TLLKTBD CH 23

Chapter 23: If One Does Not Act for Themselves, Heaven and Earth Will Punish Them

On Monday, both of them got busy with their own affairs. Today was Jin Lang’s first visit to Ding Qiao’s art studio, scheduled for the afternoon. However, from the way he had been acting since breakfast, Lu Qian could tell that the boy was feeling uneasy—his toast was even more burnt than usual.

“Xiao Lang, come and sit down properly. You’re pacing so much that I can’t even eat my breakfast in peace,” Lu Qian called him over and poured him a glass of milk.

“Qian-ge, what would you like to eat for lunch today?” Despite his excitement and nervousness, Jin Lang didn’t forget about his daily responsibilities.

“You’re still coming to the company today?” Lu Qian teased. “Then how about making Buddha Jumps Over the Wall^[1]? Your Xu-ge said it was delicious last time, and he’s been craving it again lately.”

“Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?” That dish required at least ten hours of slow simmering to develop a rich broth. The last time Xu Yang had it, Jin Lang had spent an entire day at home carefully preparing it.

“Alright then, I’ll make it today.” Jin Lang got up and walked to the fridge, opening it. “But it won’t be ready for lunch—it’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Qian-ge, you should order a few other dishes as well. I’ll go grocery shopping in a bit and get everything at once.” He bent down to check the ingredients inside the fridge. “Let me see what we still have first.”

Lu Qian shook his head, stood up, and walked over to Jin Lang, who was rummaging through the fridge. He pulled him back and closed the fridge door. Jin Lang looked at him in confusion as Lu Qian frowned slightly but still had a smile on his face.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” Jin Lang asked.

“Are you seriously planning to do this? If you spend the whole day at home simmering Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, how are you supposed to visit the art studio in the afternoon?” Lu Qian questioned.

“Ah.” Jin Lang scratched his head. He had assumed that Lu Qian had forgotten about his studio visit.

Lu Qian rolled his eyes. “You just told me about it in front of me on Saturday, and you think I’d forget by Monday morning? Xiao Lang, I beg you, if I ever start forgetting things this quickly, please take me to a hospital immediately.”

Jin Lang chuckled. “It’s okay, even if you start aging early, I’ll take care of you.”

Lu Qian froze for a moment. He cleared his throat awkwardly and quickly changed the subject. “That’s not the point. If I really forgot something important and it messed up your plans, what then? If I had forgotten about your studio visit today, wouldn’t that have ruined your schedule?”

Jin Lang was stunned for a moment. “Of course, your matters are more important. I can always take a leave from the studio.”

“…”

Lu Qian hadn’t expected Jin Lang to think this way. After carefully choosing his words, he spoke with caution, “Xiao Lang, every person should naturally prioritize themselves first. You have to take care of your own matters before you worry about others.”

Jin Lang was about to respond, but Lu Qian cut him off with a serious tone. “Learning to paint from Teacher Ding Qiao is your dream. You should treat this with even greater care. You need to strive for it, endure hardships, and persist no matter what—not just casually think, ‘I can take a leave.'”

“Xiao Lang, I hope that no matter what, you will always put yourself and your pursuit of painting first, and only then consider others. Only when a person respects themselves will others respect them.”

“Always putting myself first… isn’t that selfish?” Jin Lang blurted out. He couldn’t even remember how long it had been since he last prioritized himself.

“Have you ever heard the saying, ‘If one does not act for themselves, heaven and earth will punish them’?” Lu Qian asked.

Jin Lang nodded, though he was somewhat confused. Was Lu Qian teaching him to be selfish?

“The ‘act’ in that phrase actually refers to self-discipline, self-refinement, and self-management,” Lu Qian explained. “To put it in simpler terms, if a person does not cultivate themselves, even the heavens cannot tolerate them. So, pursuing your art is a way of refining yourself. If you don’t treat it as your top priority, you might as well be struck by lightning.”

“…”

All this over a simple thought of taking a leave? Lu Qian even brought up divine retribution. Jin Lang pursed his lips, unable to suppress the warmth that spread in his heart.

“Besides, this isn’t selfishness,” Lu Qian continued. “If you take good care of yourself and handle your responsibilities properly, I won’t have to keep an eye on you. You’re already an adult—do I really need to remind you what day your painting lessons are?” He nearly frowned.

