Be Careful, Scum Dad! Mommy Is Back!
Chapter 375 What Recording?

Chapter 375: Chapter 375 What Recording?

Just now, Shang Lvxing focused his gaze on her and asked a question that was both shocking and speechless.

"When can you give me a title?"

Was she hearing things?

Or had Shang Lvxing been pushed to the brink of madness by Shang Yueling?

Lu Xining looked at the man before her with an expression as if he were crazy and bluntly said, "You and me... a title? Shang Lvxing, the sun hasn’t set yet, and you’re already spouting nonsense. Do you think there’s any connection between us and that word?"

One stood inside the doorway, the other outside, and there was no spark of ambiguity as their gazes crossed.

Shang Lvxing stared intently at Lu Xining, whose face was full of disbelief. His dark eyes held a kind of light that was difficult to decipher. During those years she thought had no relevance to her, he had spent every day anticipating a reunion with Aunt Chu Yan, stubbornly waiting for the little princess from her stories.

"I know you won’t admit it, so I brought a recording."

Lu Xining frowned. "What recording?"

The "ding" sound of the elevator came from not far away, followed by voices spilling out as the elevator doors opened. Shang Lvxing raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to discuss this here?"

Lu Xining glanced at the unfamiliar men exiting the elevator and stepped aside slightly, allowing the man through the door into her home.

She was equally curious about the recording Shang Lvxing had mentioned.

Her mother had taken great care to ensure she wouldn’t be discovered by the Shang Family, rarely leaving behind photos or other memorabilia.

Apart from a picture taken when she was just born, even the few scattered photos from other moments in her life had been carefully disposed of by Grandma Lu after her mother’s death.

As for videos or recordings, there were none at all.

In the living room, the sea breeze gently stirred as the two of them each sat on separate sofas, keeping a deliberate distance between them.

Shang Lvxing retrieved an old-looking recording pen from the pocket of his suit jacket.

"This recording pen was a gift from Aunt Chu Yan when I got a perfect score on my final exams. Inside is her promise to me."

He handed the recording pen to her.

Lu Xining took it and scrutinized it carefully. Though it looked aged, it was excellently preserved without a single visible scratch or damage.

The design of the buttons on the pen was rather peculiar. When she pressed one of them, nothing happened. Just as she assumed the pen was either out of battery or broken, Shang Lvxing reminded her to rotate the button after pressing it.

"It’s a unique design. I didn’t know how to operate it at first either, but Aunt Chu Yan taught me."

Every time Shang Lvxing mentioned "Aunt Chu Yan," there was a subtle change in his tone—a clear sign of genuine respect. Each syllable was pronounced with remarkable clarity and reverence.

Following his instructions, Lu Xining mustered up her courage to press the button, and sure enough, a faint rustling sound emerged.

At first, there was just static, like the hum of electricity.

Following the static came a woman’s voice that she hadn’t heard in a long time.

It was her mother, Chu Yan’s voice.

Compared to the tranquil detachment she remembered hearing later in life, the voice on the recording was distinctly younger, brimming with energy and warmth.

[Lvxing, that’s not how you use it. Let Auntie show you how.]

Static noise filled the gap in the recording.

It seemed that Chu Yan was teaching Shang Lvxing how to use the recording pen. Alongside the static, her patient and gentle voice filled the air.

[Once you press down, don’t let go. Say whatever you want to record. You can put down things you don’t want to tell others, like a diary on tape. When you grow up and listen back, it’ll be a kind of memory.]

[Alright, give it a try.]

The recording pen was evidently handed to Shang Lvxing, whose voice sounded youthful and full of innocence.

[I am Shang Lvxing. This is a gift from Aunt Chu Yan, and I really like it.]

A simple sentence, yet the boy said it with profound solemnity.

Amused by his seriousness, Chu Yan couldn’t help but laugh. [Lvxing, you’re being so formal. Have you been spending too much time with Uncle Shang and picked up his overly serious demeanor?]

[Hey, you’re just a little boy! Be more lively.]

From her mother’s voice, Lu Xining could tell that at that time, her mother hadn’t yet grown to resent Shang Qing. There was still a trace of gentleness in how she mentioned him.

This recording...

It must have been made before she uncovered the full truth and felt betrayed.

Lu Xining couldn’t bear to miss even a syllable of her mother’s voice. She lowered her head and stared at the palm-sized recording pen, carefully taking in every word.

The later parts of the recording shifted to Chu Yan discussing Shang Lvxing’s grades.

Soon, the topic drifted to his future.

[Lvxing, you’re such a good kid. If Auntie ever has a baby girl, how about I arrange a childhood betrothal for the two of you?]

[Oh, why are you blushing? Don’t tell me you don’t want to be Auntie’s son-in-law?]

The younger Shang Lvxing’s voice became anxious and eager as he replied, [No, I do! I really want to be part of Auntie’s family! If Auntie actually has a baby girl, I’ll do everything I can to protect her. I won’t let anyone bully her. I swear!]

Chu Yan’s relaxed laughter came through again, clearly touched by the boy’s earnestness. [Alright, Auntie believes you.]

[So, it’s settled. If Auntie has a baby girl in the future, the two of you will have a childhood engagement. You’ll act as her big brother and always protect her. Never let her suffer, and when you grow up, love her for a lifetime. Can you promise me that?]

Chu Yan’s tone made it clear that the idea of a childhood engagement was partly a joke.

Yet every word the boy said sounded like a solemn vow for the future.

Younger Shang Lvxing: [I can do it! Aunt Chu Yan, I promise I’ll do it! I’ll protect my little sister!]

[So, Aunt Chu Yan, can we truly become family forever?]

Chu Yan’s voice softened significantly, growing more tender.

She could sense the boy’s longing for family. Thinking of this boy she had adopted and the hardships he had faced in the orphanage, she recognized his sincerity in making this vow and confirmed her agreement with equal solemnity.

[Let this recording be our witness. I, Chu Yan, promise here and now: if I ever have a daughter in the future, she and Shang Lvxing will be engaged. We’ll be family forever, looking after each other and loving one another.]

Hearing this, Lu Xining’s fingers involuntarily released the button on the recording pen.

The boy’s slightly immature voice was filled with hope for the future, while the woman’s gentle and cheerful tone carried an unfamiliar tenderness.

Though Shang Lvxing often took out the recording pen to examine it, it had been years since he last pressed the button to play it.

Now, he sat on the sofa opposite her, listening to the promise he made as a young boy while gazing at the woman who was the other party in that pledge. In his deep eyes was the weight of years of longing, which had long since become a resolute obsession.

His voice, magnetic and low, carried a deep earnestness as he spoke, "Lu Xining, I didn’t lie to you."

"You and I truly are the match Aunt Chu Yan arranged for."