Chapter 34
That night, Lu Mingxiao lay on the luxurious bed, tossing and turning.
"The person on your back is very important to me. Don't be temperamental and don't hurt him, or I will be sad."
When that whispered voice drifted into his ears on the wind, Lu Mingxiao felt his blood boil. He had no idea how Xingye ran out or how she ran back after two laps. It was like drinking a sweet but potent fruit wine that made him black out.
After leaving the horse farm, Song Jingliang personally picked up the two children. After returning home, the family of four had dinner together. After dinner, Old Song suggested that the family of four watch a movie together. In the movie room, Old Song and his mother snuggled together affectionately, while he and Jiang Xiaoyu could only watch the movie in a proper manner, separated by the Chu River and Han Border.
Comrade Song Jingliang was truly an obstacle on his road to happiness.
In front of his parents, Lu Mingxiao couldn't show anything, so he lay down on the bed with a belly full of excitement. Now his mind was full of Jiang Xiaoyu's sweet whispers, and he couldn't sleep at all. He wished he could jump up and do a set of military boxing.
After tossing and turning for an hour, he decided to go downstairs to heat up some milk. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he was greeted by a warm glow. The kitchen light was on, and Jiang Huaiyu, dressed in pajamas, stood in that warm halo. Her tousled hair looked fluffy in the light and shadow, like a little animal with its fur standing on end.
Lu Mingxiao leaned against the wall and watched silently for a while before he could resist the urge to pick up the fluffy Jiang Xiaoyu, lift her up high, and spin her around.
He casually went over to greet him: "Young Master, it's almost midnight, can't you sleep either?"
Jiang Huaiyu nodded, looking down at the two cups of milk in the microwave: "Hmm, it's probably because I drank two cups of coffee at the equestrian club during the day."
With a "ding" from the microwave, Jiang Huaiyu took out two cups of milk, handing one to Lu Mingxiao: "I passed by your room on my way downstairs and saw that the light was still on, so I heated up a cup for you too."
The two sat on high stools on the island counter, each with a glass of milk. The microwave had been running for a while, so the milk was a bit too hot, and Lu Mingxiao sipped it slowly.
"What you said to Hoshino during the day..." Lu Mingxiao put down his cup and looked at Jiang Huaiyu: "I heard everything, Jiang Xiaoyu, why..."
"For no reason." Jiang Huaiyu swirled the milk in her glass. "It's just because we can't even drink a little bit of alcohol to help us sleep, and we can only drink milk."
Young Master Lu, who could only drink milk, was a little frustrated. He tried to drown his sorrows in milk, but took a big gulp, which was so hot that he almost sprayed it onto Young Master Jiang's face.
"What's the rush?" Jiang Huaiyu frowned, pinched his chin and leaned closer to look: "Open your mouth, is it burned?"
Lu Mingxiao obediently opened his mouth and mumbled, "No, I don't think so..."
He quickly added, "It does hurt a bit."
The lighting was a bit dim, and Jiang Huaiyu hadn't taken her phone down, so she had to lean closer: "I think it only looks a little red..."
He looked up, and Lu Mingxiao also shut his mouth and looked down at him.
Lu Mingxiao's hair had grown a bit long, covering his prominent brow bone, which softened his features. Under the warm light, his deep eyes revealed a tenderness that was quite different from his usual temperament. In his calm yet intense brown eyes, Jiang Huaiyu's figure was reflected so close to him.
"Jiang Xiaoyu..." Lu Mingxiao's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice low and deep: "Could I..."
“No.” Jiang Huaiyu straightened up and distanced herself from him.
Lu Mingxiao: "Jiang Xiaoyu..."
Jiang Huaiyu pushed his half-cup of milk towards him: "Drink your milk."
After finishing their milk, the two went upstairs together. Lu Mingxiao stood at the door of his room, staring at Jiang Huaiyu's back—they couldn't even squeeze together to brush their teeth anymore, as each of their rooms had a bathroom.
