Chapter 167: Neither Wind, Nor Rain, Nor Shine

Stepping out of the ancestral hall, Lu Ye stared fixedly at Lu Yuqing.

"Old Lu, do you intend to hide from my mother for the rest of your life?"

Lu Yuqing sighed and said, "I have no face to face her."

For over a decade, Cheng Qimeng had vanished without a trace, her fate completely unknown. Lu Yuqing had spent all those years in a spineless, muddled daze, failing entirely to display the responsibility of a man.

He hadn't even thought of seeking out the truth behind what happened back then...

It was precisely this point that had made Cheng Qimeng utterly and completely disappointed in him.

Even Lu Yangxiu couldn't help cursing aloud, "Coward! How on earth did I spawn a spineless wretch like you?"

Lu Yuqing merely opened his mouth, but stopped short of speaking.

Lu Ye could not help frowning.

Having been father and son for over twenty years, he could read Lu Yuqing's every micro-expression.

Old Lu seemed to be harboring some unspeakable hardship.

"Dad, tell me honestly."

"That glamorous widow doesn't actually exist, does she?"

Lu Yuqing nodded. "Mm."

This made Lu Ye even more certain of what he had been thinking.

Old Lu had a regular habit of taking long journeys at fixed intervals, using motorcycle touring as an excuse and claiming he had found a glamorous widow to keep him company, yet Lu Ye had never once laid eyes on this so-called glamorous widow.

Lu Ye asked softly, "Do you have some hidden difficulty?"

Without answering, Lu Yuqing leaned against the handrail of the flying bridge, gazed at the distant birds flying low, and murmured softly, "A single straw cape and bamboo hat in the misty rain, let the whole life pass as it may; there is neither wind and rain nor clear weather."

Given the time and place, Lu Ye naturally understood the deep meaning behind Lu Yuqing quoting these lines, which expressed a state of mind of supreme detachment.

Lu Yuqing was carrying certain unknown secrets entirely on his own shoulders, pushing forward without a second thought even if no one understood him.

No matter what the final outcome might be, he would accept it optimistically and face it with a calm heart. This was his sense of responsibility as a husband and a father.

"I understand."

Lu Ye took half a step back, bowed deeply, and cupped his hands in salute to Lu Yuqing.

"Dad, I'll be leaving now. Mom is still waiting for me outside."

"Mm."

Both Lu Yangxiu and Su Qianqian behind them were left in a state of utter confusion.

What kind of riddles were this father and son speaking in?

Not a single word of it made any sense to outsiders like them!

Lu Ye turned around, took Su Qianqian by the hand, and bade farewell to Lu Yangxiu as well: "Elder Lu, farewell!"

Still unwilling to acknowledge me as his grandfather?

A profound sense of loss welled up in Lu Yangxiu's heart, but he still nodded calmly. "I'll see you out."

"Your legs and feet are inconvenient, you don't need to walk us far."

"Then, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

...

Stepping out of the Lu family residence, they saw Cheng Qimeng sitting on a stone chair near the martial arts training ground, instructing Wan Quan in the Tiger-Style Fist and the Gold-Metal Legs of the Da-Xiao Mo brothers with rapt interest...

Everyone had already heard that the young master's mother was also an peerless martial arts expert who had immersed herself in the tenth realm for many years, and might even have surpassed it.

Otherwise, how could she have cultivated the young master to be so extraordinary?

If they could receive even a trick or two of instruction from her, they might benefit immensely.

Therefore, many martial arts family disciples who were not closely acquainted had also gathered around to watch.

However, Cheng Qimeng wore an icy expression that kept people a thousand miles away.

Even the most thick-skinned individuals did not dare to casually ask her for guidance.

It wasn't until Lu Ye walked over and said softly, "Mom, shall we head down the mountain?"

Cheng Qimeng nodded slightly. "Let's go."

On the way down the mountain, Cheng Qimeng asked, "Did Old Lu say anything to you?"

Lu Ye smiled lightly. "He recited a piece of verse for me."

"What verse?"

"A single straw cape and bamboo hat in the misty rain, let the whole life pass as it may; there is neither wind and rain nor clear weather."

Cheng Qimeng paused for a moment, and said nothing more.

Lu Ye probed cautiously, "Mom, I've always had a question in my heart all these years: where are my maternal grandparents?"

Cheng Qimeng instantly replied with an icy tone, "Your mother is an orphan, where would you get maternal grandparents?"

She seemed entirely unaware of this subtle shift in her tone, but Lu Ye made a mental note of it.

...

By the time they returned to Pearl City, it was already dark.

Cheng Qimeng looked deep in thought and went straight to her room to rest without even having dinner.

