Chapter 76.2: Eating
Changning City.
The last streaks of crimson sunset on the horizon resembled a silk handkerchief in the hands of the Earth Mother, slowly being drawn back into her palm.
Walking beneath the cover of night, Lu Yixing made his way home.
People here finished work early. Even the children playing outside had already been dragged home by their parents, often by the ear. The streets were practically deserted. It wasn’t until he entered the residential compound that he ran into some familiar faces sitting outside to enjoy the evening breeze.
They greeted him as soon as they spotted him.
“Xiao Lu, you’re back? I haven’t seen you around for days!”
“Days? It’s been more than half a month!”
“Being a police officer means working way too much overtime!”
“Auntie Wu, Uncle Liu. I’ve been working overtime. I only just got off work.”
Lu Yixing wearily returned their greetings.
“I’ll head home first.”
“Go on, go on.”
He looked exhausted. Who would have the heart to keep him around chatting? Auntie Wu and Uncle Liu, who had been happily chatting away in the courtyard, hurriedly waved him off, telling him to go home and get some rest.
Just then, his childhood friend Xie Qiuyan suddenly stood up from a corner and waved at him.
“Hey, grandson! What big thing have you been up to this time? Your grandpa and your second uncle are both waiting for you at home!”
Huh?
Lu Yixing froze. Immediately, two words flashed through his mind.
I’m doomed.
It had to be that incident on the train. His second uncle had definitely found out!
Great. Looks like World War III was about to break out for the third time.
But Lu Yixing was utterly exhausted right now. All he wanted was to collapse into bed and sleep. Whatever happened could wait until after his next shift.
First, he’d go home. If things really turned ugly, he’d make a run for it and spend the night resting at the guesthouse.
With that in mind, Lu Yixing quickened his pace toward home.
The last streak of sunset disappeared, and darkness settled over the compound.
Both the main gate and the door to the central room stood open. The lights were on inside. His grandfather was seated facing the entrance, while his second uncle and second aunt sat opposite each other on either side of the table. All three wore extremely solemn expressions.
It looked almost like he was about to face a formal three-way interrogation.
Lu Yixing took a deep breath, steeling himself for the storm that was about to descend.
He walked into the courtyard and stopped in front of the main room.
“I’m home.”
“Oh, look who’s finally here.”
Old Master Lu immediately adopted a sarcastic tone, his expression sour.
“Our family’s second-class merit recipient has finally decided to grace us with his presence!”
“Dad, what are you doing? Can’t you just talk to him normally?”
Lu Bingzhi frowned slightly.
He didn’t know whether it was because their parents had retired or simply grown old, but over the past few years, their attitude toward this nephew left behind by their fourth younger brother had become rather strange. They might have his best interests at heart, but they insisted on doing everything their own way, completely disregarding the boy’s wishes. If Xiao Lu hadn’t been so easygoing, who knew how much trouble there would have been in the family by now?
Turning toward Lu Yixing, he asked, “You’ve been pretty exhausted these past few days, haven’t you? I heard you’ve been cracking down hard on criminal gangs recently. You arrested quite a lot of people, didn’t you?”
Looks like there wouldn’t be a fight after all.
Lu Yixing slowly nodded.
“It’s been all right.”
Anyone could see that he was utterly exhausted. He didn’t even feel like saying another word.
Cao Yuehua took the initiative to ask, “Have you eaten yet?”
“I ate at the canteen.”
Looking tired, Lu Yixing asked, “Second Uncle, Second Aunt, is there anything else? If not, I’ll head back to my room and get some rest.”
Lu Bingzhi fell silent for a moment.
“No, nothing else. Go get some rest.”
So they weren’t going to question him after all?
Wonderful.
Without another moment’s hesitation, Lu Yixing turned around, went straight into his room, and closed the door behind him.
“Lu Bingzhi! What do you mean by that? Does what I say as your father count for nothing now?”
Old Master Lu angrily pounded the table with his hand.
“He nearly lost his life while away on assignment, and I’m not even allowed to say a few words to him? He kept it hidden from the family, too! Does he even consider me his grandfather anymore?”
The older he got, the more unreasonable he became.
Lu Bingzhi felt a headache coming on. He patiently tried to reason with his father.
“Isn’t he just afraid you’ll worry?”
“Then he shouldn’t be a police officer in the first place!”
Old Master Lu was thoroughly displeased.
“We shouldn’t have let him join the police back then. Wouldn’t it have been much better to transfer him straight to the municipal government?”
“If you’d tried that, he would’ve run away long ago.”
Lu Bingzhi said helplessly, “He’s already a grown man. You can’t keep treating him like a child!”
“I don’t care!”
Rationally speaking, Old Master Lu knew perfectly well that his grandson disliked all these arrangements. But emotionally, he simply couldn’t help behaving like a mother hen, wanting to shelter Lu Yixing beneath his wings and watch him get married, have children, and live a peaceful, stable life.
That way, when he died, he’d at least have the face to meet his late wife and son in the afterlife.
He stubbornly refused to listen to reason.
“He’s been spoiled rotten by all of you! He used to be so obedient. When did he become so stubborn?”