The shadows were stretched long by the corridor lights. Jiang Huaiyu walked in Lu Mingxiao's shadow until she reached the end, which was also the door of his room. Lu Mingxiao was still standing there. Such a tall boy, yet he gave off a pitiful feeling.
She's just playing the victim.
Jiang Huaiyu, heartless, opened the door, returned to the bedroom, and immediately closed it.
Lu Mingxiao: ...
Heartless and ungrateful! They have no brotherly loyalty whatsoever. They won't even let you kiss their little cheek. What kind of brother are they?
Just as he was about to push the door open and go back, he heard the sound of the door lock opening behind him.
Jiang Huaiyu leaned over and asked him, "If you're still not sleepy, I have some photos of Hoshino Pony from when he was a kid. Would you like to see them?"
Lu Mingxiao: How could I not watch it?
So he immediately ran over happily and went into Young Master Jiang's room.
Jiang Huaiyu's room was filled with a lot of personal belongings: a bookshelf covering an entire wall, a display case filled with trophies and medals, several ridiculously expensive ship models above the desk, a soft pop-patterned rug by the bed, and several anime character dolls on the bed.
This room has gradually transformed from a softly colored nursery into what it is now, displaying Jiang Huaiyu's life trajectory. His things are everywhere, and Lu Mingxiao always finds something new every time he comes. Jiang Huaiyu took a photo album from the bookshelf, and the two of them huddled together at the desk to look at it.
When Hoshino first arrived at the horse farm, he was the same height as Jiang Huaiyu. In the photo, Jiang Huaiyu, who had just graduated from elementary school, already looked like a little adult, with a bit of baby fat still on his face and wearing a pair of pretty little riding boots. He took a photo with the ponies and looked as delicate as a little prince.
Lu Mingxiao had completely forgotten about the stubborn horse. He stared at the little prince for a long time before asking Jiang Huaiyu, "Is there anything else?"
Jiang Huaiyu didn't expect him to like Hoshino so much: "Hoshino's photos are stored in a rather scattered way, I need to find them."
"Who wants to see horses? I mean, your photos, do you have any smaller ones? Like kindergarten-aged ones..."
So Jiang Huaiyu brought out another photo album. The cover of this album was even a bit faded, covered with traces of time passing by. The little boy in the album had grown from a cute little bundle of snow-white flesh to a sapling growing into a tree.
Jiang Huaiyu, who had just started kindergarten, was wearing a cute yellow overall and a white short-sleeved shirt with the kindergarten's logo. Her short, chubby legs were covered with high socks. She stood at the kindergarten gate with her little mouth pouting, trying hard to hold back her tears. She thought she was acting very calm, but she was obviously a wronged little girl.
Lu Mingxiao sighed, "How could your parents bear to send you to kindergarten? You look so cute. If I saw you, I would just carry you on my shoulders and steal you away."
“Mom said Dad really couldn’t bear it, and he hid in the car and cried his eyes out…” Jiang Huaiyu rested her chin on her hand, a pleasant smile on her lips: “What about you? On your first day of kindergarten, Li Qing’s mom and Lu Chuan’s dad were also very reluctant to let you go, right?”
"Reluctant to part with me? Not at all!" Lu Mingxiao, tired from sitting, leaned down on the bed with the photo album in his hand. "Back then, it took three teachers to tear me off my mom! As soon as my mom got away, she ran away in a panic. The teachers tried to carry me into the classroom, but I grabbed the doorknob and wouldn't let go, so I just yanked the doorknob off. Later, I even went to see our kindergarten principal. The principal said that I was harder to catch than a pig to be slaughtered for the New Year. In the initial stage, I was still adapting. My little dad was every teacher's nightmare."
Jiang Huaiyu chuckled softly at first, but then a sour feeling welled up inside her.
During a meal, Li Qing mentioned that because he was busy with work, Lu Mingxiao was a year younger than Jiang Huaiyu when he started kindergarten. Children that young might not be able to adapt to the sudden change in environment, and those seemingly incomprehensible crying behaviors were simply because they lacked a sense of security.
