Chapter 174 Du Du and Jiang Xingliu Extra Story (2)

Chapter 174 Du Du and Jiang Xingliu Extra Story (2)

After returning to the Lu family, Lu Qingwan prepared to tidy up Du Du before taking him to the evening banquet.

Du Du didn’t have any objections and sat obediently on the sofa, daydreaming as soon as he got home.

This had been his habit over the years—when he was bored, he would just sit and daydream.

However, there was still a little friend in the hospital who could keep him company, which helped Du Du feel a bit less lifeless.

That friend was a beta, a gender type without pheromones, so he posed no threat to Du Du. He was also severely ill and was placed in the room next to Du Du's.

When Du Du was about to leave after recovering, that friend sat outside his room all night, noisily insisting that Du Du come back to visit him.

"What do you think of this one?" Lu Qingwan showed Du Du an evening suit she had ordered from the StarNet. The dark blue suit could make the young man's figure appear more robust, unlike his current frail state.

Du Du glanced at it and nodded indifferently, "You decide, Mom."

Lu Qingwan began sifting through a pile of clothes again, gently holding Du Du's face and coaxing, "Now that we’re back, let’s cheer up, my dear. Don’t you want to see Jiang Xingliu? Then we must dress better than him and totally outshine him at the event, okay?"

Du Du shook his head, "I’m not interested in seeing him."

Lu Qingwan was momentarily at a loss for words and could only stay by Du Du's side, hoping he would become more lively.

Soon, the doorbell chimed.

Du Du instinctively stood up from the sofa, staring nervously at the door.

In truth, he felt a bit nervous about being back. No matter who was outside, he felt a slight resistance.

It had been too long since he had seen the people here—twelve years was enough to fade the once close relationships.

Unreasonably tense, he watched as Lu Qingwan went to open the door.

Two figures stood outside, and Du Du quickly recognized who they were.

Shen Zhixue and Jiang Huizhou.

Shen Zhixue peeked inside, "Is Du Du inside?"

Jiang Huizhou followed behind, carrying large and small bags.

He heard Lu Qingwan talking to them.

Lu Qingwan smiled, "What brings you here?"

"Lu Qingyan told us you were back, so we thought we’d come see Du Du," Shen Zhixue said cautiously. "Has Du Du fully recovered now?"

Lu Qingwan nodded, letting Shen Zhixue and Jiang Huizhou in. "The doctor said there’s nothing serious, just some lingering effects... but it’s not a big deal. Du Du has been missing you all these years."

Shen Zhixue squinted, clearly happy. "I’ve missed him as well. Can I go in and see him?"

"Of course," Lu Qingwan took the bags from Jiang Huizhou. "We’re going to the evening banquet at the Military Hall tonight. Du Du is trying on his outfit right now."

"Perfect, I can help him pick one," Shen Zhixue walked in.

Du Du stood in the center of the living room, suddenly faced with this familiar yet unfamiliar face.

To be honest, Shen Zhixue hadn’t changed much. Time seemed to have left no trace on his face, and he still looked as beautiful with a natural charm as he had years ago.

But Du Du still wasn’t quite comfortable.

As Shen Zhixue approached, Du Du instinctively stepped back twice and turned his head away, avoiding eye contact.

Shen Zhixue hesitated, standing cautiously at the doorway, and asked, "Can I come in?"

Du Du pressed his lips together and bit the tip of his tongue. He wanted to say yes.

He wanted to say that he’d missed Zhi Zhi all these years.

As a kid, he thought Zhi Zhi was his best friend in the world, second only to Jiang Xingliu. He loved hanging out with Shen Zhixue because Shen Zhixue always knew how to cheer him up.

But when he tried to speak, nothing came out.

During his years in the hospital, he’d been on the brink of breaking down, even wishing for death. In his darkest moments, he even briefly resented Shen Zhixue.

He couldn’t stop his mind from racing.

He blamed Shen Zhixue for Jiang Xingliu not being there for him.

He knew Jiang Xingliu’s bond with Shen Zhixue wasn’t romantic. Their connection went beyond love—it was something deeper, something that made Du Du uneasy whenever he thought about it.

Shen Zhixue was the only light that pierced the darkness when Jiang Xingliu was lost in despair as a young man.

This light was more powerful and real than love.

It wasn’t about romance, yet it easily overshadowed everything else.

Just like how Jiang Xingliu, back then, would’ve chosen Shen Zhixue over himself in a heartbeat.

Shen Zhixue froze for a moment, then gave a bitter laugh. He said softly, "Du Du, I’ve missed you. I’m sorry… you’ve been through so much. We all came to see you. Jiang Xingliu… he came too, but the doctors thought it might interfere with your treatment."

Du Du spun around, his lips quivering.

"He… he was here too?"

Shen Zhixue nodded. "He did."

Du Du pressed his lips together, a flicker of hope in his eyes. He managed a smile, then looked down and stayed quiet.

But Shen Zhixue could tell Du Du was a little less tense now.

"You’re going to the banquet tonight, right?" Shen Zhixue patiently stood far away from Du Du, not approaching him, and spoke in a gentle, quiet voice, "Can I come with you? I’d love to help you pick out a suit—is that okay?"

Du Du bit his lip, then nodded shyly and whispered, "Zhi Zhi…"

Hearing that familiar name, Shen Zhixue felt a lump in his throat. "Yes, little Du Du, what would you like to eat? I’ll cook for you later, okay?"

Du Du nodded. "Okay."