“What’s so good about being a criminal investigator? Never mind the danger. Just the overtime alone is enough to kill you! He can be away from home for ten days or half a month at a time. You can’t count on him to take care of anything at home. What decent young woman would be willing to marry into a situation like that?”
The more Old Master Lu thought about it, the angrier he became. He slapped the table again.
“Don’t you bother with this anymore. I’ll handle it myself. He absolutely has to be transferred to a more suitable position!”
Please, no!
Hearing his father’s declaration, Lu Bingzhi felt an instant headache coming on.
At this rate, there really wouldn’t be a moment’s peace in the family!
He pulled his wife into the effort, and the two of them spent more than two hours patiently trying to talk the old man out of it. Their mouths went dry, but they still couldn’t change his mind.
When an elderly person got this stubborn, not even eight mules—or eighty thousand, for that matter—could drag them in another direction. Old Master Lu had already set his mind on getting his grandson transferred.
The problem was that transferring someone to another position wasn’t so easy.
Connections weren’t all-powerful. At best, they could arrange a lateral transfer. If Lu Yixing went to the municipal government, he’d only be an ordinary administrative staff member, with little choice but to work his way up slowly.
Staying within the public security system would be somewhat easier, but there were precious few suitable positions. The busy jobs didn’t necessarily pay well, while the comfortable ones were guaranteed to be poorly paid. That simply wouldn’t do. How could a man support a family without enough money?
There were certainly jobs that offered both a decent salary and manageable hours, but those required technical skills. His grandson simply didn’t have that kind of expertise.
Old Master Lu tossed and turned over the matter all night. At long last, he came up with what he considered the perfect solution.
A state-owned factory—as a security officer!
At least he’d still be a police officer, so the job would remain within his field. He’d be doing security and protection work, which was essentially a continuation of his current profession. That would make the transition easier for his grandson to accept. On top of that, state-owned factories offered excellent benefits and high salaries. There’d be no overtime, and he’d actually have time to look after his family. What could be better?
Having made up his mind, Old Master Lu went out to wait for his grandson in the courtyard bright and early the next morning.
He’d felt sorry seeing how exhausted his grandson had been the previous day, which was why he’d only argued with his son instead of disturbing the boy. But now that Lu Yixing had gotten some rest, it was time to have a proper talk!
He wasn’t in a hurry. His grandson was so worn out that he ought to sleep until noon at the earliest, only getting up once hunger drove him out of bed.
So Old Master Lu stretched out on a reclining chair, enjoying the gentle breeze as he waited.
However, the longer he lay there, the sleepier he became. Just as he was about to doze off, he suddenly heard a door opening.
He opened his eyes and saw Lu Yixing washing his face in the courtyard.
Old Master Lu instinctively turned his head to look at the clock in the main room.
It was only a little past nine. Why was he up so early?
“You’re awake?”
“Grandpa.”
Lu Yixing wiped the water droplets from his face.
After a good night’s sleep, he felt much more refreshed, and his mood was pretty good. In a calm, even tone, he greeted his grandfather, then pointed at his hair.
“My hair’s gotten too long. I’m going to get a haircut first. Whatever you need to discuss, we can talk about it when I get back.”
With that, Lu Yixing headed out.
All the words Old Master Lu had spent the entire morning preparing were suddenly stuck in his throat.
He was just about to call after his grandson when his eyes narrowed. The sharp instincts of a veteran investigator immediately kicked in.
Something wasn’t right!
His grandson’s hair wasn’t even that long! It wasn’t covering his eyes or getting in the way. After working himself to exhaustion for so many days, why would he bother getting a haircut instead of sleeping in?
Was he trying to avoid him?
But getting a haircut wouldn’t help him escape!
Something was fishy. He’d better wait and see!
Old Master Lu straightened up in his chair and waited for his grandson to return.
And he waited for more than half an hour.
Lu Yixing soon came striding back.
His hairstyle hadn’t changed much, though it did look a little neater. His face, however, looked considerably cleaner. The stubble on his chin had been completely shaved off, and even his eyebrows had been tidied up. The barber must have given them a proper trim, too.
He was also carrying a box of moisturizing cream.
Something was even more suspicious now.
Old Master Lu stared at the box of moisturizing cream in his grandson’s hand but said nothing.
Meanwhile, Lu Yixing started heating some water.
Old Master Lu tentatively asked, “What are you up to now?”
“I’ve been working overtime for so long that I haven’t had a proper bath in ages. I feel absolutely disgusting.”
Lu Yixing came up with an excuse.
“I’m heating some water so I can take a bath.”
“Oh.”
Old Master Lu acknowledged this with a sound, inwardly chuckling.
Like hell I’ll believe that!
Something was definitely going on!
Sure enough, after finishing his bath, Lu Yixing changed into a completely fresh set of clothes. He didn’t just smooth out all the wrinkles; he even threaded his belt through the very last loop. He looked so impeccably put together that he could have gone straight to a military parade.
After slipping a thick wad of cash into his pocket, Lu Yixing walked out of his room. Heading toward the door, he announced without even looking back, “I’ve got something to take care of. I’m going out for a while.”
So his suspicions had been right!
