My aunt always seemed uninterested in the young men my grandmother introduced her to, and sometimes, to avoid these social engagements, she would find excuses to take me out to play.
Later, one time, she went to pick him up from school, and the two played outside until very late before going home. After being caught, the aunt was locked up at home by her grandfather for three days.
After that, his aunt became increasingly quiet, stopped taking him and his brother out, and lost her former smile. She spent all her time cooped up in her room, staring at a pile of books he couldn't understand, studying the strange symbols and pictures inside.
Grandpa seemed very dissatisfied with the changes in his aunt. He believed that the daughter raised by the Chu family should have the demeanor of a well-bred lady, rather than a wild and unruly girl or a bookworm who stays in her room.
One day, my aunt brought home a man. Although he had the appearance of a Chinese person, his deep eyes and dark blue pupils clearly did not belong to the bloodline that a Chinese person should have.
Grandpa slammed the cup down in front of them. That day, he hid around the corner and secretly saw his aunt kneeling on the ground with a strange man, as well as his furious grandfather.
Finally, the aunt who used to take them up mountains and down to the sea changed. She became less talkative and increasingly estranged from everyone in the family.
One day, when he came home from school, his grandmother and aunt were hugging and crying in the living room, while his mother secretly wiped away tears. His father was called into the study by his grandfather and given a severe scolding.
He never saw his aunt again after that.
Until the night his grandfather passed away, he held his father's hand tightly on the eve of his death and instructed him to find his aunt and bring her back to the Chu family no matter what.
Chu Ningyi recalled his aunt, a hint of sadness in his eyes, his dry throat choked, and his voice was slightly hoarse, "Well, Ningxuan and I will think it over before explaining to our family. We also hope that Mr. Lu will not mention it to Miss Shi for the time being."
"Hmm." Lu Jingyan casually threw the unlit cigarette into the trash can. He wasn't a heavy smoker to begin with, and besides, Wanwan wasn't in good health and couldn't stand the smell of smoke.
Brushing off non-existent dust from his clothes, Lu Jingyan strode up to the second floor and gently knocked on the door.
Upon opening the study door, one sees Shi Wan diligently helping Shen Zhiyi restore a painting by Master Wuwang from his youth.
Shen Zhiyi looked up and saw the tall, imposing figure at the door. She gently patted Shi Wan's shoulder and teased, "Your Mr. Lu is worried I'll eat you up if he doesn't see you for a few minutes."
Shi Wan looked up at Lu Jingyan, her almond-shaped eyes revealing a hint of warmth, and gave him a sweet smile, "You're here! Wait a little longer, it's too difficult to repair the teacher's paintings from when he was young."
"Hmm." Lu Jingyan simply stood quietly to the side waiting for her, without saying much, but the magnetic field between the two of them was so compatible.
Shen Zhiyi noticed that it was indeed getting late and said apologetically, "Teacher Wu Nian, I'm sorry to have bothered you for so long today. It's getting late, so why don't we go to the villa first? Dinner has been prepared there, and we hope that you two can stay for a meal."
“Okay, but Mrs. Chu, very few of the teacher’s paintings from his youth have survived to this day. Few people can imitate his style and colors from his youth. If you need me to do some color touch-ups, you can contact me.”
They had no reason to refuse the host's warm invitation. After all, Lu Jingyan and Chu Ningxuan had a good relationship, and with Chu Ningxuan, the master of creating a lively atmosphere, the dinner table shouldn't be awkward.
While Shi Wan was still wondering if the meal would be too awkward, the entire Chu family, young and old, were already waiting inside the villa.
Chu Zhi anxiously craned her neck to look outside, her hands clenched into fists in nervousness. Seeing that she was trembling slightly with nervousness, Madam Chu raised her hand and pressed her shoulder.
"Xiao Zhi, don't be nervous. Just think of it as having a meal with a junior. You've met Xiao Lu before. Just relax. After all, we don't know if Wan Wan is Xiao Yun's daughter."
"Sister-in-law, if I lose my composure later, just pinch me." Chu Zhi looked at her sister-in-law, then turned to look at her mother sitting on the sofa.
Aside from occasional recurring coughs, the old lady has generally been in good health in recent years. However, given her age, she sometimes dozes off while sitting still.
"Also, don't tell Mother yet that Wanwan might be Xiaoyun's daughter, lest she become even more heartbroken." Chu Zhi whispered to Madam Chu.
"Okay, as long as you don't give anything away, the old lady won't know. Let's tell her after we're sure. Consider this a casual meal with Ning Xuan and a few of his friends."
Seeing that his mother and aunt were starting to chatter on and on, Chu Ningxuan said in a deep voice, "Ahem... ladies, if you say another word, even people on the street will know who she is."
"You brat, you can't utter a single nice word from your dog mouth." Madam Chu didn't want to look at him any longer.
As the four of them emerged from the small villa, the setting sun was just below the horizon.
Standing in the courtyard, one can see the afterglow of the sunset over the sea. The orange sunset shines on Shi Wan's face, making her squint her almond-shaped eyes and slightly furrow her brows, which only makes her look more gentle and charming.
Shi Wan and Lu Jingyan followed Chu Ningyi and his wife, entering the villa almost one after the other.
What shocked Shi Wan was not how lavish the banquet was, but that Chu Yuan, Chu Ningxuan, Madam Chu, Chu Zhi, and Old Madam Chu were all waiting for them in the living room as soon as she entered.
"This...is too grand," Shi Wan thought to herself, while simultaneously casting a glance at Lu Jingyan.
Lu Jingyan held Shi Wan's hand tightly, and when he felt the slight sweat on her palms, he couldn't help but tighten his grip.
"Don't be nervous, it's just like having a casual meal at a friend's house, it's nothing. If you don't want to talk, I'll do it later," Lu Jingyan whispered to Shi Wan.
Shi Wan looked at Lu Jingyan, her heart fluttering. He knew what she was thinking.
But for some reason, upon entering the hall and seeing the unique crystal chandelier in the living room, as well as the peonies displayed in the living room and dining room, she inexplicably felt a little nervous.
Unlike the two of them, Chu Zhi and Madam Chu held hands even tighter as they comforted and encouraged each other.
Nose...red mole...Chu Yun?
Encouraged by Lu Jingyan, Shi Wan walked over to Madam Chu and greeted the two seniors with gentle politeness.
Then she turned to look at the old lady who was still dozing in her wheelchair in the living room, her eyes filled with a hint of doubt. She didn't know whether she should go over and say hello, but the old lady's current state didn't seem suitable for disturbing her.
Upon seeing this, Lu Jingyan stepped forward and greeted Madam Chu and Chu Zhi respectively, explaining his purpose. At this moment, the two were still staring blankly at Shi Wan's face.
"Cough cough...cough...Xiao Shiwan, you're here! That's my grandma. She's getting old and often takes naps. It's not easy for you to come all this way, so come and sit down, come and sit down." Chu Ningxuan was no different from usual, still with his carefree and nonchalant demeanor.
"Mom! Aunt, hurry up and greet the guests. If word gets out that you two are acting like this, people will just say you don't care about the guests' lives because you're only looking at pretty girls," Chu Ningxuan teased them, winking at them.
"You brat! You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth!" Madam Chu said angrily, slapping Chu Ningxuan on the back of the head.
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