Lu Mingxiao didn't have many photos to record his growth, but Jiang Huaiyu seemed to see a small figure squatting in a corner, secretly crying.
He felt a slight melancholy, but then he heard Lu Mingxiao's carefree, soft exclamation:
"Wow! Jiang Xiaoyu, you look so cute in that dress! Is this a stage play? Are you playing Snow White?"
Jiang Huaiyu recalled that dark history, his handsome face darkened slightly, and he reached out to snatch the photo album, but Lu Mingxiao naturally wouldn't give it to him and rolled to the other side of the bed.
So the two of them moved their photo album look to the bed. Perhaps it was the warm milk that really worked. They chatted about their childhood, and as they grew sleepy, Lu Mingxiao stopped responding and fell asleep on Jiang Huaiyu's bed, clutching the photo album.
Warm light enveloped the headboard. Jiang Huaiyu hugged his pillow, burying half his face in the fluffy pillow. He quietly stretched out his finger and gently traced Lu Mingxiao's features, from his thick, arched eyebrows to his high nose bridge and his lips, which were neither too thin nor too thick.
In the past six months, his life has been turned upside down. He returned to his original life, just wanting to find inner peace, but he never expected to meet such a person.
Like a pure white bathtub with just the right water temperature, suddenly countless bath sponges fall in, those colorful little balls boiling from the bottom of the water, releasing colors and creating a pool of starlight.
He withdrew his finger, but in the end did not wake Lu Mingxiao. He got up and turned off the bedside lamp.
...
Early in the morning, Song Jingliang saw Lu Dabao sneaking out of Jiang Xiaobao's bedroom and thought he was seeing things.
After repeatedly confirming that he hadn't mistaken the door, he asked with some surprise, "Did you sleep with Xiaobao last night?"
It was just a normal greeting, but who knew that the kid would jump up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and look back at him with eyes full of guilt. If this wasn't his own child, Song Jingliang would have suspected him of stealing.
“Dad…” Lu Mingxiao scratched his messy hair from sleeping: “Oh… I was chatting with Jiang Xiaobao last night, and I fell asleep while we were chatting.”
Not wanting the child to feel that there were too many rules at home, Song Jingliang immediately smiled understandingly: "Xiao Bao has always been aloof. I've never seen him sleep with anyone overnight. You two are quite close, though, and you talk so much."
Lu Mingxiao chuckled awkwardly and mumbled, "Well, let's talk about our childhood. I'm going back to my room now."
During breakfast, Jiang Lan mentioned that He Yan was going to have a birthday party.
“Ayan had a fight with his dad and said he wouldn’t allow his dad to turn his birthday party into a business reception. He’s only inviting friends his own age to his villa on the hillside. We’ll have Master Wang take you there…” Jiang Lan paused slightly and looked at Lu Mingxiao: “Dabao, Mom left you a card. It’s on your desk in your room. The password is your birthday backwards. This is your allowance. Take it.”
Lu Mingxiao smiled and said, "Thank you, Mom."
He accepted it so readily, which pleased Jiang Lan, who then placed a small dish on his plate.
After breakfast, Jiang Lan and Song Jingliang went to work, while Lu Mingxiao and Jiang Huaiyu logged into the mobile game they hadn't played in a long time and sat on the sofa on the second-floor balcony to play. The sun was shining brightly today, and the small balcony was warm and cozy. The green plants that had climbed half of the balcony were lush and green, stretching their branches in the breeze.
With a blanket covering his legs, Jiang Huaiyu spoke to Lu Mingxiao about the card as the game page loaded: "Mom knows He Yan invited you to his birthday party. She probably gave you this card because she was worried you'd be in a difficult position when buying him a gift. Have you thought about whether it's okay to give it to him?"
"Hmm..." Lu Mingxiao was also at a loss for words, not knowing where to start: "You've celebrated so many of his birthdays, what do you usually give him? What do you rich guys and girls like?"
