The CEO's Substitute Wife Is A Genius-Chapter 452: Family Reunion (End)

The end of the year.

Jojo had her second child just a few days ago.

Jiang Man took Wu Yingfan to visit.

Her first child was a boy, and envious that Jiang Man had both a son and a daughter, she was determined to have a second child.

Luckily, her wish was granted by the heavens, and her second child was a girl.

"Come come, future mother-in-law, how about you name her?"

Jojo, holding the baby smelling of milk, presented her to Jiang Man.

Mixed-race children tend to be even cuter when they’re young, with their round heads and large eyes.

Especially those eyelashes, both long and curled.

As soon as Jiang Man took the little one in her arms, the baby smiled at her, instantly melting her heart.

"What’s going on? I was just the godmother for the first child, how did I become the mother-in-law for the second?"

"Hehe, I’ve decided ahead of time that Cinderella will marry Yangyang!"

"..." Jiang Man gave her a white eye, "You’re too late, the child has already been promised to my third sister-in-law."

"What? Chen Anna doesn’t play fair!"

Jojo was so agitated she almost tore off her headband, ready to fly to Harbour City and fight Chen Anna.

"Her daughter is older than Yangyang, he definitely won’t like older women."

"How is she an older woman? She’s only a few months older."

"I don’t care, my child is a delicate wife! We’re good sisters, can’t you give me a backdoor deal?"

"Let the kids choose when they grow up, what era is it? You’re still arranging marriages."

Jiang Man rolled her eyes and continued to tease Cinderella.

At that moment, her phone in her pocket rang.

"Come come, let Uncle Fan have a hold."

Wu Yingfan deftly took the child in his arms.

The guy’s still single to this day, but he’s had four years of experience with children.

Whoever marries him in the future, that’s real luck!

"Hello?" Jiang Man walked out of the room to a quiet corner at the end of the hallway.

The call was from Lu Yingxue.

This kid had been at the research institute for five years, one of the most accomplished there.

"Little auntie, my approval to go to Antarctica has come through, I’m leaving next Tuesday."

"So soon?" Jiang Man frowned.

"Mhm," Lu Yingxue nodded softly.

Over the years, she had been in intermittent contact with Hu Xianyun.

The signal is poor in Antarctica, plus the harsh climate.

Often, she would send a message and it would take days for Hu Xianyun to reply.

But this time, she sent a message, and he didn’t reply for over a month.

Going to Antarctica was a decision she had made long ago, but the approval process was lengthy and took several months.

"Since you’ve decided, then I wish you a smooth journey! Remember to write once you get there."

"I will," Lu Yingxue responded.

After hanging up, she stood outside the lab, staring at the glass pods, lost in thought for a long time.

She still remembered the scene when she first met Hu Xianyun five years ago, never imagining that a conversation on the internet would last five years.

Days used to pass slower.

Travel by carriage, mail - all too slow.

One could only love one person in a lifetime.

She felt the same with Hu Xianyun, separated by half the globe.

So far, so far away...

It seemed as if everything became slower because of distance.

Not like ordinary lovers who quickly jump into intense courtship.

It took her and Hu Xianyun three whole years to get his first confession over the phone.

She didn’t want to be slow anymore.

If his destiny was to be at the world’s southernmost point, she was willing to cross mountains and seas to seek him out.

...

Bang—

Bang bang bang—

Outside the window, a sea of lights, everywhere the sound of fireworks.

After nightfall, the Lu Family ancestral home was brightly lit, a whole family gathered together, drinking and making merry.

"Come, esteemed guests, take the seat of honor!"

The Lu Family matriarch personally invited King to sit dead center in the grand chamber.

King demurred, "Elder, you should sit. You’re the elder."

In the courtyard, the children were having a snowball fight.

Jiang Man, holding a hot water bottle, glanced at the main house.

"What do you think happened? Those two are now on great terms."

"It seems like after Yangyang and Yueyue were born, their relationship inexplicably improved," Lu Xingzhou squinted, remembering the day Jiang Man gave birth four years ago.

"Right, Aunt Lan and Hans will be here soon."

Pausing, he suddenly burst into laughter, "Auntie has a surprise for us this year."

"What surprise?" Jiang Man raised her eyebrows, brimming with curiosity. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Before Lu Xingzhou could speak, a loud voice came from outside the courtyard.

"Send out a few young folks to help move things! There’s so much stuff!"

