The Byoukidere Is Her Sweetie
Chapter 383: 383: Jiang Zhi and the Lu Family Have a Grand Reunion (First Update)

Chapter 383: 383: Jiang Zhi and the Lu Family Have a Grand Reunion (First Update)

“Mr. Jiang, the results of the kinship test are out,” Vice President Sun said on the phone. “You and Mr. Lu Xinglan are indeed cousins.”

The result came as no surprise.

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Zhi remained silent.

Zhou Xufang tugged at the sleeve of his hospital pajamas. “Aren’t you happy?”

He shook his head. “I’m not used to it.”

The Jiang Family members were often scheming, and aside from Jiang Wei’er, their relationship with him was distant. He’d grown accustomed to the indifference, so suddenly having the Lu Family pop up made him unsure how to deal with it.

Zhou Xufang thought differently than he did. She liked this turn of events, liked the Lu Family.

“The Lu Family are all good people. Gradually, you’ll get used to them, used to having family members who genuinely care for you, used to sitting at the table with the old and young, chatting over television, just like many ordinary families do. No struggles for power or profit, no plotting and scheming, no need for defenses or facades.”

She didn’t know about the Xue Family or the Qiao Family, but the Jiang Family and Lu Family, both among the Four Great Families, were very different. The Jiang Family had a strict hierarchy, numerous rules, and considerations, even concerns about social status, whereas the Lu Family was like an ordinary household, with affectionate parents and loving siblings, just like most families in the world.

“I don’t care,” Jiang Zhi asked her, “but do you like it?”

Zhou Xufang nodded.

The light fell into his eyes, and only then did he show a hint of joy. “Then that’s good. I hope more people are good to you.”

He didn’t care whether he had family members, but he hoped Zhou Xufang did. Before she met him, no one had cherished her. He hoped that in the future, others would care for her as well.

The phone set aside rang again. It was a call from Lu Xinglan.

Without any introduction, he directly asked, “Are you coming over tonight?”

The Lu Family had also received the DNA test results.

Jiang Zhi didn’t reply immediately but looked at Zhou Xufang.

She nodded.

So he answered, “Hmm, I’ll come over later.”

“My grandma is asking what you like to eat?”

Lin Qiunan was right beside Lu Xinglan, Zhou Xufang could hear her voice. She felt a little nervous and eager.

Jiang Zhi said, “Sweet and sour pork ribs.”

Zhou Xufang liked sweet flavors.

Lin Qiunan then had Lu Xinglan ask Zhou Xufang’s preferences.

“What does your girlfriend like to eat?”

“Sweet and sour fish.”

All sweet and sour.

Zhou Xufang really liked sweet things.

On the other end of the phone, Lin Qiunan urged Lu Xinglan to pick up the guests.

Lu Xinglan was clearly very tired, his voice lazy. “Do you need me to pick you up?”

Jiang Zhi retorted, “Can you drive?”

Hopefully, he wouldn’t fall asleep at the wheel.

“I can’t,” Lu Xinglan said. “I’ll take a taxi over, and you drive me back.”

That’s hardly what you’d call picking someone up.

Lin Qiunan gave Lu Xinglan a look.

Jiang Zhi refused, “No need.”

Lu Xinglan held the phone away from him, like a soulless echo: “He says he doesn’t need me to pick him up.”

Lin Qiunan then said, “Let Shengsheng go.”

Lu Xinglan emotionlessly relayed the message to Jiang Zhi: “Do you need Lu Sheng to pick you up?”

“No.”

“Then come over by yourself.”

With that, Lu Xinglan hung up.

Lin Qiunan had wanted to remind Jiang Zhi to be careful on the road, but before she could say much, the call had been disconnected, which irritated her. “Why do you talk to your brother like that?”

Lu Xinglan, dressed all in black, every button done up neatly, looking very abstinent and inflexible, yawned tiredly as he spoke with a serious appearance, “How else should I talk?”

Lin Qiunan scolded him, “Can’t you be a little gentler?”

Lu Xinglan: “…”

Gentle?

Was Jiang Zhi a child?

He wasn’t even gentle with children.

He lay half-slumped on the couch, teary-eyed from fatigue. “I’m going to sleep.”

Seeing his indifferent attitude, Lin Qiunan grew even more dissatisfied. “All you know is to sleep. Just look at your brother, he’s so accomplished; good at business and filmmaking. And you? What can you do? All you can do is sleep!”

Lu Xinglan: “…”

Suddenly having a grandson brought comparisons and hurt. The more Lin Qiunan looked at her eldest grandson, the more discontent she felt. “What are you sleeping for? Get up, help me find the movies your brother made, put them on the computer desktop. I want to watch them later.”

Lu Xinglan: …↘︎↗︎↖︎

He must’ve been picked up from the streets.

“Shengsheng,” Lin Qiunan called from downstairs, “also call Qing Rang over.”

From upstairs, Lu Sheng responded, “I’ve called him.”

Dodging Xu Jiuru’s watchful eyes took a bit of effort, and Jiang Zhi didn’t arrive at the Lu Family home until seven o’clock. By the time she got there, Lin Qiunan and Yao Bixi had already been waiting outside.

Lin Qiunan was wearing the same outfit Zhou Xufang had seen before, the one she wore when her uncle came over to meet the parents. It was especially formal and smart.

Zhou Xufang went forward to greet her, “Grandma Lin.”

Jiang Zhi couldn’t bring herself to speak, so she remained silent.

Maybe it was the strong wind outside that caused Lin Qiunan’s eyes to look a little red, “Dinner is ready, you must be hungry. Let’s eat first.”

Jiang Zhi just stood beside Zhou Xufang without a word. It was Zhou Xufang who replied, “Okay.”

As always, Lin Qiunan didn’t make any deliberate gestures, but she seemed quite at ease.

The four of them entered the house together, and Yao Bixi took out the slippers they had prepared in advance for Jiang Zhi and Zhou Xufang to change into. The style was the same, only the color and the size varied, and everyone in the Lu Family had a matching pair.

“Jingsong,” Yao Bixi called out to the kitchen, “Jiang Zhi has arrived, we can set the table now.”

Lu Jingsong came out of the kitchen wearing an apron, gave Jiang Zhi a smile, still wearing a transparent face shield to protect from cooking fumes. That smile had none of the imposing air of someone who commanded soldiers. He turned to Lu Sheng and said, “Shengsheng, help me wash two more dishes.”

“Oh.”

Lu Sheng got up from the sofa, and Zhou Qingrang also stood up.

“You sit here.”

She pulled Zhou Qingrang back down to the seat, and went to the kitchen herself.

“Uncle.”

Zhou Xufang also sat down, and Jiang Zhi took a seat beside her.

The TV on the wall was on, and Zhou Qingrang put the remote control beside her, “Want to change the channel?”

“No need.”

The three of them sat on the sofa together watching the news on TV.

Yao Bixi went to fetch the fruit plate from the kitchen, and Lin Qiunan went to call Lu Xinglan who was lying on the dining table, asleep.

“Xinglan.”

“Xinglan.”

Lu Xinglan opened his eyes, “Hmm?”

Lin Qiunan gave him a look, “Jiang Zhi is here.”

He perked up and sat on the sofa, grabbing a handful of candy from the dried fruit dish on the table and placing it in front of Jiang Zhi, yawning, “Oh.”

That “oh” was in response to Lin Qiunan’s comment just now.

Jiang Zhi’s gaze fell on the pile of candy, and not only was there candy on the coffee table, but there were longans, red dates, peanuts, and various nuts.

The warmth of everyday life.

That was the phrase that came to him. The Lu Family’s house was quite old, as was the furniture that looked like it was from decades ago. There were no expensive paintings or calligraphy on the walls—just yellowed old photographs. The pillows on the sofa were hand-embroidered cross-stitch, with the names of the family members stitched into them. The food on the dining table was steaming hot, and the kitchen exuded inviting aromas.

In this house, there was the air of everyday human life everywhere.

Very different from the Jiang Family’s home.

Jiang Zhi took a piece of soft candy, unwrapped it, and offered it to Zhou Xufang.

Four people sat on the long sofa, watching the evening news together.

Lin Qiunan sat to one side. She didn’t watch the evening news but watched her little grandson instead. The more she watched, the deeper the smile at the corner of her mouth grew. She wasn’t idle either; she peeled some dried fruit and placed them in a dish in front of Jiang Zhi.

Jiang Zhi only ate an almond.

The dishes were all served, and Yao Bixi announced, “Dinner is ready.”

The Lu Family’s dining table was an old-fashioned round table, the kind that didn’t rotate. As soon as Lin Qiunan took her seat, she placed the sweet and sour spareribs and the sweet and sour fish right in front of Jiang Zhi and Zhou Xufang.

“Your uncle is quite a good cook, help yourselves to more,” she said as she served a rib to Jiang Zhi and a piece of fish to Zhou Xufang.

Jiang Zhi glanced at the rib in his bowl but didn’t speak, while Zhou Xufang obediently ate the fish, “Thank you, Granny Xie.”

The way she called her ‘Grandma’ brought a smile to Lin Qiunan’s eyes and face.

“Bixi,” she said to her daughter-in-law, “keep an eye out for a larger house. Xinglan and Jiang Zhi are both at the age for settling down. Later, when there are children, this house will be a bit small.”

“Okay, I’ll find some time to look around.”

“Who is my brother going to settle down with?” Lu Sheng put a piece of boneless fish meat into Zhou Qingrang’s bowl and looked across at her brother, “With Mr. Zhou?”

Lu Xinglan lifted an eyelid, glancing at her.

“If all else fails, we’ll just have him go on blind dates,” his mother said with a disdainful tone.

Lu Jingsong ladled some soup for his wife, “And what if he falls asleep during his blind dates?”

Yao Bixi showed even more disdain, “Then we’ll just throw him out. Whoever finds him can keep him.”

Lu Xinglan: “…”

He was feeling completely unflustered inside, even slightly sleepy.

Zhou Xufang, upon hearing this, pursed her lips and smiled.

“Xufang.” Lin Qiunan suddenly called her.

She put down her chopsticks, “Hmm?”

Lin Qiunan used the serving chopsticks to add more food to her bowl, “Are you staying over tonight?”

She looked at Jiang Zhi.

Jiang Zhi said, “If you want to stay, stay.”

Lin Qiunan was inviting them to stay over, knowing that he would listen to Zhou Xufang.

After thinking it over, Zhou Xufang nodded.