“When I was little, I would give you limited edition toys and models, and later it was just small accessories…” Jiang Huaiyu mentioned a few luxury brands: “The money Mom gave you is definitely enough. Shall we go out to pick out a gift together this afternoon?”
“Tsk…” Lu Mingxiao stroked his chin: “Giving gifts is about the thought behind it. I don’t know much about those things. He Yan is a good friend to you, and I like him too. I don’t want to just buy him something that looks expensive to appease him.”
"Oh?" Jiang Huaiyu raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on her face. "So concerned? But I didn't even receive a 'perfunctory' gift on my birthday."
“President Jiang, what you’re saying is a bit unreasonable. Didn’t we agree that we’d celebrate our birthdays on the same day? Giving gifts doesn’t really make sense, but…” Lu Mingxiao snorted, “Now I think you’re wrong. Exchanging gifts is still very meaningful. This year, you have to prepare a gift for me, Boss Jiang.”
He had only said it casually, but Lu Mingxiao quickly remembered it—his birthday this year…
It was their eighteenth birthday.
His heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously licked his dry lips, looking at Jiang Huaiyu with anticipation: "Then... this year is my coming-of-age ceremony..."
His emphasis made Jiang Huaiyu's ears burn a little. She coughed lightly, "There are still ten months... Let's talk about He Yan first. What are you planning to give him? I have to remind you, this is your first social event since you came back. I don't know how many people are watching you."
Lu Mingxiao smiled mysteriously: "Don't worry, I definitely won't embarrass our family."
On He Yan's birthday, Lu Mingxiao received a rather large package. After unpacking the layers of packaging, he found an exquisite wooden carving inside. It was of a very popular anime character, and He Yan's social media feed had been flooded with pictures of this character lately.
Lu Mingxiao took the wooden carving out of the box, and the two boys leaned on the table to look at it. Jiang Huaiyu asked Lu Mingxiao suspiciously, "Can it be carved in a week? Is it machine-assisted?"
"Handmade." Lu Mingxiao winked smugly. "Besides, it wasn't carved recently. My third uncle has been carving it for almost half a year, and it just finished recently. How about that? Didn't it make He Yan so smitten that he called him 'Dad' on the spot?"
The third maternal uncle is the younger brother of the second maternal uncle of the farm owner at the foot of Dayelu Mountain. He is a well-known intangible cultural heritage inheritor in the area.
“Dayelu Mountain is truly a place where hidden talents abound…” Jiang Huaiyu laughed out loud: “No wonder you asked me to go to the jewelry store to order those small-sized weapon models. This gift really hits the mark with He Yan. Brother Xiao, he will be willing to go through fire and water for you in the future.”
This is a work of art, its intrinsic value is no less than that of some jewelry, and most importantly, it caters to the tastes of its owner, which requires considerable thought.
...
The business party was scheduled for the evening. The family driver came to pick up the two young masters. When they arrived at the He family's villa on the hillside, many people had already arrived. He Yan was very happy to see them. The three of them chatted for a while. Then some of his friends arrived, and He Yan went over to greet them.
This was the first time the two young masters had appeared in public since the news of the "real and fake young masters" spread in the Jiang family. Jiang Huaiyu could feel the gazes of those people on them. He was prepared and found a quiet corner to sit down with Lu Mingxiao.
Since it wasn't a formal occasion, the young men and women present were all dressed casually, but everyone was wearing designer brands, except for Lu Mingxiao and Jiang Huaiyu...
Lu Mingxiao didn't know Jiang Huaiyu at all. Jiang Huaiyu wore whatever was comfortable. He liked the knitted sweater that Li Qing bought him. He wore a light blue shirt underneath, looking as elegant and dignified as ever. This made many people who wanted to watch the show feel like they were just wasting their time.
Lu Mingxiao ignored the stares and whispered to Jiang Huaiyu, "There are quite a lot of people here. What fun things are going to happen later?"
