Spring Festival arrived in the blink of an eye, and Chu Zhi ended up going south with her parents for the New Year celebration. They didn’t go to Hainan though – Chu Zhi’s grandparents were retired in a second-tier southern city, having bought some land in the suburbs with a vegetable garden in the front yard and a small lake, either natural or artificial, a short walk from the backyard.
Chu Zhi hadn’t been to the south for a long time. The weather here was gloomy and cold, zero degrees outside but feeling like below zero inside. Being somewhat delicate, Chu Zhi found the air conditioning too dry when on, but without it she relied on shivering to keep warm. It took several days before she finally got used to it.
In the north during winter, all the rivers and lakes would freeze over with thick ice, let alone leaves – everything was bare with nothing but snow pressing down on the branches. Though Chu Zhi had been reluctant to come at first, she quickly found everything novel and exciting, temporarily forgetting about Lu Jiaheng.
On New Year’s Eve, while the family was eating dumplings and watching the Spring Festival Gala, Chu Zhi secretly snuck outside with her phone for a rare video call with him.
When it came to romance, Chu Zhi was actually somewhat clingy. Usually she held back because she knew he was busy with work and felt she should be more understanding.
But after being understanding for so long, she would occasionally feel a bit down – nothing serious, just a faint feeling, but it was definitely there.
At 9:30 PM on New Year’s Eve, Chu Zhi stood outside wearing a coat, holding her phone and bouncing up and down. As soon as Lu Jiaheng answered, she chirped happily: “Lu Jiaheng! It’s the New Year!”
His end was very quiet, with no background noise except for the brilliant city streets visible through the huge floor-to-ceiling window behind him in the night.
He wore a white shirt and watched her quietly with a smile on his lips. His skin looked very pale in the lighting, making his peach blossom eyes appear especially clear and dark, with the shadows under his eye bags particularly noticeable.
“Mm, Happy New Year,” his voice was still low and magnetic, just slightly hoarse.
Chu Zhi’s cheerful expression disappeared, and she grew quiet.
She was stunned: “You’re still at the company?”
Lu Jiaheng’s long lashes lowered, hiding some of his fatigue as he raised his hand to rub his brow bone with his middle finger: “About to head back.”
“Lu Jiaheng—” It was New Year’s Eve.
It was already past 9 PM, why was he still at the company?
Other families were happily eating dumplings together, watching the Spring Festival Gala and setting off fireworks.
The camera moved slightly as he seemed to place the phone on the desk, propped up somehow, and an opened cup of instant noodles appeared in the frame.
Chu Zhi’s nose stung as she began to regret not staying behind for the New Year.
She sniffled, forgetting everything she had meant to say as her words changed when they reached her lips: “I miss you so much.”
Her voice was soft as she repeated quietly,
“I miss you so much, I want to go home.”
Lu Jiaheng was startled and looked up.
In the video, the young woman wore only a coat with the buttons undone. The bright red lanterns behind her made her cheeks appear rosy, looking very lively and cute. However, her clear glass-like eyes were now wet as she gently bit her lower lip, her mouth slightly pouty as if she were sulking coquettishly.
In that moment, Lu Jiaheng nearly booked a plane ticket.
He really wanted to pull her into his arms, kiss her, hug her, have her curl up in his embrace and talk to him in that sweet, clingy way.
He wanted to hide her away, keep her in his room, have her within his sight every hour, every minute, every second.
He lowered his lashes, concealing a hint of dark embarrassment as he laughed softly: “Miss me enough to get constipated?”
“…”
If he hadn’t brought it up, Chu Zhi had almost forgotten.
He could really hold a grudge.
“Lu Jiaheng, as a man, you shouldn’t be so petty,” Chu Zhi seriously educated him, then added after a pause, “especially with your girlfriend – whatever she says is right, you should be more magnanimous.”
Lu Jiaheng raised his eyebrows, leaning back in his chair with what seemed to be amusement: “You’re right, I was wrong.”
Seeing his proper attitude, Chu Zhi was satisfied.
However, while it had just been a casual comment at the time, though it had expressed her heart’s deepest curse, some time had passed, yet he still remembered and brought it up, showing he must have really taken it to heart.
Could it be that his resentment was so deep that the curse had come true?
As this thought formed in her mind, Chu Zhi looked at him doubtfully, thought for a moment, and couldn’t help but carefully ask: “Did you really get constipated afterward?”
Lu Jiaheng: “…”
After ending the video call, Lu Jiaheng gathered his things and returned to the family mansion.
In previous years, Lu Hongsheng had always taken his wife and children abroad for the New Year, but this year, perhaps feeling pressure and threat, he stayed in the capital.
Maybe it was because he finally realized that even though Old Master Lu now only had him as a son, the heir might not necessarily be him, and he urgently needed to show some filial piety and curry favor.
However, after spending time with Chu Zhi, Lu Jiaheng preferred to think of people and things in a more positive light – for instance, maybe his father had simply had a change of heart.
He hadn’t been home for several months, and Lu Jiayi seemed to have grown taller since last time. The little boy ran over with pattering steps, head tilted high, small hands raised wanting to be picked up, but then quickly withdrew them.
