In the end, Lu Shiying simply picked the little boy up into his arms.
Old Zhang, who had been standing at the doorway watching everything unfold, couldn’t help but smile. He sighed inwardly with emotion.
After all these years, the young master was finally willing to have contact with someone else.
“Wait!” Jiang Linglan raised her hand and stepped in front of them. “Shiying, what exactly do you mean by this? Does the Lu family want to adopt Xiao Ci too? I’m his biological aunt. I have to take this child with me.”
Lu Shiying looked at her coldly.
It was rare for him to speak and when he did, he was as economical with his words as ever.
“Depends on whether you’re capable.”
After saying that, he carried the child and walked straight outside.
There was no point trying to explain the reason to a five year old. He wouldn’t understand it anyway.
It would be enough to simply carry him home.
The few aunts, older uncles, aunts in law and maternal uncles tried to stop him but the bodyguards immediately pushed them back.
Several of them crowded around the entrance, practically looking as though they were trying to snatch the child away.
But these bodyguards had undergone special training. The relatives couldn’t possibly beat them and even if they could, they didn’t dare offend the Lu family.
Jiang Linglan hurried to the balcony and shouted,
“Dad! You’re letting my little brother’s child be raised by the Lu family? You’re not even going to discuss this with me?”
Grandpa Jiang came out leaning on his cane. He bent forward and coughed several times before speaking heavily and deliberately.
“Everyone, go home. Go home……………….”
Jiang Linglan pressed him again.
“Was this your decision?”
The old man didn’t even answer her.
They had been given an opportunity yet they had proved themselves useless.
He had seen everything just now, the pitiful little boy standing helplessly inside the house.
He had also seen clearly what these relatives were really like.
When the wall falls, everyone pushes it down.
Jiang Ci suddenly began squirming in Lu Shiying’s arms.
The boy frowned.
The faint milky scent of the child had already rubbed all over his clothes. He had never held a child before and for a moment, he nearly lost his grip and dropped him.
He asked stiffly,
“What are you moving around for?”
Jiang Ci’s two little legs swung back and forth. Even his childish voice sounded obedient and soft.
“I don’t know you. You’re someone who kidnaps little children.”
Lu Shiying patiently explained,
“I already spoke to your grandfather. From today onward, I’m your older brother. Now, you’re moving to my house to live.”
Jiang Ci kicked him directly.
Lu Shiying: *…..
Seeing the young master’s expression instantly darken, Old Zhang hurriedly tried to smooth things over from the side.
“Young Master……. Children are all like this. The old master also said that your temper isn’t very good, so please be a little more patient and tolerant. After all, he’s your younger brother…….”
Lu Shiying gave him a cold glance.
Old Zhang wisely shut his mouth.
Only then did Jiang Ci speak again. He pointed toward the house and called out anxiously,
“Cat……………… Xiao Mi………………”
Old Zhang remembered that Lu Shiying had a mild allergy to cat fur.
When he was little, he had once held a cat and his entire body had become unbearably itchy afterward.
This cat would probably be…….
“Take it.”
The moment Lu Shiying’s words fell, the bodyguards began moving things.
No one was paying attention to the Maine Coon, so Lu Shiying gave them a glance.
Several bodyguards immediately rushed over.
They carried the cat and its entire bed out together.
Even the green plants scattered on the floor were moved out along with it.
Only then did Jiang Ci finally settle down.
His two small hands tightly clutched Lu Shiying’s clothes and he was so nervous that his entire little body seemed tense.
Who was going to save him?
He didn’t know what was happening at all and he couldn’t escape either.
Lu Shiying carried the child over to Grandpa Jiang and respectfully bent at the waist.
“Grandpa Jiang, I’ll take the child with me. My father should have already spoken with you. I’ll take good care of him. I’ll bring him back to see you on the weekends. Please take care of your health as well.”
“Grandpa…..”
Grandpa Jiang walked over and raised his hand to gently stroke the top of his head.
“Xiao Ci, be good. From now on, follow Brother Shiying and study hard. Go live in a new home. Grandpa is getting old now and my legs aren’t convenient anymore. I can’t take proper care of you.”
“Grandpa……”
Jiang Ci stretched out his little hands, wanting to be held. He couldn’t quite understand what his grandfather was saying.
Grandpa Jiang took his chubby little hands in his own and pressed them against his face, gently rubbing his cheek against them.
The blood vessels in the corners of his eyes were bright red and the reluctance on his face was impossible to hide.
“My poor little baby…….”
He had thought of many different ways.
In the end, he had contacted the Lu family. Old Lu had a life and death friendship with his son and this was the best choice he could make.
His precious grandson’s health had never been good. If he stayed with the Lu family, then with their family’s medical resources and living conditions, perhaps there would still be a chance for him to be cured.
If he stayed with an old man like him, there was no telling when he might end up buried in the ground, leaving the child without even a place to go.
“Good grandson, go with your brother.”
Grandpa Jiang waved his hand, smiling broadly.
