Chapter 11: An Unforgettable Birthday!

Lu Zhao’s anger deflated like a punctured balloon. He leaned on Lu Mingyang’s arm and sat back down, ignoring the standing Lu Siyan at the door. He turned to the others and said, “Let’s eat.”

He had no business expecting that bastard to care about him as his father.

Wang Xiaoyun, her eyes still red, wiped the corner of her eyes and muttered, “The food’s cold. I’ll go heat it up.”

Chen Huiru helped Wang Xiaoyun take the dishes into the kitchen.

Lu Siyan watched as Lu Zhao quickly cooled down, feeling a bit disappointed. He had been ready for a showdown with the old man, and this was all that happened?

He frowned and felt uneasy.

When he felt uneasy, he wanted to do something, especially when he saw the “harmonious” image of the four of them around the table, it made him feel even worse.

He smirked. Didn’t the old man like celebrating his birthday? Didn’t Wang Xiaoyun like pretending to be a virtuous and generous stepmother? Didn’t Chen Huiru, the ugly woman, like pretending to be a dutiful and sensible daughter? And Lu Mingyang, that wolf cub, didn’t he like showing off in front of the old man?

Tonight, he would make them celebrate this birthday to the fullest, acting and performing all night long.

Lu Siyan seemed to have thought of something amusing as he walked toward the dining table with a smirk.

Seeing him swagger over and sit down at the table as if he were the only one there, Lu Zhao had initially planned not to get angry, but Lu Siyan’s arrogant attitude infuriated him. His anger surged uncontrollably, and he snapped.

His rage ultimately overcame his reason.

He glared at Lu Siyan, gritting his teeth and snarling, “You bastard, how dare you sit here?”

Lu Siyan looked up at him, a dazzling smile on his face, and said arrogantly, “If you can sit here, why can’t I?”

Lu Zhao’s breath quickened in fury, “How dare you ask me that? Just because you’re disrespectful, because you have no respect for your elders, because you don’t know your manners, and because this meal is cooked by Xiaoyun. Don’t you look down on her? If you don’t, then you shouldn’t eat the food she made.”

Lu Zhao intended to teach Lu Siyan a lesson, hoping he would realize his mistakes. Since Ruan Xue passed away, Lu Siyan had been living with the old man.

For all these years, the old man had been responsible for educating Lu Siyan, leaving Lu Zhao, the father, out of it.

The result was that the old man spoiled him into this rebellious and unruly boy.

Lu Siyan’s expression shifted like the weather, changing in an instant.

He had been smiling moments ago, but after Lu Zhao spoke, his face immediately clouded with anger.

He slammed his hand on the table, making the cup on it shake loudly, startling both Lu Mingyang and Lu Zhao.

Lu Siyan was satisfied with the effect he had created. He sneered at Lu Zhao and Lu Mingyang in his mind.

With this little courage, they dared to try to outplay him?

He coldly asked, “Why should I eat the food she made? Do you want me to remind you of something? The old man leaves, and you forget the promise you made? Isn’t it natural for her to cook for me?”

He leaned in, his voice sharp, “What? Has life been so long that you’ve forgotten how desperately you begged the old man to let her cook for me?”

“Should I call the old man now and ask for his opinion?”

Lu Zhao had brought Wang Xiaoyun and her daughter into the house when Lu Siyan was seven.

At the time, the old man had been strongly opposed to Lu Zhao bringing them into the family.

Ruan Xue had been chosen by the old man as his daughter-in-law.

Wang Xiaoyun was the complete opposite of Ruan Xue.

The old man had disliked Wang Xiaoyun the moment he laid eyes on her.

But Lu Zhao, blinded by something, had secretly married Wang Xiaoyun behind the old man’s back.

Despite the old man’s objections, there was nothing he could do. The old man couldn’t control his son’s actions.

The stormy fate of the family had begun with that act.

Lu Zhao had agreed to the old man’s condition. The old man didn’t want Lu Zhao to bring Wang Xiaoyun and her daughter into the house, so Lu Zhao had to comply. However, not long after, Lu Zhao changed his mind. He wanted to bring Wang Xiaoyun and her daughter into the family compound. No matter what Lu Zhao said, the old man refused.