“His house has a billiards room and an indoor golf course upstairs, the entire third floor has been renovated into an archery range, and there are all kinds of game consoles in the basement…” Jiang Huaiyu said, “Uncle He had a son late in life and doted on He Yan. This villa is for He Yan to play in.”
Lu Mingxiao: "It sounds like all I do is play video games."
"Do you want to learn anything else?" Jiang Huaiyu smiled and said, "If you want to learn, I'll teach you."
"Teacher Jiang is so versatile!" Lu Mingxiao couldn't wait to be alone with Jiang Huaiyu. "Then will you teach me archery?"
Jiang Huaiyu greeted He Yan, and the two took the elevator to the third floor.
Except for the load-bearing columns, all the walls on the third floor have been opened up, and outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the night is gradually deepening, and the last rays of orange-red sunset are sinking. There are eight 20-meter archery ranges, corresponding to eight targets at the end. The whole space is spacious and quiet.
He Yan usually doesn't allow people to come up to this floor. After all, unlike other sports, if there are too many people in the archery hall, it's easy for a big mess to happen. Only a few people who are close to He Yan can go up to the third floor.
"Wow... It's so good to be rich..." Lu Mingxiao finally couldn't help but exclaim when he saw the row of recurve bows hanging there.
Young Master Lu didn't care about food, clothing, housing, or transportation at all, but he was genuinely envious of sports-related items. Jiang Huaiyu thought for a moment and asked him, "Do you want it? Our current villa isn't suitable, but the one in Xishan..."
"Stop, this is too extravagant..." Lu Mingxiao picked up a bow and weighed it in his hand: "If you want to play, go to the archery range. Besides, it's not even finished yet, and I'll be starting school soon."
Jiang Huaiyu chose a 20-pound bow for beginners for him: "Use this."
He stood behind Lu Mingxiao and kicked Lu Mingxiao's heel with his toe: "Spread your legs a little wider."
Lu Mingxiao whistled: "President Jiang, you're being a pervert!"
Jiang Huaiyu: "...Stop talking nonsense, or I'll make you stand on an apple as a target, feet shoulder-width apart, the line between your feet parallel to the target line, yes, very good..."
Lu Mingxiao's athletic talent is sometimes truly astonishing. Young Master Jiang asked with a hint of jealousy, "Are you a savage, Lu Mingxiao?"
Lu Mingxiao remained in his position: "Huh? What are you talking about, young master? My leg hair isn't thick either. Look at Li Rui, he's a wild man, he doesn't even need to wear thermal pants in the fall."
“It has nothing to do with body hair,” Jiang Huaiyu said. “It’s just that you seem like the kind of agile, coordinated, primitive person who was born knowing how to ride horses and hunt…”
Lu Mingxiao: "...Thank you?"
Seeing that he had almost mastered the bow-holding posture, Jiang Huaiyu stood behind him, put her arm around him, and held his bow-holding hand: "When drawing the bow, retract your shoulder blades inward, that is, use your back muscles, don't just use your arms..."
His body heat, passing through the knitwear and sweatshirt, gently soothed Lu Mingxiao's tense back.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he suppressed his racing heartbeat and, following the instructions, slowly drew back the bowstring.
Even through the clothes, Jiang Huaiyu could feel the muscles on the back that were pressed against his body suddenly tense up. The most primal explosive power in his body surged under the hoodie, emitting a barely perceptible heat. Jiang Huaiyu felt as if he was burned by this heat and quickly took a step back.
"Zheng—"
The arrow flew off the bowstring, trailing a streak of light, and landed on the outermost ring of the target.
Lu Mingxiao remained motionless in the position after releasing the bowstring, waiting two seconds before slowly lowering it—this was what Teacher Jiang had just taught him.
He felt a little thirsty and turned to look at Jiang Huaiyu: "Are you alright?"
"That's good." Jiang Huaiyu nodded: "I missed the target the first time."
Lu Mingxiao put down his recurve bow and tugged at the collar of his hoodie: "I'm going to get a drink, do you want one?"
