Chapter 631: 562 dear, in-laws?
"No, just you alone."
""
Song Lili paused, her gaze fixed on King Qing Lin in obvious confusion.
"Lord Wen Nian is normally busy with affairs, and may not find time to visit the M Royal Family. Thus, if the President’s wife wishes, she may come alone for a visit."
Song Lili laughed,
"I will convey the message to my husband, just to say... King Qing Lin thinks he is too busy with his affairs."
"Hahaha! Madame, you really have a sense of humor."
King Qing Lin joked, not continuing the discussion as if it was a casual remark; he did not seem to mind whether Song Lili was willing to visit M country alone.
Song Lili naturally did not follow up on that lead.
"Ah... I’ve also grown old, and one by one, my children and grandchildren have left my side... now even Niannian is about to get married."
"But Your Majesty must not feel lonely. Don’t you have several wives?"
"Hahaha, when one gets old, one always wants to spend more time with their children; with the wives, on the other hand... it’s not like it was when we were young."
"It’s also King Qing Lin who has worked hard for the Royal Family all his life; you should be enjoying your golden years now."
"Where can it be so easy? Niannian’s marriage is pretty much settled, but... Chiluo’s marriage still hasn’t found a footing."
The King shook his head.
Song Lili laughed,
"Prince Chiluo is handsome and suave, talented and ambitious, and as a royal prince, shouldn’t you worry about him finding a good match?"
"Chiluo may seem straightforward, but his character is actually not so easy to grasp. What kind of woman he likes, I really can’t guess; but the only one he has openly praised and expressed admiration for is you, Madame President. Hahaha!"
"Me?"
"Yes, so if there’s any lady as outstanding and beautiful as the President’s wife, be sure to keep an eye out for Chiluo. Hahaha!"
After saying this, Qing Lin laughed to himself.
Song Lili also laughed along.
Regarding King Qing Lin’s jesting words, Song Lili naturally did not take them to heart.
When the garden walk ended, they returned indoors. Before they had even sat down, the King’s attendant came over with a cellphone,
"Your Majesty, it’s a call from Princess Chinian."
"Oh, okay."
Qing Lin took the cellphone, "Niannian..."
Song Lili, out of politeness, excused herself.
She thought... perhaps the results of the negotiations with the Zhongli Family had come out.
————
"How come so soon?"
Seeing Xiaoer packing his things, Lu Yonghuai couldn’t help but frown.
"All matters are almost settled, and I’m just packing up. It’s still several days before I really leave!"
Xiaoer yawned as he sat on the edge of the bed,
"Go to work. Come home early tonight, and I’ll wait to have dinner with you."
Where was Lu Yonghuai willing to go to work? He came straight in and sat next to Xiaoer,
"Why are you leaving in such a hurry?"
"It’s not very urgent, Dad. Didn’t I tell you earlier? The school procedures are already almost complete, and going earlier allows me to get used to the environment!"
""
"The United States isn’t very far, is it? If you miss me, just give me a call, and I promise to fly back immediately!"
Xiaoer held Lu Yonghuai’s hand, smiling slightly.
"You’re just placating me. You’re famously heartless. The moment you leave the Lu family, you can’t wait to never come back..."
Lu Yonghuai pursed his lips, his tone filled with much grievance, making Xiaoer want to laugh.
"I’m not placating you. Look, our house was assigned by the previous government. Once you retire, who knows if it will still belong to us. If the government takes it back, we won’t have a place to stay."
"Nonsense, even if the government takes back the house, I have savings to buy a house!"
"With you having lived in a big house with a yard and garden, could you comfortably move into a hundred square meter apartment..."
""
"Our home prices in Anlin are so expensive, and you, Dad, are so principled; how could we afford a villa?"
Xiaoer spoke while laughing, draped over Lu Yonghuai’s shoulder, drawing a blueprint in front of him,
"Look, I’m going to the United States now. If I settle there in the future, I can buy a villa in the United States where housing is much cheaper. When you retire, I’ll bring you over, and you can stay close to me. How does that sound?"
"That sounds a bit tempting..."
Lu Yonghuai muttered, and Xiaoer was about to die laughing but soon her eyes became slightly moist.
"But, you cunning girl, you’re not tricking me, are you?"
"Dad, how can you trust me so little!"
Xiaoer said earnestly.
Lu Yonghuai chuckled softly, "True, my own daughter, raised by me, would definitely be dutiful."
"Alright, go to work with peace of mind. I’ll treat you tonight."
"" ""
"Alright."
After agreeing, Lu Yonghuai had just stood up when a servant hurried upstairs,
"Master, there are visitors."
"At this hour... visitors?"
Lu Yonghuai glanced at his watch; it was only eight thirty...
"Yes. It’s Mr. and Mrs. Zhongli."
"Who?"
Lu Yonghuai thought he had misheard and asked in surprise.
"It’s Mr. and Mrs. Zhongli."
