When reading novels, the kind of aloof, taciturn, and handsome male protagonist is especially appealing.
In reality, Lu Chuqing doesn't really like this kind of person.
You talk for ages, and they only say "uh-huh" once before uttering two words.
It makes you feel like you have a breath stuck in your throat, unable to spit it out or swallow it down, which is very frustrating.
So she really admired Nangong Yu. Even though she didn't want to talk to him, he always managed to find something to say and keep talking until she had no choice but to talk to him.
But she wasn't the social butterfly like Nangong Yu, and she wasn't particularly talkative herself, especially with people she didn't know well, so she couldn't muster any words.
Xi Qingxu is handsome, but he is too aloof, and she can't get along with him.
Fortunately, she had previously looked forward to meeting her stepbrother and admired him for being "good at studying and good at baking," but now she felt nothing at all.
When she went downstairs, Lu Ying and Xi Jun were setting the table. She went over to help, but Lu Ying stopped her.
"Qingqing".
"What's wrong, Mom?"
The woman lowered her voice a little, "It's just that Brother Qingxu is planning to move in with us. He doesn't like to talk much, so you should try to talk to him more often in the future, so that he doesn't feel like he's unlikable."
Lu Chuqing raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I see." She really is a precious person.
Xi Jun called upstairs, "Qingxu, dinner's ready."
Two seconds later, a deep voice came from upstairs, "Okay."
Dinner was quite plentiful, with six dishes, four of which were Lu Chuqing's favorites.
The girl wasn't shy at all; once she started eating, she picked up a shrimp ball in tomato sauce and fed it to herself.
Xi Jun served food to Lu Ying, who then looked at the boy who had also been served tomato shrimp balls. "Qingxu, try the soup Auntie made. Your uncle bought some fresh pork bones at the market after get off work. It smells pretty good."
The boy accepted the soup from the woman with both hands and thanked her, "Thank you, Aunt Lu."
"Don't mention it. You're all still growing, so eat more to keep up with your nutrition. Look how thin you are, you need to eat more."
Xi Qingxu nodded in agreement, "Okay."
Lu Chuqing chewed on the shrimp, her mind filled with doubt.
Isn't he Uncle Xi's son? Why is he calling him "Uncle" now?
Could it be that he's not their biological child?
The thought popped into her head, and she paused for a moment while chewing.
Is it really that dramatic?
During this break, Xi Jun also served Lu Chuqing a bowl of soup, saying, "Qingqing, drink more soup. It's good for girls to drink more soup."
By the time she realized what was happening and was about to take it, the soup had already been put down. She could only thank him, saying, "Thank you, Uncle Xi."
The girl's voice was sweet and soft, and the man immediately looked at her with doting eyes, "You're welcome. It's only right to serve my daughter."
As she spoke, she poured Lu Ying a bowl, saying, "Yingying, you should drink more too."
Since the two started living together, they've really let loose, calling each other affectionate nicknames more and more without regard for others.
"Ah-Jun, you should try some too." Lu Ying took the bowl, scooped up a spoonful, and fed it to the man's mouth.
Xi Jun's eyes lit up after drinking it. "Yingying's cooking is really good. The bone broth is so delicious!"
Lu Ying's cheeks flushed slightly, her face full of shyness. "No, it's because you bought the bones well."
"It's Yingying's cooking that's so good."
"It's because Ah-Jun controlled the heat well."
"..."
Lu Chuqing coughed once, and the two of them returned to normal.
Xi Jun placed some braised pork ribs into her bowl, saying, "Qingqing must be tired after a long day at school, eat more!"
Then she put a piece on Xi Qingxu's plate as well, saying, "Qingxu, eat more too. Your Aunt Lu is worried that you're too thin. Eat more and gain some weight."
The boy responded softly, "Yes, thank you."
He only picked up a rib and put it in his mouth after he saw Lu Chuqing eat it out of the corner of his eye.
The two people opposite him were so engrossed in their sweet nothings that no one noticed his little actions.
Lu Chuqing doesn't eat very fast. She can take a big bite, but she always chews it thoroughly before taking the next bite.
Moreover, she had drunk milk tea to fill her stomach, so she wasn't that hungry, and she ate at a more leisurely pace.
Xi Qingxu was a boy, and not only did he have a big appetite, he also ate rather quickly. It took him a while to swallow the ribs in his mouth before Lu Chuqing picked up a small amount of rice and fed it to him. Then he followed suit and picked up some rice and put it in his mouth as well.
The two adults, who hadn't initially thought anything of it, gradually noticed that the boy was eating irregularly, one meal at a time.
Lu Ying assumed the food wasn't to his liking, and glanced at Xi Jun without saying a word. When the man met her gaze, he spoke softly, "Qingxu, did you buy snacks before you came back?"
Xi Qingxu paused for a moment, then replied, "No."
He left very quickly today; he went back and packed some things to bring with him.
Xi Jun was also a little confused. "Is it because the dishes I cooked today didn't suit your taste? You didn't eat much."
Lu Chuqing was surprised to see someone who seemed so aloof buying snacks.
Just as she finished swallowing the food in her mouth, she picked up a piece of green vegetable with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, making a crisp chewing sound.
Xi Qingxu looked at the two people opposite her, and also picked up a piece of green vegetable with her chopsticks and ate it. "There are too many vegetables, I don't know which one to eat."
Lu Ying smiled gently, "Eat as much of whichever you like. We're all family now, so don't be shy."
As she spoke, she looked at the girl who was still eating and said, "You and Qingqing are both our children, so don't feel awkward."
Lu Chuqing received a look from her mother, raised an eyebrow, took a clean chopstick from the side, picked up a particularly good-looking piece of braised pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, and put it into the boy's bowl.
Then, with a slight smile and a sweet voice, she said, "Brother, try the braised pork tonight. It's perfectly marbled with fat and lean meat, and it's delicious!"
That's strange.
This idea popped into Xi Qingxu's mind.
Before he could react, he heard the girl next to him say, "Brother is too thin, you need to eat more meat!"
...
He couldn't remember how he finished his meal.
Back in his room, Xi Qingxu's mind was filled with Lu Chuqing calling him "brother".
How strange...
He clearly decided to move in because he felt that since Lu Linqi had a younger sister, he should have one too.
But when Lu Chuqing actually called him "brother," he didn't feel satisfied and relieved; instead, he felt very awkward.
Unable to understand, he finally concluded that he didn't actually want Lu Chuqing as his younger sister.
The room was bigger than the one he had stayed in before. Although he hadn't initially said he wanted to move in, the room had still been tidied up.
Xi Qingxu took out the small notebook he had brought from his schoolbag, opened it, and began to write.
She called me brother.
How strange... I don't think I want her as my sister.
The next morning, Lu Chuqing went to the bathroom to relieve herself.
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he came face to face with the boy washing his face at the sink by the door.
Both of them were stunned for a moment, and then Lu Chuqing reacted first, looking at Xi Qingxu's watery profile.
It's... really beautiful.
The boy was wearing a school uniform, with the collar buttoned up tightly. His school trousers made his legs look long, and he wore light gray socks and slippers.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Xi Qingxu spoke first, "I'm done washing."
Then he casually wiped the water off his face and walked towards the door.
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