Chapter Twenty-Seven

In the early morning, before the first rays of sunlight pierce through the clouds, the whole world seems to be shrouded in a thin veil, like a traditional Chinese ink painting.

A delicate and serene fragrance of osmanthus blossoms filled the air.

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Lu's mother called last night to ask them to come back together.

As soon as they arrived at the old house, Lu's mother couldn't wait to come over and take her hand: "Beibei, it's been so long! You've gotten so thin. Is it because Axu hasn't had time to take care of you?"

Xing Bei touched her face, realizing it wasn't as exaggerated as Lu's mother had described: "Lu's mother, A-Xu is very good to me."

Following behind, Lu Runxu immediately saw through his mother's thoughts. He smiled slightly and teased, "Mom, even if you don't believe in your son's cooking skills, at least believe in Aunt Huang."

Lu's mother gave Lu Runxu a look, and Lu Runxu immediately became obedient.

After lunch, Xing Bei joined Lu's mother and the pastry chef in making mooncakes. Xing Bei was very confident in her craft skills and made a rabbit-shaped mooncake with red bean filling by hand.

Lu Runxu was about to go over to help, but before he could even take a step, Old Master Lu grabbed him from behind and pulled him toward the backyard.

Grandpa Lu sat in his study, looking at him with a serious expression: "Although you decided to get your marriage certificate at the last minute, the meeting of both sets of parents and the engagement banquet are still necessary. What are your thoughts on this?"

Lu Runxu sat opposite him, slowly poured himself a cup of tea, and said with a slight parting of his thin lips, "What's the rush? I'm still in my internship with Madam. I'll follow Madam's arrangements here."

Hearing this, Old Master Lu slammed his hand on the table in anger: "Look at you, you've always been good at manners since you were a child, how come you know nothing about marriage? You should meet your future mother-in-law as soon as possible so that we can move on to the next step sooner."

Lu Runxu pouted: "Grandpa, it's still a long way off for weddings. We want to date for another two years."

Grandpa Lu snorted lightly, somewhat speechless: "That's not what I meant either. You brought her precious child back to our house without your mother-in-law's consent, so we're in the wrong no matter what."

“That’s true.” Lu Runxu leaned back lazily in his chair and nodded in agreement. “However, meeting the parents might be a bit difficult.”

Looking at his unserious behavior, Old Master Lu sighed inwardly. He had finally managed to marry a wife, but he hadn't informed his mother-in-law.

This brat is someone I've watched grow up. He used to be the most polite person, but now he's become the one I worry about the most. I'll see what happens to him eventually.

Grandpa Lu gently tapped the table: "You handle your mother-in-law yourself. We'll take care of the rest. If you can't handle your mother-in-law, then good luck to you."

After speaking, Old Master Lu gave a soft hum and went back to his room to rest. Lu Runxu lowered his eyes and stared at the teacup in his hand without saying a word.

Suddenly, a clear and melodious "Wow!" broke the silence in the quiet courtyard. Lu Runxu, who was sitting quietly inside, slowly got up and walked towards the door after hearing the exclamation.

He stopped at the door, his gaze naturally drawn to the tall osmanthus tree in the center of the courtyard.

A girl in a white dress was standing under the tree, her face beaming with a bright smile. Her bright, star-like peach blossom eyes were fixed on the osmanthus tree that was being shaken, her gaze filled with anticipation.

Sunlight filtered through the dappled leaves as Lu Runxu stood quietly by the antique-style door.

He lowered his head slightly, his slender fingers calmly reaching into his pocket and pulling out the exquisite cell phone.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew by, bringing with it the delicate fragrance of osmanthus blossoms.

Not far away, Xing Bei gracefully raised her hand, trying to catch the osmanthus blossoms that drifted down like fairies.

Xing Bei wore a snow-white long dress, the hem of which swayed gently in the wind. The sunlight shone on her fair skin, making it appear even more translucent.

Her long, silky hair fell casually over her shoulders, speckled with osmanthus blossoms that swayed gently in the breeze, making her look like an osmanthus fairy emerging from the tree.

As Lu Runxu looked at the person not far away, a faint smile unconsciously curved his lips.

Thinking of what the old man had said, Lu Runxu sighed silently in his heart. Time always flies by so quickly.

The agreed-upon time between him and Xing Bei is less than three months away, and he still can't fully understand Xing Bei's feelings for him.