"Wife, Mrs. Yang invited me to the Yi Ren Club tonight for a full set of maintenance treatments. I'll go and be right back."

"Mm, be careful on the road."

"Got it."

After kissing his wife goodbye, Lu Ye drove out alone.

Instead of heading to the Yi Ren Club, however, he diverted his course to Liu Yiyi's home.

Liu Yiyi sneaked out of the residential complex and got into the passenger seat.

"Captain, why are you coming to see me this late? Is something the matter?"

Lu Ye smiled. "Sister Yiyi, I've already resigned. You shouldn't call me captain anymore."

Liu Yiyi chuckled and said, "I'm so used to it, I can't break the habit just like that."

"There's something I'd like your help with—a personal matter."

Liu Yiyi nodded. "Go ahead, what is it?"

"I'd like you to help me look into my mother's background before she married my father..."

Huh?

This peculiar request left Liu Yiyi somewhat puzzled.

"Why don't you just ask them directly?"

Lu Ye gave a wry smile. "If they were willing to talk, why would I go to all this trouble to bother you?"

"Alright!"

Liu Yiyi nodded. "I'll try looking into it later. I happen to have some free time recently."

Lu Ye pressed his palms together and pleaded ingratiatingly, "Then I'll leave it to you. Thanks for your hard work, Sister Yiyi."

"This stays between the two of us. Even if you uncover any clues, make sure not to leak them."

Liu Yiyi patted her chest to reassure him. "Don't worry, I understand."

After arranging their communication method, Lu Ye finally drove to the Yi Ren Club.

By now, the Yi Ren Club was under the full management of Mu Xia.

This sweet-mouthed young girl was quite endearing.

However, there were still some older female patrons who remained somewhat dissatisfied, feeling that an Yi Ren Club without Wu Qing lacked a soul.

Not knowing where that young man with the extraordinarily long tongue had gone, they grabbed Lu Ye to interrogate him every time he visited.

After giving it some thought, Lu Ye decided it was best to call Wu Qing back specifically to humor this group of wealthy patrons.

"Knock, knock!"

He gently rapped on the door of the manager's office.

"Please come in."

Lu Ye pushed the door open and saw Mu Xia wearing a professional suit and a pair of black-rimmed glasses, exuding the capable aura of a corporate woman.

Mu Xia cried out in pleasant surprise, "Oh, Brother Lu is here?"

Lu Ye smiled. "Mm, how is business lately?"

"Same as usual, mostly propped up by that group of top-tier VIP ladies."

Mu Xia sighed and said, "I'm not as quick-witted as Brother Wu. Just maintaining the status quo feels exhausting."

"Shall I summon him back tomorrow to be your assistant?"

Mu Xia shook her head repeatedly. "Don't do that, let him stay as manager!"

"You know me, Brother Lu, I'm not interested in doing business; I just want to travel the world and explore the unknown."

Lu Ye laughed heartily. "Alright then."

Mu Xia's file in Y6 had already been erased by Lu Ye.

Now her identity was completely clean, and she could openly become an explorer.

After chatting for a few moments, the receptionist hurriedly ran upstairs and reported, "Manager, someone is causing trouble on the first floor!"

"Oh? The boss is here too!"

This receptionist had a rather cute and naive personality and had been working here ever since the club opened.

Recognizing her, Lu Ye smiled and said, "Don't panic, Xiao Li. Tell me slowly, what happened?"

Xiao Li took a deep breath to calm herself and said, "Just now, a female customer came to the first floor demanding to register for a top-tier VIP card, and she specifically insisted that the boss serve her personally."

"I explained our club's membership system to her in detail, but she simply wouldn't listen."

"She said if you don't serve her, she'll bring people here to smash our club's signboard!"

Lu Ye was slightly taken aback.

Who in Pearl City didn't know the background of the Yi Ren Club? To think someone would still dare to act so lawless here!

"It's fine, I'll go down and take a look."

Lu Ye immediately got up and headed downstairs, followed by Mu Xia and Xiao Li.

On the first floor, an older woman was indeed pointing at the staff in the lobby and cursing up a storm...

"What right do you have to refuse me a top-tier VIP card? Who do you think you're looking down on?"

"Do you know who my husband is?"

"Push me too far and see if my husband doesn't have this club shut down in a matter of minutes!"

This woman was clearly well over fifty. Her aged face, covered in yellowish spots, was wrinkled like an orange peel, with two deep marionette lines flanking her nose.

Her upper and lower lips were extremely uneven—a classic case of prognathism.

Her facial features instantly marked her as the typical petty, sharp-tongued shrew...