Chapter Six

Upstairs, Xing Bei was dazzled by the introductions from Lu's mother and grandfather, and in no time she had picked out a whole bunch of things for her.

Lu Runxu glanced at the person beside him and was about to go upstairs when Ji Yun reached out and blocked his way.

"Don't rush me, you haven't answered my question yet." Ji Yun looked at him with a smile, "Teach me how you tricked her into your heart."

He chuckled softly and gently pulled Ji Yun away: "We are mutually in love, there's no question of lying."

Ji Yun sneered: "You're just bragging. If you were truly in love, given your personality, you would have snatched her away the day you reached the legal marriage age. Why wait until today?"

Lu Runxu raised an eyebrow at her, his fox-like eyes full of cunning, a smug smile on his lips: "Auntie understands me best."

Ji Yun rolled her eyes at him: "Does she know?"

Lu Runxu went upstairs without looking back, saying casually, "She doesn't need to know."

"Really?" Ji Yun stretched out her hand, admiring her newly done manicure. "I bet you're too scared to tell her, you coward."

Lu Runxu acted as if he hadn't heard and went straight to the storage room on the second floor.

Ji Yun smiled as she watched his retreating figure and whispered, "But to be honest, this kid has pretty good taste. This girl is really charming."

Lu Runxu paused at the door, his gaze falling on the people surrounded by Ji Yan and Old Master Lu, and he lowered his head and chuckled softly.

Xing Bei looked at the ever-growing pile of gift boxes in front of her, her face showing obvious helplessness, and she pursed her lips, not daring to speak.

How could she dare accept so many valuable things? Why were the Lu family so hospitable? It was completely different from what she had imagined.

Shouldn't a family like this first conduct a thorough background check on her?

When she brought Zhou Xuzhe home for the Chinese New Year, her mother practically dug up his ancestors to ask him questions.

Indeed, all mothers in the world are different.

Seeing that Old Master Lu wouldn't stop until he emptied the family's coffers, Lu Runxu also suppressed his smile and strode towards Xing Bei.

He took Xing Bei's hand and led her to his side, saying to the kind-looking old man, "Don't stuff too much into her food, or you'll scare her. Otherwise, you might not see such a lovely granddaughter-in-law again."

Old Master Lu gave him a cold look: "Do you think I'm like you, trying to get something for nothing?"

Lu Runxu knew that the old man would keep bringing this up, and sighed helplessly: "...I already said that it's still overseas and it will take a few days to receive it. It's not like we weren't prepared."

"Hmph!" Old Master Lu ignored him and took Xing Bei to another place.

Grandpa Lu took out a gray velvet ring box from the glass cabinet, smiled, opened it, and handed it to her.

Inside the ring box lay a large, exquisite pink jade diamond ring, which shimmered beautifully under the light, sparkling with a pink glow.

"Sweetie, your grandma really likes pink, and most of her jewelry is pink. I just don't know if you like it too."

Grandpa Lu's tone was incredibly gentle, a stark contrast to how he spoke to Lu Runxu. "Try it on first, and we'll adjust it if it doesn't fit."

Xing Bei looked at the pink diamond ring in the box, swallowed nervously, and quickly refused, "Grandpa, this won't do, it's too expensive."

For someone like her who loves collecting jade, this pink jade of this color must be quite valuable.

This piece, like the other pieces of jewelry, was cut from a single piece of pink jade and then custom-made.

Grandpa Lu smiled and waved his hand: "It's not expensive. Try it on quickly, and we can exchange it if you don't like it."

"You child, why are you being so polite with your own family?" Mrs. Lu reached out and took out the ring, then pulled Xing Bei's hand and put it on her finger.

Xing Bei looked at the sparkling pink ring on her hand and instantly felt as if she were carrying a world on her hand. She didn't dare to make any big movements, for fear of bumping into it.

The old man's smile deepened, and he adjusted his glasses: "She's perfect, a natural daughter-in-law of the Lu family."

"Old man, you're really shameless," Lu Baiwen joked from the side. "But it really looks beautiful on you."

Grandpa Lu gave a soft hum, his face beaming with uncontrollable joy. Lu Runxu walked over, took her hand, and examined her closely.

Her fingers were slender and beautiful, her nails were neatly trimmed and clean, her skin was as white as jade, and you could see the faint blue veins on the back of her hands. Her hands were so beautiful that anything she wore would look good.

Lu Runxu looked up and saw the pleading look in Xing Bei's eyes. He raised his eyes slightly and gently rubbed the top of her head: "Since it was given by Grandpa, you should accept it. Otherwise, he'll nag me again about how I have no manners."

