nashuaworldcup Chapter 143 I Will Always Believe in You
Chapter 143 I Will Always Believe in You
Tony was simply and decisively ushered out by Lu Yuan.
His parents instinctively wanted to ask him to stay, but Lu Yuan stopped them by raising his hand.
In fact, he knew in his heart that his parents did not really mean to kick him out, but rather wanted to use the time of the struggle to negotiate a lower price.
After all, the Lu family is not wealthy enough to afford to spend millions to try and fail. Some risks should be avoided as much as possible.
But now that Tony has really been kicked out, and the clothing company will be coming to his door in a couple of days, there's simply not enough time in such a short period of time to come up with a design.
"You child, how could you send them away without saying a word?" Dad's face darkened instantly, his tone full of anger, even mixed with a hint of regret.
He realized he had blindly trusted Lu Yuan, forgetting that young people are prone to impulsiveness and easily act rashly when things don't go their way.
Lu Yuan remained calm and simply said, "He can't help our family."
At first, Lu Yuan still held a sliver of hope, thinking that the butterfly effect brought about by his rebirth might be able to change the predicament of not being able to find a suitable designer for his family, which is why he was willing to give Tony a chance to demonstrate his abilities.
But after that initial attempt, he completely gave up.
Tony indeed lacked real talent and ability. Just like in his previous life, the Lu family was destined to never see a savior. They had to shoulder this burden themselves.
"Why can't we help?" Dad's brows furrowed deeply as he retorted unhappily, "No matter what, she's a legitimate designer; she might actually be able to come up with something that would impress the clothing manufacturers. Now, the designer is gone, and time is gone too. What can we do?"
"Yes, Yuan," Mom hurriedly stepped forward, her voice filled with anxiety and regret, "You really acted so recklessly this time. This is a matter of life and death for our family business, how could you act on a whim?"
Several of Lu Yuan's father's friends couldn't help but shake their heads, pointing and criticizing him for being too impulsive and ruining this hard-won cooperation.
Despite the accusations from the crowd, Lu Yuan's gaze grew even more resolute: "That Tony is a fraud. We'd rather rely on ourselves than on him."
"You!" Dad was furious, his eyes filled with disappointment. "You're such a spoiled brat! Do you think doing business is child's play? How could we possibly manage this on our own!"
Lu Yuan didn't expect his father to get so angry.
In front of so many people, his father gave him a severe scolding without any mercy.
He cared too much about that client, knowing full well the huge losses his family would face if he failed to close the deal.
In his eyes, Lu Yuan's "acting on impulse" was extremely immature.
Lu Yuan opened his mouth to explain, but his father was in a fit of anger and wouldn't listen to a word.
Finally, Dad slammed what he was holding to the ground, turned around, and slammed the door shut as he left.
"Oh dear, how did things get like this..."
"Old Lu, still has such a big temper."
The old friends looked at each other, unsure how to end the situation, and could only sigh awkwardly.
To be honest, Lu Yuan could understand his father's attitude.
The lifeline we finally managed to grasp has been snapped; anyone would be devastated in that situation.
Being publicly and harshly reprimanded by one's own father, without even a chance to explain, still leaves one feeling as if a lump of cotton is stuck in their throat.
"Ah Yuan, your dad's just angry, don't take it to heart." Mom quickly came over and gently patted his back to comfort him.
She actually thought that Tony was unreliable, and knew that Lu Yuan wasn't to blame for this.
"I'm fine." Lu Yuan shook his head, forcing a relaxed smile. "Go and talk to your dad, don't let him get upset."
"Okay, I'll talk to your dad. It'll be fine." Mom nodded, then turned and left with a serious expression.
Gradually, Dad's friends also wisely dispersed.
Lu Yuan stood alone in the empty office.
Even though I meant well, I was misunderstood and blamed by the people closest to me, and I couldn't even get a word in my defense.
Anyone would feel stifled by such grievances.
He silently bent down and picked up the things his father had thrown on the ground one by one, dusted them off, and neatly put them back on the table.
Then, he took out the design he had stayed up all night to draw, placed it flat on his father's desk, and weighed it down with a paperweight.
He had planned to leave like that, figuring his dad would see it sooner or later once he calmed down.
After hesitating for a moment, he pulled out a note and wrote a line on it:
"It's better to rely on yourself than others. This is the design I drew; I'll show it to the clothing supplier when he comes. If time allows, I can also make a few sample garments in advance so he can see the actual effect."
