Chapter 66
The four seasons in Shanghai are not very distinct. Even though it was already winter, the neighborhood was still lush and green. The hardy flowers that the property management had carefully tended were in full bloom. Song Jingliang stood at the door and admired them for a while until Jiang Lan peeked out from the second floor and called him before he went inside.
Several packed boxes were already in the living room, and large pieces of furniture and appliances were covered with dust cloths. The house was a bit messy, and there were still some clothes left upstairs. This afternoon, he and Jiang Lan had some rare free time, so they came back to check on things and tidy up.
They moved here initially because the villa was close to Jiang Huaiyu's school, making it convenient for her to attend. Now that their child has been away at school for half a year, Song Jingliang and Jiang Lan have moved to another property.
Jiang Lan's voice drifted down from upstairs: "Jingliang, go upstairs and tidy up the clothes Xiaobao left behind."
"Okay, wife!" Song Jingliang replied and went upstairs to see Jiang Lan packing Jiang Huaiyu's things one by one. There was a whole box of strange little toys, and he didn't know where they came from. Jiang Lan was afraid that the moving company people would damage Jiang Huaiyu, so she did it herself and packed them very carefully.
"What were you looking at downstairs just now?" Jiang Lan asked.
“When we first moved here, Xiaobao was in kindergarten in Shenhai. He wasn’t even as tall as that flower bed. I held him up to look at the flowers. He reached out to grab them, but then pulled back and asked me if the flowers would hurt him…” The soft, heavy weight on his arm felt like yesterday. Song Jingliang smiled and said, “In the blink of an eye, he’s already out there making his way in the world.”
Jiang Lan picked up the children's astronomical telescope, wrapped it in bubble wrap, and put it into the storage box. She sighed softly, "I've lived in this house for so long, and I thought I would miss it if I moved out. But now I realize it's not a big deal. With Xiao Bao not home, it doesn't matter where we live."
Song Jingliang leaned against the doorframe, a hint of bitterness in his voice: "Wife, even though our son is all grown up, I'll still be there for you..."
"Because of you, it's all the same, it's home no matter where we are." Jiang Lan chuckled, her gentle and beautiful face showing only the tranquility that comes with the passage of time, without any trace of age. She waved her hand: "Alright? Hurry up and pack Xiao Bao's things."
Satisfied, Chairman Song left.
Jiang Lan then thought of her beloved eldest son.
Lu Mingxiao was unusually "well-behaved" during his first semester. One of his professors was Song Jingliang's classmate. Upon learning that Lu Mingxiao was Song Jingliang's relative, he paid extra attention to him, often mentioning Lu Mingxiao to Song Jingliang, saying that Lu Mingxiao was quick-witted, understood things immediately, and was also down-to-earth and conscientious...
When asked about his diligence and conscientiousness, Song Jingliang chuckled, but couldn't hide the pride in his eyes. He then turned and delivered two boxes of Lion Peak Longjing tea to his old classmate.
"He's a close relative of mine, so I often give him pointers..."
Jiang Lan almost laughed when she thought of that "real relative," and just as the corners of her lips curled up, she heard Song Jingliang let out a loud "Aow!"
"Lu Mingxiao—!!!"
Jiang Lan: ? ? ?
...
"Achoo—!" Lu Mingxiao turned his head and sneezed.
In the library, the sound was a bit abrupt. Several students glanced at it subconsciously, but quickly went back to their own business.
Lu Mingxiao muttered to himself in confusion, "Who's thinking about me..."
It definitely wasn't Jiang Xiaoyu, because Jiang Xiaoyu was giving a presentation on her group project, and her clear and elegant pronunciation fell into Lu Mingxiao's earphones, like listening to the audio of an American TV series.
At 4 PM on Friday, Jiang Huaiyu was teaching her first class. The classroom was a large, shared space, and the sound was somewhat empty.
When someone raised objections, Jiang Huaiyu clearly and logically argued her points one by one.
