Chapter 47: Chapter 47 “No Respect for Elders.”

Chapter 47

"Such disrespect."

In the living room, Lu Zhiyu was nowhere to be seen; he was likely in his room getting ready.

Song Qinian and Lu Tingan were still conversing.

"My cousin said he bought Xiao Yu's apartments long ago—one near the school and another near the branch office."

"Housing prices in S City aren't low, especially in such prime locations… My cousin went to a lot of trouble."

"It's fine, he's not one to fuss over these things. Later, let Xiao Yu visit Aunt and our cousin more often to show our appreciation."

"Alright, I'll make a gift list later and have Pang Yu bring it over when the time comes…"

Listening to them discuss Lu Zhiyu, Lu Zhishi didn't leave immediately. He waited until they finished talking and were about to get up before stealthily slipping out through the side door, hugging the wall.

Upon arriving at the Chi family home, Chi Yuehang and Bai Yansheng were also in conversation, but Lu Zhishi didn't listen in. After greeting the two uncles, he went upstairs to find Chi Chen.

"Brother Chen, would you like lotus leaf porridge tomorrow morning?"

Chi Chen set down the contract in his hand and asked calmly, "Can you make it?"

Lu Zhishi shook his head. "No, I can't make lotus leaf porridge. I'll have Dad buy some."

"Have you tried it before?" Chi Chen lowered his gaze, set the contract aside, and picked up another document to continue reading.

"Not yet. Online reviews say it's delicious, so I'm a bit curious." Lu Zhishi walked over and pulled a small sofa to sit beside him.

On the small living room table were three stacks of documents. Chi Chen bent his head, flipping through and reviewing them, occasionally signing at the bottom.

The work was draining, but with Lu Zhishi by his side, Chi Chen found the documents weren't so dull after all.

"Then bring me a bowl."

"Sure! I wonder if Uncle Chi and Uncle Bai would like it."

"They probably will," Chi Chen said. "Just bring one portion. My dad has to go to the hospital early tomorrow morning, and my father will go with him."

"Then, Brother Chen, why don't you come to my house for breakfast tomorrow? After eating, you can go to the company with my brother."

Lu Zhishi thought for a moment, his eyes brightening. "Or how about staying at my place tonight? Then you can get up and eat directly tomorrow morning."

Chi Chen glanced at the stacks of documents in front of him, then looked up and met Lu Zhishi's bright eyes, clearly seeing the expectation in them.

He opened his mouth slightly and nodded. "I'll come over after I finish these."

"Great!!"

His joy spread to Chi Chen. His narrow, deep eyes unconsciously softened with a faint smile, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. The weariness he felt dissipated somewhat, his energy slowly returning…

By the time he finished work, it was already past nine in the evening—Lu Zhishi's usual bedtime.

Chi Chen closed the documents and saw Lu Zhishi covering a yawn beside him, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes, his long, thick eyelashes slightly damp and drooping.

"Let's go."

His fingers twitched, but he still pulled out a tissue and gently dabbed the corners of Lu Zhishi's eyes.

Lu Zhishi sleepily took the tissue from him, wiped his eyes haphazardly, and then stuffed it into his pocket.

Stretching, he woke up a bit more. The daze in Lu Zhishi's eyes faded, replaced by a bright clarity.

"What should we bring? Should we bring the quilt? What about the pillow?"

Lu Zhishi paced around Chi Chen's large bed, glancing back at Chi Chen, waiting for his response.

"No need to bring anything. There are identical quilts and pillows there."

"Oh," Lu Zhishi replied softly.

Chi Chen stood up, gathered the things he needed to bring to the company tomorrow, and went downstairs with him.

"The rabbit in my room—did you take it home?"

Mentioning this, Lu Zhishi perked up again. "Yes, yes! It looks exactly like the rabbit in my room. I thought it was mine, so I took it home."

"It's fine. It was meant for you anyway." Chi Chen turned off the light, gently closed the door, and walked side by side with Lu Zhishi back to the Lu family home under the moonlight.

Their shadows on the ground sometimes drew close, sometimes separated, with a certain intimate closeness yet seemingly without any ambiguity.

It felt like familial affection, having nothing to do with romantic love…

Chi Chen withdrew his gaze, lowered his long eyelashes, a hint of melancholy appearing in his eyes.

