CH 43

lu ye, perhaps because he was recently transferred, the security brigade scheduled the duty roster for the chinese new year at the end of the year and his duty dates conveniently avoided the period from new year’s eve to the third day of the new year. this allowed him to have an uninterrupted year-end break.

little lu mingming had known three days in advance that teacher qi was coming to their house for the new year. she was so excited that she couldn’t sleep, so she took out the snack gift bag she had stored in her “safe” and eagerly prepared to leave a good impression on teacher qi, hoping to keep him in their home for a long time.

on the day of the spring festival, lu mingming woke up early to welcome their “distinguished guest.” it was a cold winter morning at 6 a.m.. she had already gotten out of bed, changed her clothes, and started calling lu ye as if her life depended on it.

lu ye had never experienced such an “enthusiastic” welcome from his niece before, and he was somewhat overwhelmed. he reassured her several times that he would definitely bring teacher qi to their doorstep “on time and efficiently,” finally managing to catch his breath amidst little lu ming ming’s enthusiastic barrage.

lu ye hung up the phone, then turned to qi yanbai with a wry smile and complained, “she’s definitely likes you more.”

“children tend to like their teachers more,” qi yanbai smiled and adjusted the over-ear headphones on lu ye’s head when he turned, comforting him, “moreover, someone as well-behaved as mingming has a ‘filter’ for teachers.

whether lu mingming would become indifferent to teacher qi in the future remained to be seen, but when qi yanbai first entered lu wenyu’s home, he did receive an exceptionally warm welcome.

lu wenyu’s house was far from lu ye’s, perfectly situated between the north and south ends of the city, connecting a whole subway line in a straight line.

qi yanbai was feeling nervous about his first official “meeting the family” meal, and he had rehearsed his opening lines a hundred times in his mind. however, he was taken aback by the unexpected welcome ceremony that lu mingming had prepared, and he forgot all about his prepared speech. he could only smile awkwardly and greet them with a polite “hello.”

lu wenyu, who had somehow made her way downstairs from upstairs, was standing on the staircase. she was wearing a loose and soft home outfit, her long curly hair a bit messy, as if she had just woken up from bed. she looked nothing like the assertive career woman she appeared to be outside.

lu wenyu seemed amused by his reaction and couldn’t help but chuckle. she leaned against the railing and waved at him, saying, “no need to be so nervous. we’re all family here. you’ve come early in the morning, so go change into something more comfortable and relaxed.”

qi yanbai was taken aback. change into what?

before he could figure it out, lu ye had already changed his shoes and casually placed the gifts he had brought on the floor. he then grabbed qi yanbai’s arm and led him into the house.

lu wenyu’s villa had three floors in total, and there was a guest room on the first floor with an en suite bathroom, which had always been reserved for lu ye. lu ye led qi yanbai into the room, opened the closet, and took a look inside. then, he grabbed a set of home clothes from the deep end of the closet and handed it to qi yanbai.

qi yanbai was still trying to process everything that had happened. he blinked and looked at the clothes in his hand.

the home clothes were light in color, and they seemed to have been washed. they were hung in a dust cover, and the label on the collar had not been removed yet. however, there were a few obvious creases from being in the washing machine. qi yanbai glanced at the size on the label and realized it was not lu ye’s size.

“but why do you have these clothes?” qi yanbai asked. “and how does your sister know my size?”

“i told her,” lu ye said matter-of-factly.

“but i never told you my size,” qi yanbai said, puzzled.

“it’s not like it’s some private information,” lu ye said, gesturing to qi yanbai’s shoulder width. “we’ve been together for a while, and with a little observation, it’s easy to figure out.”

qi yanbai was still trying to process everything that had happened. he held the hanger in his hand, and he felt like there was a warmth in the soft fabric. he subconsciously tightened his grip on it, as if he wanted to hold onto something through the thin material.

in the living room, lu mingming had finally paid the price for her momentary enjoyment. she was now holding a broom and sweeping up the colorful paper scattered all over the floor. lu ye, who had changed into his clothes, was standing by and watching the her with a smug expression. he didn’t help but instead gave unsolicited advice, constantly saying, “you missed a spot on the left,” or “that part on the right isn’t clean.”

at first, lu mingming followed his instructions, but she quickly became irritated by lu ye’s interference. she put down the broom, looking aggrieved, and tried to find some support for herself.

“don’t laugh!” lu mingming stomped her foot. “if you laugh again, i’ll… i’ll tell teacher qi!”

“hey, that’s the right person to go to,” lu ye clapped his hands and said with a smile. “i’m really scared of teacher qi.”

“don’t listen to him,” lu wenyu chimed in from behind the kitchen counter, looking at her silly daughter with pity. she said, “he’s not afraid of teacher qi at all.”

in lu mingming’s mind, the identity of “teacher” was equivalent to something sacred and inviolable. she tilted her head in confusion and asked, “why?”

“because teacher qi is in a relationship with your uncle,” lu ye said with a straight face.

lu mingming was a mature child, and thanks to the unconventional upbringing of the lu siblings, she had received a slightly more open-minded education than her peers. hearing this, she was initially shocked, but before she could even think about how two men could be in a romantic relationship, she was hit by the fact that “teacher qi prefers my uncle over me.”

“what?!”

“it’s true,” lu ye changed his tone and said seriously, “but this is a secret between me and teacher qi. you know about it, so that’s enough. don’t tell anyone at school – not even if someone asks.”

school was a place with many children, parents, and the teacher’s identity was highly sensitive. everything had to be impeccable, and lu ye had attended numerous training sessions. he was worried that if lu mingming accidentally spilled the beans and someone with ill intentions heard it, it might affect qi yanbai’s job.

lu mingming was a sensible child who knew what was important. she stood up straight and nodded.

but as soon as she nodded and was about to promise something, she heard the door behind her click, and qi yanbai walked out of the room.

“there’s no need to keep it a secret; just let things happen naturally,” qi yanbai said. “it’s a fact that we’re in a relationship, and if the parents can’t accept it, it’s okay.”

his attitude was open and accepting, and even lu wenyu couldn’t help but admire him as she looked at him.