Ji Fanyang was busy in the kitchen, while Lu Hui took a bunch of coriander from the refrigerator and stood by the sink to wash the vegetables.
“Lu Hui,” Ji Fanyang said, “Aren’t you worried?”
“If you’re talking about my mom, I’m not worried,” Lu Hui replied, carefully washing the roots of the coriander. “If it’s about General Ji, you might need to worry a bit.”
Ji Fanyang cracked an egg into the pot, the sizzling sound accompanied by a delightful aroma. Lu Hui turned around, catching a glimpse of the concern in the young man’s eyes wearing a blue apron. He set down the coriander, approached Ji Fanyang, and gently kissed the side of his neck, like a feather brushing over the water.
Before Ji Fanyang could relax his furrowed brows, the doorbell rang; the parents had arrived.
Lu Hui was about to step out to open the door but was stopped by Ji Fanyang. “I’ll go.”
Lu Hui stepped back, watching Ji Fanyang walk towards the entrance, his pupils deepening.
“Dad, Mom,” Ji Fanyang greeted as Ji Lian and Fan Shuqin entered.
“Just woke up?” Fan Shuqin asked.
“Yeah,” Ji Fanyang replied, “Lu is in the kitchen cooking.”
“Hmm,” Ji Lian snorted coldly, sitting on the sofa.
“We met a really nice couple yesterday,” Fan Shuqin said, pulling her son aside. “We took a walk together; they also came to see their son.”
“Oh?” Ji Fanyang continued the conversation.
“We went to Yiyang Pedestrian Street and bought some interesting trinkets,” Fan Shuqin said.
“Don’t tell him these useless things,” Ji Lian interrupted Fan Shuqin, looking at Ji Fanyang. “Come back to the capital with me and meet Auntie Yao’s daughter.”
Ji Fanyang was busy in the kitchen, while Lu Hui took a bunch of coriander from the refrigerator and stood by the sink to wash the vegetables.
“Lu Hui,” Ji Fanyang said, “Aren’t you worried?”
“If you’re talking about my mom, I’m not worried,” Lu Hui replied, carefully washing the roots of the coriander. “If it’s about General Ji, you might need to worry a bit.”
Ji Fanyang cracked an egg into the pot, the sizzling sound accompanied by a delightful aroma. Lu Hui turned around, catching a glimpse of the concern in the young man’s eyes wearing a blue apron. He set down the coriander, approached Ji Fanyang, and gently kissed the side of his neck, like a feather brushing over the water.
Before Ji Fanyang could relax his furrowed brows, the doorbell rang; the parents had arrived.
Lu Hui was about to step out to open the door but was stopped by Ji Fanyang. “I’ll go.”
Lu Hui stepped back, watching Ji Fanyang walk towards the entrance, his pupils deepening.
“Dad, Mom,” Ji Fanyang greeted as Ji Lian and Fan Shuqin entered.
“Just woke up?” Fan Shuqin asked.
“Yeah,” Ji Fanyang replied, “Lu is in the kitchen cooking.”
“Hmm,” Ji Lian snorted coldly, sitting on the sofa.
“We met a really nice couple yesterday,” Fan Shuqin said, pulling her son aside. “We took a walk together; they also came to see their son.”
“Oh?” Ji Fanyang continued the conversation.
“We went to Yiyang Pedestrian Street and bought some interesting trinkets,” Fan Shuqin said.
“Don’t tell him these useless things,” Ji Lian interrupted Fan Shuqin, looking at Ji Fanyang. “Come back to the capital with me and meet Yao Auntie’s daughter.”
“I’m not going,” Ji Fanyang frowned. “Where Lu Hui is, I am.”
In the kitchen, Lu Hui turned off the stove, coincidentally hearing this statement. The faint glimmer in his deep black eyes was like a torch lit in the night.
The doorbell rang again, and Ji Lian asked, “Is someone else coming?”
Ji Fanyang stood up to open the door, and there stood Lu Qingqiong and Song Duan.
“Hello, Aunt and Uncle,” Ji Fanyang seemed a bit uneasy.
Lu Qingqiong smiled gently, “You must be Ji Fanyang?”
“Yes, I am,” Ji Fanyang stepped aside to make way, and Song Duan walked in, asking, “Where’s Lu Hui?”
“In the kitchen,” Ji Fanyang said.
“Oh, he can cook too?” Lu Qingqiong exclaimed.
Ji Fanyang chuckled somewhat embarrassedly, “He learned specifically recently.”
“Not easy,” Lu Qingqiong walked into the living room, coincidentally locking eyes with Ji Lian. Surprised, he said, “What a coincidence.”
“Is it you?” Fan Shuqin was equally surprised. “Are you…?”
“Lu Hui’s parents,” Lu Qingqiong said.
