Xi Qingxu hadn't answered Lu Linqi's question earlier, so as the three of them walked towards the roadside, he asked again, and the other person replied, "My uncle told me that some relatives are having a dinner party in the city center."
“That’s quite a coincidence. We’re also going to the city center. Since it’s on our way, how about a ride with my family?” Lu Linqi didn’t think it was a coincidence at all.
Lu Chuqing, who was a step behind them, rolled her eyes so hard they almost cramped up.
Xi Qingxu nodded upon hearing this, "Okay, thank you."
"polite."
While they were talking, Uncle Wang arrived. Lu Chuqing opened the passenger seat first and sat down, leaving the two boys to sit in the back.
As the car drove towards the city center, leaving the bustling night market area, Lu Linqi asked the person next to him, "Where in the city center do you eat? Shall I have Uncle Wang take you there first?"
Xi Qingxu glanced at Lu Chuqing's chin in the rearview mirror and replied, "Manfulou."
This is the largest Chinese restaurant where Xi Jun invited the Lu family to dinner.
"Oh, what a coincidence! My family was eating there too." Lu Linqi hadn't realized anything was wrong yet.
Perhaps finding it a coincidence, he added a few more words, "I heard you always do part-time jobs, I didn't expect that someone in your family could eat there."
Lu Linqi didn't mean anything by saying that; he was just making a casual remark.
Lu Chuqing, who was listening from the front, felt that her second brother was unusually stupid. How come he still hadn't realized that something was wrong!
Knowing he meant no harm, Xi Qingxu went along with him and said, "Yes, my aunt's brother is very rich. He owns a company. His wife is back today and invited our family to a dinner party."
Lu Linqi felt that what he was saying sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it anywhere else. He continued, "From what you're saying, your aunt and her sister-in-law must have a very good relationship. As soon as you got back, she invited you to dinner."
Xi Qingxu nodded, "Yes, my aunt has a very good family relationship, and her brother's family is also very nice."
Lu Linqi noticed something strange. "From what you just said, do you live with your uncle and aunt?"
Xi Qingxu nodded again, "Yes, and my younger sister too."
When Lu Chuqing was called on, she immediately straightened her back and turned to look at the back row, where she met Xi Qingxu's gaze.
Lu Linqi became curious about Xi Qingxu's family and looked at the boy, asking, "What a coincidence! You have a younger sister too!"
Lu Chuqing was thinking, what's wrong with him? Didn't he say he didn't want her as his sister at first? Why is he starting to treat her like a brother now?
"Yes, the younger sister is Auntie's daughter."
"Huh? So your uncle and sister aren't related?"
“My uncle is her stepfather.”
"Oh, your family relationships are a bit complicated."
For some reason, Lu Linqi suddenly remembered that his younger sister in the front passenger seat also had a stepfather, and asked again, almost without thinking, "What's your uncle's name?"
Now both of them looked at him, and Xi Qingxu answered expressionlessly, "Xi Jun."
“…Oh.” After that, Lu Linqi fell silent.
Upon arrival, Xi Qingxu walked ahead, with Lu Chuqing following behind. Before entering the gate, she was grabbed from behind by the collar and dragged to a secluded spot.
"I've been so good to you that I've made you laugh at your brother for being completely clueless and acting like a fool."
When Lu Linqi looked down at him with a stern face, the sense of oppression was immense.
Lu Chuqing struggled with her collar, defending herself, "How would I know you didn't know!"
"When Uncle Xi invited our family to dinner, he mentioned it at the table, but you were busy with something and didn't hear it."
"So you won't mention it to your brother anymore after that?"
The boy's face was truly grim. He loosened his grip on Lu Chuqing's collar and said, "As expected, you've forgotten your own brother now that you have a new one. You heartless little brat."
Lu Chuqing didn't like hearing that, and she glared at him with a stern face, "It's clearly your own fault for not paying attention, and now you're blaming me."
As Xi Qingxu walked, she realized that no one was behind her. She turned back and took a few steps, then heard Lu Chuqing's voice faintly coming from outside the door. She followed the sound and came over.
Are you two arguing?
The boy's words silenced Lu Linqi, who instantly changed his expression and pulled Lu Chuqing behind him. "How could that be? She's my sister. I would never argue with her, no matter who I'm arguing with."
Lu Chuqing: Wait until you have a boyfriend and then you'll see how outrageous your words are.
Xi Qingxu sensed his subtle hostility, but wasn't sure, so she said, "That's good. Let's go upstairs, Auntie sent another message urging us to come up."
Lu Linqi turned around and grabbed Lu Chuqing's backpack strap. "Let's go."
The girl rolled her eyes and followed in his footsteps, while Xi Qingxu, who was lagging behind, watched them and then followed.
After arriving at the private room, the elders greeted each other.
Xi Jun pulled Xi Qingxu along to introduce him. When she called out Lu Hang's name, the man remembered something and said, "I heard Lin Qi say that this child is very good at studying and has always been first in his grade in exams."
"Linqi, you two must have gotten to know each other quite well at school, right?"
The boy who was called out also became expressionless and said, "We were on good terms before I came here, but after I came here, I hereby declare that we're not so good."
Xi Jun looked embarrassed and asked with a smile, "Is Qingxu just too quiet? He's not very talkative, but he's actually a nice person."
With so many people around, Lu Chuqing was worried that her second brother would have a sour face because of Xi Qingxu, so she spoke up, "My second brother was busy with his own things and didn't pay attention to the elders' conversation until just now when he found out that Xi Qingxu is Uncle Xi's son. He just can't accept it right now."
Upon hearing the girl's explanation, the elders realized what had happened and began to tease him with laughter.
Lu Linqi blushed at what he was being told and glared at Xi Qingxu across from him. "I can't accept that. My strongest rival has suddenly become my sister's brother, and my sister even found out about it before I did."
Lu Ying laughed and said, "Isn't it good for your little sister to have another brother to take care of her? You and Qingxu both protect her, and if one of you is too busy, the other can take care of her too. They can both look after her."
Lu Linqi knew he was sometimes too busy to take care of Lu Chuqing. It wasn't that he thought Xi Qingxu was bad; he was just shocked to learn that the person he considered his rival had become his sister's brother, and he was the last to find out. The shock he felt made it hard for him to accept it quickly.
He especially remembered that Lu Chuqing had said she liked boys who were both handsome and academically gifted.
Undeniably, Xi Qingxu is indeed handsome and academically gifted, the kind of student he could never surpass even after attending tutoring classes. This made him, as her older brother, feel like his younger sister was about to be taken away.
Thinking about it this way, he felt it necessary to tell Lu Chengyang, who was still in the army, to exaggerate the matter and have his older brother teach Xi Qingxu a lesson so he would behave himself.
Thinking this way, he stopped deliberately putting on a sour face and had dinner peacefully with his family.
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