Chapter 49 - Chapter 49 I’ll Be Disturbing You, Then

When a little girl throws herself into a kiss, there's no reason to refuse. Lu Jingyuan slipped his phone back into his pocket, ready to deepen the kiss. But Ruan Xingchen pushed him away again, covering her mouth tightly, eyes wide as she mumbled, "Uncle, I haven't brushed my teeth yet." Lu Jingyuan: "…" It turned out the little loli was no match for the uncle. She couldn't stand up to his dominance, and she was terrified he'd really call Lu Xiaobai. So she obediently packed her things and checked out at the front desk. They had lunch outside before returning to Wutong Apartments. After getting off the plane, Lu Jingyuan had stopped by first to drop off his luggage, then gone to the hotel to find her. Stepping into the entryway, he glanced at the two sealed boxes stacked to the side and snorted softly. "You knew to leave your stuff here, but not yourself." Ruan Xingchen puffed out her cheeks. "Uncle, it's different." Lu Jingyuan didn't argue with her. He strode toward the room across from his bedroom. He turned the doorknob, looked inside, then called toward the living room, "Come here." Ruan Xingchen blinked, set down her suitcase and violin, and trotted over. "From today on, you stay here." Lu Jingyuan stepped aside to let her look inside. Ruan Xingchen stared at him in confusion. She remembered this room used to be empty—no bed, not even a small stool. She couldn't exactly buy a tatami mat like Fang Xinxin, could she? Curious, she pushed the door open. When she saw what was inside, her mouth dropped open so wide she could have swallowed an egg, and her already big eyes went even wider. The room had been fully furnished at some point. The bed, wardrobe, vanity, and other furniture were all European-style. The sheets, quilt, carpet, and curtains were all pink. Crystal chandelier, sheer curtains, lace, dolls… It was exactly the princess bedroom she'd always dreamed of. Sparkles lit up in her big dark eyes, and her grin stretched almost to her ears. She'd always wanted a room like this, but nice European furniture was too expensive. She could only afford to make her old room simply pink. Ruan Xingchen clasped her hands in front of her chest, spun around, and looked at Lu Jingyuan with shining eyes. "Uncle, you're the best uncle I've ever met!" Lu Jingyuan raised an eyebrow. "Not going to look for another place anymore?" "Nope, nope!" She leaped straight into the room, threw herself onto the big pink bed, and rolled around happily. "Then I'll be disturbing you, Uncle." Lu Jingyuan's mouth twitched. Lu Xiaobai was right—Ruan Xingchen really was a shameless little loli. Lu Jingyuan closed the door halfway and let her roll to her heart's content. He turned toward the living room, pulling out his phone to call Wei Yuanxiao back. As soon as the call connected, Wei Yuanxiao's smug voice came through. "How's the bedroom? Pretty nice, right? The loli loves it, doesn't she?" Lu Jingyuan gave a light hum. "Mm. Thanks." "Pfft, no need for thanks between brothers." Wei Yuanxiao paused, his tone suddenly turning teasing and lewd. "But seriously, man—you're raising this little loli. If you actually marry her later, I can't picture a tough guy like you who can carry 200 kilos sleeping in a princess bed… it's just… tsk!" Lu Jingyuan's face darkened. He cut the call without listening to any more teasing. He strode back to Ruan Xingchen's door, pushed it open a little, and quietly watched the little girl rolling around on the carpet. Thinking of Wei Yuanxiao's words, he snorted disdainfully. So what if a tough guy sleeps in a princess bed? He fits in the bed. And he'll have the girl in it sooner or later. Ruan Xingchen must have worn herself out. She curled up on the carpet and fell into a deep sleep. When she woke up again, she was in bed. She opened her eyes to a sea of pink and jolted fully awake. She rolled around twice more, then suddenly remembered to check her phone. It was already past five. Ruan Xingchen scrambled out of bed and ran to the living room. Not seeing Lu Jingyuan, she frowned. She checked the entryway—his leather shoes were still there. She relaxed a little. His shoes meant he was home. If he wasn't in the living room, he must be sleeping in his