Song Duan pulled open the sliding door of the kitchen and walked in, looking at Lu Hui. “How long do you plan to keep playing with that kid outside?”
Lu Hui placed four fried eggs on a plate and calmly said, “Is a lifetime long enough?”
After pondering for a moment, Song Duan said, “I support all your decisions.”
“Perhaps I should thank this belated motherly love?” Lu Hui turned off the stove and the exhaust fan, and the kitchen instantly fell silent.
“I didn’t ask you to come home for the Spring Festival,” Song Duan said. “If you feel there’s only one person in the world you can rely on, I have no objections.”
“I don’t need to rely on anyone,” Lu Hui replied.
“That’s good,” Song Duan began to reevaluate her son. “Do you think you can protect him?”
“With my life,” Lu Hui said.
For Lu Hui, Song Duan resembled more of a fatherly figure. Although he was reluctant to admit it, her style of doing things influenced most of his personality. Lu Hui’s stubbornness and even paranoia at the beginning were efforts to gain Song Duan’s attention. Now, however, Lu Hui lived more independently, and Song Duan’s approval seemed less important to him.
Song Duan nodded, walked out of the kitchen, and Lu Hui followed. “What do you want to do?”
“Old Lu, let’s go,” Song Duan said.
“Huh?” Lu Qingqiong was puzzled. “So early?”
“What, do you want to stay and eat here?” Song Duan said.
Ji Fanyang quickly said, “It’s okay, there’s enough food.”
“Don’t want to trouble you. I agree to this,” Song Duan said. “Alright, let’s go. Xiao An is waiting for us in Zhongchuan.”
Ji Fanyang noticed that Lu Hui was silent. He stood up and tried to persuade, “Uncle and Aunt, stay and have a meal before leaving.”
“Why did you agree so quickly?” Ji Lian said. “We haven’t agreed yet.”
“It’s you who hasn’t agreed,” Ji Fanyang retorted, “Don’t drag my mom into this.”
“Oh?” Song Duan perked up. Lu Hui’s heart skipped a beat as he heard Song Duan say, “Why didn’t you agree?” It wasn’t a rhetorical question, just pure curiosity.
“Why did you agree?” Ji Lian countered.
Song Duan replied matter-of-factly, “Because my son is willing, your son is willing. It’s a mutual agreement. What’s it to you?”
“I’m his dad,” Ji Lian said.
Song Duan turned to Ji Fanyang, “Looks like you need to talk to your grandpa about your dad.”
“Stop, stop,” Lu Hui had to interrupt Song Duan before he could say more. He didn’t want his mom to infuriate Ji Fanyang’s father, “We’ll handle this ourselves.”
“You can’t handle it yourselves,” Lu Qingqiong said, looking at Ji Lian. “Let young people decide their own affairs. How about we all go out for a cup of tea?”
“I want to say something,” Ji Fanyang spoke up, looking at Ji Lian. “Lu Hui’s insurance beneficiary, heir, and emergency contact are all under my name. I know you’re worried that this kind of relationship without legal ties won’t provide me with a sense of security. Still, he has given me everything he can, and I will give him everything I have. No one can guarantee the future, but I hope it’s with him for the rest of my life.”
Lu Hui’s hand gripped Ji Fanyang’s, and a warm emotion climbed into his bright black pupils.
Ji Lian remained silent for a while, and Fan Shuqin spoke for him, “As long as you two are happy, we’ll be reassured.”
Song Duan looked into Lu Hui’s eyes and said, “We’ll leave now.”
“Alright,” Lu Hui nodded.
Lu Qingqiong and Song Duan left, and Ji Lian sighed deeply, “Well, we won’t stay any longer,” standing up to leave.
Fan Shuqin patted Ji Fanyang’s shoulder, “You two, go ahead and eat.”
“Yeah,” Ji Fanyang lowered his eyebrows, “Disappointing my father.”
“Love will not disappoint anyone,” Fan Shuqin said.
Watching Fan Shuqin leave, Ji Fanyang sat at the dining table, and Lu Hui brought over the meal and chopsticks.
“Do you want to go out?” Lu Hui asked.
“What?” Ji Fanyang, caught in an inexplicable emotion, looked up.
Lu Hui said, “I booked two tickets to New York. My sister has a house there. We can stay for a few days and get married along the way.”
“???” Ji Fanyang was amused by the phrase “get married along the way.” “When did you book them?”
“Last night, after you fell asleep,” Lu Hui said. “If your dad doesn’t agree, we can elope.”
“Oh my.” Ji Fanyang laughed, his eyes squinting, “Why not buy tickets to Mars and elope there.”
“Planting potatoes there?” Lu Hui shook his head, “I don’t like eating potatoes.”
“Only afraid that time is not long enough,” Ji Fanyang said. “I want to accompany you for a lifetime.”
“Congratulations, me too,” Lu Hui said.
【Extra Ends】