After doing all this, Lu Yuan turned and walked out of the office.
He had just stepped out the door when he bumped into Ye Yixian in the corridor.
Ye Yixian's expression was slightly solemn. As soon as he saw Lu Yuan, he ran over quickly and hugged him tightly.
She buried her face in his chest and murmured softly, "Auntie told me everything. Don't worry, Lu Yuan, it's not your fault. Uncle was just angry; he doesn't really blame you."
"I'm fine."
Lu Yuan shook his head, but when he spoke, his voice still carried a barely perceptible sob.
In his original plan, his father would be overjoyed when he saw the design drawings and would be proud of his son.
After all, it was a painting he had spent countless days and nights, pouring all his heart and soul into.
But now, instead of recognition, my efforts have brought me anger and blame, which feels like a needle pricking my heart.
"Auntie told me not to go to work this afternoon and to stay with you." Ye Yixian looked up at him earnestly. "Lu Yuan, do you need me to stay with you? If you don't, I'll go back to work. But... I think you might need to talk to me. Of course, if you just want to be alone..."
She spoke cautiously, afraid that she would only cause trouble instead of helping, and before she knew it, she had said a lot.
She wasn't a particularly sensitive girl, but she always unconsciously softened when she was with Lu Yuan.
In her heart, Lu Yuan was like a rare treasure, someone she needed to hold in her hands and cherish.
Before she could finish speaking, Lu Yuan reached out again and pulled her tightly into his arms, whispering, "Yes, you need to."
Upon hearing those two words, Ye Yixian's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.
At least at this moment, she was needed by Lu Yuan and was not useless.
The afternoon was rather muggy, so Lu Yuan took Ye Yixian to the riverbank on the outskirts of the city.
Ye Yixian sat under the shade of a tree by the river, with Lu Yuan's clothes neatly folded beside her. Lu Yuan, on the other hand, plunged into the cool river water and swam back and forth with great enjoyment.
After swimming, Lu Yuan walked back to the shade of a tree.
Although he was only wearing shorts, he was radiating vitality after exercising. Water droplets slid down his firm muscles, glistening in the sunlight, making Ye Yixian's heart beat faster involuntarily.
Lu Yuan sat down next to Ye Yixian, gazing at the green hills and clear waters of the suburbs, and said with a touch of emotion, "Gao Zhe and I used to come here to swim often."
"Swimming in the wild is so dangerous. Aren't there swimming pools in the city?" Ye Yixian asked, puzzled.
"No swimming pool can compare to the thrill of a natural river."
"But swimming in the wild is really dangerous. I often hear people say that someone has drowned somewhere." Ye Yixian said, raising her hand and gently wiping the water off his face with her fingertips, her eyes full of worry.
Lu Yuan smiled faintly, turning his head to look at her: "Are you that afraid I'll be gone?"
"What are you saying?" Ye Yixian's cheeks flushed, and she quickly retorted, "How could I not be afraid? You're my boyfriend, my first boyfriend!"
"The first one? Could there be a second one?" Lu Yuan teased her on purpose.
"No way!" Ye Yixian explained hastily, but her eyes were incredibly sincere. "I emphasized 'first' because I wanted you to know that you are the first person who has ever moved my heart. I really care about you, and even if the whole world doesn't understand you, I will stand firmly by your side and always trust you."
At this point, her tone became more serious: "Like what happened today when your uncle scolded you. Although I don't know the specifics, I believe you must have had your reasons for doing so. You're not someone who doesn't understand right and wrong; you just wanted to help the garment factory get through this difficult time, right?"
These words were like a warm current, instantly soothing the grievances in Lu Yuan's heart.
He didn't answer whether it was right or wrong, but suddenly felt a sense of relief, as if the tightness in his chest had finally dissipated. He looked at the girl in front of him with a smile.
Ye Yixian was a little confused by his gaze: "Why aren't you saying anything? Why are you smiling at me like that?"
"What I said doesn't seem that funny, does it?"
"Lu Yuan?"
"I……"
Ye Yixian was still rambling on when Lu Yuan leaned in and kissed her before she could finish speaking.
Caught off guard, Ye Yixian was gently tackled to the soft sand by Lu Yuan.
As their lips met, she was so captivated by his kiss that she felt dizzy and disoriented, with only the sound of the babbling river and her own heart pounding like a drum in her ears.