bedroom. He'd only gotten back that morning, then gone to find her. He must be exhausted. She shouldn't disturb him. Quietly, she grabbed her bag and phone and left the apartment. Now that Lu Jingyuan was back and she was staying here, she needed to buy groceries, cook, and get back to normal life. It was getting late, so she skipped the market and went to the nearby supermarket. By this hour, the vegetables and meat weren't very fresh. She didn't buy much—just enough for dinner for two—then picked out her favorite snacks and drinks before heading to the checkout. After paying, she stepped outside with two big bags. The sky instantly darkened, and rain started pouring down. The weather changed on a whim. Many people, including her, were stuck at the entrance without umbrellas. Ruan Xingchen hugged her bags in a corner, watching the rain and making sure no one bumped into her. Time passed. The rain didn't get heavier, but it showed no sign of stopping. Many people called friends or family to pick them up. The crowd thinned until only Ruan Xingchen and two others remained. Her phone rang inside her bag. She squatted down, set the bags on the ground, and pulled it out. It was Lu Jingyuan. She answered and held it to her ear. "Hello, Uncle." His deep voice, a little hoarse from sleep, came through. "Where are you?" "Supermarket near the apartment." "Wait." With those two words, he hung up. Ruan Xingchen blinked, put her phone away, and stood up holding the bags. She stared down the road toward Wutong Apartments. About ten minutes later, a familiar figure appeared. He was wearing home clothes and slippers, holding an umbrella, walking toward her through the rain. Ruan Xingchen stared at him, and suddenly memories from years ago flashed in her mind. She'd snuck out to buy snacks and gotten stuck at a shop entrance. No one had phones back then—she couldn't call anyone. She sat on a small stool waiting, stiff from the cold wind, her teeth chattering. After a long time, Lu Xiaobai and Jiang Heng found her. Lu Xiaobai's eyes were red as she snapped, "Ruan Xingchen, are you a pig?! Do you know how worried we were?!" Lu Xiaobai was like an older sister to her—she didn't dare talk back, so she just hung her head in silence. Just as she felt sad and wronged, a warm hand landed on her head. She looked up to see Jiang Heng smiling gently at her. "Hungry? Let's go eat." She asked dumbly, "Aren't you going to yell at me?" "Why would I?" Jiang Heng's eyes were soft. "Even if you ran to the ends of the earth, I'd find you." She stared at him without speaking. Lu Xiaobai huffed, "Jiang Heng, you can't spoil her like this. She'll turn into a real pig." "It's fine. Pigs make good wives too." "What are you sighing about?" A low voice came from above her. Ruan Xingchen snapped back to reality. Lu Jingyuan was already standing in front of her. She frowned and answered honestly, "Thinking about something from a long time ago." "Mm." Lu Jingyuan took the shopping bags from her hands, wrapped one arm halfway around her, and walked into the rain with the umbrella. "What about?" "Once, a long time ago, I snuck out to buy snacks. When I came out, it was pouring, and I got stuck." "And then?" "Xiaobai and Jiang Heng found me after I waited forever." "Xiaobai called you a pig?" "How did you know, Uncle?!" "Because you are a pig." Ruan Xingchen pouted, tilting her head up to glare at him with big round eyes, as if saying: How am I a pig? I'm cute and adorable! Lu Jingyuan glanced at her, the corner of his mouth lifting, amusement in his dark eyes. "Not happy about it?" "Nope!" "Then hold it in." "…" Even though the rain wasn't heavy, Lu Jingyuan's upper body was half-wet when they got back. Ruan Xingchen's skirt was soaked at the bottom. "Go take a shower and change. Don't catch a cold." Lu Jingyuan closed the umbrella, stuffed the snack bag into her arms, and carried the groceries into the kitchen. Ruan Xingchen wrung out her skirt, set the snacks on the coffee table, and went to find her rolling suitcase. It was next to the sofa. She squatted down, unzipped it, opened it up—and froze. After a few seconds, she snapped the suitcase shut, stood up, and stomped angrily toward the kitchen. "You big meanie! Did you throw away my dresses again?!"