In the kitchen, Su He was helping Tang Jiaojiao pick vegetables.
"What's the deal with this house?" Su He had known from the moment she entered that things were not as simple as her adoptive mother had said about renting a place. The furniture in the room looked brand new, with no trace of life. Could it be that they heard she was bringing Lu Yanbei back and had found a show home on the spot?
Tang Jiaojiao threw the greens into the basket and said, "Alright, I'll be honest with you. I did borrow this house. It's a wedding house that a friend of mine prepared for his son. Since he's been working out of town, it's been vacant. I thought, the first time our son-in-law visits, we should make a good impression, so I borrowed it from my friend for a few days."
"Can a wedding house be borrowed so casually?" Su He said softly. "What if your friend's son finds out? He might make a scene!"
"Actually, it's not necessary. He knows our family's situation, doesn't he?" Su He said, rubbing her temples.
"I already told you, it's rented. We're not pretending to be rich. It's okay to say we bought it," Tang Jiaojiao patted her shoulder to reassure her.
Su He wanted to say more, but Tang Jiaojiao had already brought out the washed fruit. "These are fruits grown in our hometown, all natural and pollution-free. Try some."
Lu Yanbei looked at the strawberries, which were almost identical in shape, and picked one up calmly.
These fruits, though seemingly ordinary, were carefully selected for their color and size. Most of the fruits sold in ordinary fruit shops were substandard. Only high-end markets would have such appearance, and the price would be several times higher. Most people couldn't afford them.
Also, the attire of Su Dazhi and Tang Jiaojiao shouldn't be cheap, not something people of their social class could afford. Especially the diamond necklace on Tang Jiaojiao's neck, he had seen it at an auction abroad, worth eight figures. Moreover, judging by the luster and cutting craftsmanship of the diamond, it didn't seem to be a fake.
One might ask, how could a person so poor that they could only live in urban villages and make a living by collecting scrap have such purchasing power?
He had carefully investigated Su Dazhi's background, and he did not seem to be wealthy. He had no background, his social circle was simple, and his words and actions were down-to-earth. Yet, he always felt a trace of strangeness about the two of them.
He couldn't pinpoint what was strange, but there was a sense of incongruity.
Lu Yanbei lowered his eyes, suppressing these doubts.
During dinner, Su He inadvertently asked about other members of the Su family.
"Su Chen is busy with work. He said he might be back on Christmas."
"Su Ying's flight is tonight. If she arrives, it will be past midnight, so she won't be back for dinner."
"As for Su Lin, he seems to be filming in the deep mountains. I haven't been able to contact him for a long time."
Su He said "oh" and picked up a piece of braised pork ribs, chewing it.
"Don't worry, they'll definitely make it to your wedding," Tang Jiaojiao said, thinking she was unhappy about this, and coaxed her with a smile. "If they don't come back, I'll tie them up and bring them back!"
"No, it's just that we see each other less often, everyone is busy with their own things, and the house is a bit too quiet. I'm not used to it..."
"Isn't it good that no one is competing for attention with you when they're not here?" Tang Jiaojiao said with a smile.
"Not at all. They usually let me have my way..."
Lu Yanbei and Su Dazhi ate their food, not disturbing the mother and daughter's chat.
Su Dazhi was not good with words, while Lu Yanbei wanted to extract some useful information from their conversation.
After chatting and laughing with Su He for a while, Tang Jiaojiao belatedly realized that the table was too quiet. She took serving chopsticks and put a piece of fish on Lu Yanbei's plate. "Don't just eat, this fish is Su Su's specialty. Try it and see how it tastes."
Su He wanted to stop her but it was too late.
Lu Yanbei was very picky about food. He usually didn't touch dishes with a strong fishy smell.
Just as Su He was wondering how to smooth things over for Tang Jiaojiao without being obvious, she saw Lu Yanbei pick up the fish and silently put it into his mouth.
Su He: ...
Seeing him being so accommodating, Tang Jiaojiao couldn't stop smiling. She even moved the plate of fish in front of him. "Eat more."
Lu Yanbei said thank you.
Su He hadn't even fully stood up before she sat back down again.
"They've always had a good relationship with their siblings, and they're all very capable. When they come back, we can all get together," Tang Jiaojiao said to Lu Yanbei with a smile, chatting about family matters, regardless of whether he was happy or not.
Lu Yanbei responded with either "mm" or a nod throughout, and it was mostly Tang Jiaojiao who kept talking.
Su He and Su Dazhi exchanged a glance and continued to eat in silence.
As long as they weren't embarrassed, it was others who would be.
*
After dinner, Tang Jiaojiao and Su Dazhi saw them off to the car.
After waving goodbye, Su He looked at the silent Lu Yanbei and cautiously explained, afraid he might have some reservations. "They're just too enthusiastic. They don't have any bad intentions."
Lu Yanbei turned his head to look at her and said, "I think they're very nice. I really like your family atmosphere."
The family sat together, happy, complete, chatting, and very warm.
Unlike him, who lost his mother at a young age and had an unreliable father. Although Grandpa Lu doted on him, he was very strict. He had almost no childhood, no carefree and happy memories. All he had were endless studies, endless books, and periodic assessments.
As the successor of the Lu family, the burden on his shoulders was heavy, and no one could share it with him.
The only period of beautiful time was the year he studied abroad.
He met the girl he wanted to cherish for a lifetime.
Lu Yanbei stared blankly at Su He beside him, trying to merge her with the memory of her. However, both her personality and her appearance were more than just a little different.
The Su He of the past was cheerful, very pampered, and often acted spoiled with him. She would ask him to carry her, hug her, lift her high. Her appearance was also much better than now.
He knew that the accident had not only caused Su He to lose some of her memory but also disfigured her. Her current face should have undergone skin grafting surgery. Although her features hadn't changed much, she wasn't as radiant as before.
Thinking of the suffering Su He had endured, Lu Yanbei felt extremely guilty.
He couldn't help but reach out and pull Su He into his arms, murmuring affectionately, "A Miao, thank you for coming back to me."
This sudden action made Su He's body stiffen, unsure how to respond.
Also, why did he just call her A Miao?
This nickname seemed particularly intimate, as if she had heard it somewhere before.
"A Miao, you lazy little thing, get up, or you'll be late!"
"A Miao, when we get back to the country, I'll take you to meet my grandfather, okay?"
"A Miao..."
Su He's ears buzzed, her vision darkened, and fragmented images flashed through her mind.