Chapter 574 Extra Chapter—Goodnight, my boyfriend!
Seeing her older brother's conflicted expression—as if he'd swallowed ten pounds of lemons and stepped in dog poop—Lu Nange felt a pang of guilt for a second, then immediately gave up...
[They've already kissed, what else can they do?]
She winked quickly at Chi Yanzhou, giving him a "good luck" look, then slipped away and disappeared into the house.
Outside the door, Chi Yi, with great tact, leaned against the car, pretending to be a statue, but the camera on his phone was pointed at Chi Yanzhou and Lu Xici.
Lu Xici stood with his hands in his pockets, seemingly casual, but his taut jawline and heaving chest clearly said, 'I'm extremely unhappy right now.'
He stared at Chi Yanzhou, who stood a few steps away, tall and composed, his eyes filled with a desire to tear him to pieces on the spot.
"Fine, you surnamed Chi!" Lu Xici's voice was icy: "Even rabbits don't eat the grass near their burrows, but you've gone and set your sights on my lovely little cabbage?"
Chi Yanzhou met his gaze, her tone sincere: "Brother Ci, I like Nan Nan, from the first moment I saw her..."
"Stop!" Lu Xici raised his hand, his face showing a pained expression of 'I understand now'.
"I figured it out while I was standing outside the door waiting for you. From the moment you saw my sister, you started calling me 'Brother Ci'..."
You're a real scoundrel! Just think how old my little cabbage was back then! You're just a cunning old man!
He grew angrier and angrier, pointing at himself: "It's my fault! It's my fault for misjudging people! I let a wolf into the house! I treated you like a brother, and you actually plotted to seduce my sister!"
Chi Yanzhou: "Brother Ci, if love at first sight is lust, then after everything we've been through, I still can't live without her."
I never tire of being with them, and I never find idle chatter annoying. They are never perfunctory or negligent.
I have never used any 'tricks' against Nan Nan. You've seen how I've treated her all these years. If I really wanted to use tricks, I wouldn't have waited until today."
He looked into Lu Xici's eyes, which were practically spitting fire, and said, word by word, "I love her, and I've never hidden it. Everyone knows it except you and her."
Lu Xici was so shocked by that last sentence that she almost passed out.
[So annoying... Not a single one of them reminded me, and they're even my own siblings!]
So, am I the only blind, deaf, and idiot?
Of course he knew that over the years, Chi Yanzhou had taken care of Lu Nange in a way that was almost meticulous and subtle, so thorough that he sometimes felt inferior to him.
Knowing is one thing, but to accept that your "brother" who has always fought alongside you has suddenly snatched away the tenderest little cabbage from your nest is an incredibly bitter and unpleasant feeling!
Lu Xici irritably ran her fingers through her hair: "Anyway, it's all your fault..."
He thought of Chi Yi's photos and vague words in the group chat, as well as his sister's swollen lips and flushed cheeks when she came back.
A surge of anger flared up again: "She's young, inexperienced, and doesn't understand things, and you don't understand either? You..."
“I understand.” Chi Yanzhou interrupted him: “Brother Ci, I know better than anyone what I’m doing, and that I can’t live without her.”
He paused, looking at the anger and resentment churning in his friend's eyes, and softened his tone.
“Brother Ci, Nan Nan may be young, but she is not confused. She has her own judgment and choices.”
Of course, I understand how you feel. If I only saw Nan Nan as a little sister, and she were taken away by some unknown brat, my reaction might be even stronger than yours.
Lu Xici snorted, his expression softening slightly, but his eyes remained sharp: "Don't try that! Playing the emotional card won't work!"
“It’s not about playing the emotional card,” Chi Yanzhou said seriously. “Brother Ci, it’s a promise.”
I assure you that I will respect her, love her, cherish her, and never let her suffer any injustice. I swear this on the entire Chi family.
In the darkness, his eyes shone with an astonishing light, and his words carried a heavy weight.
Lu Xici fell silent... He understood Chi Yanzhou; this man was extremely proud and valued his promises.
The fact that he could say such a thing means that he places this relationship in an extremely important position, even at the cost of his family's reputation.
The initial anger gradually subsided under the influence of reason, replaced by a complex mix of bitterness and worry.
He glared at Chi Yanzhou for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and forcing out, "...You better remember what you said today! If you make Nan Nan sad, we can't even be brothers anymore!"
This is almost tacit...approval.
Chi Yanzhou nodded: "I will remember, Brother Ci. I will not allow anyone to hurt her, including myself."
