Chapter 65
When Lu Jiyu came out of the airport, Chen Tingzhe and his family came to pick him up.
Chen Tingzhe's wife, Zhang Sijie, is a dance teacher. Lu Jiyu hadn't seen her for a few years, and she was still as gentle as ever. She and Chen Tingzhe got out of the car together: "Jiyu, long time no see."
"Aunt." Lu Jiyu smiled: "Where's that kid Chen Xuyang?"
Zhang Sijie glanced sideways at the back seat of the car and said helplessly, "He's hiding. He said he was planning a surprise for you and asked us not to tell you."
The rear window was halfway down, and half of the head of someone who was planning to give a surprise was sticking out of the window.
Lu Jiyu smiled knowingly, walked over and knocked on the car window with his fingers. The next second, Chen Xuyang, making a face, jumped up.
Unfortunately, he forgot that he was sitting in a car and there was a roof above him. Chen Xuyang hit his forehead with a loud bang, and he grimaced in pain. If it were any other time, he would have cried a long time ago, and he would have cried loudly.
But at this moment, Lu Jiyu tilted his head and stared at him with interest. Chen Xuyang had to grit his teeth and endure it no matter what, for the sake of his male dignity.
Lu Jiyu saw that his little face was flushed red and tears were welling up in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.
He opened the car door and got in. Chen Xuyang leaned towards the door with a pout. Just as he was about to say something to save some dignity, a piece of clothing fell on his forehead. Lu Jiyu said casually, "Why are you holding back your tears, kid? The tears you hold back now will just be water in your brain later."
The implication is, cry if you want to.
But Chen Xuyang pulled off his clothes unconvinced and said, "Chen Tingzhe said you never cry."
Lu Jiyu leaned back in the car seat and adjusted himself to a comfortable position: "Who doesn't cry? I cry in bed every day, but he just doesn't see it. If you want to see me cry, why don't you come and get in my bed today?"
"Ah? Lu Jiyu, why are you so perverted?"
"Why are you calling people? Call me brother." Zhang Sijie in the front row fastened her seat belt and looked at him sideways with disapproval.
Chen Xuyang said stubbornly, "No."
"Okay." Zhang Sijie smiled slightly. "I'll enroll you in the Mathematical Olympiad class later. You've been staying at your grandparents' house for too long, so you can't tell the difference between the big and small Wang anymore, right?"
Chen Xuyang: ...
"elder brother--."
Awkward, tentative, unwilling, and with a little bit of joy.
Lu Jiyu touched him with his knee, raised his right fist and gestured to Chen Xuyang. The latter quickly understood and followed suit, touching Lu Jiyu's left fist with his.
"Hi, bro." Lu Jiyu tilted her head and looked at him with half-lowered eyes, a hint of a smile in her eyes. It was a gentle and uninhibited smile.
Chen Xuyang was stunned by the smile.
Although he hated Lu Jiyu's sharp tongue, he had to admit that he was really handsome.
After Chen Tingzhe put his luggage away, he walked around to the driver's seat and got in. He glanced in the rearview mirror and joked, "Chen Xuyang knew you were coming and was so excited he couldn't sleep all night."
"dad!"
"Okay, okay, let's stop talking." Chen Tingzhe started the car: "Then let's go to grandma's house now. Those two old people have been waiting for you at home for a long time."
Lu Jiyu hummed lightly: "I have booked a hotel, how about you take me to the hotel and put my luggage there first?"
The three people in the car fell silent.
Lu Jiyu added: "Don't get me wrong, I don't mean anything else. I'm here to meet some friends. Their house is in the suburbs, so it's not convenient for me to come out."
"What's the big deal?" Chen Tingzhe steered the car out of the underground parking lot. "I'll find a driver for you tomorrow and have him take you there."
"Is that okay?"
Having said that, Lu Jilu had no reason to be pretentious and nodded: "Okay. Then I'll cancel the hotel."
Jiang Huainan is a person who attaches great importance to family.
When Jiang Wan's grandparents were young, their family was relatively well-off. They supported Jiang Huainan's education and even sent him to art school. Of the three children in the Jiang family, Jiang Huainan was considered the most promising. Both Jiang Ying and Jiang Sheng disliked studying. Jiang Ying dropped out of school after junior high school, joining others in a textile factory where she found a stable job. But Jiang Sheng was different. He didn't like studying, and he refused to work. He relied on his good looks to have a constant stream of girlfriends, often even having their parents come to his house.
But Jiang Huainan doted on his younger brother. After he married Li Wan and had Jiang Wan, he continued to support Jiang Sheng in secret. He sometimes threatened to open a restaurant, and sometimes to go to Shenzhen, Guangdong to make a fortune. In short, he was always acting on his whims and had no firm ideas.
So it wasn't too surprising that he got into trouble later.
While in Guangdong, Jiang Sheng met a woman with a child. In a letter he sent home, he wrote that he was truly in love and that he planned to turn over a new leaf.
After this letter, Jiang Sheng lost contact with his family for half a year.