“No need,” Jin Lang grinned. “Qian-ge, you’ll have to eat on your own today. I have a painting lesson in the afternoon.”

Lu Qian finally smiled. Good, he can be taught. He nodded. “Don’t worry, I won’t starve to death.”

“That won’t do. You have to eat. You’re way too thin.” Jin Lang crossed his arms and leaned against the fridge, shooting him a sideways glance. “And besides, you’re the one who said, ‘Every person should naturally prioritize themselves first.’ If you take care of yourself, I won’t have to keep an eye on you.”

“You’re already an adult—do I need to remind you to eat? Should I feed you too?”

Having his own words thrown back at him, Lu Qian slowly walked back to the dining table, picked up his toast, and took a bite. He muttered under his breath, “Brat.”

As soon as Lu Qian entered the office, Xiao Qi came over holding a stack of freshly printed construction plans. “Qian-ge, I’ve checked all these blueprints. Once Mr. Wang signs them, we can officially begin construction.”

“Alright, leave the plans here. I’ll double-check them again. In the meantime, contact Brother Chen’s demolition team—if we’re quick, they can start tearing down the house later.” Lu Qian gave out his instructions.

“Got it.” Xiao Qi swiftly got to work.

Lu Qian flipped through the blueprints. Truthfully, this small project had been quite a headache, but after working on it for so long, he had grown a little attached to the tiny house. Now that it was finally going to be transformed, he felt a bit excited. He even started considering renovating his own home—just like the Wang couple, slowly refining every detail until the house truly became a home.

As he continued looking through the designs, his mind drifted. For a moment, he imagined someone bustling about in his house, steam rising from the kitchen, the warmth of a lived-in home filling the air. He unconsciously smiled before snapping back to reality and returning to checking the blueprints, signing off on them one by one.

By ten in the morning, after confirming the final details with Mr. Wang, Lu Qian and Qi Shaobai led the demolition team into the Lixie property. They split up—Lu Qian took the plans and explained the necessary demolitions to the two lead workers. The two were brothers who had been working together since childhood and were highly experienced.

As they listened, they carefully assessed the structure, ensuring that the demolitions wouldn’t compromise the house’s main framework. Once everything was confirmed, they led their crew to start work—some dismantling cabinets, others tearing down walls.

Standing to the side, Xiao Qi was itching to join in. He grabbed a construction helmet, picked up a sledgehammer, and swung it at the wall.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?” Lu Qian, who had already stepped outside, was startled by Qi Shaobai’s sudden action. He called out from the doorway, “They’re demolishing the walls—why are you running inside to join the mess?”

“I’ve always wanted to smash Mr. Wang’s house,” Xiao Qi said gleefully, swinging the sledgehammer at a decorative wall. The wooden panel cracked open with a loud thud. He grinned and took another swing. “Today, my wish has finally come true.”

The lead worker rushed over and snatched the sledgehammer from Qi Shaobai’s hands. “What the hell are you doing? Playing house in my worksite? Get out!” He waved him off in frustration.

The room was filled with the sounds of hammering and the dust of crumbling walls. The second worker, wearing a face mask, chimed in, “Xiao Qi, quit messing around. Construction sites are dangerous. My brother’s just worried you’ll get hurt. You should head back with Team Leader Lu.”

“Alright, I’ll head out first then. I’ll contact you later,” Xiao Qi said, finally willing to leave with Lu Qian.

Seeing the dust covering him, Lu Qian used the rolled-up blueprints to pat off the dust on his back. Qi Shaobai glanced at the time. “Qian-ge, it’s almost noon. How about we grab lunch before heading back?”

Lu Qian was about to nod when Qi Shaobai added, “Oh, by the way, your Xiao Lang specifically called me this morning and told me to make sure you eat.” He smirked teasingly. “Come on, Qian-gege, if you starve yourself, Xiao Langlang will be heartbroken.”

A shiver ran down Lu Qian’s spine. “Can you not talk like that?”

Qi Shaobai straightened up and saluted. “He said if you don’t go eat, he’ll beat you up.”

Lu Qian let out a resigned sigh and followed Qi Shaobai into a roadside ramen shop.

(To be continued…)

T/L: Qi Shaobai is a cutie ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა