Old Master Lu and Chu’s father hadn’t seen each other for many years. They first met when Chu Yunfei was just a young boy, before Jing Heng Group was even called Jing Heng. Living close by, young Yunfei with his bright smile and charming eyes would often go next door to Old Master Lu’s house to mooch meals.
Later, the Chu family moved south to develop real estate. After twenty or thirty years without contact, when Yunfei returned to the capital alone, his parents remaining in the south, he only had private meals with Old Master Lu twice, seemingly just catching up without discussing other matters.
Chu Zhi knew nothing about this.
When Lu Jiaheng saw Chu’s father, he initially thought he had come to take his daughter home. Even though Chu’s father had become somewhat friendly toward him because of Lu Jiayi, he still mentally prepared himself. But when the old master saw him, he clasped his hands behind his back, his expressionless face breaking into a happy smile as he walked over.
—And began chatting like old friends.
Lu Jiaheng: “…”
Lu Jiaheng found the scene a bit shocking.
The few times he had met Chu’s father before were all informal occasions, with the man wearing pajamas both times. With his gentle features, even his fierce expressions toward Lu Jiaheng had a soft quality. But now, the man wore formal attire, his bearing completely different from before.
Chu Zhi stood behind her father like a little chick, mouth slightly open, expression somewhat dazed.
She quickly recovered, looked at Lu Jiaheng, blinked, and secretly took two steps back, quietly heading out.
Lu Jiaheng understood and followed her.
The late autumn wind was cool. With the central air conditioning not very warm, when they left the banquet hall and entered the lobby, Chu Zhi shrank her neck. Lu Jiaheng casually took off his suit jacket and put it on her.
They were like young lovers sneaking away. Chu Zhi followed Lu Jiaheng into the car, and he drove aimlessly around the city center for two laps before stopping by the brightly lit roadside.
Chu Zhi sat in the back seat, leaning forward to rest on his driver’s seat backrest, not speaking, just watching him.
She probably wasn’t used to such high heels – she had taken them off, her feet on the seat with only her white toes peeking out from under her dress hem.
Lu Jiaheng turned his head and asked softly: “Why are you looking at me like that?”
The street lights played across her face, making her look enchanting one moment, warm and gentle the next.
“I want to look at you,” she said softly.
Lu Jiaheng’s heart melted: “Tired? Want to go home?”
“Is it okay for you to leave the anniversary party early?”
He turned back to face forward, turning the steering wheel, his profile looking somewhat carelessly indifferent: “It’s fine, I’ve said what needed to be said, they don’t need me there anymore.”
Chu Zhi nodded: “Then let’s go home.”
When they got home, Chu Zhi immediately kicked off her high heels and padded barefoot across the floor. Guess peeked out its little head from behind the curtain, meowed upon seeing her, and walked over with elegant cat steps.
Chu Zhi casually picked it up, getting long cat hair all over her dress.
Lu Jiaheng followed behind her, reaching out to pull off his suit jacket from her shoulders and hanging it aside.
Chu Zhi collapsed onto the sofa with the cat, letting out a long exhale of exhaustion. She lifted her dress hem and lay sideways, the large skirt trailing on the floor like a flower.
Lu Jiaheng found her limp sprawl amusing. He walked over to sit by her feet, picking up her ankle to massage it: “That tired?”
Chu Zhi opened her eyes wide, looking at him with an exaggerated expression: “Those heels were so high and thin!”
Lu Jiaheng lowered his eyes without speaking, his long fingers holding her ankle, one hand supporting her heel, looking focused and serious.
The living room was quiet, with Guess curled in Chu Zhi’s arms making contented purring sounds.
Enjoying the handsome man’s massage service, Chu Zhi was getting sleepy. She snuggled into the sofa cushion, shifting a bit before yawning: “I didn’t know my dad and your grandfather knew each other…”
Lu Jiaheng’s movements paused as he looked up at her.
Chu Zhi wanted to rub her eyes but remembered her makeup and stopped herself, lightly touching her eye corner with her fingertip instead: “I didn’t know at all. He never tells me these things, but he didn’t know you either.”
He still didn’t speak.
Chu Zhi didn’t know what else to say.
She tilted her head back, sat up, and reached out to poke his arm: “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Lu Jiaheng looked at her: “I’m still processing it.”
Chu Zhi stared blankly: “Huh? What?”
“The fact that my girlfriend is a princess.”
Chu Zhi made an “ah” sound, looking a bit embarrassed: “Not really…”
Lu Jiaheng narrowed his eyes slightly: “So what does your family actually do?”
Chu Zhi scratched her chin, saying slowly: “Sell houses, though my dad doesn’t seem to manage much, he leaves it to my uncle.”
Sell houses.
Based on his years of understanding Chu Zhi’s thought processes, Lu Jiaheng judged that this “selling houses” probably didn’t mean running a real estate agency.
Lu Jiaheng nearly coughed up blood.
In all the time he’d known her, they had never asked much about each other’s families. He could tell her family was well-off and that she had been well-protected by her parents since childhood, never experiencing hardship, growing up happily – and Lu Jiaheng felt that was enough.
He lowered his eyes, rubbing his brow with his fingertips.
So when the little miss always said “I’ll support you,” she actually meant it literally, fully intending to support him, not just saying sweet nothings.
Lu Jiaheng suddenly felt a bit depressed, unable to describe the feeling – as if he had only been able to keep his girlfriend with his bit of money, only to find out she didn’t care about it at all.
Lu Jiaheng fell into a strange youthful mood, his sense of crisis suddenly surging.
He moved closer, hands braced on the sofa above Chu Zhi, grabbing Guess from her arms and tossing it to the floor as he looked down at her: “Chu Zhi, let’s get married.”
“…”
Chu Zhi: “?”
Lu Jiaheng was really too worried: “Let’s get married.”
Chu Zhi was confused: “Right… right now?”
Lu Jiaheng pressed his lips together: “I’ll talk to your aunt and uncle tomorrow. What do you want?”
“…”
Chu Zhi was at a loss, looking at him uncertainly: “I don’t know, what should I want?”
Lu Jiaheng was also at a loss: “I’ve never been married before.”
So the two maintained their intimate position stacked on the sofa, Lu Jiaheng straightening up against the backrest as Chu Zhi also sat up, pulling out her phone to start searching online.
As she searched, she shared with Lu Jiaheng, excitedly patting his thigh: “Look, they even gave a cow! The cow is too big so I don’t want that. Lu Jiaheng, I want chickens and ducks, get me a couple of those.”
Lu Jiaheng gently stroked her hair: “Be good, you don’t need those, they’re not healthy. Having me is enough.”
Chu Zhi stared at her phone screen with wide eyes: “There’s also bride price money, but it doesn’t say how much,” she turned to look at him with a grin, “Lu Jiaheng, how much money are you planning to give me?”
The young girl’s eyes were sparkling. Lu Jiaheng laughed softly: “It’s all yours, all my money is yours.”
Chu Zhi was moved by this.
Previously when chatting with Lin Tong and the others in their dorm group chat, she had been thoroughly educated that to keep a man’s heart you must first keep his wallet – how much money he’s willing to give you shows how much he loves you.
Chu Zhi felt that love should be mutual – if one person is willing to give, you should also show something in return.
Chu Zhi sniffled, blinking as her eyes nearly reddened with emotion. She tilted her head up to look at him pitifully: “Lu Jiaheng, I don’t have that much money to give you.”
Lu Jiaheng raised an eyebrow: “Don’t you sell houses?”
Chu Zhi nodded seriously: “So I can give you houses, you can choose. I still have several siheyuan courtyard houses.”
Lu Jiaheng: “…”
Oh, now courtyard houses had appeared too.
Before he could react, Chu Zhi licked her lips, shaking her head as she bounced off the sofa. She pulled his hand to make him stand up too, leading him to the study and pushing open the balcony door.
The night outside was cold and she shivered, but she kept leading him to the railing.
Rows of buildings filled the compound, with excellent landscaping. Small paths paved with cobblestones had dim ground lights, winding forward under yellow streetlights. The white statue fountain in the middle of the garden was silent in the night.
Chu Zhi’s bright red long dress looked even more gorgeous in the darkness, like a little queen.
She relaxed her shoulders and pointed downward, tilting her head up to look at him with a soft voice: “You can choose from this compound. Royal Consort, this is the empire I’ve conquered for you.”
Lu Jiaheng: “…”
Getting married wasn’t such an easy thing, especially when you had a difficult father-in-law.
Lu Jiaheng decided to ease into it first, building better relationships.
In January, during Lu Jiayi’s winter break, the boy showed up at Lu Jiaheng’s door with bags packed, looking at him with doe-like eyes, seeking shelter.
Three days later, Lu Jiaheng discovered his brother had started spending all his time downstairs at Chu Zhi’s place.
So one time, he hauled him back for a heart-to-heart talk.
Lu Jiayi was incredibly quick on the uptake – before his brother could even speak, the youth wore an “I know, I understand, I get it” expression and said smoothly: “Brother, don’t worry, I understand.”
Lu Jiaheng raised an eyebrow without speaking.
The youth grinned: “You want to marry Sister Chu Zhi but Uncle Chu doesn’t like you, right?”
Lu Jiaheng narrowed his eyes in annoyance and gave him a hard knock on the head.
He didn’t hold back, making the youth yelp and cover his fair forehead, looking at him pitifully.
Lu Jiaheng’s smile faded as he lowered his eyes.
Right after Jiang Ruan left, Lu Jiayi had been in a bad state.
The boy had been silent for a long time. After Lu Hongsheng’s incident and disappearance, only he remained in the huge mansion until one night when the housekeeper called Lu Jiaheng saying Lu Jiayi was missing.
He searched until late night, returning home to find him crouched at his door crying.
That was the first time he let him stay. When he came out from his shower, the youth had already made a bed on the floor, hugging his pillow and blanket while looking at him nervously, afraid he might change his mind and chase him out: “Brother, I can sleep on the floor.”
Lu Jiaheng couldn’t describe how he felt at that moment.
He silently sighed, walked over, grabbed his pillow and threw it on the bed: “Sleep with me.”
The child showed an expression of pleasant surprise, nervous yet happy, and afraid.
Lu Jiaheng considered for the first time how Lu Jiayi had spent these past ten years.
This careful and cautious personality, extremely attentive to others’ expressions, timid and precocious – what kind of environment had shaped him this way.
He slowly began to realize that perhaps in this family, the most pitiful child wasn’t him.
It was Lu Jiayi.
He was too young, yet mature too early. He learned things he shouldn’t have known too soon, so throughout his childhood, whenever he looked at him it was always careful and ingratiating, tormented every minute by things he felt didn’t belong to him.
He was a good child, yet precisely because of this goodness, he was punished.
Lu Jiaheng suddenly felt his hostility toward him all these years had been childish and cruel, like a child’s misdirected anger.
Lu Jiayi hadn’t noticed his distraction and eagerly helped plot strategies. During his winter break, he went to Chu Zhi’s house for meals every day. Being at the age of rapid growth, his appetite was shocking and he had grown much taller. Though his face still retained some baby fat roundness, his features had become more defined, his facial structure showing some slight similarity to Lu Jiaheng.
Whatever method he used, Chu’s father’s attitude toward Lu Jiaheng changed noticeably. By the time New Year approached, the two men could even sit peacefully on the sofa after dinner watching TV while discussing soccer and financial news.
Like previous years, Chu Zhi spent New Year with her grandparents in the south. On New Year’s Eve, they talked on the phone – her end filled with the noisy sounds of adults playing mahjong, his end very quiet.
Chu Zhi suddenly remembered their first New Year together – she was also at her grandparents’ place, video calling him as he worked overtime in his office, the camera showing tall stacks of documents and instant noodle cups.
At that time, Chu Zhi desperately wanted to fly back, back to find him, to spend New Year with him.
Thinking of this, her heart stirred.
Lu Jiaheng took Lu Jiayi back to Old Master Lu’s place for New Year. None of the three generations knew how to make dumplings. On New Year’s Eve, the old man and the youth watched Lu Jiaheng – one holding a phone to look up dumpling-making steps and give instructions, the other leaning on his cane watching the entertainment as Lu Jiaheng wore an apron, clumsily chopping dumpling filling and wrapping dumplings while being criticized.
Not only did he have to endure Old Master Lu criticizing his ugly dumplings.
He even had to make special sunflower-shaped ones with brown sugar filling for that little brat Lu Jiayi.
Young Master Lu had never done this work before. After messily struggling through it and boiling them, the three generations looked at the pot of meatball-filled dumpling skins and silently chose to eat out instead.
The three dressed properly and opened the door to find Lu Hongsheng standing there.
The man also seemed surprised to find anyone coming out, freezing in place for a while.
Lu Jiayi reacted first, calling out “Father.”
Lu Hongsheng suddenly lowered his eyes.
Since his incident, he hadn’t shown his face. Though he was his own son, Old Master Lu hadn’t said anything and still kept his room empty, but he had vanished like smoke, never returning.
Lu Hongsheng wore a black down jacket and scarf, his face much thinner but clean and tidy, as if specially groomed.
He held a bag of fruit, and after recovering, hurriedly stepped forward to stuff it into Lu Jiayi’s arms before turning to leave, then paused.