Jiang Huainan was so anxious that he asked people everywhere and even contacted the police, but there was no response. Then, just when they were about to despair, they received a phone call.
Jiang Sheng asked them for a large sum of money on the phone, but he didn't tell them what it was for, only that it was to save his life.
Although Jiang Huainan and his friends were hesitant, they still scraped together the money and remitted it.
Jiang Sheng also returned a month later, but he was emaciated and his legs were broken. Grandma Jiang Wan was so shocked by this that she was bedridden, and Grandpa's health also deteriorated significantly.
Jiang Sheng was particularly quiet for the first few months after returning, so Jiang Huainan took him home to take care of him. Jiang Wan didn't talk to him much either. Later, she overheard Jiang Huainan talking to Li Wan, saying that Jiang Sheng had been in love with a woman in Guangdong, who had tricked him into working abroad, and that was how he ended up like this.
But even after being harmed like this, Jiang Sheng still couldn't forget that woman.
Later, Jiang Sheng climbed to the roof and jumped off the building while everyone in his family was out.
Jiang Wan was just in the third grade of elementary school at that time.
Jiang Huainan fell seriously ill because of this.
Jiang Wan knew that Jiang Huainan had lived a seemingly peaceful life this year, but he was actually in great pain. She also didn't object to Jiang Huainan finding a place to support himself for the rest of his life.
But she didn't understand why it had to be Chen Hong.
It was dinner time when Lu Jiyu and his friends arrived at their grandparents' house.
Chen Tingzhe went to park the car, and Lu Jiyu and the others went in first. Cheng Xiang had already been waiting at the door when she heard the noise. She stretched out her arms and said happily, "Look, who's here?"
Lu Jiyu walked up to the man and leaned against his chest, saying nonchalantly, "I'm so handsome that I dazzled you. You didn't recognize me?"
"You're only good at talking in front of me." Cheng Xiang patted his back meaningfully: "Go in, your grandfather has been waiting for you."
Cheng Xiang was about to turn around and go into the house when someone grabbed the corner of his clothes.
"Grandma! As soon as Lu Jiyu came back, you lost sight of me. You used to lie when you said I was your favorite grandson, didn't you?"
Chen Xuyang's face was long and he was accusing.
Cheng wanted to take it as a big deal, she bent down with a smile: "Lu Jiyu rarely comes here, he can't compare with you, be good."
Lu Jiyu's grandfather, Chen Zhan, was in his early seventies. Although his legs and feet weren't as agile as they used to be, he was still as energetic as ever. He sat on the sofa like a steel plate. So he always felt a little uncomfortable with Lu Jiyu's excessive flab.
"Grandpa." Lu Jiyu stood in the hall and called out.
Chen Zhan nodded, supported himself with his crutches, and without asking anyone to help him up, he stood up and went to the dining room: "Come and eat."
Chen Tingzhe had just parked his car and was getting in from the back. He leaned close to Lu Jiyu and whispered, "I knew you were coming, so I've been waiting for you since early this morning. Now that you're here, you're really showing off."
Chen Xuyang followed them like a small pendant, and heard Chen Tingzhe's words clearly: "I know this! The pain of East Asian families! Silent fathers, tearful mothers, and unloved children!"
…
"Oh." After Chen Xuyang said that, he received a slap on the forehead from Chen Tingzhe.
"If you show me this nonsense again, I'll ask your mother to disconnect your internet connection."
Chen Xuyang pursed his lips in dissatisfaction: "You were right. I got angry out of shame."
Hearing that he dared to resist, Chen Tingzhe was ready to hit him again, but fortunately Zhang Sijie came and took Chen Xuyang away: "Because I am your mother, I will save your life."
Chen Xuyang held his mother's hand and asked quietly, "Why do Dad and Lu Jiyu have such long legs, but mine are so short? Am I Dad's biological child?"
Zhang Sijie: ...
Since you asked sincerely, she will beat you up sincerely.
When the aunt at home saw Chen Xuyang, she looked at him lovingly and said, "Today we have your favorite broccoli soup."
Poor Chen Xuyang didn’t get to eat the broccoli, but his butt was about to burst first.
There was no sentimental drama about a long-awaited reunion at the dinner table; it was just a simple family meal. Chen Zhan said very little, only asking Lu Jiyu about his university and aspirations. Otherwise, he drank in silence.
After dinner, Chen Tingzhe and Zhang Sijie took Chen Xuyang, whose butt was beaten, home first. Although this guy tried several times to refuse to leave, Lu Jiyu had been wandering outside for so many days and had no energy to deal with him.
Cheng wanted to take Lu Jiyu upstairs. His luggage had already been placed in the room.
"The room is still the same one. It hasn't been moved in all these years." Cheng Xiang stood at the door and talked to Lu Jiyu: "I thought the furniture inside was a bit old, so I wanted to replace it with new ones."
"But your grandpa didn't let me." Cheng Xiang patted Lu Jiyu's shoulder and said, "When you go back to the capital to study, come and visit us on weekends when you're free."