"What are they here for?"
Lu Yonghuai’s mood immediately plummeted, infuriated by the thought that it was Zhongli’s son who caused him to be separated from his daughter.
"Dad, go downstairs, perhaps there is something important."
Xiaoer told Lu Yonghuai, without overthinking it.
"Alright, I’ll go down."
After saying that, Lu Yonghuai followed the servant downstairs and saw Mr. and Mrs. Zhongli Yuting in the living room. They immediately stood up when they saw Lu Yonghuai coming down.
"What kind of wind blew today, bringing you here?"
Lu Yonghuai glanced outside the window, "It’s such unlucky weather early in the morning, I need to hesistate before deciding if it’s suitable to go out today."
He spoke without mincing his words.
Typically, Zhongli Yuting would not allow Lu Yonghuai to dominate the conversation.
But this time, he showed no intention of retorting, instead he had a face full of flattering and appeasement,
"Brother Lu, I know you are angry at me! I failed to discipline my son, causing your daughter such great distress."
"Knowing that, why did you still come?"
Lu Yonghuai frowned,
"I heard that you are about to forge a connection with the Royal Family of the United States. You should be busy now, how do you have the time to visit the Lu family?"
"Brother Lu, my wife and I are here today because we do not wish to forge that connection with the Royal Family."
Having known Zhongli Yuting for so long, Lu Yonghuai had never seen him behave so obsequiously.
But even though he was groveling, in Lu Yonghuai’s view, Zhongli Yuting was still a crafty fox—dying a crafty death when his time came!
Seeing Lu Yonghuai’s guarded expression, Zhongli Yuting also felt frustrated.
"If you don’t want to forge a connection with the Royal Family, then don’t. What are you doing here?"
"Zhongli Wuzhi is stubborn..."
"So what does that have to do with me?"
Lu Yonghuai raised his brows, clearly growing impatient.
"Ah! Let me do this!"
Lady Zhongli couldn’t stand it anymore; Zhongli Yuting was still worrying about saving face at such a moment.
"Lady Zhongli, what exactly do you and Zhongli Yuting want by coming here today? Just say it, I have to go to work and don’t have time to waste here with you."
"Brother Lu, Yuting and I know you are angry, and if our daughter were bullied, we’d be angry too."
"..."
Lu Yonghuai could be rude to Zhongli Yuting, but towards a lady...
"Brother Lu, would you please sit down and listen to me for a moment?"
"Lady Zhongli, I am really running late."
"Just two minutes, okay?"
"..."
Seeing Lady Zhongli’s sincere plea, at least more pleasing than that crafty fox, Lu Yonghuai arrogantly sat back down.
"Brother Lu, you and Yuting have known each other for so many years. Even though you’ve always quarreled upon meeting, I believe you are friends, and more than just ordinary friends."
"Enough, enough! Lady Zhongli, I cannot accept such high praise."
Lu Yonghuai hastily waved his hand.
"What I mean is, although Yuting verbally stated that Wuzhi was angry and resentful for going to the United States for Xiaoer, in reality, he is very grateful to Xiaoer for maturing his wayward son and making him responsible."
"Wuzhi and Xiaoer being together, Yuting and I are truly happy. But no one expected so much to happen recently."
Lu Yonghuai took a deep breath,
"Did you specially come today to apologize?"
"Brother Lu, we are here to ask Xiaoer to forgive our foolish son."
"Whether Xiaoer forgives Zhongli Wuzhi or not, does it even matter?"
Lu Yonghuai was utterly perplexed.
"Brother Lu, if I speak a single dishonest word next, may our Zhongli family be cursed to have no descendants!"
Lady Zhongli swore solemnly—her oath was particularly harsh.
Lu Yonghuai was all ears, looking at Lady Zhongli with mixed belief and doubt.
"Wuzhi truly likes Xiaoer. He hurt Xiaoer deeply. Though he pretends it’s nothing, yesterday, he was inconsolable on the phone with Yuting when he mentioned Xiaoer’s decisiveness."
"..."
"He said Xiaoer refuses to forgive him, saying there’s no possibility between him and Xiaoer anymore... You don’t know how he cried. I’ve never seen him so heartbroken since he was a child."
As Lady Zhongli spoke, she began to weep herself.
Lu Yonghuai kept a stern face,
"But this isn’t something I can decide. They have been together for so long; now choosing to break up, I think it must be something both have considered deeply."
He finished speaking and stood up, but the next second,
"Relatives!"
Lady Zhongli suddenly shouted such, startling Lu Yonghuai who had just stood up, causing him to wobble and sit back down,
"Relatives?"
"My wife and I have long regarded you as relatives in our hearts!"
"..."
Lu Yonghuai looked at the two people staring eagerly at him, taken aback...
He hesitated, wondering if he was dreaming at the moment.
"You don’t want Xiaoer and Ah Zhi to end their fate just like this, do you?"