Li Ying watched her son and daughter-in-law leave. Before she knew it, her eyes had grown damp. It had been a long time since their home had felt so warm.
Ever since her husband had been injured and left paralyzed, it was as though dark clouds had settled over the household. The place had grown lifeless.
Their eldest daughter had fallen out with the family and cut off contact because they had opposed her marriage.
The second and third sons were both busy with work, and the fourth had moved into the school dorms. Even when he came home on weekends, he didn’t like staying around.
In that big house, only she and her husband remained. It was cold and lonely.
Now she understood why older people hoped their children would come home to visit often.
“Look at you. You’re a grown woman, and you’re still crying. You’re that happy just because your son apologized?”
Zhou Lishu had appeared behind Li Ying at some point. Sitting in his wheelchair, he looked at her with disdain as he spoke.
Li Ying wiped the tears from the corner of her eye and answered her husband, “Yes, I’m happy. Our son apologized to me, which shows he hasn’t turned bad. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have apologized. Now I can stop worrying.”
Zhou Lishu said, “I told you from the start that you were worrying needlessly about Zhou Lin’s character. With Zhou Lie keeping an eye on him, would he dare turn bad? Zhou Lie would tear him apart. I’m only worried about his grades. He can’t even get into an art academy.”
Li Ying pursed her lips. “He said he doesn’t want to go to an art academy. Why do you have to force him? Just because you teach at one, does that mean you have to make your son study painting too?”
Zhou Lishu argued, “I’m pushing him to apply to an art academy because he has the most talent for painting out of our four children. Other people would love to have the chance to study art, but he has such a gift. Why shouldn’t he pursue it?”
“And with grades like his, do you really think he could get into any other program?”
Li Ying had no answer. Her husband did have a point.
Their youngest son, Zhou Lin, had poor grades in his academic subjects, but he’d shown a talent for painting from an early age. He was a promising student.
It really would be a shame if he didn’t apply to an art academy.
But neither she nor her husband knew why their youngest son refused to apply. Whenever they brought it up, Zhou Lin blew up.
Thinking about all this, Li Ying’s mood, which had just begun to lift, sank again.
Meanwhile, as Zhou Lie carried Lu Ning out of their courtyard, they ran into Luo Xiaoyun, who was about to go out.
Seeing Lu Ning in Zhou Lie’s arms, Luo Xiaoyun felt as if she’d been struck hard. For a moment, she thought she must be seeing things.
But that was unmistakably Zhou Lie. She’d been in love with him for more than twenty years; she’d recognize him even if he were reduced to ashes.
“Alie!” she called, running over.
Her gaze fell on Lu Ning’s slender legs.
She wondered if the girl’s legs were injured.
Could it be that Zhou Lie had brought home a disabled wife?
Zhou Lie ignored Luo Xiaoyun and said to his younger brother, “Open the car door for your sister-in-law. The passenger side.”
“Got it.” Zhou Lin hurried over to Zhou Lie’s black SUV and opened the passenger door.
Zhou Lie settled Lu Ning into the seat, then started to help her fasten her seat belt, as if he were afraid that even doing that might tire his wife’s hands.
“I can do it myself.” Lu Ning pressed down on Zhou Lie’s hand. Her cheeks were rosy as apples.
Her little cherry-red lips were especially tempting.
Zhou Lie wanted so badly to kiss his wife’s soft lips, but he held back. He could kiss her slowly tonight.
He straightened up and carefully shut the car door, then turned and glared at his younger brother. “What are you looking at? Get in.”
Zhou Lin’s mouth twitched.
He understood now: once a man got married, he really did forget his mother and the rest of his family.
Still, he figured that if he married someone as sweet and delicate as Lu Ning, he’d probably be just like his brother Zhou Lie.
“Alie, I’m talking to you. Didn’t you hear me?” Luo Xiaoyun blocked Zhou Lie’s way.
“Where are you going? Did you really get married? Why can’t she walk by herself? Is she unable to walk?”
“What’s it to you?” Zhou Lie said impatiently. He went around Luo Xiaoyun and headed for the other side of the car.
