Chapter 56 (Second Update)

Lu Yingchi had long forgotten what the room looked like; all he could think about was how he and Qiao Wu used to sleep in the same room and on the same bed.

Honestly, it's not like we haven't slept together before.

He led the horse back and forth, realizing he had said the wrong thing, but still stubbornly insisted, "What's your hurry?"

Lu Xuan, who had been lounging around, quickly realized how this guy had used to cry and make a scene to coax Qiao Wu into sleeping in the same room with him. He slapped him on the back of the head and said, "What the hell are you choosing? You'll sleep in the stable with the princess!"

"Damn it, Lu Xuan, do you have a death wish? Don't you know you can't touch a man's head?!" Lu Yingchi covered his head, glaring angrily. "What's your rush now? Isn't it time for you to be crying and yelling, trying to squeeze through the door?"

Caught in the middle, Qiao Wu felt like the two men were spitting in his face, so he took a step back.

Lu Ning tilted her head back, not understanding why these two big guys were being so childish: "Stop talking, I'm sleeping with Qiao Wu!"

Qiao Wu: "...Can't each person have their own room?"

"That won't do. Everyone has to be treated equally." Lu Ning frowned. "You've slept with them all, but I haven't!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? If you go out and tell anyone I taught you Chinese, don't tell them you're still breastfeeding and want to sleep with other people?"

Lu Yingchi rejected anyone who wanted to sleep in the same room as Qiao Wu.

Lu Jinzhi, who was behind him, felt his forehead throbbing.

He suddenly disagreed with what Qiao Wu said. If the Lu family was really a ship, then it would be better to capsize it as soon as possible.

What about first, second, and third officers? Three officers can steer the ship in three different directions.

Calling them dogs is an understatement; dogs are smarter than them.

He slapped the paper across Lu Ning's face and said coldly, "Did you go to the library to eat books?"

So much knowledge, yet not a single bit of it entered her brain.

Qiao Wu clearly wasn't counting on anyone, and instead asked Lu Jinzhi, "Would you like to choose first?"

Lu Jinzhi preferred quiet, so he directly selected the top floor, and then selected the room next door: "Come here."

The others who were still arguing immediately fell silent and stared at him in unison: "Why should I!"

Why should Qiao Wu be allowed to sleep next to him?

Lu Jinzhi said casually, "Because I can get you to school from here."

You can ride a bicycle from Lu Zhai to take a bus or subway, but there's really nothing outside Jing Shui Villa.

Lu Yingchi paused for a moment: "I can ride the princess."

“Alright.” Lu Jinzhi was understanding and didn’t look at him again. “You will ride the princess tomorrow.”

"..."

Lu Yingchi turned to Qiao Wu for help.

The latter originally wanted to speak up for them, but considering that they had acted recklessly this time, he refrained from taking sides.

These people tend to be quite unrestrained at home, and she's unsure if her bedroom door will be pried open like a safe. Moreover, if she wants everyone to break their dependence on her, the first thing she needs to do is refuse them.

Clearly, having someone by Lu Jinzhi's side would be a good reason to refuse.

At the Lu residence, they all tacitly avoided entering Lu Jinzhi's room, and here they would be even less likely to step into Lu Jinzhi's territory.

"Okay." Following Lu Jinzhi's words, she stuffed Lu Ning's doll into Lu Xuan's arms. "Lu Jinzhi and I will stay on the same floor. The three of you can choose the other rooms here. Once you've chosen, put your luggage in."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Lu Jinzhi smiled silently and followed.

The design of the Still Water Villa is quite unique, with each floor surrounded by a small terrace planted with flowers and plants and furnished with small sofas. The terraces of adjacent rooms are shared.

Lu Jiang and Qiao Zhiyi, who had already gone upstairs, were sitting on the sofa, looking down at the three children who were still arguing. They felt that this scene was really surreal.

“I used to think their mouths were just for getting angry,” Lu Jiang said. “I never imagined they could actually talk.”

To be honest, Qiao Zhiyi thought so too, but they had all toned it down a lot recently, so he said, "They're all young people, there's no big gap between them."

