AWB Chapter 339 Obedient and Clingy Younger Brother (50)
Chapter 339 Obedient and Clingy Younger Brother (50)
Mr. Lu rubbed the chess piece in his hand, not even glancing at the chessboard.
Lu's mother looked surprised as she stood next to the sofa, holding freshly washed fruit in her hand.
"You..." Lu Liruan was startled!
His body, which had been lounging loosely on the sofa, tensed up. He felt like a thief, his eyes darting around in their sockets, trying to come up with a sentence that could outdo Jin Shuhe's earth-shattering statement.
But the more anxious you are, the less capable you become.
"You're talking nonsense!"
"Be civilized!" Lu's mother clicked her tongue and slapped Lu Liruan's head with her still-wet hand.
"I'm not making this up."
I thought I could just laugh it off, but who knew that this kid would suddenly become stubborn today and say something again in a very clear and distinct voice.
"..."
"Even if Sister Li Ruan doesn't get married, it's okay. I'll take care of Sister Li Ruan for the rest of my life." As he spoke, he looked earnestly at Lu Li Ruan and Ms. Qin.
"Auntie, don't rush Sister Li Ruan anymore, and... don't worry about her."
For a moment, Lu's mother didn't know what to say. She had just said it casually, and after her daughter got really angry last time, she had gradually come to terms with it.
Who knew that Jin Shuhe would make such a serious request today, as if... as if she had done something really coerced.
Lu Liruan almost laughed out of anger.
"You're meddling in my business now!" Lu Liruan retorted defiantly.
Jin Shuhe lowered his eyes because of what she said, but even though they were halfway through the living room, Lu Liruan could still see the stubborn look on his face.
Spending time with Jin Shuhe reveals that although he appears mild-mannered and easygoing, to the point of being somewhat dull, he possesses a remarkable inner strength, being both resilient and stubborn, with a somewhat inflexible and rigid mindset.
When he gets angry, he may appear calm on the surface, but if you ask him to walk east, you'll find that he's already walked two miles to the west...
Even several donkeys couldn't be led back.
Lu Liruan usually indulged him, and sometimes she even found it quite amusing that he acted like a little adult and was willing to take care of her, so Lu Liruan let him be.
But at this moment, Lu Liruan was also going against him, and was a little provoked!
Lu Liruan has a good temper and will never make things difficult for anyone if she can understand them. She can get along peacefully with people and will never easily lose her temper, but now her brows are furrowed.
She was getting impatient. Lately, she had indeed felt that the child's behavior was becoming more and more obvious. Lu Liruan was getting tired of dodging the question and giving vague answers, and then this happened when she returned to her hometown!
Don't want to celebrate the New Year?
Lu Liruan felt irritated but couldn't say it out loud, which made her feel even more frustrated. She felt that Lu Liruan was really giving her a lot of trouble.
But Lu Liruan herself didn't realize:
Even with Jin Shuhe acting this way, what angered her was only his aggressive, relentless, and inconsiderate behavior.
What bothered Jin Shuhe was not what he wanted; it seemed that... this should have been the most troubling factor, but it was ranked last.
"Why are you throwing a tantrum! Don't argue during the New Year!" Lu's mother smacked Lu Liruan again, displeased with her scolding Jin Shuhe.
Although they haven't lived together for long these past few years, in Ms. Qin's heart, Xiao He is actually more mature than Lu Liruan.
Although he was clearly young, he was composed and calm. After entering police academy, he gained an even more righteous and sharp edge.
When Lu's mother knew that the two of them were arguing, she would subconsciously think that Lu Liruan was throwing a tantrum and bullying others. It couldn't be that Xiao He was the one who started the trouble, could it?
Now, her little face has fallen, and she's baring her teeth! Lu's mother looked at Lu Liruan and said, "Speak properly, why do you turn on me so suddenly?"
"Sister Li Ruan..."
"I don't want to talk to you! You three are all in cahoots!" Lu Liruan retorted hastily, jumping off the sofa, snatching the fruit bowl from Ms. Qin's hand, and "thump thump thump" heading towards her room.
He turned around and slammed the door shut.
"Hey! I haven't even said anything yet, how come I've been dragged into your group too!"
Finally, Lu's father casually placed the chess piece on the chessboard and made a joke to break the strangely tense atmosphere.
"Isn't this how your daughter acts when she's angry? Everyone else is in cahoots with her." Ms. Qin sighed.
"Alright, alright, it's your fault too. We agreed not to talk about her! See? You made her angry. All those gold chains and bracelets you bought for nothing." Mr. Lu winked at Ms. Qin.
The unspoken understanding between the couple prevented Ms. Qin from arguing, and she silently went to wash the fruit again. The large basin of fruit that had just been washed and was meant for several people to eat was all taken to Lu Liruan's room.
"I never let myself go hungry," Ms. Qin muttered, shaking her head.