The other protagonist remained oblivious, still chattering about life's little details: "I'm so worried about my cabbage. The sun is so hot—even I wilted when I went to loosen the soil…"

"I spaced out during calligraphy class and didn't take the homework seriously. The teacher actually noticed and punished me by making me write ten additional large-character sheets…"

"My brother is going to S City for school at the end of the month. Dad said Uncle already bought an apartment. I haven't seen Uncle and his family in so long…"

Chi Chen spoke little, mostly listening quietly, but he never let Lu Zhishi's conversation die.

"Your cabbage has grown a bit more, but it needs de-bugging."

Lu Zhishi was shocked. "My cabbage has bugs again? How did that happen!"

The last time we got rid of bugs… when was that again?

Chi Chen's eyes held a smile, the smile on his lips deepening.

He found it both amusing and endearing every time he heard Lu Zhishi lamenting that his cabbage had bugs yet again.

"Last time we got rid of bugs was probably last month, right?" His voice carried a light laugh, full of tenderness in the evening breeze, his gaze always hiding affection when he looked at Lu Zhishi.

"Seems like it."

Lu Zhishi smacked his fist into his palm, having a sudden realization.

"Then let's hurry back. While Dad and the others are still awake, we can ask them to find someone to get rid of the bugs." He reached out, grabbed Chi Chen's wrist, and dashed quickly toward home.

The touch on his wrist was distinct. Chi Chen froze, but before he could react, he was pulled forward.

Two teenagers, one tall and one short, held hands and sprinted across the grassy path under the bright summer moonlight.

He had never felt time pass so quickly, yet so slowly.

The tentative nature of a summer night, the racing heartbeat, the young man's reddened ears…

At the end of August, back-to-school season arrived.

Lu Zhishi followed his two dads and Chi Chen to the airport to say goodbye to Lu Zhiyu and his grandparents.

"Take good care of yourself, and remember to call if anything happens..." Lu Zhishi's eyes were red as he hugged his brother around the waist, but he didn't wipe his tears or runny nose on him.

Rarely seeing him so sensible, Lu Zhiyu felt a softness in his heart; his own eyes also showed reluctance.

"Okay, if anything comes up, be sure to call us, Pang Xiaoyu." Lu Zhiyu messed up his hair. "Come home when you have time."

"If the vacation is short, no need to come back—just get some extra sleep." Lu Zhishi wiped his eyes.

"Got it, Little Cheese."

Lu Zhishi let go of his waist, stood beside Chi Chen, his lip quivered, and he pressed his lips together to keep from crying.

Seeing this, Lu Zhiyu couldn't help but laugh. He leaned down and hugged Chi Chen. "I'm counting on you, buddy. See you during winter break."

"Don't worry." Chi Chen patted his back. "Safe travels, and may all go well."

Song Qinian glanced at his watch and patted Lu Zhiyu's shoulder. "You should get going now. Your uncle is waiting over there."

"I'm leaving now, Dad. Take care of yourself." Lu Zhiyu hugged him too.

The eighteen-year-old young man had, without anyone noticing, reached his father's height.

For a moment, Song Qinian's eyes also grew moist.

Lu Zhiyu went to hug Lu Tingan, going on, "Be good at home, and if your feet hurt, make sure to rest."

Lu Tingan smiled, patting his back somewhat helplessly. "I know."

Waving, Lu Zhiyu wheeled his suitcase and walked away without looking back. Beside him were both sets of grandparents, seeing him off to college.

From a distance, they could only see Lu Zhiyu raise a hand to wipe his eyes. Song Qinian's father gently patted his shoulder, leaning in and whispering something.

Unlike the overseas study programs during elementary school, this departure signaled the transition of a young man into adulthood.

Starting college meant becoming an adult—the young man had grown up.

Lu Zhishi was very upset, still sniffling on the ride home. "Stinky brother," he muttered, "he didn't even look back once."

Chi Chen glanced at the two elders in the front seat, pulled out a tissue, and wiped Lu Zhishi's tears and runny nose, whispering, "When we get home, I'll give you some milk cake, the chilled kind."

"I want two pieces." Lu Zhishi immediately brightened.

"Okay, two pieces."

In the front seat, Song Qinian subtly sneaked a glance in the rearview mirror, tilting his head slightly to meet Lu Tingan's gaze in the passenger seat.

They exchanged a smile.

Shortly after noon, Huo Rulan sent Lu Tingan a photo.

In the picture, Lu Zhiyu was holding a bouquet of sunflowers, slightly bent over as he spoke with Ye Xi. Two boys who looked identical stood beside Lu Zhiyu, smiling as if chatting about something.

His aunt, Rong Lan, was holding the hands of his two mothers, Qin Zhaowan and Jiang Shangyao, saying something with a scolding yet tearful tone in her eyes.

