Chapter 562 Extra Chapter—Lu Xici and Her Parents.
After Chi Yanzhou and his group left Nancheng, the Lu family villa became unusually quiet.
At seven o'clock in the morning, the sunlight, like a thin veil gilded with gold, slanted in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, cutting out strips of light and shadow on the smooth marble floor.
Fine dust particles floated in the air, and it was so quiet that you could hear faint birdsong in the distance.
Sang Niannian: "Honey, habits are really scary. It's only been a few days... Now that those kids are gone, why does the house feel so empty?"
Upon hearing this, Shikazu stepped forward and naturally wrapped his arm around her back.
"The three children haven't woken up yet. It'll be lively once they do!"
If you like the atmosphere with lots of kids, after we move to Beijing, you can call them anytime you miss them and invite them home for dinner.
Sang Niannian didn't move, but leaned back slightly, her gaze fixed on the courtyard outside the glass window.
"The swing in the yard was installed when Aci was five years old. The first time he played on it, he fell off and knocked out half of his front tooth. He cried so loudly that the world trembled."
That bamboo grove was planted because Nan Nan liked it..."
Shikazu chuckled and rested his chin on the top of her head: "Reluctant? Then... let's find another plan?"
Let Aye go to school in Beijing with Aci and Nannan. The two of us will stay in Nancheng and enjoy our time together again.
In the morning, I'll take a walk with you by the lake; in the afternoon, you can do flower arranging while I go fishing; in the evening, we'll watch a movie; and on weekends, we'll go for a drive—just the two of us, in peace and quiet.
Sang Niannian immediately turned away from his embrace.
"Comrade Lujin, that won't do! With the children not at home, it'll just be the two of us staring at each other, wouldn't we become lonely, elderly people left behind?"
Shikazu grabbed her incessantly poking fingers, held them in his palm, and put on a hurt expression that looked like he was being disliked.
"So, my dear wife, are you starting to think I'm old, boring, and not as lively as the kids?"
Sang Niannian: "Comrade Lujin, wake up! Your eldest son is almost thirty!"
The words had barely left his mouth when—"Bang!"
Having just woken up, Lu Xici, still half asleep, stumbled as she went downstairs and almost fell at the bottom of the stairs.
He frantically grabbed the railing, his sleepy eyes filled with shock.
"Mom... Did your 'rounding' method come from your PE teacher, or is it the latest standard just issued by the National Bureau of Statistics?"
I, Lu Xici, am twenty-two! No matter how much I try to "enter" the age range, I'll never reach thirty!
Sang Niannian: "Let me see, it turns out to be my son who has never been in a relationship, who has woken up?"
Lu Xici scratched his messy hair: "Mom, fate is all about timing, location, and people. What can I do? I can't just grab anyone off the street, can I?"
Sang Niannian leaned closer thoughtfully, lowered her voice, and a suspicious glint flashed in her eyes.
“Son, tell your mother the truth, from childhood to adulthood, apart from me and your sister, there has never been any other girl in your life.”
She paused, then lowered her voice even further: "You wouldn't...like boys, would you?"
Lu Xici's eyes widened instantly: "Mom?"
"It's nothing, it's nothing!" Sang Niannian quickly waved her hand, but her expression became even more excited.
"It's okay if you like boys. Just tell Mom. Mom is very open-minded... as long as you like them..."
"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Lu Xici exclaimed, both amused and exasperated, "Mom! My beautiful mother!"
Please, stop reading those weird novels and watching those short videos! 'Taking all sorts of things will only harm you'!
Your son's sexual orientation is perfectly normal, thank you!
"So you still like girls?" Sang Niannian's eyes lit up even more, she clasped her hands together, her tone full of longing.
"That works too! Mom wants a little granddaughter as soft and cuddly as Little Cherry, who can call out 'Grandma' in a sweet, baby voice..."
