21 – Who sроilеd thеm?
Сhеn Qingzhi’s fаther, Chеn Zhijin, wаs still tеасhing at Jing University, whilе hеr mother, Zhоu Fan, workеd аt а nеаrbу pоliсе stаtion. Thе couple hаd nеver mоvеd.
Тhе оld aраrtmеnt was on thе siхth floоr. The unit wherе Lu Jin and Lu Мingze had onсe livеd had lоng bеen sold tо a young соuрlе.
Carrуing аn аrmful оf gifts, Lu Jin climbed uр to thе sixth floоr. The mоment Zhou Fаn openеd thе dоor, his аffеctionatе “Mоm” mаde her bеam with joу.
Thе twо littlе onеs followеd Lu Jin inside, alsо hоlding gifts, аnd each gave their honorаrу grandma a kiss.
But whеn it wаs Chen Qingzhi’s turn to еntеr, her own mother’s expression changed faster than flipping a page.
“You still remember to come back.”
Back when Chen Qingzhi entered the entertainment industry, Zhou Fan had been the most opposed.
Not only had she not achieved much success, but she was also constantly targeted by all sorts of bizarre smear campaigns.
No parent wanted to see their little princess, once cradled in their palms, subjected to such violent rhetoric.
“If your own son can come back, why can’t I?”
Chen Qingzhi retorted sarcastically, only to be promptly kicked by her own mother.
All the fighting moves she used on set had been taught by Zhou Fan, so she dared not fight back—nor could she.
Watching Chen Qingzhi grimace in pain, Lu Jin smiled and pulled her behind him, shielding her.
Zhou Fan immediately stopped, only giving Chen Qingzhi a warning look.
As for why Zhou Fan gave Lu Jin so much face, it was largely thanks to his persistence in dating her daughter during high school.
Chen Qingzhi’s grades had initially only been good enough for a second-tier university, while Lu Jin had secured an early admission spot at Jing University.
Spurred on and constantly pushed by her boyfriend, she improved by leaps and bounds, unexpectedly becoming a dark horse in the college entrance exam and barely scraping into Jing University’s computer science department.
This son-in-law had long been Zhou Fan’s definitive choice.
When the two broke up back then, Zhou Fan had been the most regretful.
She simply couldn’t stand Liang Yilou—he lacked even half of Lu Jin’s steadiness, maturity, and intelligence.
Fortunately, her daughter and Lu Jin had reunited two years ago.
This son-in-law really grew more pleasing to the eye the more she looked at him.
“While you were away filming, Lu Jin made plenty of trips back home for you.”
Zhou Fan shot her daughter another glare, then helped Lu Jin put the gifts in the storage room:
“I’ve told you so many times, Ah Jin, you always bring so much stuff when you come. We old folks can’t finish it all.”
Meeting Chen Qingzhi’s puzzled expression, Lu Jin pinched her cheek when no one else was looking:
“I brought some for Auntie, Uncle, and the others. Xiao Zhi and I are usually too busy to visit them often, and it always weighs on my mind.”
Her face stinging, Chen Qingzhi immediately grabbed one of his fingers and bent it back, only for Lu Jin to counter by gripping her hand.
The two tugged at each other’s fingers and arms, secretly wrestling in the corner.
It finally ended with Lu Jin letting go first and admitting defeat.
“Where’s Dad?” Chen Qingzhi circled the room. “Does he still have classes on Saturdays?”
Zhou Fan stirred the dishes in the wok:
“There’s been a change in his position at the university. He’s busy.”
Chen Zhijin had just been appointed dean of the School of Finance and was swamped with work.
Otherwise, Zhou Fan wouldn’t be the one cooking.
Rong Rong picked out some dolls from Chen Qingzhi’s room to play with on the sofa. Lu Jin lifted her onto his lap and played with her.
Chengcheng, meanwhile, could only sit on the floor folding paper.
“You really are a girl dad.”
Chen Qingzhi poured juice for everyone and lifted Chengcheng onto the sofa.
“She reminds me a lot of you when you were little.”
Lu Jin gently squeezed Rong Rong’s chubby cheek:
“Unbearably cute, like a little doll.”