"Never mind your sister. She had a much worse temper when she was little. She's much better now that she's grown up. Let's continue, come on!" Lu's father called out to Jin Shuhe, who was still hanging her head, motionless and silent.
Jin Shuhe nodded, still looking preoccupied.
He had acted impulsively just now, but he didn't regret saying those words. They were all his true feelings. He also wanted to help Sister Li Ruan, otherwise there always seemed to be some awkwardness between Sister Li Ruan and Auntie.
In fact, he was even more uncertain and insecure, feeling that anyone could take Sister Li Ruan away from him.
Every day feels like a countdown, and everyone feels like an imaginary enemy. Jin Shuhe wants Li Ruanjie to see him, but he doesn't know how.
When his aunt mentioned it again, he couldn't hold back anymore.
While playing chess, Lu's father glanced at Jin Shuhe a few times and said, "Still plotting? Stop plotting, your sister means no harm."
"I know, I made Sister Li Ruan angry..." Jin Shuhe said in a muffled voice.
"What did you do to upset her? You said you'd take care of her, and she's throwing a tantrum," Mr. Lu said casually, as if testing her.
"I don't know." Jin Shuhe played terribly in the second half of the game, losing miserably and not even realizing when he was checkmated.
"Let's stop playing! Go wash up and go to bed, it's quite late." Lu's father stood up, stretched his back, and Jin Shuhe silently cleaned up the mess, putting away the chess pieces and the chessboard.
After washing up and returning to her room, Ms. Qin turned off the lights. While patting her face to help the skincare products absorb, she looked worried and said, "You said..."
"What did I say?" Lu's father interrupted when he saw that she hadn't said a word for a long time.
"Xiaohe and our daughter." Ms. Qin organized her thoughts, feeling unsure where to begin.
"Go to sleep first, don't stay up any longer and raise your blood pressure," Mr. Lu said to Ms. Qin as he lay down.
Ms. Qin pondered for a while and increasingly felt that she hadn't thought things through enough. She needed to find an opportunity to see what was going on.
The opportunity came quickly.
Lu Liruan's high school classmates, who are also from this area, invited her to a local class reunion. The group hadn't seen each other for almost two years.
"Okay, see you this afternoon then."
Lu Liruan got out of bed, took a shower and washed her hair, sat in front of the mirror, and put on light makeup: "Mom, I'm going out in a bit, don't wait for me for dinner tonight!"
"Okay, if you're late, call your dad and have them pick you up at the entrance of the complex!" Ms. Qin instructed.
"Okay, got it!"
Lu Liruan hasn't spoken much to Jin Shuhe these past two days. It's not exactly a cold war, but she's just spending most of her time in her room.
After Lu Liruan left, Ms. Qin suddenly realized something.
When Mr. Lu returned from shopping at the supermarket, Ms. Qin pulled him into the kitchen as soon as he entered the door.
"What are you doing, being so secretive!"
"Your daughter went out to play."
"Ah... go ahead." Dad's ears were red from the cold, and he rubbed his hands to warm them up.
"Xiao He is still at home."
"what……"
"Should we ask them?" Ms. Qin had been thinking about this for the past two days, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong.
"Why are you meddling in their business?" Mr. Lu didn't approve.
“What! It’s precisely because of their affair that I’m making this decision! Xiao He… I’ve always treated her like one of our own children, but now…” Ms. Qin made up her mind.
Even Lu's father couldn't stop her: "Don't scare the child!"
"No way, I know what I'm doing!"
"Xiao He."
Ms. Qin walked to Jin Shuhe's door and knocked.
"Uncle and Aunt." Jin Shuhe opened the door and saw the two of them. She wasn't surprised at all. Instead, she felt like "finally they've come." She turned her head and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her hand clenching into a fist nervously next to her trouser seam.
"Auntie wants to ask you something, is it convenient for you?" Ms. Qin asked gently.
"That's convenient, Auntie."
As Jin Shuhe spoke, he walked out of the room and into the living room, where he sat upright on the sofa.
Ms. Qin and Mr. Lu sat side by side on the sofa next to him.
"Auntie wants to ask you... about you and your sister Li Ruan, what exactly..."
"I like Sister Li Ruan!"
Ms. Qin hadn't quite organized her thoughts yet, since she didn't know how to ask the question properly, when Jin Shuhe suddenly stood up from the sofa!
He was tall and slender, stood upright and neat, and had a serious expression as if he were about to take an oath, which startled Ms. Qin.
"Hey... wait a minute! Just sit down and talk, why are you making such a fuss!"
Ms. Qin patted her chest, and Mr. Lu handed her a glass of water: "Xiao He, our family is free and democratic, don't be nervous. Your aunt and I are just asking."
Mr. Lu wasn't too surprised.
Last year, he had a vague feeling about it, but he didn't think about it in detail.