Lu Mingxiao started reading and continued until Jiang Huaiyu's first class ended, at which point the little figure on the game interface moved.
Looking at the time, Lu Mingxiao realized it was time to finish his meal. He pressed his earpiece and asked in a low voice, "Jiang Xiaobao, when are you going to log on next?"
There was a lot of noise coming from Jiang Huaiyu's side. A group of foreigners were calling his English name and talking excitedly. Lu Mingxiao wasn't in a hurry and planned to ask again later. He stuffed his book and tablet into his bag, and the light around him suddenly dimmed.
A lively and sweet-looking girl blushed as she handed over her phone. The QR code was already open, and her eyes sparkled as she asked confidently, "Hi Lu Mingxiao, can I add you on WeChat? I'm Li Beibei from Class Two. We met in Taoist class, do you remember me?"
Lu Mingxiao: ...
There are too many people, how can I remember them all?
Lu Mingxiao didn't say whether he remembered or not, but smiled politely: "Hello Li, is there something you need from me? If not, that's fine, I'm almost at the limit for adding people on WeChat."
Li Beibei is beautiful and academically excellent in high school, making her very popular. Even at Peking University, a place teeming with geniuses, she remains one of the best. Based on her experience, she is unlikely to be rejected if she wants to add a boy on WeChat.
The confidence of a beautiful woman.
But Lu Mingxiao was clearly refusing. If there was a limit to the number of people on WeChat, wouldn't that mean adding everyone in the entire School of Management?
Li Beibei wasn't embarrassed at all. She smiled brightly, put her phone away, and made a joke to ease the atmosphere: "Are you afraid your boyfriend will be jealous? But I heard from your roommate that you're single?"
Jiang Xiaoyu might still be listening, so how could Lu Mingxiao dare to let his young master misunderstand that he was pretending to be single? He raised an eyebrow and said seriously, "Who said that? We've been living in the dorm together for half a year and you're still spreading such rumors? My partner and I have known each other since we were kids, and our relationship is very stable. If anyone asks in the future, please help me clarify this. Just say that Lu Mingxiao has a partner."
"Okay, then I won't bother you anymore." Li Beibei turned around gracefully, but lost all composure when facing her waiting sisters, mouthing with a wink: So embarrassing, he has a girlfriend!
He put his phone in his pocket with the game running and left the library. The discussion over there by Jiang Huaiyu was still going on. Lu Mingxiao's English was much better than before, but there were so many people talking and they were speaking so fast that the only thing he could make out was Jiang Huaiyu's English name.
Damian.
The tamer doesn't even know who he's taming.
Lu Mingxiao couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips into a smile.
A gentle voice came through the earphones: "11 p.m.
Lu Mingxiao, carrying his backpack on one shoulder, paused slightly: "Eleven o'clock, going back so late? Be careful, Jiang Xiaoyu."
"Okay." Jiang Huaiyu's tone was somewhat teasing: "Brother Xiao, you're quite popular."
In high school, everyone was busy studying, and with the school's strict discipline, the teenagers' ambiguous feelings were quietly hidden. College is different.
Lu Mingxiao was still growing taller. He had a large frame and broad shoulders, so he looked good in anything. His appearance had also lost some of the immaturity of a young man. His eyebrows and eyes were deep-set, and when he smiled, he was unrestrained and flamboyant. When he didn't smile, he had a cold and sharp look. Less than a month after he reported for duty, photos of him from various angles were already circulating on the forum.
These days, there are many handsome men on the internet, but it's rare to see someone who is still handsome in real life without filters and without makeup. Many people fail because of their posture. Lu Mingxiao is different. Even in a casual photo taken by a passerby, his back is always straight.
Thanks to Li Qing's "repeated training," when Lu Mingxiao was a child, he imitated the way a hooligan walked. Li Qing slapped him, miraculously curing him, and he never relapsed.