“That’s right, this is also a small token of the old man’s appreciation.” Ji Yun appeared behind them at some point. “Ah Xu, don’t forget yours too. This one is only a gift from the Lu family. Don’t try to get something for nothing.”

"I know." Lu Runxu's voice was tinged with joy. "I'll definitely bring it next time I come back."

Meeting the parents is so difficult. They immediately presented her with such expensive jewelry; how could she possibly resist?

If she were really Mrs. Lu, she would be overjoyed right now. Unfortunately, their relationship is only contractual, and she will have to repay all of these things in the future.

Thinking of this, Xing Bei felt only heartache looking at those jewels; she only deserved to possess these beautiful treasures for a short time.

“It’s getting late.” Lu Runxu played with her fingers and looked at his mother. “Your daughter-in-law got up too early and hasn’t had breakfast yet. Let her have something to eat first.”

Upon hearing his suggestion, Mrs. Lu quickly took her hand and led her downstairs, saying, "Yes, it's almost noon, little girl. I heard from Xu that you like Hunan cuisine, so we specially prepared a few dishes for you. I wonder if you'll like them."

"Tell Auntie if there's anything you like, so she can prepare it for your next visit."

A faint jasmine scent lingered around her, sweet but not cloying, perfectly matching Lu's mother's gentle temperament.

When she was young, Mrs. Lu was a dance professor at Chanjing International University. Later, she returned home to help the Lu family manage their company after injuring her foot. She still maintained a gentle and mild temperament.

Outside, everyone knows that she looks gentle and mild, but is actually not someone to be trifled with. Everyone has to respectfully call her President Ji.

In this respect, she is somewhat similar to her mother.

The old man's health couldn't withstand the strain, so after lunch he went back to the back mountain to rest. Lu Runxu, who hadn't had a chance to speak during the meal, finally had a chance to sit next to her for a while.

Before they could even speak, Lu's mother brought fruit and sat down next to them, placing a plate of washed grapes directly into Xing Bei's arms.

"Where are you living now? You're not still separated, are you?" Mrs. Lu asked with a smile.

Lu Runxu leaned back on the sofa, his fox-like eyes half-closed, and said confidently, "Of course I'll stay at my wife's house."

Lu Baiwen, who was standing to the side, rolled his eyes at him speechlessly: "You really have no shame. It's one thing not to prepare a ring for someone, but you still have the nerve to go and stay at their house."

Mrs. Lu's expression also turned serious: "Ah Xu, this is not right of you. I think you can't live in this shabby place. You might as well move to Helin Mansion."

Lu Runxu casually shifted his legs, his well-defined knuckles resting on a cushion, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Helin Mansion is too far from Beibei's company, and the traffic is congested in the morning, so it's not very convenient."

After careful consideration, Mrs. Lu said, "That's true. Zhuqing Bay is located near the city center, and the living environment there is quite nice. You can go and take a look."

Lu Runxu tried hard to find this place in his mind; Zhuqing Bay seemed to be not far from Platinum Mansion.

Zhuqing Bay happens to be a two-story detached house. If it's renovated according to Xing Bei's preferred style, it would be quite suitable for long-term living there.

After thinking for a moment, Mrs. Lu felt it was inappropriate and looked at them with a smile: "If it really doesn't work out, we can just buy a new one. These houses were just bought randomly back then, and they're not suitable for living in if no one cleans them."

Moreover, newlyweds definitely need to live in a new house, starting a new chapter, with the new house carrying new meaning.

Lu Baiwen put down the newspaper and looked up: "I also think it would be better to buy a new one. I saw a villa on the west side that looks pretty good."

Xing Bei sat there eating fruit, listening to them make their choices; she wasn't particularly interested in these villas.

She used to live with her grandfather in the traditional Chinese garden of Xiling, which she liked quite a bit. But after her grandfather passed away, she never went back.

Besides, housing prices in Chanjing are ridiculously high right now; even the worst apartments cost hundreds of thousands of yuan.

Moreover, the two places that Lu's mother mentioned were places she had considered when buying a house, but the prices were ridiculously high, and not something the average person could afford.

Instead of spending that money, you should buy more jewelry sets. Money should be spent on things you don't mind spending it on.

Listening to them go back and forth about their choices, Lu Runxu interrupted them directly: "You two don't need to worry about us anymore. Just go and live in Zhuqing Bay. If you don't like it, you can just renovate it again."

Knowing they would say no, she quickly added, "I also own other houses. We can take our time choosing one when Beibei is less busy, okay?"