Lu Xici had given up on treatment, and put one hand to his forehead: "Mom, wake up, it's dawn. Why don't you go back to bed for a while? You can dream about anything."
Lu Jin, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, spoke up calmly: "How dare you talk to your mother like that?"
Lu Xici turned and headed for the stairs: "Dad's right, I was rash. Um...you two continue to dream about the bright future, I'll go back to my room and reflect on it for a while?"
"Trying to dream of a girlfriend to appease my mom?"
Shikazu called out to him, "You're already up, why are you going back to sleep? I have something to talk to you about."
Sang Niannian looked at her husband, then at her son: "Alright, you two can talk about serious matters."
I'll go check if Nan Nan and A Ye are up yet; Lao Zhou should be bringing breakfast over soon.
She turned and walked upstairs with light steps, clearly in a good mood.
After her figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs, Shikazu walked to the island counter in the restaurant, filled a glass with warm water, and handed it to her son who had come over.
Lu Jin: "These next few days, I'll hand over my work to Chen Yi properly. You'll come to the company with me. From now on, I'll be handing over the Nancheng area to you."
Lu Xici's hand, which was holding the water glass, hovered in mid-air as he looked up at Lu Jin.
"Handover? Dad, you're only fifty this year, which is the golden age when an entrepreneur's experience, energy, and network are at their peak."
Many people at this age are just starting out, and you're already planning to give up? No way! I disagree; I have my own things to do.
Lu Jin patted his son on the shoulder: "With Chen Yi here, I believe that my son is so outstanding that he can devote enough energy to managing Nancheng Company."
As a father, should I also consider gradually stepping back from the front lines and enjoying life?
Your younger brother is only eight years old this year. He was neglected to some extent when he was little, and now that he has finally become more cheerful and lively, he needs his parents' company.
Your mother and I want to spend more time with him, and also...
Your mother and I focused on our careers in our early years, and later on taking care of the three of you. We always seem to be busy.
Looking back now, I realize I haven't kept many of my promises to her. If I don't take her sightseeing soon, I'm afraid I won't be able to walk anymore.
Lu Xici, holding a water glass, stood in the bright morning light: "I understand, Dad. I will hand over the reins properly to Uncle Chen."
Although I want to expose you, you two go out several times a year.
But... in this life, as long as you and Mom stay with us, healthy and happy, that's enough.
Shikazu didn't say anything more, but patted his shoulder again, this time with more force.
......
July 12, Beijing International Airport.
The arrival gate was crowded with people, but a small group of people stood out in the crowd.
Sang Xu wore a well-tailored light gray linen casual suit, without a tie, and with one button casually undone at the collar. He stared intently at the gate.
To the left, Sang Yan was wearing a beige silk shirt dress, her face expressionless.
Only the occasional glance at his watch betrayed a subtle hint of anticipation.
Sang Che, standing to the right, had his hands in his pockets, seemingly casual, but his toes were unconsciously pointing towards the passage, his neck stretched out longer than anyone else's, and his eyes swept across the faces of the people coming out like searchlights.
A group of even younger people stood beside the three...
Chi Yanzhou and Shi Xu were talking in hushed tones, but their eyes were also fixed on what was ahead.
He Zhuo was like a hyperactive koala, sometimes clinging to the railing to look around, and sometimes whispering to Gu Wan.
Gu Wan and Wen Qing were each holding a small cherry, who was standing on tiptoe and trying to see.
Gu Qi, Ji Xian, Chi Yi... stood a little further back, without saying a word.
This small group of people, handsome men and beautiful women, with different yet harmonious temperaments, seemed to have their own spotlights even in the crowded arrival gate, attracting frequent glances from passersby.
"Sister, why haven't they come out yet?" Sang Yan muttered softly.
"The flight just landed. Wait a little longer." Sang Xu's voice was calm, but if you looked closely, you could see that his thumb was unconsciously rubbing the side of his index finger with his hand in his pocket.
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