Chapter 31: Unexpected Guests
Long Jing clung to Lu Li’s neck, wriggling and whining, “No, no, let brother-in-law guess who I am first. He didn’t even reply to my messages, he must have forgotten about me!”
He did forget. Lu Li wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Thankfully, his future mother-in-law reminded him. “You’re Long Jing, of course I remember you. How could I forget?”
What a lying man. He mocked himself inwardly. Suddenly, he remembered something. Damn it, he had completely forgotten to reply to Chen Jianing! The little tiger must be furious.
Long Jing finally let go, satisfied, but she still refused to get off his back. Her small hands grabbed his hair, messing up his carefully styled hair. “Hehe, Auntie, I want to play with brother-in-law for a while longer. He definitely doesn’t mind. Right, brother-in-law?”
As the saying goes, “Even dogs hate seven and eight-year-olds.” Long Jing single-handedly shattered Lu Li’s image of well-behaved little girls. He instantly recalled the scene where this little brat stepped on Jingyi’s keyboard and forced him to listen to her songs. He gritted his teeth. “Of course, I love Little Long Jing.”
If this were his own home, he would definitely grab this little brat by the ankles and spank her until her bottom was swollen.
Silly Goose tilted her head and asked in confusion, “Really? You’ve only met twice.” Only this naive girl would take Lu Li’s words seriously.
“And!” She glanced at An Baili and, seeing no reaction, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. “Long Jing, stop calling him brother-in-law! He’s not your brother-in-law yet.”
Long Jing was much more cunning than her cousin. She pretended to be confused. “‘Yet’? Does that mean he’ll be my brother-in-law sooner or later? Then it’s not wrong for me to call him brother-in-law now, right?”
“That’s not what I meant, I… I…” Silly Goose stamped her foot in frustration, afraid that An Baili would misunderstand.
Lu Li let the two sisters bicker. He sat between An Baili and Sister Yameng, with Long Jing still clinging to his back. Seeing their stiff postures and awkward smiles, his heart softened. He said gently, “Don’t be so nervous, Jingyi’s parents are very easygoing.” An Baili was easy to appease. She was already close to Chu Jingyi. Sister Yameng, on the other hand, became even more restless upon hearing this. She looked at Lu Li, her mind filled with questions. Why was he being called “brother-in-law”? Why were the Chus acting so ambiguously? She watched Chu Jingyi, who kept stealing glances at Lu Li, and felt a pang of jealousy. Why didn’t she tell me that she wanted to steal my Little Li? Shouldn’t she at least get my approval…?
Long Jing, ever the troublemaker, widened her “innocent” eyes. “Brother-in-law, who are these pretty sisters? They’re so beautiful! Do they like you too, like sister?”
Ugh. Lu Li clenched his fists, then forced himself to relax. Stay calm, Lu Li, she’s just a kid, don’t take it personally.
Seeing that Lu Li didn’t answer, Long Jing giggled, her little hands playing with his hair. “Did I guess right, brother-in-law? Hehe…” The Chu parents had gone upstairs, leaving only the younger generation in the living room. No one could control this little brat.
Lu Li suddenly stood up. “I’m going to the bathroom, do you want to get down?”
“No. I’ve never seen a boy pee before. The teacher said boys pee standing up, right?”
Chu Jingyi was about to stop her when she saw Lu Li wink at her. She chose to trust him completely and let him take the troublesome little girl to the bathroom on the first floor. The three girls were finally left alone. An Baili was the first to relax. She was already very familiar with Chu Jingyi, and she also “knew the depths” of her relationship with Zou Yameng. “Whew… Jingyi, your family is so rich, even the security guard is a policeman…”
Chu Jingyi glanced at Zou Yameng nervously. This woman was her crush’s only guardian. In Silly Goose’s naive understanding of love, Zou Yameng was the elder who would officiate their wedding in the future. This thought made her even more nervous, as if she were the guest today.
Seeing the other two tense and silent, An Baili felt a bit bored. She fidgeted on the sofa, wanting to go to the bathroom to find Lu Li, but afraid of being called “shameless.”
Just then, a wail came from the bathroom. It was Long Jing crying.
“Brother-in-law, stop hitting me, my bottom hurts.”
“Ow~”
“Ouch, be gentle!”
“Auntie, Auntie! Brother-in-law is hitting me!”
