Chapter 12

“I don’t agree.” Lu Yongzhang’s voice was very calm. “Right now, we are all in the same boat. There’s no such thing as one person harming another. I have my own requests of you, as I mentioned earlier.”

“But…”

“Your father’s demands are, in my view, reasonable.” A cold gleam appeared in Lu Yongzhang’s eyes. “I have seen people more straightforward and practical than Uncle Zheng.”

Like Xiaorou’s father in her previous life.

He had originally shown no regard for her as a concubine’s daughter, but after a series of misfortunes led her to become a prince’s wife, he revealed his greedy nature, wanting this and that. He demanded care for the men in the family and even insisted on arranging a high marriage for her legitimate sister.

Now, Father Zheng was merely asking him to find a way to solve her elder brother’s employment problem.

In comparison, that was hardly a huge request. Furthermore, if her brother was truly capable, he would not mind supporting him; perhaps she could even benefit from this connection in the future.

The courtyard door slammed, and Zheng Tianlei’s voice rang out from outside, “Brother Lu! Brother Lu, let me in.”

Seeing Zheng Xiaorou with red eyes, Zheng Tianlei rushed forward and grabbed Lu Yongzhang’s arm. “Brother Lu, my dad is talking nonsense! My brother isn’t like that; this matter has nothing to do with my sister!”

“I know, I certainly know.” Lu Yongzhang smiled. “It’s getting late today. Are you prepared for the lessons you’re going to teach your sister tomorrow?”

“Yes, yes, I’m ready.” Zheng Tianlei scratched his head, his eyes brightening. “By the way, Brother Lu, who came to my house today to send a message? They were really impressive.”

“One is my dad’s bodyguard, and the other is my childhood friend, Fatty Pan. What’s so impressive about them?”

“You can tell they’re skilled at a glance. I really want to spar with them and learn a few things.” Zheng Tianlei was still in that phase of blindly idolizing martial prowess.

He excitedly embellished the scene from that evening, describing how the bodyguard and Fatty Pan intimidated the entire Sanzhu Block.

Father Lu’s bodyguard and Fatty Pan had asked around from house to house, and the things they said made him feel a little embarrassed.

“Excuse me, is this Lu Yongzhang’s girlfriend’s house? Oh, it’s nothing serious; it’s just that those two went to the movies and asked us to drop by with a message. Oh, it’s not? Then please make yourself comfortable.”

“What? Do they want to take us to the Zheng family? No, no, we have time. It’s just right to get to know our neighbors better so his parents can feel at ease when we go back.”

Thinking about such a scene made Zheng Xiaorou feel a rush of embarrassment and fury, her face flushing with humiliation. How could she still keep her dignity after saying those two were fake?

Lu Yongzhang seemed to sense what she was thinking and offered her an innocent yet helpless smile.

Zheng Tianlei continued his monologue, “They just went from house to house asking. Our family was the second to last they visited, and they didn’t even think about separating a bit to make it quicker; they just kept asking one by one. Sister, now everyone in Sanzhu Block knows that you two went to the movies tonight.”

No wonder no one was gossiping at the alley today, and no groups were chatting in twos and threes; it turned out someone had already spread the news… Her face flushed again, heating up rapidly.

“You see, this matter can’t just be dropped,” Lu Yongzhang said to her in a way only the two of them could understand. “Let’s talk about it later, okay?”

Did she have any other choices?

Life always seemed to force her into a situation where she had none.

Zheng Xiaorou sighed and nodded, feeling a bit weary. She felt embarrassed and helpless, then turned and left without looking back toward her home.

“Sister, why did you leave without saying goodbye?” Zheng Tianlei called out behind her, busy explaining to Lu Yongzhang, “My sister isn’t usually like this; she’s very gentle!”

The smile at the corner of Lu Yongzhang’s lips could no longer be hidden as he nodded, “Yes, she’s very gentle.”

This smile lit up his entire face, making him extraordinarily handsome, and it left Zheng Tianlei in awe.