He turned back, looked up at Lu Jiaheng, licked his lips and started softly: “I—”
Lu Jiaheng watched him silently, his dark eyes calm and unruffled.
Lu Hongsheng felt a bit dazed.
When Lu Jiaheng was small and Lu Hongsheng carried him out, everyone would say what a beautiful child he was, especially those eyes – exactly like his mother’s.
Back then Lu Hongsheng had been a bit unconvinced, thinking how could you tell at such a young age, surely he would grow up to look like me.
But as he grew older, his features did start resembling his, except for those eyes – as if carved from his mother’s mold.
Sometimes Lu Hongsheng would constantly wonder exactly when their father-son relationship had started deteriorating, even reaching the point where one had to die for the other to live.
He couldn’t even remember anymore.
Lu Hongsheng lowered his eyes, awkwardly avoiding his gaze before turning to flee.
Not just his qualification as a father, he had probably lost even the right to say sorry.
With the old master’s housekeeper home for New Year, Lu Jiaheng took the old man and youth out to eat for a week. On the night of the sixth day of the New Year, Lu Jiaheng received a call from Chu Zhi.
The young girl’s voice on the phone sounded a bit empty as she sniffled: “Lu Jiaheng… where are you…”
Lu Jiaheng glanced at the old master teaching Lu Jiayi Go at the small table nearby: “I’m at home, what’s wrong?”
Chu Zhi whined pitifully: “You’re lying, I’m at your place now and there’s nobody here at all.”
Lu Jiaheng was stunned: “I’ll come back right now.”
An hour later, when Lu Jiaheng opened the door, he saw Chu Zhi squatting with her bottom up, holding a cloth and wiping the floor.
Her short legs went pat pat pat back and forth, wiping row by row with a water bucket beside her. Add a tatami background and it could be a Japanese drama scene.
Lu Jiaheng didn’t move, leaning against the doorframe watching her for a while before raising his hand to point at a corner: “That spot, did you wipe it?”
Chu Zhi: “…”
Chu Zhi turned around angrily, throwing the cloth at his feet: “Wipe it yourself!”
Lu Jiaheng smiled as he bent to pick up the cloth, walking over to throw it in the bucket before pulling her into his arms: “You came back early this year.”
In previous years, Chu Zhi would stay there for several days before returning. This year she had graduated and started working, no longer having winter and summer breaks, so naturally she returned earlier.
Chu Zhi hugged him back with a grin, taking the chance to wipe her hands that had just held the cloth on his clothes, front and back, satisfied only after getting her revenge: “I missed you.”
Lu Jiaheng didn’t move, head lowered as he held her, letting her burrow her head against his chest, sniffing like a puppy.
She seemed to particularly love his scent, especially when they hadn’t seen each other for a while. Upon meeting, she would always need to snuggle against him for a bit, burrowing into his embrace like a little hamster.
He loved all her gestures of closeness, the warmth when she hugged him, the moment of her kisses.
He also loved her occasional unconscious light words that carried thunderous force, like warm steady streams flowing into his heart, making it sour and soft beyond measure.
As long as it was her, anything was fine.
As long as it was her, he would willingly do anything.
After Chu Zhi waited quite a while without getting a response, she finally raised her head from his embrace, chin resting on his chest as she grinned at him: “Lu Jiaheng, do you know what day tomorrow is?”
He held her, lowering his eyes with a gentle expression: “Hmm? What day?”
“Tomorrow is the seventh,” Chu Zhi reminded him.
Lu Jiaheng nodded: “Work day.”
Chu Zhi: “…”
She seemed speechless for a moment, pushing slightly away from his stomach and glaring at him dissatisfied for a while.
Lu Jiaheng blinked innocently.
Chu Zhi continued glaring at him. After a long while, she sighed like someone carrying a heavy burden and beckoned him: “Come here.”
Lu Jiaheng curved his lips, very obediently leaning forward to offer his ear.
Chu Zhi leaned forward, speaking very slowly: “Tomorrow is the seventh—”
She paused.
Lu Jiaheng lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on her reddened little ears.
The next second, the young girl said very softly,
“—it’s the day the civil affairs bureau opens.”
The seventh day of the first lunar month was auspicious for marriage. At 8:30 in the morning, they were at the civil affairs bureau.
Chu Zhi held Lu Jiaheng’s hand, happily waiting with a rosy, glowing complexion as she chattered away to him.
Lu Jiaheng stood beside her, unusually silent.
