Chapter 0346

Taking advantage of Jiang Feihua's absence, Uncle Fu posed the question.

Luo Yao glanced at him.

"What, eager to go back and spend time with your grandson?"

Uncle Fu didn’t deny it—that was exactly what he had in mind.

"An Jian’s surgery is coming up soon, and I’d like to be there for Dahua. If you still need me here, I’d like to request leave for that day."

Uncle Fu had braced himself for a pay cut, but to his surprise, Luo Yao nodded.

"If that’s what you wish, I won’t stop you. If I recall correctly, your grandson’s surgery is in four days. Barring any unexpected issues, we’ll make it back in time."

Uncle Fu’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"We?"

Lin Ran chuckled and patted Uncle Fu’s shoulder.

"Old man, I already talked to Yao Yao about this. See how good I am to you? So, no more badmouthing me behind my back, got it?"

Uncle Fu was genuinely moved.

"When have I ever badmouthed you? I never gossip about people behind their backs."

Lin Ran smirked. "Oh really? Even when you said that if I fed Miss Luo—"

Uncle Fu hastily clapped a hand over Lin Ran’s mouth, his face a picture of panic.

Luo Yao narrowed her eyes at him. "You didn’t actually say something bad about me in front of A-Ran, did you?"

Uncle Fu immediately looked crestfallen. "Miss, I’d never dare! It was just a slip of the tongue—I said that even if Young Master Lin fed you poison, you’d drink it without hesitation."

Luo Yao nodded. "That’s true enough."

Lin Ran gave Uncle Fu a strange look, silently noting that he’d left something out.

"Yao Yao, if I really fed you poison, would you drink it?"

Luo Yao answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Of course."

"Why?"

"Because A-Ran wanted me to."

Lin Ran was at a loss for words. He stiffly asked,

"Then… would you really be willing to leave me?"

Luo Yao shook her head firmly.

"Of course not. Don’t worry—you won’t leave me. If I drank poison and was going to die, I’d make sure to take you with me first. That way, even in the afterlife, you’d still be mine. We’d never be apart."

Lin Ran’s heart gave a little shudder.

Luo Yao continued, elaborating on her thoughts.

"And after we die, someone will bury us together, so we’ll never be separated for all eternity. Right, Uncle Fu?"

Uncle Fu wiped the sweat from his brow. Even after all these years as Luo Yao’s butler, he still struggled to follow her logic.

Especially when it came to Lin Ran—why did she always have such extreme ideas?

Thankfully, Wang Dahua didn’t have such a terrifying possessiveness toward him.

Otherwise, he wasn’t sure his old bones could withstand that kind of "love."

"Of course. This old servant will ensure that Miss… and Young Master Lin receive the most proper funeral arrangements."

Lin Ran had felt a brief tremor at Luo Yao and Uncle Fu’s conversation, but he quickly brushed it off.

There was nothing wrong with Luo Yao’s plan to take him with her if she died.

That was true love—together in life, together in death.

And Uncle Fu? Well, he’d already proven he could handle their funeral arrangements.

But now—

"I don’t want that."

Luo Yao’s expression instantly turned icy, her gaze sharp as a blade. Even Uncle Fu frowned.

Uncle Fu thought to himself, "Young Master Lin always says he has a death wish, but it seems like you’re the one courting death here."

Lin Ran shook his head. "I don’t want Yao Yao to drink poison, and I don’t want to die. We can be the happiest couple in the world while we’re alive—why think about death?"

"The thought of Yao Yao collapsing makes me feel like I’m suffocating. I’d never let Yao Yao die, and I’d never make her unhappy. I only want her to feel my love."

Uncle Fu was impressed. "Well played," he mused. "Young Master Lin, you’re truly a master of wordplay."

"A-Ran, I want to devour you."

Lin Ran: "…Huh?"

Uncle Fu: "Everyone, clear out."

While Luo Yao and Lin Ran were… deepening their bond, the Lu Family, the Southern China Chamber of Commerce, and Chen Buhui all received the news that Luo Yao had refused to meet.

Their reactions varied—some were furious, some silent, others indifferent.

Lu Youqi was the angriest. Outwardly refined and composed, he was a raging tyrant within the walls of the Lu estate when no outsiders were around.

Among the three great families, the most level-headed was actually the least conspicuous—Wang Xiaolin.

The Southern China Chamber of Commerce didn’t care much. They’d only invited Luo Yao to foster goodwill and avoid cutthroat competition.

But deep down, they lacked confidence in their own position.

Chen Buhui remained silent, thinking to herself, "These youngsters don’t know their place." Aloud, she said, "They’re rather arrogant, aren’t they?"

"Elder Chen, if they don’t want to meet, we shouldn’t force it. After all, we’re here on official business."

Chen Buhui shook her head, her gaze unfriendly.

"Refusing to see their elder? Fine. Very well. Then I’ll go to them."

The others exchanged surprised glances. They didn’t understand why Chen Buhui was so insistent on meeting these two.

Weren’t they just here to fulfill an official assignment? There was no need to take it so personally.

No matter who secured the project, it would benefit the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"Elder Chen, you—"

"It’s fine. I’m going in a personal capacity—this has nothing to do with the Academy. Arrange a car for me."

Chen Buhui had one defining trait—she hated waiting. If something could be done, she did it immediately.

"Very well." Her assistant sighed and went to make arrangements. After all, this was Elder Chen.

When Chen Buhui arrived at the estate, even she was stunned by its opulence.

Despite being a leading figure in science, she lived in a modest 100-square-meter house. In contrast, Lin Ran and Luo Yao resided in a lavish estate—and this wasn’t even their primary residence, just a temporary dwelling.

At that moment, Chen Buhui’s dislike for Luo Yao and Lin Ran’s extravagance grew, but so did her understanding of the First Financial Consortium’s staggering wealth.

"Extravagant. Wasteful." That was her blunt four-word verdict.

The security at the gate stopped them.

"Who are you here to see?"

The driver, also her assistant, was a young woman who held a minor role at the Academy.

"This is Elder Chen Buhui. We’re here to see Luo Yao and Lin Ran."

The guard glanced inside, confirming the stern-faced woman was indeed Chen Buhui.

"Do you have an appointment?"

Chen Buhui finally lost her patience.

"I need an appointment to see them?"

The guard knew her status and remained respectful, but he was just doing his job.

"Apologies, but countless people come here daily hoping to meet Miss Luo and Young Master Lin. Without an appointment, no one gets in—no exceptions."