Jiang Huaiyu nodded; he also felt a bit hot.
The two of them each grabbed a bottle of iced cola and sat down in the rest area to take a couple of sips.
Lu Mingxiao has gotten used to his ears getting hot from time to time. He drank half a bottle of cola and then went back to practice with great enthusiasm. Seeing that he was getting into the swing of things, Jiang Huaiyu also picked up a bow and started practicing for fun.
The two men each fired a few arrows, but then the elevator doors opened.
A boy and a girl came up. The dejected little girl's eyes lit up when she saw Jiang Huaiyu: "Brother!"
Jiang Huaiyu was somewhat surprised: "Ningning?"
Jiang Huaining, who had been sullen, suddenly flew over like a little butterfly: "Brother! I haven't seen you in so long! How have you been lately?"
Halfway there, she saw another handsome face appear behind her brother's, smiling and greeting her: "Hi~"
Jiang Huaining's eyes widened.
He looks so much like her uncle!
She hesitated, and at that moment, the boy behind her caught up, put his arm around Jiang Huaining's shoulder, and greeted her sarcastically, "Oh, are these your two brothers-in-law?"
Jiang Huaiyu's gaze fell on the boy's face, a hint of gloom in it.
To be honest, the boy was quite good-looking. He was a bit shorter than Jiang Huaiyu and about the same age as Jiang Huaining. His fair face still had a touch of childishness, but he had more of a dissolute air that didn't match his age. His posture was also not proper. He was quite tall, but he stood loosely, as if his bones had been removed. When he moved, all sorts of messy chains on his body jingled together.
Jiang Huaiyu was initially puzzled as to why Jiang Huaining, who had only a casual relationship with He Yan, would attend the birthday party. Now it seemed she had come with this kid.
He Sheng is He Yan's cousin.
Jiang Huaiyu's gaze fell on the hand that was resting on Jiang Huaining's shoulder: "Put your hand down."
Jiang Huaining was also embarrassed and nudged He Sheng, saying, "Don't do this anymore."
He Sheng was a little unhappy. He withdrew his hand, crossed his arms, and looked at Jiang Huaiyu: "We're dating. What's wrong with crossing arms? Can't young people be a little more open-minded...?"
"Talking about, dating..." Jiang Huaiyu sneered, his handsome face almost turning frost over: "Ningning, you're only in the third year of junior high school, who gave you permission to date?"
He Sheng: "Can you stop being so old-fashioned? What are you doing at this age if you're not dating...?"
“Shut your mouth.” Lu Mingxiao stood beside Jiang Huaiyu, his expression turning cold and somber. “He didn’t speak to you.”
He Sheng shut up sullenly.
Jiang Huaining lowered his head, his face as red as a crab steamed in a pot, his voice barely audible, and he was incredibly guilty: "Brother, I'm just dating..."
"Ningning, come here." Jiang Huaiyu beckoned: "My brother has been in some trouble lately, so he hasn't contacted you much on WeChat. When did you start dating?"
“It’s only been a week.” Jiang Huaining obediently walked over and stood between her two older brothers: “He is my classmate.”
Seeing Jiang Huaining standing with her two brothers, He Sheng panicked: "Baby, didn't you say you were coming to keep me company? There are people here, let's find another place to continue our date..."
"There's someone here?" Lu Mingxiao narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, you little bastard?"
"What's wrong with me wanting some alone time with my girlfriend?" He Sheng retorted, his neck stiff. "Why are you two allowed to seek peace and quiet and hide here..."
“We’re two guys, and you’re taking a little girl to a secluded spot?” Lu Mingxiao stepped forward: “I think you don’t want those restless hands of yours anymore.”
He Sheng was intimidated by his shadow and was a little scared, but he still stubbornly said, "You are a bastard cousin who was just found. You have no feelings for Ningning. What right do you have to care about Ningning?"
The sound of a bowstring being slowly drawn back.
"elder brother!"