After talking for a while, Chu Zhi noticed the issue and turned to look at him: “Lu Jiaheng.”
He lowered his eyes: “Hmm?”
“Are you nervous?”
Lu Jiaheng: “…”
Chu Zhi blinked, suddenly putting on a knowing big sister expression as she stood on tiptoe to pat his shoulder: “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. When we go in, just follow my lead.”
Lu Jiaheng: “…”
They were right at the entrance where two staff members stood, who heard and started laughing.
Chu Zhi didn’t notice, still hanging onto his shoulder talking: “Don’t be nervous, I heard this is very quick, just the queuing is slow. Later you just close your eyes, snap snap snap snap, and it’ll be over.”
Lu Jiaheng: “…”
The staff nearby could barely contain their laughter. When Chu Zhi and Lu Jiaheng went in, just as Chu Zhi said, they filled forms, took photos, paid fees. When the official seal was stamped, Chu Zhi was still in a daze, hanging onto the counter blinking, taking a while to react as she watched the staff member curiously: “That’s it?”
The staff member also smiled: “Yes, that’s it. Congratulations on your happiness.”
Not until they got their little red books and Lu Jiaheng led her out did Chu Zhi suddenly stop at the entrance.
Lu Jiaheng also stopped, turning back: “What’s wrong?”
Chu Zhi tilted her head back, staring at him dazedly: “Lu Jiaheng.”
Lu Jiaheng very patiently: “Mm.”
“Are we married now?”
His lips curved slightly as he smiled, his beautiful peach blossom eyes also curving: “Mm.”
Chu Zhi gazed at him dazedly, slowly processing before pursing her lips, her expression suddenly becoming pitiful and aggrieved: “How could I be married…” she looked about to cry, “I’m only twenty-two, I just graduated from university… how did I end up married to you wuwu…”
Lu Jiaheng: “…”
No wonder this little one had been so well-behaved these past days – she was waiting for this moment.
The staff nearby had probably never seen anyone like this and couldn’t stop laughing.
Lu Jiaheng gave a low chuckle before simply hoisting her up like a sack of potatoes and carrying her out.
Chu Zhi let out a shriek, quickly grabbing his neck afraid of falling: “What are you doing, what are you doing!”
Lu Jiaheng ignored her, carrying her out of the civil affairs bureau and tossing her into the car before getting in himself to drive home.
The whole way back, Chu Zhi kept staring at the little red book in her hands, still somewhat dazed.
As he drove, she suddenly turned to look at him, tilting her head: “Lu Jiaheng, will you regret marrying me in the future?”
Lu Jiaheng didn’t even bother correcting her phrasing: “No.”
“How do you know you won’t? A lifetime is so long, what if you meet someone you like more in the future?”
Lu Jiaheng thought for a moment, feeling she had a point: “Then maybe.”
Chu Zhi was furious: “Dream on!”
Lu Jiaheng licked his lips with a smile: “What is this, marriage anxiety?”
Chu Zhi was like a little monster, baring her teeth at him: “Lu Jiaheng, now I completely belong to you. If you dare treat me badly, I’ll—”
She wracked her brains for a while but couldn’t think of any effective threat.
But Lu Jiaheng suddenly grew quiet.
The car stopped in the compound parking lot. His hand rested on the steering wheel as he turned to look at her: “I won’t.”
Chu Zhi blinked: “Huh?”
He lowered his eyes, his voice flat and gentle, as if stating something completely ordinary: “I won’t meet anyone I like more in the future.”
Chu Zhi was stunned.
“Do you remember what happened in freshman year?”
“Back then I always felt you had some good feelings for me, wanting me to notice you,” he suddenly lowered his eyes and smiled lightly, seeming to recall the past, “Later I realized you didn’t need to try at all – just one look from you and I would follow you anywhere.”
Under the blazing sun at high noon, seventeen-year-old Chu Zhi walked alone into A University campus dragging a large suitcase, standing in place looking around bewilderedly like a little animal lost in the forest.
Lu Jiaheng leaned lazily against the volunteer tent, casually sipping a can of cola with an indolent, indifferent expression that seemed to take in nothing.
Across the campus main road and crowds, she suddenly, without warning, looked over at him.
Their gazes met.
The girl’s pupils were pitch black, clear and bright.
After three seconds of eye contact, she blinked at him.
Lu Jiaheng froze.
The French phoenix trees were lush with leaves, the clouds thin, the sunlight scorching and bright, the campus asphalt roads nearly melting in the heat.
—Just one look from you and I would follow you anywhere.
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