“Go…… Old Lu is an upright and honorable man and I trust his son as well. I’ll have to trouble Xiaoying to take good care of his little brother.”
“I will. Please take care of yourself.”
Lu Shiying bowed once again.
Although his temperament was strange and cold, he was always respectful and proper toward his elders. He was the kind of person whose words were hard but whose heart was soft.
After the Bentley drove away, the relatives also began to disperse.
They all knew perfectly well that compared with the Lu family, none of them stood a chance of taking the child away.
Every one of these people had ulterior motives and the Lu family patriarch had seen straight through them. That was precisely why he had taken the child away from them.
Once everyone had left, Jiang Linglan stood at the entrance in a daze for quite some time before finally coming back to herself.
She turned toward her father.
“Dad, I’m your biological daughter. You don’t even trust me? I’ve been exhausting myself these past few days trying to stabilize the Jiang Group. I’ve put everything I have into it. You’d rather give Xiao Ci to outsiders than let me take him?”
Grandpa Jiang sighed.
“As long as you stabilize the company for now, that’s enough. You’ll have your share of the property. As for the child, don’t concern yourself with it anymore. Go home.”
“You’ve always been so biased. Jiang Ci is still so young and after inheriting billions in assets, everything can only be managed by a guardian. Aren’t you afraid the Lu family will swallow up the Jiang family?”
Grandpa Jiang stroked his beard and smiled.
“The Jiang family’s entire industrial chain is only worth two hundred million. They won’t even look at it.”
When Jiang Linglan heard this, she became so angry that she grabbed something from the entranceway and smashed it onto the floor before walking away in her high heels without looking back.
Grandpa Jiang understood clearly.
At present, the only person he could truly trust was that child from the Lu family.
He had proper character, impeccable manners and had been well educated. Since Jiang Ci’s parents had both died in the accident, only Lu Shiying could raise him properly.
The neighbor from next door came over. Seeing that everyone had already dispersed, he laughed heartily.
“Old Jiang, are you still pretending? Last year, I even saw you doing pull ups on the horizontal bars in the park and this year, suddenly your body isn’t up to it anymore?”
Seeing that no one else was around, Grandpa Jiang finally threw his cane beside the entrance.
His back straightened.
His legs stopped limping.
His entire body suddenly looked vigorous and full of spirit, his complexion radiant.
Just moments ago, he had been wearing a sorrowful expression.
Now, however, his eyebrows were practically dancing with delight.
“My eldest daughter is too competitive and my son in law isn’t exactly an easy man to deal with either. I wouldn’t feel at ease letting them raise the child.”
The old neighbor stroked his beard and laughed.
“You’re comfortable giving him to outsiders instead? The eldest young master of the Lu family is famously cold and ruthless. He looks respectful enough but who knows whether he’ll bully the little one once they’re at home?”
Last year, Grandpa Jiang’s hair had still been half black.
But recently, he had experienced the unbearable grief of an old person burying the younger generation.
He had suddenly aged tremendously and his hair had turned completely white.
He also understood deeply that he couldn’t remain trapped in grief forever.
There was still a well behaved grandson whose growing up he needed to witness.
Only then could he rest peacefully when the time came to leave this world.
Grandpa Jiang shook his head with considerable confidence.
“I have a good eye for people. Come on, let’s go practice tai chi. I’m already half buried in the ground. If I raise the child myself and only send him to the Lu family after he’s grown up, I’m afraid it will be difficult for him to become close with Shiying. Lu Shiying may look cold but he’s not bad hearted. He’s a very disciplined and well behaved child. I’m comfortable letting him be the older brother. That way, when I close my eyes someday, I’ll be able to rest in peace…
“Stop talking such depressing nonsense.”
Back in the car, Jiang Ci’s little head turned from side to side as he continued searching for the cat.
When he noticed that two black cars were following behind them, he didn’t know whether his little cat was in one of them.
“Xiao Mi…………..”
The little boy stood up in the back seat.
But then, perhaps feeling that it wasn’t very polite, he obediently sat back down on the left side.
His two small hands rested neatly on his knees, his posture straight and proper, almost as though he were sitting in class.
Lu Shiying spoke in his usual indifferent tone.
“The cat is in the car behind us.”
He absolutely would not touch that cat, which was why he hadn’t brought it into the same car.
He leaned against the window and looked at the scenery outside. Then he rubbed his temples before glancing at the little boy sitting beside him.
Neither of them said anything.
The inside of the car was completely quiet.
After a while, Jiang Ci suddenly asked in a small voice,
“Daddy and Mommy……. when are they coming back?”
Lu Shiying’s heart seemed to tighten as though something had suddenly seized it and pulled hard. A sour, bitter feeling rose in his throat. He opened his mouth but for some reason, he didn’t know how to begin.
When the funeral had been held the previous month, the child still hadn’t realized that his parents were already gone.
Lu Shiying didn’t want to speak and Jiang Ci stopped asking.
The car continued driving for a long time.
There were no buses or subway stations in this area. There wasn’t even a convenience store to be seen anywhere nearby.