Lu Jiyu leaned his head against the door frame and smiled: "It's a courtesy to return the favor. You can also come to school to see me. Don't just stay at home all the time."
Cheng Xiang was amused by his words: "No wonder Chen Xuyang is so affectionate every time he sees you, you two are just like-minded!"
Lu Jiyu received a WeChat message on his phone.
He picked it up and took a look. It was Jiang Wan. His brows frowned slightly.
Cheng Xiang was standing opposite him, and she saw all the changes in Lu Jiyu's expression: "What's wrong?"
"fine."
"It's just a scam." Lu Jiyu turned off his phone. "I'm going to rest now. You should go and rest too."
Cheng Xiang obviously didn't believe his nonsense, but seeing that he was eager to get rid of him, as an old man in the new era, he naturally had to be tactful and sensible: "I know, I know."
Lu Jiyu's room has a terrace. After seeing Cheng Xiang off, he carried a chair from the room and sat on the balcony. He slowly dialed Jiang Wan's number, and while waiting on hold, he looked up at the starry sky.
I waited until the phone automatically hung up but no one answered.
The evening breeze blew gently. The roses planted on the balcony were in full bloom, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance.
He was a little hesitant about whether to send a WeChat message to Jiang Wan.
As soon as I picked up the phone, the call came back.
"Have you read WeChat?"
It was very lively on Jiang Wan's side, with dogs barking non-stop.
Lu Jiyu sat on the chair with his legs open, kicking a flowerpot that had been blown over by the wind. "Where are you? A pet store?"
"Yes. Chen Meiyun broke up with her ex-boyfriend and she wants to buy a dog and name it after him. I came with her to choose a dog."
Lu Jiyu was silent for a few seconds, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Jiang Wan seemed to understand his silence. She walked outside the pet shop and said, "Isn't it crazy? I'm still trying to persuade her. After all, dogs are innocent. If it were me, I would buy a turtle. It would be more satisfying, and I wouldn't feel guilty."
"What do you mean? Are you targeting me?"
"Zhou Zifang even sent me a WeChat message saying you're a scumbag and asked me to break up with you. How could I not be prepared?"
"What did he tell you?"
The chat history that Jiang Wan sent him just now only contained a few sentences without any cause or effect, so Lu Jiyu went to her first to ask for clarification.
Jiang Wan glanced back at the pet shop. Chen Meiyun seemed to have taken a fancy to a Schnauzer. She had forgotten to remind her when she left earlier to watch out for the second dog in the first row of cages. It was a young Beagle. Chen Meiyun had exclaimed, "It's adorable!" upon seeing it as soon as she entered. The pet shop owner was nearby, so Jiang Wan didn't say much.
After all, Bigger's reputation is well-known.
"Zhou Zifang said that when you were pursuing me, you were also flirting with a girl outside. I guess you didn't succeed with that girl, so you had to settle for me as a second best option."
Jiang Wan asked him seriously: "Lu Jiyu, are you a scumbag to me?"
…
Thousands of kilometers away, Lu Jiyu couldn't tell Jiang Wan's true mood just by listening to her voice. He felt like a huge pot had been dropped on his head. "Zhou Zifang was bitten by a dog in fifth grade and hid the rabies vaccine from his parents. Now he probably has rabies and bites anyone he catches. You should block him. Who knows if this thing can spread through mobile phone signals?"
Jiang Wan couldn't help laughing after hearing this nonsense: "I should have recorded it for you and forwarded it to him."
Lu Jiyu stood up from his chair and walked a few steps to the railing. He rested his elbows on the cold metal and stared at the koi pond in the corner of the garden downstairs. He said in a casual tone, "Why do I need you? I'll let him listen to the live version later."
"Cheng'er." Jiang Wan followed the local customs and added an erhua sound at the end, which made Lu Jiyu laugh: "Why are you so happy? Is it appropriate?"
"I'm not happy. I just cried and my eyes are swollen."
"Okay, stop joking." Lu Jiyu knew she was acting up again: "I'll go ask Zhou Zifang and contact you later."
"No, I'm going to Chen Meiyun's house soon. Let's contact each other tomorrow."
Lu Jiyu leaned against the railing and turned around, facing the garden with his back. "It's tomorrow. I thought it would be next year."
"Don't do it."
"Oh no." Jiang Wan said, and stood up from the steps at the door: "I won't tell you anymore."
"What's wrong?" Lu Jiyu asked with concern when he heard that she looked a little anxious.
"Chen Meiyun bought a Beagle, I have to go check it out."
…
After Lu Jiyu returned to the room, he made two calls to Zhou Zifang, but the other party didn't answer either of them, probably because he felt guilty.
He didn't insist. His phone was out of battery, so he charged it and looked around the room.
He had lived here for a while before, and many of his things were still in the room.
Lu Jiyu walked to the bookshelf against the east wall. After scanning several rows of books, his eyes fell on a notebook with a red cover.
Lu Jiyu had no impression of the notebook. He pulled it out of the book and flipped through a few pages. Then a photo fell at his feet.
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