In this family, Mr. Lu is more thoughtful than Ms. Qin, and then there's Jin Shuhe...
At this age, it's really hard to keep secrets.
Ms. Qin felt relieved to receive a positive answer, but she didn't expect it to be so readily given. Xiao He was an honest child; whatever she said was true, and she didn't beat around the bush.
In fact, Jin Shuhe didn't know what to do either. He felt that the only way for him to go now was to openly admit it.
Especially when facing his uncle and aunt, Jin Shuhe couldn't lie to them; he already felt very guilty...
Feeling guilty about his thoughts, he couldn't lift his head to look at the kind and generous uncle and aunt in front of him.
"Sorry……"
Jin Shuhe gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, not daring to look up at her uncle and aunt's expressions.
Ms. Qin had only meant to ask, but she didn't expect him to react so strongly: "Why are you apologizing? Child, your uncle and I haven't even said anything yet!"
"I know I... I'm not good enough for Sister Li Ruan, but I really, really like Sister Li Ruan. I'm sorry, I'm about to graduate from university, I will work hard and not hold Sister Li Ruan back. I really like Sister Li Ruan, I'm sorry Uncle and Aunt."
He murmured quickly.
"Sit down, sit down!" Father Lu pressed his shoulder, making him sit down again, and gently patted his shoulder: "Why are you so self-deprecating?"
Jin Shuhe knew he was insecure; he had been like that since he was a child. Even though he tried to appear calm, it was only because he didn't want others to see his cowardice.
Sister Li Ruan always says that she is much more cheerful and sunny than when she first met her, and she has also become more confident.
But it was all an act. When facing Sister Li Ruan, when facing the unbearable and uncontrollable feelings in his heart, he was still incredibly self-conscious and timid.
But he forced himself not to back down. This was the only thing he absolutely couldn't back down on. He really, really liked Sister Li Ruan...
"When did you start liking her?" Mr. Lu asked softly.
"During my university years."
In fact, Jin Shuhe himself did not know that at the beginning, Sister Li Ruan was like a lifeline to him. He grasped her as if she were the most important choice and salvation in his life. Sister Li Ruan was like a ray of light.
When exactly did it begin?
Mr. Lu nodded: "It's normal for someone your age to like girls."
"But can you really distinguish what kind of liking you have for Sister Li Ruan? Treating her as an older sister is also a kind of liking."
"I... like Sister Li Ruan. I want to stay by Sister Li Ruan's side for the rest of my life. I want to marry Sister Li Ruan. It's that kind of love." His voice grew softer and softer.
Her ears were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.
He had never even said these things to Sister Li Ruan, yet he was spouting nonsense in front of his uncle and aunt.
Ms. Qin snapped out of her surprise and was almost amused by his blunt and unrefined manner.
A lively and impulsive child expressing his or her preferences is never annoying.
Ms. Qin did not feel any ethical discomfort or aversion to his liking for Lu Liruan. When she first met Jin Shuhe, he was already an adult, more mature and independent than she had expected.
“You need to be clear about what you’re thinking. Your sister Li Ruan helped you, so you might have some feelings for her, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it… There’s still an age gap between you two,” Ms. Qin said gently.
"No, I know what I'm thinking. I just like Sister Li Ruan." He insisted stubbornly.
"Sorry……"
"What are you sorry for? Your uncle and I didn't criticize you." Ms. Qin had always liked this child, her affection mixed with heartache. The child was always so sensible and endearing.
“You’ve just graduated from university, you’re a police academy student, your future is bright, you’re good-looking, and you have a good personality. Your sister Li Ruan is my daughter, I don’t want to use words like ‘good enough’ to describe her, because in my heart, my daughter is the best.” Ms. Qin smiled.
“But you said you like her, and as her mother, I can accept that. I'm just asking because you two should resolve your own issues.”
Mr. Lu nodded: "Although your aunt is a bit anxious and hopes that she can enter the next stage of life step by step, we don't force her. If she really doesn't want to, then we will live one more day and take care of her and think about her as long as she is happy."
Jin Shuhe felt as if air was filling his chest; he could hardly believe that he would be treated so gently.
He had imagined countless scenarios in his mind where he would be disliked, scolded, or even kicked out of the house.
Like a child who has done something wrong.
"So, we hope that no matter what, you won't make her sad or unhappy. You know her, so don't put pressure on her. We want her to be happy and carefree." Mr. Lu sighed.
"No matter what your intentions were, if she gets hurt, your aunt and I will be angry."
This is why the two of them discussed this matter with Jin Shuhe today. Regardless of what happens to the two children, they will let nature take its course, but they will not allow anyone to make their daughter unhappy or sad.
"I promise not to."
Jin Shuhe was almost ready to jump up again. He hesitated for a moment, then pursed his lips: "Can...can I not tell Sister Li Ruan what I said?"