Lu Wan Ruyi and her husband got up as the boys got released; everything else was left for the lawyers to deal with, and for that press release, it wasn't a must; they could leave an apologetic statement on their official company website.
The boys walked over to their parents, and they could see the several media houses having their reporters in place, as if they were newly found aliens.
Lu Wan Ruyi spoke up once they were close, "You both will issue a public apology through your social media handles. Not that performative nonsense you pull on social media, I'm talking of a proper one, with remorse and shame. With humility and regret."
Lu Zi Zhen didn't dare argue; he meekly eyed his mother, "Momma, should I cry?"
Lu Wan Ruyi didn't know if she should laugh or cry; she gently tapped his forehead, "If you don't, I'll give you a reason to. You'd better look genuine."
"Did you hear that, Lu Ting Cheng? And then, stop tagging along with him to the crime scene! Don't let him mislead you!" She knew Lu Zi Zhen was a different breed, this guy was an epitome of wrong turns.... He rarely does anything that could look normal.
"Yes, mother...." He earnestly nodded his head, glaring at Lu Zi Zhen. It was his fault that he was going astray.
"Mother, look at him... Why is it that I'm the rotten potato spoiling other good potatoes and not the other way around? What if it's not me, mother?" He whined, pursing his lips, as they walked over to the private room.
They settled down on the couch while the lawyers completed paperwork. The room was silent again, except for the rustling of legal papers being stacked, clipped, and organized by the lawyers; nothing else was heard.
Lu Ting Cheng could look at their mother and then at their father, who looked disappointed.
Lu Ting Cheng finally looked up and softly spoke up, he didn't dare to gaze into his father's eyes, he whispered closer to his brother, "...We really messed up, didn't we? Look at mommy's face, she rarely gets so worked up!"
Lu Zhi Hao could hear them but didn't look at them, if it wasn't that his wife would be worried sick of them getting detained for the entire weekent, he didn't mind letting them stay in that cell for the weekend, but how could they stay when he knew they were capable of handling this situation by themselves? "You messed up the moment you thought your youth was a shield against responsibility. You should know by now that every single action you take has some consequences."
"Geez, Daddy!" They groaned in unison, the tension briefly thinning as Lu Ting Cheng flopped backward onto the couch with a dramatic sigh. "Can't you just scold us like a normal dad? Why do your lectures always feel like courtroom closing arguments?"
Lu Zhi Hao finally turned his head to look at them, his gaze sharp and warning. "Because I have seen where poor judgment leads. I'm not about to let my sons walk that same path. Be reasonable and responsible, don't get your momma too worried, she is pregnant, don't forget that..." They were his sons, but with this kind of adrenaline rush, wouldn't their mother soon experience a heart attack?
Their mother, who had been silently seated across from them, her hands clenched tightly in her lap, finally exhaled loudly. "It's not just about what you did, boys. It's about trust. You two are smart, but you are not as invincible as you think, many enemies in the dark lurking, and watch us, they are waiting for the perfect time to launch their attack. And we can't always be there to bail you out."