“It’s only Xiao Wu now.” Lu Jiang found it amusing as he spoke, “You saw her rule, right? I’ve been calling the family doctor less often.”

Qiao Zhiyi nodded: "If I had known earlier, I should have set one up at home back then."

"You might not be able to do that."

The honest Qiao Zhiyi was puzzled.

"Are we business people really just talking about business?" Lu Jiang laughed. "Even though resources may vary in quality, when we're in the same competitive position, what we're cooperating with is people, not resources."

Qiao Zhiyi knew nothing about doing business; he was content as long as he could manage the trivial matters at home.

“So the same rules apply to your daughter, but not necessarily to you,” Lu Jiang reminded him. “They’re not following the rules, they’re following the people who set the rules.”

He was farsighted; he had planned to start cultivating Qiao Wu long ago.

If Qiao Zhiyi had come to his study to talk to him a while ago, he might have actually gotten angry, but he was quite helpless when it came to Qiao Wu.

"Perhaps it's because Xiao Wu grew up with them, which is a special case," Qiao Zhiyi said knowingly. "The second young master will also be more patient with Xiao Wu."

Lu Jiang: "You mean the second son?"

That rebellious son who was plotting when he would die?

Patience is a ridiculous thing. If he had patience, he wouldn't have gone abroad without hesitation in the first place.

“The second young master came back with Xiao Wu yesterday.” Qiao Zhiyi nodded. “Xiao Wu said he is very easy to communicate with.”

Lu Jiang: "..."

His eyes looked strange.

Is this still referring to the second child?

During his time back in China, the second brother has been very decisive and efficient at the company. Several senior directors have been forced to complain to him in secret every day, saying that this kid never considers seniority or age when he does things, and he's always asking for trouble.

The main problem is that he insults people without using profanity; it's purely a form of psychological suppression.

But then he remembered his second brother, who had walked into the villa with Qiao Wu earlier, and Lu Jiang suddenly became uncertain.

He thought for a moment: "Maybe she also has a special way of dealing with the second child."

But Lu Jiang was, after all, an experienced man, and his record of fathering four sons with his deceased wife is well-documented.

He hadn't heard a word about his second son's private life during the two years he was abroad. Even after returning to China, he didn't have any close female friends. When Zhong Hejing came to visit, he never gave her a second glance.

The second child was unusually abstinent before the age of 27.

He really didn't know what would happen after he turned 27.

Lu Jiang asked, "Did the second brother just ask Xiao Wu to go to the room next to his?"

"right."

Lu Jiang gently pressed his brow.

-

Because she was coming to the Still Water Villa, Qiao Wu had finished all her work for the weekend, which was a short break for herself. After returning to her room and finishing her emails, she received a call from Lu Ning.

"Qiao Wu, are you done with your work? Lu Yingchi and I are going to play in the forest, do you want to come?"

They said they hated each other, but in reality, they spent the most time together.

Qiao Wu glanced out the window and saw that the leaves in the forest had turned golden. It was the time when the sycamore and ginkgo leaves were falling. She agreed, changed her clothes, and went out.

As she passed Lu Jinzhi's room, she hesitated for a moment and then reached out to knock.

Inside the room, Lu Jinzhi was sitting at the table reading a book.

Now that he's here, he won't go looking for trouble by working. Although he's not really interested in sightseeing, he can relax by reading for a while.

He glanced up when he heard the knock on the door.

At this hour, the only person who would knock on the door is Qiao Wu.

He moved slightly, simply picking up a bookmark from the side and placing it in the book, saying, "It's not locked."

Two seconds later, the door was gently pushed open a crack, and Qiao Wu peeked out, revealing only his head: "Want to go out for a walk together?"

He closed the book with his slender hand: "Okay."

Looking at the stars, smelling the autumn wind, this is enough...

When I saw downstairs a man holding several babies wearing little yellow hats, and a tall, blond man leading a horse.

Lu Jinzhi slightly raised his eyes.

This is too noisy.

He had an urge to turn around and go back.

Lu Ning's mouth moved faster than her brain: "Second Uncle is going too?"

