Chapter 129: Orange Soda! Time to Celebrate!

“Yes, it’s definitely something worth celebrating.”

Never having to see someone you hate again—how could that not be worth celebrating?

If it weren’t for the fact that the original body was just too physically weak and couldn’t handle alcohol, Chu Yue would have definitely poured herself a drink or two to celebrate happily.

Although there was no alcohol, there was—

“Orange soda!”

Lu Zhanlin took two glass bottles out of his coat pocket. The bottles were filled with golden-yellow orange soda, which he placed on the dining table.

Chu Yue’s eyes lit up. Her pupils sparkled, clear and bright. She picked up the orange soda and examined it with curiosity before turning to Lu Zhanlin beside her. “Where did you get this?”

It was winter now, and the supply shops didn’t carry orange soda during the season.

Lu Zhanlin replied, “Xu Feng. He went down the mountain today, and when he saw it, he bought some and brought it back.”

Xu Feng wouldn’t have done something like that for no reason—it was obvious this had come from Lu Zhanlin’s request.

That night on New Year’s Eve, after discovering that Chu Yue couldn’t handle alcohol yet still liked to drink, the man had started thinking about finding a different kind of beverage—one that could make her happy but wouldn’t get her drunk.

Orange soda was the perfect choice.

He asked softly, “Do you like it?”

“Of course I like it.”

Chu Yue smiled sweetly. She didn’t just like the soda—she loved the thoughtfulness behind it.

“You open the soda, I’ll go grab some cups.”

Lu Yuanbao listened to Chu Yue and Lu Zhanlin’s conversation while staring wide-eyed at the unfamiliar and exciting thing on the table. Orange… soda…?

It was golden and glistening—definitely something to drink.

Lu Zhanlin held the bottle in one hand and, with the other, grabbed two chopsticks. Using the blunt end of one, he gently pried at the metal cap on the bottle.

With a crisp “pop!”, the cap flew off.

It shot out far across the room, landing with a clatter and rolling several times on the floor.

Lu Yuanbao’s wide, black eyes followed the flying cap in amazement. When he turned back around, the golden-orange soda was already being poured from the glass bottle into the cups.

As it poured, more “fizz fizz” sounds came from the liquid, and countless tiny bubbles rose to the surface.

The little bubbles danced and popped the moment they touched the air—pop! fizz!

So magical!

Lu Yuanbao was completely transfixed, not even willing to blink.

Chu Yue placed a full cup of soda in front of him. “Yuanbao, this one’s yours. Drink it while it’s fresh—orange soda tastes best right after it’s opened.”

Lu Yuanbao reached out to hold the glass cup. His small fingers clutched the cold glass tightly, but the chill couldn’t extinguish the fire of curiosity burning in his little heart.

He took a tiny sip—sweet!

As the soda entered his mouth, those dancing bubbles followed along, tickling his lips, tongue, and teeth—pop pop fizz!

Even inside his mouth, the sounds kept going.

Even more magical!

Chu Yue looked at Lu Yuanbao’s eyes widen into perfect circles and knew—no child could resist the temptation of orange soda.

She picked up her own cup and took a big sip. The cool, sweet drink slid down her throat. It was a little cold, but it filled her with happiness.

Lu Zhanlin looked at the big and small smiles in front of him. His deep gaze finally settled on Chu Yue’s lips, moistened by the orange soda—pink, glistening, and dewy.

His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.

He was thirsty.

Lu Zhanlin picked up the orange soda and took a sip himself. The icy coldness rushed through his chest, quenching the fire within.

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While Chu Yue’s household was basking in joy, the three of them sharing two bottles of orange soda happily, another household was steeped in stifling silence and gloom.

Forget about a table full of food—not even a single flame was lit in the kitchen.

“Waa waa… waa waa… waa waa…”

The baby’s cries were the only sound in the house.

In the room, Wang Chunling held her waking child in her arms. She loosened her shirt and began to breastfeed.

“There, there… Nuanyang, don’t cry, sweetheart.”

The tiny child nestled in her arms began to cry even louder upon hearing her voice, but the hungry little mouth was quickly silenced.

Her little lips latched on and began suckling hungrily.

Don’t be fooled by how small the baby was—her mouth may have been tiny, but her nursing strength was strong.

Wang Chunling winced slightly, taking in a sharp breath. Her chest ached a little, but her face was filled with maternal tenderness, and a long-lost sense of joy.

As the baby drank, her cheeks puffed out rhythmically.

Wang Chunling gently stroked her with her fingers and whispered:

“Nuanyang, Mommy will protect you… and make sure you grow up safe and sound.”

A thin curtain separated the bedroom from the living room, but every word spoken outside could be heard clearly.

“Zhijian… You have to believe me, son… Don’t listen to those people’s nonsense. You’re my only child! We’re a family…”

Even now, Li Jinhua was still trying to argue, hoping Zhou Zhijian would believe her.

Zhou Zhijian responded with a single question:

“You say you’re not related to him—then why send him money?
Are you saying those remittance slips are fake too, just made up by someone else?”

Even Li Jinhua wasn’t foolish enough to claim the remittance slips were forged.

She could only continue to lie:

“That money… I lent it! Yes, that’s it—they borrowed it from me! They’re going to pay it back!”

Zhou Zhijian’s voice suddenly tightened, eyes turning red with rage and humiliation:

“Mom, do you still think I’m eight years old?
Do you really think I’ll believe that kind of lie?”

“When I was eight… you suddenly said life was too hard, and dumped me at a relative’s house.
I stayed there for three whole years!”

Back then, Zhou Zhijian had just lost his father, and then his mother handed him off to relatives. As a young child, he couldn’t understand:

“We had a house. We had land. Why couldn’t I live at home? Why did I have to live like a stray at someone else’s place, enduring dirty looks every time I took a bite of food?”

Now, he finally understood everything Li Jinhua had done during those years.

Maybe everyone in the village had known about this dirty secret—after all, something like this couldn’t be hidden—but the only one kept in the dark was her own son.

Just imagining how others had gossiped about him behind his back made Zhou Zhijian want to crawl into a hole and disappear.

And furthermore…

“Two years ago—he got married and had a child, didn’t he? A boy.
I’m right, aren’t I?”

Zhou Zhijian’s voice was cold as ice. He stared straight into Li Jinhua’s face, refusing to let her look away.

The stack of remittance slips in his hand—the amounts had suddenly increased two years ago, both in frequency and value.

That money… was all for her real grandson.

The one she had longed for—a grandson of her own blood.

If Chu Yue hadn’t brought her daughter back, it was very likely that the money from selling her own granddaughter would’ve also ended up going to that grandson she’d never even met.