Jiang Huaining watched nervously as Jiang Huaiyu drew his bow, the practice arrow with a blunt, conical tip pointing directly at He Sheng.
"Say it again, what did you call him just now?" Jiang Huaiyu's lips curled into a cold smile, his arm holding the recurve bow as steady as a mountain.
Lu Mingxiao was also taken aback by Jiang Huaiyu's strong reaction: "Little Fish!"
Jiang Huaiyu, who was usually calm and composed, did not lower his bow and arrow. The arrow tip was slightly deflected and pointed at He Sheng's lower body.
“Lu Mingxiao, there’s something in his pocket.”
He Sheng's expression suddenly changed. He wanted to turn around and leave, but he was afraid that Jiang Huaiyu would really let go. Lu Mingxiao, however, did not hesitate and grabbed He Sheng like a chick. He took out a small sealed bag from his pocket, inside which were two small pink pills.
"These are vitamins! Vitamins!" He Sheng shouted.
"You son of a bitch..." Lu Mingxiao poured out the medicine and shoved it directly into He Sheng's mouth: "Eat your grandpa's vitamins!"
He also delivered two slaps to He Sheng's face, making him scream and run away from the stairwell, leaving Jiang Huaining dumbfounded as she watched the farce unfold.
Jiang Huaiyu turned around, shot an arrow with a sharp whistling sound, and hit the bullseye. He put down the recurve bow and pointed at Jiang Huaining: "Stay with your real cousin. I'm going to call He Yan."
He went aside to make a phone call about it, leaving Lu Mingxiao and Jiang Huaining looking at each other in bewilderment.
"Uh..." Lu Mingxiao nodded awkwardly: "I'm Lu Mingxiao, you must be Jiang Huaining? I've heard Xiaoyu mention you, you seem like a pretty good girl, right? How did you end up with such a beast?"
Jiang Huaining lowered her head, looking aggrieved: "He...he pursued me first. Some of our classmates would say when they were bored that he was the school heartthrob and I was the school beauty, that we were a match made in heaven. Later, he lit candles and confessed his love on the playground. Everyone said it was so romantic, and I was a little touched too, so I got together with him..."
"A confession on the playground?!" Lu Mingxiao was stunned: "Didn't any security guards rush over with fire extinguishers?"
The young lady looked confused: "Huh?"
“Even if the security guards intervene, they’ll only come a little later, just going through the motions. The He family donated a building to Shenhai.” Jiang Huaiyu hung up the phone and walked over, looking helplessly at Jiang Huaining: “Everyone said it was so romantic, so you impulsively agreed? In the end, he’s nothing like what you imagined.”
The young girl naively thought she had encountered a fairytale-like, pure love, but that scoundrel only wanted to take advantage of her, showering her with candles, flowers, and romantic confessions...
It was a trap set up for this sordid matter.
Jiang Huaining was dejected and began to feel scared: "Early love is terrible. I will never have early love again. I want to become a lesbian."
Jiang Huaiyu: ...
Lu Mingxiao: "What is a lesbian?"
Jiang Huaiyu: "If it's your circle, then just ask. Shut up."
"Oh." Lu Mingxiao made a zipping motion towards his mouth, then couldn't help but ask curiously, "Jiang Xiaoyu, how did you know he had something in his pocket? Are your eyes X-ray machines?"
"I don't know, I just guessed it because he kept touching his pockets when he came in."
After calming the little girl down for a while, Jiang Huaining finally calmed down. They sat on the chairs in the rest area, and she looked around with her head turned left and right. After a moment, she asked uncertainly, "So, I have two cousins now?"
Jiang Huaiyu: "Mm."
"Yay!" Jiang Huaining cheered softly, then frowned slightly, remembering something. "Brother Huaiyu, Brother Mingxiao, neither of you went back for the last family dinner. Aunt and Uncle didn't inform us beforehand that your family wouldn't be coming back. Grandpa and the whole family waited for almost two hours..."