Lu Yingchi chimed in, "What are you going to do?"

Having suppressed his impulse, Lu Jinzhi smiled and stood next to Qiao Wu: "She invited me."

The other two immediately turned their accusing gazes toward Qiao Wu.

The latter, not wanting to indulge their bad habits, raised an eyebrow and said, "Then you two play by yourselves, and I'll go play with your second uncle?"

"Together!"

Just think of it as coming to the forest to see monkeys.

The four had barely stepped out the door when a faint voice suddenly came from upstairs: "Where are you going?"

Qiao Wu's heart skipped a beat.

broken.

Sure enough, when I turned around, I saw Lu Xuan lying on the edge of the terrace, his expression very dangerous.

Lu Xuan stared straight at the people who wanted to isolate him. He just couldn't understand how such a big guy could be forgotten standing here.

Just because he lives on the floor by himself?

Yes, after Qiao Wu left, the process of assigning rooms to the three of them went exceptionally smoothly. Lu Yingchi and Lu Ning were on the first floor, and he was on the second floor.

But he never expected that allocating rooms would be his biggest mistake.

Two minutes later, Lu Xuan joined the team with a sour face.

“I don’t really want to go either,” he said.

Lu Jinzhi didn't even turn his head: "Is your leg on autopilot?"

Lu Xuan glanced down at his own honest-looking legs and sneered, "Is your mouth a pesticide sprayer?"

"Hmm," Lu Jinzhi said calmly, "Eliminate the scourge."

Lu Xuan: "..."

He stared at the back of Lu Jinzhi's head, then took the opportunity to walk up to Qiao Wu and complain, "Look at his attitude! This is something I can report, right?"

"Alright." Qiao Wu chuckled. "It's rare for the whole family to get out for a walk."

As he spoke, he took two steps forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Lu Jinzhi.

Lu Xuan stared blankly at the empty space next to him.

For some reason, he always had a feeling that Qiao Wu seemed to be drifting further and further away from him.

Every time he was with Lu Jinzhi, she would always side with Lu Jinzhi.

She had always been the one walking towards him, the one who said to him, "I want to go with you."

He was calling him "brother" just yesterday.

Is it just my imagination?

He stared at Qiao Wu's back for several seconds before slowly following behind.

The weather is lovely today; even in autumn, it doesn't feel cold walking through the woods.

Since returning to his body, Qiao Wu has felt so relaxed for the first time. It seems like everything is moving in the right direction and he can see the future ahead.

She looked down at the fallen leaves that created a slight arc as she walked by, and bent down to pick one up.

With a snap.

She looked up and saw Lu Ning holding a camera at her.

“I brought photos of the dolls,” Lu Ning said. “I also took photos of you. Do you want to see them?”

Qiao Wu stepped forward: "I want to see."

Lu Ning usually enjoys dressing up her dolls and taking photos, so she's quite good at taking pictures.

I just captured the moment when sunlight shone through the sparse leaves onto Qiao Wu as she picked up a fallen leaf.

Qiao Wu liked it very much: "Great shot, send it to me when you get back."

Feeling affirmed, Lu Ning immediately straightened her head and puffed out her chest.

So what if she's not good at Chinese? She's amazing at taking pictures.

Qiao Wu patted her back gently: "Take some pictures of the uncles too?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yingchi suddenly looked at a bench by the roadside: "Didn't we take pictures here?"

Qiao Wu turned around and couldn't help but laugh: "It's been taken."

When she was a child, her father brought them here to play. When it was time to take pictures, everyone wanted to take a picture with her alone. Lu Yingchi and Lu Xuan almost got into a fight. In the end, everyone took a picture together in one frame.

She sat in the middle, with Lu Yingchi and Lu Xuan holding her hands on either side, her face still wet with tears.

Although Lu Jinzhi didn't like it, he wasn't as difficult to control back then as he is now. He would still listen to his elders. So he just stood behind Qiao Wu and leaned on the back of the chair. In the last photo, he didn't even look at the camera.

That photo was later developed and placed in her father's photo album; it's unknown whether it still exists.

Upon hearing this, Lu Ning immediately wanted to make up for her absence: "I want to film too!"