For Zheng Tianlei, before his sister started dating Lu Yongzhang, he had thought Brother Lu was the kind of person who was not to be trifled with. He never expected to see such a smile one day. He grinned, somewhat flattered, and asked, “Brother Lu, do you really like my sister?”

“I can’t say that.” Lu Yongzhang shook his head.

Zheng Tianlei was taken aback, and then he felt a bit uncomfortable. Although he often teased Zheng Xiaorou, he wouldn’t allow anyone, especially someone as significant as Lu Yongzhang, to look down on her.

Zheng Tianlei’s eyes, which had just been sparkling, suddenly dimmed. He moved his lips for a moment, questioning with a mix of grievance and anger, “Brother Lu, you don’t like my sister? Then why…”

Before he could finish, Lu Yongzhang slapped him on the shoulder, causing him to wince in pain. “It’s not that I just ‘like’ your sister; I admire her, care for her, and want to treat her well for a lifetime. Understand?”

In just those few words, Zheng Tianlei instantly perked up and grinned, “Got it!” He rubbed his hands together. “I really hope you two can make it work; then I can call you brother-in-law!”

This statement greatly pleased Lu Yongzhang, who patted the young man’s shoulder. “Tell your sister not to worry. I’ll first meet your older brother. If Uncle Zheng’s request is something I can do, I will definitely make it happen.”

Getting back to the topic, Zheng Tianlei’s expression became awkward. “My dad likes to take advantage of situations. I can assure you that my brother didn’t let him do that. Hmm, my brother loves my sister the most and would never let her be put in a difficult position.”

Lu Yongzhang patted him again. “I understand. Go home and teach your sister.”

“Oh.” Zheng Tianlei reluctantly left Lu Yongzhang’s home.

About half an hour later, the door to the Lu residence was knocked on again. On the cool autumn night, Pang Haifan wiped the sweat from his forehead as he leaned against the doorframe, gasping for breath.

“Come in.” Lu Yongzhang returned to his previously indifferent demeanor.

“I’ve been serving you day in and day out, and I haven’t even had time for my own work at the bureau. Make sure you tell your old man not to penalize me on my year-end evaluation!” Pang Haifan said bluntly as he sat down and picked up the tea Lu Yongzhang had just brewed. “This tea is good! Where did it come from?”

“Pu’er, from Yunnan.”

With a sudden puff, Pang Haifan unexpectedly spat out some tea, stood up, and brushed off his clothes. While patting himself, he teased, “I really can’t believe it. It seems you only care about your girlfriend now and nothing else, right?”

Pang Haifan, like the original owner, was originally from the North and had settled in Haishi. They had also trained in the same military district.

With so many commonalities, he had become one of the original owner’s few friends.

“What’s the situation with her?” Lu Yongzhang glanced at him sideways, prompting Pang Haifan to obediently sit back down.

He pulled out a crumpled notebook from his pocket. “She was your girlfriend’s middle school classmate, named Cheng Qian. He went to the northeast as an educated youth and returned a month before your girlfriend. He’s now working at the Shuntai Cinema as a formal employee. His family is arranging a blind date for him. I don’t see anything worth worrying about, so you don’t need to bother with this.”

The mention of Shuntai Cinema made Lu Yongzhang’s nerves twitch. He recalled the bits and pieces he had heard from Tian Xiao’e, and his expression turned cold. “Keep an eye on him; find out how he got that job.”

Formal employment was hard to come by, especially in a popular establishment like a cinema—It was considered a respectable job.

“That kind of news definitely didn’t come from him. There’s no need for it.” Pang Haifan enthusiastically analyzed, “We’ve already dealt with several gossipers in this alley, and by using your name today, let’s see who else dares to bring trouble to your girlfriend.”

Lu Yongzhang fell silent in thought.

Then, Pang Haifan pulled out another piece of paper. “Here’s the information you wanted about the antiques on Beishen.”