Lu Mingxiao knew he was good-looking, but his three years of high school were just so-so. The simple learning environment was what it was, unlike Jiang Huaiyu's elite private school where she was openly confessed to with roses. He absolutely refused such unhealthy practices, so when he first entered university, he accepted everyone's WeChat requests until his phone was full of them:
Hey handsome, are you single? Can we get to know each other?
[Lu, what homework did your management professor assign?]
Hey bro, wanna be gay? I'm from the dance department at the Beijing Film Academy next door, gotta get to know you.
Lu Mingxiao was neither fully straight nor fully gay, and he didn't understand what outstanding advantages dance majors had in terms of being gay. After talking to Jiang Huaiyu about it, Jiang Huaiyu laughed uncontrollably and finally told him that he had a good figure, a slim waist, and was flexible.
Lu Mingxiao thought that Jiang Huaiyu's waist was also very thin and soft.
After that, Lu Mingxiao rarely added WeChat friends. His cool and stern demeanor was effective in deterring some timid people. There are not many girls as brave and confident as Li Beibei.
“I didn’t intentionally create a single persona. I always say I have a girlfriend, and I’m keeping myself pure for you.” Lu Mingxiao swiped a shared bike, adjusted the seat to the highest position, and whispered to Jiang Huaiyu, “The guy in the next dorm has a girlfriend, another girlfriend from out of town, and an online lover. That bastard failed his exam. Congratulations!”
When it comes to hating evil, Lu Mingxiao is always at the forefront. Jiang Huaiyu laughed and said, "Why did you just say that you and your partner have known each other since childhood? We've only known each other for less than three years."
Lu Mingxiao said matter-of-factly, "We've known each other since we were born, and we even shared a nursery... It was so noisy over there just now, how could you still hear me?"
"Hmm..." Jiang Huaiyu said lazily and casually, "That young lady has a very nice voice."
"Oh, you think my voice isn't nice?" Lu Mingxiao lowered his voice: "Watch me give you a bubble voice..."
Jiang Huaiyu: "Please stop performing Inner Mongolian throat singing, thank you."
"Hey, Damian!"
Someone called Jiang Huaiyu's name, so Jiang Huaiyu said softly, "Wait for me a moment, Brother Xiao."
The obviously young male student was there to discuss issues with Jiang Huaiyu. He was very insightful. While they were chatting, Lu Mingxiao had already arrived at the cafeteria, ordered a bowl of rice noodles, and sat in a corner slurping them up.
Until he heard the little foreigner say something.
"I really enjoy talking to you. Would you be open to going out sometime, if you're available"
Whoosh—
Lu Mingxiao's hand trembled, and he poured out half a bowl of vinegar.
He was a curly-haired boy with chestnut-colored hair and light brown eyes, somewhat resembling Lu Mingxiao.
Jiang Huaiyu understood the ambiguity in his eyes, politely declined, and after the curly-haired boy left, she found it a little funny, how could it be such a coincidence.
He tapped his earpiece lightly: "Brother Xiao, I'm not reporting you. In fact, your popularity was expected, so I'm not jealous. This... was purely accidental."
Lu Mingxiao scooped the noodles out of the vinegar: "Hiss~ I wasn't jealous either."
“They know I have a boyfriend.” Jiang Huaiyu looked at the bracelet on her wrist: “Last time when I was doing a presentation, I needed to use a piece of data that I had accidentally deleted. When I was looking for it in my photo album, I came across your photo. Some people knew what was going on, while others probably still wanted to give it a try.”
"How shameless! Trying to poach someone's girlfriend?" Lu Mingxiao snorted: "You're not allowed to be poached."
"Hmm." Jiang Huaiyu chuckled softly, "What did you say again? To remain chaste for you..."
He turned his head to look outside the classroom. The first snow of winter had fallen, and the snowflakes sparkled in the sunlight, dancing like stars in the daytime.
Those inexplicable feelings of melancholy are the longing of a young man.
Jiang Huaiyu sighed softly, "I miss you, Brother Xiao."
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