The Master’s Mask Unveiled Again
Chapter 853 - 852: Bringing the Civil Affairs Office Home

Chapter 853: Chapter 852: Bringing the Civil Affairs Office Home

Xiao Jianli sat at the head of the table.

Next to him were Xiao Huazun, Qi Zhen, Lu Mian, and Xiao Qimo.

The dining table was quite large, yet all five people were squeezed together.

Qi Zhen sat tightly next to Lu Mian, smiling with crescent eyes, continuously adding food to Lu Mian’s plate.

"Mianmian, eat more, you’re still too thin. But, compared to the last time I saw you, you have gained some weight and your complexion looks much better."

"Thank you, Auntie." Lu Mian patiently finished everything on her plate, bit by bit.

"And this hamburger, I made the bread myself, and the vegetables, salad, caviar, and codfish slices inside were all carefully selected by me, try it now!"

Lu Mian couldn’t resist the deliciousness of the hamburger, especially one filled with love.

Holding the soft bread, she ate earnestly and gracefully.

Qi Zhen also knew when to stop and didn’t continue to put more food on Lu Mian’s plate.

Seeing that his wife was finally free, Xiao Huazun quickly passed her a small dish of freshly peeled crab meat, "Crab is cold in nature, you shouldn’t eat too much since you are not in good health."

"I know, I’m not that delicate!" Qi Zhen ate the crab meat as if this were routine.

Xiao Huazun had a look of relief and casually inquired about Lu Mian’s situation as well.

"Mianmian, have you finished applying to schools? What major did you apply for?"

Xiao Jianli also looked over with interest.

"I think it’s... Applied Physics." Lu Mian swallowed a small bite of the hamburger, recalling carefully.

"...Think?"

Xiao Huazun doubted his own hearing at the use of those words.

Don’t you remember what major you applied for?

But after she finished speaking and saw Lu Mian’s somewhat puzzled expression, Xiao Huazun and the two others deeply realized she truly couldn’t remember.

"If you’ve forgotten, I can have someone check for you," Xiao Huazun said tolerantly.

"It’s okay, I’ll know once I get the admission letter."

Xiao Huazun and Qi Zhen looked at each other, not sure whether to laugh or cry. Their daughter-in-law had quite a unique way of doing things.

Xiao Jianli popped a peanut into his mouth, "Dean Kang Hongbin would probably lose sleep over hearing you say that."

Lu Mian added with a smile, "Anyway, it’s a major in the Physics Department."

When she was applying, Yuanyuan covered the computer screen and wouldn’t let her see, telling her to choose a major by herself.

She had no choice but to pick a major in the Physics Department and applied thinking it looked about right.

"Hahaha, if he heard this, he probably wouldn’t be able to close his mouth for the next four years," Xiao Jianli commented.

Lu Mian paused, not mentioning her plan to study a second major.

As the five of them ate and chatted, the subject of getting their marriage certificate came up naturally.

"Mianmian, when are you and Qimo going to register for your marriage certificate again? The Xiao family is quite well-known here in Jinjing; we could bring the civil affairs bureau to our home anytime."

To marry off his son, Qi Zhen was truly concerned.

Lu Mian was somewhat troubled, her ID card worked for everything else, but there were restrictions when it came to getting her marriage certificate. There was still no news from her master, not to mention the issue with her ID card, even her commander privileges were still sealed.

Thinking the old coot believed sending her some broken antique would calm things down after being out of touch for so long?

"Mianmian?" Qi Zhen gently tapped her.

"Oh, any time is fine for me," Lu Mian said with a smile, agreeing easily.

Qi Zhen was nearly in tears. What kind of celestial daughter-in-law did they have? Why was she so easy to marry off?

Was she truly... willing?

Or had someone put a spell on her?

Qi Zhen looked at Xiao Qimo with suspicion, while Xiao Qimo gazed deeply at Qi Zhen.

He finally understood that Lu Mian was never the stumbling block on the road to getting their marriage certificate; it was her ID. Going deeper, it was because of her master.

Ah, another arduous and extraordinary path of struggle lay ahead.

"Mom, don’t worry about this. I have it under control," he said.

"How can I not worry? You have to have a wedding—there’s also the proposal, the engagement, the ancestral rites. Don’t these all need to be arranged in advance? If the rituals aren’t handled well, what will Mianmian’s family think?"

"..."

Xiao Qimo wanted to argue more, but when his father, Xiao Huazun, snapped his chopsticks down, he forced a smile and said no more.

——

After dinner, with plenty of evening still ahead, Xiao Qimo took Lu Mian for a walk in the estate to enjoy the cool breeze.

The end of June nights brought refreshing winds.

The old residence had good greenery, many ginkgo trees lined the roadsides, purifying the air, always maintaining a comfortable temperature.

"Put this on; there are many mosquitoes in the yard," he said.

The man attentively placed a mosquito repellent bracelet on Lu Mian’s wrist and handed her an extra one.

Lu Mian took the hint and bent slightly, "Do I need to wear one on my feet too?"

"..."

Xiao Qimo’s outstretched wrist froze midway.

Crows flew overhead, cawing loudly...

With a mix of resignation and weariness, he explained, "You put it on me."

"...Oh."

Lu Mian lowered her head and placed the mosquito repellent bracelet on Xiao Qimo, feeling guilty for her action, she asked in a muffled voice, "...Is being with me very tiring?"

It seemed she oftentimes couldn’t accurately grasp Director Qi’s real thoughts, and her judgments tended to disappoint.

The issue was she never realized her ideas were wrong until she saw his expressions and noticed she had caused him plenty of silent frustration.

Xiao Qimo blamed himself even more.

It must have been his terrible expression just now that gave her such an idea, right?

He immediately intertwined his fingers with hers, explaining earnestly, "Not tiring."

Many things a boyfriend should do didn’t fall on him; since Lu Mian never got emotional, he hardly ever had to console her. He thought about working hard to support her financially, yet she was a little rich girl herself.

He was probably the most leisurely boyfriend in the world.

The more Xiao Qimo thought about it, the more stifled he felt, and he took the initiative to say, "For some things, you could try letting me do them for you, I would be happy. And if I ever make you unhappy, you can scold me, even hit me."

Lu Mian nodded, somewhat bewildered, and then her thoughts drifted, "How about you carry me on your back for the walk?"

"You’re learning quite fast." Beneath his glasses, Xiao Qimo’s eyes were dark and bright, and he eagerly offered his back.

Lu Mian hopped on lightly.

The man raised his arms, and his strong hands securely supported Lu Mian’s body.

She was light; his back barely felt any pressure, though she was a bit heavier than when he had carried her before.

Xiao Qimo could support her with just one hand, but in the process of slipping his other hand away, he accidentally brushed against Lu Mian.

Lu Mian suddenly tensed her nerves, as if jolted by electricity.

Director Qi had just touched her... thigh.

She stared at the back of the man’s head for a while, realizing he seemed to be unaware of the incident, and she blushed, chiding herself for overthinking.

"What are you thinking about?" The man looked back and asked Lu Mian.

"I was wondering... with how smoothly you carry your girlfriend, you must have done this often, haven’t you?"