“Uncle, Cousin, the big sister outside, someone help me, brother-in-law has gone crazy!”
Mrs. Chu poked her head out from the second floor, listened for a moment, and then went back to what she was doing.
The three girls looked at each other, and one of them couldn’t help but giggle. This laughter broke the tension. Chu Jingyi finally found a topic to talk about. “Long Jing deserves it. She always acts all well-behaved in front of Uncle Long, but everyone who knows her knows what she’s really like.”
Zou Yameng nodded enviously. “Your family is so lively…” Unlike her and Lu Li, their small apartment was just the two of them and an old TV. She suddenly felt that having a big family might not be a bad thing.
Long Jing ran out of the bathroom, crying, and complained to the three girls in the living room. “Brother-in-law is a monster! He, he’s a beast! He really spanked me!”
She didn’t know that the three girls’ hearts were already biased towards Lu Li. No matter how much she cried and complained, they only offered verbal comfort. For the first time, Long Jing felt isolated and helpless. She turned around and saw Lu Li walking towards her, his sleeves still rolled up. She quickly covered her bottom with her hands. “Brother-in-law, I’m sorry, waaaah, I won’t mess with you anymore.”
“Sing me a song, and I’ll forgive you.” Lu Li’s inner abacus was clicking.
“Sing, sing, sing, I’ll sing a hundred songs if you want.” The little girl cried and covered her bottom, making the three girls laugh. Sister Yameng scolded, “Little Li, that’s enough, don’t bully a little girl.”
Bully? Lu Li looked at Long Jing. Why did he feel like this little brat was enjoying it?
Chu Jingyi said, “Long Jing’s parents are both busy, and she’s used to being alone. So she acts out when there are a lot of people around, just to get attention.” Is that so? Lu Li was surprised by Chu Jingyi’s perceptiveness. He realized for the first time that Silly Goose was so insightful.
Long Jing, her sore spot exposed, immediately put on an angry face. “That’s not true! Sister, you’re slandering me, it’s not, it’s not, it’s not!”
Lu Li rubbed the little girl’s head. “Okay, I forgive you.” He squatted down. “Want to ride again?”
Long Jing pouted like a pufferfish, but in the end, she climbed onto Lu Li’s back. “Pedophile brother-in-law, you just like little girls riding you, you pervert.”
“Yes, yes.” Lu Li didn’t want to argue with a child. If what Silly Goose said was true, this little girl might be truly afraid of being alone.
Unlike Zou Yameng’s expectations, the day at the Chu family’s wasn’t as bad as she had imagined. The two elders deliberately stayed out of the young people’s way. Guided by the gentle and considerate Chu Jingyi, Zou Yameng saw a dog house the size of a small apartment, a private swimming pool, and a walk-in closet that spanned over fifty square meters, broadening her horizons. She also went into Chu Jingyi’s room and saw all kinds of musical instruments. The girl told her that she had bought them for Lu Li and practiced composing music every night before bed.
Chu Jingyi’s gentleness gradually dispelled the resistance in Zou Yameng’s heart. She let down her guard and started comparing Chu Jingyi and An Baili in her mind, wondering who was more suitable to be her brother’s “nominal wife.” Although Chu Jingyi’s personality was more suitable, like a gentle lamb, her status was too high. Would her brother be able to handle her? An Baili had nothing. If she became his “nominal wife,” she could be easily controlled. But her personality was a bit troublesome. She only acknowledged Lu Li and no one else. Would she eventually overstep her boundaries and kick her, the older sister, out?
Lu Li would never have guessed that these were the things going through Sister Yameng’s mind.
After a day of snacking on tangerines and pistachios, it was finally time for the reunion dinner. Secretary Long, who had been absent all day, and his wife arrived just in time. As soon as they entered, they asked if Long Jing had been causing trouble and said they had brought gifts for Lu Li and Chu Jingyi. The Chu family became even livelier, with smiles on everyone’s faces. Lu Li looked at the “Fu” character pasted upside down on the wall and fell into deep thought. This was the first time he felt the so-called “New Year atmosphere.” This feeling of fulfillment from spending the New Year with a large family was something he had never experienced in his two lifetimes.
There was no cliché drama of a poor boy being ridiculed by a rich family, no scheming and backstabbing among high-ranking officials. There were only sincere blessings and greetings. Lu Li gradually understood why Silly Goose had grown into such a perfect girl. Growing up in this environment, even Hitler would have become a philanthropic artist.