“Luo Xiaoyun, do you have no shame?” Zhou Lin said, giving her a sidelong glance. “My brother’s married. How much longer are you going to cling to him?”
“And didn’t you look in the mirror before you came out? Look at my sister-in-law—she’s beautiful and young. What can you possibly compare to her? Forget my brother; any normal man would choose my sister-in-law. Only a blind man wouldn’t.”
Luo Xiaoyun was furious. She wanted to slap Zhou Lin. Of all the Zhou family members, he was the most irritating.
Sooner or later, she’d find a chance to teach that brat a lesson.
Suppressing her anger, she watched Zhou Lin get into the back seat. Then an idea suddenly came to her, and she squeezed into the car after him.
“I’m going to the supermarket. Alie, could you give me a ride?”
Every cell in Zhou Lin’s body protested. “Luo Xiaoyun, have you no shame? Get out, damn it! I don’t want to share a car with you. You’re driving me crazy.”
Zhou Lie glanced at Lu Ning, especially worried that his wife might get the wrong idea.
“It’s out of our way. We’re taking Zhou Lin to the hospital, and we’re in a hurry. Please get out,” he said without the slightest courtesy.
Zhou Lin wanted to kick Luo Xiaoyun out himself. “Did you hear him? Get out!”
Luo Xiaoyun glared angrily at Zhou Lin, then reluctantly got out.
Zhou Lin slammed the door shut, afraid that if he waited even a second, Luo Xiaoyun would squeeze back in.
If Luo Xiaoyun had simply been in love with his brother Zhou Lie, that would have been one thing. The problem was that the woman was shameless. She went around telling people that all three Zhou brothers were in love with her, and that the three of them had once fought over her.
With a face like hers, only a blind man would find her attractive. None of the three brothers was blind!
Lu Ning watched quietly. Zhou Lin’s dislike of Luo Xiaoyun seemed far beyond normal.
She guessed Luo Xiaoyun must have done something truly disgusting.
Once the car started, neither brother spoke again. Lu Ning took out her phone and called her birth mother, Wu Lizhen, to tell her about Zhou Lin’s condition and ask her to send the clinic’s location.
As soon as Lu Ning ended the call, Wu Lizhen sent the location.
Lu Ning opened the navigation app, put her phone in the holder, and directed Zhou Lie.
When Zhou Lie reached the entrance to the urban village, he pulled up in front of a bubble tea shop and asked Lu Ning, “What flavor do you like?”
“Red bean milk tea, seventy percent sugar, no ice,” Lu Ning replied.
Zhou Lie made a note of it.
Zhou Lin got out too and followed close behind his brother toward the shop.
Lu Ning sat in the car and looked toward the shop. As soon as Zhou Lin placed the order, Zhou Lie sent him back to the car.
It was still hot in Yangcheng in mid-October, and it was the middle of the day. As soon as the car door opened, a wave of heat rolled in.
Zhou Lin still had a fever, so Lu Ning guessed Zhou Lie was worried about his younger brother.
Though the brothers liked to bicker, Lu Ning could tell that they loved each other very much.
Maybe that was the kind of brotherly affection you only found in an ordinary family. Lu Ning truly envied them.
For the past twenty-four years, Lu Ning had believed she was the only child in the Lu family. To outsiders, she was her parents’ precious darling.
But in truth, Lu’s father and mother had never had another child because their relationship had long since become a mere formality.
They both had lovers on the side; they were simply too bound together by their mutual interests to bear getting divorced.
“Hey, what are you spacing out for? Did my brother’s handsome looks leave you spellbound?” Zhou Lin’s shout brought Lu Ning back to herself.
“Yeah,” Lu Ning replied playfully. “Your brother is ridiculously handsome.”
“Shallow. I’m disgusted with you,” Zhou Lin said with a pout. “So women really are all the same. You judge people by their looks.”
“Come on, if there’s a handsome guy, why would I choose an ugly one? Or are you saying you’d look for an ugly girlfriend?” Lu Ning retorted matter-of-factly, then turned the question back on Zhou Lin.