Liking someone is one thing, but marriage is a lifelong commitment. Liking has an expiration date, and what he wants is not liking someone with an expiration date, but love.

Lu Runxu lowered his eyes and laughed mockingly. People are always greedy and never satisfied.

At first, I thought it would be enough to have had her, but now I have a home that is connected to her, a home filled with their beautiful memories.

He started to become greedy; he wanted more than just liking her—he wanted a future together with her.

After the mooncakes were made, Xing Bei couldn't wait to stuff one into Lu Runxu's mouth. She looked at him expectantly and asked, "How is it? How is it?"

Lu Runxu took a bite, and a faint osmanthus fragrance filled his mouth. The sweetness was just right, not too sweet. Even though he didn't like sweets, he couldn't help but take a second bite.

He also took one and stuffed it into Xing Bei's mouth, praising with a smile, "I didn't expect Mrs. Lu to have such skills."

Xing Bei's breath also tasted of osmanthus. She proudly patted her chest and said, "Of course, I may not know how to cook, but I'm starting to have a say in making desserts."

Looking at her chubby face, Lu Runxu thought she was extremely cute: "Then let's have Auntie pack more later."

Xing Bei nodded, her words slightly muffled because of something in her mouth: "Okay."

After dinner, Xing Bei didn't chat with Lu's mother for long before returning to Zhuqing Bay. As expected, there was another large carload of gifts, which Xing Bei was already used to.

After returning home, Xing Bei went straight to the sofa. On such a joyous day as the Mid-Autumn Festival, she wanted to give her fans some treats.

Since she started updating the "Yin Qiu" comic, new friends have been following her Weibo every day, which has slightly increased her number of followers.

For some reason, after learning that Tian Yue was the editor she edited, she slowly regained her interest in painting, and her hands gradually stopped trembling.

Sometimes, fearing she might still have trauma, Tian Yue would occasionally take her out to play under the guise of work-related exchanges.

She updated the latest chapter on Qing Teng Comics, and then took out her tablet to draw the inspiration she had for picking osmanthus flowers and making mooncakes at the old house that day.

She didn't know how much time had passed when Xing Bei got up from the sofa, stretched lazily, picked up her phone to check the time, and just then, Chi Qingtang sent her a message.

—Mingzhu, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! How have you been over there lately?

—It's pretty good. I just saw Mr. Lu's WeChat Moments and I'm a little envious. I've never tasted the mooncakes you made yourself.

—Don't be envious. When you come back, I'll cook as much as you want to eat.

—Okay, let's say that then.

—I'm not going to say anything more. There's a concert coming up, and Teacher Bai asked me to go practice.

—Okay, we'll talk next time.

Unbeknownst to them, Mingzhu had been abroad for three months. Chi Qingtang had successfully become Teacher Bai's apprentice. Teacher Bai was very strict, and Chi Qingtang could only chat with her occasionally.

Moreover, the two of them were not on the same wavelength. It might take her several days to get a reply to the messages she sent to Chi Qingtang, so they chatted at different times.

It was rare for the two of them to be on the same wavelength tonight, and although they didn't chat for long, she was already quite satisfied.

She exited the chat window with Chi Qingtang and opened her Moments. Many people were posting pictures of the moon tonight, and some were sharing photos of family reunions.

She scrolled down a few posts and found Lu Runxu's WeChat Moments, a set of nine photos, some of which she didn't even know when Lu Runxu had secretly taken.

Xing Bei looked up and saw the text Lu Runxu had added; her fingers, which were resting on the edge of her phone, paused.

—The first time I spent the Mid-Autumn Festival with Mrs. Lu.

In her memory, Lu Runxu would post on his WeChat Moments every day, big or small, that she and he had spent together, and each time he would caption it "First time accompanying Mrs. Lu".

It's a wonderful feeling, as if they truly have a long and lasting future together, reserving every first time for each other.

Xing Bei looked at the photos and a faint smile naturally appeared on her lips. Lu Runxu came downstairs and saw her staring at her phone and smiling foolishly. He went over to take a look and found that she was looking at his WeChat Moments.

He paused slightly, then suddenly laughed and teased, "Mrs. Lu, why don't you give me a thumbs up?"

