lu Mi wouldn’t answer anymore, so hearing his voice, he assumed Lu Mi had just woken up, which was reasonable.
Lu Mi quickly realized the “Mr. Shen” Lu Nande referred to wasn’t Shen Tan.
Probably because he had slept until noon without eating, Lu Mi felt a bit nauseous.
After a pause, Lu Mi said, “He’s not here.”
Neither the “Mr. Shen” Lu Nande meant nor Shen Tan was around.
But Lu Mi didn’t say he was at home.
Lu Nande didn’t care where Lu Mi was anyway. Hearing Lu Mi say Mr. Shen wasn’t there, his expression darkened, his tone growing impatient. “Where did he go?”
“I don’t know.” Lu Mi had never met that person.
“You!” Lu Nande seemed about to scold him.
Yesterday’s gentleness was just an act. Lu Mi was used to this attitude and didn’t mind. Lu Nande seemed anxious. Before hanging up, Lu Mi asked, “Is the company’s funding still insufficient?”
“It’s enough. Don’t worry about company matters. Just behave.” Before Lu Mi could say more, Lu Nande ended the call.
He was afraid Lu Mi would pry.
The company was inherited from Lu Mi’s mother. When Lu Nande married Lu Mi’s mother, he was just an unremarkable employee. After marriage, Lu Mi’s mother entrusted the company to him. She unfortunately fell ill after giving birth to Lu Mi and passed away within two years, leaving the company to Lu Nande.
But Lu Mi had shares—transferred by his mother before she died, fearing he would be bullied after her death.
Lu Nande never told Lu Mi this.
The company belonged to the Lu family now; he would never give any of it to Lu Mi.
Not a penny.
The company’s finances were stable, but Mr. Shen’s money was still short by one million.
Lu Nande still couldn’t reach him.
It couldn’t be that Lu Mi had said something in private.
He narrowed his eyes. If that were true, he’d have to see Lu Mi again.
Lu Mi stared blankly at his phone, still feeling queasy. He checked his messages.
No reply from Shen Tan.
He was moving to Shen Tan’s place tomorrow but wasn’t sure if Shen Tan would really prepare a computer for him. His streaming hours this month were insufficient, and his rank had dropped.
Lu Mi washed his face, ate a piece of bread, and sat down at his computer to stream again.
User 97654398 hadn’t appeared today.
Fortunately, Amo hadn’t come either. Although the chat still carried some drama, and some asked if he was really married, perhaps because yesterday’s drama had drawn a few hundred more viewers.
Lu Mi spent the afternoon and evening playing ranked matches, finally advancing one rank.
By the time he ended the stream, it was past ten at night.
Lu Mi sat in front of the computer, dazed for a while before packing.
He didn’t have many things: few clothes, even fewer belongings.
He packed everything into his suitcase, including Shen Tan’s large coat.
He carefully looked over the place where he had lived for more than a year, but though he was moving out, he didn’t tell the landlord.
He didn’t know how long Shen Tan’s interest would last, or how long he would live there.
If he cancelled the lease, it would be hard to find another place so cheap and well-located.
The next day, Lu Mi had a full day of classes and didn’t receive any messages from Shen Tan.
Maybe he had been forgotten.
As soon as class ended, Lu Mi rushed back to his neighborhood.
Before entering, he saw a familiar car parked under his building.
He paused, and before he could walk over, a well-dressed man got out of the driver’s seat.
Lu Mi had seen him two days ago; he was Shen Tan’s driver.
Since Shen Tan knew about his livestream, it wasn’t surprising he knew where Lu Mi lived.
The man seemed to have noticed him and came straight over, nodding slightly. “Hello, Young Master Lu Mi. I am the boss’s personal assistant, Zhou Feng.”
Lu Mi took two steps back. Before he could say anything, Zhou Feng continued, “The boss flew to Country X for a meeting yesterday and instructed me to pick you up today and bring you home. If you have any requests, please let me know.”
So he had gone abroad.
He hadn’t forgotten him.
Lu Mi lowered his eyes, shaking his head. “No requests.”
“I’ll help you get your luggage.”
Lu Mi opened his mouth but said nothing, silently walking toward his rented room.
Zhou Feng followed at a respectful distance.