"Coming, coming~" Lu Zhendong led several servants out to help.

Lu Xingzhou put his arm around Jiang Man’s shoulders, "Look."

Jiang Man turned her head and saw two people dressed like nouveau riche entering.

The woman wore a white mink coat, the man in black mink.

The woman’s neck and hands were adorned with shiny gold jewelry.

"What’s going on?" Jiang Man couldn’t help laughing: "Aunt found a boyfriend?"

"Exactly, the owner of Meixiang Garden, his old classmate, pursued her for decades and finally won her over."

"Whoa! Impressive," Jiang Man exclaimed.

So, sincerity really could move a heart of stone?

"That’s not all. Auntie now gets along great with Aunt Lan and even shares jokes with my father-in-law."

Jiang Man was still dubious about Lu Xingzhou’s words.

Then she saw Lu Xuemei stride into the main house, "I’m so hot, I could die."

She handed her coat to a servant and walked up to King.

"Weren’t you saying that wine from L Estate can’t even be bought with money? Old Liu got his hands on some!"

"Is that so?" King responded indifferently.

Lu Xuemei was buzzing with excitement: "You should have a good taste later, with your high status, even the estate owner wouldn’t sell you the wine, must be because of your terrible temper. I always say, sometimes you need to be low-key, unlike my old Liu, so modest."

"Yes, you’re right," King nodded with a smile.

Old Liu awkwardly tugged at Lu Xuemei, hinting her to tone it down.

But Lu Xuemei was unabashed, hugging him and planting a kiss on his face.

"Oh my, I really can’t watch this." The elder quickly closed her eyes.

They’re almost fifty, how can they still be so lovey-dovey?

"Here they come, here they come, Mrs. Lan Xiang and Mr. Hans have arrived!"

With the butler’s announcement, Lu Xuemei finally toned down her behavior.

When Mrs. Lan Xiang entered, she immediately went up to greet her warmly.

Seeing how friendly they were, like in the old days, Jiang Man felt a bit choked up for a moment.

Round and round, and in the end, only her old dad became a lonely widower.

She used to ask him many times why he didn’t find another partner.

He never answered before, but recently he said, "Because I’m afraid the one I find won’t love you like I do. Later, as you grew up, I got used to a life with a daughter but no wife, so I didn’t want to look anymore."

"Why are your eyes so red?" Lu Xingzhou turned his head and saw Jiang Man’s eyes were red.

"It’s nothing." Jiang Man shook her head and yelled at the kids playing with the snow, "Stop playing, come inside, it’s time for the New Year’s Eve dinner!"

"Coming, coming!" Lu Zhan and Wen Rui herded the children like ducks.

Yangyang, Yueyue, and the triplets of Lu Zhan and Wen Rui.

Five kids like wild horses broke free, swarming into the main room.

"Shall we go?" Jiang Man tilted her head, switched the hot water bottle to her other hand, and reached out with her now free hand into Lu Xingzhou’s.

Hand in hand, eyes locked.

Lu Xingzhou indulgently smiled at her.

They would continue walking together like this, for a long, long time...

...

In the main room, the fireplace was burning strongly.

A large family immersed themselves in the boisterous atmosphere of bidding the old year farewell and welcoming the new.

Some were so happy they lost themselves, drinking one cup after another.

While others recalled old times, pouring their own drinks.

"I really didn’t expect that, after so many years, we could still eat at the same table," Lu Xuemei stood up, holding a cup, swaying.

Old Liu was afraid she’d fall, so he stood beside her, offering support.

She laughed cheerily, clearly a little drunk.

"Come, Li Jin, Xiangling, the three of us should drink together!"

Lu Xuemei shouted, and her voice progressively grew louder: "Let’s call this the Reconciliation Liquor. After this drink, let’s turn the page on the past."

"Okay!" Mrs. Lan Xiang was moved, tears welling up, she stood up holding her cup.

She’d had a hurdle in her heart these years that she couldn’t get over. Today, Lu Xuemei proposed a reconciliation, which truly dissolved her grudge.

"What about you, Li Jin? Won’t you offer me face? Or do you still want to be at odds with the Lu Family?"

Lu Xuemei pushed Old Liu aside, staggered toward King.

Resting her hand on King’s shoulder, "Hmm?"

"Drink." King managed a strained smile.

He was doing this for Manman, forgiving the Lu Family and drinking this glass of Reconciliation Liquor.