Lu Xici irritably ran her fingers through her hair, then suddenly remembered something and gave a fierce warning.
"And another thing! Tone it down! Look at what you did tonight, in public... what kind of behavior is that! Nan Nan is only a sophomore, she still has to study at school!"
"I know, I didn't think things through tonight, I'll be more careful in the future," Chi Yanzhou readily agreed.
He had indeed lost control tonight, but he didn't regret it. He even felt a despicable sense of relief—relief that he had returned in time, and relief that Nan Nan had drunk some alcohol today...
The tense atmosphere between the two finally eased somewhat.
Lu Xici looked at the brother and "brother-in-law" he had known for many years, who was now standing in front of him with a completely new identity.
[Pah, you dead mouth, what brother-in-law, he's nothing but a nobody!] He cursed inwardly.
He waved his hand dismissively, like shooing away a fly: "Get lost, get lost, I hate just looking at you! Coming here in the middle of the night to gnaw on my cabbage..."
A faint smile flickered in Chi Yanzhou's eyes, indicating that he had temporarily passed the test with his brother-in-law.
"Brother Ci, I'll head back now. You should get some rest too."
"Don't tell me!" Lu Xici snapped. "Get out of here!"
"Let's go!" Chi Yanzhou turned around and got into the car. Before opening the door, he glanced back at the Lu family's gate, a slight smile playing on his lips, before bending down and getting in.
The car drove away...
Chi Yanzhou leaned back in the back seat, rubbed his temples, and took out his phone.
The image on the screen was sent by Lu Nange a few minutes ago: [(Kitten peeking out.jpg)]
[Did my brother break you up? (Worried.jpg)]
A smile played in his eyes as he lightly tapped his finger in reply: [It's nothing. Your brother just... needs time to adjust to his new role.]
[You've had a drink, go to bed early, I'll pick you up tomorrow.]
[Okay, good night. You're home now. Get some rest. See you tomorrow.]
See you tomorrow, girlfriend!
Upstairs, Lu Nange nestled on the sofa, holding her phone. When she saw the words "new identity," a slight smile crept onto her lips.
Downstairs, Lu Xici stood in the cold wind for a while before reluctantly going back inside.
As he walked, he took out his phone. In the group chat, Chi Yi posted a picture of him and Chi Yanzhou "standing in confrontation," and He Zhuo and his group were frantically posting it.
He was seething with anger, his fingers flying across the keyboard in frustration.
Lu Xici: [They talked about half-siblings, but what happened? They were all just watching the drama unfold!]
Gu Wan: [Brother Ci, please calm down! (Offers tea.jpg)]
Gu Wan: [As the saying goes, "Don't let the good stuff go to outsiders!" At least we know Yan-ge's background; it's better than him being taken by some random wild boar!]
He Zhuo: [Ci-ge, look on the bright side. From now on, Yan-ge will be our brother-in-law, with the lowest status in the family... so wouldn't it be up to us to deal with him?]
Luo Xingyou: [Yeah, Ci-ge. If Yan-ge treats Nan-nan badly, let's all slap him across the face.]
Gu Qi: [Ci-ge, how do we calculate it, how do we choose... Yan-ge is currently the best choice...]
Shi Xu: [(Silently watching the melon.jpg)]
Shi Xu: [Brother Ci, if you can't beat them, join them... Nan Nan is still young, if it doesn't work out, we'll find someone else!]
Wen Qing: [Little Deer, if Xiao Chi treats Nan Nan badly, let's team up and break his legs...]
Ji Xian: [Ci-ge, don't be angry. Yan-ge is still family.]
Lu Xici threw her phone down, slumped onto the sofa, and stared at the ceiling with a long sigh.
A daughter is gone once she grows up... This is so sudden, so heartbreaking!
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Chi Yanzhou returned to his apartment. Instead of resting immediately, he turned on his computer and dealt with several urgent emails.
After doing all that, he stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the dazzling lights in the distance.
The warm, soft touch of her embrace still seemed to linger on his neck, and her kiss still seemed to be imprinted on his lips.
He picked up his phone, tapped the pinned contact, and typed: [Goodnight, girlfriend.]
Click send.
A few seconds later, the phone vibrated.
Lu Nange: [Goodnight. (Kitten rolling around.jpg)]
Chi Yanzhou's smile deepened: [Still not asleep? And...who is your girlfriend saying goodnight to?]
The input is still being made over there...
A moment later, she sent: [Well... goodnight, my boyfriend!]
He held his phone, stared at the words for a long time, and then chuckled softly...
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