Both Ms. Qin and Ms. Jiang held bouquets of pink monthly roses.

Not far from them were Lu Yunqing and Song Shuyu, along with his uncle, Huo Chengsong, their faces warm and teasing, showing no awkwardness despite the time apart.

The two fathers also held bouquets of white roses.

Lu Tingan smiled. It was just like his brother's style—gentle, elegant, and always handled things properly.

Along with the photo, there were a few voice notes.

"It's been years since we last saw each other, and you and Song Qinian still haven't come to S City for a visit."

"You promised to come, but after waiting half the day, only Pang Xiaoyu and the two aunts and uncles showed up."

"Your Pang Xiaoyu didn't come either. Chen'an and Jing Xing said they missed him."

Picking off the spoiled leaves from Lu Zhishi's cabbage, Lu Tingan pressed the voice message button and said with a laugh, "Pang Xiaoyu is about to start school, and things are hectic at work, so we couldn't swing it."

"We'll visit you for New Year's."

He added, "With you there, I know he's in good hands."

Huo Rulan might not have been busy, as a reply came almost immediately after Lu Tingan sent the message.

"Remember to come for New Year's, or I won't let your son leave."

Huo Rulan said, "I just found out from my assistant—a bunch of stuff was shipped from A City. What, is this Pang Xiaoyu's allowance?"

Lu Tingan chuckled. "You bought Pang Xiaoyu two condos and a car. What's wrong with me sending some gifts?"

Another message came through, this time with a laugh. "You've got a point. I'll accept them, then."

They chatted back and forth for half an hour. After finishing with the spoiled leaves, Lu Tingan went home to wash his hands, and Song Qinian fed him a grape.

"Rare day off. Let's watch a movie later."

"Sure, let's watch that new historical drama."

"Okay, we'll watch it."

"Has Pang Xiaoyu not come back yet?" Lu Tingan asked.

Song Qinian pulled him to sit down. "He went to see Brother Xiao Chen, said he's helping him pack his luggage."

Chi Chen was starting school in a few days and hadn't finished packing. Lu Zhishi, still red-eyed and sniffling, went to help him.

"Does your eye still hurt?" Chi Chen took out eye drops and put in a few drops to Lu Zhishi's eyes to moisten them.

Lu Zhishi shook his head. "It doesn't hurt now."

"Lie down on the bed."

Lu Zhishi sniffled and lay down on the bed, hands on his stomach, staring at the ceiling.

Chi Chen got fresh ice packs and put them on Lu Zhishi's eyes.

"So cold."

"Because they're ice packs."

Lu Zhishi suddenly laughed. "Brother Xiao Chen, you're so funny."

Chi Chen also curved his lips into a smile, pulled the nearby blanket over to cover Lu Zhishi's belly, then turned back to continue packing the suitcase.

Just bring the essentials; the house near the school has everything needed, as Chi Yuehang had prepared it all well in advance.

Lu Zhishi lay on the bed, calling his annoying older brother who was far away in S City. He greeted his two twin cousins and chatted for a while with his great-aunt and great-uncle.

His eldest uncle and youngest uncle were busy preparing lunch, so after hanging up, Lu Zhishi sent them voice messages as well.

Putting the ice pack back over his eyes, Lu Zhishi tugged the light summer blanket over his belly—it was his nap time.

The rustling sounds acted like a lullaby, and Lu Zhishi grew drowsy. The familiar refreshing cypress fragrance drew nearer.

The other side of the bed sank slightly, the covers shifted, and then everything grew quiet again.

With his eyes closed, his hearing became sharper.

Lu Zhishi could hear the breathing beside him—very soft, almost inaudible unless you were close.

Sleepiness pulled at him like a hook, dragging him instantly into deep sleep as his consciousness grew increasingly hazy.

Just before falling asleep, Lu Zhishi thought, if only he were a little closer…

Not even four days after seeing off Lu Zhiyu, Lu Zhishi was bidding farewell to Chi Chen again, though this time it was at the school gate.

Mr. Bai didn't come—he had strained his back—and Mrs. Bai accompanied him to the hospital.

Bai Yansheng was also busy, either booked for surgeries or consultations scheduled every day, so he couldn't make it today.

Chi Chen asked lightly, "It's my first day of school, why aren't you crying?"

Lu Zhishi was still bowing his head, tying a good luck charm onto Chi Chen's backpack and, without looking up, said, "Because Brother Chen is very close. I can come see you on weekends."