Lu Yongzhang took it and looked at the hurriedly sketched face of a weathered middle-aged man.

Pang Haifan was generally unremarkable, but the one skill he had honed in the military was his ability to sketch portraits. He could capture the essence of a person with just a glance, which allowed him to secure a place in the bureau.

Pang Haifan continued to ramble on, “Luo Xing, known as Scarred Luo, used to be the local tough guy in Panjiayuan. He mixes real and fake items when selling, so don’t get impulsive about buying anything; the waters there can be very deep! By the way, what are you planning to buy?”

After hearing the useful information, Lu Yongzhang automatically tuned out the rest of Pang Haifan’s words. He recalled what Father Zheng had said earlier and asked, “Is there anything I need to pay attention to when visiting my future brother-in-law’s house?”

“Damn, you’re not actually thinking of buying an antique to impress your brother-in-law, are you?” Pang Haifan shook his head. “Don’t scare him. The key is that he doesn’t understand this stuff. Just bring some food and drinks. You already found out about his family situation, right? Just buy accordingly.”

Lu Yongzhang was impatient. “Be specific; give me examples.”

Pang Haifan muttered a complaint under his breath. He didn’t know what was going on; his friend had become much more old-fashioned after not seeing him for a while, which often gave him the illusion of interacting with an elder. Look at that—he didn’t even know what to bring when visiting his brother-in-law’s house! Was that reasonable?

But he couldn’t help but start giving examples. “Get some cigarettes, but don’t buy anything too fancy; it’ll put pressure on him. You found out he has kids, right? So, buy some snacks for the kids—milk candies and cookies should be safe. Maybe throw in some fruit, and that should be about right.”

“Okay. Come home with me after work tomorrow.”

Pang Haifan nodded in silence, thinking, Sure, buddy, you only remember your home at a time like this.

He suddenly felt a bit sorry for Lu Yongzhang’s parents, as their son treated their home like a warehouse, only returning when he needed something.

—o—o—o—

Meanwhile, at the other end of the story, Zheng Tianchao had just finished nearly a month of closed training and finally returned home, weary and dusty in the night.

After taking a shower and lying on his bed, he let out a long sigh of comfort and then asked, “How’s everything at home? If there’s still no news about Xiaorou’s job, I think we could squeeze in another spot for a temp at my workplace. I can try to pull some strings…”

Lin Xiumei was massaging his arm, her voice gentle. “Don’t worry about Xiaorou. Her boyfriend’s family is quite well-off, and they’ve sorted out her job employment. She’s working at a publishing house behind Shuntai Cinema.”

Zheng Tianchao frowned. “They aren’t married yet; it’s not good to owe such a favor.”

For some reason, an uneasy feeling began to rise in his heart, as if something beyond his imagination was happening.

“Dad said the boyfriend took the initiative to help, and he mentioned that the boy would come to our house on Sunday…”

Zheng Tianchao’s expression suddenly became serious. “What else did Dad say?”

He knew his father too well. A little alcohol could make him forget himself—boasting to the heavens. Usually, that was fine, but if he happened to mention his sister’s boyfriend, Zheng Tianchao had a bad premonition.

Lin Xiumei looked at her husband’s serious expression, feeling somewhat at a loss. She stammered, “He didn’t say much, just that the boyfriend is quite capable and might be able to help you in the future.”

Her father-in-law wasn’t particularly capable but loved to brag; in Lin Xiumei’s view, it was just an old habit resurfacing.

However, Zheng Tianchao’s face turned grim. He believed the original statement was far from what was being conveyed; his dad must have boasted about how the boyfriend would help him in some way or even… might directly mention it to him.

It would be so embarrassing for his sister to be caught in the middle!

After a long pause, he finally said, “Then make sure to prepare a good meal for Sunday.”

What could he do to ensure that the boyfriend wouldn’t look down on his beloved younger sister?

Zheng Tianchao felt a deep pain in his heart.