Chapter 113 The Moment of Confession
"Where's your mother?" Lu Mingzheng didn't have time to greet his second son before he strode inside.
When he arrived at the second-floor living room and saw the room full of people, he immediately stopped and said awkwardly.
"Uncle, Aunt, and my eldest brother are all here! Hehe!"
Jiang Nian'an and Tian Rong exchanged a glance. Didn't their daughter look down on Lu Mingzheng? How come the two of them are still in contact?
"Little Lu, what brings you here? Come and sit down." The two greeted Lu Mingzheng.
Lu Mingzheng walked over and, as he passed Jiang Ruzhen, smiled and greeted her.
"Jiang Ruzhen, I..."
Jiang Ruzhen glanced up at him, then turned back to him and said, "Mom and Dad, let's start the feast. It wouldn't be good if we missed the auspicious time."
Seeing Jiang Ruzhen's indifferent attitude towards him, Lu Mingzheng immediately felt uneasy.
What's wrong with her?
Is he blaming me for leaving without saying goodbye?
Lu Mingzheng opened his mouth to explain, but Jiang Ruzhen suddenly stood up with her wine glass in hand and said to the old couple and her elder brother.
"Mom and Dad, Big Brother, I'm so happy that you could come to our house for a family reunion dinner today. Come on, let me toast you first, wishing us all a prosperous and successful year ahead!"
All the family members present could see that Jiang Ruzhen disliked Lu Mingzheng, and Jiang Nian'an gave Jiang Zhengyu a wink.
Jiang Zhengyu quickly got up to greet him, "You must be Xiao Lu? I've often heard my parents mention you. It's just that I wasn't there last time we met so I couldn't thank you in person and have a drink with you."
"Today's the perfect opportunity. Come, come, sit next to me, let's have a good drink together, brother and I."
Seeing that Jiang Ruzhen remained calm and unmoved, Lu Mingzheng had no choice but to walk over and pull her to sit down next to him.
Jiang Nian'an picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of food, and said to everyone, "Children, start eating."
The four children then picked up their chopsticks and began to eat. Tian Rong pulled Jiang Ruzhen's arm to make her sit down and scolded her playfully.
"We haven't even started eating yet, why are you drinking alcohol? You need to eat something first! Your dad's physique can't compare to you young people, so go ahead and tease him."
Jiang Ruzhen then put down her wine glass and picked up her chopsticks to eat.
During the meal, she served food to her parents and children with a beaming smile.
He just wouldn't look at Lu Mingzheng. Lu Mingzheng was being pulled by Jiang Zhengyu to drink and chat, but his eyes kept glancing at Jiang Ruzhen.
He was clearly evasive about the topics raised by Jiang Zhengyu, and seemed restless.
Jiang Zhengyu glanced at his elderly father, Jiang Nian'an, who gently shook his head, indicating that he knew nothing about it.
During this time, firecrackers were going off everywhere outside, and the eldest brother took a few brothers out to set them off as well.
After returning, the children took turns offering toasts to the four elders with hawthorn wine. The four adults were not too bothered, but the three children's faces turned rosy from drinking, especially the fourth child who even started practicing drunken boxing.
The adults present were laughing so hard they were doubled over. Lu Mingzheng smiled along, but he felt uneasy inside.
The meal passed in a lively and funny atmosphere, and everyone was happy except for Lu Mingzheng, who seemed a little embarrassed.
After finishing their meal, the children cleared the table. Jiang Nian'an, Tian Rong, and Jiang Zhengyu were all a little tired and went back to their rooms to rest.
Annoyed by Lu Mingzheng's stare, Jiang Ruzhen picked up the trash and went outside to throw it away.
Lu Mingzheng seized the opportunity and hurriedly grabbed his coat to chase after them.
"Jiang Ruzhen, Jiang Ruzhen...why are you ignoring me?"
Lu Mingzheng caught up with Jiang Ruzhen in three quick steps, grabbed her arm, and asked.
Jiang Ruzhen tried to shake him off but couldn't. She glared at Lu Mingzheng and said, "You've already severed ties with me, so what's the meaning of coming here again now?"
Lu Mingzheng looked completely bewildered. "When did I cut ties with you? I was just on a secret mission and happened to be passing through Liancheng today. I specifically asked my superior for a day off to come see you."
To carry out a mission?
