Chapter 360 - 219: Lu Fan: Yixia, Last Night You Hugged Me and Kissed Me Hard

Chapter 360: Chapter 219: Lu Fan: Yixia, Last Night You Hugged Me and Kissed Me Hard

Lu Fan said calmly, "It’s a decent amount. Including equipment, it should be about ten million."

The table fell silent.

Her uncle’s chopsticks froze in mid-air, her aunt’s jaw dropped, and Xiaochen’s expression shifted repeatedly, forgetting to even put down the teacup in his hand.

Pan Lanfang was stunned, too. She couldn’t tell if Lu Fan was telling the truth or bluffing.

Jiang Guoqiang also looked up, his eyes filled with astonishment as he glanced at Lu Fan.

Her uncle gave a dry laugh, his face etched with disbelief. "Over ten million? Xiaolu, you’re not kidding, are you?"

"Uncle, what’s there to joke about? The gym is already renovated and will open next month. If you have time, you can come take a look. I’ll get you a VIP card—free for life," Lu Fan replied with a smile.

The smile on her uncle’s face froze.

He had originally wanted to show off how capable his son-in-law was, but he never expected Lu Fan to casually mention opening a gym worth over ten million.

His two restaurants, combined, weren’t worth that much.

Xiaochen’s expression soured.

He had wanted to flaunt his superiority in front of Lu Fan, only to realize the man didn’t even give a second thought to his small-time business.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn’t know what.

Her aunt tugged on her uncle’s sleeve from the side and said with helpless embarrassment, "Alright, alright, that’s enough."

Her uncle let out an awkward cough, picked up his teacup for a sip, and fell silent.

He didn’t even notice that the water in his cup had gone cold.

...

In the courtyard, Liu Yan was taking a walk with Jiang Yixia.

Liu Yan linked her arm through Jiang Yixia’s and smiled. "Sis, that Brother Lu is so handsome. Where did you find such a great guy? He’s so much better than mine."

Jiang Yixia’s face flushed slightly as she explained, "We... we just met by chance."

Liu Yan chuckled and asked again, "He treats you well, right? That gold bracelet from yesterday made Mom so jealous. She grumbled about it all night when she got home, saying her older sister got lucky finding such a generous son-in-law."

"He’s alright," Jiang Yixia said with a simple nod.

Liu Yan looked at her and said earnestly, "Sis, I genuinely want you to be happy. Don’t worry about what my mom and dad say. They’re just obsessed with appearances and love to compare—it’s been like that since we were kids. They compare themselves to your mom, to the neighbors, to everyone. As long as you’re doing well, that’s better than anything."

Hearing this, Jiang Yixia’s heart warmed. She squeezed her cousin’s hand and said, "I know. You too. Now that you’re married, live a good life. That guy, Xiaochen, he seems okay. Is he good to you?"

Liu Yan laughed, her eyes crinkling into crescents. "He’s alright. A bit of a show-off, but he’s sincere with me. That’s enough."

"That’s good, then," Jiang Yixia nodded.

The two of them completed a lap around the yard, chatting and laughing as they returned.

Their uncle and aunt were already on their feet, their expressions not looking too pleased.

Xiaochen stood sullenly to the side, silent, not knowing where to put the gift in his hands.

Her uncle forced a laugh. "Sis, we have some things to take care of, so we’ll be going. We have guests at home we need to attend to."

Pan Lanfang didn’t press them to stay. She smiled and said, "Alright. Take care. Come visit again when you have time."

Her aunt pulled Liu Yan toward the exit. Liu Yan turned back to wave at Jiang Yixia, smiling. "Sis, let’s keep in touch! Bring Brother Lu over to my place next time."

Jiang Yixia nodded and waved back.

Her uncle’s family left the courtyard, and their footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

They could still hear the aunt saying something, her voice low but indistinct.

Pan Lanfang stood at the doorway, watching their retreating backs, and let out a long sigh of relief.

She turned her head to look at Lu Fan, her eyes full of gratitude and beginning to redden at the rims.

"Xiaolu, thank you for today." She took Lu Fan’s hand, her voice choked with emotion. "For years, your uncle and his family have been gossiping behind our backs, talking about Yixia having two kids, saying our family is worthless. Yesterday you helped us stand up for ourselves, and you helped us again today!"

Lu Fan chuckled. "Auntie, please don’t say that. We’re all family. It’s what I should do."

Jiang Guoqiang, standing nearby, also smiled, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out. "Xiaolu, you’re a good kid. A genuine one."

"That gym of yours, did you really invest over ten million in it?" Pan Lanfang asked, her curiosity piqued again.

Lu Fan nodded, chuckling. "It’s true, Auntie. When it opens, I’ll bring you and Uncle over. There’s a hot spring pool specially prepared for seniors. It’s good for your health."

"But... but didn’t you say before that you were from the county? Here to do research in the village?" Pan Lanfang was a little puzzled.

"I am indeed from the county. I was thinking of cooperating with the government to see if we could build a holiday resort in our village. I never said I worked for the county government," Lu Fan explained, thinking up an excuse.

Upon hearing this, Pan Lanfang finally broke into a grin so wide she could have touched her ears.

She never thought she would’ve stumbled upon such a treasure.

"I never expected you were actually a big businessman! That’s wonderful, just wonderful." Pan Lanfang’s face was now beaming with an even happier smile.

After lunch, Lu Fan stood up, ready to leave.

"Auntie, Uncle, I should be heading back. I still have things to attend to at the company."

Pan Lanfang grabbed his hand, reluctant to let go. "Leaving so soon? Why not stay another night? We can have your uncle go fishing for a couple more fish tonight."

Lu Fan knew he had to play it cool and maintain a sense of distance, so he deliberately said, "Auntie, I’ll come again next time. I really do have work at the company. Once the gym opens, I’ll come pick you up."

"Alright. Be careful on the road. Call us when you get there," Pan Lanfang said, finally letting go of his hand.

Lu Fan nodded, then looked at Jiang Yixia. "Shall we go together?"

Jiang Yixia froze for a moment, then nodded and said to Pan Lanfang, "Mom, I’m heading back too. There’s still work to do at the shop."