199: Chapter 197: Withdrawal by Initiative 199: Chapter 197: Withdrawal by Initiative At a Seattle Western restaurant, tucked in a corner, the spot was indeed quite secluded, and the environment was also very nice.
“The environment here is alright, pretty quiet.
Don’t mind having a casual lunch here, do you?” Lu Youcai said.
“I don’t mind.
Just get me a serving of beef,” Tangyu replied.
There followed a period of silence between the two.
Tangyu looked at Lu Youcai without any urgency, sipping the coffee from this place.
Lu Youcai’s face still had a hint of embarrassment, as if finding it very difficult to speak.
He too was sipping his coffee quietly, seemingly organizing his thoughts like someone choosing their words carefully.
In that moment, Lu Youcai lacked the usual graceful poise and extraordinary talent he was known for.
“Why do you think so many people like to drink unsweetened coffee even though it’s so bitter?” Tangyu suddenly asked.
Lu Youcai looked up at Tangyu, momentarily taken aback, but he caught the deeper meaning behind the question.
After thinking for a moment, he said, “Bitter things aren’t necessarily bad.
They taste bitter, but leave an endless aftertaste.
Others like to add sugar to their coffee, but I’ve always preferred not to sweeten my coffee.
The bitterer it is, the more I enjoy it.
You also didn’t add sugar, Tangyu.
So it seems your thoughts are similar to mine?”
Tangyu shook his head with a light smile and said, “Not exactly.
I don’t add sugar because I don’t like the taste of sugared coffee.
In fact, I don’t particularly like unsweetened coffee either.
I prefer tea, with its mix of bitterness and sweetness but above all, the lingering fragrance.
My life is like a cup of tea; those who don’t understand it will only taste the bitterness and think their lives are bitter too.
Opportunistic people add sugar to their tea, thinking that will make it sweet, but they don’t realize they’re merely spoiling and ruining it.
A life like that loses its meaning.
Only those who understand know that tea must be savored slowly, becoming richer towards the end, like aged wine.
Life is long, and within its bitterness, there’s sweetness and fragrance.
When they blend together, that’s what true life is.
What do you think?”
Upon hearing this, Lu Youcai’s mind was jolted and he stared at Tangyu in a daze, deeply moved as if a bright window had opened in his soul, illuminating many dark places.
Comparing life to a cup of tea did indeed carry a deep and rational significance.
In his heart, Lu Youcai’s respect for Tangyu grew.
The profound life lessons Tangyu shared were clearly meant as comfort.
Life has its gains and losses, its bitterness and sweetness.
But what matters most is to persevere in your life.
After bitterness comes sweetness, and if you only perceive your life as a bitter cup of tea, then that’s all it will ever be.
This is a state of mind; all things follow the heart.
If you give up on your own life, then your life is truly in a state of decay.
Lu Youcai opened a bottle of red wine and poured a glass for Tangyu, holding up his glass earnestly, he said, “Tangyu, the words you said just now have been incredibly enlightening.
I toast this glass to you.
I have wronged you in the past and I want to offer my sincere apology here.
Let’s drink to that.” With that, Lu Youcai drained his glass.
Moved by the change in Lu Youcai’s attitude, Tangyu also smiled lightly.
When someone else gave him respect, he reciprocated in kind, and so he too finished the wine in his glass.
Tangyu felt that aside from his arrogance and a certain fixation on love, Lu Youcai was not a bad person.
The arrogant things he had said last time were related to his status.
If it weren’t for that, Tangyu wouldn’t bother with Lu Youcai at all.
A man can sometimes become obsessed to the point of madness concerning the woman he likes.
“Life should be filled with joy; don’t let the cup of gold stand empty against the moon.
Hmph, nothing to complain about.
Your words have made me realize a lot.
I didn’t invite you here today with any malice; I just wanted to have a proper talk with you.
You’re a decent person, Tangyu.
I respect and appreciate you,” Lu Youcai said with a light smile.
“Haha, you’re not bad either, just too arrogant.
But then, who wasn’t a bit wild when young?
It’s good for a young man to have some pride, especially when it concerns a woman he likes, it’s understandable.
You’re here today for Shanshan, aren’t you?” Tangyu said.
Lu Youcai nodded and replied, “Yes, I’m here for Liu Shanshan’s matter.
As you said, I do indeed have innate kidney deficiency.
Since it is innate, the treatment will be very troublesome.
The hospitals in Donglin City are not very confident they can cure me unless it’s through a prolonged treatment.
They recommended that I seek treatment in America, and I might go there in a while.
This is a matter that affects my whole life, and I have to take it seriously.
Perhaps I will have to stay there for a year or two before returning.
I have thought seriously about Liu Shanshan’s issue.
I like her, but she has never liked me back.
I thought that with my conditions and determination, I could win her over in time, but now I realize that with a woman of personality like Liu Shanshan, I may have been too presumptuous.
To love someone, I hope to win her, but at the same time, I don’t want to hurt her.
To be honest, Tangyu, I hope you won’t mind, but if it wasn’t for my innate kidney deficiency, I would have fought you for Liu Shanshan to the end.
However, given my condition, I can’t delay Liu Shanshan’s happiness any longer, so I’ve decided to step aside.”