Lu Jiayi’s round eyes were wide open as he slightly furrowed his delicate brows: “Brother’s gotten thinner.”
Lu Jiaheng hesitated for a moment before experimentally lowering his hand to gently pat the boy’s head.
Lu Jiayi froze, looking pleasantly surprised as he gazed up at him happily, his dark eyes sparkling as he stood slightly on tiptoe, carefully nuzzling his head against his palm.
Lu Jiaheng awkwardly looked away, withdrawing his hand as he said flatly: “Let’s go in.”
The little boy happily bobbed his head, following behind him like a little tail, speaking in his childish voice: “Brother came back today.”
“Did brother miss Yiyi?”
Lu Jiaheng didn’t respond, but listened as the boy confidently nodded to himself, exclaiming excitedly: “Brother missed Yiyi.”
“Yiyi missed brother too.”
“…”
In that moment, the boy’s figure overlapped with that of a certain young woman, and Lu Jiaheng wondered if all the young ones around him were like little parrots – did they all like to talk when they got excited?
Lu Jiaheng stopped walking and looked down: “You missed me?”
Lu Jiayi nodded.
He turned his head, his tone showing no emotional fluctuation: “Lu Jiayi, am I good to you?”
Lu Jiayi’s little head bobbed like a pecking chick: “Yes,” he scratched the hair on top of his head, seeming somewhat shy as he said happily, “Brother patted Yiyi’s head!”
“…”
Lu Jiaheng was speechless.
The young ones around him were all so easily satisfied.
It seemed like even tiny things could make them happy, as if their lives had never known darkness. Even when they encountered unhappy things, they would quickly move past them.
It made one reluctant to leave even the slightest mark on their pure souls.
It made one want to reverently present all the brilliant and beautiful things in this world before her.
Lu Jiayi stood quietly before him without speaking. Lu Jiaheng stood with lowered eyes on the first floor for a while, and when he looked up again, he happened to see Lu Hongsheng coming down from upstairs.
His father looked at him with a somewhat complicated expression, as if seeing him properly for the first time: “Just got back?”
Lu Jiaheng raised his eyelids slightly, curving his lips indifferently: “The computers at the company have good performance, games don’t lag.”
Lu Hongsheng fell silent. As Lu Jiaheng went upstairs, passing by him, his father called out: “Aheng, no matter how much you hate me, we’ll always be father and son.”
Lu Jiaheng’s footsteps paused.
The man’s voice was somewhat heavy and dry, his emotions carrying something both meaningful and profound: “Everything I have will be yours in the future.”
Lu Jiaheng lowered his eyes and laughed softly.
What was there left to look forward to?
Some people really couldn’t be viewed in a positive light no matter what.
Standing two steps above him on the stairs with his back turned, his dark eyes slightly raised, his gaze sharp and cold, his thin lips twisted into a sardonic curve: “What you can’t have will also be mine in the future.”
Lu Jiaheng stayed at the family mansion for two days.
Early on the second day of the New Year, Old Master Lu finally caught him.
At the time, grandfather and grandson were sitting in the old man’s tea room, each occupying a chair. The old master was playing with a bird – the parrot perched on the carved wooden armrest, its sharp beak gently pecking at the old man’s finger, rubbing its head against his palm.
The old man casually fed it a piece of carrot: “Have you thought about what I discussed with you before?”
Lu Jiaheng kept his eyes down, not speaking.
Old Master Lu knew him too well: “Don’t want to go? What’s this, giving me the silent treatment? Who have you been avoiding these past two days? You run faster than a stray dog wherever I go.”
Lu Jiaheng’s brows furrowed slightly, somewhat helplessly: “Grandfather—”
Old Master Lu raised one hand, interrupting him: “I know why – it’s because of that little girlfriend of yours, right? The one you’d rather skip the physical education exam and take a make-up test for just to accompany her to Ideological and Moral Cultivation class?”
Lu Jiaheng still didn’t speak.
Old Master Lu also frowned as he looked at him – when grandfather and grandson made this expression together, there was a mysterious similarity. The old man narrowed his eyes slightly as he examined him for quite a while, his expression appearing both stern and somehow strangely pleased: “I’m just asking you to study abroad, not break up with the young lady and never see each other again. You’ll be back in a year or two. At this critical moment, can’t you tell what’s urgent and what can wait? Are you planning to be like Emperor Zhou of Shang?”
Lu Jiaheng sat beside him with lowered eyes, saying nothing for a long time before finally responding calmly: “No.”
Old Master Lu: “?”
Lu Jiaheng slumped lazily in his chair, long legs sprawled out, elbow propped on the armrest with his chin resting on his hand: “Even a year or two won’t work – it’s too long. She’s very clingy, after three days without seeing me she misses me terribly, to the point of crying. It breaks my heart, I can’t bear it.”
Lu Jiaheng turned his head to give the old man beside him a cool glance: “When she cries and I’m not there, will you comfort her for me? After all, she’ll be your future granddaughter-in-law, you have to take responsibility too.”
Old Master Lu: “…”
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