He drew out his words with a teasing, almost deliberate, bewitching tone.Chen Qingzhi stood rooted to the spot, staring at him in a daze.
Lu Jin’s voice was low, like a murmuring stream, clear and pleasant.
His eyes, soft with light, were like scattered stars. Though he was playing with Rong Rong, it almost felt as if he were looking at her.
What a flirtatious scoundrel.
Wherever he went, he acted like a wingman.
For some reason, Chen Qingzhi’s cheeks felt warm.
Even though she knew this was just his habitual flirting, she still felt a little stirred by it.
Before adolescence, Chen Qingzhi’s admiration for Lu Jin had always been written all over her face.
Everyone knew Lu Jin had a little shadow who followed him from elementary school all the way to junior high.
That was until she got her first period at thirteen and a half.
It was summer, and she was wearing light clothes. That day, they happened to have P.E. class.
Her white shorts were stained with a glaring red. A few boys standing behind her huddled together, discussing it with sneers on their faces.
Chen Qingzhi didn’t understand what was happening. Lu Jin pushed through the crowd with a cold expression and tied his school jacket around her waist.
“Laugh again and see what happens? Haven’t you ever seen your own mother menstruate?”
Lu Jin was well-liked by the teachers at school. Though the boys were unhappy with his words, they didn’t dare challenge him and quickly scattered.
In the end, he was also the one who went to buy the sanitary pads.
Back in the classroom, when the girls gathered to gossip privately, that was when Chen Qingzhi felt the most embarrassed:
“I heard Lu Jin bought sanitary pads for you. You two…”
A short-haired girl made a gesture with her hands, pairing them together, and the others burst into laughter.
“No, he’s just like an older brother to me…”
Chen Qingzhi buried her face in her desk, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“But I heard him say you two are just neighbors?”
“I think Lu Jin treats you differently. Does he want to date you?”
It seemed someone had already dug into this gossip.
Chen Qingzhi completely buried her head in her desk, her whole body burning as if she’d been dipped in boiling water.
A girl still in her period of naivety couldn’t handle such blunt questions.
“No, we’re… just purely friends. Don’t spread rumors!”
“That’s good.” The class monitor said sternly:
“I heard Lu Jin doesn’t bother with people much at school and has a bad reputation. If you date him, you’re going against all of us!”
“You’re lying! I’ve seen him on the basketball team—he’s really popular and has lots of friends.”
Chen Qingzhi suddenly lifted her head, eyes wide, refuting the class monitor.
The class monitor glared and warned Chen Qingzhi:
“If you dare date Lu Jin, I’ll tell the teacher and get his ‘City’s Three Merits Student’ award revoked!”
Because of this, Chen Qingzhi kept her distance from Lu Jin for a long time—not just at school, but even at home, she’d take out the trash at different times to avoid him.
That was what led to Lu Jin “climbing the wall” late at night later on.
Lu Jin rarely lowered his head, so every time he apologized, it left a deep impression on Chen Qingzhi.
When this guy was being annoying, he’d talk nonsense without a care.
But when he spoke seriously, it was always impossible to refuse him.
Chen Qingzhi looked at the harmonious “godfather and daughter” on the sofa, thinking about how he often helped her visit her parents and how hard he worked today helping her with the child.
For some reason, she felt a little moved.
She was about to return the compliment: “Actually, I think you were like a doll when you were little too. Back then, so many girls in our class liked you.”
Before she could say it, the young master placed Rong Rong on the sofa, stretched his arms lazily, and rested them on the back of the sofa:
“But you weren’t as well-behaved as Rong Rong when you were little.”
“And you were especially annoying. You’d start crying after just a couple of words, and whenever you cried, I’d get scolded by my dad.”That scoundrel lazily smirked with a crooked grin, starting to expose her old secrets.
The originally warm atmosphere was completely ruined by him.
Chen Qingzhi threw a cushion from the sofa at him.
He caught it deftly, still continuing to tease:
“Finally grew out of the crying phase, only to become prone to anger—unreasonably ignoring people for ten days or half a month at a time. Who on earth spoiled you like this?”