Mrs. Lu glanced at him, sighed, and compromised, "Are those dilapidated houses under your name even habitable? I think we should find another one when we have time."

Knowing he couldn't argue with them, Lu Runxu compromised, which saved him the trouble of finding another excuse to move out of Platinum Mansion.

They also stayed at the Lu family home for dinner that evening. Lu's mother loved lively gatherings, so when she was choosing to renovate, she had the front yard made smaller, so it looked like an ordinary family's home.

During a break after dinner, Lu's mother pulled her to sit on the swing under the flower vines in the yard and chatted with her for a long time.

"Beibei, where do you live? Who lives in your family?" Lu's mother held her hand and asked softly. "Axu was too impulsive. We should visit your parents next time we have time."

After spending a day with Lu's mother, she found that they had quite a few things to talk about, and her nervousness had long since faded away.

Xing Bei smiled gently: "My home is in Qingyang. My parents are usually busy and only come back during the Chinese New Year."

When Lu's mother heard that Qingyang was looking for a place, she was clearly taken aback. Xing Bei also noticed that something was wrong and glanced at her with a puzzled look.

Could it be that Lu Runxu's mother doesn't like people from Qingyang?

Mrs. Lu realized she had lost her composure and quickly composed herself: "Qingyang is great. I've heard their pastries are the best. I've been there once before. I never expected to have this connection."

While they were talking, Lu Runxu took a lot of things and put them in the car, and Lu's father followed behind to help.

Lu's mother gently held her hand: "I'll definitely go again when I have time."

Xing Bei nodded: "I'll go with you next time."

Mrs. Lu smiled even more broadly: "Then it's a deal!"

When she left, Lu's mother hugged her tightly, saying, "If it weren't for the fact that you young people are so busy with work, I would have liked to have you stay the night."

Lu Runxu leaned back in the car and said lazily, "Mom, we'll come back often."

Looking at his unserious behavior, Lu's mother got angry: "Don't you dare bully Beibei. If I find out you've bullied her, I'll beat you so badly you'll have to kneel in the ancestral hall."

"Mom, don't worry, I love her so much, how could I possibly bully her?" Lu Runxu naturally took her hand, and Xing Bei almost instinctively shook it off.

Hearing the casual remark, Xing Bei glared speechlessly at the shameless man beside her. Seeing how affectionate they were, Lu's mother smiled with satisfaction.

As soon as Xing Bei got in the car, she saw the back piled high with jewelry and gifts. She froze on the spot, opening her mouth but not knowing what to say.

Rich people are just that extravagant; they give away jewelry in huge quantities.

After their car drove away, Old Master Lu couldn't help but sigh, "With that brat's temper, how did he manage to marry such a good wife? Could it really be like what Bai Wen said, that he was kidnapped?"

Mrs. Lu smiled and helped the old man inside: "Dad, don't listen to Bai Wen's nonsense."

As she spoke, she looked into the distance and said, "According to Aunt Xu, Xu has liked this girl for quite a long time, and now he has finally managed to marry her. He cherishes her terribly."

Grandpa Lu smiled and shook his head: "That's true, I think they are quite similar to you and Bai Wen."

These words made Ji Yan lower her head in embarrassment.

She and Lu Baiwen were childhood sweethearts who grew up together. During high school, she went abroad to study due to her family's arrangements.

At that time, she had some feelings for Lu Baiwen and thought she would confess to him after returning from studying abroad.

Later, when she heard that Lu Baiwen was getting engaged while she was abroad, she was heartbroken and didn't want to face him, so she stayed abroad for another three years.

After returning to China, her mother arranged a blind date for her. Unexpectedly, she met Lu Baiwen. After chatting with him for a long time, she learned that Lu Baiwen had not listened to his grandfather's advice to get engaged.

What she didn't expect was that Lu Baiwen had also liked her in high school. Later, when they got married, Grandpa Lu often joked with him, saying that Lu Baiwen had knelt in front of him back then and promised that he would marry no one but her.

She often thought about how heartbroken Lu Baiwen would be if she didn't come back and find a suitable person to marry abroad.

After getting married, she asked Lu Bowen, "What would you have done if she had already married someone else by then?"

He said: He will never marry.

Looking back on that answer now, it still brings tears to my eyes.

He later added: If you are happy, then I wish you well; if you are unhappy, I will take you back even if it means going to jail.

She had always believed that the right person would come along eventually; it was just a matter of time.

Fortunately, Lu Runxu was lucky enough to marry the person he loved after several years of twists and turns.