"I can," Qiao Wu said, looking at the others. "What about you?"

Apart from Lu Xuan, who usually has to work, the three men don't really have a hobby of taking photos.

“If they won’t film us, we’ll film them ourselves.” Lu Ning took out her camera. “Will you film us for us?”

That won't do!

Whoever falls behind takes the picture!

"Fine, I'll take the picture."

Lu Yingchi, leading his horse, sat at one end of the chair as he always had, and patted the seat next to him: "Come on."

Lu Xuan, not to be outdone, immediately sat down at the other end, looking at the tall horse speechlessly and said, "You want to take pictures of your horse too?"

"What's wrong with my horse? My horse is a princess, I'm planning to..."

Lu Ning interrupted the two of them: "Pull the horse back, it's blocking the light."

Lu Yingchi had no choice but to temporarily retract his words.

He brought the horse not for himself, but to give to Qiao Wu.

He wanted to prove to Qiao Wu that he wasn't an irresponsible person, and that the gift he was going to give her had been nurtured for many years, which was why he could persevere and was very patient.

After switching the horses' positions, the two men looked at Qiao Wu in unison.

"And you?" Qiao Wu turned around and asked Lu Jinzhi.

Lu Jinzhi didn't really want to participate, but he felt that if he didn't, those two idiots who couldn't even tell the difference between the rooms might start touching each other like they did when they were kids, so he nodded and walked behind the chair.

"Then I'll set up a time-lapse." Lu Ning quickly placed the camera on the chair opposite her, found a good position, and then swiftly gave instructions, "Qiao Wu, stand up straight!"

Qiao Wu turned around and saw the empty space they had intentionally left, his gaze darkening.

He then stepped forward, but amidst the expectant gazes of the other two, he walked around the bench and stood next to Lu Jinzhi.

Lu Yingchi and Lu Xuan's expressions went blank for a moment.

Still unaware of what was going on, Lu Ning plopped down between the two of them, assuming that this spot was reserved for her. Otherwise, why would she leave such a big empty seat?

Oblivious to the atmosphere, she patted her two uncles' arms: "Look at the camera!"

The other two instinctively looked over, a soft sound rang out, and the image froze.

Lu Ning couldn't wait to run over, pick up the camera, and after checking it, asked with dissatisfaction, "Why aren't you laughing!"

It's a wonder she adjusted the picture and lighting so well.

There was also one who wasn't looking at the camera.

Never mind, her second uncle didn't dare to say anything, but at least he smiled.

Qiao Wu went over and took a look. Apart from her and Lu Ning in the middle, who was smiling with her eyes crinkled and her face red, no one else was cooperating. Although Lu Yingchi and Lu Xuan were looking at the camera, their expressions seemed to be blank, as if they hadn't reacted yet.

Lu Jinzhi still wasn't looking at the camera; he was looking...

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked the person next to her, straightening up.

Lu Jinzhi replied truthfully, "It was an accident."

Unexpectedly, she bypassed the two expectant puppies and walked to his side.

"I didn't mean anything by it." Qiao Wu glanced at the two people still sitting in the chairs and explained softly, "No matter what, I shouldn't be the center of this photo."

She also wanted to break those two people's subconscious behavior of revolving around her.

Lu Jinzhi chuckled: "I have always respected your choices."

At this moment, Lu Yingchi, who had already come to his senses, stood up unhappily: "Why are you standing at the back?"

Qiao Wu retorted, "Are you suggesting that Lu Ning stand at the back?"

Lu Yingchi turned his head and glanced at the short guy holding the camera. If he stood in the back, half of his face would be blocked by him and Lu Xuan.

So he swallowed his dissatisfaction.

After looking through the group photo, Lu Ning looked up and asked, "It didn't turn out well, want to take another one?"

"That's enough." Lu Yingchi led the horse to him, mounted it, and said, "You'll still be at the entrance when the sun sets."

After he mounted his horse, he went straight along the path.

He was feeling a little uncomfortable, but he couldn't lose his temper, so he had to vent his frustrations on his own first.