Jiang Huaining whispered, "In the end, Grandpa got so angry that he tried to flip the table, but before he could, he tripped and fell."
Jiang Huaiyu: ...
He thought that his parents would have told Grandpa Jiang beforehand if they didn't go last time, but it turns out they hadn't said anything at all? They just stood Grandpa Jiang up like that, making him lose face in front of all the relatives...
this……
Will we even be able to get through this New Year?
This old man is probably planning to come straight to their house during the Chinese New Year.
...
After hearing Jiang Huaiyu explain the whole story, He Yan was so angry he almost blew smoke from his seven orifices.
At his birthday party, a young girl who was underage, his friend's sister, and the daughter of the Jiang family, almost got into trouble!
He Sheng, this top-notch idiot, is just as despicable as his vampire-like stupid uncle. He Yan grabbed He Sheng and gave him a good beating. Finally, he put the dog who kept rubbing against the floor and making a fool of himself into the swimming pool for the first time. If it weren't for the bodyguards stopping him, he really wanted to drown this idiot.
In the end, He Sheng was sent to the hospital, but this matter was far from over. Jiang Huaining's mother would never let it go. He Yan's birthday banquet was ruined. If his father knew that he had indirectly caused such a rift between the two families, he would definitely ask for family discipline.
But since her friends had already come and the kitchen had prepared the food, and there was no reason not to send everyone home, He Yan still let the dishes be served, treating it as a feast for He Sheng. When cutting the cake, her ferocious expression looked like she was cutting off He Sheng's head.
The farce finally came to an end. Before leaving, Jiang Huaiyu still offered He Yan a few words of comfort.
“Ayan, it must be tough for you to have this happen on your birthday. My uncle and aunt aren’t people who can’t tell right from wrong, they won’t blame you, but your uncle…” He sighed, “Everyone knows about your uncle’s situation. Advise your dad to cut ties as soon as possible and cut his losses, otherwise that family will not only harm your dad, but also you.”
He Yan was on the verge of tears: "I know, brother. Did this scare Huai Ning? Tell me what she likes later, and I'll apologize to her."
Lu Mingxiao patted his shoulder: "An unforgettable seventeenth year. By the way, don't open the gift for you yet. Open it after you get beaten up. It will help relieve the pain."
He Yan: "...Thank you so much, Brother Xiao."
After saying goodbye to He Yan, they first took Jiang Huaining home, instructing her to tell her parents the whole story before the two of them took a car home.
On the way, Jiang Huaiyu sighed softly.
Chinese New Year is early this year, and in a few days it will be close to the end of the year. If he and Lu Mingxiao... of course, the focus is on Lu Mingxiao, and they don't go back to the Jiang family for the New Year, Old Master Jiang will definitely come to their house. At that time, no one will be able to have a good New Year.
Lu Mingxiao knew this too, and frowned slightly.
The two boys returned home with a heavy heart. As soon as they entered the house, they saw two huge suitcases lying in the living room, and Song Jingliang was folding Jiang Lan's clothes one by one and putting them into the suitcases.
Jiang Lan came downstairs, holding two identical red dresses in her hands, and said happily, "I bought two of these dresses. We're going to wear matching outfits."
Jiang Huaiyu and Lu Mingxiao stood at the door, unsure of what the two were doing.
"Mom and Dad..." Jiang Huaiyu asked uncertainly, "Are you... going on business trips during the Chinese New Year?"
When Jiang Lan saw the two children, a bright smile appeared on her beautiful face. Her skirt swayed like a flower waiting to bloom, and she walked lightly across the living room, holding one child in each hand.
"It's not a business trip." She smiled smugly. "My parents are taking the two of you with them to elope!"
Jiang Huaiyu: ...
Lu Mingxiao: ? ? ?
Since things have come to this, let's give them a shout-out!
"Haha~ That's so lifelike, Mom."
Author's Note:
Let's make up for it! [Sprinkling flowers]
Sorry for the wait, everyone! I'll be randomly sending out 100 small red envelopes in the comments section. [heart emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com