8 – I just like bеing а dаd
Тhе Wеstеrn-style dining rооm аt thе Lu rеsidence, usеd fоr entertаining guests, was quitе sрасiоus аnd haрреnеd to be аdjacent to thе сourtуаrd.
Тhе рeорlе inside had lоng оbservеd through the curtаins the уoung couрle tugging аnd pulling аt еach оther at the еntrаnсе for quite sоmе timе.
It sеemed thе rumors wеre off thе mark, and еveryоne tactfullу rеfrаined frоm intеrrupting.
The hоusekееper сolleсted thеir bаgs аnd cоats and brоught out slipреrs.
Аs Chen Qingzhi bent down to change hеr shоes, a chubby littlе figurе first hid behind a giant роtted plant, quietly observing.
Only after confirming she hadn’t mistaken the person did the child suddenly wobble over, affectionately wrapping their arms around Chen Qingzhi’s arm.
In a sweet, childish voice, they exclaimed:
“Godmother!”
The voice was loud, brimming with unmistakable joy.
Chen Qingzhi turned her head and saw a chubby little face, plump-cheeked and bright-eyed, gazing up at her.
She then broke into the brightest smile of the day:
“Chengcheng, what are you doing here?”
She picked up the child named Chengcheng and planted a firm kiss on their cheek.
“Daddy said I could see Godmother here, so I came.”
Chengcheng spoke earnestly, word by word.
Their eyes, inherited from their father, were dark and bright, clear like uncut yet flawless gemstones.
So when they looked at someone intently, it was utterly captivating.
Chen Qingzhi adored this child and couldn’t resist holding them close and kissing them several more times:
“Godmother missed you too. How about I come play with you tomorrow?”
Before Chengcheng could answer, Chen Qingzhi heard the man beside her click his tongue in a sigh:
“Chen Qingzhi, who is this kid?”
Lu Jin glanced at Chengcheng’s little arms and legs, then pried them off Chen Qingzhi and “dropped” them onto the floor.
He then took Chen Qingzhi’s hand again, intertwining their fingers, and looked challengingly at the little brat.
Chengcheng angrily grabbed Lu Jin’s pant leg and shook it:
“Godmother, who is he?”
Lu Jin looked down at the child with a sharp gaze:
“I’m your godfather.”
He leaned down and pinched Chengcheng’s chubby cheek:
“Call me godfather. If you don’t, I won’t let her play with you tomorrow!”
Chengcheng froze for a moment before bursting into the loudest cry of protest:
“Godfather is a bad guy!”
Chen Qingzhi immediately patted Chengcheng’s head to soothe them.
She then shot Lu Jin an annoyed look:
“Stop calling yourself godfather. Don’t mislead the child!”
Lu Jin hadn’t expected the child to be so sensitive, crying after just a few words.
He looked helpless but remained stubborn:
“I just like being a dad.”
Hearing the commotion, a few more people emerged from the Western-style dining room.
Among them, a tall and handsome man looked the most anxious. He stepped forward, crouched down, and hugged Chengcheng, then said irritably to Lu Jin:
“I say, Young Master Lu, it’s been years, but your arrogant, domineering temper hasn’t changed a bit!”
His voice took on the same aggrieved tone as his son’s:
“Bullying me when we were kids was one thing, but now you’re bullying my son too? What’s wrong with you?”
Lu Jin was taken aback for a moment. After recognizing the man before him, he narrowed his eyes, his tone playful:
“Liang Yilou, this little fatty is your son?”
The handsome man named Liang Yilou nodded proudly:
“Of course.”
“Did you get a paternity test done? Are you sure you’re not just playing daddy?”
Lu Jin asked with a laugh.
Chen Qingzhi felt his laughter carried a hint of mockery and nudged him, signaling him to cut it out in front of the child.
Sure enough, Liang Yilou immediately flared up:
“Cut the crap. He’s one hundred percent my kid!”
“Is the biological mother Shi Miaomiao?”
Lu Jin continued to ask.Hearing that name, Chen Qingzhi’s breath hitched for a moment before returning to normal as she smiled at Chengcheng.
With an inexplicable surge of confidence, Liang Yilou quietly leaned close to Lu Jin’s ear and whispered:
“We both had flash marriages two years ago, but I hit the jackpot on the first try—my son is old enough to run errands now. And look at you?”
Liang Yilou pointed at the meter-wide gap between the two, and at Chen Qingzhi’s awkwardly turned head:
“Even holding hands seems like a struggle. Clearly, you still haven’t won over my goddess.”
“Damn…”
Lu Jin felt a tightness in his chest and couldn’t retort for a long moment.
It was rare for him to be provoked like this. He took a deep breath and whispered back to Liang Yilou:
“Stop calling her ‘goddess’ this and ‘goddess’ that. She’s my wife now!”
Liang Yilou glanced at the seemingly harmonious but inwardly distant couple, scoffed, and couldn’t be bothered to banter with Lu Jin any longer.
So damn satisfying.
After all these years, he had finally beaten Lu Jin once.
Liang Yilou picked up Chengcheng and headed toward the restaurant.
Halfway there, he seemed to remember something and turned back to look at Lu”A project worth over twenty billion dollars, just tossed aside like that.”
Liang Yilou chimed in teasingly, deliberately emphasizing the word “dollars.”
Then he laughed himself:
“Such boldness, tsk tsk. It’s no wonder we call you Crown Prince Lu, my friend.”
When surrounded by people, Lu Jin tended to put on airs. With a faint smile, he modestly replied:
“You flatter me, Yilou.”