Hmph, even if it's Lu Ning, he'll still punish Qiao Wu.

We absolutely cannot give the princess to her today!

Lu Ning was completely baffled.

If you don't want to take pictures, then don't. The house has always been like this anyway.

As long as Qiao Wu looks good, that's all that matters!

She adjusted the camera: "Then I'll continue taking pictures of the dolls."

"Lu Xuan, the lighting here is good, could you make room for me? Thank you."

When she's in a good mood, Lu Ning speaks very politely.

Lu Xuan didn't argue with her about the territory. He stood up with his hands in his pockets and walked straight to Qiao Wu.

"I want to go for a walk with you." Then, pointing at Lu Jinzhi in a very exclusive manner, she added, "I'm not taking him."

Before Lu Jinzhi could finish speaking, Qiao Wu nodded first: "Okay."

Then he said to Lu Jinzhi, "You stay here and play with Lu Ning for a while."

Lu Ning: "?"

No, what kind of horror story is this?

Seeing that her second uncle was indeed standing beside her and hadn't left, she looked up from her chair and said, "Second Uncle, you don't have to keep an eye on me."

"I wasn't looking at you," Lu Jinzhi said calmly. "I was walking the dog."

Following his gaze, Lu Ning saw Lu Xuan and Qiao Wu's backs and immediately chose to shut up.

Otherwise, her second uncle will start walking chickens next.

But why are you staring at people when they go for a walk?

No one is allowed to write on his and Qiao Wu's sticky notes, and Qiao Wu is not allowed to take walks with anyone other than him.

She had a strong thirst for knowledge: "Even privileges don't allow me to take a walk with others?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jinzhi lowered his eyes and glanced at her gently, recalling that Lu Ning had once asked him if Qiao Wu was his special privilege.

“Sure,” he said, “but my privileges also include her privileges.”

Lu Ning, whose Chinese language skills were extremely poor, was even more confused: "Is it not allowed?"

"It could have been."

Lu Jinzhi slightly raised his dark eyes and looked into the distance again. "It seems that's not possible now."

Lu Ning really wanted to lean close to his second uncle's ear and shout: I only failed Chinese, and got 10 points on the composition. Don't give me tongue twisters!

But she didn't dare.

Because Lu Jinzhi would actually mock her for not being smart.

Lu Xuan, who had walked a short distance away, clearly didn't want to beat around the bush with Qiao Wu. He frowned and asked, "Are you distancing yourself from me?"

"No."

"Then why aren't you coming with me? Why are you standing at the back?"

"Didn't I already explain?" Qiao Wu knew he would think of this. "Don't you want to think about this carefully? This is the right thing to do. Lu Ning and the others shouldn't be excluded by you."

Lu Xuan denied it: "I did not rule it out."

“If you put me in the same position as them, you’ll find this is quite normal,” Qiao Wu guided him gently. “Didn’t you say you were my brother?”

Lu Xuan stopped in his tracks, his heart began to pound again, and he felt dizzy.

"Um."

So you consider me family?

Lu Xuan looked at her in surprise.

family?

He never consciously thought about what kind of role Qiao Wu played; he would choose any option that involved intimacy.

Therefore, he agrees with Qiao Wu's statement that they were childhood friends, and he also agrees with the statement that they were close friends.

But if it's family.

We grew up under the same roof, eating and living together.

They're closer than family, but there's really no closer than that.

He agreed: "Yes."

"Then why care about these things? They are your family too. No matter what, we're in the same frame," Qiao Wu said gently. "I consider you all family as well."

Although Lu Jinzhi said that Lu Xuan was not worthy, Qiao Wu felt that it was indeed a wonderful thing to have someone treat you like family.

So she doesn't mind calling him occasionally, and she says with a smile, "Right, brother?"

Lu Xuan corrected him with a straight face: "It's my older brother."

Why do "brother" and "older brother" sound different?

"Take it or leave it." Qiao Wu thought he had figured it out, so she stopped indulging him. "I'm going to check on Lu Ning."

"Isn't Lu Jinzhi here?"

Qiao Wu raised an eyebrow: "You expect Lu Jinzhi to keep an eye on Lu Ning?"