Silly Goose’s face was flushed with happiness. She looked at her family, her crush, her friends, and smiled sweetly. Perhaps she had been troubled by love before, but now she just sincerely and kindly wished everyone happiness. Lu Li sighed softly. He was a little worried that he would become the only obstacle in this girl’s life. Things that were too beautiful were often unable to withstand the ugliness of the world. Wen Hupo was like that, and so was Chu Jingyi.
As they toasted and chatted, Lu Li’s gaze towards the girls became a little dazed. Whether he was bound by red strings of fate or trapped in a web of love, as long as they were happy, it was fine. He couldn’t let the regrets of his past life happen again.
He saw An Baili take out the now useless pendant and hold it to her chest, silently praying. She must have been thinking the same thing as him.
“Cheers~” He clinked glasses with his sister. They were drinking orange juice, but he felt slightly tipsy.
The next morning, Lu Li woke up in the guest room at the Chu family’s house. He vaguely remembered watching the New Year’s Eve gala with his future father-in-law in front of the TV. They were complaining about how the skits were getting worse every year. Then, a wave of drowsiness washed over him. He fell asleep on the sofa, and the last thing he remembered was being carried to the guest room by his sister. He chuckled wryly. He was getting too pampered. He couldn’t even stay up late anymore. Back then, he could stay awake for three days straight to manage his online store.
There was a note on the bedside table from Silly Goose, saying that there were clean towels and a new electric toothbrush head in the cabinet. She also mentioned that Baili and Sister Yameng were staying in the room next door, so he shouldn’t worry. She even thoughtfully warmed a cup of water and placed it next to the note, with a small piece of paper on it that read, “It’s warm water~”
She’s too considerate, too gentle… Lu Li woke up with a dry mouth. He picked up the warm water and drank it all in one gulp. Silly Goose, your thoughtfulness makes me want to marry you.
After washing up, he opened the door and heard faint voices coming from downstairs. One was his future father-in-law, Chu Xiaodong. The other sounded like a young woman, a voice he found familiar but couldn’t place. It was the kind of voice you often heard on the radio, pleasant but not particularly distinctive.
As Lu Li went downstairs, the voices became clearer. “…I can’t agree to this proposal.” It was Chu Xiaodong’s voice, his tone stern. There weren’t many things that could make him this serious. The Mulan City outbreak was one, and his daughter’s marriage was another.
The unknown woman didn’t back down. “I’m not here to seek your approval, but to inform you…” Wow, what a bold statement. Who would dare to talk to the Prime Minister like that?
Driven by curiosity, Lu Li quickened his pace and soon saw a figure sitting on the sofa, her back facing him. It was a young woman, maybe twenty years old? Her figure was slender and graceful, her curves accentuated by the plain white cheongsam she wore. Rarely did a Chinese woman look so stunning in a cheongsam – even just from the back.
Lu Li estimated that this woman was even taller than Sister Yameng and Silly Goose, probably about his height.
“Ah, Xiao Lu, you’re awake?” Seeing Lu Li, his future father-in-law put on a smile. “There are boiled eggs and fried dough sticks in the kitchen. Tell Aunt Wang if you want anything else, we have all the ingredients.”
“Xiao Lu?” The woman turned around curiously, meeting Lu Li’s gaze.
Although Lu Li wasn’t a seasoned playboy, he had seen his fair share of beauties. Wen Hupo’s aloofness and ethereal beauty, Chu Jingyi’s elegance and gentleness, An Baili’s breathtaking beauty, Zou Yameng’s heroic spirit, and Chen Jianing’s elfin charm. He thought he had reached a certain level of understanding when it came to beauty, but the moment he saw this woman, he was speechless.
Unlike her long-haired image on TV, she had a sharp, short haircut, the edges trimmed neatly, as sharp as a blade. Her features were delicate, her eyes slightly elongated, the typical fox eyes. Her skin was fair, her eyebrows dark, her lips red as cinnabar, her nose like a soaring peak. However, these beautiful features, when combined, created an indescribable air of ruthlessness. If an ordinary girl wearing a cheongsam would enhance her feminine beauty, she, in a cheongsam, only exuded a sword-like sharpness.
The Fourteenth Princess of the Shenzhou Constitutional Monarchy, Zhu Xi.
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