Chapter 281 - 279: Family Dinner

Chapter 281: Chapter 279: Family Dinner

Sensing that familiar, scorching gaze, Zhou Lian slowly looked up toward the veranda. Her eyes met the man’s dashing, upright figure. As she met his look of deep affection and longing, the corners of her lips unconsciously curled into a sweet smile, causing Li Xiu’s eyes to darken as he watched from the veranda, a possessive fire kindling within him.

Their flirtatious exchange was fully witnessed by Wang Xiaojuan, who was in the courtyard watching the children laugh and play. Feeling a little dejected, she glanced at Li Bao beside her and sighed softly. ’You really can’t compare people,’ she thought. ’Compared to Big Brother, my husband is a total block of wood.’

Watching the way her daughter and son-in-law interacted, Mrs. Zhou patted the arm of Mr. Zhou next to her and said softly, "We really didn’t choose the wrong son-in-law back then!"

"Don’t overthink it. Everyone has their own destiny. Our second daughter seems to be blessed by the heavens, with everything being smooth sailing for her up to now. From now on, we don’t need to worry about her!" Mr. Zhou said gently with a glance. He had never in his life seen a man like his son-in-law, but this was very, very good.

Sister Fang came out of the kitchen. Seeing the courtyard full of laughter and playful noise, she couldn’t help but smile. She glanced at the time and then said to Li Xiu, who was not far away, "It’s about time. Let’s eat!" Seeing Li Xiu nod, she went back to the kitchen to get ready.

Taking a few long strides, he walked to Zhou Lian’s side and took her hand. Only then did Li Xiu feel his restless heart finally settle. He looked up at everyone in the courtyard and said, "Alright everyone, take a break. Go wash your hands and get ready for dinner!"

Everyone playing in the courtyard looked up in unison toward Li Xiu on the veranda. A moment later, the older ones led or carried the younger ones to the southwest corner of the courtyard, where there was a faucet. The group crouched there, laughing and chattering as they washed their hands.

Zhou Lian shook her head with a helpless smile and glanced at Li Xiu. "It’s so hot today, and there are so many of us. Let’s set up a table and eat in the courtyard. It’ll be too stuffy with everyone in the dining room."

Li Xiu rarely refused Zhou Lian, especially over such a small matter. He called Li Bao and Li Guo to go with him to the storage room in the outer courtyard. They brought out a large round table, wiped it clean, and placed it in the part of the courtyard near the dining room.

Before long, with help from Wang Xiaojuan and Li Cui, Sister Fang had brought all the dishes to the round table in the courtyard. Everyone took their seats, but upon seeing the lavish spread, Li Guo and Li Cui looked a little embarrassed.

"You’re at your big brother and sister-in-law’s house. What’s there to be shy about?" Noticing Li Guo and Li Cui’s discomfort, Zhou Lian said gently, knowing that saying too much would be counterproductive.

After a lively dinner, Zhou Lian’s gentle and intellectual aura seemed even more graceful and lovely under the dim yellow light. Smiling, she said to Li Guo, "Both of your older brothers have been drinking, so they can’t drive. Why don’t you take your Sister Cui back to school first? Today is the first day of the semester, so it wouldn’t look good for you to stay out overnight. In the future, you can just come straight to the house on Saturdays and Sundays."

Li Guo and Li Cui nodded obediently. Li Guo said with a simple-hearted expression, "Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I’ll take my sister back to school first. From now on, I’ll go to her school on Saturdays and Sundays to pick her up and come here together."

"Good. You’re the most sensible one. It’s good to look out for your sister since she’s a girl. Go on now, you have curfews at your dorms." Zhou Lian said warmly, smiling at Li Guo.

A little while later, Li Bao and his family also took their leave. Zhou Huaitai and Zhang Yizhen checked the time and went back to their rooms to do their homework. Knowing that Sister Fang would likely be busy late into the night, Mr. and Mrs. Zhou took the two children back to their room as well. In an instant, only Li Xiu and Zhou Lian were left in the courtyard.

Looking up at the bright moon in the sky, Zhou Lian looked at Li Xiu with a somewhat helpless expression. "Is it just me, or did it feel like everyone in the family was a little..."

Understanding his wife’s unspoken words, Li Xiu looked at her tenderly and said, "Silly girl. Our nephews have always been hardworking, and besides, today is the first day of school. Nuonuo and Yanyan are still little, so isn’t it normal for Mom and Dad to take them to bed early? What are you letting your imagination run wild for?"

"Is that so? Maybe I was just overthinking it," Zhou Lian mumbled softly, leaning against Li Xiu’s chest.

Li Xiu gently stroked her hair and looked up at the sky. ’My wife is still so pure,’ he thought. ’Never mind my past life, even in this one she’s already thirty, yet she’s still so innocent and kind. This is good, though. With me here to protect her, I can definitely give her a life of tranquil years and peaceful days.’

The family hadn’t left for those reasons at all; they had simply seen the intimate atmosphere between the couple and didn’t want to disturb them. Li Xiu knew it was because his gaze had been too intense, making his in-laws and nephews uncomfortable, which was why they had retreated to their rooms early. Not that he could be blamed. Before dinner, he had been utterly captivated by the secure, happy smile on Zhou Lian’s lips. Glancing toward the kitchen where the cleanup was underway, he gently stood, scooped Zhou Lian into his arms, and strode back to their bedroom.

Sunlight streamed into the bedroom, illuminating the sleeping figure on the bed. A slight rustle came from Zhou Lian as she shifted in her sleep, her eyes still closed. Li Xiu, who had been sitting by the bed with a book waiting for her to wake, instantly put it down at the sound. He gently gathered her into his arms and asked softly, "Bao’er, what’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"

Nuzzling against his chest coquettishly, Zhou Lian puffed out her cheeks and said in a pampered tone, "My back is sore!"

"We’ll eat, and then you can rest a while longer. You don’t have classes this morning, so get some more rest," Li Xiu said gently, placing a tender kiss on her full forehead.

"Okay. Oh, right, Shengnan called yesterday. She’s pregnant. The conditions over there are pretty harsh, and that guy Ping’an wants her to come back to the Capital City." Remembering the phone call, Zhou Lian quickly told Li Xiu. She wasn’t sure if the current situation in the Capital City was suitable for Liu Shengnan to return to.

After thinking for a moment, Li Xiu said, "It’s true that the environment and conditions where Ping’an is are not suitable for a pregnant woman right now. But the situation in the Imperial Palace isn’t suitable either. Don’t worry. I’ll send someone to Ping’an’s place to bring her back. She can’t return to the Imperial Palace, so have Sister Fang prepare the garden house. When she gets back, have Sister Fang stay with her there. Once the baby is born, everything will be much easier to handle."

’Ping’an was just transferred to the Northwest this year. The situation there is extremely complicated. As a newcomer, he probably can’t control things or sort them out yet. It’s best to bring her back first so Ping’an can work without constraints. As for the situation in the Capital City’s Imperial Palace...’ Li Xiu sneered. ’With the memories of my past life, I know what’s going on. I haven’t interfered because I want Elder Ping to be ruthless and cut out the rot himself. Sometimes, you have to be ruthless. But the current Elder Ping might be getting old; he’s grown a bit soft-hearted on some matters. It looks like I’ll have to find time to make a trip to the Imperial Palace.’