Shen Zhixue lowered his head and wiped the moisture from the corner of his eye. "You go ahead and pick, I’ll cook for you, and then we’ll choose your outfit together."

Du Du nodded but still didn’t move closer to Shen Zhixue.

Shen Zhixue turned and walked into the kitchen. Jiang Huizhou followed him, taking his wrist and gently wiping the tears from his face.

He leaned down and kissed Shen Zhixue’s eyes. "Baby, don’t cry."

Shen Zhixue shook his head, his voice choked with emotion. "He seems to dislike me a little. I… I don’t know how to say it. He’s suffered so much these years. Really, my heart aches for him, but there’s nothing I can do. Jiang Huizhou, Du Du is like my own child. He used to be such a sweet, lively boy. Seeing him like this now, I just…"

Jiang Huizhou rubbed Shen Zhixue's head: "Things will get better. He’s recovered from such a tough illness, and now things will improve as well."

Shen Zhixue nodded and hummed softly: "That troublemaker Jiang Xingliu, if he dares to let Du Du suffer even a little bit of grievance again, I’ll rip him to shreds!"

Jiang Huizhou chuckled and said, "Alright, I’m the best at tearing people apart. I'll help you with that."

Shen Zhixue then wiped her eyes and hurriedly searched for ingredients in the fridge behind her: "Let me see what dishes Du Du likes to eat. If there are no ingredients, have someone bring over a fresh batch."

Jiang Huizhou leaned against the wall: "Sure, anything you say."

In fact, Shen Zhixue hadn't cooked for many years, and getting to have this meal, Jiang Huizhou really had Du Du to thank for it.

During the meal, Du Du's mood had stabilized a lot. When Shen Zhixue served him food, he didn’t react strongly, which made Shen Zhixue a little happy.

"Is it delicious?"

She placed Du Du's favorite pineapple sweet and sour pork in his bowl: "Try it and see if I’ve lost my touch."

Du Du dug into his meal, squinted his eyes, and smiled at her: "It's very delicious."

Shen Zhixue also smiled, and Lu Qingwan finally relaxed.

After the meal, Shen Zhixue accompanied Du Du to pick out a pink evening dress. The vibrant pink suited Du Du perfectly. His appearance was naturally delicate and cute, and when he smiled, his almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents, making anyone who saw him instantly like him.

"You look stunning!" Shen Zhixue exaggeratedly expressed, circling around Du Du: "Our Du Du is going to have all the Alphas swooning!"

Du Du blushed and whispered, "Zhi Zhi!"

Shen Zhixue happily said, "Alright, I won't say anymore. It’s about time, ready to go?"

Du Du nodded and hopped into the hovercar with Shen Zhixue.

When they arrived at the venue, the party was already in full swing.

He felt a bit nervous, wondering if he would run into Jiang Xingliu at the banquet.

He wanted to ask about Jiang Xingliu's recent situation but couldn't bring himself to, so he kept it to himself.

The attendant checked their invitation and then opened the banquet hall door. Du Du hid behind Shen Zhixue and followed her into the venue.

He quickly scanned the crowd for Jiang Xingliu's figure.

He couldn’t put his feelings into words; he wanted to see Jiang Xingliu but was also afraid of seeing him.

Until his eyes were drawn to a tall figure.

He was wearing a straight military uniform, his tall and slender body wrapped in the well-tailored uniform. He wore knee-high military boots, and his strong calves added a touch of sexiness under the boots.

Du Du immediately recognized the handsome man as Jiang Xingliu.

At that moment, he leaned against the ornate Roman column behind him, his expression cold and somewhat impatient. Under his restless and cold eyebrows, his eyes were as black as ink, exuding a hint of coldness, fixed on the woman in front of him.

He was already thoroughly annoyed. If it weren't for the fact that this woman's family background was crucial to the empire and he heard that her family had a herb Jiang Xingliu had been looking for, he would have thrown her out by now.

"Commander Jiang wants that thing?" The woman approached him, her breath was sweet: "Sure, it's useless staying here anyway. If Commander Jiang can agree to one condition, I can give it to you."

Jiang Xingliu held back: "What condition?"

The woman's slender fingers rested on Jiang Xingliu's shoulder, and she said intoxicatedly, "How about you spend the night with me, Commander Jiang?"

At these words, Jiang Xingliu's expression instantly turned as cold as the depths of winter. He sneered and shook off the woman's hand, raising an eyebrow as he said, "Miss Xisi, what do you mean by this? Are you treating me like some kind of male escort?"

"Commander Jiang, don’t put it so harshly," the woman leaned in close, knowing full well that what she held was of great importance to Jiang Xingliu. Even if she humiliated him, he wouldn’t dare do anything to her. "It’s just a case of mutual attraction."

Jiang Xingliu's murderous intent was now evident, the chill in his eyes unmistakable to anyone.

He stepped back from the woman's deliberate advance, thinking about how to quietly get rid of this fool while still obtaining what he wanted. His gaze inadvertently fell upon a young man not far away.

The young man was clad in a soft pink suit, standing out starkly amidst the black and white of the banquet, like the most delicate flower blooming in a dreary fog.

Jiang Xingliu was momentarily stunned.

Over the years, he had countless times imagined Du Du's face, fantasized about what the adorable little boy would look like grown up, and wondered if he would recognize him at first sight when they met again.

He could recognize him.

The answer was resolute at this moment.

No matter what Du Du looked like as an adult, it would always be the way he hoped.

Their gazes locked across the room.

Suddenly, Du Du's gaze fell upon Xisi beside him, and with reddened eyes, he turned and walked away.