When Lu Mi pulled out his suitcase, Zhou Feng took it and said, “You can just walk ahead.”
In the car, Lu Mi still felt unreal. Watching the neighborhood where he had lived for over a year fade behind, the scenery outside grew stranger.
Until they entered the city’s most expensive villa district.
The car stopped in front of a small villa. The neighborhood was quiet, and the streetlights seemed brighter and more beautiful than elsewhere.
“The boss usually lives here,” Zhou Feng finally spoke after they entered.
Lu Mi followed quietly, feeling uneasy.
The villa’s interior was very minimalist, but Lu Mi could tell the floors and ceiling lights were far more expensive than the furniture chosen by his stepmother in the Lu family home.
He looked down, fingers nervously rubbing.
“The first floor has the living room, dining room, and kitchen. A housekeeper comes daily to cook and clean,” Zhou Feng diligently explained, unfazed by Lu Mi’s awkwardness. “Your bedroom is on the second floor, second door on the left. The second floor is private, so I cannot accompany you there.”
Zhou Feng handed back the suitcase.
Lu Mi gripped the handle, pursing his lips.
Although Shen Tan wasn’t here, this was Shen Tan’s home.
He stood still. Zhou Feng asked, “Young Master Lu Mi, do you have any instructions for me?”
Lu Mi quickly shook his head.
“Then I’ll leave you to it.” Zhou Feng’s duty was only to escort him home.
He said this while appraising the young man before him.
Compared to three years ago when they first met, he had grown a bit taller, had blossomed, and was even more beautiful.
The boss was justified in being furious enough to send him here.
Zhou Feng turned to leave but heard Lu Mi whisper, “...Wait.”
Lu Mi nervously rubbed his fingers on the suitcase handle, eyelashes trembling. “When will Mr. Shen be back?”
Zhou Feng smiled faintly. “Uncertain yet. It depends on the meeting’s end time and the flight schedule.”
Meaning, he wouldn’t return tonight.
Lu Mi breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Zhou Feng. “Thank you.”
After Zhou Feng left the villa, he messaged Shen Tan: “Boss, Young Master Lu Mi has arrived home. Per your instructions, I did not tell him you would return tonight.”
Inside the villa, Lu Mi stood cautiously outside the opened bedroom door.
The room’s style was unlike what he had imagined.
The light was on, and a double bed stood in the center, its sheets and comforter a uniform creamy white. Opposite the bed was a large, plush sofa.
The floor-to-ceiling curtains were not drawn, revealing the moon outside.
They were opaque and creamy white.
The whole room looked bright and warm.
Quite unlike Shen Tan’s style.
Perhaps this wasn’t Shen Tan’s bedroom.
Lu Mi took off his shoes and stepped in barefoot.
A soft carpet covered the floor; it was warm, not cold.
He tentatively lifted his foot on the carpet, then set it down; lifted it again, set it down.
The carpet tickled his feet occasionally. Lu Mi was ticklish but found it strangely pleasant, and he couldn’t help laughing.
Soon his face flushed from the tickling.
Pressing the back of his hand to his cheek, he stopped the childish gesture and slowly sat down on the carpet, shifting to lean against the bed.
His mood unexpectedly relaxed.
No one disliked a place so warm and comfortable, even if uncertain what awaited ahead.
The room had heating on, and soon Lu Mi was sweating.
He took off his heavy coat, left in only a sweater, but the sweat was uncomfortable.
After hesitating, he rummaged through his suitcase for pajamas and went to the bathroom.
Knowing Shen Tan wouldn’t return tonight gave him courage.
The bathroom was large.
Inside, the glass door fogged with steam. After a long time, the stuffy air made it hard to breathe; his face flushed red. He hurriedly dried off and put on pajamas, barely fastening the buttons.
Just as he stepped out of the bathroom, he heard footsteps.
Startled, Lu Mi looked up toward the bedroom door.
He hadn’t closed it.
The footsteps grew closer, his heartbeat quickened.
He hurried to button his pajamas, eyes fixed on the doorway.
Before he could button the last two buttons, the footsteps stopped outside the bedroom.
His fingers slipped on the buttons, nearly tearing one off.
Lu Mi clutched the collar of his pajamas and looked at Shen Tan standing in the doorway.