Bang—

When the three glasses clinked together, a round of applause broke out in the main room.

...

During a break, Mrs. Lan Xiang went to the restroom.

King was outside smoking in the yard and caught sight of someone secretly wiping away tears at the sink.

"Why are you crying?" He approached quickly, cigarette in hand.

Mrs. Lan Xiang jumped, turned to see it was King, and hurriedly wiped her tears with a tissue.

"It’s tears of joy."

"Why didn’t you acknowledge Manman? I gave you a chance on the wedding day," King said coolly, his voice devoid of warmth.

Mrs. Lan Xiang smiled weakly: "I’m not worthy to be her mother. Although it wasn’t my hands that abandoned her back then, I’m still responsible. I so readily believed what my mother told me and didn’t investigate further."

"Telling Manman will only make her hate one more person, and that person would be her grandmother."

Mrs. Lan Xiang’s eyes reddened, glancing at the festive atmosphere in the main room.

"It’s quite good as it is now."

She paused, then raised an eyebrow at King: "What about you? Why don’t you acknowledge Manman? Are you willing to be just her foster father for life? Don’t you want her to know that you are her biological father?"

"Whether I acknowledge her or not, what’s the difference? She’s been my daughter for twenty years." King extinguished his cigarette in the garbage bin beside him.

"When the time comes, I’ll acknowledge her, but not now."

"When will that be?" Mrs. Lan Xiang clutched the corner of her clothes anxiously.

King looked up at the sky outside the courtyard, a sky filled with fireworks and lights.

"Wait until the moment King Corporation is truly handed over to her."

As he spoke, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but turn up.

"Honestly, I’m really looking forward to retiring early."

"Grandpa, will you set off the firecrackers with us, please?" Two people were talking when Lu Xinyue, a child holding a basket, ran over.

King squatted down and patted her little head, glancing inside the basket full of firecrackers.

"Alright, alright, Grandpa will play with you."

Saying so, he took Yueyue’s little hand.

"Grandma, shall we go too?"

Right then, Yangyang appeared out of nowhere, taking Mrs. Lan Xiang’s hand of his own accord.

Mrs. Lan Xiang was startled.

Startled by the word ’Grandma.’

But Yangyang blinked his large innocent eyes.

"Mommy said we should call you Grandma and Hans Grandpa; she says she’s already considered you her mother."

So that’s how it was.

Mrs. Lan Xiang calmed her heart for a moment, then smiled: "Let’s go, Grandma will accompany you to set off firecrackers!"

After they all left, two figures appeared from another corridor, hand in hand.

Lu Xingzhou squeezed her hand tightly, glancing at the person next to him: "Do you really not plan on acknowledging it?"

Jiang Man bit her lip, her eyes deep and tranquil.

She watched not far away, Lu Zhan and Lu Zhendong fussing over the fireworks.

Wen Rui accompanied the kids building a snowman.

She smiled: "Whether we acknowledge it or not, it makes no difference."

Because she knew in her heart, her parents were still alive.

Her foster father of twenty years turned out to be her biological father!

"Do you hate your grandmother?" Lu Xingzhou stuffed her hand into his pocket.

"Of course I hate her." Jiang Man raised her eyebrows, yet her expression was relaxed: "If not for her, I wouldn’t have been abandoned."

"But in the end, it’s still the fault of your Lu Family. Lu Xingzhou, you’ll have to make it up to me for the rest of your life!"

"This life, the next one, and the one after." Lu Xingzhou said affectionately.

Jiang Man instantly let go, shrugging her shoulders: "Shall we go? Make a snowman? Have some fun with the kids?"

"Let’s go."

...

"Grandpa, you do it, I’m scared." Yueyue covered her ears and hid to the side.

Crackling, the firecrackers sounded off.

"Grandma, this snowball is for you." Yangyang brought over a big snowball.

"Lu Xinyang, you have no martial virtue; that was the snowball I rolled!" Lu Zhan started to make a fuss.

"Zhan bro, just make another one."

Wen Rui couldn’t help but laugh, covering his mouth: "You three, go and play with your little uncle and aunt."

"Little Uncle~"

"Little Aunt~"

"Haha." Jiang Man saw this and was in a very good mood.

Taking advantage of the generational hierarchy, Yangyang and Yueyue at such a young age had already become the elders.

"Come on, come on, Uncle Grandpa and Aunt Grandma will join you! Let’s build a family portrait snowman!"