There were large hotels in the vicinity and after passing through several stretches of greenway and continuing another two kilometers forward, they would reach the Lu family’s estate.
Jiang Ci nervously stood up and looked at him.
“Are you going to sell me?”
Old Zhang couldn’t help bursting out laughing. He turned around and said,
“Xiao Ci, when you were two years old, you met the older brother sitting beside you. You had a meal together and went out to play together.
Now we’re just bringing you here to live in a big house.”
Jiang Ci turned his head in confusion.
Lu Shiying met his gaze.
A two year old child wouldn’t remember things anyway. What could he possibly know?
Perhaps starting over and getting to know each other again was better.
After getting out of the car, Jiang Ci stood beside him, as though he were pondering something.
He was still thinking about the last phone call he had received from his father.
His father had said they would be back soon.
But he had never seen them again.
“Daddy.”
The five year old little cutie suddenly wrapped both arms around Lu Shiying’s thigh and began calling out wildly.
Lu Shiying lowered his head and looked at those soft, little white hands.
No wonder his name was Jiang Ci.
He really was like a little glutinous rice cake, soft and squishy.
He crouched down and gently stroked the short, messy hair on top of the child’s head.
The last time they had met, this little fellow had only been two years old.
After not seeing him for so many years, the child had grown considerably.
Now that he had lost his closest family members, he was truly pitiful.
“Call me Brother.”
Jiang Ci rubbed his little head against Lu Shiying’s leg.
“Daddy…….. Daddy…….”
Old Zhang and Lu Shiying were both startled by the way he addressed him.
He couldn’t just call him that.
The entire order of seniority would be thrown into chaos.
Lu Shiying raised his hand and rubbed the top of the child’s head.
The strands of hair beneath his palm were fine and soft.
He lowered his eyes and deliberately softened his voice, making it calmer and gentler.
“Call me Brother. From today onward, you’ll be living here.”
Jiang Ci tilted his little head back and looked at him.
This older brother was really handsome.
Although his brows and eyes normally carried a cold, distant expression, when he crouched down so that they were at the same eye level, those narrow phoenix shaped eyes drooped slightly, their usual sharpness hidden away.
He actually looked somewhat gentle.
“Your Daddy and Mommy…………… went to a very faraway place. They asked Brother to raise you until you grow up. When you have weekends and holidays, you can also go back to see Grandpa.”
Even Old Zhang felt that Lu Shiying’s tone sounded as though he had suddenly become an entirely different person.
Jiang Ci’s eyes widened.
Lu Shiying thought the little boy was about to cry.
But instead, the child timidly asked,
“Did Daddy and Mommy abandon me? Was I picked up somewhere?”
“Of course not.”
Lu Shiying’s palm settled gently on top of his head, softly stroking his hair.
“You were born to them. When you grow up, you’ll understand.”
Old Zhang stood nearby, silently thinking.
The young master had probably used up all the words he was going to say in his entire lifetime today.
The Lu family’s estate stretched as far as the eye could see. Everywhere Jiang Ci looked was territory belonging to the Lu family.
There were independent villas for the servants, an expansive riding lawn for horseback riding, a vast golf practice course, an outdoor swimming pool and many other facilities.
Green trees and landscaped vegetation surrounded the main residence, which stood directly beside a lake.
The surface of the lake was calm and crystal clear, making the entire estate seem almost like an isolated island.
The white European style villa looked like a castle from a distance.
The car passed through the surrounding walls and iron gates, then continued driving along the inner road for several more minutes before finally arriving at the fountain.
At the very center stood a large fountain.
The water jets formed the shape of an enormous umbrella, spraying countless fine droplets of mist into the air. Several smaller fountains stood on either side of the garden, while side buildings occupied both the left and right sides.
The Bentley drove all the way to the deepest part of the estate before the residential area finally came into view.
It was a two story building.
Thin golden borders were embedded in the gaps of the exterior walls, while the glass windows were polished so cleanly that they could reflect a person’s image.
Jiang Ci stared in amazement.
This house looked just like a castle from television.
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
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☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
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← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Even He, an outsider, couldn’t stand itChapter 2 · DaddyChapter 3 · Thank you for the gift!Chapter 4 · Do You want to sleep with your brother?Chapter 5 · Smart BabyChapter 6 · Life in a Wealthy FamilyChapter 7 · Genius BrotherChapter 8 · Brother’s giftChapter 9 · Xiao Ci was injured.Chapter 10 · ThoughtfulChapter 11 · Treat as treasureChapter 12 · Only recognized oneChapter 13 · Lu family coupleChapter 14 · A closed heartChapter 15 · Understanding my brotherChapter 16 · Reluctant to hitChapter 17 · UneasyChapter 18 · PossessiveChapter 19 · Teenage RebelChapter 20 Part 1 · The car accidentChapter 20 Part 2 · The car accidentChapter 20 Part 3 · The car accidentChapter 21 · My heart is racingChapter 22 · Physiological Knowledge