With no other option, Lu Zhao and Wang Xiaoyun turned to the young Lu Siyan, who was only seven years old at the time. They used the excuse that Lu Siyan needed someone to take care of him and needed fatherly love to persuade the old man to let them move into the family compound.

Lu Siyan, who could already remember things at that age, had never forgotten it. The promise made to him about being taken care of—wasn’t that still in effect? Now they wanted to backtrack? He wasn’t going to agree!

When his father’s lie was exposed, Lu Zhao was embarrassed. He flushed with anger and tried to cover up, “Don’t use the old man to threaten me. Although Xiaoyun promised the old man to take care of you, you’re grown now. You don’t need her to look after you anymore. I’m sure the old man would think the same.”

Lu Zhao was not afraid of Lu Siyan calling the old man. Lu Siyan was already twenty years old—what twenty-year-old man needed to be looked after? Lu Siyan wasn’t a handicapped or mentally challenged person, and no matter how biased the old man was, he wouldn’t let things go out of control in this situation.

Lu Siyan smirked and corrected him, “Since you think she doesn’t need to take care of me anymore, maybe you should leave?”

“You came here under the pretense of taking care of me. Now that you don’t want to, please leave right away!”

Lu Zhao was enraged and shouted, “You bastard! How dare you ask us to leave? This is our home! Why should we leave?”

Lu Siyan smiled mockingly, “This is my grandfather’s home. Don’t tell me you thought you could occupy it just because you’ve been here a few years? Think again.”

The family lived in a two-story house, a place arranged by the old man for his comfort. With Lu Zhao’s position as a university professor, he didn’t even have the right to live here on his own.

Lu Zhao felt another wave of chest pain. He pressed his hand to his heart and yelled, “Your grandfather is also my father, and he’s also Mingyang and Huiru’s grandfather. We’re all his family! We have every right to stay. If anyone is to leave, it’s you, the troublemaker!”

Lu Siyan sneered, “Huiru isn’t even my grandfather’s granddaughter. You’re desperate for a daughter, bringing all sorts of people into our home. My grandfather isn’t short of granddaughters. Stop trying to push every random person onto him.”

Hearing Lu Siyan’s insult toward his sister, Lu Mingyang, who had been quietly observing, couldn’t sit still any longer. He stood up to correct Lu Siyan angrily, “Brother, my sister is not some burden or stray animal! I know you don’t like her, but please don’t insult her!”

In Lu Mingyang’s heart, his sister Chen Huiru was far superior to Lu Siyan, his older brother.

Lu Zhao also shared this view.

“You bastard! If you can’t speak properly, just shut up! Huiru is excellent and sensible. She’s a hundred times better than you, the scoundrel!”

Lu Siyan sarcastically agreed, “You’re right. She’s much better at flattering and pretending to be all prim and proper. I admit it—I’m no match for her!”

Lu Zhao was too furious to respond. The pain in his chest was unbearable, and the medicine he had taken seemed useless.

Lu Mingyang, sitting next to him, noticed his father’s distress and, abandoning his defense of his sister, hurriedly tried to calm Lu Zhao down. In panic, he shouted toward the kitchen, “Mom! Sis! Dad’s chest hurts again! Come quickly!”

Wang Xiaoyun and her daughter, who had been heating the dishes in the kitchen, had already warmed the food. They had purposely stayed behind to eavesdrop on Lu Zhao’s “lesson” for Lu Siyan, secretly pleased that Lu Siyan’s time in the family compound was drawing to an end.

However, when they heard Lu Mingyang’s frantic shout, they were startled. They rushed out from the kitchen in a panic.

Seeing Lu Zhao pale and clutching his chest, Wang Xiaoyun was on the verge of tears. “Old Lu, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!”

Through gritted teeth, Lu Zhao managed to say, “Go… go see the doctor!”

He felt like he might die. But more than that, he couldn’t die just like this. If he were to die, it could be by any other means, but not because of that scoundrel, Lu Siyan!