"It's too far, don't bother coming." Before Lu Zhishi could pout, Chi Chen added, "I'll come back on weekends when I have time. Don't come alone."

"Alright then. If you're not coming back, make sure to message me."

"Got it."

Both of Chi Chen's parents were alumni of A University. Though they came to see him off, at the school gate, the couple held hands and wandered off, saying they wanted to revisit their old haunts.

Only Chi Yuehang and Lu Zhishi accompanied Chi Chen to his dorm.

When they arrived, someone had already arrived. Chi Chen found his bed, right next to the other boy's bed.

"Hello, I'm Wang Siyu."

"Chi Chen." Chi Chen reached out and shook his hand, then introduced, "This is my dad and my brother."

The boy had an outgoing and easygoing personality. He smiled and greeted Chi Yuehang and Lu Zhishi: "Hello, uncle. Hello, little brother."

Chi Yuehang nodded and smiled, "Hello."

Lu Zhishi waved too, "Hello, brother."

Chi Chen, who was tidying his things, paused for a moment, glanced at the smiling Lu Zhishi, then looked away without saying anything.

Chi Yuehang took a quick look around the dorm. This was his and Song Qinian's old school—they'd walked every corner hundreds of times before. Nothing felt new; the school was just as it always had been.

After Chi Chen set his things down, they went out for a walk around campus. Lu Zhishi's legs were getting tired from all the walking.

The campus was too big to cover in a short time. Lu Zhishi got hungry, his stomach growling, and Chi Yuehang couldn't help but chuckle in amusement.

Unable to find the elderly couple, Chi Yuehang took the two children for lunch. By the time they finished, it was almost time for nap time. Lu Zhishi was nodding off.

Chi Chen walked them to the school gate. Chi Yuehang stopped him and handed over a car key, saying, "Go to the off-campus house whenever you want. The car was bought by Uncle Song. There are a few wristwatches in the car, bought by Uncle Lu. They're your back-to-school gifts."

Chi Chen took it and said, "Please thank Uncle Song and Uncle Lu for me."

"There'll be plenty of chances to thank them later; no rush." Chi Yuehang patted his shoulder and left with Lu Zhishi.

"Bye, brother." Lu Zhishi waved, struggling to keep his eyes open, then sleepily grabbed his uncle's clothes and left. He fell asleep as soon as he got in the car.

By the time they got home, Lu Zhishi had woken up from his sleep. Chi Yuehang watched him go inside and reminded him, "Stay home, don't run around. It looks like rain—don't go fishing."

Lu Zhishi felt embarrassed, his face flushing as he waved, "I wasn't going…"

How did everyone know he liked sneaking off to fish? It was pretty embarrassing—he had been planning to go.

"Alright, I'm heading off." Chi Yuehang had a meeting in the afternoon. As a workaholic, he wouldn't pass up any work opportunity. With his wife and child not home, taking time off seemed pointless.

"Remember, no fishing."

"Got it. Bye, uncle."

Watching the black car drive away, Lu Zhishi stretched, closed the door, went back to his room for a shower, and took another nap.

Having slept enough in the car, Lu Zhishi only napped for another half hour before waking up. The first thing he did was press his face to the floor-to-ceiling window to check the weather.

"Uncle Chi lied!"

Outside, the sun was shining brightly with no sign of rain at all.

His fishing itch returned, but a glance at the time made him reconsider.

Well, it was already past 3 PM—not enough time for fishing.

Song Qinian and Lu Tingan got off work at 5 PM. If there was no traffic, they usually arrived home by 5:30.

With two hours to go, Lu Zhishi organized his backpack and gathered what he needed for school the next day.

After dawdling for an hour, Lu Zhishi put on his straw hat, grabbed his shovel, and headed out.

Another day of diligently tending the vegetable garden.

While watering, Zhao Xiaoxing called, "Six Cheese, wait for me tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure, want to come over for breakfast?"

"Yes, I want wontons."

"Alright, order accepted, Chubby Xing."

After Zhao Xiaoyun went abroad and Zhao Mingzhu got busy with work, Lin Sheng was either helping Zhao Mingzhu at the company or preparing for school. Zhao Xiaoxing was often home alone.

A couple of days ago, he'd picked up some cringy middle-school talk from who-knows-where, crying and saying he didn't want lots of money but lots of love. Lu Zhishi bopped him on the head, and that calmed him down.

The poor kid just needed company. It was just a rebellious phase—nothing to worry about. A couple of whacks would fix it.

With Lu Zhishi around, the elders in the Zhao family were very much at ease.