Lu Youcai’s forthright admission of his situation and his voluntary withdrawal were somewhat unexpected to Tangyu.
He had thought Lu Youcai would negotiate with him under the condition of treating his illness, but this expression from Lu Youcai only increased Tangyu’s good impression.
“I’ve always believed that true love can’t be obtained through touching someone or given time.
Love is just love; it’s not about how good your conditions are or how strong your will is that will make her fall for you.
If that’s the kind of love you get, I think it is superficial, maybe just a liking.
The love that truly leaves a mark on me is one that happens subtly and unknowingly.
It doesn’t require any words, nor does it require you to chase or show love—you just find yourself deeply in love, inextricable.
That kind of love is real,” Tangyu remarked, sharing his own philosophy on love.
Lu Youcai nodded in agreement, but also smiled and said, “The love you speak of is a grand love, the kind I think only exists in television dramas.
Where in real life do you find love so intense it transcends life and death, as unchanging as the dry seas and crumbling rocks?
Maybe the love I pursue is merely a liking.
I think you’re beautiful, I think you’re nice, so I like you, and I want to pursue you.
Hmph, perhaps my thoughts are too mundane.”
“Or perhaps I think too deeply, each person has their own pursuit, and there is no right or wrong in that,” Tangyu said, shaking his head.
Lu Youcai’s expression suddenly became earnest as he said, “Tangyu, I can give up pursuing Liu Shanshan and can immediately finalize the case with you, I’ve brought the proposal with me.
But I have one condition, or rather, a request.
I hope you can grant it.”
Although Tangyu didn’t particularly like this tone, Lu Youcai’s sincerity led Tangyu to respond, “Go ahead and speak.”
“Tangyu, I know you are outstanding, and I also know you have great appeal with women.
However, love is exclusive and is not to be shared with others.
If you already have a girlfriend, then don’t go harming Liu Shanshan.
My only request is for you not to hurt Liu Shanshan, and I hope you will take good care of her,” Lu Youcai said.
Tangyu curled his lip, smiled faintly, and said, “You’re overthinking it.
I may be popular with the ladies, but I’m still single.
Besides, I haven’t reached that point with Liu Shanshan, so there’s no need for you to worry about it.”
Lu Youcai nodded and said, “Then I apologize, I thought too much.
Since that is the case, let’s move on to discuss this case.
I will try to hand this case over to you in the next few days, as I may need to go to America soon.”
“Okay,” Tangyu nodded.
The two discussed the case, negotiated some specific matters, and Lu Youcai also handed over the detailed plan for the Changyou project to Tangyu.
Their talk lasted over half an hour, only covering the fundamentals, with many details yet to be discussed.
“Let’s leave it here for today.
After I leave, my assistant will continue the negotiations with you.
I’ve already briefed him completely, and if I’m free tomorrow, I will bring him over to meet you, to get acquainted ahead of time,” Lu Youcai said.
Tangyu pursed his lips.
This new major online game was developed entirely by Lu Youcai, who also single-handedly planned the advertising campaign.
His departure would surely affect the collaboration on this case to some extent.
Although this case wasn’t as big as the ones from Dali Group, it was still a major project that the company highly valued.
Whether or not this project could be successful was also very important; Manager Xin valued it greatly.
After some thought, Tangyu asked, “How certain are you that they can completely cure you in America?
Innate kidney deficiency is very troublesome, and yours is of a particularly unusual type.
If I’m not mistaken, the doctors in Donglin City must have told you that they have at most a twenty percent chance, and it would take at least a year, right?”
Lu Youcai was once again taken aback, looking at Tangyu with surprise, “How do you know this so clearly?”
“Don’t be surprised.
I’m also a doctor.
Since I could see your condition, I naturally know these things.
Although modern medical technology is advanced and the equipment is powerful, many global medical puzzles are still difficult to solve, especially many innate conditions.
Your condition, I estimate that even in America, the chances of a complete cure wouldn’t exceed fifty percent, would they?” Tangyu said.
Lu Youcai nodded and said, “Yes, that’s what the doctors said, but a fifty percent chance is not small, and it would just require more time and money.”
“What if I told you that I could cure your illness within a week?” Tangyu said, looking at Lu Youcai.
Lu Youcai was instantly stunned, as if struck by lightning, his eyes wide staring at Tangyu.
A week?
Cure?
Such a condition was deemed beyond help by the largest hospital in Donglin City, with at most a twenty percent chance of success and requiring at least a year for any hope of improvement.
Yet Tangyu was saying that he only needed a week and seemed confident about curing it, which naturally left Lu Youcai in shock, finding the claim unbelievable, hardly daring to trust his own ears.
Had he misheard?
Or was he hallucinating?
How could that be possible?
“What did you say?” Lu Youcai asked uncertainly.
Tangyu repeated, “I’m confident that I can cure your innate kidney deficiency within a week.”
Buzz—
Lu Youcai’s mind was shaken again, and after a long while, he finally uttered, “This—”
“What, you don’t believe me?” Tangyu said.
Lu Youcai quickly shook his head, “No, no, no, it’s not that I don’t believe you.
Since you could diagnose my illness at a glance, I naturally believe you can cure me.
It’s just that this is too fantastical, I can’t come to terms with it right away.”