Was Lu Jinzhi never seen when you were a child?

When he was a child, he was quiet, which was fine, at least he wouldn't insult people. But now it's different.

As expected, Lu Xuan remained silent.

After the sun set, Lu Yingchi returned from walking his horse, and everyone went back together for dinner.

Lu Ning was eager to export all the photos from her camera, so she quickly finished her meal and rushed back to her room.

She scrolled through the photos one by one, and when she saw Qiao Wu's photo, she sent it over.

Qiao Wu had finished eating and returned to his room. He sat on the sofa on the terrace, wrapped in a blanket, watching the night view. Many lights were installed along the lake and in the woods, creating a unique atmosphere at night.

Suddenly, a soft sound came from behind. It was Lu Jinzhi from next door who opened the balcony door and came out.

"Still not asleep?"

"Hmm." Lu Jinzhi sat down in front of her. "Aren't you cold?"

"It's alright." Qiao Wu gestured for him to look at the blanket on his body, then pointed to the lights in the woods in the distance, "They look like stars scattered on the ground, very beautiful."

Lu Jinzhi followed the direction of her fingertip.

He wasn't nearsighted, so the lights weren't too blurry to see, but when he got close, it felt like the stars were falling on his fingertips.

After looking at it for a few seconds, he suddenly stood up and went back to his room.

Qiao Wu was puzzled, but the next second she received a picture from Lu Ning, so she didn't pay much attention to it.

The exported images were edited by Lu Ning, making the colors more vibrant and therefore more attractive.

She thanked the child and then saved the file.

Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a figure; it was Lu Jinzhi, who had returned.

She looked up and saw that Lu Jinzhi had an extra bottle of wine and two glasses in his hand.

Lu Jinzhi bent down, and the cup he put down made a slight sound on the table, colliding with his voice.

"I promised you, it would happen," he said.

It was the same thing she said at the village entrance last time: "If only there were wine."

Qiao Wu paused for a moment, then smiled with her eyes crinkling, forgetting even that she was looking at photos on her phone. She put down her phone and went to open the wine bottle: "I'll do it."

Lu Jinzhi didn't stop him. He let go of his hand, sat back down opposite him, and picked up his phone.

Lu Ning's phone vibrated again as she was diligently selecting and editing photos.

She looked down and her eyes widened in surprise.

What?! Her second uncle actually messaged her first?!

It's still a large transfer!

The source of this money is somewhat dubious.

She opened the chat window, filled with righteous indignation: "Do you know who my second uncle is? How dare you hack his account!"

Lu Jinzhi: "Send me a copy of Qiao Wu's photo."

Lu Ning: "???"

So much money, just to buy photos?! I never knew privileges had this kind of value.

After she forwarded it, she suddenly remembered the things Lu Jinzhi said that she couldn't understand earlier that day.

After thinking it over, she realized that only one person in her circle had given her the right answer, so she opened the chat window with Zhong Shixia.

"Ask a question."

"ask."

Lu Ning: "What do you mean by 'my privileges also include her privileges'?"

Lu Ning: "What do you mean by 'Originally, I could have had the same privileges as her, but now I can't'?"

Zhong Shixia: "Desire for exclusivity."

Lu Ning: "I also have a possessive streak towards Qiao Wu. Why am I not like him? He said he doesn't like Qiao Wu, he just approves of him."

Zhong Shixia: "But when many exceptions occur in the same person, it explains everything."

Lu Ning: "What's the problem?"

Zhong Shixia: "Uncle Monkey likes Qiao Wu."

Lu Ning: "You're not using 'right' this time?"

Zhong Shixia: "Because this is just my opinion, smile.jpg."

Well, it's hard to say.

Lu Jinzhi himself admitted that his genius had his own unique way of thinking.

Just as Lu Ning was about to put down her phone, she received two more new WeChat messages.

Lu Xuan: "Send me that photo of Qiao Wu, [transfer]."

Lu Yingchi: "Send me Qiao Wu's photo, I'll buy you a doll, [transfer]."

Lu Ning: "..."

Wow!