Chapter 30: Guess Who I Am
“We’re here.” At the entrance of the community, Lu Li greeted the guard on duty and sent a message to Silly Goose. Behind him, An Baili and Zou Yameng stood side by side. An Baili was wearing a simple but decent down jacket, while Sister Yameng, for once, had put on her rarely-worn overcoat, traded her usual sneakers for black boots, and even styled her hair. They nervously eyed the police badge on the officer, unable to utter a word. After all, they were just teenage girls, and facing a police officer, even without a guilty conscience, could be intimidating.
Lu Li saw elderly people wearing red scarves and happily walking with their grandchildren in the community. There were also visitors from other cities, carrying large and small bags, looking lost. The festive atmosphere of the New Year was everywhere.
Soon, a bright figure came running towards them. Chu Jingyi had changed into new clothes. Her eyebrows were picturesque, her cheeks rosy, and her skin looked even fairer under the morning sun. The moment she saw Lu Li, her face lit up with a smile. “Lu Li…” Her eyes then landed on Zou Yameng, and she shyly stopped her butterfly-like movements, bowing slightly to Zou Yameng. “Hello, sister.” Then she saw An Baili and smiled brightly. “Hi, Baili~”
So well-behaved. Zou Yameng thought to herself. No wonder her brother was smitten. Who wouldn’t be charmed by her looks, figure, and temperament?
An Baili seemed to be getting along better and better with Chu Jingyi. She happily took Chu Jingyi’s hand. “Jingyi, long time no see, I missed you so much.”
“It’s only been half a month.” Chu Jingyi was a stickler for details. To put it simply, she was a bit clueless and silly.
“Hmph, someone couldn’t eat or sleep for a whole day without seeing a certain someone, but when it comes to me, it’s just ‘half a month’.” An Baili pouted.
“Is, is that so?” Silly Goose was a bit shy in front of Lu Li’s “sister” and blushed furiously.
Zou Yameng looked thoughtfully at An Baili and Chu Jingyi, then frowned at Lu Li, unable to figure out their relationship. As the two girls were talking, Lu Li heard a shout from inside the community. “Yi Bao, don’t run so fast, wait for me!” It was his future father-in-law, jogging over with his sleeves rolled up.
“You girl, why are you running so fast? Xiao Lu isn’t going anywhere.” Chu Xiaodong sighed, holding his waist. He was getting old after all. He looked at the police officer at the entrance of the community. “These three are my guests, you can register them under my name.” The young police officer nervously saluted, stammering and unable to utter a word.
Lu Li let the three girls walk together while he followed Chu Xiaodong.
“Xiao Lu, you’re quite a big shot.” Chu Xiaodong chuckled. “I’ve invited you three or five times, even the mayor of Chuanhai doesn’t get this kind of treatment.”
Lu Li felt a rare sense of shame. “I was mainly worried that my sister wouldn’t be comfortable.”
“Family-oriented. That’s good.” His future father-in-law nodded. “If you had readily agreed, I would have looked down on you. Haha.” Chu Xiaodong had a talent for making flattery sound sincere, making people feel comfortable. Even when facing an ordinary student, the Prime Minister didn’t put on any airs. His political skills were evident.
The old and the young chatted as they walked. They were talking about how Chu Xiaodong had to be quarantined for twenty-four days after returning from Mulan City when a middle-aged couple approached them.
“Mr. Chu, Happy New Year! And this is?” Lu Li felt that the couple looked familiar, but he didn’t follow politics and couldn’t remember their names.
“Mr. Xu, Mrs. Xu, Happy New Year. This is my daughter’s friend. He’s joining us for the New Year, just to liven things up.” This was pure nonsense. Who would visit someone else’s house at this time?
Mr. Xu looked at Lu Li intently. “What a fine young man. Although it’s not New Year’s Eve yet, let me give you a red envelope in advance.”
“No, no, you shouldn’t.”
“Don’t be so polite.”
After some back and forth, four red envelopes ended up in the hands of Lu Li, Chu Jingyi, An Baili, and Zou Yameng. The red envelopes for the three girls were filled with cash, the amount surprising Zou Yameng. Lu Li’s red envelope, on the other hand, felt flat, but he could already tell there was a bank card inside.
Chu Xiaodong explained as they walked, “That was Xu Yu, the mayor of Chuanhai City. He’s half a rank above me, the nominal leader of Chuanhai. Don’t be fooled by his appearance, he actually came from the military, used to be stationed in Japan.” Lu Li broke out in a cold sweat. You’re really bold, are these things you should be saying casually?
“Don’t be fooled by the bank card he gave you. He’s actually very generous to his own descendants, giving away shares and properties as New Year’s gifts. Did you know that their seven-year-old kid has six foundations, seven companies, and four villas in the capital under his name? It’s ridiculous.” The more Chu Xiaodong spoke, the more he shook his head. “Before I came to Chuanhai, he was the one in power. The financial aid you received back then was approved by him. Those unfinished buildings deep in the low-rent district are also his doing.”
It sounded like Chu Xiaodong held a lot of resentment towards Mayor Xu. Perhaps their relationship wasn’t as harmonious as it appeared on the surface.
Lu Li felt that Chu Xiaodong seemed to have let down his guard today. He couldn’t help but ask the question that had been lingering in his mind. “Uncle Chu, what’s the situation with your family?” This was already a very tactful way of asking.
Chu Xiaodong lowered his voice, making sure the three girls behind them couldn’t hear. “Xiao Lu, are you scared?”
“A little.”
“Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?”
“A lie.”
“The Chu family is one of the least influential families in Shenzhou.” Chu Xiaodong said with a smile. “Our history only spans ten years, and we have many descendants, with male heirs in every generation. We don’t have to worry about a successor. There’s no distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children in our family. Everyone is equal.”
“…I understand.”
He patted Lu Li’s shoulder. “Don’t think too much. At your age, you should just focus on your studies and live up to Yi Bao’s expectations.” Live up to Silly Goose’s expectations? Lu Li glanced back at Chu Jingyi, who was getting along well with Zou Yameng. Whatever he did now, Silly Goose would probably see it in a positive light, right? This girl was usually serious and down-to-earth, but when it came to him, she became irrational. Was this what girls in love were like?
As if sensing his gaze, Silly Goose happened to look at Lu Li too. She met his eyes and smiled sweetly, her expression adorable.
When they arrived at the Chu family’s house, Mrs. Chu warmly welcomed the three of them, expressing her concern and taking good care of them. An Baili and Sister Yameng, however, were even more reserved than Lu Li was during his first visit. This was the first time Lu Li had seen Sister Yameng so stiff and formal. He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.
He didn’t laugh for long before he felt a weight on his shoulders. A small, soft body climbed onto his back. “Brother-in-law, guess who I am?”
***
T/N:
Just remembering…
“Yi Bao” is a nickname used for Chu Jingyi meaning
-
Happy Treasure
-
Precious Darling, etc
Leave a Reply