Jiang Ruzhen looked into Lu Mingzheng's eyes, which were clear and firm, and did not seem to be lying.
"You're no longer a soldier, so what kind of mission are you still carrying out?"
Lu Mingzheng looked somewhat embarrassed. "It's just some secret missions that require my intervention. Please don't ask any more questions; I can't say."
"You can't just leave like that. You're not welcome here." Jiang Ruzhen didn't know what came over her; without thinking, she blurted out the words to get rid of people.
She felt like one of those children who couldn't get candy, throwing tantrums and acting spoiled towards their parents, completely immature and irrational.
She frowned, then started to get angry at herself again, and shuffled forward.
The snow on the roadside was thick, and it crunched underfoot.
A short while later, footsteps sounded behind her, and a familiar figure stood beside her.
His deep voice carried a hint of ingratiation, "Jiang Ruzhen, are you angry that I left without saying goodbye? The situation was urgent, and I didn't have time to look for you."
I actually wanted Yu Jian to tell you, but I didn't because I was afraid you'd worry.
Jiang Ruzhen recalled that Yu Jian's expression was somewhat unusual when he dropped her off that day, and she felt that Yu Jian seemed to be hiding something from her.
She didn't ask because she was afraid of infringing on someone's privacy. Jiang Ruzhen slowed down her pace.
"Also, I received the water you left for me. I've been drinking it for over half a month, and I feel like the scar on my chest is almost healed. Let me show you!"
As he spoke, Lu Mingzheng unbuttoned his coat and pulled down the collar of his sweater, revealing a small, light pink scar the size of a palm on his chest.
“I used to have an ugly scar on my chest the size of a soccer ball, but now it’s just this little bit left. I think it should be almost completely healed in another month or so.”
"How did you get this? Can you tell me?" Jiang Ruzhen suddenly asked.
"It's because the machine suddenly malfunctioned and caught fire during the mission," Lu Mingzheng explained briefly before anxiously asking.
"What's wrong with you? You seem a bit off."
When Jiang Ruzhen saw the faint scar on Lu Mingzheng's chest, she suddenly felt like she was being unreasonable.
She raised her hand to touch the scar, and asked with concern, "Was it very painful when you were injured?"
Lu Mingzheng grabbed Jiang Ruzhen's hand and squeezed it hard in his palm. "It doesn't hurt."
"Liar." Jiang Ruzhen raised her leg and kicked Lu Mingzheng. "You're just a liar."
She muttered something else, her emotions getting out of control, and her eyes instantly reddened.
Lu Mingzheng was terrified and quickly lowered his head to coax, "Yes, yes, I was just lying. I was in so much pain, I was rolling around on the floor in agony..."
"Pfft!" Jiang Ruzhen laughed again, her laughter sending chills down Lu Mingzheng's spine. "My dear aunt, what's wrong with you? Crying and laughing at the same time, don't scare me, I'm easily frightened."
A former top-level air force pilot said he was a coward; he couldn't even lie properly.
Jiang Ruzhen swung her small fist and punched Lu Mingzheng in the chest, "You've been gone for so long without contacting me, I thought you..."
Jiang Ruzhen paused in her speech. Lu Mingzheng, whose heart was itching from Jiang Ruzhen's flurry of punches, stepped forward, put his arm around Jiang Ruzhen's waist, and asked with a smile on his lips.
"What did you think happened to me? That I was dead...?"
"Don't talk nonsense." Jiang Ruzhen quickly raised her hand to cover Lu Mingzheng's mouth. The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with worry and longing.
Lu Mingzheng could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart, and he slowly lowered his head to kiss the red lips he had longed for.
A loud crash from upstairs startled the two of them awake, and Jiang Ruzhen looked up.
Looking out the second-floor window, you could see a bunch of little heads crammed together.
Even her parents and older brother, whom she thought had already gone to rest, all shrank back when she looked over.
Jiang Ruzhen laughed in exasperation, grabbed Lu Mingzheng and ran forward, the two holding hands and disappearing without a trace.
Every household had white snow and bright red firecrackers in front of their doors, and the two remained silent the whole way.
I don't know how long I walked, but I actually arrived at the seaside. I saw the boundless sea in front of me and heard the clear cries of seagulls.
Jiang Ruzhen's frustration suddenly vanished, and she turned to look at Lu Mingzheng, who was still basking in the excitement of holding hands.
"Actually, the day after you left, your mother sent someone to look for me."
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