Leng Yue picked up her drink and took a small sip.
She tried to suppress the disappointment in her heart, but the chilled drink acted like a fuse, making her feel even colder.
She took another sip, and the more she drank, the more upset she felt. Even the soda couldn't soothe the disappointment in her heart.
Zhouzhou, however, remained engrossed in the delicious food, completely oblivious to the complex conversations and emotional shifts among the adults, happily enjoying her meal.
With a little sauce on the corners of his mouth, he looked adorable.
She pointed to a skewer of lamb and said, "Dad, I want to eat more kebabs."
Lu Qingzhou smiled and affectionately placed several skewers of grilled meat on the plate in front of her.
Zhang Ming stared, mouth agape, unable to close for a long moment, mechanically turning his gaze to Zhouzhou.
A storm raged within him: 'Holy crap, this is a huge amount of information! When did Xiao Lu get such a big kid? Could he be someone else's stepfather? That's possible...'
Zhang Ming gently patted his head.
Trying to clear my head,
But my mind was still a complete mess.
He recalled Mu Shaohua, who had taken Lu Qingzhou to the hospital and even brought them out of the police station last time.
My doubts grew, and I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask.
However, now, in front of Su Qingyao,
He didn't want to say anything directly, so he raised his voice and joked, "Brother, you must have some secret to winning over such a beautiful sister-in-law."
Hao Jianren chimed in, "That's right, that's right, there must be a lot of secrets to it, tell us quickly."
Lu Qingzhou was in an exceptionally good mood tonight; it had been a long time since he had enjoyed such a pleasant drinking and relaxation with his good brother.
He didn't rush to respond to Zhang Ming's words, but instead picked up his wine glass and clinked it with the two of them again. A little wine splashed out, sparkling under the light.
Seeing this, Su Qingyao smiled, took a tissue, and gently wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth.
Lu Qingzhou smiled slightly, looking at Su Qingyao with deep affection.
Then he slowly and deliberately said, "I don't have any secrets. It's just about mutual understanding and respect. It's not as complicated as you think."
Zhang Ming and Hao Jianren exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of envy and wistfulness in each other's eyes.
The group continued chatting idly, drinking one glass of wine after another.
Lu Qingzhou picked up a skewer of grilled chicken wings and handed it to Su Qingyao. Su Qingyao smiled and softly said "thank you" before taking the chicken wings.
Lu Qingzhou then handed a skewer to Leng Yue as well: "Leng Yue, you should eat too, don't just stand there."
Leng Yue took the skewers and responded naturally with a "thank you".
Su Qingyao watched the occasional interactions between Lu Qingzhou and Leng Yue. The two got along naturally and normally, and she didn't notice anything unusual.
He completely let go of the absurd idea that had popped into his mind and started chatting and laughing with everyone.
The lights at the barbecue stall swayed in the night, casting shadows on the crowd.
Hao Jianren's face was flushed, probably from drinking too much. He reeked of alcohol and placed his hand heavily on Zhang Ming's shoulder.
She clung to Zhang Ming's shoulders and swayed back and forth.
He squinted, his tongue twisting, and mumbled, "Mingzi, what are your thoughts now, you who were full of fighting spirit back then?"
Zhang Ming raised his head, forcing a smile, but the smile concealed an unyielding bitterness, appearing particularly forlorn under the dim light.
He smirked slightly, his voice a little hoarse: "I dare not think about it. I have some trivial thoughts."
After he finished speaking, he turned his head to the side.
Staring intently at Hao Jianren, he reeked of alcohol and asked, "Brother Hao, let me ask you, how are you doing now, the ambitious person you were back then?"
The two were clearly completely drunk, and their words were utterly incoherent.
Lu Qingzhou was in good spirits, still enjoying barbecue and chatting with Su Qingyao and the others.
Hearing Zhang Ming and the other person's conversation, they both stopped what they were doing and put down their skewers and drinks with great interest.
All eyes turned to the two drunkards, ready to hear their stories of life, both real and absurd.
Upon hearing Zhang Ming's question, Hao Jianren seemed to be suddenly injected with excitement, his whole body perked up, his back straightened, and his face was full of smugness.
He raised his head and said loudly, "Feeling pretty good, Mingzi. I'm your cousin, born in '87. I own five houses, a BMW 530, and a wife who loves me very much... hiccup... and hiccup..."
As he spoke, he let out several hiccups.
Hearing this, everyone subconsciously nodded in agreement. "That's a pretty good life," they thought. "What, does he want to fly to the moon or something?"
At this time,
Leng Yue remained quiet and largely silent throughout the night.
Everyone's attention was drawn to Hao Jianren's series of boasts.
Looking at Hao Jianren, she sincerely admired him, saying, "Brother Hao's family is so happy. That's really great. It surpasses 90% of people. They're quite fortunate."
When Leng Yue said this, her eyes were filled with sincerity.
Her own chaotic life flashed through her mind, and in comparison, Hao Jianren's life seemed even more fulfilling, happy, and enviable.
But as soon as Leng Yue finished speaking, Hao Jianren stammered and continued, "Um, I have a wife who loves me very much, and... and several sons who are three to five years older than me. I... I'm definitely a winner in life."
These words were like a bomb exploding in the crowd.
The previously lively atmosphere instantly froze, and the expressions on everyone's faces stiffened, leaving them all dumbfounded.
Lu Qingzhou felt his head buzzing and his lips twitching slightly.
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