A faint scent of sandalwood wafted into her nostrils, and Xing Bei instantly snapped back to reality. She turned her head and stared at him for a few seconds. The person in front of her had a faint smile on his lips, and his fox-like eyes were as bright as stars. Xing Bei subconsciously swallowed.

"I, I'll order right away." Xing Bei hurriedly looked away, her voice trembling with nervousness.

Lu Runxu noticed her slightly reddened ears, his eyebrows curved slightly, and he got up to leave.

The faint scent of sandalwood still lingered around her. Xing Bei let out a soft breath and pressed the back of her hand to her face.

The moment Lu Runxu leaned closer, Xing Bei could clearly hear her own heartbeat. She had never experienced such a strange feeling before, when she had just started dating Zhou Xuzhe.

Oh no, could she really have fallen in love?

While she was lost in thought, Lu Runxu had already walked to her side, gently took her wrist, and the cool touch instantly brought her back to her senses.

Xing Bei looked down and saw a mother-of-pearl four-leaf clover bracelet on her slender, fair wrist, shimmering with a subtle luster under the light.

"Why did you suddenly give me a bracelet?" Xing Bei looked at him in confusion.

Lu Runxu took her hand, his eyes narrowing slightly: "Do you like it?"

“I like it.” Xing Bei nodded. “This bracelet is also in my shopping cart. You better tell me honestly, did you secretly go through my shopping cart?”

Lu Runxu lowered his eyes and smiled: "Doesn't this show that my wife and I are of one mind?"

Xing Bei snorted: "Smooth talker."

Lu Runxu stared at her, his clear voice calmly reaching Xing Bei's ears: "Mrs. Lu, aren't you going to say something?"

Indeed, there is no such thing as a free lunch in the world.

No, it's dinner.

Xing Bei looked at the dazzling bracelet on her wrist. She hadn't prepared any gift herself. She looked up at Lu Runxu and suddenly leaned over to kiss him.

She left so quickly, like a dragonfly skimming the water, that the person she was kissing hadn't even realized what was happening.

Lu Runxu raised his hand and touched the spot where Xing Bei had kissed him, his surprise instantly turning into delight.

Xing Bei lowered her head shyly, but suddenly heard laughter from the person opposite her. She looked up in confusion.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked.

Lu Runxu's smile faded slightly: "Originally, I just wanted Madam to say thank you, but I didn't expect Madam to be so proactive. I am very pleased."

Xing Bei looked at his smug smile and couldn't find the words to refute him for a moment. She hesitated and looked away.

That scoundrel, he's got so many tricks up his sleeve.

Fine, I'll forgive him this time, considering he gave me such a nice gift.

In the quiet autumn night, the cold moonlight shone on the osmanthus tree in the courtyard, casting long, lonely shadows that blended into the night.

Xing Bei stood by the window and took a picture of the round, bright moon, then carefully typed a line of text on the screen.

—We have many firsts @Xiao Lu

Thinking that she could still post the drawing she had finished tonight on Weibo, she logged into her Weibo account on her tablet and posted the draft.

She selected a few photos from her album to create a nine-grid layout and reposted it as a status update.

Within two minutes, many people in the comments section were devastated.

—Teacher, you're actually in a relationship?

—Professor Perle, you've actually been holding back a big move. Tell me honestly, when did you start talking?

—No, honey, I haven't saved enough money to marry you yet, how can you be dating?

—Wishing Perle and her boyfriend a long and happy life together.

—It's Mid-Autumn Festival today, teacher, you're not going to your boyfriend's house to celebrate, are you?

—Wow, they're meeting the parents right away.

—Teacher, do you dare to suddenly show us a picture of your boyfriend and scare us to death?

—Look at the blurry profile picture in the very center, Pearl's boyfriend must be a super handsome guy.

—Don't you all think the teacher's boyfriend's hands are beautiful, like a perfect work of art?

Xing Bei lay on the bed, watching the comments section gradually shift in direction, turning into a beauty contest.

Lu Runxu came out of the bathroom and snatched her phone from behind. Xing Bei hadn't had enough of looking at it and had just turned over to grab it back when Lu Runxu suddenly grabbed her wrist and pressed it above her head.

"Mrs. Lu, it's late."

Very well, she now understood that Lu Runxu was about to indulge in his nightlife again.

...

The bright moon outside the window had somehow hidden half of itself in the clouds, with only a sliver of light shining at the foot of the bed.