"Sure, why not?" Father Lu nodded.
Over the years, he had always felt guilty towards his eldest son. As a result, he had indeed neglected his youngest son. However, now that his youngest son was about to start a family and career, and Lu Chuanbai had already established a firm footing.
There was no need for him to suppress Lu Fenglin any longer or interfere in the relationship between the two brothers.
Hearing that Father Lu finally gave his consent for Lu Fenglin to join the general company, the stepmother massaged him even more diligently, her mind buzzing with schemes.
As long as Lu Fenglin could work in the general company, the two of them would work together to bring Lu Chuanbai down.
The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. The strength in her hands increased, and Father Lu winced in pain.
"Stop it. That's enough," Father Lu said, grabbing her hand. "Let's go to Lu Chuanbai's place tonight."
He hadn't seen the two kids for a while and missed them a great deal. Just thinking about their chubby little faces calling him Grandpa made his heart melt.
How could there be such cute kids!
Moreover, he wanted to ask Lu Chuanbai something. Ever since he got home from the hospital last time, he had dug out Lu Chuanbai's baby pictures and compared them with Xu Yiyi and Xu An'an.
The two kids looked so much like Lu Chuanbai when he was little. Xu Yiyi, in particular, was an exact copy of Lu Chuanbai as a child!
So this time, he wanted to find out whether the two kids were Lu Chuanbai's biological children.
If they were, they should be recognized as part of the family right away!
"Sure. Let Lu Fenglin come along. It'll be a nice family gathering," the stepmother said with a smile on her face.
But in reality, she wanted Lu Fenglin to face the facts. She had long noticed that Lu Fenglin had feelings for Xu Qingqing.
But her son couldn't marry such a woman. She had to make Lu Fenglin give up on her!
"Okay. You go and tell Lu Fenglin."
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
"Hahaha! Come and catch me, Wangcai!"
The sound of children playing with a dog added a touch of liveliness to the quiet villa area.
Autumn had arrived in full force. The autumn breeze was refreshing, but one had to wear a thick coat to stay warm.
Leaves had piled up on the ground, and the grass on the lawn was turning yellow. Every step made a crunching sound.
Wangcai was rolling around on the soft grass. The warm sun shone on its belly. If it weren't for the two kids laughing and playing with it, Wangcai would have loved to take a long nap.
Xu Qingqing and Lu Chuanbai were in the room, making preparations. There were now four toothbrushes in the bathroom instead of one.
The macaron-colored toothbrush holders were lined up in a row, from tallest to shortest, adding a touch of warmth to the white bathroom wall.
Like the toothbrushes, all the items that used to belong to one person now had four of each. There were four cups and four chairs... Toys were scattered all over the floor, making the once quiet house more lively.
"That's good enough," Xu Qingqing said, clapping her hands as she looked at the cups on the dining table.
She felt that her relationship with Lu Chuanbai had become closer, and she didn't mind it at all.
"Good thing you decorated a bedroom for the kids," she said. "Otherwise, I don't know what we would have done."
When Lu Chuanbai was decorating the house, he had left a bedroom for the kids. The room was decorated in a playful style that the kids loved.
Xu Qingqing turned to look at Lu Chuanbai. The sun cast a golden glow on his face, making his perfect features look almost divine. "I am their father, after all," he said.
Xu Qingqing coughed lightly. "Okay. Whenever there's a shoot, I'll bring the kids here to stay. For the rest of the time, we'll stay at my parents' place."
"No way," Lu Chuanbai said firmly. "Do you think this is your home and you can come and go as you please? If you don't get used to living here in advance, what if something goes wrong?"
"Netizens these days are very picky. If they find out, how many days do you think they'll scold you on the hot search?"
Lu Chuanbai's words made sense, and Xu Qingqing couldn't argue with him. She pursed her lips.
If something did go wrong, she didn't mind being scolded, but she was worried about the kids getting involved.
"Where will I sleep then?" Xu Qingqing frowned.
Lu Chuanbai had only decorated a bedroom for the kids, not for her.
"Do I have to sleep on the floor for over a month?"
Xu Qingqing thought to herself, feeling uncomfortable just thinking about sleeping on the hard floor for a month.
"My bed is big enough for three people," Lu Chuanbai said, looking at Xu Qingqing. He couldn't help but smile as he watched her cheeks puff up in annoyance. She looked like a cute little hamster, and he wanted to pinch her cheeks.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Xu Qingqing said, scratching her head. They were living together, but they didn't have to sleep in the same bed, did they?
"Let's sleep together when the shoot starts. I feel weird about it for now," Xu Qingqing said, scratching her head.
"That's why you need to get used to it," Lu Chuanbai said matter-of-factly. "If you can't even get used to it when there's no one around, it'll be even harder in front of the camera."
Lu Chuanbai's words were soft, but they stirred up a storm in Xu Qingqing's heart.
She wasn't sure if she could sleep in the same bed as Lu Chuanbai in front of the camera without feeling embarrassed.
Xu Qingqing covered her head in distress. "Okay, okay! We'll sleep together tonight!"
"Sure," Lu Chuanbai said, smiling at Xu Qingqing. "Don't worry. I'll help you."
He sounded so sincere that it seemed like he really just wanted to help Xu Qingqing and had no other motives.
But the more he acted like that, the more nervous Xu Qingqing felt. Lu Chuanbai's gaze was too intense, and she was worried that he might devour her.
"Forget it. I'll come back tomorrow after I've packed my things," she said.
No, she needed time to prepare herself mentally.
Xu Qingqing got up to call the kids to get ready to leave, but Lu Chuanbai grabbed her hand and showed her his phone. "We can't leave," he said.
"What's wrong?" Xu Qingqing leaned over to take a closer look.
"My dad just sent me a message. He's coming over for dinner tonight to see the kids," Lu Chuanbai said.
Xu Qingqing was stunned. "Your parents are coming for dinner!"
"I'd better leave then. It's your family gathering. I don't think the kids and I should get involved," she said.
With that, Xu Qingqing turned around and tried to leave, but Lu Chuanbai grabbed her again. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his embrace. He whispered in her ear, his voice deep and magnetic.
"My dad knows we're together, so he's coming over for a family gathering. If you leave, what am I supposed to tell him?"
"But..."
"Don't say 'but'. I agreed to do this variety show to help you. If you don't help me this time... Are you really that heartless?" Lu Chuanbai said, nuzzling against Xu Qingqing like a big puppy.
"Okay, okay. I get it," Xu Qingqing said, pushing his hand away. She was covered in goosebumps and looked utterly disgusted.
His image had been completely ruined!