Old Master Lu grew rather excited. By now, he’d completely forgotten about transferring his grandson to another job. His mind was entirely occupied with one thought: his grandson had finally come around and was ready to go courting!
He jumped to his feet and called after him.
“Where are you going? Do you need any money?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Lu Yixing’s voice drifted back from outside.
‘Hey! You’re not even going to tell me what you’re doing?’
‘You really underestimate your grandfather!’
He’d been a reconnaissance soldier, after all!
Hearing the sound of a bicycle being wheeled outside, Old Master Lu immediately tossed his palm-leaf fan onto the table. He glanced around, grabbed a conical straw hat with a face-covering brim to shield himself from the sun, then wheeled his own bicycle out of the courtyard.
The moment he stepped outside, he spotted his grandson’s retreating figure.
He immediately began following him in secret. Naturally, he kept a considerable distance between them to avoid being noticed.
If it had been anyone else, they might not have detected him.
But Lu Yixing had served as a reconnaissance soldier himself. The moment his grandfather started following him, he noticed.
That was a mistake. I should’ve just taken my clothes and left directly.
Lu Yixing furrowed his brows slightly. It was still uncertain whether things would work out today, so what was his grandfather doing following him?
‘I’ve got to shake him off.’
With that in mind, Lu Yixing recalled the surrounding streets and continued cycling for a while. Then, taking advantage of the opportunity, he suddenly turned right and rode straight into a narrow alley.
Old Master Lu, following behind him, froze for a moment.
Why had he suddenly turned into an alley?
Oh no! His grandson had spotted him ages ago and was trying to shake him off!
He hurriedly sped up, reaching the entrance of the alley in just four or five seconds. But one look inside told him everything.
His grandson had vanished without a trace!
How was that little rascal so good at getting away?!
＊
Restaurant.
By the time Jiang Xia arrived, Lu Yixing was already waiting outside.
He stood beside his bicycle, wearing a white shirt tucked neatly into a pair of dark trousers. The clean, fitted waistline gave him a smart appearance, while the top buttons of his collar were slightly undone, revealing a small patch of lightly tanned skin around his collarbones. His shirt clung to his chest, faintly outlining the solid build beneath.
He was so comfortable to hold last time… Stop.
Jiang Xia hurried over.
“Why did you get here so early?”
“Being late isn’t a good habit.”
Seeing her approach, the corners of Lu Yixing’s mouth lifted slightly. But almost immediately, a hint of nervousness crept into his heart. He quickly turned around, took two bottles of drinks out of his bicycle basket, and asked,
“It’s so hot today. Are you thirsty? Would you like some orange juice?”
“I’m not thirsty, but it’ll be nice to have something to drink with our meal.”
Jiang Xia accepted the apple juice. She glanced through the restaurant’s entrance and noticed that there were hardly any customers inside.
That made sense. It was a workday, and most people hadn’t finished work yet.
“There aren’t many people here right now,” Jiang Xia said. “Why don’t we go in and pick a nice table first?”
“Sure.”
Lu Yixing readily agreed.
Once inside, Jiang Xia ordered four dishes and paid for the meal in advance.
She had said she was treating him, after all. There was no need to give him an opportunity to show off his gentlemanly manners.
“There’s hardly anyone here,” Jiang Xia remarked as the waiter headed toward the kitchen. “Our food should be served pretty quickly.”
“Yes.”
Lu Yixing racked his brains, desperately trying to think of something to talk about.
“Have you had a good rest these past couple of days?”
“Of course.”
Seeing how nervous he looked, Jiang Xia smiled and said, “My older sister hasn’t gone back yet, so she’s been making all sorts of delicious food these past couple of days. I’ve been enjoying quite a few good meals thanks to her.”
So she liked good food?
Lu Yixing made a mental note of that. After thinking for a moment, he said, “I’m not particularly good at cooking, but if I practice a bit more, I should have no trouble making ordinary home-style dishes.”
Oh?
Jiang Xia raised an eyebrow.
It wasn’t every day that a man volunteered to cook for someone.
She didn’t pay much attention to the hint, though. Instead, she asked curiously,
“You can cook? Who taught you?”
At that, Lu Yixing lowered his eyes. A hint of melancholy settled over his face, one that even he himself seemed unaware of.
“My grandmother.”
“I told you before that I was born after my father died.”
Mentioning this, Lu Yixing paused briefly before continuing in a soft voice.
“Actually, my father wasn’t the only one in my family who died in the war. My grandmother had six children. By the time the country was founded, only two of them were still alive: my second uncle and my father. My father was the youngest, but my grandfather went ahead and sent him to the battlefield anyway, despite my grandmother’s objections.”
“After my father died, my grandparents’ relationship became rather strained. My grandmother was already old, and looking after me was hard on her. So from a young age, I tried to do whatever I could to lighten her burden. Nothing much, just sweeping the floor, washing clothes, cooking meals, and things like that.”
“I see.”
Jiang Xia blinked.
Most people would probably have thought he was simply a good-natured, filial child who had learned to appreciate kindness and repay those who cared for him.
But Jiang Xia had a vague sense of why Lu Yixing had grown into such a considerate person.
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