The new semester will only have Lu Zhishi and Zhao Xiaoxing going to school together, and it feels pretty weird.

In the past, Zhao Xiaoxing would always ride to school with his brother, but now that his brother isn't here, he came over happily to find Lu Zhishi.

"I was thinking of asking you to see if you wanted to go fishing, but then I realized we were running out of time, so I didn't go."

"Let's go next week. The weather forecast says it'll be drizzling, perfect for fishing."

"I was thinking the same. My grandpa said he'd take us, so we won't need to net them this time."

These two little amateur fishermen love fishing, but fish never bite. Every time they run out of time, they end up using a net to catch a few, pretending they caught them by fishing.

"There's another start-of-term exam tomorrow, and I haven't reviewed yet."

There was a rustling noise from Zhao Xiaoxing's side, as if he had tore into a bag of chips.

"I haven't reviewed either. I plan to stay up late tonight and do some studying."

After done watering, Lu Zhishi went back, picked a cucumber, and sat on the small steps in front of the house, munching away on it while looking up at the scenery.

Zhao Xiaoxing said, "Alright then, I'll pull an all-nighter too."

Not long after Song Qinian and Lu Tingan got back that afternoon, a light rain started falling outside, and the dinner Lu Zhishi had ordered arrived just in time.

With Lu Zhiyu not around, the house felt emptier, and even the food didn't taste as good.

Hearing this, Song Qinian almost choked laughing: "If it's not tasty, how come you still ate two bowls of rice?"

"Well, it's that age where 'a growing boy eats enough to bankrupt his dad.' If I don't eat, I'll starve."

Lu Tingan said, "If you're hungry, just eat. There's more if it's not enough."

So Lu Zhishi had another bowl of noodles and a bowl of chicken soup, then slumped onto the living room sofa with a full stomach.

After eating, it's easy to get thoughtful. He sent messages to Lu Zhiyu and Chi Chen, asking when his grandparents would be back and if they could go fishing together.

Lu Zhiyu was in military training and didn't reply right away.

His grandparents, however, sent a message saying they'd be back in a couple of days. His father told him not to go fishing alone and to wait for him to take him.

Chi Chen sent back a photo.

Lu Zhishi opened it and saw four sets of tableware—probably out for a meal with his dorm mates.

Over there, Chi Chen looked down to reply to the message, then put away his phone and just listened to them shoot the breeze.

In the dorm, there were two ice kings, plus a chatterbox and a cool dude who keeps to himself.

Out of the four roommates, two had icy expressions, one was a cool, handsome guy, and the only chatterbox who was super outgoing was Wang Siyu.

Wang Siyu didn't know what to say—this was just unbearable...

He single-handedly kept the conversation going, with Fu Hexuan occasionally throwing in a lazy reply. The other two, Chi Chen and He Wanxuan, only chimed in now and then.

Not much talking at the table, but the atmosphere was harmonious—only Wang Siyu was worn out from keeping the conversation alive.

University military training lasted about a month, and during that time, Chi Chen never made it back. Lu Zhishi waited so long he was practically wilting from waiting.

One Friday after school, Lu Zhishi and Zhao Xiaoxing were heading toward the school gate.

"Brother Xiao Chen still isn't back. It's been a month already."

"My brother's even busier. When he's busy, he doesn't even reply to my messages."

"My brother's about the same, busy with military training every day."

As they were chattering on, Lu Zhishi was feeling kinda down when he looked up and saw the person they were just talking about right in front of him.

"Brother Xiao Chen! Chi Chen!"

Lu Zhishi took off running with his backpack, launched himself into his arms, excitedly shouting, "Chi Chen, Chi Chen, is that really you?"

"Still no respect for your elders." Chi Chen tapped his head, the corners of his mouth lifting.

"I thought I was hallucinating."

Lu Zhishi hugged him briefly before letting go, standing beside him to talk, his eyes bright as he looked up.

The abandoned Zhao Xiaoxing also came over, poked Lu Zhishi in the side, and greeted Chi Chen with a smile: "Brother Chi Chen."

Chi Chen nodded, "Get in the car. I'll buy you milk tea."

It had been so long since he'd seen him, Lu Zhishi was bursting with happiness.

After dropping off Zhao Xiaoxing and arriving home, Lu Zhishi got out of the car, clutching his milk tea as he followed Chi Chen into the house.

While they were talking, Lu Zhishi suddenly noticed that the good luck charm pendant that usually hung on Chi Chen's backpack was missing. He stopped short.

"Brother Xiao Chen, where's the fortune charm that was hanging on your backpack?"